Tips & Tricks

To help you and your Dalmatian we are putting together some Tips & Tricks

PURINES AND YOUR DALMATIAN
So, what are purines? Why do they cause problems, we all know they shouldn't be given in large doses to our Dalmatians........but do we know the reason why? Well, here is my best attempt at the explanation!

Technically speaking purines are a chemical structure. They are double ringed structures (they look like two rings put together) and these structures make up a type of base found in the nucleotides and also in the nucleic acids of plant and animal tissue. This means that purines are found in the DNA of plants and animals, including humans.

Purines are responsible in plants and animals, including in humans, for transferring genetic information, providing energy to the cells, and for cellular metabolism. They are a very important structure! Purines can have several other functions besides these. In fact, a certain purine is considered to cause the iridescence of fish scales and the white, shiny appearance of amphibian and reptile skin. And another type of purine is used for hormone signaling.

If you have ever seen the double helix structure of DNA, which looks like a twisted ladder, then you have seen purines, more or less! Purines are found in this DNA structure as well as are pyrimidines, which are just single ringed structures. So, knowing that plant and animal tissue has DNA, then you know that it also has purines and pyrimidines. Therefore, your dog will receive purines whenever you feed any type of plant or animal product.

The amount of purines however is varied among different plants and animals. Organ meats have the most concentrated level of purines, so this is why liver is especially bad to give to a Dalmatian. If you go to the site that was recommended by Manuela Buerge, which is http://www.thedca.org/Purines.txt, you will find a good list which specifies the foods lowest in purines.

You will also notice that lamb, fish, beef and poultry is listed as a moderate level. I have read in the past, but I don't remember which source, that lamb and fish are lowest, then chicken and beef is the meat highest in purine level. This explains why I use a lamb diet with my dogs, although I do believe that it is a gassier diet and I have considered switching to fish, but I don't know if I could handle the smell! In fact, I have a friend with deep chested dogs who stays away from lamb because of difficulties with bloat.

The reason that purines are so bad for Dalmatians, and other dogs do just fine with them is because Dalmatians seem to lack a certain enzyme called uricase, which is found in the liver. Uricase is usually used to break down purines into a normal urine product. With lacking or reduced amounts of uricase, uric acid is excreted as urine, instead of the normal dog urine product. My personal opinion, which has not yet been documented, is that this enzyme's level can vary between individual dogs. It may even be a genetic factor. I don't necessarily think it is black and white, no pun intended. Perhaps some Dalmatians are very lacking and some Dalmatians are slightly lacking in this enzyme. It stands to reason because some Dalmatians will immediately form stones, whereas some never will be stone formers.

Furthermore, the type of stones that Dalmatians most commonly form are very specific and related to acidic urine (resulting from the overexcretion of uric acid.) These are called urate uroliths. Dalmatians can also have urinary tract infections and form the type of stone associated with a basic pH of urine, called struvites, but the acidic form are more commonly found in Dalmatians. Vice versa is also true, other breeds can also have acidic urine and form urate uroliths. Basically the lack of this uricase causes the dog's urine to be more acidic. Acidic urine leads to stones. And more purines in a diet will therefore also lead to more acidic urine in this breed.

Another factor that I have to mention is stress. Results caused by stress could be confused with a dog that has a lack of this enzyme. Stressful conditions will also cause urinary tract infections in canines. And young dogs also can have an abundance of urinary tract infections, they sometimes will have very immature immune systems. So, I don't think that every Dal's urinary tract infection is necessarily due to purine levels.

I will also quickly mention that I also found that Dalmatians tend to have less efficient kidneys in comparison to other dog breeds when speaking of kidney reabsorption. Therefore, you should always provide plenty of water for your Dalmatian, and let them out as frequently as possible.

I have a paper that I did for a class on this topic as well, if anyone is interested in more information. Also, if I can help make anything more clear, please ask, it can be a little confusing! The Dalmatian Club Site also has some very good information on this: http://www.thedca.org/

I find this to be a very important topic to Dalmatian owners. I myself did not even know about these problems until the second year of Hannah's life, she was living large on liver and beefy products. Fortunately, I was lucky and she is not nearly as sensitive as some. To me initially it was a very vague problem, all that I knew was that purines were bad for Dalmatians, and somehow could lead to stones. In fact at first I didn't even know that much because one day a girl at the vet's office just told me not to feed Hannah pork. She stated that a friend of hers with a Dalmatian died after eating pork?!? I was a little shocked by that news. So I looked into it, quickly changed Hannah's food, and chose the pathway of uric acid formation in Dals as my research topic for my biochem class. As a result of this class, I think I now know more about this than I ever really wanted to!

From The Fine Canine 10/28/01

DEADLY EASTER HAM
At this (or any) holiday dinner, please take extra care in preventing your canine from ingesting discarded meat fat. Holidays are specifically dangerous since the meals are larger, so is the amount of scraps--and we know how tempting that can be to dogs. The canine pancreas is highly susceptible to "fat overload"--the leading cause of pancreatitis in dogs. While it is probable that some dogs have an underlying susceptibility since some dogs are more likely to get pancreatitis while others could eat everything in the trash can and be fine, please don’t take the chance. It can be fatal.

We recently read of a black lab getting into a kitchen trashcan and eating fat from the holiday ham. The next day she had had diarrhea and was vomiting blood. Her pancreas was destroyed attempting to process all that fat. The Vet pulled her through after spending 2 weeks at the vet hospital, but she slowly withered away. The once 90-pound Lab died while the owners held her 57-pound body in their arms. Protect your canine companions from themselves--all year round dispose of fats properly.

From DALSAVERS CONNECT THE DOTS… April 2001

DE-SKUNKER
You'd think that if you discovered the hands-down, bar-none best way for dealing with a pet who has been skunked, you'd be able to sell your formula for a tidy sum and be set for life, right?

Wrong. At least, that's not the way it worked for chemist Paul Krebaum, who found just such a magic formula a few years ago -- and hasn't gained anything but the gratitude of pet lovers for his troubles.

From Pet Connection 4/2/2000

COTTON BALL REMEDY
What do you do if your puppy (or mischievous older dog) gets into your holiday decorations and eats some of the glass ornaments? This potentially lethal mishap can darken even the brightest holiday season.

THE PROCEDURE

BEFORE the holiday go to a pharmacy and buy a box of cotton balls. Be sure that you get COTTON balls...not the cosmetic puffs that are made from man-made fibers. Also, buy a quart of half-and-half coffee cream and put it in the freezer. Should your dog eat glass ornaments. Defrost the half-and-half and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the Cream and feed them to your dog. Dogs under 10 lbs should eat 2 balls which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7. You may feed larger dogs an entire cotton ball at once.

Dogs seem to really like these strange treats and eat them readily. As the Cotton works its way through the digestive tract it will find all the glass pieces and wrap itself around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be caught and wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the intestines from damage by the glass. Your dogs stools will be really weird for a few days and you will have to be careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry appearance to the stool. If either of the latter symptoms appear you should rush your dog to the vet for a checkup but, in most cases, the dogs will be just fine.

This trick should work year round should your dog swallow a staple or other small sharp object, although we do recommend following the advice of your veterinarian.

Value Those Pearly Whites
Conventional veterinarians cite dental disease as the most common cause of bad breath and infection. Such ailments are typically treated with cleaning, medication, tartar-control food and treat, and tooth extraction.

Dental care is important to prevent cavities, gum disease and other illnesses. The buildup of tartar and other bacteria resulting from poor dental hygiene is a cesspool and potential source of infection, especially organ infection.

Prevention of dental disease is done by routine teeth brushing and using snacks that act as dental floss are important. Even if you only wipe off the outside of the teeth once a day with a wet washcloth or gauze, the rubbing is good for the guns and cleans tartar off. Enzymatic dog toothpaste is great for keeping teeth and gums clean and breath fresh. (Do not use human toothpaste as it contains a foaming agent that will upset a dog's stomach.) A little prevention and creative dental care will go a long way towards a happy, healthy pet.

Do you have a Dal that drops water all over when getting a drink?
I did, I was using place mats but water was under it and still all over the floor. Then I was told about using a boot tray. It works wonderful no water on the floor or under the boot tray. Any water that dogs drip goes in the boot tray and not on the floor plus the water dish is up just enough so the bowl is not sitting in water. They are very inexpensive to buy too! I love this, thanks Diane for telling me about it.

Donations:
We are greatly in need of donations to help rescue, spay/neuter, vaccinate and find homes for these Dalmatians. If you would like to make a donation, send a check or money order to the address below. All donations go directly toward rescue efforts. Please help and save a Dalmatian's life!