Westy’s Walk
Every year the CBWHWTC supports “Westy’s Walk, a fund raiser for the West Towson Elementary school.
Walk around the track with your Westie (s) and the kids. Lots of music, food and fun. Show up anytime between 1:30 and 3:30 PM Be aware that the kids like to interact with the dogs!
Day: Saturday, May 11 2019
Time: Walk begins at 1:30 PM and ends at 3:30PM – you can come any time you like
Location: Loyola Blakefield High School track (located off of N Charles Street in Baltimore.)
2019 CBWHWTC Specialty
The CBWHWTC Specialty will again be held this year with the Columbia Terrier Club on Friday April 19, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD. Friday’s building is possibly the cleanest dog show site ever. We will again have our delicious lunch and our Wine & Cheese party after judging. Our judges this year are both members of WHWTCA.
Judy White has been a member since 1970, has bred and owner/handler finished many champions under the Jubilhill prefix. She was treasurer of the WHWTCA, a board member and held many other positions working for the betterment of our beloved Westies.
Vanessa Skou (nee Fleming) has handled Westies for at least 20 years or more. She was assistant to Kathy Ferris in New England. When Kathy retired many of her clients stayed with Vanessa much to their delight. She not only showed the dogs to perfection, but her grooming and care was impeccable. She later married, moved to Hawaii where she and her husband continued to handle dogs. Subsequently Vanessa acquired her own dog to show, the well-known Ch. “Rondo.” Since coming back to the mainland Vanessa again showed many Westies professionally, helped her clients pick stud dogs for their bitches, and helped pick which puppies to keep.
The prizes for this years Specialty are totally different & never before given or seen at any ever. Come, see, and hope you win one. Our There is an All-Terrier Match on Thursday night at 7;30 Pm in the Expositiomn Building (smaller bldg uphill from the Cow Palace. The judge is Allison Sunderman.
Community Activity
On May 9th, the Chesapeake Bay West Highland White Terrier Club joined with a local public elementary school to participate in their annual fund raiser known as “Westy’s Walk”. The school is West Towson Elementary, located just outside Baltimore, Maryland, and their mascot (“Westy”) is a very large West Highland White Terrier costume character. Our club members, along with three genuine Westies joined the festivities which included walking laps around the track, being greeted by many little kids, and participating in many photo ops. We had a very successful Meet the Breed activity.
The day was a huge success, the 3 little canine stars were tired but happy, and best of all, CWBWHTC was invited back for welcoming on the first day of school next fall. Maryland Westie Rescue also participated and spoke with many interested families and provided literature about rescue activities to many more.
Dog Health Note
Puddle Precautions
As fun as it is to watch your dog splash and play in the puddles you encounter on your walk, some caution is advised. Depending on the surrounding environment, those pools of standing water can harbor some health hazards.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis organisms are bacteria that thrive in wet climates. Wild animals, particularly deer and rodents, and some domesticated animals (cows, sheep, pigs) can be leptospirosis carriers. Although infected, these mammals maintain good health while shedding leptospirosis organisms in their urine.
Dogs can contact leptospirosis by drinking from water sources contaminated with urine from an infected animal. Puddles that have formed from rain runoff certainly qualify as such a source. A study of the prevalence of canine leptospirosis in the United States and Canada revealed that disease prevalence correlates with the amount of rainfall. The more rain, the more dogs diagnosed with leptospirosis.
Not all dogs become sick when exposed to leptospirosis, but for those that do, the results can be devastating. Leptospirosis most commonly causes kidney failure. Associated symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. The liver and lungs are also targets for this disease. The diagnosis of leptospirosis is made via blood and urine testing. Successful treatment consists of antibiotics and supportive therapy such as supplemental fluids.
The leptospirosis vaccination does a good job of protecting against this disease. Talk with your veterinarian about whether or not this vaccine makes sense given where you live and the nature of your dog’s extracurricular activities.
Giardia
Giardia are microscopic, protozoan organisms that live within the intestinal tracts of a variety of domesticated and wild animals. The infectious (contagious) forms are shed within the feces and readily contaminate water sources. This is one of the main reasons it is recommended that hikers and backpackers drink only filtered water. A 2012 study documented that dogs who attend dog parks are more likely to test positive for giardia than those who do not attend dog parks.
The most common symptom caused by giardiasis in dogs is diarrhea. Vomiting and loss of appetite may also occur. The diagnosis is made via stool sample testing. A handful of medications can be used to rid the intestinal tract of giardia. Metronidazole and fenbendazole are the two most commonly used. The diagnosis of giardia in one dog may warrant treatment of the entire household herd, as giardia is highly contagious from dog to dog. It can also be transmitted to other species, including cats and humans.
Antifreeze
Consumption of only a very tiny amount of antifreeze can have devastating consequences for dogs. Ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze, causes acute, often irreversible kidney failure. Symptoms typically include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness, and ultimately coma and/or seizures. The diagnosis is made based on history, urine and blood testing, and often a kidney biopsy. Unfortunately, even with aggressive and expensive therapy, most dogs suffering from antifreeze toxicity don’t survive.
Until relatively recently, antifreeze had a sweet taste rendering it all the more enticing to dogs and children. In 2012 antifreeze manufacturers were forced to add a bittering agent to their products. Even with the addition of a bitter taste, vigilance is required to prevent antifreeze toxicity. A small amount of antifreeze within a puddle may not be enough to deter a thirsty dog from drinking.
Antifreeze sources include open product containers and antifreeze leaks from the undercarriage of vehicles. When with your dog, be sure to avoid puddles that have formed in and around parking lots.
Take home message
My goal in telling you about the potential perils of puddles isn’t to convince you to confine your dogs indoors. Heck, my dogs hike off leash with me daily, rain or shine. Rather, my objective is to increase your awareness so that you will be mindful about where your dog drinks when out and about with you (no parking lot puddles!). I encourage you to maintain awareness of the symptoms of leptospirosis, giardiasis, and antifreeze toxicity so that, if observed, you will seek veterinary attention right away.
Does your dog have exposure to puddles?
Good News for the CBWHWTC
Hurray for us!
We just received notice that our club is now fully licensed ! Now we can begin to hold a WHWTCA regional specialty