Dalissm Dalmatians

Exhibitors & Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of Dalmatians aka "Pets with social lives"
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All pedigree dogs have a genetic fault or two Dalmatians are not an exception. Their two biggest genetic faults being deafness, in about 10% of the breed, and Purine Urinary Stones, however there are also allergies such as "Dally Rash". On the plus side problems such as hip dysplasia, heart problems and problems with their brains being too big for their skulls (SM) are very rare. Other health problems such as fleas, phantom pregnancies etc are linked to any breed and are not Dally unique. Discussions with a good breeder who is a member of a Dalmatian breed club will reduce the chances of you getting a deaf or partially hearing Dalmatian, unless you want one of course, and the issue of urinary stones can normally be controlled with a good diet.

Purine Urinary Stones

The other main fault is Purine urinary stones, which should not be mistaken for urine insentience in older dogs or bitches that have been neutered too young. Nor should they be confused for kidney disease or renal failure.

A diet high in purine’s such as tinned sardines, liver and beef will result in stones at some point. However food such as wheat, soy and corn based foods are known to alleviate stone formation. Food manufacturers are very aware of the problem and if you go to any big pet store you will see on the bags of kibble that many are hyper-allergenic and low in purines. Pet food manufactures have spent millions on research and despite what you might read in the media the majority are perfectly fine for your pet. There are also raw meat diets (BARF) which are low in purines and possible allergy linked items – unless you are unlucky enough to have a Dal allergic to chicken. Try different foods that are high in natural ingredients that are hyper-allergenic, that your Dal likes and does not upset his / her stomach and stick to it. One breeder might recommend James Wellbeloved, another Whites and another BARF, go for what suits your Dalmatian, as with humans they all have different preferences and what suits one may not suit another which is why there are so many different brands on the market, most of which are made by only two or three manufacturers.

Naturally no matter which food you use ensure your Dal has plenty of fresh water which will also help reduce the possibility of stones.

There are two very good articles about Dalmatians in America being bred without the chance of getting stones, both of which are well worth a read Low Uric Acid (LUA) Fact Sheet and  LUA Debate however these dogs are not available yet in the UK. While it is not unheard of a Dal getting stones please be assured it is rare, sadly some people might get a couple of Dals who have had stones while others may never see a Dal with stones. As with human uric stones it is the luck of the draw and nothing you can pre-empt but it is something you can reduce the chances of by watching your Dals diet. Dalmatians are not fussy eaters and will eat most things; they do not need supplements if fed on a good diet.

Do watch you give your Dal plenty of fresh water when it is warm, and not many oily foods / supplements. Though be warned many Dals will turn their noses up to water with a hair in it, theirs! yet will happily drink from the toilet bowl or an old plant pot in the garden, don't try to understand it just ensure you have tried to be good by making sure they have plenty of fresh clean water.

 

The first stone is the one in the bladder scan and is a smooth stone, the third picture is of a rough stone, which as you can imagine is even more painful for the poor Dalmatian.

 

Research stuff:

This is only to be read if you love your Dal as it is quite sad, though not about a Dal it does give a history of what stones can do: Dog Bladder Stones - a successful case history.

 

Urolithiasis from Wikipedia

 

Bladder stones signs & symptoms

 

Bladder stones including pictures

 

Urinary stones

 

DNA testing

 

Feet:

 

Different breeds of dogs have different type of feet, you will have read in the Dalmatian Breed Standard that the feet should be “cat like”, the “cat like” foot is a result of short digital bones and means the Dalmatian requires less energy and is capable of great endurance, thus it being a great runner over long distances. It is not just the Dalmatian that has “cat like” feet but also the Akita, Doberman Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, Kuvasz, Newfoundland, Airedale Terrier, Bull Terrier, Keeshond, Finnish Spitz and Old English Sheep Dog.

It is important when choosing a Dalmatian that you check their feet as the feet is how your Dalmatian will absorb shock when running, climbing rocks on the beach, walking etc. If you’re Dalmatian has flat feet they will absorb shocks less affectively which will cause strain on their other bones, hips etc.

 

Hips:

 

Research shows that Hip Dysplasia tends to be a genetic fault – Dysplasia means abnormal so Hip Dysplasia literally translates as Abnormal Hip. Hip Dysplasia was first recorded in the 1930’s and was thought to be a rare condition; we now know that some breeds are prone to it. Thankfully Dalmatians tend not to suffer from Hip Dysplasia, though it is not unheard of in the breed. A lot of Dalmatians “creek” on movement but “creeking” does not necessarily mean your Dalmatian has Hip Dysplasia, if in doubt ask your vet. Both my Dals creek at times and both have been checked for Hip Dysplasia, thankfully neither have it.

Dalmatians are lucky in that they do not carry the gene that causes Genetic Hip Dysplasia however poor care can cause it so please ensure your Dalmatian does not get too little or too much calcium as a puppy – a good manufactured puppy food with have the correct amount of calcium for your Dal – ensure your Dalmatian has plenty of exercise, allowing for age (approximatley five minutes of formal exercise per month of age per day until about six months - until then they will get all the exercise they need from playing) and is not over feed and allowed to get fat as the extra weight, as in humans, will put pressure on your Dals hips. Research on Labrador’s show that a diet high in Protein can also be a cause Hip Dysplasia, again a good age related manufactured diet or a BARF diet will ensure your Dalmatian gets the correct amount of proteins for them.

 

 

 

                                               

 

Seasons & Phantom Pregnancies

 

Obviously phantom pregnancies are restricted to bitches and do not happen in males. One of the joys of a phantom is that you cannot predict it, and it is normal in the modern dog due to the way they have been bred over the years, except for some reason in African breeds.

Every six to nine months a bitch will come in to season and it is important to note the dates as by the third season there will be a pattern, which you need to know if you plan to breed your bitch after her second Birthday or if you are showing as you need to arrange shows around the non-season dates.

There are two parts to a season:

  1. Oestrus Cycle where the vulva swells and there will be a slight bloody discharge – Dalmatians are very clean so you might miss the bleeding, however you will not miss what is known as “baggy bum” between Dalmatian owners, where your bitch will have a noticeably baggy bottom. During this phase your bitch will not allow any male dog near her and she will keep her tail well between her legs if one does try in to with her, though if she fancies him she will flirt. Be warned you darling Dal could be a tad short tempered with other dogs if they get too close.
  2. The vaginal discharge changes from blood stained to straw coloured and ovulation occurs, this is when the bitch is most fertile. If you are in doubt walk near a male dog with your bitch and you will notice not only does she flirt but she becomes a total tart by raising her tail and inviting the male to reproduce with her, if you have a male puppy she might allow the pup to lick her bottom.

 

Now if your bitch was not mated (not allowed under the age of two) you could have a third extra stage:

Dioestrus is when the bitch becomes hormonally pregnant and she starts to produce female sex hormones, these stimulate prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary, which in turn stimulates milk production in the mammary glands as the brain has assumed that the bitch has become pregnant even though mating did not take place. Over the next two months she will produce more progesterone and have an increase in appetite, she may even appear to go through a labour.

As an owner you may notice approximately nine weeks after the bitches last season that she gets fussy about her diet for example preferring bland food, she may have fluid retention and her behaviour could change for example preferring to sleep for most of the day instead of playing, burying toys such as teddies in your bed, and pulling the stuffing out of teddies, or carrying them around like puppies. She might take to spending long periods washing you and caring for you as if you were her puppy.

You will also notice that your bitch develops very baggy boobs, and possibly leak milk, she will wash her “bits” more, and nearer the time that she would have given birth whine, complain for England, possibly tremble, nest build – this is great if she decides to nest build in your bedroom as she will take your quilt, pillows and anything else she can get hold of to make her “labour” comfortable. She could also become aggressive and very protective. The symptoms should settle within a few weeks.

Spaying does not always resolve the problem as your bitch could continue having phantom pregnancies. There are several treatments available from Galastop from your vets – it is a prescription only medication and about £45 for 15ml, you need 10mls per day per 10kg of bitch poured over food, for example a 30kg dog will need 3ml for five to seven days. There are also natural products such as eve of primrose for levelling hormone production to raspberry leaf from Dorwest. It has been suggested that you should reduce food intake for 48 hours and stop all fluids for the same period when milk starts being produced but the obvious problem here is a serious possibility of dehydration.

                                  

This is not the clearest of photos but you should be able to make out the baggy boobs associated with a phantom pregnancy, the angle is the angle of your bitches side to her chest. The other thing you might note is your bitch constantly washing her "bits" as if she was keeping herself clean for the birth process.