Bad Boy Buggies

In the spring of 2007, I broke down and bought a Bad Boy Buggie. I have bought a lot of stuff for hunting over the years but the BBB has to rank as one of the all-time best purchases I have made.

First, let's get the bad points out of the way:

• It is too tall. They need to shave about 4" off the height
• It needs a light inside. When it is dark, it is hard to find the right button to push
• It cost too much. They are approaching $9000 nowadays.
• It needs to run faster. It ain't no speed demon but I think it runs about 15-20 mph.
• Heavy...about 1600 pounds
• It takes more room than an ATV to turn around.

But, the good points far outweigh these "cons":

• Quiet!
• Will go in mud and water up to say, 8 "
• Runs about 20 miles on a charge. I have never run mine down completly
• Carries four hunters easily
• We use it about as much around the house as I do hunting.

Overall, I would give the BBB a 9 out of 10 in meeting or exceeding expectations. I have driven to within 75 yards of a gobbling turkey and did not spook him. Yes, I did kill that one.

I have driven within 50 yards of feral hogs without spooking them. Yes, we did get into them.

The Buggy allows an older hunter like me to cover more ground, find more game, and just enjoy the hunt more. I have a friend who swears he kills more game ON the BBB than he does OFF the Buggy. My dogs love to ride on it and I use it for conditioning them prior to hunting season.

Is it a four-wheeler? No. If you need something to handle the mud in rice fields, go deep into a bad area to get a big buck, or really hog across logs in heavy mud, a true ATV would be better. But, for 99% of my hunting, it has been totally satisfactory.

More On Cruciate Problems

Since damaged ACL's (anterior cruciate ligaments) are so common, I wanted to expand a little on this situation in addition to the previous posts. A recent article in one of our journals, the Clinician's Brief by Dr. James Roush at Kansas State clarified some important points.

Medical journals refer to this problem as CCLR (cranial...same as anterior...cruciate ligament rupture), so that's what we will call it too. It is the most common cause of hind leg lameness in the hunting dog. If the torn cruciate in not repaired, permanent arthritis in the joint can occur.

There are some studies that show a genetic component of CCLR. While all dogs are at risk, larger active dogs have a higher incidence. It is unusual for a puppy to have this problem because their bones are still quite flexible. As a dog ages and his/her bones become more stiff, a sharp twisting of the knee (called the stifle) is more likely to put stress on the knee ligaments. There have been some researchers that think a mild bacterial infection may have a role in weakening the ligament. If a dog ruptures a ligament in one knee it often does the same thing in the opposite knee at a later time.

Typically, a dog with CCLR will be acutely lame for several days, get better, then become really lame in about a month. In our practice, we see both legs affected in about 20% of the dogs with CCLR.

Your veterinarian can diagnose the condition by manipulating the joint checking for abnormal movement or a firm swelling on the inside of the leg near the joint.

Treatment for CCLR is surgical. In studies done, 81% to 100% of large hunting type dogs will remain lame unless surgical correction is done. There are numerous surgical techniques for correction but they can all be broadly lumped into "outside the joint capsule" and "inside the joint capsule". In our practice, we only do the "outside" procedures. Typically, an implant of some sort, usually a very heavy nylon thread is used to stablize the joint. In the hands of more advanced surgeons, a procedue called a "TPLO" is currently the gold standard for CCLR correction. While the TPLO is considered the best procedure, some studies have shown no difference in long-term results using the "outside the joint" techniques versus TPLO or a newer surgery called a "TTA". Regardless, your veterinarian can guide you on the availabilty of TPLO/TTA procedures and their value compared to the "outside the joint" surgeries.

After any joint surgery, physical activity must be decreased for at least 8 weeks. Physical therapy for hunting dogs with CCLR repair has advantages because this therapy may get the dog back in the field quicker. Weight loss is also a part of the aftercare, even to the point of being a bit thin. Most dogs will be weight bearing on the surgery limb in less than a week and regain near normal gait within 6 weeks but total healing often takes up to 6 months.

The prognosis for CCLR repair is excellent with >90% of these dogs returning to normal function after surgery.

There is no known way to prevent CCLR except keeping your dog at an optimal weight, i.e. no overweight dogs.

Ear Diseases in Hunting Dogs

Several years ago, I was in a duck blind with a classmate from veterinary school. The ducks were slow, so we started talking about veterinary medicine, our practices, and life in general. I told my friend "I need to be a specialist in something; some problem that no one can solve." He replied "Labrador Retriever ears". We both laughed but there was a thread of truth in his assessment.

Chronic ear problems in hounds, pointers, setters, and retrievers can be frustrating for the owner and the doctor. I did not "specialize" in this area but I have learned some tips over the years that may help others deal with this frustration.

Ear infections can be broadly lumped into three categories: parasites, allergies, and infections. Infections can be further divided into yeast and bacterial infections.

The most common parasite is the well known ear mite. We used to see ear mites on a daily basis but currently, the use of topical flea products plus heartworm preventions has decrease the incidence of the little mite. The classic signs of ear mite infestations are head shaking and a dark brown discharge in the ear. Veterinarians can easily diagnose the mites with an otoscope or a microscope. Treatment is straight forward with one of several ear mite medicines available. The newer ones are three times stronger than the over-the-counter products and we have actually seen cases of ear mites resolve in 2-3 days with the right medicine.

If a dog has skin allergies they tend to have ear problems. The ear is lined with a type of "skin", so it follows that these allergic situations cause problems in the ear. The most common allergy in hunting dogs is called "atopy". Much like hay fever in people, atopy is the result of an allergy-causing molecule being inhaled in the nose! It is rarely something the dog is in contact with but occasionally, it can be a food allergy to something they are eating. The treatments for atopy are wide ranging and variable from doctor to doctor. But, they fall into two basic approaches: blood testing the dog and "vaccinating" the dog for the allergy (called "hyposensitization") or controling the situation with anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. cortisone. Hyposensitization is the gold standard but it is expensive and takes weeks or months to complete. Many owners elect to just give the dog something to control the allergies. This can be cortisone type drugs via an injection or tablets given at home. Another, non-cortisone drug called cyclosporine is also useful in these dogs. It costs more but has fewer side effects. Regardless of your doctor's approach, these anti-inflammatory drugs decrease itching, redness, etc. helping reduce the irritation in the ears.

Yeast infections are very common in all hunting dogs' ears. These infections can be diagnosed with a simple examination under the microscope of a swab of the goop in the ear. Treatment varies from doctor to doctor but there are several excellent medications for treating yeast infections and, typically, the clear up readily. Alas, they are notorious for recurring, especially if the underlying allergy problems are not addressed. (Yeast infections are often secondary to those allergies mentioned above.)

In the past, we saw a lot of bacterial infections in hunting dog ears. In retrospect, most of those infections were probably yeast because thirty years ago, we did not know much about yeast infections in the ear. Regardless, there are a number of topical ear medicines that treat bacterial infections in the ear. Ideally, the doctor will take a swab of the pus and culture it to determine the exact germ causing the problem and also determine the best antibiotic to use for the infection. At times, we use the "shotgun approach" using a broad-spectrum drug that will successfully treat a wide range of bacteria but, again, the optimal approach is the lab work to determine the best course of treatment.

Prevention of ear problems in hunting dogs is, of course, the best approach. There are lots of old home remedies like white vinegar (lowers the pH of the ear via the mild acetic acid level) to plain old alcohol (not recommended). Personally, I clean my dogs ears once per month (I am lazy) but every week would be much better. Use a piece of cotton (no Q-Tip), a product like Aurocin (available from your vet but cheap) to physically clean the ear. Splash a bunch of the liquid down in the ear; rub the ear a bit, and let it dry the ear up.

One other thing: look in your dog's ears once weekly to catch problems before they get serious. Takes a second and saves you money and the dog discomfort.

Should I Vacccinate My Dogs for Lepto

When I graduated from veterinary school in 1970, we vaccinated every puppy for Leptospirosis. Over time, the incidence of Lepto decreased to the point that vaccination seemed unnecessary so most veterinarians deleted the vaccine from our core program.

About 6 years ago, the number of Lepto cases began increasing but the problem was that the newer cases were caused by a different "strain" of the organism than the old vaccine contained. Eventually, vaccine manufacturers developed new vaccines that used the more recent germs that were causing the disease. As a result, we have updated our vaccination protocol to include Lepto vaccine in some dogs.

Here is my reco: If you dog is a outdoor type, i.e. hunting or field trial dog, vaccination with the new Lepto vaccine is important. The newer strains are carried by deer, cattle, and horses, in addition to the rodents that have always carried the disease. In the past, if a dog was not exposed to rat/mouse urine, there was little reason to vaccinate for Lepto. But, with the new vaccines, dogs that hunt around deer and livestock are at risk.

If your veterinarian recommends Lepto vaccine, make sure the vaccine contains "all four serovars". Lepto vaccine is a bactrin which is an older technology. As a result, it does not give the long-term protection that vaccines for viral diseases do. We give two vaccinations about 30 days apart and at least one annual booster to insure protection. Leptospirosis is a serious disease that can damage many organs but especially the kidneys. I think the vaccine is worth it and routinely give it to my own dogs.

Choosing a Dog Food for Hunting Season

There are books written about this subject, so I will try to capture the facts as closely as possible in this short post.

Rule #1: It is all about energy. Energy equals calories. Calories allow the dog to have stamina, hunt with its mouth closed for better scenting, and calories allow the dog to maintain its body weight over a hard hunting season.

For all practical purposes, for our dogs, energy/calories comes down to fat. The percentage of fat in the diet on an as fed basis (that means what the Ingredient Label says) is the key. Think in terms of 20% minimum. You see, fat is energy "dense". There are a lot of calories in a small quantity. So, a dog can eat a normal amount of food and get a lot more calories per bite/cup/bowl etc. It is more difficult to provide these calories with a lower fat food because the dog just won't eat that much quantity.

Rule #2: Start early. Research documents that the little fuel-burning part of the muscle cell (called the mitochondria) takes about 8 weeks to acclimate to the higher fat diet. Typically, I start my own dogs on a high-fat "performance" type food exactly eight weeks before hunting season or the beginning of serious training.

Rule #3: Keep it up. Feed the performance type food, at least 20% fat, throughout hunting season. There is really no reason for a dog to lose 10-15% of its body weight even with hard, daily hunting. It is quite possible to maintain normal body condition if the nutrition is there.

Rule #4: Protein is important too. Daily work can be detrimental to muscle mass. Muscle is made from protein, so this ingredient is important if the dog is to maintain healthy muscle tissue. The standard reco is 30% protein. There is an old wives' tale that high protein diets "burn a dog's kidneys up". This is totally false. Studies on dogs fed up to 50% protein diets have not increased the incidence of kidney disease. Now, it is true that once a dog HAS kidney disease, they may benefit from a lower protein level. But, high dietary protein does not cause kidney disease.

Protein can come from many sources. Animal-based proteins like beef, pork, lamb, etc. are available as are plant-based proteins like soybean meal. To me, the optimal protein source for hunting dogs is chicken. One reason is that there is a lot of chicken available. The huge broiler industry provides humans and animals with a large source of protein so it is easier for a pet food manufacturer to purchase high-quality protein if they use chicken. I like chicken in my dog's food.

Rule #5: Carbs are somewhat important. Dogs don't have a minimum carbohydrate requirement. But, since carbs are less expensive than protein, manufacturers correctly use some carbs (grains) to provide optimal nutrition but keep the per bag cost affordable. Corn, wheat, and other grains can provide carbs for dog food. But, my choice is always rice. Rice is easily digestable; provides a quick glucose response (blood sugar goes up faster), and is ideal for hard working dogs.

Bottom Line: Beginning 8 wks before hunting season, switch your dog to a 20% fat, 30% protein diet made up of chicken and rice. Feed this food throughout hunting season. You will be doing all you can do nutritionally for your dog if you follow this advice.

Upcoming Topics

Timing the mating in dogs

Supplements for Hunting Dogs

Modular Kennels

Controlling Internal Parasites

Conditioning the Hunting Dog

Raising Healthy Puppies

Heartworm Prevention

Since we work with a lot of large hunting dog kennels, a common request is for us to "mix up some heartworm stuff in the lab for us to use". What they want is a cattle dewormer, Ivomec, mixed in a vehicle for heartworm prevention. Ivomec's active ingredient is ivermectin, the same active ingredient in many brand name heartworm preventatives.

On paper, and in real life, this off-label product will, in fact, prevent heartworms. But, the legal ramifications for a licensed DVM to provide this off-label product is complex. First, the FDA allows veterinarians to "compound" drugs for special situations where there is no alternative. But, with heartworm prevention, there are many labeled products available for this use. As a result, the FDA looks negatively on mixing heartworm prevention in the back room just to save a client money.

Secondly, if an owner is using this cattle product on their dog to prevent heartworms, there is a myriad of legal issues if the dog either gets sick from the product or gets heartworms while on this medication.

As a result, we have quit providing this back-room mixture to our clients. The good news is that since the patent has run out on the ivermectin-based brand name products, the costs have decreased substantially.

If you own a large kennel, you may be tempted to get a friend or even your veterinarian to mix you up some of the cattle product to save money. I recommend that you be very cautious in this approach because you are out on a limb if problems arise.

Everyone likes to save money, including me. But, there is a false economy at times and, with heartworm preventions, you are truly better off using the right stuff.