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Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

Zimbabwe Kennel Club:

The Zimbabwe Kennel Club office will now only be open on a Friday each week, 14.00-16.00 CAT.

Local Shows and Fairs

Bulawayo Combine Shows:

Have postponed till next year.

MLKA & HKC Shows:

They have booked their dates for 28 & 29 June 2008, with imported Judges. Put this in your diaries.

Mukuvisi Shows:

All sponsored by PEDIGREE and proceeds to help the S P C A in the wonderful work they do for all animals
25 Nov - Open Breed Show [Mike Rust judging] & SPCA Christmas Extravaganza Fun Show 

News: Not much to write as I have been away for some time and catching up is not really my scene. Bad, but I do have a few news items:
 

Poor Gill Houghton lost her young yorky Peppa suddenly. She had some little fits and is being investigated why she passed away. Our heartfelt condolences to Gill.

Daphne McDowall is leaving for Australia and will go first to her daughter in Brisbane and then on to Bruce her son, who has a Granny flat for her in MacKay. I believe that when you are at the top of Bruce’s house, you can see the sea. Opposite is the Barrier reef. We will be seeing Daphne on Thursday and have lunch at Allo Allo. Must be good to try that restaurant out, as I believe most of them now serve very small portions, to beat the price control. Good for when you are planning to slim down. A day later: We had a wonderful lunch with Daphne today and said we all would come and see her and to get a chance to see the reef as well. Susan is taking Daphne on the trip as Susan then also has a short time to see her siblings as well as her son, who has gone into Cricket a big way [playing for a club there]. Quit a traumatic experience for Daphne, as she is not one who has been traveling all over and now suddenly this move again after she came back from Inyanga, where she and her husband lived for some years. Her dogs have settled well at Susan.

 

"Zimbabwe's Traveling Man" A little birdie tells us that Mrs. Leigh Tarr of Greystones Basset Hounds is on another of her global trips around the world for the next 4/5 months and we've got her to agree to give us a write-up of her travels/visits/Shows/news/gossip and the like as she moves around the world. She will be visiting 4 of the world's Continents, starting with Europe in October and on to Canada and the States in November and December; we look forward to a monthly newsletter from her on what she's seen in the dog world/where she's been in the dog world/shopping she's done and a million and one other newsy items for this column. Travel well, Leigh, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Canine hip dysplasia (CHD) is considered to be a multifactorial disease, with genetics, nutrition and environment all playing a role in whether a given dog develops the disorder. Veterinary research designed to determine the impact of diet on the development of hip dysplasia has been performed since the early 1960's.

The effect of feed consumption on growth rate and the role of specific nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, calcium and vitamin C have been evaluated. Early research studying the general effects of diet on skeletal growth were performed using breeds such as the Beagle and Great Dane, which are not considered to be at high risk for hip dysplasia. Subsequent studies in known dysplastic breeds such as the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever have been reported. All of the questions regarding the role of nutrition in CHD have not been answered, but some conclusions have been determined.

The most important factor to monitor in a young dog with the potential to develop CHD is the rate of growth. Rapid growth will not lead to a larger adult dog but will probably increase the risk of orthopedic problems, including hip dysplasia. The frequency and severity of CHD has been shown to be influenced by weight gain in growing dogs sired by parents with CHD or by parents with a high incidence of CHD in their offspring. Dogs with weight gain above the standard curve for the breed had a higher frequency of CHD as well as more severe CHD than dogs with weight gain below the standard curve. Excessive energy intake (high calorie diet) is the most likely factor influencing rapid rate of growth, so it is important to monitor the energy intake of dogs during the maximum growth phase of 3 to 8 months of age.

Studies in which only one nutritional component is evaluated, such as with protein or carbohydrate, are difficult to perform without having an effect on the overall quality of the diet. As a result, very few specific nutrients have been identified as having a direct influence on CHD. As long as the diet of a growing dog is palatable and contains adequate protein and essential fatty acids, it does not appear to matter what proportion of the dietary energy comes from carbohydrate, protein or fat. The two other nutritional factors that have been evaluated with respect to CHD are calcium and vitamin C. The level of calcium in the diet has a significant impact on the development of the skeleton. Calcium excess and imbalances in the calcium to phosphorus ratio have both been implicated in skeletal disease. Vitamin C is not an essential nutrient in the canine diet. There is no conclusive evidence that vitamin C supplementation has a beneficial effect on the skeleton or reduces the incidence of CHD.

Recommendations for feeding young dogs that are susceptible to hip dysplasia, such as many of the large and giant breeds, would be to monitor growth rate closely and avoid over supplementation with calories, vitamins or minerals. If a dog exhibits rapid growth during the maximal growth phase, then the diet should be switched from a puppy diet or growth formula to an adult dog food diet. The change to a maintenance diet will provide adequate nutrition with a lower energy content.

This article originally appeared in the July 1996 issue of Canine Sports Medicine Update.