Letters from readers

Hello,
I have been reading a lot lately about the way dogs are treated in many of the Asian countries and have felt disgusted with them but at the same time helpless.

Is there any way that we can demonstrate to those who eat dog to improve their virility that their beliefs are misguided, primitive and totally without credibility?

Is there any way we can stop the breeding of our beautiful companions for commercial meat markets? Is there any way we can stop the rounding up and bashing to death of dogs for the sale of their fur and skin? What can we do to express our disgust to such people? - Velma, Rotorua NZ

For the sake of these unfortunate dogs we must keep going with protest, continue to show our disgust, and wherever possible hit the governments of the countries that allow these practices where it hurts most - in their pockets. Conduct personal boycotts of all goods from such countries and make it clear why you are doing it. If companies in Western countries are unable to sell goods they will cease to buy from manufacturers in the offending countries and will make it clear why the goods are under boycott. If Asian manufacturers are suffering financially they will soon lobby their governments to clean up the problem that is causing them to lose money. - Ed

Hello,
I live in a farming area and I saw something last week that really made me think hard about farming practices and the intelligence (or lack of it) of our so-called 'clean, green' New Zealand farmers.

The farmer in question was on a farmbike with a tank of spray in front of him with a hose and hand-held nozzle with which he was spraying the paddocks (from his seat). I think it was thistles he was spraying as he seemed to be very selective with the weeds. But running right with him behind the farmbike was the farm dog. He was enjoying the run in the paddocks, sometimes trotting behind and other times galloping to catch up ... and almost always running right through the areas that had just been sprayed - a couple of times even running under the spray!

What is wrong with the farmers that they do not value their dogs enough to keep them way out of any spray range or spray residue? When such activities are going on near me I bring my dogs inside for a few hours and shut the windows. If that dog became sick after it returned home I wonder if it would cross the farmer's mind that perhaps it may be suffering from the effects of spray and he should take it to the vet?

A more likely scenario would be that when it arrived home it would not be washed down to get the spray off its fur and feet. It would be given a bowl of water, and a bone in its kennel - and would lick a huge amount of spray off its fur and feet while it was eating the bone. How can they expect their valuable farm dogs to be healthy? - Brian, Ashburton

Unfortunately this is quite a common stupidity with farmers, usually the older ones who have not kept up with sprays and their dangers. Some are just as careless about their own health and that of their families. - Ed

Hello,
I am a person who tries to give my dogs the best possible opportunity to be healthy and I know that usually means feeding home baked biscuits, and along with meat or fish a good portion of vegetables and fruit, with as much as possible raw. Do they need anything else to remain healthy in all areas? - Babs, Christchurch

You haven't mentioned bones and these are essential for cleaning teeth or for pups and young dogs whose teeth are still strengthening, but never give cooked bones. They must be raw - raw bones don't splinter. If your dog is not fussed about bones make sure you give him a teeth-cleaning toy or use some other method of tooth cleaning. My own dogs love to chew on a raw carrot or an apple quarter if I run out of bones. - Ed

Hello,
My dog hates getting his nails clipped. He performs so much, yelping and struggling, that I hate taking him to the vet to get them clipped and only do it when the claws are excessively long. It is not as if he is being hurt - he yelps I think IN CASE he is hurt. Is there a secret to hassle-free claw clipping, or is this something that I will have to get used to? - Gary, Gisborne NZ

It seems that there must be a reason for your dog's fear - perhaps he has had one or two bad experiences during nail clipping and just doesn't want to go there again. It should help if you handle his feet as much as possible. Get a heavy-duty nail file and file his claws often - every night if you have the time - he may tolerate it only for a few seconds at first, but the time should extend. Hopefully that will build up a trust and you may find that later you may be the only person your dog allows to clip his claws. Anyone buying a new pup should frequently (even daily is not too much) inspect, file or clip claws to get the pup used to nail clipping. - Ed

Hello,
I want to warn dog owners against a practice that is quite common with small dogs in cars. They usually choose their own spot in the car - a place where they feel comfortable for short journeys or long - and for many that place is on the window shelf behind the back seats. They can see what is going on all around them from there, and it is warm in the winter and in summer there is usually an air conditioning outlet somewhere in that area.

However, the danger was brought home to me very quickly one day when I missed an unfamiliar turnoff and braked quite hard. My little dog was suddenly on the front passenger seat, looking left and right with a most confused expression on her face. It was quite funny at the time and no harm done, but if I had braked a little harder or perhaps been nudged by another car, she could have hit or gone through the windscreen. Needless to say she doesn't sit up there any more! - Betty, Hampshire UK