The Cavalier Chronicle
October 2016
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
EDITOR'S MESSAGE
TODAY'S INSPIRATION
We all need those little reminders from time to time. If you have a favorite reminder you would like to share please send it to Mark Fitchpatrick at Fitchpatrick@Earthlink.net
ALL HALLOW'S SPECIALTY - October 28
Our All Hallows Specialty Show will be held on Friday, October 28, 2016 at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta, GA. We will be holding TWO specialty shows on Friday along with Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes. After the specialty shows, stay ringside for a wonderful ham potluck dinner. At the dinner, we will have a small silent auction and there will be a ringside silent auction. Additionally, we will be presenting our very first annual member recognition awards! For our club members who do not show, come on down and support the club members who are in the ring and enjoy a great day of cavaliers, a wonderful meal and socializing. If you would like to help out at the Specialty, please contact show chair Sue Bess (bess.susan@gmail.com) or Paula Ayers (playerscav@aol.com)
All Hallows Specialty Trophy Sponsorships -
Help support the club’s specialty show by sponsoring a trophy. You will be recognized in our show catalog and on the club website. This is a great opportunity to honor or remember that special cavalier in your life! The cost sponsoring these trophies is very affordable. They are all under $30!
The following trophies are still available:
AM Specialty Show (Metal Art Trophies):
Select Dog, Select Bitch
Reserve Winners Dog, Reserve Winners Bitch
Best Puppy in Show, Best Veteran in Show
PM Specialty Show (Pottery):
Select Dog, Select Bitch
Reserve Winners Dog, Reserve Winners Bitch
You can pay for trophies online, using our safe, secure store in our website. Please visit: http://ckcscatlanta.org/all-hallows-specialty-trophy-sponsorships
We also have individual class sponsorships still available! Each class sponsorship is only $15 and covers BOTH specialties. Your name will be recognized in the show catalog. You can pay for class sponsorships online, using our safe, secure store in our website. Please visit:
http://ckcscatlanta.org/all-hallows-specialty-class-sponsorships
HOLIDAY PARTY
Save the Date for the Club’s Holiday Luncheon
Be sure to save the date of Saturday, December 17, 2016! The club will be holding our annual holiday luncheon and gift exchange at club member Linda Whitmire’s home. The club will be providing the meat and we ask that everyone bring a dish to share. BYOB. An EVITE email invitation was sent out in September, so be sure to respond to that invitation. It also has a section to indicate what you are bringing as a side.
NATURAL REMEDIES
Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil for Dogs
To help, I've decided to put together the best guide out there to answer all of your questions about coconut oil for dogs. After reading the guide and learning more, I hope you'll be excited to get some for your pup.
IS COCONUT OIL GOOD FOR DOGS:
Can dogs have coconut oil? The short answer is Yes. Coconut oil is good for dogs and can help aid your pets' digestion, improve their coats, help prevent infection and more. But please note, it is important to follow the proper guidelines. As with most things, too much of even a good thing can end up having negative effects.
WHY IS COCONUT OIL HEALTHY FOR PETS:
The big benefits of coconut oil comes from the type of fats it is made of. Coconut oil is almost exclusively (more than 90%) saturated fat and is one of the few foods that can be classified as a "superfood". I know what you're thinking, "Isn't fat bad for you?". In this case no. There are two groups of fats: saturated fats and unsaturated and within each group are several more types of fats. It can get a little confusing, for solid information all about fats, www.webmd.com has some good information. MCT's are coconut oil's secret weapon. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) is good fat, the kind that provides an array of benefits which include digestion improvement, immune system support, metabolic function that assists with weight loss, skin and coat health and thyroid health.
MCT is made up of Lauric Acid, Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic Acid and Palmitic. Coconut oil also contains about 2% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and about 6% oleic acid (monounsaturated fatty acids).
Lauric acid has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Capric and caprylic acid also have similar properties as lauric acid and are best known for their anti-fungal effects
In addition, MCTs are efficiently metabolized to provide an immediate source of fuel and energy, enhancing athletic performance and aiding weight loss. In dogs, the MCTs in coconut oil balance the thyroid, helping overweight dogs lose weight and helping sedentary dogs feel energetic.
Ok enough of the science, now on to the fun stuff.
BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL FOR DOGS:
As stated, coconut oil has several benefits for your dog. Let's go over a few of them. Coconut oil gently elevates the metabolism, provides a higher level of energy and vitality, protects your dog from illness, and speeds healing. As a bonus, coconut oil can improve dog’s skin and coat, improves digestion, and reduces allergic reactions.
HEALTHY SKIN AND COAT
- Clears up eczema
- Aids flea allergies, contact dermatitis and itchy skin
- Minimizes doggy odor
- Reduces allergic reactions
- Creates sleek and glossy coats
- Prevents and treats yeast and fungal infections
- When applied topically coconut oil promotes wound healing
Also can help with hot spots, dry skin and hair, bites and stings
IMPROVES DIGESTION
- Improves digestion
- Increases nutrient absorption
- Helps with colitis and inflammatory bowl syndrome
- Reduces or eliminates bad breath
Helps with coughing
"SUPERFOOD" BENEFITS
- Assists with weight loss
- Powerful antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal agents
- Balances insulin and promotes normal thyroid function
- Helps prevent or control diabetes
- Aids arthritis and ligament problems
- Helps prevent infection and disease
- Aids in increasing energy
HOW MUCH COCONUT OIL FOR DOGS:
How much coconut oil should you give your dog? When starting your dog on coconut oil, it is absolutely vital that you start slow. Begin slow, start with a tiny amount. Your dog needs to take time for their body to adjusts to the addition to their diet. If you start with larger amount of coconut oil, your dog could react poorly. Side effects can include diarrhea or greasy stools.
START WITH SMALL AMOUNTS
- ¼ teaspoon per day for small dogs and puppies.
- 1 teaspoon for large dogs, or even just a dab if your dog's constitution is sensitive.
AFTER YOU'VE LET THEIR BODY ADJUST, A GENERAL GUIDELINE FOR THE OPTIMAL DOSE OF COCONUT OIL FOR DOGS IS.
- About 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight daily
- Or about 1 tablespoon per 30 pounds
Again, DO NOT start with these amounts in the beginning!
COCONUT OIL ON DOG'S SKIN:
In addition to giving your dog orally, coconut oil can be applied directly to your dog's coat and skin. As stated earlier, because coconut oil contains lauric acid, it is a fabulous immune builder, both orally and topically.
A coconut oil treatment will leave your dog's skin incredibly soft, but it will also make it healthier. A coconut oil skin treatment about once a week can make a big difference in the health of your dog's skin and nails.
For good results, apply to the skin and let the oil absorb for about five minutes. After the five minutes, you can apply and a very light rinse. If you feel you haven't removed the excess oil, finish up with a light application of shampoo and another quick rinse.
PARASITE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
By Dr. Karen Becker
Today I want to talk about a subject near and dear to every pet parent’s heart (not really) — intestinal parasites.
These are the quite disgusting little creatures that can take up residence inside your dog’s or cat’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract (and in some cases they’re zoonoses, meaning you can get them as well), and cause all sorts of digestive and other issues.
Common invaders of the digestive tract include parasites such as giardia, coccidium and cryptosporidium, and worms (whipworms, tapeworms and hookworms).
Giardia
•How infection occurs. Your pet can acquire giardia by ingesting an infected cyst contained in another animal's poop. Contamination can occur directly or indirectly through contact with infected cysts. The most common route of transmission is through feces-contaminated water.
Once inside a dog's or cat's small intestine, the cyst opens and releases the active form of the parasite. These forms are able to move around and attach themselves to the walls of the intestine, where they reproduce by dividing in two.
Eventually, the active forms of giardia encyst (build cysts around themselves) and are passed from the animal's body in feces. Those feces then contaminate water sources, grass, soil and other surfaces.
Also, if a dog is giardia-positive, licks his backside and then licks another dog, cat or human, there's potential for transmission to occur.
•Common symptoms. The majority of pets with giardia show no obvious signs of infection. For those pets who do experience symptoms, the most common is diarrhea that can be acute, chronic or on-and-off.
What happens with a lot of pet parents is, about the time they’re ready to call the vet about their dog’s or cat’s loose stools, the situation seems to correct itself.
Diarrhea caused by a giardia infection can come and go, which causes many people to write off the occasional loose stool as the result of indiscriminate eating or a random food sensitivity.
This is exactly why so many cases of giardia go undiagnosed — sometimes for months or even years. Eventually, a pet with a long-standing giardia infection can suffer a severe, debilitating episode of bloody diarrhea that causes dehydration.
Most of these pets don’t lose their appetite, but they often do lose a noticeable amount of weight. This is because the parasitic infection in the GI tract is interfering with digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food they eat.
•Preventing infection. Don’t kennel your pet in close quarters with other animals. Clean up your pet’s poop outdoors, and don’t walk your dog or cat in areas where other animals relieve themselves. Don’t allow your pet to drink from outdoor water sources.
Drop off a fecal sample (that includes a fecal smear) with your vet twice a year for testing. This will help identify the presence of a parasitic infection before digestive function is compromised.
Giardia infections can easily be missed with traditional fecal flotation techniques, so if you suspect your dog may have a giardia infection, ask your veterinarian for a PCR test to know for sure.
Coccidia
•How infection occurs. Immature coccidian, called oocysts, are passed in the poop of an infected dog or cat. The oocysts are resistant and can live for quite some time in the environment.
Coccidia infections typically spread from one dog or cat to another through contact with infected feces. Coccidiosis is most commonly found in puppies or kittens that have contracted the parasite from an adult dog’s feces.
The infection is especially dangerous for young pets with underdeveloped immune systems, and adult pets who are immunocompromised.
•Common symptoms. The hallmark symptom of coccidiosis is watery diarrheathat contains mucous. Left untreated, the infection can eventually cause bloody, explosive diarrhea, weakness and lethargy.
•Preventing infection. Don’t let your pet sample the poop of other animals. Keep infected animals isolated, and clean and disinfect areas where pets have been ill or had diarrhea. It’s a good idea to test the feces of pregnant dogs or cats and those that have just given birth, along with newly acquired pets.
Cryptosporidium
•How infection occurs. Infected animals shed the parasite in their feces. In damp environments, the organism can survive for up to six months. It can be transmitted when an animal ingests contaminated food or water, or licks or comes in contact with a contaminated object or surface.
Rarely, transmission can occur by inhaling the organism. Cryptosporidiosis can be a primary disease as well as a secondary disorder in pets with compromised immune systems.
Crowding and unsanitary conditions increase the risk of exposure, and young animals are more susceptible to infection.
•Common symptoms. In pets with healthy immune systems, the disease is self-limiting, and many infected dogs and cats show no symptoms. In symptomatic pets, signs of infection occur within a few days of exposure, and can include lethargy, abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Symptoms usually resolve without treatment, though occasionally the diarrhea persists, and the animal can become dehydrated. The severity of the disease depends on the immuno-competence of the dog or cat.
•Preventing infection. To prevent your pet from contracting crypto, don't allow him to sample animal feces or drink from bodies of water that could be contaminated. Keep sick animals separate from healthy ones, and clean and disinfect areas where animals have been ill or had diarrhea.
Since cryptosporidiosis is primarily a disease of young animals with immature immune systems, as well as immunocompromised pets, the best way to prevent your dog or cat from becoming ill after exposure is to make sure her immune system is healthy.
Whipworms
•How infection occurs. Your pet can only be infected by ingesting whipworm eggs from soil or other substrates containing eggs. In the small intestine, larvae hatch from ingested eggs and burrow into the mucosal lining. From two to 10 days later, they move on to the cecum and grow into adult worms.
The eggs are not infectious when passed in feces. They need several weeks in soil to develop into infective larvae inside their shells. A dog or cat eats contaminated soil or objects in the soil and the cycle of infection begins.
•Common symptoms. Many pets show no clinical signs of illness with a whipworm infection. Symptoms when they do occur can include bloody diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, anemia and even death in severe cases.
•Preventing infection. Re-infection with whipworm from contaminated environments is a significant concern. The eggs are extremely resilient and resistant to most cleaning methods and even freezing temperatures. They can be dried out with strong agents like agricultural lime, but the preferred method is to replace contaminated soil with new soil or another substrate.
Regularly picking up poop from your yard and other areas your pet frequents will help reduce the risk of further contamination of soil.
Tapeworms
•How infection occurs. Your dog or cat can acquire a tapeworm infestation by eating part or all of an intermediate host (e.g., birds, fish, reptiles and rats) carrying tapeworm eggs, larvae or cysts. Fleas and lice also harbor tapeworm eggs.
The most common method of transmission is through ingestion of adult fleas, birds, rodents, rabbits or through scavenging. Free-roaming pets with access to freshly killed wild or domestic animals are at increased risk of acquiring tapeworms, as are animals with heavy lice and/or flea infestations.
•Common symptoms. Most of the time, pets with tapeworms don’t show signs of discomfort. Because the worms feed slowly and steadily on blood and nutrients over a long period of time, they don’t cause acute or dramatic symptoms.
On the rare occasion when symptoms of a tapeworm infection do occur, they are usually pretty generic and can include itchiness around the anus, licking of the anal and perianal area, butt scooting, weight loss without loss of appetite, increased appetite without weight gain, poor coat or skin condition, distended or painful abdomen, diarrhea, lethargy and irritability.
Once in a great while, a heavy infestation of adult tapeworms causes partial or complete intestinal blockage, which is a true medical emergency. These parasites can be difficult to diagnose, and sometimes the only noticeable symptom is what looks like grains of white rice (tapeworm segments) stuck to or crawling through the fur around a pet’s rear end.
•Preventing infection. Eliminate all adult fleas and/or lice in your pet’s environment. You should also keep your pet a safe distance from potentially infected intermediate host animals, most commonly birds, rats, rodents and rabbits, as well as garbage.
Hookworms
•How infection occurs. Your pet may eat contaminated feces or dirt, or he might run through contaminated soil, then lick his paws and ingest the hookworm eggs in that manner. Puppies and kittens can acquire hookworm from an infected mother’s milk.
•Common symptoms. A puppy or kitten who acquires hookworms can become lethargic, weak, malnourished and anemic. It isn’t uncommon for young pets to die from an infestation. Infected adult dogs and cats may show symptoms of poor appetite and weight loss.
•Preventing infection. To prevent a hookworm infestation, it’s important to get rid of any potentially infective feces from wild or stray animals around your property that might tempt your pet. Also, keep your dog or cat away from the poop of other animals while you’re walking or hiking outdoors.
BRAGS
Jim & Sharon Utych are bragging on CH Brookhaven the Dream Lives On “Edgar”.
On September 17 & 18 at the Chattanooga KC shows, Edgar was awarded Select Dog and Best of Breed Owner Handler on both days under judges Wendy Paquette and Ruth Zimmerman. At the Anniston KC show, Edgar was Select Dog on September 25 under judge Joseph Gregory.
On Oct 1 & 2 at the Murfreesboro KC shows, Edgar was awarded Best of Opposite Sex and Best of Breed Owner Handler each day.
At the Augusta KC show on October 8, Edgar was awarded Select Dog. Sharon Utych & Linda Whitmire are bragging on their boy Almeara Visionnaire CGC “Stevie Ray”. At the Anniston KC shows, Stevie was Winners Dog and Best of Winners for a 5 point major under judge Christine Anderson and on September 25 was Winners Dog under judge Joseph Gregory.
On Oct 1 & 2 at the Murfreesboro KC shows, Stevie was awarded Reserve Winners Dog each day.
June, Tusus Ring of Fire finished her AKC Championship in September in three show weekends.
Then she won a G4 in Murfreesboro her first weekend out to try and finish her GCH.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
GROUND BEEF STEW
With pet food recalls popping up left and right, it's never been more important to know how to make your own pet food. And when it's this easy, there's no reason you can't make it every week!
Using the slow cooker, you can throw in all your ingredients in the morning, then set it and forget it. You can’t really overcook it either, since it’s fine if it gets a little mushy. Plus, it’s great knowing exactly what you’re feeding your pups, where your ingredients come from, and which nutrients they’re getting.
Free of corn, wheat and soy (the most common dog food allergens), this recipe is ideal for just about any dog. Of course, if your pup has other sensitivities or preferences, this recipe is easy to tweak accordingly.
SLOW COOKER DOG FOOD
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, chopped into small cubes
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely chopped
3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
PREPARATION
1 Place ground beef in slow cooker and top with rice, beans, squash, carrots, and peas
2 Pour in 4 cups of water, then stir everything together
3 Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3
4 Turn off heat and cool completely before serving
MEETING NOTICE
Our November meeting will be held Tuesday, November 1, at the Holiday Inn Northlake. Social hour begins at 7pm and the regular meeting will begin at 7:30pm. The Board will NOT be meeting in November.
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THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE
Mark Fitchpatrick, editor