Happy New Year

Happy New Year Doglando Family and Friends.

This is a kind of sad but happy ending video, and I hope that you all find time to watch it. It is a great inspiration to start the new years with a promise to never buy a dog, and to help create an opportunity for success for every adoptable dog.

Thank you for all your support this year, your friendship, your trust in us, and most of all your business. Because of you we stayed afloat and were able to continue all the great things Doglando does.



Have a peaceful, and happy new years.

Banfield Bans Ear Cropping and Tail Docking

Yey for Banfield!
Hopefully more and more veterinary practices will jump on this bandwagon.

Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the nation's largest network of animal hospitals, has announced it will no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.
Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Banfield is the nation's largest general veterinary practice, with more than 730 hospitals and 2,000 veterinarians nationwide.



Devocalization, or de-barking, is a rare procedure and has long been controversial. It involves the full or partial removal of a dog's vocal chords to keep it from barking.

Banfield has come out strongly against the procedures.

"After thoughtful consideration and reviewing medical research, we have determined it is in the best interest of the pets we treat, as well as the overall practice, to discontinue performing these unnecessary cosmetic procedures," says Karen Faunt, vice president for medical quality advancement. "It is our hope that this new medical protocol will help reduce, and eventually eliminate, these cosmetic procedures altogether."

To read more: click here.

Plucking a dog's ear hair

You might ask really? People do that?

I can not even tell you (am I am not even a groomer) but how many times we have had dogs come in for grooming at Doglando, and how bad of a shape/condition they are in. If that's not bad enough, how many groomers have no idea that some dog's have to have their ears plucked. I don't know if this is something that is unknown to them (I doubt it is the case), or if they just don't know how to manage the dog to be able to do it safely, or maybe they would rather not put up with it.

So, I thought I would share with you all a dog that came in today, severely matted all over the body, eyes, face, ears, under the paws, I mean all over. I was on the computer working on stuff, when I hear the dog yelp, and I look up, and our groomer is holding up this big matt, from inside the dogs ear. I could not even believe this. So, I asked her to wait while I went and got the video camera.... her is the remaining in action.



We had a customer once, who was so upset at us for plucking the dogs ear hair. We had explained this to them and told them it was something that had to be done, and although it may be slightly painful, it would not be in comparison to the relief it would provide the dog. Also, it would solve the problem they had with their dog rubbing his ears on the carpet so hard that sometimes it would bleed also preventing any ear infections.

The procedure if done by a professional dog groomer, is surprisingly so simple, fast and most of the time pain free. Those dogs that come to us on a regular basis don't even flinch when their hair is plucked.

Our groomers tell me its like plucking our eyebrows, we get used to it. Its one thing to be plucking our eyebrows for looks, but imagine the relief the dog would feel being that we are talking about hair in the ear that will result into matts.

Nauti Dog Yacht Charters

So check this out. Are you planning the greatest proposal ever? Or know someone that is?

Cruise with dog-friendly Nauti-Dog Yacht Charters for a once-in-a lifetime experience and enjoy the cruise with your dogs to beautiful Fort DeSoto Dog Beach. Pack in a picnic lunch, and allow the captain to anchor off the beach where you can propose and your dogs can socialize.

You must check out their website for all the different packages available... who would have even thought!

Crazy, but cool.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, and Happy Kwanzaa,



Love,
From the Doglando Family.

Rally.....ADOPTED

By now you may be utterly confused..... so were we! Baris and Kerri (parents of Belle and Sam) without accepting a "no" officially adopted Rally last week. It is a tough decision to home a high risk dog, but again, when you have the perfect family, one that understands the risks involved and is willing to attempt working through them, and understands practicing safety as being the issue of utmost importance, it maybe worth just one more try.

I am sure this can become a major debate, and I do understand both sides of it, but I think what is most comforting to me personally is that Rally's new family understands the repercussions not just to Rally but to themselves as well, and beyond all they do practice responsible pet parenting by being cautious, realistic, and enforcing strict management rules in the home; therefore minimizing risk to others or the dog. I hope that this outcome is a lasting one. I know Baris has made it his personal mission to get Rally into Frisbee-ing, and we all hope to see him compete in the Doglympics 2010.

It is hard to turn down a dog when they are brought into us, and I don't know that we will ever be able to say "no" to them, but I sure hope people understand just how hard it is for us to take in dogs like this being that we are not a rescue group and do not have the resources necessary to have them adopted... the biggest being having access to people looking to adopt dogs.

Anyway, all in all, its a happy ending.... and Rally's dream come true for a forever home before the holidays.

--- We are by your side Baris and Kerri.

Groom Grub and Belly Rub.... coming to Orlando

Happy Holidays. Geeze what a hectic few months its been for us. The great part is that it has been a great year for Doglando, and we are most thankful to our extended family that continues to grow and all our staff that make us so special to all of you.

I have a few announcements to make:

First, The Doglando team is super excited to announce our new addition to the team... her name is Corby Morrison. Corby just graduated from the Full Sail University in Orlando, with a Masters in Internet Marketing. Need we mention she was the Valedictorian of her class.

As of the first of the year, Corby will be in charge of Doglando's Marketing, PR, Social Media, Advertising, Website design and all those fun things. So if you have any ideas, comments, or feedback regarding any of these topics, please email them to info@doglando.com for Corby.

2. Contest is over, the name for the new shop is "Groom Grub & Belly Rub." What do you all think?

Yesterday we closed on our new shop at Avalon Park. We are a few months away from opening though... due to the build out process, but very soon we will be inviting all of you to join us in our grand opening of Doglando's Groom Grub And Belly Rub at Avalon Park.

I look forward to hearing you comments on the name. I am most interested in finding out how the name defines itself (the business/ or services we will provide) to each of you.

GGBR will offer the following services:

- In your home pet sitting
- Dog walking
- Pick up and drop off for Daycare
- Pick up and drop off for Grooming
- Self serve dog wash
- Full scale pet grooming service
- Treat Bar for dogs
- An entire line of holistic, healthy, including raw food for dogs and cats
- Dog training

We look forward to providing the best services, products and care for the pets of Orlando.

Start your week off on the right paw

I have heard Stedman speak three times now, and at the end of each one of his seminars,he ends with a quote by Dr. King. Some of you may have heard it before, others may be reading it for the first time.... live it, breathe it, enjoy it!

"If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are."

OFF TOPIC - Elizabeth Gilbert

This is slightly off topic, but I think everyone should make the time to watch it. It is so powerful, so meaningful, and quite inspirational as well... beyond its my kind of debate!



Unfortunately we surpress creativity,creative thinking, creative arts, creative minds, and those that are, are always the ones to be considered the "odd balls" in their families and ultimately feel as such in the society. I believe it is a message that needs to be taught and encouraged to practice, starting within our school systems.

The Amazing Tia Torres Talk on Pit Bulls

Thank you Melissa for sharing this with us.

Most of you, if you visit our blog often have heard about Rally... the black and white Pit that was abandoned in our parking lot.

It has been 4.5 months since he was abandoned at Doglando and an absolute roller coaster of emotions for everyone invloved in helping to find him a forever home. The last two weeks the entire group has battled over the most painful and most agonoizing decision of whether or not we should put Rally down... and as it seems we may be nearing that day sooner than any of us can bare to imagine.

For anyone who knows us or knows of us, I think you will understand how painful this talk is. The most frustrating part of it all being that he is a Pit and finding him a home is just near impossible.

I mentioned a while ago that we were unsuccessful in finding a fostor home or forever home through the help of rescue groups. ARF Shack was great to us in that they assisted with getting him vetted and neutered, but all others we contacted, unfortunately could not assist for the same reasons of difficulty as we have faced the last few months.

Rally has issues. He wants to be the sweetest boy on earth, and I bet if he had one with in life it would be to find a mummy and daddy and that's it. Quite frankly, I think he would make the greatest companion to a homeless person... he does not care who it is, he just wants to love and be loved, and has so much energy that walking for hours upon end as most homeless do, would be his dream. But that is just my opinion... an off the wall one, but one I truly think he would full heartedly agree with.

Anyway, back to reality... Rally has shown to display a very high prey drive, he is aggressively reactive towards intact male dogs, and unfortunately still unsure and uncertain of people. Every dog in the shelter would make a great dog to someone, IF.... and unfortunately for Rally, his "IF" for the perfect home is just not realistic and would not be with low risk of a bite towards a person.

And I do want to clarify, that in my professional opinion, his reactivity has nothing to do with his genetic make of the "breed" pit bull, but the genetic make up of an unstable, fearful dog, paired with all the unhealthy early experiences he has had. I do not believe this is a debate of "Rehabilitation" as some may call it, but more of responsibility of finding the right home... which has seemed near impossible.

There is so much more to explain about Rally, and the circumstances that lead us to our "conflicted" decision, I would not be able to share it all in one post.

I will make it my personal mission, and one of Doglando's missions to support Pit Bull Rescue, raise awareness on the breed and dedicated a training program specifically for Pit Bulls and their loving families for 2010.

In the meantime, watch this short clip of what others are doing for the breed, and be sure to listen out for the shocking ratio of how many Pit Bulls they recieve as opposed to how many they adopt out... even the best of the breed unfortunately passes due to our ignorance and disrespect for the animal kind.

The Amazing Tia Torres Talks Pit Bulls with Ellen - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

More dogs up for adoption... SPCA of Central Florida

I had to post these dogs... here are a few more that need forever loving homes... they are just so damn cute!

Duke: Hey I’m Duke. I am a 2 year old male pit bull mix. I came to the SPCA in late October and I’m ready to go home! I will be neutered when you adopt me. I am good with other dogs and with kids plus I am housebroken! I can be shy at first, but a good game of ball or a romp in the hose and I come out of my shell.



Lucky: Hi. I’m Lucky. I am a 9 year old spayed female shepherd mix who came to the SPCA when my previous owners moved away without me. I am good with other dogs, cats and kids plus I am housebroken. My name may be Lucky but I don’t feel that way right now…maybe you could come along and change my luck for the better?!



Vanilla: Hey! I’m Vanilla! I am a 7 year old spayed female terrier mix who came to the SPCA in late November when my previous owners just no longer wanted me. I can’t see why, I’m good with other dogs and with kids plus I am housebroken! I am well behaved and oh so sweet! Every dog should be wanted….do you want me?

Doglando's Puppy Training Classes... by Ian Dunbar

Doglando is the first and ONLY dog training school in Florida to be recognized by Dr. Ian Dunbar.


This is by far one of the best testimonials the University of Doglando has ever received.

Most of you have heard about and are familiar with Dr. Ian Dunbar.... the father of puppy training, and group classes???

Here is what Dr. Dunbar has to say about Doglando's PRE K9 classes:

"The Doglando Pre-K9 Course is just one of the best and certainly the most comprehensive puppy socialization and training program that I have seen.
During the six-week course, puppies are always under the guidance of professional trainers, who closely monitor their behavioral development during the most crucial “sensitive period” of development — the time when puppies are made or broken.

In addition to learning basic manners (sit, stay and come when called), the puppies develop the required social savvy for interacting with other dogs of all ages and especially, with people. Pre-K9 puppies learn to share their toys, thus preventing object-guarding later in life. The puppies are taught to respect and trust people, especially when being handled, examined, groomed, or when having their nails clipped. The Pre-K9 program fosters the development of confidence and coping skills to overcome fear of strange (and potentially scary) stimuli, different places and unfamiliar dogs and people. Pre-K9 prepares your puppy for life with people.

Just as children shouldn’t miss Kindergarten or First Grade, your puppy definitely shouldn’t miss the Doglando Pre-K9 program.

Ian Dunbar PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS

Founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
SIRIUS Puppy Training
DogStarDaily



We are so proud of what we do and all the services we offer, and to have Dr. Dunbar's support and recognition in our efforts to provide pet parents with the best level of training and care for their dogs... is really encouraging.

Rehabilitation of Fighting Dogs

There's something especially loathsome about torturing helpless creatures for fun and profit. And evidence of torture is what investigators found on July 8, when federal and local authorities working in teams across eight states staged the largest raid in history against the underground dogfighting racket. Twenty-six people were arrested (five of whom are scheduled to be sentenced to as much as five years in prison on Dec. 8 in St. Louis, Mo.), and more than 500 dogs were rescued, most of them pit bull terriers.

The cruelty visited on the canines is harrowing. Some had been pulled behind cars to build up their stamina, their necks scarred by heavy collars and logging chains. Many had lost eyes, lips and limbs in battle. But it is hard to say whether they, generally the victors, secured the better fate or whether the vanquished were in fact the lucky ones: fighting dogs who lose are routinely hanged, drowned or electrocuted.
(See pictures of dogs rescued from a life of fighting.)

The raid revealed a brutal paradox. Large-scale crackdowns like this one are rare precisely because the dogfighting business mistreats so many dogs. Busting a breeder means taking custody of the dogs, yet no police department or sheriff's office has the resources to kennel, treat and attempt to rehabilitate dozens, let alone hundreds, of abused animals. Indeed, this raid could not have happened without the extraordinary cooperation of the Humane Society of Missouri. Supported by animal-protection agencies and volunteers from across the country, the society equipped an empty warehouse with hundreds of wire pens to hold the victims, recruited veterinarians and secured tons of food.
(See pictures of puppies behind bars.)

When the rescued dogs arrived, the warehouse became a riot of barking, growling, whimpering — and the first loving human tones the animals had ever experienced. The population soon swelled as pregnant females delivered more than 100 puppies. The exact location of this St. Louis — area haven remained a well-guarded secret, however, because some of those puppies and dogs can be worth more than $5,000 each on the black market.
(See video of the rescued dogs.)

If this sounds like a dog lover's more-the-merrier fantasy — 101 Dalmatians times five — think again. The rehabilitation of even one fighting dog is a long and uncertain project. First comes the medical care. Beyond their obvious wounds and infections, some of the dogs arrive with broken ribs and internal injuries — from being kicked. After the physical exams comes a psychological evaluation. Experienced animal handlers gauge the dog's mental condition: How aggressive is it? How traumatized? How far gone? This screening is a final life-or-death ordeal for a dog, because a fighter that cannot be tamed must be euthanized.
(See pictures of a dog breed that is dying out.)

Those receiving a positive prognosis, however, may be placed in a sort of halfway house for old fighters — a place like Tiffany McBee's Broken Hearts, Mended Souls Rescue in Fulton, Mo. Programs like McBee's will try to prepare the abused dogs for adoption, which doesn't happen overnight. "They need time to decompress" from the stress of their violent upbringing and the cacophony of the warehouse, McBee explains. An animal that was raised in secret, hidden in remote woods, tethered by heavy chain to a buried axle, suddenly finds itself chilling in suburbia. "They have to learn: What is a couch? What is the TV? Are they going to be able to adjust in an appropriate way?" says McBee. "We have to teach them manners."

read the rest of the story...here.

Small Animal Rehabilitation & Fitness Center, UF

Ocala doctors support UF Rehabilitation efforts.

Scott Kerns, M.D., a radiologist and is wife Suzie Kerns, M.D., a pediatrician are "people" doctors whose commitment to their animals has taken them all over the country and across the state. Throughout their journey, however one UF veterinarian has consistently provided care or counsel relating to treatment of their beloved dog Zozo.

Pets that suffer from physical ailments related to orthopedic and neuralgic disease, arthritis or obesity can benefit from a variety of treatment tolls now available at the University of Florida's Small Animal Rehabilitation and Fitness Center.

The rehabilitation center launched last year with an underwater treadmill, but was only available to in-house patients of the UF VMC. Since the launch of the program, they now offer low level laser therapy, a land treadmill, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, extra corporeal shock wave therapy and stem cell therapy.

The Kernes have been tireless in their efforts to obtain the best possible care for the dog they say has "ricley blessed" them. They donated money and equipment - resources that were essential in the rehabilitation program's successful development.

Through to the end of the month, the rehab facility is accepting new patients. "Initially four to six new patients will be seen on Mondays of every week, excluding holidays," said Kristen Kirby, D.V.M., a board certified small animal surgeon at UF's rehab facility.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for you pet, call (352) 392-2235 or click here.

Quite frequently I have been asked about UF's Small Animal Hospital so I though I would include the contact information on this post.

Small Animal Hospital: 352-393-2235
Large Animal Hospital: 352-392-2229

Canine Cruciate Injury

I was talking to my friend Kelly yesterday, and we were discussing all her options for her dog Champ's cruciate injury. She thought surgery was her only option, and I was telling her about a cruciate brace I had heard about... so I thought to share this with everyone else who may not have heard of it either.

Check out the pawsability brace below... I love how they can match it the color of your dogs coat!

What is Canine Cruciate Injury?

The Anterior or Cranial Cruciate ligament helps to hold the knee or stifle joint together. An abnormal forward shifting motion at the knee or stifle joint is the end result of tearing the anterior or cranial cruciate ligament. Lameness, or inability to bare weight on the affected leg initially results from the pain and swelling of the initial injury but subsequently results from the pain caused by the unstable knee or stifle joint.

How does this injury occur and how does it affect my dog?

Anterior Cruciate ligament injury in humans always occurs as a result of trauma or injury. In dogs this injury can occur as the result of trauma or injury, but it can also occur as the result of wear and tear. Because the dog's back leg is always bent at the knee, there are constant stresses applied to the Anterior / Cranial Cruciate ligament on a day to day basis. Certain breeds such as the Mastif, Labradore Retreiver, and Rottweiller to name a few have a higher incidence of this type of injury, but it can occur in any size dog. Size may be a factor, but it is more likely related to some genetic or inherited biomechanical deficiency.
The visible result of an Anterior / Cranial Cruciate injury is always lameness. Either the dog does not bear weight on one of its back legs or only partial weight is born. This may be almost constant or it may be intermittent. There may even be days in between episodes of lameness. Lameness should always diagnosed by a veterinarian because there are many other medical problems that can cause lameness such as:
back problems
hip dysplasia (especially in younger dogs),
arthritis,
avascular necrosis ( loss of blood supply to a bone),
bone cancers,
penetrating objects of the pad or between the
pads of the dog's feet.
Back to Sections

What are the treatment considerations?
Treatment of an Anterior / Cranial Cruciate injury is not very clear cut even within the veterinary community. Surgical treatment while it is almost always recommended is not necessarily always the best choice. As with any diagnosis treatment needs to be tailored to the individual. Just as in humans, one treatment rarely is beneficial to all. Many considerations such as:
Is there a partial tear or a complete tear
Is this a working dog, sporting dog,
or house pet
Are there any complicating factors, such as damage to
the meniscus or other orthopedic issues.
Age and health status
Size and weight
Owners ability to care for the animal after
surgery or during rehabilitation
Owners financial status
Other factors
These considerations should all be taken into consideration by your veterinarian and your veterinarian should be prepared to discuss the benefits and risks of the various options.
In humans generally a brace would be used for treatment unless the patient was a high level athlete. This would be followed be physical therapy and a brace for when the patient was to be more active.

All ligaments attach bone to bone. The Anterior / Cranial Cruciate ligament attaches the Femar to the Tibia at the knee or stifle joint of the dog's rear leg. Tear in this ligament causes instability of the bones these ligaments attach to.
Reestablishment of the stability of the joint depends on a number of factors:
1 Scar tissue can unite a torn ligament however the torn ends must remain close to one another in order to heal to the appropriate length

2 Maintenance of joint stability during the healing phase prevents continued re-injury and poor healing and maintains the proximity of the torn ligament ends.

3 Reestablishment of muscle strength around the affected joint. The large muscles which are at the back of the thigh and which attach around the knee or stifle joint of the dog contribute about 51% of the stability to this joint.

4 Restoration of proprioception. Injuries at a joint often disrupt the small proprioceptors (nerve cells) around the joint which provide a feedback mechanism critical in maintaining its stability. This feed back mechanism provides the dog information regarding the position of the joint based on the pressures applied to it. Restoration of proprioception in dogs and humans is known to be critical in preventing re-injury. Providing for normal range of motion and compression has been demonstrated to reestablish proprioception at the effected joint.

Orthosis as an option for treatment:

What is the Canine Cruciate Brace?
The patent pending A-TraC Dynamic Brace® is the first brace of its kind introduced for dogs. Our brace is designed to treat canine cruciate injuries. A- TraC" stands for "anti-translational cruciate" brace which it prevents anterior or cranial (abnormal forward shifting) movement of the tibia on the femur. "Dynamic" infers that the brace is not static in its design and functions in a manner which allows for a select range of motion of the stifle joint (knee joint) against resistance. The brace therefore promotes rehabilitation of the limb and joint.. The A-TraC Dynamci Brace while preventing abnormal motion, allows for normal motion against resistance to provide rehabilitation of the knee while it heals.

What is the Pawsability brace?
One challenge of bracing the canine stifle is how to suspend the device on the conically-shaped hind limb.

A recent design development in the braces from PawsAbility has eliminated the need for harnessing and has made the stifle orthosis self-suspending. Like in the photo above.

Dog Responsibly.

Dog Dryers

Holiday Gift Idea



Dog Grooming from your home.

I know summer is almost over, or at least its how it feels today.... finally.... but I thought I would share this product with you.

It's the Metro Dog Dryer. This is a really handy tool for all of us that have dogs with thick coats, double coats, long hair or dogs that constantly live in water! It is light weight and really easy to carry around.... and cuts drying time by up to 70%. The best part is that is really helps with blowing out the undercoat, that our dogs leave all over the house.

Available at Doglando, or can be drop shipped to you by Doglando for only $80 (plus shipping).