Alma mater dogs – The Yale University Bulldog

Posted on September 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut is reportedly the first university in the United States to adopt a mascot, dating back to the 1890’s when a student from England started the tradition.

The official bulldog is named ‘Handsome Dan’ and the university’s current Handsome Dan is Number 17!  (You can read about all of the Handsome Dans on this website.)

Handsome Dan will appear at games of the university’s football team – you guessed it – The Bulldogs.

Cole Porter (class of 1913) wrote the Bulldog Song, which is the Yale fight song.  It’s played by the band whenever a touchdown is scored.  The song goes like this:

Bulldog!  Bulldog!
Bow, wow, wow
Eli Yale
Bulldog!  Bulldog!
Bow, wow, wow
Our team can never fail

When the sons of Eli
Break through the line
That is the sign we hail
Bulldog!  Bulldog!
Bow, wow, wow
Eli Yale!

Official merchandise of the Yale athletics teams is known as Bulldog Blue.

And like most university mascots, the image of Handsome Dan is replicated throughout merchandise, events and student life on the Yale campus.

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A university where your dog can come too

Posted on September 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s autumn in the northern hemisphere and the time of year when students are going to colleges and universities for the first time.   If they are enrolled at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri – there’s a high chance that their dog can come too!

Searcy Hall at the college is better known as Pet Central and houses 40 students and their pets.  Pets have been accepted at the college since 2004.  The college also has a pet fostering program.  They’ve partnered with a local no-kill shelter and students can foster a dog during their time at college and train and socialise them in preparation for adoption.

A scholarship, room discount, paid food and medications, and pet deposit waiver are just a few of the benefits available to freshmen and transfer students who apply to participate in the pet fostering program.

Sadly,  the college’s insurance policy excludes these breeds from staying at Pet Central:  Pit Bull, Rottweiler, Chow, Akita and German Shepherd.  I’m not a supporter of breed-specific legislation and so it’s hard to accept these types of restrictions but that’s the influence of the underwriters, unfortunately.

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New kennel cough vaccine offers dog owners and vets a choice

Posted on September 15, 2012 | 2 comments

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new kennel cough (bordetella) vaccine made by pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim that is administered orally.

Branded as Bronchi-Shield® ORAL, the vaccine is mixed in the vet’s office and placed in the dog’s mouth  between the dog’s cheek and gum, an area known as the buccal cavity.

For dogs that don’t tolerate the intra-nasal form of vaccination, this form is likely to be an improvement.

Kennel cough has many strains and not all are considered bordetella.   As with other kennel cough vaccinations, the vaccine does not prevent your dog from coming down with bordetella or any of the many infectious respiratory diseases.   However, vaccination may help to reduce the severity of the illness if your dog does contract it and that allows for faster recovery.

Kennels in the United States report that the cost for this form of the vaccine is currently three times the cost of the traditional vaccine.  That’s because the product is new and only one pharmaceutical company is manufacturing it.  The price is likely to reduce over time as the vaccine becomes more widely used.

For more information about Bronchi-Shield® ORAL, visit the product website.

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How Chinese medicine may help dogs with cancer

Posted on September 15, 2012 | 2 comments

Research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has been published which shows promise in treating dogs with a specific type of cancer.

Hemangiosarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in any dog, but German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers seem to be the most prone to developing it.  The cancer is an aggressive and malignant tumor of blood vessel cells.   The most common area it affects is the spleen but can appear in the skin, other soft tissues and the liver.  This is a type of cancer that is metastatic and it will frequently spread to other parts of the body.

In the study, 15 dogs were divided into three groups of 5 and given a different dose of a product called I’m-Yunity, which contains polysaccharopeptide or PSP.  PSP is derived from Yunzhi mushrooms and appears to have an immune-boosting effect – it’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years.

The findings?

‘We were shocked,’ says Professor Dorothy Cimino-Brown.  ‘Prior to this, the longest reported median survival time of dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that underwent no further treatment was 86 days.  We had dogs that lived beyond a year with nothing other than this mushroom as treatment.’

The treatment may offer a way for owners to extend the life of their pet and there were no adverse effects reported.

The researchers plan to study the effect of the compound further, using groups of candidates that are given a placebo, others which undergo chemotherapy, and other groups given the mushroom-based treatment.

Source:  University of Pennsylvania media statement

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Animal welfare in New Zealand – have your say

Posted on September 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Time is running out to have your say on Government’s animal welfare proposals.  Submissions close on 28 September 2012.

Visit this site to download the discussion document containing proposals.

Changes are being proposed to standards of care and conduct towards animals and the role of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee.

Is there a role for a Commissioner for Animals?  How do you feel about breed specific legislation?   These are just some of the issues relating to animal welfare and your dog that you might like to consider in making a submission.

Instead of picking up the newspaper this weekend, how about reading the discussion document and working on your submission first?

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Oogy – the dog only a family could love

Posted on September 8, 2012 | 1 comment

I’ve just finished reading Oogy:  the dog only a family could love by Larry Levin.  This New York Times bestseller tells the story of Oogy, a puppy that had been used for bait in dog fighting, and the Levin family who adopted him.

In many ways, this is a story about fate.  Fate in how a badly injured Oogy was brought to an animal hospital offering after-hours treatment.  Fate because a woman who worked at the hospital (later called ‘Saint Diane’)  recognised Oogy’s special character and intervened to ensure Oogy got life-saving treatment and care.     Fate because the Levin family met him when they had brought their sick cat to be put to sleep and decided to adopt him.

Oogy lost his left ear and and a good portion of his jaw and face to dog fighting.  It appears that he was used as bait because he wasn’t a good fighter and then left in an abandoned house to die without care or attention.

The Levins named him Oogy because it was a derivation of ‘Ugly.’  Mr Levin is the first to admit that when he first met Oogy, his appearance was grotesque.  (The dog had a lot of scar tissue which was operated on later.)  In fact, Oogy was so disfigured that, because of the connection to dog fighting, everyone assumed Oogy was a pit bull.

As he matured, it was agreed that Oogy was a Dogo Argentino, one of the breeds that is often discriminated against and termed ‘dangerous.’

Read this book and enjoy the Levin’s journey with Oogy.  Read about how his charm wins over residents who were scared of him; read about the care the Levins provided for Oogy, seeing him through corrective surgeries as well as rehabilitation from cruciate ligament ruptures.

Finally, I think one of the best parts of this book is how Levin describes the responsibility of the pet owner:

‘It has always been my belief that a pet owner has a special responsibility to do everything that can be done to make the pet’s life as fulfilling and peaceful as possible.  That responsibility is yours the moment you make the choice to take an animal into your life.’

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An obesity clinic for pets

Posted on September 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine based at Tufts University in Grafton, Massachusetts has opened the first obesity clinic for pets in the United States.

Studies have suggested that up to 60 percent of dogs and cats are obese or overweight.   However, a recent survey of client-owned animals at the Foster Hospital, one of the busiest teaching hospitals for pets in the US,  suggests that that figure may be higher at 70 percent.

Dr Deborah Linder, who will oversee the clinic, says that the clinic will employ sound, research-proven principles in assisting pets to lose weight.

‘We hope to effect change in the obesity epidemic among companion animals.’
Source:  Tufts University media statement

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Please neuter your pets…

Posted on September 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

This billboard combines a serious message with a tongue-in-cheek one.

Hang in there, folks.  The weekend isn’t far away!

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Alma mater dogs – The University of Georgia Bulldog

Posted on September 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

In this, the 2nd in my ongoing series about canine university mascots, I cover the University of Georgia Bulldog.

Official bulldogs have been given the name Uga (derived from the University of GeorgiA)  and their lineage is traced like royalty (imagine the Bulldog equivalent of Queen Elizabeth II).  In fact, the Seiler family has, through its breeding programme, supplied every University of Georgia bulldog for the last 56 years.

Russ, the current ‘temporary’ University of Georgia bulldog mascot will be promoted to the official title of Uga IX on September 15, 2012.

Later this month, Uga IX will officially take up his reign as the University’s mascot.  He is currently known as Russ and he’s the half-brother of Uga VII, who died in 2009.  Russ has served as an interim mascot for 23 football games and has worked hard enough to officially be promoted into the role of the University’s mascot.

The Bulldog is the icon of the University and appears on other parts of the campus beyond athletics.

Fans of the University can join the Bulldog Club for special promotions and ticket discounts.  Students can deposit into their Bulldog Bucks accounts and use their funds to purchase meals and other merchandise from shops and dining halls at the campus.  The alumni association also recognises the top 100 Bulldog Businesses – that’s the top 100 businesses created by University of Georgia graduates.

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Remembering Katrina – 7 years later

Posted on September 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last week, on the 28th of August, we marked the 7th anniversary since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other Gulf communities.

In marking this sad anniversary, I share with you the Hurricane Katrina memorial at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  The Best Friends staff and volunteers saved over 6,000 animals in the aftermath of Katrina and the relief efforts will be remembered by all of those involved for many years.

The Hurricane Katrina memorial at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

In addition, here is the video compiled by Best Friends to mark the 5th anniversary of the Katrina relief efforts:

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