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Activities for dogs: Flyball
Itchy Skin- Allergies
Dogslife déjà-vu?
EU Cookie legislation
Activities for dogs: Flyball
Flyball is a fast-paced sport where teams of dogs compete against each other in relay hurdle races against the clock. Flyball was initially a sport in America but has grown in popularity in the UK since its first appearance at Crufts in 1990.
Each team has four dogs and two teams compete against each other at the same time. Dogs must jump four hurdles (set out in a straight line) then activate a box to release a tennis ball. The dog must then catch it, return over the jumps with the ball, and on crossing the start/finish line, the next dog sets off. If there are any mistakes (e.g. if a handler crosses the start/finish line, a dog starts too early, does not jump all of the hurdles, or drops the ball) then that dog must run again after the last dog in the team has finished. The team with the fastest dogs win (usually out of three runs, but sometimes five) and the other team are knocked out. The winners of each heat compete until there is an overall winner.
Flyball teams consist of four dogs and four handlers, with two dogs and two handlers in reserve. Each team also has a ‘box loader’ standing by the box where dogs release the tennis balls. Flyball teams from all over the country compete at the sport locally, nationally and even internationally. Flyball competitions are enlivening and can be noisy with excited dogs barking and crowds cheering for their favourite team!
Any dog can take part in Flyball (though dogs must be 18 months of age or over to compete). Dogs do not need any previous experience; dogs that enjoy playing with tennis balls (catching and retrieving them well), are well socialised (so they will get on with their teammates) and obedient, not to mention fast runners, may relish the sport!
To find out more about Flyball, please visit http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/flyball.html & http://www.flyball.org.uk/.
Many thanks to The Kennel Club Picture Library (c) for the image in this article
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Itchy Skin- Allergies
Canine atopic dermatitis (also known as allergic dermatitis, or canine atopy) is a common skin disease which causes inflammation of the skin resulting in pruritus (scratching and itching). The inflammation develops because a substance (known as an “allergen”), such as pollen or dust mites, causes an “allergic reaction” in the skin. The condition has a strong genetic component in Labrador retrievers in the UK.
Affected dogs will lick, chew, bite, rub or scratch various areas of their body including the feet, face, ears, axillae (armpits) and inguinal areas (groin). The skin may start to appear reddened and hair may be lost from the affected areas. Dogs tend to be affected when young, with most cases being reported between 1 and 3 years of age. The diagnosis is not straightforward; other skin problems such as parasites and bacterial or yeast infections might also be present, and may be contributing to the severity of the disease.
The specific diagnosis of atopic dermatitis is based on many factors, rather like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. These include the age of the dog, the distribution of the skin lesions and pruritis, the elimination of dietary allergies (which can cause similar signs), the elimination of other skin problems and the results of skin tests (intradermal testing), which involves veterinarian injecting small amounts of different allergens into the skin and looking for a “reaction” to identify the likely allergens. It should be noted that no single factor (including allergy testing) is definitively diagnostic for the disease.
The treatment of atopic dermatitis is challenging as the disease is incurable and will likely require lifelong treatment. No single treatment for atopic dermatitis works perfectly in all cases, and many have side effects. Dogs with atopic dermatitis will have flare ups from time to time. Treatments include the use of antihistamines to reduce scratching, corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs to reduce the inflammation which causes the scratching, bathing, and dietary supplementation with fatty acids. If the allergen is identified, then avoidance can be tried (although this is often impossible). Allergen specific immunotherapy, which involves injecting the dog with the allergens to induce “tolerance” may also be possible. Many dogs scratch from time to time so don’t worry if your dog has an itch! But if symptoms persist, contact your vet.
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Dogslife déjà-vu?
A number of members have asked why the same questions are repeated each month when some of the responses (answers) rarely change. Although the questionnaire may seem a little repetitive, by entering your dog’s information regularly, it increases our chance of identifying any changes in a dog’s lifestyle which might be important for their health. This is why we value so highly all the information that members provide.
Here at Dogslife we continue to try and make data entry as quick and easy as possible. Links are provided under your dog’s graph to enter any information you wish to amend or add in (e.g. your dog’s weight). We hope to be able to launch a mobile device version of the website shortly which means you can enter your dog’s data on your phone or tablet computer. If you have any difficulties logging in or using the website, please be sure to email us at info@dogslife.ac.uk and we will do our best to help you.
Thank you for all the information you provide, which is helping us to find out what keeps dogs healthy!
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EU Cookie legislation
As you may be aware, the new European Union Cookie legislation comes in to force on 26th May 2012. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer. These files are used to enable websites to work, as well as provide information to the owners of a site.
The Dogslife website has been updated with details of the cookies that it uses and why. For more information, please visit our Privacy & Cookies page.
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