Trained Dogs Rule

At the end of february we took our female dobie Ripley for her yearly heart check at the University of Guelph Veterinary hospital.  Dobermans can be prone to heart problems but like anything if caught early and treated, the treatment can extend their life.

I had never heard of this program before we purchased our male doberman from a breeder in Guelph.  I have always loved dobermans but never really paid too much attention to any particular health problems concerning their hearts.

Apparently this program was original started up for all breeds but over the years the doberman has stuck with the research while other breeds have just kind of dropped off.

Starting at around two years of age the dogs undergo an E.C.G and an ultrasound.  Pretty painless really.  Then after that they are retested every year.  By doing this and noting changes in the heart they can tell if the dog is having a problem or is possibly developing a problem.

This is good, because, I don’t know about you, but how can you really tell if your dog is having health issues?  Unless your running your dog over to the vet’s once a month and running all sorts of tests you just don’t know if your dog has some hidden health issues.

We actually just had Ripley to the vet’s for her shots and the vet noticed one of her teeth was abscessed.  It had to be removed but prior to that she was showing no signs of pain or any problem whatsoever.  The only indication that she was having a health issue was the gum was a bit receded around the abscessed tooth.

So although the drive was upsetting for our dobie girl she did get a good heart report.

Until next time

Maureen B.

P.S.  Many people think that Ripley is a funny name for a female dog.  It may be, but just for the record she is named after Lt. Ellen Ripley from Alien and I just liked Ripley better than Ellen.