* bloody urine * straining to urinate (can easily be mistaken
for straining to defecate) * urinating in unusual places *
urinary blockage (almost exclusively a male cat problem) *
licking the urinary opening (usually due to pain)

Some veterinarians may still be using the older term feline
urologic syndrome, or FUS, or simply cystitis (meaning literally
inflamed bladder). Because the syndrome can have many possible
causes, it was renamed to discourage the perception that the
clinical signs seen represent one disease with one cause. It was
becoming too simple for medical professionals to diagnose FUS,
prescribe a treatment, and look no further for a diagnosis,
writing off recurrence to the classical course of the syndrome.
Even less accurately, this condition is frequently referred to
as a bladder infection, which it usually is not, in an attempt
to simplify its description.

In fact, the key to treatment is the determination of a cause if
this is possible (and it frequently is not). This web site
attempts to answer the questions that cat owners have about this
syndrome, its possible causes, and rational treatment plans to
alleviate it.

What Causes FLUTD?

Central to treating a cat with FLUTD is determining which of
many possible causes is present. It turns out that different
diseases are common in different age groups of cats with this
syndrome.

The average age of a cat with FLUTD is 4 years. Of all cats with
FLUTD:

* 50% will not have a cause that can be determined despite
extensive testing * 20% will have bladder stones * 20% will have
a urethral blockage * 1%-5% will have a true infection * 1%-5%
will have a urinary tract cancer * 1%-5% will have had trauma to
the urinary tract (i.e., have been hit by a car etc.) * 1%-5%
will have a combination of a bladder stone and an infection

If one looks only at cats over age 10 years of age, the likely
possibilities are completely different. In this older group:

* 50% will have true urinary tract infections * 10% will have
bladder stones * 17% will have a combination of infection and
bladder stone * 7% will have urethtral blockage * 3% will have
urinary tract cancer * 5% will not have a cause tht can be
determined despite extensive testing.

Further:

* 66% will be in some stage of kidney failure * 5% will have
urinary incontinence

How Can These Possible Causes Be Sorted Out?

In younger cats, there is a 50% chance that testing will be
fruitless. Given this, testing beyond an examination and
urinalysis may not be performed unless the syndrome is recurrent.

In older cats, it is more important to look for a diagnosis. A
blood panel, urinalysis and urine culture will detect the 50% of
cats who have urinary tract infections and the 66% that are in
kidney failure. Radiographs will pick up any bladder stones.

What Is a Reasonable Approach to Treatment?

Obviously, the approach depends on which diagnosis has been
reached. The following list shows areas regarding causes of
FLUTD:

* If your cat has a documented urinary tract infection * If
your cat has bladder stones * If your cat has a urethral
blockage or partial blockage * If your cat is in kidney failure
* If your cat seems to urinate in inappropriate locations for
behaviorial reasons * If testing cannot reveal any specific
cause * If your cat is diagnosed with interstitial cystitis * If
your cat has struvite urinary crystals without urethral blockage
* If your cat has oxalate urinary crystals

The more I listen to others, read books on the subject, look at different articles, and watch and listen to tapes, the more I discover how different people claim their methods of horse training are the correct ones.

I often find one trainer will adamantly oppose a technique where another will adamantly swear by its effectiveness. Even more interesting, each has his or her own reasons why.

On one hand, I find it fascinating that trainers think their way is truly the correct way. On the other hand, I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think other people are persuaded to believe those trainers who push their methods as “the only one”.

Why?

Because I’ve discovered a percentage of the horse owner population think what they learned is all that’s available. The problem with that is this: Not every horse will respond to the technique in the same way. Then, a different approach is needed. If the horse handler doesn’t know another technique, he is now limited to knowing something that doesn’t always work.

But why wouldn’t a trainer believe his is correct? After all, if it works for him then it IS correct…for him.

Personally, I don’t subscribe to any one trainer’s ways completely. For example, if trainer “John Doe” taught his method and said “do it just like this” chances are I wouldn’t. I have my own things that work and some them are similar to or the same as what John Doe does.

I’m a BIG advocate of learning all you can from everyone who has something good to show you. Never, never, never learn one person’s techniques and be satisfied. If you do, you will miss out on some of the neatest techniques ever. You limit yourself and what you could REALLY do.

Although I push what I know, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know it all and that you MUST learn all you can.

Even if you learn different ways, then you must proceed with caution because some of the things you learn will seem hard to grasp. Sometimes, they’ll seem unreachable. At times, they’ll seem ridiculous.

Let me cite a couple examples.

A while back, I ordered a video of a trainer from Germany. His name is Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling. The video is called “Coming Together”.

Unfortunately, this video is more than a bit abstract. It doesn’t teach a whole lot but what it does teach is a bit unusual.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not putting down the video. Actually, I kind of enjoyed it. Still, when it was over, I felt like I was left hanging.

This trainer uses his body to establish leadership, friendship, and trust. Briefly, he describes what he does but you don’t really get how it all fits together.

Clearly, the horses he works with have a connection with him. But his style of training is quite unorthodox compared to much of what I’ve seen and read.

Could the average horse owner do what he does and do it effectively? I’d have to say “no” because his methods would require him to be right there with you for weeks (months?) training the trainer. Not only that, much of what Hempfling explained on tape seemed so abstract. It wasn’t easy understanding all his principles.

The worse part is once you’ve watched this you may think to yourself you could never do what he does so why try to be a horse trainer. That’s one of the things that worry me about aspiring horse owners and trainers.

They see someone getting results with horses using seemingly “not from this world” techniques. Then they silently say to themselves, “What’s the use…I could never do that.”

Luckily, there are powerful alternatives. I’ll explain in a minute or two.

Another I’ve studied is a man named Henry Blake. Blake is from Ireland (I think) and grew up with horses all his life. He claims to have a gift with horses that transcend human understanding. After reading his book, I am inclined to agree with him.

Blake even created a dictionary to help us humans understand what the horse is trying to communicate to us. It’s fascinating.

One part in Blake’s book talks about ESP with his horses. Blake contends he can get his horses moving, stopping, and turning with just his thoughts. He doesn’t claim to do this with any horse, only particular ones. Especially if they are Thoroughbreds.

When I read Blake’s take on the ESP thing I tended to discount it. Then again, I have had the ESP experience with my Paint horse. She and I are particularly close and there is a connection between her and I that transcends words. I don’t claim to steer her left and right or stop her with my thoughts but there have been times where she’s done something I wanted her do and I swear I didn’t say or do a thing. Gives me chills when I think about it.

Anyway, Blake’s book is fascinating reading. I’d suggest anyone read it who is into horses. One part that really grabbed my heart strings was when his horse ran to greet him after not seeing him for months. That story, to me, is the ultimate in having a horse as a friend.

So far, it still isn’t clear who we should listen to. Should we follow Hempfling’s horse training methods? Should we follow Blake’s? Who should we listen to?

My suggestion is learn all you can from everyone you can. Use what works for you. Be careful to make judgments about a horse trainer’s methods before understanding “why” he does what he does.

For instance, I am a big fan of Jesse Beery who was a famous horse trainer from the 1800’s. His methods are so easy and straight forward you’d think they’re too easy.

Beery pushes control and obedience and uses techniques to nurture it – some people don’t agree with his methods. My response to that is “learn all you can…use what you want”.

But for my money, Beery’s methods are unbeatable. They are easy to do. They train a horse so well that safety is the biggest benefit – for what good is it to have and ride a horse if you get seriously hurt?

You can learn more about Beery by listening in on Andy Curry’s free teleseminars. To find out when the next one is, go to this web address:

http://www.horsetrainingandtips.com/teleseminar_signup.htm

How does one get a horse so safe with Beery’s methods? Simple. Beery shows how to get control and obedience from your horse. Without control and obedience, you won’t have a horse you can trust. If you can’t trust your horse, your horse will know it. You then put yourself in danger and risk getting hurt – even to the point of ending up crippled.

But with Beery’s methods, you practically eliminate all risks. You transform your horse into a tractable, manageable, valuable horse that’s the envy of anyone who rides him. Not only that, Beery shows how to eliminate numerous bad habits.

His methods are straight forward, easy to do, and best of all…they are NOT abstract. You won’t be saying to yourself, “I don’t get it.”

In fact, Beery’s methods are so well thought out, tested, and proven that you can train a horse to “Whoa” under any condition, and under any excitement.

What’s so special about that? “Whoa” is the most important command a horse must know. Especially, if you are a horse owner aged 30 to 60 because we tend to “hurt” and “break” a lot easier and faster than when we were younger.

If you can’t control your horse to stop while fence posts are whizzing past you when you’re riding a out of control horse, you risk severe injury, danger, and perhaps…death. Having a horse that will stop under any condition despite any excitement is, in my book, training that everyone’s horse should have – period!

About the Author

Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author
of several best selling horse training and horse care books.
For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com.
He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beery’s horse training
methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beerya.htm

Most dogs whelp about 63 days after breeding (normal range, 58
to 71 days). To determine exactly when the dog is due, determine
her first day of diestrus (day 1) with vaginal cytology and she
will whelp on day 56, 57, or 58; alternatively, start taking
your dog’s rectal temperature two to four times daily, starting
about 55 days after breeding.

To take your dog’s rectal temperature, you can use a human oral
thermometer. Lubricate it with a little petroleum jelly, make
sure the thermometer bulb is totally within the anus, and leave
it in for at least 1 minute. When the dog’s temperature falls to
below 1000F (usually below 990F), she should begin to whelp
within 24 hours and will probably begin in 4 to 6 hours.

You should have a place set aside for her that is warm and
private. She may pick a place for herself and start nesting
behavior there as she nears whelping. It is useful to have on
hand clean towels, iodine, thread or dental floss, a postal or
small food scale, vanilla ice cream, and your veterinarian’s
phone number.

Labor starts with a long stage in which the uterine contractions
begin, the birth canal relaxes, and the cervix opens. The
abdominal contractions may not be visible, but your dog may
appear nervous or restless, pant, or vomit. This stage lasts 6
to 12 hours. The second stage is the actual birth of the
puppies. You will usually see fetal tissues protruding before
you actually see a pup born. Remember, breech deliveries are
normal.

The puppies are born covered by a membrane that the dog ruptures
with her teeth. She also bites through the umbilical cord of
each pup. Abdominal contractions are evident at this stage, but
it is usually best to leave the bitch alone. Dogs can
voluntarily stop giving birth if they are disturbed, so you
should make sure she is in a quiet place. When you first see the
hard abdominal contractions signaling the second stage of labor,
you should give your dog 2 hours to have the first pup.

Once you see fetal tissues protruding, she should have a pup
within 30 minutes. When she starts delivering, allow 2 hours
between pups. Most dogs have a pup every 30 to 60 minutes; some
may have several and then rest a while before finishing. If you
are unsure about whether whelping is progressing normally,
please call your veterinarian.

The third and final stage of labor is that of expelling the
placenta or afterbirth. The dog usually expels the placenta for
each pup after it is born and some-times expels two placentas
after delivering two pups. You should clean these away; there is
no good physiologic reason for allowing the bitch to eat them.
Trying to count these is notoriously unreliable, but you can try.

You may need to help the pups if the mother does not. Do not try
to pull a puppy if it appears to be stuck, as it is easy to harm
the pups. If the mother does not clean the pups, you should dry
them with a towel, wipe clear all fluid from the nose and mouth,
and rub the puppies vigorously. If the bitch does not sever the
umbilical cord, you will have to do it. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes
and then tie the umbilical cord in two places with thread or
dental floss. The closest tie should be 1 to 2 inches from the
pup’s body. Cut between the two ties, dipping the end of the
cord in iodine. Leave the pups with the bitch; even though she
may not let them nurse, they need her warmth and physical
contact.

Many bitches will eat a special treat such as vanilla ice cream
while whelping. Vanilla ice cream is good for bitches during
whelping as it provides energy and calcium.

After whelping is completed, make sure all the pups nurse within
12 to 18 hours. The first milk they receive is important in
providing them with immunity to many common diseases. It is also
important to make sure the puppies are warm enough; they should
be kept in an environment at about 85F for the first several
weeks of life. Be careful in your use of heating pads or heat
lamps; it is easy to burn the pups.

The mother may have a green to red-brown vulvar discharge for up
to 3 weeks after whelping. This is normal and is of no concern
as long as it is not foul smelling and she seems fine otherwise.
Inspect the mother’s mammary glands daily to check for the
presence of milk, any abnormal swellings, and pain. Please call
you veterinarian if you have any concerns.

The puppies should be weighed at birth and daily thereafter.
They may lose a small amount of weight the first day but should
gain steadily after that, doubling their birth weight by 10 to
14 days of age.

Following is a checklist of reasons to call your veterinarian
for help (also see the handout on dystocia):

 The dog has started labor and is not progressing within
the time limits just listed.

 The rectal temperature dropped more than 24 hours ago
and the dog has not started labor.

 The dog appears ill, depressed, feverish, fatigued.

 You have trouble getting the puppies to breathe early
on or to suckle later.

 You are not sure if the dog has finished whelping.

 You have any particular concerns or questions.

A novel approach to canine obstetric monitoring involves the use
of external monitoring devices to detect and record uterine
activity and fetal heart rates.* These devices can be used in
the home setting or the veterinary clinic to transmit recorded
information by modem to obstetric personnel capable of
interpretation and subsequent consultation with the attending
veterinarian and owner. Sensors detect changes in intrauterine
and intra-amniotic pressures, as well as Doppler monitoring of
fetal heart rates.

The presence of normal prelabor uterine activity can be
detected, often before behavioral clues exist, allowing
recognition of stage I labor. Because the bitch’s drop in body
temperature can be missed, this detection of early labor can be
valuable.

The use of uterine and fetal monitors allows the veterinarian to
manage labor medically with knowledge of the presence of fetal
distress and allows the administration of oxytocin and calcium
to be directed and tailored to each bitch. Absolute indications
for cesarian section could be detected with monitoring before
fetal death or maternal compromise occurs. Overall, the anxiety
level of breeders is diminished and the level of participation
of the veterinarian improved. The cost to the client of
monitoring is less than the price of one puppy.

The above is general veterinary information. Do not begin
any course of treatment without consulting your regular
veterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every
12 months.