THE HOMESTEAD HOUND, PART II

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Keeping your adult dog healthy and spry

by Jon Geller

I had no choice but to grab the remote control and stop the attack. Watching movies like Steven King's Cujo is just one of the twisted ways that overtaxed veterinarians like myself entertain themselves between buzzes of the pager. Why bother sleeping if you're going to be jolted back to work at any minute anyway?

I've experienced many memorable farm calls about country dogs over the years - although none involved a rabid Saint Bernard - and I have noticed that many problems can be prevented. This article, as a follow-up to last issue's article on the care of puppies, is a primer on the prevention and treatment of recurring health problems of the adult dog. Once your dog grows to about 1 to 2 years of age, there is no reason he or she cannot live a healthy, happy life.

PERFORMING CPR

3. Feel for a heartbeat over thechest, or for a pulse in the femoral artery on the inside of the upper back leg (practice feeling for the pulse).
4. Apply vigorous chest compressions to the left side of your dog's chest, one per second, while someone feels for a pulse. Continue until medical help is available.

1. If your dog is not breathing, look in its mouth to make sure nothing is blocking the airway.
2. Place half a plastic pop bottle (see " Creating a Pet First Aid Kit ") snugly over your dog's nose and give one breath per second into the bottle.

SICKNESS AND INJURY PREVENTION

Fence the Yard

Farm dogs that run free get into trouble. They can get run over, shot at, cut up by neighboring fences or attacked by other dogs. Smaller pooches such as Yorkies even make desirable prey for coyotes, raptors and mountain lions.

That's why tunnel-proof perimeter fencing or the more high-tech, underground invisible fence is needed around your homestead. Invisible fencing works by giving your dog a small jolt of electrical current via an electronic collar if he tries to cross a buried wire. All but the , most stubborn dogs will respect it. Unfortunately, those bull-headed beasts that are willing to take a shock to go after a rabbit find themselves outside the perimeter, having to take another shock to get back inside. These guys need the real thing.

Deworm Aggressively

Adult dogs are susceptible to internal parasites, especially on the farm. A smorgasbord of worms abound in the average pasture, and your canine will feast on these at every opportunity. Manure, afterbirths and dead animal carcasses seem like highly desirable delicacies to even the most discriminating dogs.

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