Krystlelynne’s Weblog

I saw a woman walking my two favorite breeds of dogs. Of course that being Pit Bulls and Boxers, so I had to interview her. It maybe short, but you try to conduct an interview when the interviewee has two large dogs pulling her every which way.

Click on this link to listen to my podcast……   

http://ia360625.us.archive.org/1/items/interview_909/MainInterview.m4a

Originally uploaded by yokviv

My Boxer has been making these weird grunting sounds while sneezing for about two weeks now.

My Mom called the vet a week ago and he said “it could be allergies. Give it a week, and if it doesn’t go away, bring him in.”

Well a week later, I noticed the sneeze started getting worse. It was like my poor Reese couldn’t catch his breath when these awkward sneezes occurred.

As luck would have it, my mom was out of town when I decided to take Reese to the vet. My sister offered to come along with me, but truth be told, she has no control over the dog at all.

Reese hates the vet. His mouth begins to quiver and his whole body shakes with nervousness.

When it came time to take him into the room with the stainless steel table, he started to freak out. I had to pick him up, and may I add he is a heavy 86 lb. boy, and carry him into the room. All I can say is good thing I lift some weights.

So After describing to the vet what sounds Reese would make when the sneezing occurred. The vet said “its hard to say exactly what it is, but it is common and we refer to it as a backwards sneeze.”

The backwards sneeze is also known as the reverse sneeze. Owners become concerned when their pet makes these noises, some even fear that their pet cannot breathe. Reverse sneezing usually goes away within seconds, but some pets can have this condition their entire lives.

Causes of reverse sneezing can be due to allergies, viral infections, excessive soft palate tissue and nasal mites.

Some cases of reverse sneezing are idiopathic, which means that there is no identifiable cause.

Backwards sneezing or reverse sneezing results from something irritating the nasopharynx, which causes the loud snorting noise.

Usually, with this condition there is nothing to worry about. However, I was worried so I took Reese to the vet.

The vet gave him Benadryl, like the human form but five times stronger. He has to take it three times a day, which equals 150 milligrams.

Talk about being drowsy. However, he has not been “reverse sneezing” as much.

So the trip to the vet was worth it, even though Reese was mad at me for the rest of the day.

Originally uploaded by Steve Hopson

I am only 23 years old, so I’m sure like most of my generation, with the mention of Willie Nelson his old classics don’t pop into our heads. Rest assured, many recognize him from taking part in the 2005 recreation of Dukes of Hazzard, smoking weed.

However, Willie Nelson is singing about a cause that continues to grow and needs to be looked at on a very serious level.

The growing situation is dogfighting.

Nelson has filmed a TV advertisment supporting an anti-dogfighting bill that is moving through the Georgia legislature.

Nelson speaks out about how dogfighting laws are so weak that the state of Georgia has become a haven for dogfighters around the country.

The bill Nelson is supporting would make it a felony for anyone to sell, trade and transport dogs for the purpose of dogfighting.

State Senator Chip Rogers, the bill’s author, hopes to get the ball rolling by Dec. 10 when the sentencing of an infamous Atlanta Falcons football player takes place.

We are all familiar with the spectacular world of Walt Disney.

Whether we watched the movies growing up, or our kids watch them now, we are all aware of the stories like Cinderella and finding our “prince charming,” to Pinocchio and “telling the truth.”

However, some individuals in the Chicago area walked away with the wrong message from 101 Dalmatians.

The Pet Luv Pet Center was minus as many as 24 dogs when employees opened the shop Saturday morning.

Burglars broke the front window of the Pet Luv Pet Center, before walking to the back room and cutting the security camera power.

All the dogs were in unlocked kennels and in areas out in the open.

Burglars swooped the puppies and loaded them into a vehicle in the back alley. Police found four puppies roaming in the alley.

The dogs’ total value was between $10,000 to $15,000. The most expensive of the dogs stolen were two Boxers, a Maltese and one or two Chihuahuas. Each dog sells for about $1,000.

Other puppies stolen included two Golden Retrievers, three or four Beagles, two Siberian Huskies, one Pomeranian and a Shih Tzu.

The Pet Luv Pet Center employees believe the puppies will be sold on the black market.

I guess that’s better than stealing dogs for a fur coat. However, I don’t think Pongo and Perdy would approve.

Originally uploaded by spifftek

I don’t know about you but the option of taking in a German Shepard puppy for one year and then having to give it back to authorities, doesn’t sound like such a grand idea.

United Kingdom authorities are trying out a new puppy development program.

The idea is to appeal to the public to adopt a pup for one year.

Authorities hope during this one year, the temporary family will give the puppy care and love while preparing the pup for a life as a confident and social police dog.

Authorities will tackle the social aspect by suggesting only families who live in urban areas adopt a pup. Urban areas suggests lots of people, which allows the puppy to become familiar with people.

Authorities will pay for dog food and veterinary services, all they ask is that the pup stays well groomed and gets sufficient exercise.

My concern is for the poor puppy who will be ripped away from the only family he or she knows to fulfill the duty of a future furry officer.

What about heartbreak for the puppy and the temporary family?

Originally uploaded by Carl Haslam

I’m sure it’s no big surprise to anyone when their sitting in the airport and they see cops with K-9 dogs sniffing the area. This scenario doesn’t strike anyone as shocking, but try this new trick on for size.

Two English Springer Spaniels were taught to sniff for termites.

These dogs were taught this new trick in order to preserve all the wooden heritage sites in South Korea.

The English Springer Spaniels were able to identify two wooden pillars of the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, which had been consumed by termites.

According to Yohap news agency, around 20 percent of the country’s 2,600 historic wooden buildings could be infested with termites.

Training dogs to detect termites saves both time and money.

Before the sniffing searchers came, people would set up termite traps, a process that may take up to six months to get results.

Aren’t dogs just a smart and useful resource.

Last Thursday night around 8:15 p.m. I was walking into an Albertson’s grocery store when a young Hispanic male appeared behind me.

“Excuse me, excuse me, my mom just had a baby,” he said.

I continued walking faster towards the store. My body was telling me something wasn’t right.

I was about five feet from the door, when the coward ripped my purse off of my arm. My Social Security card, credit card, debit card and license were all in my purse.

Albertson’s video system captured it all on tape, however it could not make out the license plate number.

Apparently the same thing happened to another woman in a Smith’s grocery store parking lot about 30 minutes before my purse was stolen.

So now I officially think the world is full of people who always want to take the easy way out, like robbing people.

Did I mention I only had a whopping $10 on me.

So after I filled out all the necessary reports for the police, I asked the New Jersey born officer what I could do to protect myself from this crime increasing city.

“Flat out the best protection is a dog,” he said in his thick Jersey accent.

Originally uploaded by jallen “To Be” dragonhide

I have always thought dog’s were the best protectors, but actually hearing it from a cop made me even more of a believer.

I usually take my Boxer in the car with me, when the weather is cool enough. Now I plan on leaving my windows rolled down all the way, in case Reese (my Boxer) needs to jump out and be my hero.

So let this serve as a warning to all you ladies, be aware of your surroundings.

And let this also serve as a warning to all you small dog owners. Next time think bigger.

I’m sure we all look at our dogs and notice that their always laying around. I know I always call my dog “lazy bones,” or say “he sure does have the life getting to lay around all day.”

What if your dog isn’t just lazy, but narcoleptic?

Originally uploaded by klostermann

Narcolepsy is a disorder that is classified as excessive daytime sleeping.

Dr. Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford Center for Narcolepsy, just ended a 30 year investigation involving dogs and this super sleepy disorder.

Mignot’s study led to the discovery that a neurochemical called hypocretin plays a vital role in both human and animal narcolepsy. It also plays a role in normal sleep.

Researchers now understand that narcolepsy is created by a deficiency of the brain cells that make hypocretin.

Narcolepsy affects 135,000 Americans.

Mignot is still in search of why hypocretin neurons die in narcoleptic people. The best hypothesis, the immune system attacks the cells. However, there is no evidence to prove this hypothesis.

Mignot has now turned to zebrafish, which possess hypocretin and reproduce rapidly.

So until Mignot finishes his study, your dog may remain sleepy.

Just don’t call it a cat nap.

Have you ever adopted a dog? Could you imagine what it would be like to own a dog for two weeks and have it ripped from your home? Now imagine your a kid? The attachment is 10 times worse.

Popular talk show host Ellen DeGeneres adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon terrier mix, in September, from the rescue organization Mutts and Moms.

DeGeneres gave Iggy to her hairstylist’s family, after the pooch failed to get along with her cats.

Mutts and Moms took Iggy away from the family, as a result of DeGeneres violating the adoption agreement by not informing the organization that she was unable to care for the dog.

DeGeneres pleaded on her show for the dog to be returned to her hairstylist’s children.

After Mutts and Moms failed to comply, the organization began receiving death threats.

DeGeneres once again pleaded on her show for people to stop harassing the organization.

DeGeneres has canceled two tapings of her show due to the overwhelming stress of the dog adoption chaos.

Could this situation taint the public’s view on adoption and rescue organizations?

I think so.

Mutts and Moms could have screened the hairstylist’s family to make sure they were able to give Iggy the proper love and care. After all isn’t finding a good home the main goal of adoption organizations?

A contract is only binding when both parties put it into action.

Mutts and Moms could have bent the rules in the best interest of Iggy.

Iggy was placed with a new family earlier this week.

You always hear about dogs being euthanized because their time at the animal shelter has expired or the shelter needs more space.

Over four million dogs are killed in shelters each year.

Now you can view the face and read a description of the dogs who prepare to walk down death row.

Dogsindanger.com is a new Web site that sets itself apart from other dog adoption sites because it only displays doggies that are expected to be euthanized.

The site includes a countdown clock that estimates when the pooch will be put to sleep.

Web viewers can select their city and state and see the dogs that are available for adoption in the nick of time.

DogsInDanger.com believes in the power of compassion, and that Americans would do more to help and adopt shelter dogs, if only they knew how many dogs shelters were forced to euthanize. We also believe that shelters don’t really want to euthanize dogs, if they had any other option. Simply put, we have chosen a path of technology as a means of connecting these scared, abandoned shelter dogs with the loving homes they deserve. As a nonprofit organization, we seek no other gain except for the happiness we see in the face of a dog as he faithfully walks out through the shelter doors, in perfect step with his loving new family.

Dogsindanger.com was started three weeks ago.

The site includes around 400 dogs from 140 shelters nationwide.

About 50 dogs have found new homes.

So remember save a life. Adopt.