Officials attached to the Department of Animal Production & Health last week said the death of nearly
300 dogs in Dimbulgala, Polonnaruwa District last week was due to a disease
called ‘Canine Distemper’, which only affects the animals belonging to the
canine family. “We have identified the cause of the dogs’ deaths as Distemper
disease, said Director General of the Department of Animal Production and
Health, Dr. W.K. de Silva,. “The disease is prevalent in Sri Lanka and it
spreads rapidly among unvaccinated dogs,” he said. Dr. de Silva cited that the
stray dogs were resistant to the virus but health officials have found it was
unusual that most dogs died were stray dogs.
“Some areas where mass anti-rabies vaccination campaigns were being
conducted, a mass outbreak of distemper might be evident. But we are yet to
ascertain if there had been such a campaign in this particular district,” he
said. Meanwhile, the District Secretary, Polonnaruwa, said that the reported
canine deaths were natural and may be due to the drastic climatic changes.
“We have concluded that change in climate from arid to inclement have caused the
disease to spread further and farther than expected,” he said.
He added that no more dogs’ deaths were reported since last week isolated
incident. “We have experienced the same condition before but not to such an
extent. We are not too concerned about it as it is a natural occurrence, he
said.
Reading Body Language of dogs means to understand what your dog is saying. Dogs generally communicate with their noises and body language. Dog’s body language allows them to communicate their emotional state and their intentions to others around them. Although dogs do use sounds and signals, they send much of the information through their body language, specifically their facial expressions and body postures. Dogs use facial expressions, ear set, tail carriage and overall demeanor to signal their intentions and feelings to others. Breaking their body language down into components is helpful at first for building your observation and interpretation skills.
The Dominant Dog
The dominant dog stands upright, a line of hair on spine stands erect, tail up and gently wagging. This is a primitive device to make the dog look lager and more fierce, and it is caused by the upsurge of adrenaline triggers the fight and flight syndrome. When approached by other dogs, the dominant animal curls its lips, makes a snarling roar, neck is extended, and paw may be put on the approaching dog.
The Submissive Dog
The submissive dog approaches the other from side, never head on. The head is held low, body crouching, rear end high. The underdog licks head and lips of pack leader.
Canine Body Language Chart
Following are some common behaviors and what they look like. Since this is a generalized chart, all the dogs may not display all of these traits. But one can use this information to get an idea of what feelings they are showing. As the relationship with a dog grows stronger, it will become easier to know what they are trying to say.
DOMINANT Ears -Up straight or forward Eyes -Wide open, staring,
direct contact. Mouth/teeth -Mouth closed or slightly open. Body -Very tall posture. May
drape head over another dog's shoulders. Hackles may be up. Tail -Stiffened and fluffed.
Up or straight out from body. Vocalization -Low, assertive growl or grunt.
ALERT
Ears -Perked-up. Turning to
catch sounds. Eyes -Open normally or wide. Mouth/teeth -Mouth closed or slightly open with teeth covered. Body -Normal. Possible
standing on tiptoe. Slightly dominant position. Tail -Up. Possibly wagging. Vocalization -None. Low whine or alarm bark.
AGGRESSIVE Ears -Back, close to head Eyes -Narrow or staring
challengingly. Mouth/teeth -Lips open, drawn back to expose teeth bared in a snarl. Possible
jaw snapping. Body -Tense. Upright.
Hackles on neck up. Completely dominant position. TailStraight out from
body. Fluffed up. Vocalization -Snarl. Growl. Loud bark.
FEARFUL Ears -Laid back flat and low
on head. Eyes -Narrowed, averted.
Possibly rolled back in head, whites showing, dilated pupils. Mouth/teeth -Lips drawn back to expose teeth. Body -Tense. Crouched low in
submissive position. Shivering, trembling. Frozen in one place. Possible
secretion from anal scent glands. Tail -Down between legs.
PLAYFUL or HAPPY Ears -Perked up and forward
or relaxed. Eyes -Wide open. Mouth/teeth -Relaxed and slightly open, teeth covered. Excited panting. Body -Relaxed, or front end
lowered, rear end up in the air, wiggling in a play-bow. Excited bouncing or
jumping up and down. Circling around and forward as an invitation to play. Tail -Wagging vigorously. Vocalization -Excited barking. Soft play-growling.
SUBMISSIVE
Ears -Down, flattened
against head. Eyes -Narrowed to slits or
wide open, whites showing. Mouth/teeth -Lips pulled away back from teeth in a "grin". Nuzzling
or licking other animal or person on face. Body -Lowered to ground,
front paw raised. Lying on back, belly up. Possible urine leaking/dribbling.
Possible emptying of anal scent glands. Tail -Down, between legs. Vocalization - None or low, worried whining. Possible yelping/ whimpering in
fear.
RELAXED or FRIENDLY Ears -Perked up. Eyes -Wide open. Alert look. Mouth/teeth -Relaxed, possibly slightly open, "smiling" mouth. Body -Normal. Still or
possible wiggling of whole rear end. Tail - Up or out from body. Wagging.
Vocalization - Whimpering, yapping, or short, high bark.
GUARDING Ears -Perked up. Forward. Eyes -Wide open, alert. Mouth/teeth -Mouth slightly open,
teeth bared.
Snapping or gnashing of teeth. Body - Tense. Rigid. Hackles up. Standing very tall in an aggressive or
dominant stance. Tail - Rigid. Held straight out from body. Sometimes fluffed. Vocalization - Loud, alert bark. Growl. Snarl.
The Shih-poo is a Poodle crossbreed dog and is not a purebred dog. It is a cross between the Shih-Tzu and the Poodle. This crossbred is an attempt to combine the characteristics of the Poodle, such as its high intelligence and low-shed coat, with the desirable traits of another breed. The best way to determine the temperament of a mixed breed is to look up all breeds in the cross and get to know any combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed.
However, it is equally likely that undesirable traits from the parents will be produced as well, so puppies must be carefully selected. Some Shih-poo may have a longer, more Poodle-like muzzle than their Shih-Tzu parent, alleviating many breathing problems that Shih-Tzu can experience.
Shih-poos come in a large variety of colors. They obviously lose a minuscule amount of hair, but it is minor to such an extent as to be considered a breed that does not shed.
"Consumption of eggs do not have any effect on cholesterol levels"
“Because of hormones in chicken girls attain age relatively quicker”
- Dr Renuka Jayatissa
Because of many stories that have been spread among the general public many persons have been deprived of obtaining of their real requirements of nutritious food needed for a healthy life. These have been revealed through thorough investigations carried out by a team of medical officers at the medical Research Institute in Colombo headed by Dr Renuka Jayatissa. These stories are through scientific findings at the Medical Research institute.
These are only myths and are in complete contrast and in comparison to those living in foreign countries. In Sri Lanka the consumption of poultry meat and eggs have been at relatively low ebb it is reliably reported. This strong impression needs to be changed as it is only a myth. These incorrect stories had led to malnutrition among the growing children who have been deprived of the much needed proteins for their growth in height and the development of their brains. These wrong impressions need to be changed in the view of Dr Renuka Jayatissa a researcher at the MRI.
Accordingly to the extensive research the chicken and eggs consumed by each person in Sri Lanka is far below those consumed in other developed countries who consume much more chicken and eggs in relation to those in Sri Lanka. According to statistics a single person in Sri Lanka consumes only 54 eggs per year. In America and Japan one person consumes 250 and 323 eggs respectively. Even if one egg is consumed daily it will not affect the cholesterol content in the blood. This had been confirmed through investigations conducted in this research doctor had disclosed.
When the consumption levels of chicken are compared with those in foreign countries a Sri Lankan only consumes only 5.7 kilos per year. In contrary the British and Chinese Nationals consume 30 Kilos and 47 Kilos respectively. It is reported that if chicken is consumed thrice a week a person’s health would be in a sound condition. The researching doctor had shown them with the following statistics.
No. of eggs consumed/year/person Kg of chicken consumed/year/person
Sri Lanka 54 5.7
America 250 42
Great Britain 178 30
Japan 323 17
China 349 47
Russia 210 23
France 245 13
Brazil 132 48
New Zealand 218 35
Australia 166 42
This lady doctor while participating in a programme in a Rupavahini had stated as ....
“From researches made by us we have concluded that only 30% of Sri Lanka consume an egg a day. The reason they believe is due to fear. For this fear the reason is about the increase of cholesterol content in blood. hey believe that increase in the intake of more eggs would increase the cholesterol content in the blood would lead to heart attacks. When this matter is taken into consideration one individual needs 300 m.g of cholesterol. From one egg a person receives only 150 m.g of cholesterol. This is therefore only half the amount of the content of cholesterol that in needed by a person for a day. In this context the consumption of an egg a day is not at all harmful to the health of a person.
Another myth among the people is that consumption of more chicken meat makes young girls attain age rather earlier than normal. The reason people think is that chicken contain many types of hormones. The chicken food contains a fair amount of hormones which are given for them to grow fast. This myth too need not be taken into consideration. The real growing age of children is between the ages of 10 to 18 years. This is the time they grow in height and also their brains are developed .If not their heights and growth of the brain would be retarded.”
The video of this discussion could be viewed via the video BELOW:
Actor Olivia Munn knows how to find humor in just about anything. But one thing that Olivia—who stars in the highly anticipated Aaron Sorkin HBO series The Newsroom—finds absolutely no humor in is the violence inflicted on animals who are killed for their fur. Olivia, who is of Chinese descent, bares more than just her skin to save animals' skins: She is exposing fur farms in China, the world's largest exporter of fur.
"Who needs fur to feel beautiful?" Olivia asks in the sexy ad, which was shot by top photographer Emily Shur. In her shocking undercover video exposé, Olivia explains that on fur farms in China, there are no penalties for cramming minks, raccoons, rabbits, foxes, and even cats and dogs into tiny cages and then bludgeoning, suffocating, strangling, or electrocuting them—or even skinning them alive—in order to turn their pelts into fur coats, trim, and trinkets.
Olivia reminds us that when it comes to violence on fur farms, "There's nothing good about pretending like you don't know." Please take a minute to watch the undercover video footage. Then share the video on Facebook and Twitter to let your family and friends know not what they might be wearing, but whom.
Your puppies and dogs would at some time experience parasitic infections. They may already carry parasites when they are adopted. Therefore, you should know everything that you need to know about puppy and dog parasites and how to deworm for keep them safe from a parasitic infection. All medications that are used for controlling parasitic worms are reffered to as anthelmintics.
Common Puppy and Dog Parasites.
Roundworms - can be passed to the puppy from its mother or by eating soil. Hookworms - puppy can get them by eating, licking or walking on contaminated soil.
Whipworms - puppy can get them by eating or licking soil.
Tapeworms - puppy can get them from fleas.
Flukes - puppy can get them by eating raw or improperly prepared salmon or other fish.
Transmission.
Puppies usually become infected with parasites while they are in the uterus or through ingesting the parasites once they have been born. They may accidentally ingest parasites through soil and fecal matter that are carrying parasitic eggs. Once a puppy eats the soil, or gets contaminated with soil or feces on their paws and licks it off, the parasitic infection begins. Roundworms and hookworms can migrate through the placenta of an infected mother and these parasites can also migrate to the mammary glands and infect the puppies when they nurse. Hookworms in the environment can also migrate through the skin of the paw pads and then travel to the intestines. Roundworm and whipworm eggs are particularly resilient, and these eggs can live in soil for years. Fleas carry tapeworms, and if a puppy eats a flea then a tapeworm infection may occur.
It is prerequisite to deworm the mother prior to become pregnant to avoid transferring worm larvae through milk.
Common Symptoms of Parasitic Infestation.
·Loss of appetite
·Weight Loss
·Diarrhea
·Pale Gums
·Lethargy
·Pot Belly
The most common symptoms of parasitic infection in puppies include weight loss and diarrhea. In severe infections, the puppy can become anemic and its gums may become pale. The puppy may also have a poor coat quality, a pot-bellied appearance or become easily tired.
Treatments for Puppy Parasites.
Once a parasite infects a puppy, it can take weeks or months for the parasites to develop into adults. Prior to, the parasites remain in the egg or larval stages. Anthelmintics only target the adult worms, and they cannot kill the egg and larval stages of the parasites. Since puppies are often exposed to parasites multiple times, veterinarians recommend using strategic deworming procedures to ensure that the puppy is totally cleared of the infection.
When a puppy is strategically dewormed, the anthelmintics is administered at regular intervals to target any new adults that may be developing. It is very convenient to use a liquid medication for deworming puppies.
De-worming Puppies
Strategic Deworming Protocol.
The strategic deworming protocol based on your puppy's age. The puppy should also receive a veterinarian examination to check for any internal parasites.
Once in every 2 weeks up to 3 months of age
Once a month from 3 to 6 months of age
Once in every 3 months after 6 months of age
It is advisable, to change the anthelmintics at 3 months of age.
Giving a Pill or Liquid to a Dog
Common Anthelmintics used for Deworming.
Although some anthelmintics are effective against more than one species of worm, no single medication is effective against them all. A specific diagnosis is necessary to choose the safest and most effective drug. This requires an examination of the dog’s stool and determining whether the parasite is in the egg, larval, or adult stage.
