User friendliness
Hi,
I found your magazine articles very interesting. I did notice however that it is not very user friendly in that there is no menu to allow you to go straight to a particular article, and also there is no indication of how many pages there are.
I got to page 23 though, before I gave up. I also copied and pasted some of the articles on my way through. I am not a pet owner, but the subject matter was fascinating. - Angel
Hello Angel,
I do hope not many of our readers find the website hard to traverse. For those who have found a problem, just click on the issue you want to read (at the moment from 1-19) on the left hand side of the web page and wait a few seconds for the menu to change - the full list of stories and articles in the issue that you clicked will appear on the right hand side of the page and you can simply click the article you want to read, or start at page 1 and go through them all as you require. - Ed
Hereditary or genetic?
Hello,
I am writing on behalf of my neighbour who has bought a German shepherd dog. She has taken it to the vets for its six-month-old check-up and been told its testicles have not descended. We just wanted some more information on this matter. Is it something that is hereditary or something from selective breeding? I would be grateful if you could forward to me anything you think may be significant or of interest. - Zoe
Hello Zoe,
It is at about six months of age that a dog can be declared cryptorchid, even though for most dogs about 10 days old is normal for descent. The reason for the six-month wait is that the inguinal rings of most dogs are closed by six months of age, precluding any future movement of the testes from the abdomen to the inguinal canal if that has not already occurred.
Cryptorchidism is heritable and is a sex-limited autosomal recessive trait in dogs. The incidence of cryptorchidism seems to be higher in purebred and inbred dogs than in mixed-breed dogs. High prevalence of cryptorchidism within lines of inbred Cocker Spaniels and miniature Schnauzers has been reported. High frequency of other congenital defects noticed in cryptorchid dogs include inguinal and umbilical hernias, patellar luxation, and preputial and penile problems. Retained testes also have a tendency to develop tumors and other problems, so the removal of retained testicles after six months of age is recommended. Your neighbour needs to discuss with her vet the best course of action for her dog's future health. - Ed
Thornit powder
Hi,
Thornit powder is not able to be advertised here in Britain where it has been made and sold since the very early 1900s. The big drug companies have tried to close down the manufacturer, but have thankfully not succeeded. I am probably her biggest outlet for it now, and try to spread the word about it whenever and however I can. Go to www.championpetsonline.co.uk for our online store, or www.championpets.co.uk to find out more about our shop. If you come from a country where 'veterinary' products are subject to huge customs "fees" just let us know, as we now call the product 'grooming powder' and have had no problems. - Mary
Thanks for the information Mary, and I must say that would be a much better arrangement for New Zealand customers too. - Ed
