Good Bloggie!

The weather is moving into the 90°s here in Central Texas (it’s a damp heat!) and that means taking extra precautions with the Snorty Set. Frenchies and other short-snouted dogs just can’t take the heat!

First up, found this really interesting item online. Would love to hear from anyone using it for their Frenchie.

Here’s some things which work for us:

Ice Cubes
If one of our guys has come in from a walk panting hard, we take ice cubes and rub their ears, armpits, and tummy. A dog’s ears act as a blood-cooling device and this is a quick way to cool down their blood and body temperature. However, don’t immerse an overheated dog in ice-cold water. This could shock their system. Cool water is fine. They like that!

You can also use rubbing alcohol to cool down a dog. Pour it over their tummy, paws, and body. It evaporates faster, thus cools faster. Just be careful not to let them drink any.

Ice cubes are also great for tossing on the back deck for a pup-cooling treat and for gnawing fun.

Cooling Collars
These have a water-retaining gel. You soak them in water for a few minutes and the collar cools with evaporation. Great for walks. There are many variations. Check your local pet store or try these online places.
Too Cool Dog Collars
Cooling Bandana

Cooling Coats
Cool Coats
Kool Koat 

Crate Fan
Use these for trips in the car. Keeps a breeze going across those ears.
Battery-operated crate fan

Schedule Adjustments
We try to make vet appointments and errands early in the day. Same with walks. Either earlier or later in the day. For later walks, we wait till the sun is lower and the sidewalks have cooled a bit. Because, even though the breeze may be cool topside, it can be several degrees hotter at pup level from radiant heat coming off the sidewalk. We also try to walk on the shady part of the street, but look on the sunny side of life. (Boo hiss!)

Spray Bottles
Have seen many handlers spraying down their bulldogs at shows with a spray bottle of water. Nothing like having your own personal mister.

Haven’t used these. Would love to hear from anyone who has.
Cooling Beds
Cool Bed
Body Cooler Pet Mat

HEAT STROKE
The hints above are for mild overheating and to prevent heat stroke. Heat stroke is a serious and life-threating condition for a French Bulldog. Now is the time to review the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and what you can do to treat or prevent them. If you see the symptoms below, act immediately to cool down your dog and get him/her medical attention.

Symptoms of heat stroke

• extremely heavy panting
• staggering
• loss of consciousness
• seizures, convulsions
• high body temperature (107°F+)

Your dog is having a medical emergency and needs to be cooled immediately! But careful with giving them water. If the airway is blocked from swelling, they could choke on the water. Give water in small amounts or wait till they have cooled down a bit before offering water.

This is an excellent article on how to treat a Frenchie having a heat stoke:
Heat Stroke – The Sudden Killer

Here’s more on the topic:
Dog First Aid
Heatstroke and the French Bulldog

Of course, never leave any dog in the car, even with the windows cracked. Summer heat just turns a car into an Easy-Bake Oven. And the last thing you want is to do, is come back to a crispy critter.

Follow up: Refrigerating the cooling collars helps quite a bit. Thought of freezing them, but didn’t want anyone to get frost-bite around the collar.

Ever want to take your Frenchie on that errand, out for a bite to eat, or even on vacation? Just don’t know where you can take them or who will accept, or even tolerate, a short, furry companion? Do a little web searching and you’ll be surprised at how dog-friendly your area can be. (We’ve assembled a few links for you at the end of this blog entry.)

We are lucky because many local places will accept and even cater to dogs. When we take them to a dog-friendly restaurant, the waiter will often bring a bowl of water for them and stop to pat them. Naturally, the dogs think this is as good as the occasional tid-bit that falls from the table.

If you are trying to think of a summer get-away with your pet, an enjoyable people/canine vacation is to rent a cabin and go camping “light”. You still have electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, but the setting is out in the countryside. Then you and dogs can go on nature walks and river tromps and explore new territory.

So try out your local establishments, or plan a quick get-away. Just be sure your dogs are on good behavior and you keep things “tidy” so shops, restaurants, and hotels keep welcoming all dogs back.

Have fun relaxing, shopping, or power-lunching with your best, four-legged pal!

LINKS
This is a great site for Austin, Texas which list all the dog-friendly spots and is kept up-to-date by a local dog enthusiast.
Austin Dog Friendly

If you want to find something similar for your local area, try a web search for your city and “dog friendly”.

Nationally, there are good sites. Some have restaurant reviews for local areas. Some also list international travel requirements.
www.dogfriendly.com
www.petswelcome.com
www.pettravel.com
www.petfriendlytravel.com

Normally blog entries are about fashion for the Frenchie, but what about their hard-working Health and Care Managers? Don’t they deserve to have some fashion fun? And of course, every Frenchie appreciates a fashionably dressed lead-holder. Just adds to their own prestigious ensemble.

To find that perfect Frenchie-inspired top to polish off your walking outfit, check out Manhattan Chien.

They have some very nice items and the shirts come in a variety of vogue colors. They also have pins to go with your current promenade outfits.

Happy coordinating!

A breeder friend just had two litters of fine, Frenchie puppies in the past few days; show prospects and pet. (Note: She’s a very careful breeder and will be screening potential homes very throughly and already has a waiting list.)

We love puppy pictures and look forward to visiting her site and watching these little guys grow up over the next few months.

We’ve been watching one of her girls walk off with several First Place ribbons and Reserve Winner ribbons over the past few months. Guessing we’ll soon see more of her pups walking across the show floor!

Maxime French Bulldogs
(Click on the “Nursery” button to the left.)

Congrats to everyone at Maxime French Bulldogs!

If your dog is having a vaccine reaction right now, go to the bottom of this page for information on how to help them.

Vaccinations and adverse reactions

When your pet has an adverse reaction to a vaccine, the word “shot” takes on a whole new meaning. The alarming, and almost reliable, adverse reactions we are seeing in our crew; plus the continual reports from other Frenchie owners, motivated us to research the topic of vaccinations more in-depth. We’ve discovered this is a very volatile topic and very interesting discussions are being had.

Are vaccinations good? Are they necessary? Yes. They are an efficient means of controlling diseases and viruses in canine populations, and thereby, protecting the related human population for years. Are they good when given repeatedly is the issue. Many states require annual vaccinations, some every three years. Researchers and studies are challenging the status quo of vaccinating every year or every three years. Seems we aren’t the only breed or pet owner to be experiencing an increase in adverse vaccine reactions or what is clinically called an “adverse event.” (An interesting note on 1-year vs. 3-year rabies vaccines: they are the same solution, just different labeling to meet state requirements.)

What exactly does a vaccination do? It introduces a weakened or killed version of the virus into the body so it can produce antibodies against the virus, but without the danger of contracting the disease or virus. Remember the shots you got as a kid? Sometimes you felt icky and the shot site might be sore for a few days? That was your body creating defenses against Measles, Rubella, Polio, etc. It takes a few weeks for antibodies to reach full strength after a vaccination.

Maybe you’ve heard of an animal or person contracting a virus, even though they have been inoculated? It probably was due to exposure to the virus before their body had time to build its defenses. This is why it’s SO important to keep puppies in safe environments until they have had all puppy shots, and given time for their bodies to manufacture antibodies. Then, by all means, take those pups to the park and public places to socialize!

With each injection, you are re-stimulating the immune system. If the antibody level has dropped below protection levels, this is a needed boost. However, if the levels haven’t dropped, and a boost is not needed, this constant simulation can have detrimental effects. Issues such as: allergies, autoimmune disorders, and more. In some dogs, the reaction to repeated vaccination can be fatal. They can go into anaphylactic shock.

When a puppy receives their first round of shots, the dosage is low to fit a puppy and they may not have a reaction. This is also the first time the virus is introduced to their system. As a vaccine or virus gets introduced “sensitization” can happen. The body doesn’t react the first round or two, but as stronger doses are given later in life, the body reacts to this intrusion, as it was trained to do, by the first shots. After all, even though the virus in the vaccine is weak or killed, it’s still the virus the body must be defended from. But the threat is not really there, and the antibodies start attacking the healthy body, causing things to go haywire.

Many groups are becoming more aware of this and medical studies are being planned to investigate the need for annual or tri-annual vaccines. Below is a link to one organization planning a long-term study to prove canine rabies immunization may persist for up to five or seven years.
Rabies Challenge Fund

Another vaccine element which can cause a severe reaction are the adjuvants used to increase the effectiveness of the vaccine.
http://www.bcrescue.org/rabies2.html

To learn more about canine vaccinations, here are other sites with very good information:

PetEducation.com

HealthyPet.com

DogsAdverseReactions.com

CanisMajor.com

Re-Vaccination

CritterAdvocacy.org

To report an adverse reaction you can contact the vaccine manufacturer. They will get event facts from you and should submit a form (Form 1932a) to the FDA or you can download the form and mail to the FDA. There is a separate on-line form available to report adverse events to the USDA.
www.fda.gov/cvm/adereporting.htm
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/cvb/html/adverseeventreport.html

Need immediate help?

Chances are you found this page because your dog is having a reaction or has had a reaction to a vaccine. If your dog is reacting to a shot by swelling or puffing up over their face or body, developing hives, vomiting repeatedly, or seizing, call your vet right away! They can administer a shot of epinephrine and/or an antihistamine to reduce swelling or hives. They can also prescribe medicine needed for any other reactions. If it’s after-hours or a weekend, take your pet to an emergency animal clinic. They can administer this same shot and diagnose the symptoms. Take along any paperwork from your primary vet about the shots. Especially if it names the manufacturer and type of vaccine given.

If shots are due, and your dog has an adverse reaction to prior vaccinations, you can plan ahead by giving him or her an antihistamine, such as Children’s Benadryl, before being immunized. (Check with you vet FIRST whether you should and for dosing amount!) Ask for an early-morning appointment or drop them off in the morning. This is so you, or your vet, can keep an eye on your pet during the day. Initial reactions can take up to 24 hours to appear, but in our experience, they happen within 1-6 hours. Later reactions can occur up to 45 days post-injection.

(Disclaimer: We are not vets.The above is only an essay on the current state of events in the world of vaccinations and our experiences. Discuss all concerns about vaccination with your vet and do your own research for the health decisions you make for your pet.)