We need your help... dog "hit by car" turned out to have been maliciously wounded!

This handsome young man was found and brought to an emergency vet center by a good samaritan believed to be hit by a car. After a thorough exam it was determined that he was not hit by a car, but instead suffered from an inexcusable act of malicious cruelty. The photos are too graphic to post, this darling soul was sliced open on his neck and abdomen. Through the quick action of the veterinarians and staff he was quickly stabilized and has a good prognosis of a full recovery.

Ring Dog Rescue is asking the public to help with his medical expenses, the emergency veterinarian is not making a dime off of this case, we are only needing to cover the cost. This precious man will need several weeks of recovery, antibiotics and potentially 2 surgeries to remove dead skin and keep the wounds closed. We are working with authorities to gain information to prosecute the unknown individuals who did this.

Please help us help him!

Hot, Hot, Hot...

Bath Time....

A cold bath is no way to win your dog over, forget outside with the hose. So the bathtub is the best place to start. You can purchase a restraint with a suction cup on it to attach to the tub or wall. Some dogs are initially fearful of the spray if you have an attachment or hand held shower. Try a gallon jug or pitcher if this is the case. Nice warm to hot water is very relaxing, we all know that. I start with the water at the back end of the dog, stroking the back as I go. You want to be firm because we ARE going to do this. But you also need to be calm and non-confrontational. Sometimes they use that route to go ahead and put up a fight. A good bit of massage in the mix will help the situation, also some "atta boys". If the head is a huge problem, use a warm, wet washcloth with a bit of shampoo on it and then rinse with same method, a clean wet cloth. Be upbeat and happy with your dog not angry. You may find yourself making some progress. Always reward a job well done, makes it easier the next time......

RVA Strength Fest

EWWW...Anal Gland Expression! A tip from the groomer...

Ahhh, the expression of the anal glands, could there be a more unpleasant task. This is really a hands on task, but I will try to explain it to the best of my ability. There are two main reasons that your dog scoots his bottom across your carpet. One he has tapeworms, which means he has ingested a flea and two, or the sacs are full and causing discomfort. If it is reason 1, you need to treat for fleas and you can by an OTC tapeworm treatment or get some Drocit from your vet. The telltale sign here is mini-rice stuck around your dogs anus. Dried up if dead and looking like cooked moving rice if alive. Now back to the topic at hand. The anal glands are your dogs signature of identification. Ideally, every time he has a bowel movement he deposits a small amount of scent from the glands. Every dog in his path can read that signature and tell a great deal about who has traveled before him. Sometimes due to diet or who knows what the glands will get full and sometimes impacted and can also become infected. The consistency ranges from watery to a thick paste. The color can be a very pale yellow to almost black, there is no normal. Blood however would be a cause for concern and your dog should be seen by a veterinarian. The odor is most foul so you dont want to have your face in the trojectary range. It can be so thick it just sits there or so thin it will shoot across the room. Now, for the hands on part. You will place your thumb and index finger between four and five o'clock and seven and eight o'clock (if the anus were a clock). Holding the base of the tail with the other hand you will squeeze in and up at the same time with the two fingers. If the sacs are empty there will be no resistance at all. If they are full, you can feel a roundness and a tightness. Use a slow constant pressure, when you are successful you will know it. Have a paper towel or washcloth handy. This takes practice and it is not for the faint of heart. GOOD LUCK ,your dog will appreciate it.

Another Great Grooming Tip!

Brush your pit bull? Nah! What you need is a hound glove or sometimes known as a grooming mitt. They use these on horses as well so they dont call it a hound glove in the horse department. You should be able to pick one up for $5.00 or less. Sometimes they are cloth with a rubber front, the better ones are all rubber. They have little raised rubber nibs that grab the shedding hair as you groom. It will knock off dirt and as you go it massages the skin and distributes the essential body oil. The dogs like it and they work very well. That's all there is to this session.

A note from our favorite groomer!

Bully Bath Time for the sensitive and hopelessly allergic. I have two favorite shampoos I use for these circumstances. Both are highly effective and can be used as a general purpose shampoo to keep your dogs skin and coat in great condition. We will start with MICRO TEK shampoo made by Eqyss Grooming Products. This stuff is awesome and I use it on myself as well. I buy it locally at Southern States in the horse department. You can order it for dogs but the bottle is half the size and costs about the same as the large horse bottle. Exact same product. The technology was developed by NASA for decontamination of the astronauts. Its a little pricey but it goes a long way and does the job. It is cruelty free, environmentally friendly and smells like a day at the beach. It soothes on contact and will not sting or hurt open wounds. You can use this product as often as necessary and it will not harm the skin or coat. They also make a companion spray or a gel if you need to treat the skin between baths. Shampoo number two is Fresh N Clean MEDI CLEEN by Lambert Kay. I order this on Amazon because I can find it for less than $4.00 a bottle. Depending on where you buy it, you may pay as much as $12.00 a bottle. I try to find it with free shipping as well and stock up. I love this stuff. It has somewhat of a medicated menthol odor that is quite soothing to the senses. A little extra bonus. It leaves the skin and coat in great condition and will slough off the dead skin like nobodies business if your dog has this issue as well. I couldn't manage without these two products. Give them a try, you wont be sorry.