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One of the more frustrating parts of canine anatomy is the ear. While most dogs go a lifetime without issues, for those who have owned a dog with ear problems you understand too well the frustrating problem they present. With the curved shape to the ear canal and with gravity working against it, too often the ears can be a constant source of discomfort for the dog and constant source of frustration for the dog owner. Too often we want a quick fix, but unfortunately with ear problem dogs it becomes an issue of management rather than a cure. Read More.

Was it really going to end like this? That thought kept going over and over in my mind as the fourth-year University of Missouri veterinary student led my Chessie down the slippery hospital corridor for her MRI. My nervous dog struggled to keep her unsteady back legs under her—legs that previously had powered her through icy water and cattail sloughs, legs that had launched her into the air on many a dramatic retrieve…legs that were now reduced to unsteady limbs prone to failure without notice. Read More.

During the dead of winter and the heat of summer it can be a difficult task to get your dog adequate exercise. For a number of years I would recommend to clients with obese dogs, or dogs with orthopedic problems, to utilize a treadmill when they were unable to walk their dogs outside. This was often met with an incredulous response and many people thought I was joking. Over and over I heard the same response, “you can’t train a dog to use a treadmill.” Read More.

Although temperatures have been near the century mark in recent weeks, the end of summer is at least reachable, and many of us have started turning our thoughts to fall. With some states having dove and goose seasons opening up on the first of September, it leaves us just over a month to get our dogs in shape. Read More.

One of the most stressing issues we deal with in veterinary medicine is the alarming number of obese animals. This issue has really been driven home in the last few years, as each year I see clients bringing in normal dogs because their friends and neighbors think “the dog is too skinny,” when in fact the dog in question was at an ideal body weight. We have become so ingrained with seeing obese pets that the healthy dogs are now seen as abnormal. Read More.

Those that know me will probably attest that occasionally I make decisions based on an overwhelming desire in my heart, and with total disregard to logic thought processes that should be going on in my brain. Adding a puppy to an already two-dog household would be one of those decisions. Read More.

Sometimes life throws you a curveball when you’re sitting waiting for a change-up. To say that I’ve been having trouble “reading pitches” lately would be an understatement. Read More.

So far we’ve gone over selecting a pup and what to do immediately upon getting your pup home. In this article we will discuss what I feel is one of the most important aspects of your dog’s health: the food you will feed your pup. Read More.

When you or I think of allergies in ourselves we think of things like hay-fever, asthma, sinus problems, etc. The same irritants that cause allergies in us can cause them in our pets. The difference is dogs get itchy and irritable skin instead of respiratory problems. Read More.

In the last article we talked about the steps to take in preparing to get a new puppy; in this article, we will look at what to do once you get the little bundle home. Read More.

People often think of spring as the time for new beginnings, and for those of us with a love for the outdoors, it also signals the time to start a new puppy. It’s difficult for just about anyone to say no to an energetic, furry bundle…add in puppy breath, and the cards are stacked against making a rational decision. Read More.

I often tell people that the reason I became a veterinarian was to be able to afford my own hunting dogs. the number one point I stress to people is that if you run a dog in the field long enough, you will deal with injuries. These can range from cuts and broken limbs to gunshot wounds and penetrating injuries to the eye (another Setter story). It is during these times that your degree of preparation and level-headedness can determine whether your favorite hunting partner will be back to hunt with you another day. Read More.

Too often in veterinary practice we hear the comment, “My dog is doing fine on his current food,” as justification for feeding a lower-quality pet food. While this may indeed be the case for many pets, there are two groups of dogs that require an extremely high level of nutritional support: working dogs and breeding females. These two groups cannot settle for a food that is ok; they require the best nutrition in order to stay in optimum condition. The stresses and demands placed on these dogs go well beyond those of your typical family pet, and, as a result, the nutritional needs of these dogs are also very advanced. Read More.

Every sporting dog owner holds in the back of his or her mind the fear of a promising dog’s career getting cut short by arthritis. Although dog owners might not all understand completely what arthritis is, they all know that when it comes to our hunting dogs it is not a good thing. Read More.

Overheating, or heat stroke, is a common problem in hunting dogs, and as we found out during South Dakota’s pheasant opener last year, a deadly problem as well. However, as with many health emergencies, heat stroke can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions. Read More.

Downloadable PDF file with information and instructions about how to release your dog from several common traps, including long spring traps, coil spring traps, snares and conibear traps. We would like to thank P. Burns at http://www.terrierman.com for sharing this information with us. (260 K) Download.

Downloadable PDF file that shares some of the most successful remedies for skunk spray, including a home-brewed recipe that can be kept in the truck in case of emergencies. After hunting with some versatile dog owners, this has become an invaluable addition to my kit. (196 K) Download.

Downloadable PDF file with a comprehensive listing of all supplies needed to create a handy first aid kit that will help you deal with injuries in the field. (61 K) Download.

Gundogs are athletes in the truest sense of the word. Yet, too often we think of them as an unfailing hunting partner that’s always there to perform at the top of their game – no questions asked. When hunting season rolls around we expect many of these athletes to go from couch potato to Ironman competitor without blinking an eye. These dogs are athletes, and, as such, they have unique energy demands, physical characteristics and, too often, injuries. Read More.

Traumatic injuries are the most common maladies to occur to hunting dogs. A good first aid kit is a necessity in order to properly care for these wounds, and to prevent further pain and injury. Read More.

Nearly every Monday or Tuesday of hunting season we see dogs that had been out the previous weekend. Most have fairly straightforward cuts, scrapes and bruises that with adequate field and home care would be just fine. Injuries that may have been “simple” on Saturday afternoon now have had time to become dirty and infected by Monday morning. Read More.

Nutrition is an often-overlooked area of overall gundog health. As athletes in the truest sense of the word, though, nutrition should be an area of top concern for gundog owners. You can find a pup out of the best bloodlines in the country and send him out to one of the top trainers in the world, but if the dog is not fed a diet designed for top performance, that pup won’t run at a top level. Read More.

Say the words “hip dysplasia” and most hunting dog owners have a vague idea of this arthritis causing disease. We all know of an old campaigner that just can’t go anymore because of “arthritis” or the young dog whose career was cut short by too much pain. Say the same two words to a breeder and you likely will get a defensive answer about not having it in their lines and that their dogs are guaranteed, but what does that mean? It is my hope that after reading this article you will have a better understanding of this complicated disease. Read More.

One of the more frustrating cases we see in veterinary medicine is the case of an itchy dog—those dogs that are constantly battling skin infections, ear infections, or are just plain miserably itchy. There are a number of things that can make a dog itchy, from bugs to behavior, but this article is going to address dogs with allergies—those dogs that seem incredibly itchy all the time or every year seem to get the same skin and ear infections. Read More.