KENNEL NOTES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20851, 6 October 1937, Page 5

KENNEL NOTES

(By

“Foxie”)

The fourth annual Show of the South Canterbury Kennel Club is only a few weeks off, and no doubt everyone owning a dog will be busy putting every spare moment into grooming, trimming, and seeing that the animal will be in the pink of condition to battle for honours with the rest of his breed.

Although more than 1000 schedules were posted to dog owners inquiries are still coming to hand for a copy, showing that never before has such interest in a Dog Show been taken.

To show that the Kennel Club is not only interested in running shows, but has the welfare of dogs in general at heart, the Club, through Dr R. D. King, has been in communication with Mr L. Lopdell of Whareponga to find out all about the treatment of dogs with Serum Virus. The Club recognises the fact that the heavy mortality among working collies every year through distemper must mean hundreds if not thousands of pounds to the man on the land, musterers and drovers. The great trouble a year or so back was to get the Serum Virus out to New Zealand, but it has been greatly improved since then and to quote from Mr Lopdell’s letter “and now will keep its potency in cold storage for three months after arrival.” The cost of an injection with Serum Virus works out at 17/6, but one must remember that it is not a cure but a preventive and carries with it at least a 75 per cent guarantee success. The following is a copy of a circular prepared by the North Island Sheep Dog Tidal Assn. —It is pleasing to learn that there is much interest being evinced in the inoculation of dogs with the Serum Virus which has been tried out in other districts with a great measure of success among working sheep dogs. There is no reason why this inoculation should be confined to working sheep dogs only, as it would be to the advantage of all lovers, and breeders to get their dogs inoculated with this substance and try and abate the appalling loss among dogs through distemper. This serum virus is not a cure but a preventive and carries with it at least a 75 per cent success and has been found to have a9O per cent success. Last March there were about 45 dogs inoculated with it at the Hawkes Bay Showgrounds under the supervision of Mr Leo Lopdell with Mr A. Brodie M.R.C.V.S. who performed the operation and in almost every case it has been acclaimed a success. Another batch of Serum Virus is about to be ordered and will be distributed in three p’ ices in Hawkes Bay. Mr J. W. McGavcston, Waipukurau, Mr K. M. Ruddenklau, Te Rhue, and Mr K. Me Rae, Wairoa, will act as agents for the various districts and it would be as well for dog lovers to get in communication with any of these agents at once. On arrival of the substance Mr A. Brodie M.R.C.V.S. has kindly promised to visit each place and perform the operation of inoculation free of cost. It is expected that each dose will cost about 17/6. From the above it will be seen that the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Assn, is alive to the fact that distemper in dogs can be greatly relieved and subsequent loss to both farmer and fancier cut down to a minimum. The local Kennel Club is to be congratulated on bringing this matter before its members and the farming community.

The dog receives an injection of virus and after an interval of one hour or thereabouts is given an injection of anti-serum. There are objections to this method, but the advantages outweigh them. The principal objection is that the dog may go down with an acute attack of distemper, whereas the advantages are: (a) Inoculation of the dog is completed in an hour or two instead of being spread over four or five weeks, and only one visit by the veterinarian is required instead of three; (b) the inoculated dog can immediately be exposed to infection with very little danger; (c) dogs in the incubation stage can be safely injected (in such cases the dose of virus would be reduced or even witheld); (d) dogs in country districts could be safely brought to depots if this method were to be used.