Category: The Puppy Handbook

Dog CPR Information & First Aid

Please bookmark this blog post and study it later and visit www.HealthyPet.com for more dog health and first aid information.

Pet CPR

It’s not a scenario you want to imagine: finding your dog unconscious on your living room floor or your cat hit by a car. Finding your pet not breathing or with his heart not beating can be a terrifying experience, but there are things you can do. The most important step you can take is staying calm. If there’s another person with you, have her call your veterinarian while you perform CPR.

Step 1: Check for responsiveness

Before you begin doing anything to your pet, make sure he is truly unresponsive.

  • Check his breathing by placing your hand in front of his nose and mouth. (Be sure not to cover them and block his airway!)
  • Check for his heartbeat by placing your ear against area where your pet’s left elbow touches the chest.

Step 2: Secure an airway

If you don’t see or feel your pet breathing, you immediately need to make sure his airway is clear.

  • Carefully pull his tongue forward out of his mouth. (Even an unresponsive animal can bite by instinct.)
  • Look into the throat for a foreign object. If you find one, remove it carefully. (See Pet First Aid for instructions on responding to choking in pets.)
  • Move the head until the neck is straight. (Don’t move the neck if you suspect it is injured.)

Step 3: Rescue breathing

  • Close your pet’s mouth and breathe directly into his nose not his mouth until his chest expands.
  • If the chest doesn’t expand, check again for a foreign object in the throat and reposition the airway so it is straight.
  • Once you’ve gotten the chest to expand, continue the rescue breathing, repeating the breaths 12 to 15 times per minute (once every four to five seconds).

Step 4: Chest compressions

Do not begin chest compressions until you’ve secured an airway and started rescue breathing.

  • Gently lay your pet on his right side.
  • The heart is located in the lower half of the chest on the left side, behind the elbow of the front left leg. Place one hand below the heart to support the chest; place the other hand over the heart.
  • Press down gently on your pet’s heart. Press down about one inch for medium-sized dogs; press harder for larger animals and with less force for smaller animals. To massage the hearts of cats and other tiny pets, compress the chest with the thumb and forefingers of one hand.
  • Press down 80-120 times per minute for larger animals and 100-150 times per minute for smaller ones.
  • Alternate the chest compressions with the rescue breaths.

Continue the heart massage compressions and the rescue breathing until you can hear a heartbeat and feel regular breathing. Once your pet is breathing and his heart is beating, call your veterinarian immediately.

Unfortunately, even in the hands of well-trained veterinary health professionals, the overall chance for success with resuscitation is low. In an emergency, however, it may give your pet his only chance.

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Coccidia Information

Coccidiosis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

What is Coccidiosis?

Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease that affects several different animal species including canines and humans. Coccidia is one of the most prevalent protozoal infections in North American animals, second only to giardia. Eimeria and Isospora are the two genera that are often referred to as “coccidia.” These two genera contain a large number of species that infect a variety of animals throughout the world.

The diseases caused by these microscopic protozoal parasites are referred to collectively as coccidiosis, and they vary tremendously in virulence.

Some species cause diseases that result in mild symptoms that might go unnoticed (i.e., mild diarrhea) and eventually disappear, while other species cause highly virulent infections that are rapidly fatal. The causative agent is a protozoan that has the ability to multiply rapidly. The major damage is due to the rapid multiplication of the parasite in the intestinal wall, and the subsequent rupture of the cells of the intestinal lining. Several stages of multiplication occur before the final stage, the oocyst, is passed in the feces. Oocysts are extremely resistant to environmental stress and are difficult to completely remove from the environm

ent. Oocysts are frequent contaminants of feed and water and when the sporulated oocysts are ingested by other animals they start the life cycle over in the new host.

Life Cycle of Coccidia

The life cycles of both genera of coccidia are similar. A host is infected when it ingests oocysts that have been passed in the feces of another host. The oocyst encysts in the host’s small intestine, and the sporozoites contained within the oocyst are liberated. The sporozoites penetrate the cells of the host’s small intestine and reproduce asexually. Each generation of asexual reproduction produces multiple me

rozoites; the merozoites are liberated from the cell and infect new cells. It is this stage of the infection that can result in destruction of massive numbers of cells in the host’s small intestine and, ultimately, lead to the host’s death. Some of the merozoites that enter the host’s cells transform into gametocytes. The gametocytes transform into gametes, the gametes fuse, and the resulting zygote begins to develop into an oocyst. The developing oocyst escapes from the host’s cell, and it is passed in the host’s feces. Typically, when the oocyst is passed in the feces, it is not infective because it does not contain sporozoites; this is an unsporulated oocyst. After several days (or weeks, depending on the species) outside of the host’s body, the oocyst completes development and sporozoites are found within; this is a sporulated oocyst, and it is infective to the next host (view diagram of the life cycle).
Clinical Signs
Clinical signs of coccidiosis usually are present or shortly following stress such as weather changes; weaning; overcrowding; long automobile or plane rides; relocation to a new home and new owners; and/or unsanitary conditions. Symptoms or signs of coccidiosis will depend on the state of the disease at the time of observation. In general, coccidiosis affects the intestinal tract and symptoms are associated with it. In mild cases, only a watery diarrhea may be present, and if blood is present in the feces, it is only in small amounts. Severely affected animals may have a thin, watery feces with considerable amounts of intestinal mucosa and blood. Straining usually is evident, rapid dehydra

tion, weight loss and anorexia (off feed) also may be clinically visible. One of the most prevalent canine coccidia is S. tenella and during autopsies of dead animals appears as microscopic muscle cysts in the host animal. Oocysts in the feces of dogs are also microscopic in size and can only be positively identified through lab tests or direct observation under a microscope.
“Nervous coccidiosis” is a nervous system condition associated with coccidial infection. Signs are consistent with central nervous system involvement, and include muscle tremors, convulsions and other central nervous system symptoms. A consistent sign in “nervous cocci” dogs is that stimulation of any type seems to trigger the symptoms.
Death may follow the acute disease either directly or from secondary diseases such as pneumonia. Animals that survive for 10 to 14 days may recover, however, permanent damage may occur. Research has indicated that canines may experience reduced food consumption for up to 13 weeks following clinical infection. Diagnosis usually is obvious but confusion does exist – apparently normal animals can also have oocysts present in their feces. Diarrhea may be present in the animal before the oocysts can be found, therefore, a confirmed laboratory diagnosis may not always be possible. Laboratory findings should be correlated with clinical signs for a diagnosis.
The susceptibility of animals to this disease varies. The ingestion of oocysts may not produce the disease; some animals constantly carry them without being affecte

d. Recovered animals develop immunity and seem to be partially resistant to reinfection.
Coccidiosis is frequently referred to as an opportunist – a disease that will develop when other stress factors are present. For example, the highest incidence of coccidiosis is in the first 21 days after a dog has changed owners and moved to a new residence. If a normal animal carries oocysts, it is relatively easy for rapid development when the conditions are right – adverse weather, shipping, dog food changes, new owners, new residence, and other stresses are important.
In case of a confirmed outbreak of coccidiosis in a kennel full of Beagles, the following steps should be started immediately: 1. Separate the sick animals from the healthy ones. 2. Treat sick animals with effective medications. 3. Medicate all the dogs in the kennel or home, as the other animals are likely infected.
General Information

General information on coccidiosis in canines:

1. Coccidiosis is an opportunistic disease – it generally affects stressed animals. 2. Kennel conditions provide ideal circumstances for an outbreak. 3. In most confinement

situations, prevention with sulfadimethoxine drug such as Albon® is recommended. 4. Mass treatment of all dogs in an entire kennel is usually the only effective method. 5. Sick animals should be treated as soon as possible and isolated from the healthy animals. 6. Have your veterinarian confirm positive diagnosis of the coccidia protozoa in your dog’s feces through the use of lab tests or positive identification through direct observation under a microscope. How can I be sure my dog has Coccidia?
Diagnosing coccidia is not easy. Diagnosis can be done in one of two ways: via fecal sample by a Vet or via educated evaluation of clinical findings by the breeder/owner or the Vet. Via fecal sample is not straightforward. Even when a flare is at it’s worst, the oocysts may not be shedding in every single stool. Therefore, a negative report does not rule out coccidia. The most thorough way to assess is to collect a sample from every single stool produced for 48 to 72 hours and have a Vet examine it.
How can infection be treated?
Treatment of infected animals is required. Individual treatment should be used when possible, however, medications are available for entire kennel applications. The actual coccidiosis problem is critical and in addition, dehydration and loss of appetite must be treated. Drug selection should be handled with regards to the number of animals infected and the type of application. Sulfas and antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections are available for use. Treatment and prevention are most effective when started early. Most kennels need to segregate and medicate new dogs at the time of arrival. Kennel owners can also reduce exposure by reducing stress, such as overcrowding and poor sanitation.
Infection may be treated using a sulfadimethoxine drug such as Albon®, Bactrovet®, or Tribrissen®. Data regarding acute and chronic toxicities of sulfadimethoxine indicate the drug is very safe. The LD50 in mice is greater than 2 g/kg of body weight when administered intraperitoneally and greater than 16 g/kg when administered orally. In dogs receiving massive single oral doses of 3.2 g/kg of body weight, diarrhea was the only adverse effect observed. Dogs given 160 mg/kg of body weight orally daily for 13 weeks showed no signs of toxicity. Treatment may be initiated by a Vet with an Albon Injection 40% (100-mL multiple-dose vials) to obtain effective blood levels almost immediately or to facilitate treatment of the fractious animal. With the Albon Injection 40%, each mL contains 400 mg sulfadimethoxine compounded with 20% propylene glycol, 1% benzyl alcohol, 0.1 mg disodium edetate, 1 mg sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, and pH adjusted with sodium hydroxide. Albon is also available in liquid form: Albon Oral Suspension 5%: 2- and 16-oz bottles; each tsp (5 mL) contains 250 mg sulfadimethoxine in a custard-flavored carrier. Length of treatment with any sulfadimethoxine drug depends on the clinical response. In most cases treatment for 5 days is adequate. Treatment should be continued until the animal is asymptomatic for at least 48 hours.
The cost to effectively keep coccidiosis infestations out of your Beagles may be entirely too much if you take your dog(s) to a Veterinarian. As already stated, a Vet will charge you for an office visit plus the cost of canine dosage sulfadimethoxine pills (Tablets-125 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg), Albon Injection 40%, and/or Albon Oral Suspension 5%. The cost for the Veterinarian treatments along with the cost of the office visits will add up to a lot of money per year, especially if you have more than one Beagle. Once again, I want to remind everyone that I am not a Veterinarian, but rather a long time Beagle kennel owner. I’ll tell you what I use and do, you can use your own judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps. This article is presented only as a documentation of how I treat coccidiosis infestations in the Beagles that I own at a fraction of the cost that a Veterinarian will charge you.

What I do is buy the Sulfadimethoxine 12 1/2% solution (generic Albon) from Lambert Vet Supply without a prescription and for a lot less money. Active ingredients: Each fluid ounce contains 3.75 grams Sulfadimethoxine solubilized with sodium hydroxide. I buy the one-gallon size jug of the generic brand of Albon which is the Sulfadimethoxine 12 1/2% solution for $40.75 (accurate price as of 04/20/2008) per gallon. Simply click on either picture to the left of this paragraph and order a gallon jug of either the Sulfadimethoxine (generic Albon) or the name brand Albon today. (NOTE: Lambert Vet Supply is not a sponsor of BEAGLES UNLIMITED and we do not make a cent by referring them to you. They do have the absolute lowest prices available to help all of us keep our Beagles in great health while we save hundreds of dollars each and every year. Here is more information about Lambert Vet Supply.)

Dyne High Calorie Supplement
This gallon jug of liquid Sulfadimethoxine is enough antibiotic to medicate a huge kennel full of Beagles for several months or even years. If you have more than one Beagle to treat with the Sulfadimethoxine drug for a coccidiosis outbreak, I highly recommend you follow in my footsteps and buy and use the gallon size jug of this medication as well as another product described below and then you can make your own 5% Albon solution just like you get from the Vet.
I also purchase a gallon jug of Dyne High Calorie Supplement, which is a liquid nutritional supplement, from Lambert Vet Supply. I buy the one-gallon size jug for $33.50 each (accurate price as of 04/20/2008). Simply click on the picture of Dyne High Calorie Supplement to the right of this paragraph and order a gallon jug today. This product is formulated to provide a nutrient dense liquid diet with essential vitamins and has a high caloric value. This product expedites the rate of recovery of weak or sick animals. It also may be fed as is or diluted with milk for animals unable to eat solid foods.
Then what I do next is I mix 5 ounces of Dyne High Calorie Supplement with 4 ounces of the Sulfadimethoxine 12 1/2% solution discussed above. This gives me a fairly palatable mixture of the 5% Albon (Rx) at a 85% or higher savings without the required prescription or the expense of a Vet office visit. I know many breeders that are paying $75 or more per pint for the 5% Albon (Rx) solution that they get from their Vet. This will give you approximately 2-gallons of the 5% Albon (RX) for only $75 rather than only 1-pint that a Vet will sell you for $75 — you figure up the savings! Once you have this 5% Albon solution mix, each teaspoonful (5 mL) will contain 250 mg of Sulfadimethoxine. Beagles should receive 1 teaspoonful of this 5% Albon Oral Suspension mixture per 10 lb of body weight (25 mg/lb or 55 mg/kg) as an initial dose, followed by ½ teaspoonful per 10 lb of body weight (12.5 mg/lb or 27.5 mg/kg) every 24 hours thereafter. I recommend you give this treatment for a total of 10 days. The medication may be administered in food or water, given as a drench orally. I give each dog its own food and medicine in its own feed dish to make sure each dog is getting the proper amount of food and medicine or at least use it as a drench to be given orally to each dog/puppy. This Sulfadimethoxine 12 1/2% solution mixed with the Dyne High Calorie Supplement will save you hundreds of dollars a year. I urge all kennels to keep a gallon of each handy. This Sulfadimethoxine 5% solution mix has a wide margin for safety, is very easy to administer, and absolutely works miracles on getting rid of coccidiosis in your hounds. Since coccidiosis is so easily spread from one Beagle to the next, I highly recommend all hounds get a full treatment even if only one hound shows symptoms — better to be safe than sorry.
This is the treatment that I use in my kennel and you can also check out the article Giardiasis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention to learn more about the other common protozoal infection called giardiasis. It is very unlikely to eliminate 100% of the coccidiosis infection in all dogs. Adaptations that may be made to try to improve the success rate of a treatment regime include extending the duration and dose of the treatment. Care must obviously be taken with this approach to make sure that an adequate safety margin is always maintained. Another approach is to retreat after an interval of one week of completion of the initial treatment. Alternatively, repeat fecal samples may be collected one week after the treatment and dogs which are still passing oocysts can be identified and treated. It should be recognized that, when treating a large number of dogs, there may still be one or two dogs that remain as carriers of infection that will act as a potential source for reintroducing the infection into your entire kennel.
No matter which treatment you choose to utilize (Vet Rx or over-the-counter cattle drugs), the simple fact is that it may not kill all of the coccidia oocysts. A certain number of them can burrow into the lining of the intestines and go dormant. They can stay dormant for years. Due to the hard shell protecting the oocysts, it is almost impossible to kill them when they are encysted in the lining of the intestines. Therefore, during times of stress, the oocysts may re-activate and start to reproduce, causing another outbreak of coccidiosis in your Beagle or Beagle kennel. The amount of stress needed to cause a flare seems to be highly variable with different dogs and dog breeds. Beagles are one of the hardiest breeds since they were developed as hunting hounds.
Important Note: A healthy dog may have been infected years before and never have shown any symptoms (asymptomatic carrier). They may occasionally shed very low numbers of oocysts in stools–evaluating every stool (the WHOLE stool) for something like six months is supposed to be the conclusive way to rule out an asymptomatic carrier (someone did this with a couple dogs for a study). This would cost literally thousands of dollars! Not exactly a practical way to test. Coccidiosis and giardiasis are both very common protozoal infestations that have the exact same clinical symptoms; therefore, I recommend that both diseases get treated one right after the other: coccidiosis for 10 days and giardiasis for 5 days if using Metronidazole or 3 days if using Fenbendazole. Once again, I treat coccidiosis with Sulfadimethoxine (Albon), and giardiasis with Metronidazole (Flagyl) or Fenbendazole (Safe-Guard).
How to eliminate coccidia from your kennel or home?
Once infection is present in a kennel, control may be approached in two ways:- 1. identification, isolation and treatment of infected dogs. 2. mass treatment of all dogs.
Option 1 is only practical where a few dogs in a discrete area have been identified as being infected and where complete isolation is feasible, either within their own block or in a specific isolation block. Such isolation includes segregation of exercise areas and these animals should be fed and cleaned after all others on the premises, preferably using separate cleaning and feeding equipment and separate staff if possible. Treatment of all dogs should commence on the same day when option 2 is adopted.
Thorough cleaning of all kennel areas where infected dogs have access is essential. Once organic debris has been removed, thorough disinfection will help to further reduce the level of environmental contamination and reduce the risk of dogs becoming re-infected after the completion of treatment. Disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium compounds have been found to kill Coccidia oocysts at the manufacturers’ recommended dilutions (dilutions of one disinfectant up to 1:704 were found to be effective at both low and high environmental temperatures). I disinfect all my kennels twice per month by washing everything down with a mixture consisting of 8 ounces of Clorox bleach per gallon of water. Make sure you let it set at least 20 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and then let it get completely dry before letting your Beagles use the kennels again. Important Note: The efficacy of killing is increased by prolonged contact time, therefore disinfectant solution should be left for 20 minutes to half an hour before being rinsed off kennel or run surfaces. Since disinfection of grass runs is impossible, such area should be regarded as contaminated for at least a month after infected dogs last had access.
Introduction of new dogs into the infected area should be avoided until the period of treatment and fecal sample checking has been completed. It should not be overlooked that some of the infected dogs may continue to excrete low numbers of oocysts even after all treatments and examinations have been completed. It is therefore important that rigorous disinfection is maintained and a careful check is kept on the condition of all treated and introduced animals.
The following are recommendations for eliminating coccidia from kennels and homes:

  • treat all dogs with sulfadimethoxine for 10 days
  • disinfect kennel areas, etc, with quaternary ammonium disinfectants which are effective in inactivating coccidia oocysts
  • bathe dogs with shampoo to remove all fecal matter, rinse with water
  • rinse dogs with quaternary ammonium disinfectants, then waterallow kennels to dry thoroughly for several day
  • retreat with sulfadimethoxine for 7 days
  • treat any new dogs with sulfadimethoxine (e.g. Albon) for 10 days even if they test negative for coccidia because it is so hard to detect in fecal tests

How can infection be prevented?
It is very difficult to prevent the entry of an infection that is known to be carried by a percentage of normal dogs into a kennel. However, an initial period of isolation for all new entrants into kennels, for perhaps ten days, would reduce the risk of an infected dog spreading a large number of oocysts around the main kennel area. All dogs could be observed and any infection present, which in the case case of coccidia might be exacerbated by the stress of entry in kennels, could be identified and treated before entry into the main kennels.
Dogs should be prevented from access to foul water that may contain large numbers of oocysts (e.g.: river-flooded paddocks). Small numbers of oocysts may occasionally be present in the potable water supply but the risk of this being a major source of infection is small. It is best to use chlorinated water for your dogs drinking water as much as possible. If you are using non-chlorinated water from a well, lake, or stream, you need to chlorinate the water yourself. To chlorinate drinking water: Use only liquid bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite as its only active ingredient – no soap. Use a scant 4 drops of Clorox bleach per quart of water or 2 teaspoons per 10 gallons. As an alternate method of purification, you can also boil all of your dog’s drinking water. To make sure the water is completely bacteria free, you need to bring the water to a rapid boil for a minimum of five (5) minutes. Remember, Cool moist conditions favor the survival of the organism; therefore, simply by keeping everything clean, disinfected, and dry you will be getting a lot further toward exterminating this nasty little one-celled parasite.
Remember, coccidiosis and giardiasis are both very common protozoal infestations that have the exact same clinical symptoms; therefore, I recommend that both protozoans get treated one right after the other: coccidia for 10 days and then giardia for 5 days if using Metronidazole or 3 days if using Fenbendazole. Once again, I treat coccidiosis with Sulfadimethoxine (Albon) and giardiasis with Metronidazole (Flagyl), which is my 1st choice, or Fenbendazole (Safe-Guard), which is my second choice.

A Few Thoughts On Breeding

*We do sell breeding animals to select individuals. A breeding dog from us is $3,000.00.

Here at Evenstar Hounds we encourage any breeder who is truly dedicated to treating animals well, perfecting a breed, or educating the public about animals to keep up the hard work. Breeding is very time consuming work. It is also incredibly expensive and emotionally taxing, which is why I wholeheartedly believe that it is not meant for everyone, not even the people with the best of  intentions. Evenstar has been breeding, training, and showing dogs on a professional level for over 20 years. With this amount of experience the difficulty of this business is all the more apparent.

Before any dogs can breed; they have to be at least two years old, they have to be vet checked, as well as eating a high end dog food. Any female dog will eat double when she is expecting a litter. They also need to have a very high level of trust in you or they will not let you handle them or the puppies. During the months that your dog is expecting she will need to see the vet three times or more, with these vet visits costing $90.00 to $175.00 [1]. With multiple visits costing so much it is safe to say that prenatal care is quite the expense. A mother dog will also need a whelping box in which to have her puppies and it must be located inside. The whelping box can not be too warm or too cold and you will need a UV heat lamp. Your job is to keep her box clean and you will have to wash her bedding many times a day when she has puppies. If  you have a male that you are going to use as a stud please understand that males, which are not neutered, and are used to breed rather than being neutered are; more likely to be aggressive with other intact male dogs, more likely to run away trying to find a female in heat, and more likely to mark in the house. Your sweet male family pet could soon turn into a terror. Once a dog has started to make these personality changes they are not easy to correct.

Once your litter of puppies are due you can expect a lot of expense and worry. Healthy adult dogs can need things like c-sections, with a c-section costing from $600.00 to $1,500.00 [2]. C-sections will be more expensive if they are not planned for in advance. The average litter for a Coonhound female could include as many as 14 puppies, which is virtually impossible for a dog to care for all by herself. This means bottle feeding every puppy once every two hours, twenty four hours a day, for about six weeks. The cost of bottle feeding a litter of 14 is about $12.00 a day [3].  A mother dog may want you to take on more tasks than simply bottle feeding, perhaps  helping stimulate her puppies so they will poop and pee. That is something that needs to happen every few hours with every puppy. Mother dogs can also die during or very shortly after having a litter of puppies, happening more than you would think. It is always heartbreaking to deal with the death of a pet, but it would feel worse if the death was so needless.

As your new puppies get bigger they will need to see the vet three times for shots, checkups, and worming. These vet visits will cost you $60.00-$120.00 per puppy, per visit [4]. You will also have to slowly switch them from milk to a mix of milk and soft dog food, costing you about $17.00 a day for the litter [5].  The cost is going to jump up even more when it is time to start adding hard food into the mix.

 Assuming that you now have had 12 to 14 puppies and none are sick, or needed special care, you have spent no less than $1,750.00, an amount that we have always exceeded when raising puppies. More than likely you would be spending closer to $2,450.00 or more, with that amount of money being what you will spend in vet care, puppy food, and soft food.  The aforementioned $2,450 does not include a whelping box, UV heat lamp, cleaning products, or other miscellaneous expenses.

 After considering expenses you will need to worry about getting your puppies well rounded! Teaching puppies how to play well with other animals of all breeds and sizes, as well as people of all ages, is a must. You also need to get them ready for the real world by taking them places to let them hear and smell all kinds of different things, taking them for rides in the car, working on potty training, and working on kennel training. Puppies that are not taught these things early end up shy, confused, and fearful. Seeing that the puppies are growing up healthy, sound, and happy is a full time job of its own. Dogs that do not get this treatment as young puppies are more likely to end up in shelters and more than likely put to sleep. It sounds silly, but it is true and very sad.

When the puppies are eight weeks old they will be ready to go into new homes. Are you going to register the litter? Registration is an additional cost, but it also means the AKC recognizes your family home as a kennel. Please note that the AKC has the legal right to pop in for visits, which often they do. UKC more than likely wont stop by, but you never have any real way to know who is going to knock on the door and ask to take a look around. This can happen when you have the puppies in your home, however it might even be weeks to months after the puppies are gone.

After all these considerations you might think that you are ready to sell? You may be sad to see them go, but I would bet you a coke you will just be excited to have your family home back. Puppies are loud, messy, and they really don’t smell the best most of the time. Living with them for eight weeks will make you look and feel like a nonstop cleaning lady. Keeping a clean home will be an additional concern to think of. The amount of money you spend on cleaning products will also go up. Additionally, if you look online you will see that no matter what you are selling, other people are selling it too. Some people are giving puppies away for free. So how are you going to sell the litter, let alone find good homes? If you try to sell your puppies on online posting sites or in the paper you will not get them sold right away. The older a puppy becomes the harder it is to sell, along with increasing costs to care for that puppy. If you are busy with the puppies you probably will not have the time to market them.  Here at Evenstar we work with a webmaster that we pay to do all of our updates, online ads, and social media. The cost of this service is high, but we would never have the time to do everything.

Established breeders all too often see and hear about people who think that having a litter of puppies would be fun, or be a good way to make extra money, when really it is not. Sometimes even the best breeders are not lucky enough to break even on a litter. If you are not completely dedicated to the mission of contributing to the breed and caring for animals please do not breed!

This is something that can be found on the website of the Animal Humane Society.

Over half of the animals that are brought to the Animal Humane Society are humanely euthanized.

Over 33% (1/3) of the dogs and cats that come in to the shelter are purebreds. The more popular the breed, the more we see of them. However, we do remind clients that purebreds are not always the best choice. Many of these animals show genetic and behavioral defects because of improper breeding practices. Mixed breed dogs can be healthier and live longer lives with fewer health complications.

[1]/[2]/[4] I got those numbers by calling two vets in all fifty states and averaging out the lowest and highest price quotes.

[3]/[5] I got those numbers by calling two pet supply stores in all fifty states and averaging out the price quotes.

By.Elizabeth Thompson on behalf of Evenstar Hounds.

Crate Traning

This is a page from our puppy handbook.

If you would like to see more on training, and other tips please check The Puppy Handbook category on the right hand side of our blog.

Crate Training
Jeanneane Kutsukos


The Crate is a Puppy’s Safe Haven
When you bring your puppy home for the first time, pick out a location for the puppy’s bed that is safe and comfortable. One of the best house breaking and containment methods is to put your puppy in a crate. Some people think a crate is mean or cruel, it is the complete opposite, it is a “home” or a safe haven for your pet. Keep the crate door open when you are home and close the door when you are sleeping or out of the house or cannot watch it. If the puppy is not cooperating and does not want to enter the crate, put a few treats in it at first to entice the puppy to enter.

The Crate Minimizes Damage
       The crate minimizes the potential damage that the puppy might do to your house and furniture. This also helps to minimize your anger at the puppy for doing “puppy things,”–chewing, pulling at things, etc. The crate protects the puppy from harming itself, for example, choking on small items, shock from chewing through wires, pulling items down on it and so many more!

The Crate is a Puppy’s Den
       When dogs were in the wild, they would often “burrow” into the ground to create a den for safety. A crate is your puppy’s “den.” You need a crate that is large enough for your puppy to turn around in comfortably. Block part of the crate off if you purchase a large crate for later use. Your puppy will try not to soil its “home.” Do not expect your puppy to “hold” for long periods of time. Do not put your puppy in a crate and expect it to stay there all day without soiling it. It can not! You must remember it is still a baby.

Where to Put the Crate?
       Dogs like to be near their family and that means you. When the puppy first comes home, put the crate next to your bed so you will wake up during the night when the puppy needs to go outside. You can also reach down and reassure the puppy if it cries during the night. Do not, under any circumstances, put the puppy in bed with you unless you intend for it to sleep there as an adult. It is very difficult for the puppy to understand if you allow it there at the beginning and then do not want it in your bed later. Keep in mind if you are single and then marry, it could cause a real problem.

Keep the Crate Clean!
       Do not force a puppy to remain in a soiled crate. You must arrange your schedule to avoid this from happening. Clean out the crate regularly! We recommend that you use a non-ammonia cleaner, because ammonia is similar to a puppy’s urine, the smell will attract him and he will repeat the behavior. You may want to purchase commercial dog soiling cleaners at a local pet store. Do not punish the dog if it soils the crate. Remember, a new puppy needs to go out every 2 hours, for example, each time it eats, wakes up, after a play session, and any other time it starts “sniffing” around the area.

My Puppy is Now an Adult
       You will not need to continue crating once your dog becomes an adult (and is trustworthy), but your dog will probably enjoy the continued use of the crate as it’s own special place. If you decide not to keep the crate, slowly wean it off once the dog is older and you are able to trust it in your home.

NEVER Use the Crate as a Punishment!

Keeping Pets Healthy With NuVet

Keep your pets healthy with NuVet

After we started using NuVet on our adult dogs and puppies we noticed some huge differences in overall health and energy.  As an animal lover who breeds, shows, hunts, and sells family pets I am thrilled with these products! Even the shampoo makes my dogs coats shine a little brighter than others we have used. NuVet has very special products that are made with human grade ingredients. They are also made in America. The products are a great addition to a healthy diet.  We are so happy with NuVet that we sent puppies home with samples!

NuVet Evenstar Hounds

800-474-7044

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NuVet Labs® is dedicated to providing the finest in nutritional supplements for pets. 8 years of painstaking research and development brought about our ground-breaking formulas that have been created by a team of top pet industry scientists, veterinarians and formulators with one goal in mind:

“To make the highest quality nutritional pet supplement on the market today and to ensure that our product will fight diseases at their core while providing the ingredients vital to sustaining health and quality of life for your pets in their years to come.”

More than mere vitamins, NuVet® goes beyond industry standards by using only 100% all natural, human grade ingredients that are microscopically tested for purity and potency. We then utilize a FDA registered laboratory for formulation and specially compound using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques.

Because most pets lack proper nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in their diet, even when they are getting the top of the line food, NuVet® scientists understood the necessity of filling this dangerous gap. Commercial pet foods can contain harmful “by-products” and useless fillers that can be toxic to pets, causing allergies and serious diseases. This typical diet creates a scenario whereby their food may actually be creating unstable oxygen molecules known as free radicals. These free radicals have been shown to be a cause for a wide range of health problems including heart disease, arthritis, cataracts, premature aging and many different forms of cancer.

NuVet Labs® has been on the forefront of pet health since 1997.  NuVet® formulations have been studied by numerous Universities who have discovered that our ingredients and exceptional compounding properties are designed to fight illnesses at their root source and strengthen immune systems to keep pets strong and healthy. Take a look at our products to see why.