TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Board Policy on Dogs at
Club Sponsored Events
2. February Meeting Information
3. January Minutes
4. Pet Microchipping
5. Online Breeder Classifieds (AKC)
6. Danger of Deramaxx
7. Brags
8. This Really Says It All
BOARD POLICY ON
DOGS AT CLUB SPONSORED EVENTS
The GSDC of Greater Raleigh welcomes your German
Shepherd at our events, including meetings. However,
the following rules must be followed:
1. Anyone with an aggressive dog (one that growls,
snaps, or is in any way aggressive towards other dogs or
people) must be muzzled.
2. Dogs will be free of loose hair and external
parasites (fleas or ticks). Please brush your dog prior
to bringing it to the meeting as we must clean up the
room after we are finished.
3. For the safety of all members, guests and their dogs,
it is strongly recommended that all dogs be kept up to
date on their vaccinations. ALL dogs that are old
enough, MUST have a current rabies shot.
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FEBRUARY
MEETING INFORMATION
The next meeting of the German Shepherd Dog Club of
Greater Raleigh will be held on Wednesday, Febrtuary 2,
at the Exchange Park on Spring Forest Road. As most
of you know, we hold our meetings on the First Wednesday
of each month, with Socialization of the dogs, members
and guests at 7:00 PM and the meeting starting at 7:30
PM. Refreshments will be furnished this month by Mary
Bjelica.
Our program will be given by Sheriff Donnie Harrison, ,
Phyllis A Stephens the Public Information Director of
the Wake County Sheriff’s Office along with police
officer Sgt Tom Hawley and his German Shepherd Jet.
The program will be on the use of German Shepherds in
the Sheriff’s Office with a demonstration by Tom and
Jet.
Sheriff Harrison has long been recognized as one of Wake
County’s top canine search and rescue handlers. He has
trained his own dogs and has voluntarily offered his
services to find lost Alzheimer’s patients, lost
children, and to track down criminal suspects for local
law enforcement agencies.
We hope all our members will make an effort to attend
this very interesting program, and bring a friend.
(along with your German Shepherd).
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MINUTES OF
THE JANUARY MEETING
The January 5, 2005 meeting of the GSDC of Greater
Raleigh was held at the Exchange Park.
Program: Club member Vicki Brown, who judges CGC and
Rally, talked about the great need for volunteers to act
as stewards at obedience events. Sometimes events are
cancelled because of the shortage of stewards and she
encouraged those interested in the sport to consider
participating. Vicki talked about how to be a good
steward in the obedience ring and what a big help it was
to judges if the stewards know what to expect in
advance. A good start would be to get a copy of the new
obedience regulations from the AKC (e-mail order desk @AKC.com-cost
is $2.00) to learn exactly what each event entails. The
3 types of stewards are table stewards, gate stewards
and ring stewards. This is a good way to decide if you
ever want to exhibit, a chance to give something back to
the sport, and a good way to eventually become a judge.
Vicki recommends that if you might be interested in
participating, attend the Tar Heel Circuit at the
Raleigh Fairgrounds in March to see what is expected of
stewards. Also don’t forget we will be needing help
with our own obedience and rally events at our club show
April 2 and 3.
Business Meeting: President Deeda Duncan talked about
on-going classes members are having at their homes
informally to prepare the dogs for conformation shows.
It is a very enjoyable way to spend a Saturday
afternoon, with great socialization of the dogs, and a
small luncheon for the members who attend. All
interested members or guests are invited to attend .
A donation to the SPCA of $100 was recommended as well
as a donation to sponsor a class at the GSDCA Futurity
of $75.
Bill Pfeiffer will represent our club at the
Tailwaggers Association which is having it’s first
meeting in Burlington. He is our representative at the
Raleigh Kennel Club as well.
The club is currently looking for ideas on where to have
our Christmas dinner meeting this year. The sooner we
make this decision the more likely we will be to get the
date we want so please give your suggestions as soon as
possible.
The show committee has been meeting-Steve Martin and
Frank Sanders volunteered to handle grounds set up and
clean up. Rosemary is serving as Show Secretary. Pat
is doing trophies, ribbons and judges gifts. Bill
Pfeiffer has accepting serving on the club board as
board member.
A Second reading was made for the following prospective
members: Steven and Roberta Martin,
and Doug Parker
Treasurer’s Report: Sara Bridges reported the club
balance at $5,543.20. A reminder: Club dues for 2005
are due now. Please remit to Sara. Cost is $20 for
individual and $25 for a couple.
Brags: Frank has 7 new puppies now 3 weeks old.
EUROPE - PET MICROCHIPPING Europe and all of its trading
partners have now mandated microchipping as a condition
of positive identification. This rule applies to pets
being shipped in and out of the EU. Switzerland's
Federal Council has taken this even further. The Swiss
introduced compulsory microchipping for all dogs. Their
goal is to have all dogs clearly marked by 2007.
Currently about 25% of all Swiss bred dogs are
microchipped. It is already mandatory in five of the
country's 26 counties. The US government might consider
a microchip requirement for pets being shipped if the
bio threat level increases. This will impact those who
ship their dogs/cat to shows etc. My suggestion is to
chip your pets now and enroll them in the AKC Companion
Animal Recovery database. There are many microchips that
are available. Go for price. AKC/CAR enrolls all of
them. When it comes to the recovery of lost pets,
AKC/CAR recovers one every eight minutes. This is a
small investment to protect your pets. Take your dog to
your vet or order your microchips from a catalog and do
it yourself. The key is where you enroll the
microchip. There are many databases in the US. Many will
go out of business when they find that this is not
profitable leaving the owners stranded. AKC was founded
in 1884 and it will be here long after the
others have closed their doors. Those interested in
knowing more or in how to host a clinic, call Kim Rose,
% AKC, Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) Tel:
919-816-3831.
A point some of the members who do not have their dogs
microchipped might bear in mind are the following: If
you get your dogs microchipped, and have them OFA
Certified, any progeny they may produce in the future,
will have the OFA status on the AKC Registration
papers.
Also, if a natural disaster such as a hurricane, etc.
should occur or your animal should get lost. You will
have a better chance of having him/her returned to you
as your dog will be identified by the microchop
ONLINE BREEDER
CLASSIFIEDS (AKC OBC)
ONLINE BREEDER CLASSIFIEDS (AKC OBC) A new web-based
service designed to help breeders of AKC-registerable
puppies together with potential pet owners. A breeder of
an AKC-registered litter in good standing with the AKC
may place a listing on the site by selecting the OBC
option on the Litter Registration form or by returning
the OBC application they receive in their litter
registration kit or via the AKC web site at
www.akc.org/classified. These listings have been
available since late October 2004.
They include the breeders' contact information and
details about the litter (such as birth date, number of
males/females, sire and dam names, titles, DNA and OFA).
Potential puppy buyers may search the database by breed,
state, or zip code and then contact the breeder directly
for more information.
In addition, to assist potential puppy buyers in making
informed decisions and to allow breeders to showcase the
quality of their breeding programs, each listing will
feature a "Breeder Profile." Breeders may indicate if
they:
* Are a member of their breed's AKC Parent Club/local
specialty club or an AKC All-Breed club?
* Conduct health screenings and guarantee the puppy's
health
* Provide a written bill of sale
* Accept puppies back if any issues arise
* Have breeding stock DNA certified by the AKC
* Provide puppy buyers with important information like
advice on socialization, exercise, training, feeding,
immunizations and vet care at the time of sale
While searching the listings, visitors to the site will
be exposed to various information that will help them
make informed decisions about finding the right breed
for their lifestyle, identifying and choosing a
responsible breeder (including the primary source of
looking for a puppy which is through the Parent Club and
their Breeder Referral) and the responsibilities of
being a dog owner. This information will be presented
prior to allowing the visitor to run a search. In
addition, a list of questions that prospective buyers
should ask the breeder will automatically be included in
the listing report when the user prints the search
results.
This site provides yet another opportunity to assist pet
owners, and at the same time, educate them about dog
ownership, the value of AKC registration, the benefits
of AKC clubs and the many other resources within the AKC
network. Most importantly, it encourages prospective
buyers to make informed decisions by visiting the
breeder's home; seeing the litter, dam, and possibly the
sire; and, the environment in which the puppies are
raised. Breeders seeking more information should visit
www.akc.org/classified or call AKC Customer Service
at 919-233-9767.
Subject: US FDA: Novartis Late with Dog Painkiller
Reports (Deramaxx)
_http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6762163/_ (
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6762163/)
Reuters
Updated: 5:50 p.m. ET Dec. 28, 2004
WASHINGTON - Novartis AG failed to give the government
prompt, accurate reports about deaths of dogs treated
with a painkiller in the same class of medicines now
linked to heart problems in humans, U.S. regulators have
charged in a letter.
The problems with submissions involving the pain drug,
Deramaxx, were among several violations of reporting
requirements for Novartis animal drugs, the Food and
Drug Administration said.
Deramaxx is a COX-2 inhibitor approved for relieving
arthritis and post-surgical pain in dogs.
Similar drugs for people are under heavy scrutiny after
studies associated them with heart attacks and strokes.
One of the drugs, Merck & Co Inc.'s Vioxx, was pulled
from the market because of safety risks.
Death has been reported "in rare situations" when dogs
were treated with Deramaxx, according to the drug's
label instructions.
Joseph Burkett, a spokesman for Novartis Animal Health
Services, said the cardiovascular problems linked to
COX-2 drugs for people were "not an issue" for dogs, as
canine hearts have different physiology from those of
humans. "The findings on COX-2s (for people) are
absolutely unrelated to" Deramaxx use in dogs, he said.
The FDA, in a warning letter dated Nov. 29, said a
January 2004 inspection at a Novartis animal health
facility in North Carolina found "significant deviations
from adverse drug experience reporting requirements."
Novartis should have forwarded complaints about deaths
and health problems in dogs given Deramaxx and other
drugs within 15 working days, but in some cases delayed
as long as 10 months, the FDA said. Some reports,
including ones involving deaths, appeared to have
incorrect dates, the FDA said.
"Novartis failed to submit timely and accurate
information to the FDA regarding serious (adverse drug
experiences) associated with the administration of its
FDA-approved animal drug product Deramaxx ... during
its first year of marketing," the FDA said.
Deramaxx is known generically as deracoxib. Novartis
started correcting problems immediately after the
January inspection and has given the FDA a detailed
response to the letter, Burkett said. "We have changed
our internal processes to match the expectations of the
FDA," he said.
The FDA sends dozens of warning letters per year. Most
of the issues raised are resolved without further
regulatory action, although the letters sometimes lead
to tougher steps such as product seizures.
Subject: Re: Fwd: Fw: US FDA: Novartis Late with Dog
Painkiller Reports
(Deramaxx)
I believe the problem they are/were experiencing with
Deramaxx is/was GI perforation. This is a known
complication of NSAID administration, but there seemed
to be an increased incidence with this formulation in
dogs.
Company reps gave a talk to interested faculty at NC
State's vet school, and I went to it just out of
interest because of my own dogs. It appeared that the
problem was more likely to occur when dogs were treated
with higher doses or had been on it longer or had
previously been treated with other NSAIDs and/or
steroids.
Regarding the statement that COX-2 inhibitors would not
pose a similar heart problem in dogs, I would disagree.
While it is true that we do not see coronary artery
disease in dogs the way we do in people, the issue is
that COX-2 inhibitors appear to inhibit inflammatory
vasodilator prostaglandins, while not inhibiting
"normal" (ie constituitive) production of prostenoids
from platelets, including thromboxane. So the worry is
that these selective NSAIDs may end up promoting a
hypercoaguable state because they interfere with the
balance between vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Older
NSAIDs that inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2 inhibit both
sides (constituitive and induced). I believe that the
idea that certain brands of COX-2 inhibitors may cause
this problem while others do not is hogwash. The problem
is in the basic pharmacology of the drugs, not the trade
formulation.
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BRAGS
Yvette Ward submitted the following brags to the Club :
Koda von Jagerstadt achieved her a new title this past
weekend. She now has her Junior herding title. This
involves her picking up her sheep, moving them through 3
gates and then re-penning them without any gripping.
Also JJ Fairways Justice von Jagerstadt has his
Preliminary X-Rays of OFA good and Elbows normal
at 8 months,,,
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SUBJECT:
THIS REALLY SAYS IT ALL
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was
enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him
that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him
had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was
leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall
along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch
that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before
it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked
like Mother of Pearl, and the street that led to the
gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got
closer, he saw a man at a
desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called
out, "Excuse me, where are
we?"
"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.
"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man
asked.
"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some iced
water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my
friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in too?" the
traveler asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the
road and continued the way he had been going with his
dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long
hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm
gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There
was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning
against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any
water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there".
The man pointed to a place that couldn't be seen from
outside the gate.
"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the
dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate and sure enough, there was an
old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The
traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself,
then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he
and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing
by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," was the answer.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man
down the road said that was Heaven, too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly
gates? Nope. That's
Hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use Heaven's name
like that?"
"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just
happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their
best friends behind."
IF YOU HAVEN’T SENT IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2005,
PLEASE DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THAT’S IT FOR THIS MONTH EVERYONE, WE HOPE TO SEE ALL
OF YOU AT OUR VERY SPECIAL FEBRUARY MEETING NEXT
WEDNESDAY. PAT. THE EDITOR