Kaya joins the pack (sort of)

Our new neighbors (Phil and Cary) have a big dog named Kaya (and two cats)...

Duane and Coco go out

so go to take out Kimo, hangs in the back at first, but then comes out so take out Joey and Kimo

Hatekenaka's are doing yard work with Pudgy tied up, so bring Joey and Kimo over, Pudgy is wagging tail as Joey comes over

Phil and Caroline (Cary) and Kaya are out too, so follow them

then here come Taylor and Jake / retrieve Fifi

let Taylor walk Joey, then Jake walks Coco / Kaya wants to come over to Fifi, kind of pulls Cary / Fifi 

seems a little edgy but OK

 then walk back

 go to the end of the road where Stephen Cheung is watering grass

 treat Fifi, Joey, Kimo at Coco's garage / Coco is in the house

 let Jake walk Kimo, Kimo lags then wants to go home

 then let Fifi go to Kaya's house, she's a little excited but not bad

 Taylor takes Joey with her

 take Fifi home

 take Joey home

Kaya is a female corso, not the vicious one, but the tame one (said Phil previously)

[12/28/13, posted 1/25/14]

dogs are like people

Dogs' brains, in many ways, look and function just like human brains. We share many of the same basic structures (called a "homology"), including a brain region that is associated with positive emotions. We are also beginning to understand how the dog's powerful sense of smell works to identify the members of his household.

We can no longer hide from the scientific evidence. All in all, dogs and humans show striking similarities in the activity of an important brain region called the caudate nucleus. So, do dogs love us and miss us when we're gone? The data strongly suggest they do. And, those data can further move humanity away from simplistic, reductionist, behaviorist explanations of animal behavior and animal emotions and also be used to protect dogs and other animals from being abused. Right now, animals are legally considered to be property, just like a backpack or bicycle.

the new dog

So the big day comes when you pick up the dog. Everybody is excited and happy as you drive home, and you all come bounding up the walk, throw open the front door and let the dog off-leash and inside…

And you’ve just planted the seed for a lot of future issues. In human terms, you’ve unleashed a juvenile delinquent.

Just as we orient kids going into middle or high school, teach them the rules, and answer their questions, we have to do the same thing for our dogs. Unfortunately, we can’t give dogs a rulebook and a pat on the head and say, “Read this. It will explain everything.”

The message you send to your dog the moment she enters your home for the first time is critical, because it immediately establishes the ground rules in your dog’s mind. If you just let her run in the door, the message is, “Here! Everything is yours, and you can do what you want.”

By opening that door, you have told your dog, “There are no rules, boundaries or limitations.” You know where that goes: She eats shoes, won’t be housebroken, constantly begs, climbs on the furniture, jumps on people... And then you visit my website trying to find out what is “wrong” with your new dog!

The process of bringing your new dog into the home for the first time should be very deliberate and specific.

Here are the eight essential steps:

1. Remain Calm
When you pick the dog up, everyone must remain calm. It can be tempting to greet the new family member with excitement, but this is not the time to do it. Accept the dog into your space, but do not give more than a minimum of attention or affection yet. You’re about to remove the dog from a place that’s become familiar and take her to somewhere entirely new. And remember: This step must remain in effect through the entire process.

2. Take a Long Walk
When you get home, keep your dog on the leash, because you’re now going to go on a long walk through her new neighborhood. This serves two purposes: It will help drain her excess energy and bring her to a calm state, and it will get her used to the new smells, sights, and sounds.

3. Introduce Your Home
After the walk, keep your dog on the leash for a proper introduction to the new pack den — your house, apartment, condo, etc. Bring the dog to the front door, but do not let her enter first. If you can, get her to sit or lie down as you open the door. Then, you enter first, not allowing her to follow until you invite her in.

4. Take the Tour
Once inside, keep your dog on the leash and lead her from room to room. Do not let her sniff or wander around. Use the leash to keep her at your side. Spend a little time in each room before moving on to the next, and make sure each time you go first into the next room. Do not let the dog follow you into the next room until you give permission. If you have a backyard, patio, or other outside area, treat it the same way.

5. Remain Calm
During the tour, don’t say very much and use only body language or simple sounds, like “Tsch!” or a finger snap, to communicate. Your dog is overwhelmed right now, so the less stimulation, the better. This will help keep her focused on you.

6. The Dog’s Place, Part 1
Once you’ve completed the tour, bring the dog to the place where the food and water will be and offer a reward with some water and a few bits of food (but not a whole bowl yet; your dog is still on her leash, remember?)

7. The Dog’s Place, Part 2
Likewise, if you have a special place you’d like the dog to stay when she needs to be out of the way of household activities, take her there. This is where you can finally let her off-leash. That place can be where her bed is, or a spot in the corner of the living room where you want her to lie, or her crate. By letting her off the leash here, you are telling her, “This is yours.” Don’t be surprised if she immediately decides to settle down and ignore the family for a while. This doesn’t mean she hates her new home. It means that she has found her place in it.

8. Act Naturally
Once you’ve completed the above process, go through the rest of your day as you normally would. This also applies to the entire pack. You can acknowledge the dog if she joins you, of course, but don’t go overboard with affection yet. Just as you’re still getting used to her in the house, she’s getting used to being in her new house. You’ve gone a long way already toward teaching her that this is your territory and you make the rules. Now, she’s going to observe so she can figure out what the rules are, and who’s who in her new pack.

And now the fun and fulfillment of having a dog in the family begins. If you’ve gone through these eight steps, you will have claimed your territory, allowed your dog into it, and established who the pack leaders are.

easy-going dog breeds

Looking for a laid-back dog that’s just as happy relaxing at home as he is playing in the park? Check out these breeds that come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes to match your lifestyle  —and throw pillows.

3. Pug.  A breed that adapts easily to any situation, from living in a home with a big yard to residing in a small apartment with minimal exercise, Pugs are known for being playful, social and willing to please, according to the AKC. While they’re popular companion dogs, they also excel in dog shows. They need minimal exercise and because of their short coats, require little grooming.

4. Chihuahua.  An excellent city dog because of their size, Chihuahuas are known for being alert and dedicated to their owners. They require minimal exercise and grooming but can be sensitive to cold temperatures. An extremely intelligent breed, they may try to be bold and park to protect their owners, but their toy size make them rather ineffective guard dogs!  [don't think I'd call a chihuahua easy-going!]

7. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. An adaptable and easy to train breed, The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is compatible for city or country dwellers and families with varying degrees of activity. Flexible in their need for exercise, they are happy sleeping with you on the couch or going outside for long walks, according to the AKC. While the breed typically weighs 13 to 18 pounds, many are larger. Moreover, many experts consider Cavalier King Charles Spaniels well suited to families with children.

10. Shih Tzu. Obedient and trusting lap dogs, Shih Tzus are bred to be companions and thrive on attention. With an upbeat, playful attitude, the breed is gentle and affectionate with children, according to Discovery.com. While they enjoy short walks, they are generally just as happy romping around your home as they would be outside. Because of their intelligence, they can be stubborn and require a strong, consistent hand in training.

Greyhound Rescue Rehab

In 1999, Christine Johnson asked her husband, Chris Procopis, if they could adopt a dog, but he was deathly afraid of them, having been bitten three times as a paperboy during his teens. Chris thought he had his wife stymied when he agreed, saying, "OK, sure—but only if the dog doesn't bark, shed, drool or smell."

But Christine did her research and discovered greyhounds. Not only is this breed tidy and quiet, but, as she quickly learned, kennels were teeming with the retired racing dogs—and they were in need of homes. "In the late 1990s, around 40,000 dogs were being put to sleep each year when they were injured or too old to race," she says. Working with a rescue group in Glastonbury, CT, she met a 90-pound dog named Parris who had been returned by a family because he was skittish and uncomfortable around children. "We didn't have kids and I just wanted him to be ours," says Christine, who took Parris home that day—after just a quick call to her husband.

At first, Chris was stunned. "I agreed to a dog, not a horse!" he says with a laugh. "It was like someone had left a pony in the living room of our tiny condo." He also feared that a dog so fast it can zip through an electric fence without feeling a shock would be high-strung and require constant exercise. Instead, he says, "I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they're more like giant cats who like to curl up on the couch and hang out."

Months after Parris joined their family, the couple went to a greyhound adoption event, where one of the dogs walked right up to Christine and stuck her nose under Christine's arm. Now a convert, Chris took one look and said, "We're taking her." Christine started thinking about the thousands of greyhounds that needed homes. "I had to do something," she says. In 2000, she formed a nonprofit, Greyhound Rescue Rehab (GreyhoundRescueRehab.org), an all-volunteer organization that saves, fosters and finds homes for retired racing greyhounds. "My only regret is that I didn't learn about them earlier," says Christine.

Luciano Aguilar

I've this guy doing segments on America Now.

Luciano Aguilar did not always have a love and passion for dogs. Ironically, throughout his entire childhood, he was actually afraid of dogs. Aguilar's childhood fear stemmed from his limited and mostly negative, exposure that included being barked at, chased and cornered by dogs. However, as a young adult, this long-lived fear was overcome when Aguilar joined the United States Air Force at the age of 18. In the Air Force, he served five years of his 10-year term as a Military Working Dog Handler. During the last 5 years in the Air Force, Aguilar worked in the elite Presidential K9 Unit, whose primary mission was to secure Air Force One, aircraft transportation for the U. S. President. During these years, he secured Air Force One for Presidents Clinton and Bush, and also secured the arrival of President Reagan's body transport into Andrews AFB, MD.

Once Aguilar's 10-year term in the Air Force was completed in 2005, his passion for dogs led him to the start-up of a dog-training business in Los Angeles, Ca. Using his well-trained dog Ajax, Aguilar promoted his business by holding demonstrations all over the Los Angeles area, showing off his skills in parks, expos, busy streets, always drawing a crowd. Aguilar expanded his business by holding dog-training seminars across the country, including to audiences of law enforcement officers and fellow dog training professionals. In addition, because of his expertise in Bite Prevention, Aguilar was invited often to speak to children in local-area schools and to employees of the United States Postal Service.

In 2009, Aguilar made his first appearances on Spanish television on the popular shows Sabado Gigante, Alarma TV, and El Gordo Y La Flaca. Aguilar's appearances quickly crossed over to the English television market. For three consecutive seasons starting in 2010, he has been the resident "Pet Pro" for the nationally-syndicated TV show "America Now". On "America Now" he has taped over 100 segments, sharing his knowledge of dog behavior and dog ownership, and gaining much experience working in front of the camera.

...

I wonder if he has any videos on the internet? yep

Those are pretty old.  Here's the video I saw today:

How to avoid a dog fight

And some recent ones

What to do if a dog attacks you

Doggy door training

Dog safety for kids

Go fetch?  Or not...

More here (at the bottom)

LMGTFY

Tuffy is back out

With the JWs visiting today, I went to take out Kimo and retrieve Fifi. 

On the way, Kimo made a small poop that was fairly firm.  Later he made some bigger poops that became less and less firm, but not that bad so I could pick them up.

Nearing Fifi's house, what's this?  Tuffy was tied up in the yard again.

I was saying hi to him, when Nalu and family came driving home.  He told me he took Tuffy out because Izzy was eating his food and he was getting too skinny.

Jake and Taylor jumped out of the car and wanted to go walk Tuffy.  First I told them I was going to get Fifi.  Then came back for Tuffy.

Tuffy was back to his old pulling tendency, so I had Jake loop the leash under his chest to slow him down.

After a while, they got tired of being pulled so I took Tuffy's leash and let them walk Kimo.

Kimo walked fairly well with them though out in front most of the time.  Jake couldn't help himself and went to pet Kimo.  Kimo looked but didn't do anything.  And I told Jake not to pet him because Kimo gets scared sometimes.

So on we went down the street, going to the side when cars came by.  Down the road, one more car.  It's Nalu and Kristen.  I guess they had to go someplace.

Up to Coco's garage, who started to bark.  Maybe because he hadn't smelled Tuffy for a while.  Duane let Coco out, saw how skinny Tuffy was and took him inside for some food.

OK, some more treats at the garage.  Sewer workers are here.  Take Kimo home.  Then take Fifi home.  Treat Izzy and Brownie and Tuffy.  Izzy barks for food and Brownie is kind of scared around her.  But at least Izzy sits for food.  Brownie doesn't though, which is OK I guess for quick get-a-ways in case Izzy goes after her.

Anyway, good to see Tuffy outside again (for selfish reasons).  Though not so good to see him so skinny.

Duane's plan is to fatten him up now. We'll see how long Tuffy is out.  It's probably been almost a year since he was out.

Keith goes long

decided to give Kimo a bath
I always notice how skinny Kimo actually is when I hose him down
still patches of light brown, but better

Then I notice Pat out with Keith
I go out to greet Keith and decide to take Keith for a walk

Keith is not a good walker and tends to pull where he wants to go
Plus the harness doesn't help for control (if you're into control)

Anyway, we made it up the street, pausing and tugging when necessary

Keith is an excitable dog, when he's not pulling or putting on the brakes (which is what Coco does), he runs in front and side to side.

So I would walk, let him run in short bursts, but stop him from going to far
I was hoping that would tire him out, but he kept going

He may have been getting tired, but he was still desperate to go home when we reached the beginning of the street.

WTH, let's just keep going.  Around Natsunoya Wall.  Up Aulii.

He was still not perfectly in control, but better.  It may have been a combination of him getting a little tired and him being in unfamiliar surroundings so he didn't know which was to go.

Down Alewa, cut through AOP and back to Kula.

Once back in familiar surrounds, Keith started pulling again.  Wanted to go see Charlie. 

Make him wait then let him scamper up the steps.

Tell Pat where I went and that I didn't let him drag me.  That's the key.

But I'm pretty sure Keith will be dragging her next time they go out :)

[posted 9/1/13]

Iwilei gets a bath

Aloha Pamela,
Just wanted to share this story about my friend Kathy Myers. She is a letter carrier at the Wahiawa post office. She is a very caring, giving person who always is doing good deeds. This is one of them. She has an elderly person on her route who has a pit bull-mixed dog named “Iwilei.” This dog was in need of a bath and, being the person she is, Kathy bought shampoo and gave this dog a bath one day during her lunch break. Now, the owner and neighbors can enjoy the beauty and smell of this clean canine.
Marilyn Mitchell
Mililani

Dear Marilyn,

“I’ve been delivering the mail in Wahiawa for 30 years and I really love my job and customers,” says Kathy Myers. “I give everyone my own mobile phone number so they can call me if I’ve missed them while they’re shopping or picking up the grandkids or at doctors’ appointments. I’m usually still on my route and just re-deliver whatever it is so they don’t have to stand in line at the post office. Iwilei’s bath was on my lunch break, and so worth it because everyone was happy she finally got a bath!”

Hawaiian Humane Society cutting services

The Hawaiian Humane Society is now providing fewer services for the city under a new, one-year contract that takes effect immediately, the two parties said today.

The humane society has been under a $2.3 million annual contract, and will continue to receive that amount for reduced services.

The Moiliili nonprofit’s Web site said it will no longer:

>> Provide law enforcement investigations except for animal cruelty cases.

>> Pick up stray animals.

>> Be responsible for barking dogs.

>> Deal with cat complaints.

>> Provide other animal-related field services work.

Those responsibilities will now be handled by the Honolulu Police Department, according to a city spokesman Jesse Broder Van Dyke said. 

Still being handled by the humane society, but only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, are:

>> Basic stray animal services, including 

>> Capture and holding of aggressive loose dogs.

>> Animal emergency situations where an animal’s life or public safety is being imminently threatened.

HPD will handle calls during the humane society’s closing hours, the organization said.

HPD issued a statement this afternoon saying the new contract will have "minimal or no impact on police operations." 

"While (police) have not seen the final contract, it is our understanding that the Humane Society will no longer pick up stray animals and is advising the public to take stray and injured animals to its Waialae facility," the HPD statement said.

The humane society has had the contract to run animal control operations for the city for a number of years.

It has been under a $2.3 million annual contract that has had the option to be renewed annually for more years.

The city re-bid the contract recently and the humane society was the sole bidder. The organization, however, asked for an $800,000 increase to deal with rising costs, Broder Van Dyke said.

The city, however, facing a budget shortfall, declined the increase and instead the two parties entered negotiations which resulted in retaining the $2.3 million annual amount for the reduced amount of services, Broder Van Dyke said.

“It was a joint decision,” he said.

Long a target of critics who don’t believe animals should be euthanized, proposals before the City Council to place restrictions or more regulation on the Humane Society through the city’s animal services contract have failed to muster majority support.

The Caldwell administration is anticipating a $26 million shortfall in the 2013-2014 budget year that began on July 1, Broder Van Dyke said.

While the city would like the Humane Society to continue the same services as the previous contract, it cannot meet the organization’s need for additional funding because it must focus on its core services, he said.

He cited the City Council’s failure to approve a hike in the city’s fuel tax, which would have added $15 million, its decision to $8 million to $9 million in grants to nonprofits, and a larger-than-anticipated collective bargaining agreement with city police officers.

While Mayor Kirk Caldwell has warned the nonprofits targeted to receive the money that they may not get the funding, there is no way the city can use the money for other purposes, Broder Van Dyke said.

Other impacts to the public stemming from the budget shortfall are still being hashed out and will be discussed at a future date, he said.

See what the humane society has to say about the new contract and what services will be affected on its Web site here: http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/animalcontrolcontract

Tricky Woo

Tricky Woo, my bichon frisè, is 16 years young. He’s outlasted nearly every other dog I’ve known. He’s survived numerous sprains, illnesses, infections, and two surgeries. His eyes have cataracts and he recently became very hard of hearing. He rarely barks now, sleeps much more, and doesn’t seem to notice when strangers enter the house. But to me, he’s the same adorable puppy my family got more than 15 years ago.

He may not show as much energy and playfulness as he used to, but it’s still there. Every once in a while when he’s feeling especially spry, I’ll catch him prancing down our long corridor, rolling around on the rug to relieve an itch on his back, or looking at me with a big, satisfied grin on his face after a good meal. Nothing delights me more. He still has that youthful spirit and that’s how I’ll always remember him.

He never holds grudges and is always genuinely thrilled to see me. He doesn’t dwell on the past or focus on the negative. He finds joy in the little things. He reminds me that it’s OK to act silly, get dirty, and have a bad hair day. He never acts his age and isn’t afraid to stand up for himself despite his stature. He doesn’t care what other people think. He’s always himself – his same playful, energetic self. I don’t think I could ever repay him for these life lessons.

Tricky Woo is one of my best friends and I’ll miss him terribly when he passes. But we’re not going to worry about that right now. Today, we’ll focus on the best spot to watch the birds out the window, which tidbits might “accidentally” fall off the table during dinner, and what time Dad will be home so Tricky Woo can greet him by the door, tail wagging. Time passes, but some things never change.

-- by Andrea Wright-Agustin

Petland defends puppy swap meets

Much has been said and written about unscrupulous dog breeders raising large numbers of puppies in inhumane conditions for profit. The Hawaiian Humane Society and others have blamed pet stores for aiding and abetting such activities.

There's no doubt that irresponsible breeders are a problem. Nonetheless, responsible pet stores such as Petland provide a valuable service for those who want to sell and buy purebred dogs in a safe and caring way.

Hawaiian Humane Society spokes­woman Jacque LeBlanc, in a recent story about the rescue of more than 40 Pomeranian puppies in Halawa, said, "Pet shops and Internet sales protect irresponsible breeders who may not want you to see how they care for animals they sell," ("Pomeranians taken from breeder," Star-Advertiser, May 15).

As the president of Petland, a long-established kamaaina pet store, I take issue with such a broad accusation and the assumption that pet stores don't care as much for the health and safety of puppies as the Humane Society. The Hawaiian Humane Society should work with us, not against us.

For example, every quarter, Petland submits a list of breeders who participate in our puppy swap meet to the Humane Society. If any problem breeders come up on our report, the society has agreed to notify us.

We have never been notified by the society about any problem breeders, even though the society has police powers that we lack, and is well-paid by taxpayers to provide these services.

Both the society and pet stores share the difficult problem of identifying dogs that are not provided adequate care. Some breeders use other people to sell for them, disguising the quantity of the puppies they breed. We have banned breeders suspected of having too many dogs.

In the past, we have explored other ways to work with the Hawaiian Humane Society. The society was offered space at our puppy swap meet on Saturdays to display the society's adoptable pets at no charge. The society declined, citing a desire to eliminate the free puppy swap meet, which competes with the society's services. Despite this, we still have agreed to help the society prevent the inadequate care of puppies by sending the society the lists of breeders who participated in our puppy swap meet. We hope to continue these efforts into the future.

Petland's main concern is the health of the pups available at the puppy swap meet. We require that all puppies be examined by a licensed veterinarian and to be in apparent good health within two weeks from their reservation date. Puppies are required to have current shots and a fecal check to test if intestinal worms or parasites are present. The breeder must have a record of the shots.

The veterinarian verifies that the breeder took the puppies to get examined. We also require all breeders to bring the original receipt from the vet examination. To be certain that they are fully weaned from their mother, the puppies should be no younger than seven weeks of age. All breeders are required to show a valid picture identification during the check-in process.

We have these requirements in place in an effort to help prevent puppy mill breeders from participating in our puppy swap meet.

Petland does find homes for more than 100 pets monthly, some at no charge to the community. We recognize our responsibility to the community that supports us. We do not seek public funds to support our staff. Instead, we provide proper education and a wide selection of products to help and encourage our community to care for and nurture their pets and companions.

Our primary concern will always be the health and happiness of the puppies.

Kimo's dog food ratings

[8/18/13] running out of dog food after less than a month.  So went back to Petco.  This time I wanted to try a fish-based food since he's still getting soft poop (most of the time) with the chicken-based product along with the raw chicken (frozen chicken thighs).  Once in a while, his poops is pretty good.  I suspect it's when he eats the chicken thigh bones.

Anyway, this time I decided to get Wellness Super5Mix Complete Health.  This is the fish-based version.  Reading the package, it says on the front

no meat by-products, no wheat, no corn, no soy, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives

single animal protein source - fish
supports skin & coat health
supports digestive health

I guess that's what he needs.  I don't know if I blogged this early, but Kimo developed a small lump/growth hear his rear quarters on the left side.  Took him to Dr. Kamiya and he said it didn't look dangerous and seemed localized to the skin.  And that he probably could apply local anesthesia and take it off.

So he told me to monitor it and see if gets bigger or changed color.

So Kimo started biting and licking it.  And it started to look pretty gruesome.  Then a few days ago, it looked like he gnawed the lump off and there's a small black scar over it.  So it's like he performed the surgery himself.  So I'm watching it to see if it heals or grows back or gets worse again.  Hoping for the best.

Anyway back to the dog food, on the back it has this blurb.

What's so special about whitefish & sweet potatoes?  All of our Wellness Super5Mix recipes start with a a variety of quality proteins and whole grains.  Usually, we add a host of complementary ingredients like fruits, veggies and botanicals in the mix.  However, some dogs need a simpler combination of whole foods and that's why we created our special Whitefish & Sweet Potato recipe.  Instead of several different proteins, we use fish as the primary protein source.  This omega-rich product is complemented by an easily digestible carbohydrate blend that includes sweet potatoes.  As a Super5Mix Complete Health recipe, it's also a great, everyday choice for our furry friends who simply love the taste of fish.

ThoughtfullyMade with a Simple Combination of Whole Foods: Whitefish, Ground Pearled Barley, Sweet Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed

Sounds promising.  We shall see.

Looking at dogfoodadvisor, they rate Wellness Super 5 Mix Dog Food Whitefish and Sweet Potato 3.5 stars.

***

Trying out a new dog food for Kimo after browsing at Petco.

The last one was Iams because before that he got a prescription food from Dr. Kamiya which was Iams.

Before that was I/D from Hills Science from Dr. Lau.

Before that I had been feeding him Beneful Healthy Harvest and when that went away Healthy Fiesta.

I had also gave him Kirkland (from Costco) and Taste of the Wild.

Beneful seems to be OK for a while, but then all this problems started with his runny poop.

How do they rate.

The current one is Nutro Ultra Senior.  It gets four stars from dogfoodadvisor.

Beneful gets one star.

Taste of the Wild gets 4.5 stars.  I got this one at Pet Discount Warehouse and didn't see it at Petco.

Kirkland gets 4 stars.  Didn't really notice any improvement when I gave Kimo this.

Hills I/D is not rated

Iams low residue gets 2.5 stars.

And long ago, Donna used to feed Kimo sweet potato with fish (or something) because it was thought Kimo had allergies.

Despite the higher ratings, I didn't notice any change for the better when I fed Kimo Kirkland or Taste of the Wild.

carnivores?

There are many (including some in dwf) who advocate raw feeding and say that dogs are supposed to eat only meat.  Tom Aman gave a response.

Dogs actually belong to a category of meat eaters called "facultative carnivores", which is so close in functional behavior to the omnivore category as to be hardly distinguishable. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the term:

"Animals that depend solely on animal flesh for their nutrient requirements are considered obligate carnivores while those that also consume non-animal food are considered facultative carnivores. Omnivores also consume both animal and non-animal food, and apart from the more general definition, there is no clearly defined ratio of plant to animal material that would distinguish a facultative carnivore from an omnivore, or an omnivore from a facultative herbivore, for that matter."

"Facultative" means contingent, optional, or not required. In other words, their primary food is meat or prey but they are capable of surviving without them, perhaps not indefinitely but for long periods.

OK, so I googled "are dogs carnivores?" and this is what came up.

First from dogfoodadvisor which is in meat good, grain bad camp.

Knowing that dogs are optimized for eating meat can make it easier to recognize better dog foods.
Even though dogs do demonstrate a notable omnivorous capacity, we believe it’s important to give preference to meat-based products. That’s because…

Whether you believe they’re carnivores or omnivores, dog’s possess an undeniable carnivorous bias

Meat-based dog foods are closer to a dog’s natural ancestral diet. They’re more like the real thing.

From hillspet, a company which makes dog food:

Some folks have come to the erroneous conclusion that dogs must be carnivores because they fall under the order Carnivora. A close look at the anatomy, behavior and feeding preferences of dogs shows that they are actually omnivorous — able to eat and remain healthy with both animal and plant foodstuffs.

From wikipedia:

Despite their descent from wolves and classification as Carnivora, dogs are variously described in scholarly and other writings as carnivores^[149][150] or omnivores.^{[3][151][152][153]} Unlike obligate carnivores, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, dogs can adapt to a wide-ranging diet, and are not dependent on meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill their basic dietary requirements. Dogs will healthily digest a variety of foods, including vegetables and grains, and can consume a large proportion of these in their diet.^[3] Compared to their wolf ancestors, dogs have adaptations in genes involved in starch digestion that contribute to an increased ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet.

From Yahoo Answers:

Dogs are CARNIVORES, because of their domestication, by us, they are capable of eating certain fruits and vegetables, but they should make up only a small percentage of their diets.

From RawFed (I assume a proponent of raw feeding)

Myth: DOGS ARE OMNIVORES.

This is false. Dogs are carnivores, not omnivores. Dogs ARE very adaptable, but just because they can survive on an omnivorous diet does not mean it is the best diet for them. The assumption that dogs are natural omnivores remains to be proven, whereas the truth about dogs being natural carnivores is very well-supported by the evidence available to us.

 from OpEdNews:

The dog food industry would like you to believe that dogs can eat just about anything, including lots of corn mixed with low-grade meat meal, and they will do just fine. A growing number of pet advocates, veterinarians and websites have come out in recent years saying that dogs are carnivores and therefore should only be fed a diet of raw meat. So who is right? Neither, of course.

And on and on..

dog training class will go on

Question:  There is a small park, Mau‘umae, at 16th Avenue and Claudine Street in Kaimuki. For many, many years, Dan Shi­ma­buku, a mailman by day but a wonderful and talented dog trainer the rest of the time, has conducted free dog-training classes there once a week as a community service without a single complaint by neighbors. Beyond that, Dan and his wife, Donna, clean the park of droppings by dogs not in his class and even pull the weeds! Recently a policeman appeared, said there was a complaint and forced some 25 to 30 neighborhood residents in the class to leave the park. The park is on the Hawaiian Humane Society’s list of dog-friendly parks. However, a sign there says no animals are allowed, a sign that we have been told was to be taken down. So we are confused and upset about all this. We all believe that extraordinary community service like Dan Shi­ma­buku’s should be encouraged by government, not hampered. The only other use of the park is for feral chickens to hang out. Don’t community members deserve as much of an opportunity to use our own park as feral chickens?

Answer: Dan Shi­ma­buku will be able to continue his classes.

The city Department of Parks and Recreation will add “dogs on leash allowed” to the sign at Mau‘umae Nature Park, parks Director Toni Robinson said.

The department does designate Mau‘umae a “dog-friendly park,” where dogs on leashes are allowed. (For a list of those parks, go to the Hawaiian Humane Society’s website, hawaiianhumane.org/Dog-Friendly-Parks.html.)

But, Robinson said, the department has never issued permits for dog obedience classes there.

“For a park such as Mau‘umae, where there is no comfort station, we do not issue permits,” she said.

“In the past, younger children’s soccer groups have even requested permits, which we declined to issue.”

But Shimabuku’s class is not an official class, Robinson emphasized. Because he is not taking money or conducting any commercial activity, he is allowed to continue gathering with dog owners and their pets, as long as the dogs are leashed.

Shimabuku, 58, said he became interested in training dogs about 10 years ago when a customer on his mail route had a problem with his pet. He offered to help train the dog, but just two weeks into the training, the dog suddenly died. It was in memory of that dog that Shi­ma­buku started his classes.

In the beginning, he acknowledged, some people complained about the dogs. When told by a police officer that the dogs would have to leave, Shi­ma­buku said he showed the officer the park’s listing as “dog-friendly” but was told police had to go by what the posted sign said.

As of Thursday the sign had not been changed.

“I do this as a community service,” Shi­ma­buku said. Classes are held Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., April through September. On an average night, 20 to 30 people and their dogs show up. He emphasizes that participants are to pick up after their animals.

police tactic

In New Haven, Conn., in March, police had trapped two car-theft suspects in a multifamily building whose occupants were hiding from the suspects, thus necessitating urgency in ending the siege.

Officers ordered a K-9 unit but were told it would be delayed.

In a tactic departments occasionally employ, officers still threatened to release the dogs immediately, and to make the threat credible, available officers began barking.

The suspects quickly surrendered rather than face the vicious canines.

can I give this to my dog?

All dog owners have questions about which human foods and human prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be safely given to their dog. The medication questions will usually pop up when your dog is showing signs of illness on a Saturday night when your veterinarian is not available, and you have a number of both prescription and OTC medications sitting in your medicine cabinet?. or you are sitting on your couch eating chocolate ice cream, and your four-legged friend is giving you those Please, please, please eyes, and you think to yourself, just a taste won't hurt my little darling.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has listed the top 10 poisoning causes in 2008: 1st is human medications (both prescription and OTCs), 3rd is people food, and the 5th is medications prescribed by veterinarians. Medications, meant for dogs or humans, should never be given without first having your dog examined by your veterinarian to determine a correct diagnosis and treatment for their current medical problem.

Following is a list of the most commonly asked questions regarding human food and human medication safety as it relates to your dog.

The Dog Talk Diva

I was googling Jeff Gellman (mentioned in dwf, an interesting dog trainer in his own right) and came across this radio interview he had with Camilla Gray-Nelson who is the Dog Talk Diva..

Well, I'll tell you, when I was growing up, because I was raised on a ranch that was miles out of town -- all my other little friends in school had girlfriends and kids that they played with on the weekends and after school in their cul-de-sacs and their suburban homes -- I didn't have any of that. When I was small, it was a little bit disappointing to me. I always tell people, you know, I didn't have any friends with two legs until I was in junior high. But, the advantage of that looking back now, because everything I do in the dog world in training, is based on how animals communicate naturally with each other. And if I didn't have that background, I wouldn't know that language; I would be oblivious to it, just as all of my clients are and most of the world is.

Jeff: It's incredible. So give me an example. Because I like to -- you know, I'm a different kind of trainer, and I don't know if we're going to go too deep into actual training. Because I want people to think bigger than that. I want people to look at the holistic message here. What is something that is so common in the dog world, or even the animal world -- we're talking about pack animals -- that we're missing, the general population is missing, they're missing the boat on it.

Camilla: I'll tell you right up front what it is: It is somehow the perception that to be seen as strong with your dog, or to get your dog to do what you want them to do, you have to be loud, you have to be intimidating, you have to be full of machismo and pin your dog to the ground. And I am telling you, as a student of nature for over 50 years, that is so backwards and wrong. When you look at a -- from my early experience, my herd of cows, my horses -- keep in mind, social group mammals, social mammals -- cows, horses, dogs, and what have you, are the ones I'm most familiar with . They all follow the same social contract -- there's a leader, there are the followers, there are the ones that work in the basement, there's middle-management, and there's the executive. I'm getting off track, but I'm still on track.

Jeff: No, don't worry, I'll reign you in.

Camilla: When you look at the animals that are the leaders in that group, they are not the loud ones -- they are the quiet ones. They are the ones that are off on the side, sort of. They're humored by the one doing all the barking or all the lunging or all the kicking -- they're going, go knock yourself out, I'll just come in and clean up your mess later. And so, the secret of power in the animal world is that quietness; when there's a dog that's doing the lunging and the barking and snapping, and all of this, acting very, very aggressive -- what they're really doing is they're overcompensating for a lack of confidence and power inside. They are not unlike the play yard bully at the local grammar school. And the thing is, the dogs know it. So when we yell at our dogs, and we try to force them into doing things overtly like this, the dog looks at us and goes -- you're the imposter, I'm not going to listen to you. So that's the biggest misperception is that strength is not loud, it's quiet.

Jeff: So Camilla, do you think it's possible that if folks feel that if they discipline, which doesn't mean punishment, and in my book, there's a big difference.

Camilla: I hate that word.

Jeff: I know, there's a big difference. So if they discipline… You know, everybody needs -- I mean, I get discipline. You know, everybody gets disciplined.

Camilla: Discipline your children.

Jeff: Yes, of course. So are people afraid -- because I get this feeling as well (90% of my clients are female as well) -- if you discipline your dog, they feel that the dog is not going to like them. I find it the opposite.

Camilla: That's exactly it.

Jeff: I find it the opposite. I find, no, if I discipline and set up boundaries, my dog loves it because then they've got expectations.

Camilla: Well, the dog loves it, because they finally have the leader they have been looking for.

Camilla: Okay. In the dog world, I spend a lot of time telling people, explaining how that leader gets his position. It's not because he wears a t-shirt saying, I'm the boss of you. And it's not because there's fighting. Everyone assumes that the top position in the dog pack is earned through a bloody battle.

Jeff: No. It's just through energy, mostly.

Camilla: That hierarchy involves aggression -- and that is at the root. Honestly that is the root of all the great dog trainer divider -- the faulty assumption that aggression and dominance are inexplicably (oh sorry, another big word) are linked. But unless a dog realizes how his world is organized, he is in a constant state of anxiety. Because in his world, unless you've got a well-organized pack with the right guy at the top, the right dogs working in the mail room and the right dogs in middle-management, so everyone has a job to do -- that pack, including the dog in it, are at risk. They will not survive. So the first thing a dog looks for in life is, okay, how are we organized? Who's the chairman? And what's my job? Once you answer that question, they calm down. And what you see from a dog when you set those boundaries -- and I'll tell you how they get that leader position -- but once you set boundaries, the dog has almost an audible sigh of relief. You've seen it, Jeff, you see it every day with your dogs.

Jeff: Yeah.

Camilla: And when they look up at you, you have attention that is real, honest, organic attention. And it's really like hero worship -- that's when you have the look of love in your dog's eyes, because he is saying -- oh, finally, you've lifted the burden of life from my shoulders, I can defer to you.

Note: the whole radio show and complete transcript can be found here.

diarrhea

[7/8/13] Kimo's poop is still soft, but at least not a blob for the last couple of days.  Started him on the l-glutamine this evening. 1 capsule of 500mg.

[7/4/13]  Gave him the grapefruit seed extract.  Didn't notice much difference.  Started him on the slippery elm on 7/2/13 evening.  No dramatic difference that I could see.  Pooped in the garage yesterday afternoon. Ran to the yard after eating last night (I assume to poop). Made a small drip this morning.  I'll try it for a few more days.

[6/29/13] OK, the shipment from Amazon arrived today.  I think I'll try the grapefruit seed extract first.  But how much to give.  It comes in capsules of 250 mg.  Kimo weighs about 19 pounds which is about 9 kilograms.  This article says you only need 25 mg for 10 kg of body weight, though they found no ill effects at far higher doses.  So that's like 1/10 a capsule.  I think I'll start him out with 1/2 a capsule which is 5 times more than he needs.  This article says 10 mg for 10 pounds (or 20 mg for 20 pounds).

[6/23/13] Hey poop pretty good today.  Haven't been giving him the probiotic lately (just the probios treats).  Don't know if that was the problem?

[6/21/13] The soft poop continues.  I think I'm going to try grapefruit seed extract instead of the antibiotics from the vet.  Here's a link discussing dosage.  Apparently GSE has lots of uses.

Then I think I'm also going to try slippery elm or L-Glutamine.

[6/18/13] Darn, the puddle is back.  Did a soft poop in the early a.m.   Then noticed small puddles in garage in the morning :(

[6/17/13] His poop got better a couple of days later.  Maybe it's the chicken bone he ate.  Since then it's soft but not a puddle.

He's running out of the probiotic I got him from Amazon and was about to order some more.  In the meantime, I was considering ordering slippery elm as well (see below).  Well, I saw this comment that slippery elm saved her dog, but then I read the response to the comment that probiotics can make diarrhea worse. There's an article reference stating "Probiotics may make SIBO worse".  What is SIBO.  It's small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which is "a disorder of excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine".

"Treatment is with a course of antibiotics. A course of one week of antibiotics is usually sufficient to treat the condition. However, if the condition recurs, antibiotics can be given in a cyclical fashion in order to prevent tolerance. For example, antibiotics may be given for a week, followed by three weeks off antibiotics, followed by another week of treatment. Alternatively, the choice of antibiotic used can be cycled."

"Probiotics are bacterial preparations that alter the bacterial flora in the bowel to cause a beneficial effect. Their role in bacterial overgrowth is somewhat uncertain."

Here is what apparently worked for the author of the article:

"The method I used uses antibiotics to intitially get rid of the SIBO. Ginger and Grapefruit seed extract to keep your SIBO at bay whilst Glutamine repairs your gut until it can defend itself again"

But then that was a human.

According to the article, the ginger and grapefruit seed kill bacteria, like antibiotics.  And the glutamine repairs the line of your gut and allows it to defend itself.

Here's an article about glutamine for dogs with diarrhea.  And another.

So still another option to consider.

On the article, here's Karen Becker pushing her probiotic product.  [Also a general article on diarrhea in dogs and a recommendation of slippery elm.]

Hey, just took him out and his poop was pretty good.  Didn't make that much though..

[6/13/13] Darn.  Puddle in the garage :(

[6/9/13] Well the poop started getting bad again and took the sample to the vet on 5/20/13.
get med from the vet on 5/21/13, this time he got a new probiotic (Prostora) and special food (Iams Veteranarian Formula Intestinal Plus, formerly known as low residue) too
didn't give the probiotic right away
toward the end I would only give the antibiotic in the evening and the probiotic with the morning meal
that last antibiotic was given
plus I'm giving him raw chicken with the evening meal
the problem is that with the chicken w/bone he drags it to the dirt and it gets coated with dirt when he eats it (lately I've been giving him the chicken w/bone in the front so it doesn't go in the dirt)
the last of the probiotic was given on 5/31
runny poop came back on 6/4
but today (6/9) he made one small poop in the morning that was pretty firm and he made another one in the afternoon that was pretty decent.
So now I have hope..
I have one more probiotic from the vet left and I subbed in the other probiotic I got from Amazon today.

[5/6/13] Hey, Kimo's poop has been better the last few day.  Not rock hard, but at least I can pick it up.  Don't know what I did though.  Don't know if it was the probiotics (which never really seemed to work).  Or the raw chicken (which didn't work at least at first, but then his poop seemed to firm after he at the chicken bones), or not skipping a meal and letting him stay in the back (where there's less to bark at) and not giving him that much to eat for a day.  Maybe a combination of the above.

[4/22/13] Well, tried the probiotis and the poop never really improved

Then Kimo got tapeworm again and it was off to the vet for tapeworm pills and another diagnosis of soft poop.  This time it was just another batch of metro (one week supply)

So picked up the meds on 4/10.  Gave him the metro that night. Poop didn't improve until a day or so later.  Then gave him the droncit (the tapeworm pills on 4/12).  The good news was he didn't get diarrhea after taking the tapeworm pills (unlike the Little City Dogs wormer).

The plan was to give Kimo the metro to kill the bad bacteria, then give him the probiotics to aid the healthy bacteria.  In the meantime I was feeding him his kibble with some Alpo canned food.

His poop continued good during this time.  The last metro was given on 4/17 evening.  His poop remained good.

Then last night, I gave him a half a chicken thigh (defrosted frozen chicken).  In the a.m. he barked and I took him in front and he pooped.  Couldn't see the condition of the poop since it was dark.

But then this morning (4/22/13) when I check, it was a blob :)

So his good poop lasted four days.  I want to see if it improves from here.  Hopefully it's just regular diarrhea from changing his food.  But switching to raw isn't supposed to cause diarrhea, supposedly?

Or maybe not.  Wait and see.

[3/13/13] While waiting for the probiotics to come, I decided to try Greek yogurt (after I ran out of the cottage cheese).  There were a couple of poops that looked better (though far from firm), but today it was back to the runs.  Maybe because I mixed some table food/rice with his I/D.

dwf suggested slippery elm.  I'll keep that in mind.

[3/7/13]  Well the poop is now back to blobs for the last few days.  So much for the new food and cottage cheese.  A couple of times it didn't look so bad, but most of the time they're runny.  Last night and today, he just makes brown drops.

I'm going to try some probiotics I saw on Amazon: this one from vetri-science and this one from probios.

In the meantime, I googled antibiotics for dogs and got some information on diarrhea.

pets.webmd.com
petmd.com
caninejournal
cesarsway

vetinfo
Diarrhea is often caused by the administration of antibiotics. This is due to the fact that the dog has good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract and when the antibiotics are administered, all the bacteria are killed. After discontinuing the antibiotic treatment, the bad bacteria will grow much faster than the good bacteria and this will lead to an imbalance and a new infection.

The bacteria that form in the intestinal tract leading to an infection can be very resistant to antibiotics, especially if the infection occurs after a previous antibiotics treatment.

Consequently, the antibiotics prescribed for dogs with diarrhea should be powerful. At the same time, the antibiotics should be prescribed so as the dog is less likely to develop new infections as a result of the antibiotic administration.

[Hmm.  Maybe the condition came from taking the antibiotic for the campilobacter.]

wellvet  acute diarrhea is actually healthy.  but not chronic diarrhea.

Conventional medicine often fails to heal chronic diarrhea. Its approach tends to follow along a couple lines. First, the dog is fed foods that are extremely bland and easy to digest, often called "hypoallergenic diets".

This may help for a short time, but the body needs complex nutrients for optimal health - nutrients that are destroyed by the extreme processing employed in making commercial diets.

Secondly, conventional veterinary medicine relies on multiple courses of antibiotics, often combined with immune suppressive drugs (corticosteroids, for example). Unfortunately, many cases are only palliated, not cured, and over time the dog will worsen. This is an excellent example where holistic therapies can help cure your dog.

Products to aid in healing dogs with chronic diarrhea.
Gastriplex
Healthy Flora (probiotic)
Ultraclear Sustain
MediBulk
Similase
Paraguard
Dipan 9

[2/23/13] Well, after going off the antibiotic on Sunday, the soft poop came back on Friday.  Then a few piles in garage.  decide to go to Dr. Lau

First thing Dr. Lau asks me if I'm giving the dog stress
I tell him about the antibiotic given by the other vet.  He looks in the microscope, but says he's just checking for worms not bacteria

He prescribes a change in dog food to i/d
and gave him 5 tablets of amforol (1/2 tablet twice a day)
Also said I can give him cottage cheese, yogurt, strained human baby food

so far poop is better, but we'll what happens after he goes off the amforol

[2/7/13] Went off the metro on 2/3 (evening).  Went to Costco and came back to see to soft piles of poop in the garage.  Well, I gave him some canned Iams last night for the first time in a while.  Skip that and we'll see what comes out tomorrow.

[1/24/13] soft poop in garage again.  no campilobacter.  Dr. Darren says he has a strange bacteria (in other words, he's not sure what it is).  Prescribed metro and probiotic (proviable)

[1/11/13]  Poop got better and firmer.  Things seemed to be going OK until this morning when I took him out and it streamed out soft (like ice milk coming out of the spout).  Then later I see a big brown mound in the garage.  OK back to the vet just in case :(

[got prescribed amoxicillin and metronidazole]

[1/3/13] poop runny again, so took sample to vet (along with Kimo).  Kimo was OK with a small dog outside and seemed OK with a small dog in a bag.  But when a couple of bigger dogs came in, he reacted.  And also reacted to a lady pushing a cardboard box on the floor.

The good news is that they didn't find campylobacter.  The bad news is that they found a whole bunch of other bacteria.  So prescribed amoxicillin and metronidazole.

[12/21/12] OK, finished up the chloramphenicol on Wednesday.  Then Thursday night, Kimo kept barking through the night and I took him out about three times.  Checking his poop the next day, it appears the poop wasn't too bad at first, but then the later poops got more soft.  And then after leaving them in the front for a while, I noticed a soft mound in the garage.  OK, bad sign.

I still have some erythromycin left, so I'll give Kimo the rest of it and see what happens.  I gave him a 1/2 pill in the morning and Kimo was in the back most of the day.  I brought it out in the last afternoon, so he's back on the steps.  He got another 1/2 pill with his dinner (along with leftover brown rice - they ate it all so I guess they liked the brown rice).  We'll see how he does tonight.

[12/9/12] Kimo got the drips again.  He runny poop seemed to clean up, but then I saw he had tapeworm and I decided to give him tapeworm pills from Little City Dogs instead of the droncit from the vet.

The next day he had the runs and was making puddles instead of solid poop.  In fact that might have been when the case in October occurred.  I looked up the dosage and decided to give him a lower dose.  That seemed to be getting better.  But then I saw he had tapeworm again.

I figured the last time he got the runs after the tapeworm pills might have been a coincidence and gave him the pill again.  1 pill is prescribed for up 8-17 pounds.  2 pills is prescribed for 17-34 pounds.  Since Kimo is about 18 or 19 pounds, right around the bordline, I decided to give him 1-1/2 pills.

And sure enough, the next day he had the runs.  I waited for about five days since I read that Campylobacter diarrhea typically lasts about 5 days.  But it never got any better and I got tired of wiping up his drips in the garage that he made every couple of hours.  Poor guy.

Back to the vet.  Another dosage of erythromycin.  This time I didn't full around and gave him the full dosage.  About the third day, his poop started to get firm.  I started giving him the pill on a Monday and kept giving him until the next Tuesday or more likely Wednesday.  Then I brought another poop sample on Saturday.

They called back saying he still had the campylobacter.  This time, chloramphenicol (250 mg) was prescribed three times a day.  And Lact-Enz two times a day.

Chloramphenicol is supposedly more effective than erythromycin in removing the campylobacter.  However it can cause bone marrow damage to humans in rare cases and should be handled with caution.

OK, what's this Lact-Enz?  From amazon, it's a gastrointestinal support product that combines digestive enzymes with normal intestinal flora. The combination of these ingredients assists in the breakdown of macronutrients and maintains a healthy intestinal environment. According to the comments (and the vet tech who called me), it's a probiotic which are live microorganisms proposed to be beneficial to the host organism.  So should not be taken at the same time as the antibiotic (since the antibiotic will kill it).

So I guess the sequence will be.  Take the antibiotic to kill the bad bacteria.  And take the probiotic to grow the good bacteria.

[10/10/12] Kimo has runny poop again.  Poop comes out as a brown puddle.  Decided to take stool sample to vet and they say he has the hippo campus again (or whatever it was).  Campylobacter maybe?  Hopefully not Campylobacteriosis (or is that the same thing)?

Anyway, they (Ann Kwock) prescribed erythromycin (250 mg tablets).  Picked it up at Walgreen.  Noticed it was like $70.  Looked up how much it was at Costco last time and it only like $13.  But then I check the bottle.  Last time they prescribed only 5 pills with a dosage of 1/4 tablet.  This time there were 20 pills and the dosage of 1 tablet twice a day was prescribed.

Maybe I'll play doctor and give 1/2 tablet.  Looking at a bottle from about 3 years ago, the dosage was 1/2 table.  OK.

Tried giving Kimo the 1/2 tablet with his kibble.  The table wound up outside the bowl with a few pieces of kibble.  Ate the kibble, not the tablet.  Wound up putting it in a pill pocket.  That worked.

But later in the afternoon, he threw up the food he ate :(

Clean up and let him lied down by the palm tree.

***

[3/30/12] Kimo doesn't exactly have diarrhea now, but his poop has been pretty runny off and on. And sometimes I can hear "sputtering" before he poops. So it is sort of diarrhea.

I was looking at the comments of this article for some ideas to try.

I tried pumpkin, as a suggestion from Linda, and it didn't really work that well.

Tonight I tried chicken and rice (on top of his regular beneful).

[not much difference..]

***

On Monday, I noticed that Kimo's right eye had some mucous build-up, so I was afraid his eye infection was re-ocurring. So since I was going to pick up Kimo's regular med anyway I requested some antibiotics since that's what they used last time (along with eyedrops and I still have some leftover eyedrops).

However the doctor said just to use the eyedrops, so I didn't get the antibiotics. I explained that his poop was runny and they said it might be bacteria (or something) and I could bring in a stool sample.

The last couple of days, Kimo mostly just lay down all day in the back and didn't eat much on Monday, though he ate some last night. His eye doesn't look too bad though, so I think it's not a re-occurrence of the eye infection.

Anyway, I called this morning to bring in a stool sample. After I dropped it off, they called me and said they found some bacteria (or whatever) and said I could pick up his medicine at the pharmacy. I chose Costco.

Looking at the bottle is Erythromycin Base 250MG. And to use 1/4 tablet twice a day.

I see this is the same medicine he got three years ago, so I assume it's the same condition.

*** [3/9/13]

Looking back in my log, I see that Kimo had the runs on 2/23/13.  That was after he ate some purple potato and threw it up.  Seems it didn't last though.  So he's had problems on and off for a while.

Ricochet

Noticed this while playing ESPN youtube videos on my Roku.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tlYGNSMm3E
or
http://youtu.be/6tlYGNSMm3E
or
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9291324

Here's an older video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

A lion and tiger and bear; oh my!

As cubs a lion, a tiger, and a bear had been owned by a drug dealer who did not properly care for them. The bear’s harness grew into his skin because the owner did not alter it as the animal grew. They had been abused and neglected early in life, but were finally rescued. The bear's harness was surgically removed.

After they had been taken in by an animal sanctuary in Georgia, the staff tried to separate them due to obvious concerns that the three large predators would fight. During the trial of separation, the animals were uncooperative and behaved poorly. Once reunited, the three calmed down and were well behaved.

Twelve years later, the three friends spend their days playing, cuddling, and eating together. There are no plans to separate these lifelong friends.


More info and video: http://abcn.ws/12w6LdJ

-- via Brian and Cesar

pomeranians seized

The Hawaiian Humane Society rescued Tuesday more than 40 purebred Pomeranian puppies and adults from "extremely filthy" living conditions at a longtime breeder's Halawa house.

"The living conditions were extremely filthy and pretty horrible," said Keoni Vaughn, director of operations for the Humane Society. "The dogs were found with matted fur, which can be extremely painful."

He said 17 of the 43 dogs were being housed in a detached, air-conditioned storage facility with no open windows or other ventilation. Strong odors could be detected from the street, he said.

The dogs were surrendered without incident by the owner, whose name was not disclosed.

"One thing that's important to note is that as soon as we arrived, she told me that she knew that we would be here soon and that she really needs some help, and she recognized that she was in over her head," Vaughn said. "Because she's being so cooperative and we're not pressing charges, we're not releasing the name."

A complaint was called in by a friend of someone who had seen the dogs' living conditions.

Vaughn said the woman had been breeding Pomeranians, a toy dog breed, for years, participating in the Kahala Petland store's popular "puppy swap meet." The breeder had sold a puppy as recently as a couple of months ago for $2,500, he said, adding that she even earned a "breeder of the year" award recently from a dog fanciers group.

"We've been trying to educate people who want purebred dogs that they have got to inspect the living conditions of where the parents live. We can't emphasize that enough," said Hawaiian Humane Society spokes­woman Jacque LeBlanc. "Pet shops and Internet sales protect irresponsible breeders who may not want you to see how they care for animals they sell."

Vaughn said the rescue contrasted with a 2011 case in which 155 dogs caged in filthy conditions were rescued from a commercial dog-breeding business in Wai­ma­nalo. A former manager was charged with 153 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty and sentenced to six months of jail time last year.

"In that case they shut their door on us. These animals we rescued today were definitely living in horrible conditions, but in this instance this woman made a cry for help (once discovered) and we're offering assistance," Vaughn said.

The Moiliili shelter's animal care team was conducting health inspections on the seized dogs Tuesday afternoon. Once healthy, the puppies and adults will be spayed and neutered before being placed up for adoption, Vaughn said.

"Right now our primary concern is that they are safe in our care and being treated by our medical team," he said.

The nonprofit is seeking the public's help with caring for the sudden influx of dogs. The shelter needs towels and large collapsible crates as well as volunteers to care for the animals.

Donations, including monetary ones, can be dropped off 24 hours a day to the Humane Society at 2700 Wai­alae Ave.

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KITV story
KHON story
Hawaii News Now

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The dogs are filthy and in serious need of grooming, but for the most part, the 43 Pomeranians rescued from a Halawa home on Wednesday are doing okay.

Petco stores on Oahu are donating grooming services to the rescued Pomeranians. Fourteen of them were brought in with wild, overgrown, and matted hair and transformed into something more adorable.

“Changes their demeanor. They’re happier, cleaner, ready to be adopted in a forever home,” Petco manager Jennan Beers said.

Finding a forever home probably won’t be that hard.

The Hawaiian Humane Society has received hundreds of calls from families interested in adopting the purebred Pomeranians.

The first batch, a total of 12 dogs, will be available Thursday.


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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Some pure bred Pomeranians created an adoption frenzy Thursday morning. More than 220 people came to the Hawaiian Humane Society trying to adopt one of the dogs.

The 43 Pomeranians were surrendered from their overwhelmed breeder earlier this week in Halawa. The first 11 were healthy enough to be neutered and adopted today.

There were black, white and brown Pomeranians available ranging in age from puppies to 10 years old. David Williams camped out all night to be first in line to get one.

"Because I have a little son and a little daughter that want a Pomeranian," said David Williams, Salt Lake, who owned a Pomeranian before.

"It was very uncomfortable and very noisy," said Williams, referring to his night.

"There is no need to rush. It's not on a first come first served basis. Everybody is going to have the same opportunity," announced Keoni Vaughn, Hawaiian Humane Society Director of Operations, to the crowd of people waiting before he opened the doors.

It turns out they were doing a raffle instead. They brought the more than 220 people inside, gave them a number and a bit of education to fight puppy mills of pure bred animals.

The Hawaiian Humane Society will do it again Friday morning with another group of about a dozen Pomeranians. Don't forget it is a raffle so there is no need to camp out overnight. You just need to be at the shelter before 9:00 am to get the ticket. The address is 2700 Waialae Avenue in Honolulu. For more information click here.

After Friday it will be business as usual at the shelter. When a Pomeranian is ready to be adopted it will be listed with all the other dogs during normal operating hours.