Ewwww!!! What is that???

One of the first things many people notice about Weims, after their color, are their ears. Long and beautiful! Soft as velvet.

But inside those ears it's a differnt story all together! Routine cleaning, like with any breed, is imperative. As with their Pointer cousins sometimes Weims can have an over growth of yeast in their ears. This can lead to an undesirable scent.

If this is something that you notice first clean each ear. After doing so give you Weim a dollop or two of PLAIN yogurt on their food. Not only will they love it, but this will help clear up their "yeasty" ears.

Of course the rest of your pack, even those without yeasty ears, would enjoy this treat too. Plain yogurt also aids in their digestion.

As always if your sweetie pie has food allergies, you must be extremely careful if you chose to introduce a food they have never had in the past.

You may also want to take your Weim in to see his or her Dr. They can evaluate their ears and prescribe any necessary medication they may need.

And look at it this way, they are easier then Basset or Bloodhound ears! But on our blog much of this info and health care help with other breeds as well.

Stay Warm!

Great Lakes Weim Rescue

Holiday...

Wishing everyone a beautiful Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivis, Kwanza and hoping your 2009 is special.

Your Friends,

The Great Lakes Weim Family.

Mistletoe...Say It Ain't So!

No kissing your pooch under the mistletoe??!! Yes, its true mistletoe is poisonous to our furry friends, cats as well.

Also don't forget to put the poinsettia's out of sight for cats and dogs too!

One of our volunteers decided to put feathered bird ornaments in her live tree. She however did not think about how tempting this would be to her 3 hunting breeds, including a Weim. CRASH!!! The fake feathered birds proved to me much to tempting! So yes, live trees are fine with dogs, but you may want to omit the feathered ornaments! Hers have since been retired.

For a complete list of toxic plants please refer to: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_toxicplants#P

Your Friends at GLWR.

Brrrrrrrrr...It's Cold Outside!

It is that time of year! The wind and snow are here, or on it's way if you don't have any yet.

Remember just because you're 4 legged family member has a built in fur coat they get cold too. Of course they still have to go out and do their business in the yard or kennel run, but please limit their exposure to the frigid cold and elements. Also, shelter outside will make a more pleasant experience if they like to be in the cold or outside.

Watch for sharp ice too! It cannot be avoided with the snow, rain, their running through the yard, but watch for injured paw pads. If this does happen, clean the area and wrap it, seek medical advice if bleeding does not stop.

This time of year is for celebrating and enjoying time with family and friends. How about considering opening your door to a furry friend that needs somewhere to stay while they are waiting for their fur ever home? They may not be able to give you a gift, but they sure can brighten you holidays!

Happy Holidays,

Great Lakes Weim Rescue

Puppy Mills..

Sigh...Puppy mills* are still big business. This time of year pet stores advertise puppies as Christmas presents. Sadly most of those puppies came from puppy mills and many end up at shelters once people realize the breed isn't the right one for them. The lucky ones make it out of the shelter and into rescue. But usually come Feb-April rescues are overwhelmed with Christmas presents that are no longer wanted and dogs that did not preform well hunting.

Also many puppies that come from puppy mills are sick, do not have proper socialization, it isn't always known who their mom and dad are since their are so many litters on the ground at once, sometimes siblings are bred together, they are handled harshly, females are over bred and tossed aside when they are no longer "useful". And the conditions are not healthy conditions for dogs, much less a puppy.

Yes these puppies do need homes, but when you purchase a pet store puppy the puppy mill makes a large profit and it encourages them to breed more puppies and the cycle continues.

Puppies are cute and very lovable, and a lot of work. If you are looking for a puppy their are many in rescues and shelters. Rescues and sheltrs work on a very small budget with little to no profit whereas puppy mills profit greatly.

Also don't forget the dogs in shelters during the holiday season that need homes too. Old dogs make excellent companions as well.

Some of the dogs in rescues were puppy mill dogs, rescues get them healthy, socialized them and showed them love, trust, and the joys of human and dog companionship.

We encourage you to research the breed you'd like to adopt whether it be a Weim or not. Make sure the breed is right for your family and lifestyle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_mills

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/puppymil.html

Seperation Anxiety

Did you ever hear the expression Velcro-Dog? Well, that would apply to many Weims!

Weims may look like big tough dogs, but under that beauty can be a bit of separation anxiety. They are not as independent as their Pointer or Lab cousins. Many Weims would prefer staying closer to "their" humans, they would spend all day and go to work with them if then could! Some lucky ones do get to go to work with mom and dad, but for those that don't they may have a harder time coping.

Separation anxiety manifest itself in various ways:
-drooling
-whining
- barking and more barking
-shaking
-licking a raw spot on their paw/other areas
-pacing

Socrates mom used to come home to a messy crate, but not anymore. (We'll get to that in a minute). It is very important to note a Weim is doing this because they are very upset, not because they are mad at you.

Their are ways to help your Weim cope.

-Get them a crate, this will be their space, in the wild it would have been their den.
-Give them plenty of toys in their crate, a Kong with frozen peanut butter works wonders.
-Big Nyla bones works well for chewing, they may choke on a rawhide if unsupervised.
-Two Kongs one with frozen peanut butter and one with treats/kibble, something they will have to work to get out, this will keep them so busy trying to get the yummy food they may forget you are gone.
-Many of us are to busy to keep an exact schedule, but routine may help a stressed out Weim cope.
-Not making a big deal out of your return, that may reinforce the anxiety behavior. This isn't to say don't be happy to see them, pet them and love them, but don't go overboard.
-Putting your Weim in a crate while you are home for a short time and rewarding with yummy treats when they are let out.
-Herbal calmers that plug in may help to. Stores have a variety of calmers.
-And love, patience and understanding that your Weim really misses you and just can't wait to see you again. Your Weim may have come from a sketchy past and is happy to finally have someone to love.

Eventually your Weim should get over his/her anxiety and will realize you will always come home to them.

http://www.starbreezes.com/11/sep.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/4727/how_to_help_your_dog_with_canine_seperation.html?cat=53

Bloat...

That is a word no dog owner wants to hear. Unfortunately for Weim owners they can hear it more often then other breed owners.

Their are many causes for bloat, including, but not limited to:

-Eating to quickly.
-Drinking water to quickly.
-Elevated food bowls.
-Stress.
-Feeding food that can cause gas, ie, soy.
-Males are more prone then females.

For a compete list please refer to resource at the bottom of this entry.

Some symptoms are:

-Dog trying to vomit without success.
-Odd behavior.
-Shallow breathing.
-Gums become discolored, very pale.
-Foam from the mouth.
-Lethargic.
-Rapid Heartbeat.

Prevention:

-Avoid high stress.
-Do not use elevated bowls.
-Feed frequent small meals opposed to one big meal.
-Do not allow exercise for at least one hour after feeding. (Perfect for cuddling time!)

Bloat is a very serious condition. Dogs must receive immediate medical treatment ASAP! Without treatment your beloved pet will cross to the Rainbow Bridge. More often then not surgery is the only option. In some cases other measures may be taken.

Suture the stomach in a way to prevent it from twisting again (a procedure called gastropexy). If gastropexy is not performed, 75-80% of dogs will develop GDV again.

Sadly even with treatment some dogs will still cross to the Bridge. But about 75% go on to live a normal, happy, healthy life.

Some Weim owners and dog owners will never experience this sudden frightening condition, others have gone through it more then once with their dogs.

We don't want this to detour you from adopting from our rescue. We like for our adopters to be fully informed about the breed.

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm#Prevention

http://largedogbreedz.com/your-large-dogs-health/dog-health-conditions/dog-bloat-treatment/prevention.html

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=402

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=402