Beth's Page

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Beth... My love for bulldogs and the English bloodlines started back in the mid-1950's when my father bought me my first bulldog for Valentines Day. Since then, our family has always had at least one bulldog in residence. My first bulldog, Thunder , set in my mind the vision of the "ideal" bulldog. He traveled with us everywhere, went camping and hiking, lived in Iowa without the benefit of air conditioning, and lived to be 13 years old. I still expect my bulldogs to be able to do likewise, which can be a pretty lofty standard to try to maintain. Once we settled in the middle of Michigan, my husband, Phil, and I started our "Wimsey" line of bulldogs using "English" bloodlines. We spend time in the UK each year and have imported two dogs from the UK. We are both members of the Bulldog Club of America, Detroit Bulldog Club, Toledo Bulldog Club, The Bulldog Club Inc. [UK], London Bulldog Society [UK], Ingham County Kennel Club [Phil is President], and the Greater Lansing Obedience Training Club [Beth is a Board Member]. We follow the Code of Ethics for all the Clubs of which we are members. We host and do programming for the BCA On-Line database, actively show our dogs and I teach all-breed conformation handling classes.

TRAVELING WITH BULLDOGS DURING HOT WEATHER

Now that summer is rapidly approaching and along with it family vacations, traveling and hot weather, it's time to think about precautions you need to take and what you need to pack when you take your bulldog along. The first thing to remember, whether you are traveling with a bulldog or any other breed of dog, is to never leave your dog in the car unattended in hot weather. The car interior can heat up to over 100 degrees very quickly. Many dogs have been lost to heat stroke when their owner left them in the car for a quick stop at the grocery store, etc. . Also, if you leave your dog in your vehicle with the air conditioning running, be sure to periodically check to make sure that the car is staying cool. Occasionally the compressor will freeze up on the air conditioning unit and the cool air will be replaced by hot air. Also, do not let your dog stick its head out of the window-this may lead to eye or ear injuries. When you are traveling with your bulldog and you make a stop for some exercise, please keep an eye on your bulldog to make certain it hasn't gotten stung by a bee or wasp. Some bulldogs are highly allergic to insect stings and depending on the location of the sting may develop breathing problems quickly. If your bulldog is stung, keep a close eye on your dog, looking for signs of swelling and respiratory distress. If you see signs of swelling and/or respiratory distress, give your bulldog 25 mg of Benadryl for 20 to 25 lbs. of body weight, place ice on the swollen spot, and contact a veterinarian. Keep in mind that bee, wasp, yellow jacket and hornet stings may produce allergic reactions. Scorpion stings, tarantula, black widow and brown recluse spider bites will almost certainly produce an allergic reaction. If you know that your bulldog is allergic to insect stings, you might want to get a prescription for a "bee sting kit" from your veterinarian. If you are traveling across state lines, you should check ahead and see what type of health certifications may be required for your bulldog. Some states, such as Wisconsin, require that your dog have a current rabies vaccination. It is usually wise to travel with your dog's vaccination records. If you are traveling into Canada, you will also want to have a Health Certificate issued by your veterinarian prior to your trip. Things that we pack when traveling with our dogs during the summer months are: *Ice chest filled with ice *1 gal of water per dog *Towels *Sun screening *"Space" blanket *Battery operated fans [one per dog] *Instant "ice" or "cool" packs *"Cool" mats [see Body Cooler Website] *Rubbing alcohol [2 bottles per dog] *First aid kit [which includes Benadryl (pills and liquid), syringe (for liquid Benadryl), tweezers, aspirin, Band-Aids, vet wrap, sterile gauze pads, scissors, "Prednisone" from our vet, hydrogen peroxide, Pepto-Bismal, antibiotic ointment, Terramycin eye ointment, ice cap, ice throat bag] . We keep our first aid kit in a red insulated bag so that if it's needed all we need to do is yell "get the red bag" and anyone would be able to find it. When we are at a dog show and our dogs are going to spend some time in our vehicle, we use the sun screening mesh to cover our vehicle [top and sides] with the space blanket [reflective side out] covering the front windshield. This combination keeps the interior of our van noticeably cooler then the outside temperature. We leave the van windows open and turn on the battery operated fans. Our dogs travel in wire crates with grates during the summer months. This allows good air circulation all around [including from underneath] and in extremely hot weather or in case of a vehicle breakdown, you can place ice in the trays for added "cool" for the dogs. Wet towels can also be placed on your bulldog to help keep him or her cool and in instances where your bulldog might be starting to overheat, rubbing alcohol poured over your bulldog's pads will cool your bulldog faster then water because it evaporates much faster. When traveling with your bulldog this summer, please take the time to plan ahead, prepare for any type of emergency, and enjoy traveling with your bulldog.

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