Topical Insecticides and Reproductive Health in Dogs
/5 Comments/in Daily Life, French Bulldog Stuff /by CarolBe cautious about using topical insecticides on breeding dogs, lest they get “Homer Simpson Sperm” syndrome!
I spent Sunday at a very interesting Canine Reproduction seminar. The session, which lasted roughly two hours, was presented by MiniTube Canada, and was a bargain at $15. Unlike a lot of corporate seminars, this one was not geared solely towards selling you equipment, although there was discussion about the equipment the company makes (primarily semen extenders and shipping containers). Our presenter was Dr. John P. Verstegen DVM, MSc, PhD , DECAR, Minitube’s director of small animal reproduction. Since I’ve recently had my first transcervial insemination done on a bitch (Delilah), it was impressive to hear Dr. Verstegen say that he estimates he has performed more than 19,000 of them over the course of his career.
Dr. Verstegen had a lot of interesting information to share, but something interesting jumped out at me during the portion of the seminar devoted to the topic of managing sperm count in the male dog. Dr. Verstegen mentioned a study he had taken part in examining the effects of topical insecticides (ie; flea and tick treatments) on the reproductive health of the male dog.
Roscoe is Rolling Again!
/0 Comments/in Daily Life /by CarolRoscoe test drives his new wheelchair.
As I mentioned the other day, a disabled Pug named Roscoe had his wheelchair stolen from outside his McCowan Avenue home in central Toronto. Without Roscoe’s wheelchair, his owner, Christine Borsuk, was unable to give Roscoe the daily walks he so looked forward to.
Do you breed for temperament?
/4 Comments/in BSL, French Bulldog Stuff /by CarolAs some of you may have noticed, we’ve started a new rescue. French Bulldog Last Chance Rescue is primarily devoted to the idea that every dog, even those with a history of being very bad Frenchies, indeed, deserve to get one last chance at rehabilitation.
This is an essential point, since many rescue now have closed their doors to French Bulldogs with a bite history. Some of this is simple logistics – it’s hard to find foster homes willing to take on a Frenchie who might try to quite literally bite the hand that feeds it. Some of it is likely liability related. At any rate, Last Chance Rescue aims to give all French Bulldogs on last chance at a new life, but it does make me consider the issue of temperament in our breed.