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Posted

we have siberians in israel in the desert and they have no problems whatsoever; their underfur never really develops (not good if u show them), give them a small pool to play in and free water and shade, they do fine. its the squishy nosed dogs that have a problem in heavy, humid, heat: like scrunchy nosed boxers, pugs, bulldogs and some very heavy mollosser types ...

thais' motivation for keeping pets is self gratification pure and simple - the animal's interests don't count.

same motivation as any other human that keeps pets... for personal enjoyment, pleasure, or work, or all three.

bina

israel

Posted

porblems occur rather from in-breeding, mass-breeding or breeding dogs which have already health problems. hot and humid climate can cause trouble for longish furred dogs like siberian, gsd, goldens, cocker etc by fungus and other skin/ear problems which has to be watched always. flies/maggots love this and are often overlooked first as the hair covers them. if you really want to exercise your dog here you are confined to early morning hours or evening/night.

if i have to visit the vets it is always with the purebreed dogs, hardly ever with 'soidog'mixes. they are better suited for this kind of climate, are usually sturdy and fit - and have a longer life expectancy than most breeds :o

Posted

Actually, the only Husky I've ever seen here was owned by a foreigner. Why someone would bring such a dog to this climate, I have no idea but it does seem cruel.

There was a St Bernard in Hadrin a few years ago and I know that the poor dog had major skin issues, as well as maggots and ended up having to be kept shaved so as to keep these problems in check. But given the strain on the poor dogs heart from the heat and its size, it didn't live very long after all, certainly not to the 8-10 years usually given for these dogs.

Whereas my dog, Scruffy, a local dog is about 16. Sure he's had some health issues (arthritis mostly but a bad bout with tick fever this year) but compared to the big imported dogs he's been a picture of health. Only time he's ever had to go the vet (besides being neutered) was when the neighbor dog attacked him and he had to get stitches in his neck and with the tick fever. In 16 years. No skin issues, no illnesses, no mange, nothing.

Something to consider when getting a dog is that local dogs are supremely adapted for this climate whereas dogs like the Husky, the St Bernard, etc were bred for something completely different.

**** Nice site btw. very informative :o ****

Posted

Isn't it that the first of all the soi dogs are generally stronger than pure breeds BECAUSE they are not not overly over- and inbred. From the strays the weakest one die at an early age and the stronger ones, the ones with the strongest immune systems, survive and reproduce.

Health issues, such as recurrent ear infections, fungal infection, all sorts of skin problems, arthritis, maggots, are all a result of a weakened immune system.

Shaving a dog will not cure the chronic diseased condition, but it does help to notice the infections quicker and with all sorts of methods keep it in check.

Arthritis is a form of chronic disease. It is also one of the symptoms of an advanced weakened immune system as result of chronic tick disease.

Currently I have an 8 year old St. Bernard in boarding. I know this dog since he was 1 1/2 years old. He has chronic tick disease, and since half a year he has more and more health issues. This is clearly a sign that his immune system is deteriorating. :o

Posted

Yes, I think the same thing about Scruffy Nienke, but, he is also 16 years old and that is an extremely advanced age for a Thai dog. So, given that he's had about 15 years of nearly perfect health, I don't feel I can complain too much. I would think that in a dog of this advanced age arthritis and stiffness would be the norm and not necessarily a sign of chronic tick disease?

Posted (edited)

could very well be the bloodparasite transmitted from ticks which causes the arthritis. to be sure i would have a bloodtest done, it is a quick test of 5 mins at the vets for at least ehrlichiosis. if scruffy is healthy otherwise (liver, kidney, stomach) then after a positive result with bloodparasite you could try a doxycyline cure against it for about 4weeks.

of course scruffys age will show also signs, could be too. i haven't got a dog which is that old, the oldest dog here is a gsd of about 11 yrs. he is a bit stiff and not as fast anymore but then this is normal in this breed at later age.

Edited by elfe
Posted

No, he has just been treated for tick disease but has had the arthritis for some time now, he was quite ill from the tick disease but is recovering now, I expect due to his advanced age. It just seems odd to me that a dog of his age wouldn't naturally arthritis without it necessarily being from tick disease.

But now I have hijacked this thread which was supposed to be about the dog website, sorry!!

Posted

Just for the record; I didn't say that that the athritis in Scruffy is caused by the tick parasites. It is possible, it is also possible that the tick disease contributes to it.

However, arthritis is a result of chronic disease and NOT of old age. Many of the illnesses that become visible at an older age are symptoms of chronic disease.

Nonetheless, 16 years for Scruffy is a wonderful age. :o

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