K-dogs

05/10/2021

27/09/2021

PUPPY ADOPTION MISTAKES

ADOPTING TOO EARLY

Adopting a puppy too early makes it impossible to maximize the mental and psychological development of puppies. Puppies must remain in the nest with their mother and litter-mates to learn very important life lesson which will affect the dog's future behaviour. This sentiment is echoed by veterinarians, behavioural trainers and dog owners alike.

Over the years research have confirmed that greater percentage of dogs adopted too early showed signs of excessive barking, fearfulness on walks, reactivity to noises, toy possessiveness, food passiveness, attention-seeking behaviour and destructive behaviour.

A puppy being with it's mother longer imprints important lines of canine communication like bite inhibition, submissive-ness, ability to tolerating frustration, patience etc. When puppies fail to learn discipline from their mother, they even tend to become very difficult to train.

Kindly contact us on +254722833716 for all you dog needs

27/09/2021

A correct 60% to 40% backskull to muzzle ratio head with parallel planes is what we should be aiming for and not for the ultra short muzzles & extremely defined stops which is so detremental to the health & function of our breed. Below is a list of problems associated with ultra short muzzles and ultra defined stops. In addition, some other physical traits of the head we should be mindful of.

(1) Muzzle strength comes from the depth of the muzzle and not from being short. The lower jaw acts as a lever with the temporalis bone acting as the arm of that lever.Because increase mechanical advantage is provided by additional length to the arm of a lever, temporalis bone, a deep muzzle can provide greater biting strength.
(2) Muzzle width provides grip stability and provides additional dentition room reducing crowding of teeth.
(3) A quick study of stop definition among cattle dogs will demonstrate the avoidance of having extreme stops because extreme stops will get a dog killed while heeling cattle. A swift kicking hoof has better chance of catching a dog ( causing injury)with an extreme deep stop than with a well defined but less extreme stop. A less deep slightly sloping but still well defined stop allows for a more glancing blow than a deep ultra defined stop.
(4) Extremely short muzzles reduce teeth size and creates more frequent bite issues. In fact, other breeds having muzzles approaching a length of 30% stopped trying to maintain a scissors bite, because bad bites & missing teeth increase exponentially as the muzzle length approaches 30% total head length. Correctly proportioned backskull to muzzle ratio provides room for larger teeth and more consistent correct placed dentition.
(5) Short muzzles reduces the ethmoturbinate area and less area means a reduction in the number of sensory receptors of the nose. The dogs ability to track and scent discriminate in searches is directly dependant on the number of sensory receptors.
(6) Extremely short muzzles reduces our Rottweiler's ability to regulate body temperature. Since dogs do not sweat, the only way they have to despense heat from their bodies it through panting. A too short muzzle changes and reduces the air pathway in the throat making the ability to control body heat less efficient. This reduction in air pathway makes them more prone to overheating. This especially true for large thick bodied and black coated breeds like ours!
(7) Extremely short muzzles reduces endurance. For the same reasons stated in (6). reducing the air pathway in the throat reduces the amount of oxygen availability to replentish muscles during time of greater activity creating fatique sooner than a dog with a correct 60% to 40% backskull to muzzle ratio.

There is no upside to extremely shortened muzzles and deep stops!

All you have to do is go witness dogs being shown on a warm day to see the difference between hard panting and wheezing of the ultra short muzzled dogs and the panting of more correctly proportioned dogs, to see the affect this makes!

Steven Robinson

(Permission given to share)

25/09/2021

All grown up now

25/09/2021

Sheba litter C

25/09/2021

Benjamin Bonding with Sheba

25/09/2021

Full Canine love

25/09/2021

Rest in Peace my Boy Bruno. The most gentle giant.

25/09/2021

Good moments with Shark......memories of k9 love

25/09/2021

Lucifer....our new member of the family

05/10/2020

Canine Babesiosis
Canine Babesiosis is a disease that destroys red blood cells. Young babesia parasites go into red blood cells and destroy them.

Younger dogs in kennels are more prone to infection.

The dog's immune system will destroy any infected red blood cells in order to destroy the parasite living inside. If many cells are infected, this results in red blood cell deficiency, called anemia. Sometimes, the immune system will also destroy uninfected cells. This is called immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.

CAUSES:

The cause of babesiosis can be:

Tick bite: a tick feeds on a dog for 2 to 3 days, and infects it with the babesia parasite
Infected pregnant dog: the disease can spread to her unborn puppies
Dog bite: from an infected dog
SIGNS:

The most common signs of babesiosis are:

Pale tongue and gums (because of red blood cell deficiency)
Swollen lymph nodes
Fever
Lack of appetite
Weakness
Depression
Dark urine (red or orange)
It is common for infected dogs to get other tick-related diseases (such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme Disease) when bitten by a tick carrying Babesiosis. These diseases will make the babesiosis more severe.

DIAGNOSIS:

In order to diagnose your dog with babesiosis, your veterinarian will review medical history and discuss possible tick exposure.

Then, the veterinarian will do a few tests to determine if your dog has babesiosis:

Complete Blood Count (CBC): a blood test which measures the amount of red and white blood cells
Blood smear: examines single cells from your dog's blood
Immunofluorescence: uses a fluorescent dye to illuminate viruses in the body
PCR testing: extremely sensitive test which can test for different types of babesia
TREATMENT:

Most veterinarians agree that specific treatment depends on the exact type of babesia in your dog. Treatment will usually include:

Medications: injected or through an IV
Blood transfusions: 50% of dogs will need
PREVENTION:

Babesiosis can be prevented with tick control:

Avoid tick-infested environments: sandy, wooded and grassy areas, thick underbrush, and make sure your dog stays on a path if you are near wooded or grassy areas
Tick repellents: for yourself and your dog, especially if you are going into woods or anywhere where there may be ticks
Tick checks: for yourself and yourdog after walking in woods or fields; if you find any ticks on your dog, remove them immediately!
Removing the tick within 24 hours of it landing on yourdog will greatly reduce the chance of yourdog contracting of babesiosis.

If the tick is moving, it has not yet bitten your dog. Quickly remove it and kill it by putting it in rubbing alcohol or crushing it between two solid surfaces. If you crush the tick, do not get its blood on your skin, as the bacteria can enter your body through a small cut.

If the tick is attached to your dog, use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to you pet's skin as possible, and slowly and steadily pull it straight out. It is important kill the tick in alcohol after removing it, or it may look for another host to feed on.

PROGNOSIS:

The prognosis for babesiosis is guarded. Surviving dogs are usually lifetime carriers of the disease; they may suffer relapses with stress, and they may spread the disease further.

Dogs that have recovered from babesiosis should not donate blood for transfusions because the recipients will get the disease

26/09/2016

soon we get a boerboel litter

17/07/2016

breathless Pipi......morning walk ya nguvu

17/07/2016

13/07/2016

23/04/2016

my boerboel puppy Chiku is having a genetic thingie. her leg is bending sideways. no injury or pain established. she is under treatment though. thank god for the science available

23/04/2016

yesterday vet day. the dogs are all pi**ed off but its a must they get checked

16/03/2016

yesterday I received two beautiful boerboel female puppies adorable gals. Blackie and Chiku.

15/03/2016

A dog is the best baby sitter. They just love humans. Can we please love them back?

15/03/2016

Dogs interacting with our helpers. love saaaana

15/03/2016

Coal black gsd...... Chuna

15/03/2016

knot of love. our first boerboel mating in the farm. we hope for little paws sometime soon.

15/03/2016

Coco.....my Deuchmund puppy