If you have cats and dogs you are more than likely battling to keep your dogs from “helping” you keep the cat’s litter box clean.  Perhaps you are still fighting the battle?  Maybe you have given up?

Hope is not lost.  There can be ways to win this war and in the process minimize your cat’s stress as well as your dog’s digestive upset.  

Why Do Dogs Eat Cat Poop?

No one really knows for sure.  It is most likely because it tastes like cat food.  Anyone who has had a dog knows that most dogs will eat anything if given the opportunity.

Is Cat Poop Dangerous For Dogs?

It certainly can be!  Not only can eating cat poop cause digestive upset for dogs, but it can also be a source of transmission of intestinal and other parasites.  Can you say YUK!

 Watch Out For These Signs If You Suspect Your Dog May Have Eaten Cat Poop

• Lack of appetite
• Decreased energy
• Vomiting
• Painful abdomen
• Diarrhea
• Bad breath, and of course, litter between their teeth!

Six Tips To Help You Keep Your Dog Away From The Litter Box

• Put the litter box in a room behind a baby gate.  If you have a large dog, lift the baby gate several inches off the ground - high enough that your cat can shimmy under, but your dog will be left looking in the room.  If your dog is as small as your cat, then lower the gate to the ground and try putting a cat climbing tree on either side of the gate - this will give your cat an easy path to the box while your dog can just sit and admire your cat’s nimbleness.  
• Use a gate hook and eye, or another set-up, to leave your basement, bathroom or closet door open wide enough to allow your cat to pass in and out while keeping your dog out.  (This will not work if your cat is the same size as your dog).
• Install a cat door (such as the Cathole) into your bathroom, closet or basement door. If your dog is small enough to pass through the door, consider installing one that has a magnetic lock flap that your cat’s collar would open.
• Put a litter box behind a couch, blocking off your dog’s access with a strategically placed baby gate or another piece of furniture.
• Put the litter boxes up on a laundry table or countertop that your dog can’t reach.  Just be careful that your cats can easily reach the boxes, especially older cats that might be suffering from arthritis or other painful conditions.  
• Try some DIY ideas.  Just be aware that many cats prefer to have their litter boxes uncovered and that preference will be even stronger if each time they try to exit the covered box they are greeted by their dog’s smiling face.  You can minimize the likelihood of this happening by making several entrances and exits for your cat to choose from.

It is a noble quest you are on!  The stress of sharing a litter box with the slobbery canine residents can cause your cat enough stress to bring on urinary problems.  The frequent litter box raiding will almost certainly cause your dog digestive upset, as well as a very unpleasant feeling you will get upon noticing the litter stuck between your dog’s teeth only after he has just licked your face!

 Edited by:  Jan Mitchell

Guess what!
Boston Terrier Network is sponsoring again this year, our own amazing editing team member, Julie Bradford.

Also Tallulah will be there again this year. She is author of several articles. They are going to be participating in a 5K walk in support of HUB CITY SERVICE DOGS!

 Tallulah, the author of several articles for Boston Terrier Network

Put your running shoes on and come join Julie and Tallulah!

 We are so excited to share this news.

Yes, Friends and readers. We are so proud that Boston Terrier Network will be a sponsor. This will be our second year that we have had the honor. They are going to be participating in a 5K walk in support of HUB CITY SERVICE DOGS!

They are participating in the Second Annual Dog Days 5K and 2 Mile Walk, to be held on Aug 26, 2017 at Kamper Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

We invite you come to watch or even join Julie in supporting the wonderful cause.

Julie is looking for more sponsors. Please consider supporting her. You can contact Julie Bradford at keepingupwiththekids@gmail.com

HUB CITY SERVICE DOGS IS A NONPROFIT 501(C) (3) ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS TO PLACE AND  TRAIN SERVICE DOGS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDICAL DISABILITIES. THE DOG DAYS 5K AND 2 MILE WALK IS THE PRIMARY FUNDRAISER FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

Tallulah is hoping you will help sponsor her and  her mom, Julie, to help raise and train service dogs!!! 

SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017 AT 7:30 AM - START/FINISH AT KAMPER PARK IN HATTIESBURG, Mississippi - OVER 300 RUNNERS EXPECTED

RAISED OVER $15,000 FOR HUB CITY SERVICE DOGS IN 2016

The race tours through The Avenues of Hattiesburg, down Mamie Street and Concart Street, ending near the Hattiesburg Zoo.

The event will include breakfast from Topher’s Rock ‘N Roll Grill, door prizes, a run-by dog pageant (dogs will be judged during the run and identified by participant's bib numbers). Additionally, awards will be given to runners and walkers, both with and without pets. The race will be professionally timed by Diva Timing.

Registration is $25 and includes a technical shirt. All proceeds from the event will benefit Hub City Service Dogs, a nonprofit organization that helps place and train service dogs with individuals who demonstrate a true need.  “We  are  proud  to  host  this  event  for  a third year,”  said  Angela  Davis-Morris,  executive  director for Hub City Service Dogs. “Last year, we had over 300 participants and were able to give over $15,000 to the organization, which has helped us greatly in meeting the needs of our clients. We are hoping for an even larger event this year.”
For more information or to register for the event, contact Julie Bradford at juliebradford1990@me.com

Hub City Service Dogs is a 501(c) (3) organization that offers professional training for a variety of service dogs, including diabetic alert dogs, seizure alert dogs, POTS service dogs, asthma service dogs, PTSD therapy dogs and cystic fibrosis service dogs. For more information, visit www.hubcityservicedogs.org 


Hub City Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that partners individuals with specialized service dogs to meet their specific medical needs. Service dogs are specially trained to perform tasks that increase the independence of their human partner. Individuals paired with service dogs show improvements psychologically, economically and socially. Service dogs allow individuals to gain independence that would often never be achieved otherwise.

Service dogs can reach $40,000 depending on the type of diagnosis and training required.  If you can demonstrate a need to use the services of an assistance dog, you may qualify for assistance and we'll help you with the financial burden.
 
The event will include:
•    Door prizes
•    Breakfast
•    A Run-by Dog pageant (dogs to be identified during the run/walk by participant's bib numbers)
•    Tech shirts for registered runners
•    Awards for runners/walkers, with and without dogs

If you do go to this event, please let us share your experience.

If you are participating in a local event with a Boston or other short nosed dog and would like us to share with our friends just email us at info@bostonterriernetwork.com.

 Edited by: Julie Bradford, Jan Mitchell

Phoenix, a French Bulldog, was surrendered to a rescue in May 2015. Here is his background story.

At about one year of age Phoenix came to us as a foster. He had been recently diagnosed with Hemivertebra after he developed rear end weakness and started dragging his rear legs.

His owners didn't want to deal with a special needs dog.

Phoenix had to be transported nine hours to get to us. During the transport the volunteers called and said he was in bad shape, he was not moving and was showing signs of being in pain.
 

 I made arrangements for him to be seen at the vet as soon as he arrived. He got a full workup, including x-rays, which showed a 90 degree bend (kyphosis) in his spine. The vets all said it was the most severe case of Hemivertebra that they had ever seen. He also has Scoliosis.

Phoenix was started on a course of pain relievers, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatories, along with restricted activity while we and the rescue evaluated his prognosis. Due to the severity of his deformity the rescue was considering that he would have to be euthanized for quality of life concerns.

After stabilizing him with meds, we started the process of weaning him off of the drugs, to judge his quality of life. Fortunately, he was able to be taken off the meds and remained stable! It was then determined that he was fecal incontinent; he can't control his bowel movements.

He is not fully paralyzed, so he is able to get around without completely dragging his legs. Since he was stable and not in pain, we were able to continue his vetting which included being neutered and we were able to start the process of getting him a cart.

The rescue he was with uses Eddie's Wheels for their cart dogs. Eddie's Wheels provides guides and instructions for measuring, because the carts are custom made for each individual dog.

The measurements are usually done at a vet clinic that provides physical therapy, because they are more familiar with carts than regular vets, but the measurements can be done by anyone as long as the instructions are followed. This is very important since Eddie's Wheels carts only have limited adjustments and some parts are not adjustable at all.

You can find info for Eddie's Wheels on their website http://eddieswheels.com/ and if you have any questions, they have great customer service!

So, it was the rescue that decided that Phoenix would get a cart and that it would be an Eddie's Wheels cart. After doing my own research and my experience with the cart itself, I would purchase Eddie's Wheels for my own dogs, if ever needed. The cart is simple to use, it's very lightweight, balanced and easy for the dog to maneuver.

Luckily for us, Phoenix took to his cart right away, so training was quick and simple! When the cart arrived, I set it down on the ground and let him check it out. I gave him some treats while he was near the cart just to help him accept this strange contraption.

Phoenix is both food and toy motivated, so that helped with getting him to accept the cart.

I put him in the cart and at first he just froze and was unsure of what to do, so treats were used as a distraction then I tossed a ball and he took off after it without even thinking about this new cart that he was strapped into!

We tossed the ball a couple times and let him try out his wheels, he was a natural.

We didn't leave him in his wheels for very long at first, we worked up longer and longer each time. We started inside the house, then moved to the backyard. We didn't take him out in public until he'd fully adjusted to his wheels.

He was quick to learn how to maneuver, like if he'd catch a wheel on something or try to go through an area that was too narrow for the cart, he'd have to back up. We had to show him how to back up at first, just by gently pulling him backwards and guiding him around the obstacle.

We don't use the cart daily, he can move his legs a bit and get himself around the house and yard well without it. So, we use the cart for outings and for playing fetch, since that is his favorite thing to do and he can play longer with the use of the cart.

For training a dog to use a cart, it will vary based on the dog, Many take to them very quickly, especially once they realize how much easier it is for them to get around!

Phoenix got his cart when he was young and still had his puppy spirit and energy. That may have helped his adjustment.

Food and toys are great; whatever the dog loves should be used to help distract them from the cart and get them to move around in it.

Start slow, don't push the dog too quickly. Sometimes you can't put the dog in the cart right away. If they are really afraid of it, then they need to get used to just seeing the cart and sniffing the cart; even smear some peanut butter on the cart to get the dog to approach it and accept it.

Start slow with the amount of time the dog spends in the cart each time, don't expect them to walk around the block the 1st time.

Phoenix was our foster dog for one full year, so then we applied to adopt him and he's now been with us for a year and a half.

He loves his cart. When we move it to put him in it he'll get excited and run over to stand next to it and wait to be put into it; then off he goes running as soon as we let go of it!

A cart has changed his life for the better. We are thankful for the people who make carts for handicapped dogs.

Phoenix has two Boston Terrier siblings and he wants to be just like them, he wants to run alongside them and play just like they do, the cart has allowed him to do that.

There isn't anything we would have done differently for him or with the cart, it has been a great experience.

 NOTE:  Hemivertebrae happens when the vertebrae of the canine spine are congenitally deformed so as to fuse or otherwise develop abnormally in a manner that creates a twisting wedge in what should be a very straight spine. A deformity like this in the bony spine can mean a twisting in the spinal cord as well and, potentially, a compression of this exceedingly delicate central nervous system structure.

Hemivertebrae are responsible for the characteristic “screw tail” of bulldogs, pugs and other dog breeds for which the curled tail is considered a requisite trait. In the spinal cord-less tail; however, several defective vertebrae in a row do not present a problem. In some dogs; however, one or more vertebrae other than in the tail may be affected.

SOURCE: NAPHIA (North American Pet Health Association)

 Phoenix's story provided by: Kristin Bollinger

 Edited by: Julie Bradford

Final edit adapted by: Jan Mitchell