Category Archives: Pets

Alphabet Challenge :: X :: Xoloitzcuintli

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Pitiful Posting and the Alphabet Challenge

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Hairless and Coated Xoloitzcuintles side by side.

Hairless and Coated Xoloitzcuintles side by side. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Xoloitzcuintli, often shortened to Xolo, is pronounced show-low-eats-queen-tlee. They were removed from the American Kennel Club in 1953 then re-recognized in 2011. For AKC standards click here. Xolos are a rare breed that comes in three sizes; toy, miniature and standard. Hairlessness is a recessive trait, so some members of the breed can come out with a full coat. These dogs were initially used as healers since their intense body heat could soothe some ailments. Health issues for the Xolo revolve mainly around their skin.

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Alphabet Challenge :: B :: Belgian Malinois

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Belgian Malinois

Belgian Malinois (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pitiful Posting and the Alphabet Challenge

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The Belgian Malinois is one of four types of Belgian shepherding dogs. They are a common police and military dog, given their energy and alertness with a similar look to that of a German Shepherd. These naturally protective dogs, are easily trainable and happiest when given a job. Equipped with a high prey drive, the breed is prone to developing neurotic behaviors if not properly stimulated at a young age.

Notable health issues (lessened by selective breeding) include:

Dogs 101:

For more information: American Kennel Club – Belgian Malinois.

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Pitiful Posting and the Alphabet Challenge

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One of the great things about WordPress is the little calendar that shows you the days on which you’ve posted. One of the bad things about it is looking at that same calendar and seeing how sad and empty it looks. -_- To get myself back into the swing of posting, I’ve decided to start an Alphabet challenge. Hopefully I can kick-start myself into a blogging groove again with this. Below I’ll list each day, the letter, and as I pick my topic, I’ll come back here and add it. The one day that I probably won’t post on is June 8th. Blasted GRE. If I absolutely cannot find an animal or drug or something that follows the days letter, I’ll get creative.

June 4 – A – Antibodies

June 5 – B – Belgian Malinois

June 6 – C – Coral

June 7 – D – Dopamine

June 8 – GRE

June 11 – E – Elephant Shrew

June 12 – F – Flatworm Penis Fencing

June 13 – G – Grief

June 14 – Personal day

June 15 – H – Heart

June 18 – I – Indecisiveness

June 19 – J – Jerboa

June 20 – K – Kori Bustard

June 22 – L – Lyme disease

June 22 – M – Myopia and a Manatee

June 25 – N – Nervous System

June 26 – O – Olm

June 27 – P – Penguin Pics

June 28 – Q – Quoll

June 29 – R – Roadrunner

July 2 – S – Surinam Toad

**3 DAY HIATUS**

July 6 – T – Two-toed Sloth

July 9 – U – Ural Owl

July 10 – V – Vaquita

July 11 – W – Wolverine

July 12 – X – Xoloitzcuintli

July 13 – Y – Yosemite Toad

July 16 – Z – Zany Life

Border Terrier – In Honor of Gunnar

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~*~ Yesterday, one of my favorite dogs to come to the hospital had to go to doggie heaven. ;_; Gunnar, the border terrier, was a bit of a medical mystery. When I first met him, he’d come in on the surgery schedule. His surgery was eventually cancelled because his owner said he hadn’t eaten…for 2 weeks. The next time I saw him, he’d only eaten eggs and cheese for however long (which seems a little disgusting to me). He was boarding for a while, left to go to Internal Medicine, then came back to board. At the end of his stay, he’d been eating and seemed to be doing a little better. The doctor on his case suspected stomach cancer. The 2 ways in which to confirm this may have killed the little guy and were pretty expensive. I thought little Gunnar would be alright for a while until one of the receptionists came back into the treatment area yesterday to say his mom had called fearing that her little man was dying. He hadn’t moved on his own since 9pm the previous night but had eaten a few times. Poor Gunnar was weak and emaciated and just looking at him broke my heart. Several of us teared up when we knew what was going to happen. The doctor on his case was kind enough to let those of us who wanted to say goodbye do so. Saying it was a struggle to keep my tears at bay is an understatement. So today’s post on the Border Terrier is in honor of my friend Gunnar, who I hope is chasing sticks and getting belly rubs in dog heaven. ~*~

Red Grizzle - Groomed

Image via Wikipedia

The Border Terrier is a small breed (11.5-15.5 lbs) recognized in 1930 by the AKC. They were originally bred  as working terriers. This agile dog willingly squeezes into narrow spaces after prey. They possess a wiry coat and that super cute “scruffy old man” face. Borders are described as having an otter head. As far as coat maintenance, it is water-resistant and needs only occasional brushing. Hand stripping twice a year is recommended.

The breed “originated in the border country between England and Scotland, and may be one of the oldest kinds of terriers in Great Britain” (#1). In the 18th century, Borders had to find their own food on top of protecting their owner’s stock. They were built in such a way that they could keep pace with a horse as well as track down a fox. This hunting breed is affectionate in the home and require lots of exercise, as they are pretty active.

For a bit more information on the Border Terrier, here’s the Breed All ABout It segment:

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Sources

  1. AKC – Border Terrier

Silver Labrador Retriever

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Cooper, a 20-week-old "silver" Labra...

Image via Wikipedia

Bet you didn’t even know this adorable lab existed. I sure didn’t. A silver lab puppy came in for X-rays late last week at the vet hospital and I got to help restrain the sweet little guy. I loooooved him aaaaaaand I got puppy kisses, which can fix a majority of life’s problems.

They don’t seem to be AKC members separate from the yellow, chocolate and black forms. According to silverlabs.com, the AKC recognizes them as Chocolate.  Silver labs themselves have 3 color variations: “light silver, charcoal silver, and silver factored”(#2). The last of the variations simply means a silver lab was bred with a black, chocolate or yellow lab. The resulting puppies won’t have the silver color, but if bred to a silver or another silver factored, silver lab puppies can be born.

Deutsch: Weimaraner „Amigo“ mit Apfel.

Weimaraner - Image via Wikipedia

The appearance of the breed, color especially, may lead one to believe that a Weimaraner needed to be introduced into the blood line. Apparently this has been proven false though I’m not sure how exactly. Despite this, one of the vets wanted the cute little puppy to be monitored for panosteitis and HOD (Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy) which occur in Weimaraners. [These will probably be the topic of a post or two later.] Hopefully my little buddy stays healthy and some more silver labs come to visit!

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Sources:

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Alaskan Klee Kai

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English: Bi-eyed Black and White Alaskan Klee Kai

Image via Wikipedia

The Alaskan Klee Kai looks like a miniature version of an Alaskan Husky, which is exactly what it was bred for. Some of the differences between the Klee Kai and the Husky include longer ears and a shorter muzzle. They are a very clean breed and may spend hours grooming themselves. They don’t shed all year round but will blow their coat twice a year. Brushing should be increased during these times. Klee Kais may aid in grooming by rubbing against things.

This active breed is intelligent, and may be wary around strangers, making them a good guard dog. Socialization is key for them. Their prey drive is quite high so small pets and animals may be in danger if the Klee Kai is not introduced to them early. Though, they are a great family dog, they may not tolerate being prodded or mishandled by small children and may respond by nipping.

The Alaskan Klee Kai is pretty free of genetic disorders but may be prone to the following:

  • Juvenile cataracts
  • Liver disease
  • Factor VII Deficiency
  • Pyometra
  • Luxating Patella
  • Chryptorchids
  • Cardiac issues such as PDA
  • Thyroid disease such as autoimmune thyroiditis

Due to the small gene pool, other diseases may exist among the breed that have not been discovered yet.

Here’s an Alaskan Klee Kai being adorable:

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Sources:

  1. Wikipedia – Alaskan Klee Kai

Chinese Crested

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Yesterday at work, I saw the cutest, weirdest mix of dog breeds. Chinese Crested…Schnauzer. Now, you’d think it’d be creepy, but he was sooooooo cute. Might have been the sweater he was wearing. He looked a little like this:

via Google search

He had a short little muzzle, furry legs, “hairlessness” in most of the classic Chinese Crested areas and a distinct Schnauzer look to his face. He was so cute it was stupid.

The Chinese Crested is part of the Toy group in the AKC and comes in Hairless:

via Google search

And Powderpuff:

via Google search

The breed is prone to skin issues for obvious reason so precautions must be taken. For breed standards see the AKC site.

To see the Dogs 101 video on the Chinese Crested click here. (I was unable to find it in good quality on youtube.) Fun facts of the video:

  • Have sweat glands (unlike most dogs)
  • Many allergic to wool
  • Used as a rat-ing dog
  • Teeth relate to hair quality

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Sources:

  1. AKC – Chinese Crested

Norwegian Forest Cat

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A gorgeous Norwegian Forest cat came in to the vet hospital a while back. He was pretty big, similar to Maine Coon size (another forest cat), and very, very sweet.

Diseases to look out for with this breed include:

Two tabbies norwegian forest cat kittens

Image via Wikipedia

Their lifespan is 14-16 years.

Sources:

  1. Wikipedia – Norwegian Forest Cat

The Corded Komondor

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Hope you remembered to make your epic 11/11/11 11:11 wish! And also, maybe, cried a little inside (or outwardly) since the very last Harry Potter movie is released on DVD today. ;_;

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Ch. Gillian's Quintessential Quincy (born Apri...

Image via Wikipedia

This gorgeous working dog, that I am DYING to see in person, is best known by the long cords that its coat forms with age. Originally a working dog of Hungary, the Komondor is used to guard sheep and livestock. Due to its protective instincts with livestock, it can extend the same mentality towards its owners and be wary around strangers. The lifestyle for which it was bred also adds to a need for moderate exercise.

The coat is dense and protects from attacks as well as letting them blend in with their charges. It attracts dirt and insects, and so, must be regularly inspected. Since it becomes corded naturally, brushing isn’t necessary but the cords must be pulled apart to avoid matting in the heavy coat.

The breed doesn’t face many hereditary issues but can be affected by the following:

They are more prone to parasites due to their coats and their ears can be easily infected since their is no air circulation in them. Coat maintenance spans out to the feet as well to prevent infection and/or matting in the fur between the pads of the Komondorok (plural form of Komondor, weird I know).

To see more about this breed and breed standards, you can visit the AKC site!

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