Pitbull Guide

Friday, September 29, 2006

Lyme Disease in Pit Bulls

Lyme disease in Pit bulls is an important one to be taken care of with more cautions now a day. The organism called as Borrelia burgdorferi, which is a spirochete, transmitted by the deer tick, causes this disease.

This tick is actually an Ixodes tick and the tick needs to be on the body of the dog for at least a day before the transmission of the bacteria into the dog’s body. This disease occurs in human beings also in which case it is called as Borreliosis. Tick bites leads to the severe infections in dog. Lyme disease has been documented in USA, especially in Texas, Mississipi areas, California and south regions.

Records are available on occurrence of variable symptoms of dog’s lyme disease. Dog often reveals symptoms like lameness, anorexia, dullness, pyrexia, symptoms pertaining to the glomerulo nephritis like anuria, dysuria etc.

But it is to be remembered that the occurrence of renal disease often occurs only in lethal cases and in very weak animals. However, most of the times, the occurrence of neurologic symptoms is not frequently encountered in the dogs affected with Lyme disease. Dog may not reflect always a typical lameness but the dogs affected may exhibit the difficulties in getting up.

The lameness may be of a mild degree in most of the times in the affected dogs. Unlike in case of man, the dogs affected with this disease may not have any type of rash, most of the times. Always link tick bite symptoms to the Lyme disease symptoms. Dogs may not always develop this kind of disease, always and the dogs that are in immuno compromised status alone may contract this disease.

Similarly, you cannot expect that all dogs that have contracted this disease will exhibit the symptoms. Dog-lyme disease may some times have variable symptoms and it depends on existence of other diseases also side by side.

Only some dogs will exhibit the symptoms as quoted earlier. Vaccination can be carried out with dogs that earlier has this disease but later treated in a successful manner.

Whether it is a human being or the dog, the frequency of occurrence is more than once with regard to Lyme disease. Dog’s body gets additional immunity due to the vaccination against this disease.

The treatment of this disease often depends on the virulence of the organism and the effect of the concerned antibiotic on this spirochete. However, long-term therapy may be advocated and some how it may depends on the extent of broad-spectrum activity of the concerned antibiotic during tackling of Lyme disease symptoms. Dogs need to be taken care of well during the occurrence of this disease.
This disease is often recorded in case of younger dogs than in case of older dogs. People may not get this dog-lyme disease, directly from the dog that is reared by them. But the infected dog may have the ticks with the disease-causing agent. This tick may fall on the bed of human beings accidentally and that tick may bite man.

In such occasions, the disease may spread to man, leading to development of rash, which is a characteristic symptom of this disease. Hope that the information provided in this paper may help to straighten some of the myths revolving around the Lyme disease. Dog needs to be monitored for tick infestation routinely.

Monday, September 18, 2006

How to Choose a Better Pitbull Kennels?

Wanna a perfect kennel for your pitbull during your family holiday or backpacker holiday? Pitbull Kennels are the places in which the dogs are housed for a specific period. If your pit bull is going to spend considerable amount of time outside your house, it requires specific housing to prevent itself from rain, shade from the sun and also from snow and wind.

You can readily purchase the readymade houses made up of wood or “igloo” doghouses from the pet shops or home stores. Some dogs prefer to doze on the roof, so the houses should be build in such a way that it can withstand the dog’s weight.

If you are going away from home for few days along with your family, you should find a good temporary home for your pit bull. Many kennels offering the services of temporary home for few days. You can easily pick any one of these kennels. The kennel should be nearby your area by searching through on-line.

If you prefer a kennel which is farther from your area, these kennels offer pick-up and drop-off service also. So it is not necessary to select a bad kennel due to its nearness to your place. One truth behind the selection of distant kennel is “Farther out kennel may provide your pit bulls large play area”

There are numerous ways and means to select a
good pit bull kennel. A good kennel should offer loving care to your pit bull. Before sending your beloved pit bull to kennel, just peep into the kennel to look after its facilities.

You should clearly inspect the other healthy dogs in the kennel, the exercise yard, clean fresh water and professionally responsive staff.

You should ask questions regarding the indoor facility which facilitates protection against extreme weather, bedding materials provided, mode of cleaning of the cells (whether hosing of water is practiced while the dog is present in the cell).

You should also make yourself comfortable with the veterinary facility available and the prophylactic treatment offered in the kennel (deworming, vaccination, etc.,).

It is always better to provide all relevant information such as allergies, afraid of lightning and thunder, etc., to the kennel authorities for better management of your beloved pitbulls.