K9 Magazine: Probably The Single Most Disgusting Thing I’ve Ever Seen
For those of you – like me – who like to casually thumb through your copy of K9 Magazine page by page rather than read each word on every page in a start to finish, orderly fashion, you may have experienced what I did if you have recently picked up a copy of the most recent edition.
Now, I appreciate that as the editor of said publication it really shouldn’t come as a shock to see something in your own magazine when it arrives in your sweaty little paws for the first time. But a shock is exactly what I got when I began flicking through the latest copy.
You see, I don’t always see the images that go in to the magazine before it goes to print. Very often I order the articles, answer any questions our contributors may have and generally my role on the magazine is then, lots of meetings and, erm, I,……well,,,,,,,,ok I don’t do anything! There, I said it. I just stick my name in the magazine and hog all the damn credit for the hard work of others!
Ahh. A weight lifted.
But moving on.
I was flicking through this edition and I had cause to stop suddenly. I spotted something on one of the pages which caught me quite by surprise. I had NO idea what it was I had just seen.
At first I thought it was a dog toy.
But why was it in the health section?
Then I thought it was a draft excluder.
But why would that be in a dog magazine at all?
Then I looked at the title of the piece: Life Threatening Lungworm.
Oh. Dear. Lord.
Not to panic, I thought. I have just seen a graphic that someone has mocked up with photoshop as to what a cartoon style canine lungworm would look like.
Yes, that’s it.
I really needed that to be it.
It wasn’t.
The image that caused me to dry heave was in fact a REAL canine lungworm, blown up for the ‘benefit’ (?) of illustrating just what it is that us dog lovers have to be careful of.
Absolutely, without doubt one of the most nightmarish, disgusting, nasty looking creatures I’ve ever seen.
Yes, I’m sure the late (very grate) Steve Irwin would have had no qualms battling a giant sized version of this freakishly nasty looking sucker, but for me – it’s stayed etched firmly in the back of my mind ever since I saw it.
Everyone who’s visited my house, I’ve cracked out a copy of K9 Magazine to horrify them with it.
I even spoke to a genuine, grade A dog worm expert to just double check the veracity of the image.
“Is that REALLY real? I mean, really?”
Yes. It is. I was told.
So, clearly not content with the idea of putting just visitors to my home off their supper, I thought it right and proper to extend that experience to as many people as possible.
We also thought it made a lot of sense to set up the first UK Canine Lungworm Awareness Week.
So – here it is. A canine lungworm in all its glory….
(Nice, eh?)
Keep your dog’s safe. Learn about canine lungworm!
Highly Recommended: What dog owner wouldn’t want a piece of THIS action? – Get FREE dog food!
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One of our dogs had a serious lungowrm infection last year and nearly died from it. She was play fighting with another dog and received a scratch to her paw, problem was it wouldn’t stop bleeding. We went to the vets and had it looked at and it healed slowly, few weeks later, she had a tiny cut to her lip when playing outside, went to bed, that morning her bed was absolutely soaked in blood, rushed back to vets, they stopped bleeding, took blood sample, i went home and googled like mad, went back to vets and asked for a lungworm test (from faeces) to rule it out. Test came back positive.
That picture is just horrific now i can see what nearly killed this dog, she is still on treatment now and i’ve been on slug patrol for the past year.
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I was hoping you might be referring to Cesar Millan. I was surprised and disappointed by your decision to feature him in your latest edition without mention of the fact that the Association for Pet Behavior Councellors (US) and many leading individuals in canine behaviour have spoken out strongly against many of his methods, a view shared by many professional trainers and behaviourists in this country.
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we appreciate Cesar Millan divides opinion. However, it is arrogant to assume that just because a body like APBC have a view that this is a view somehow more important of valid than the millions (and there are millions) of people who disagree. It is equally noted that whilst chastising us for not mentioning this (we have, as it happens – one of our most viewed articles is an item about HSUS criticism of Millan) whilst not mentioning how many owners have giving Millan glowing endorsements.
Many behaviourists and professionals will criticise and object to the methods of many others, I know. I’ve seen it first hand as a former professional dog trainer. And when someone makes it big on TV, that simply gives more of these folks an opportunity to criticise and chastise. I find the whole thing rather arrogant myself. I – personally/professionally – share very little of Millan’s dog training philosophy on the subject of dominance. I think it’s outdated and disproven. But I’d never be arrogant enough to insist that I’m right and he’s wrong. Never. Many dog trainers and behaviourists, when it comes to the crunch, are arrogant and they have taken a view that their way is THE way. I can confidently state they are wrong. No ‘way’ is THE ‘way’. There are 1,0001 ways to achieve the same positive outcomes. And when it comes to this particular dog trainer, he has an awful lot of people, real people, real dog owners, who are prepared to step up and put on the record how much he and his particular brand of dog training have helped them to have a better dog.
As for the APBC, they and many other organisations like them are – ultimately – self appointed and they represent a body of small business operators (that is what professional means, you get paid for it) and so they will always represent the interests of their own members, often before actually listening to those people who have glowing endorsement and testimony for the likes of Cesar Millan and other high profile dog trainers.
Questioning the professionalism of a dog trainer is something I support, totally. Shoddy professionals should be outed and named and shamed. But questioning the particular methods and techniques of a trainer without first acknowledging a long record of success and a string of satisified clients, that smacks of alterior motive to my mind.
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Mr O’Meara, thank you so much for one of the most articular posts I have read in a while! about htose with vested interest taking unilateral postions on techniques and solutions which do not come from their venue (and which they have no direct, limited or inaccurate experience of him at all.)
You and I may be on opposite sides of the Cesar Millan question but he would be the first one to stand up to say “All ways are good, that do not harm the dog” and is an absolute advocate of using the softest most postive techniques that wil work for teaching that particular dog appropiate behavior and obedience skills.
I am one of the ones who took the time to really study his techniques, most of which can be done safely, effectively and appropiate by people who are not a part of the canine community and because of that have been able help rehab and rehome around 40 last chance dogs who were on the list to be euthanized, (some pulled literally as the next in line) when no one else was able or willing to step up. I also was able to be present during the filming of one his shows to see that he is indeed the real deal, no retakes, mistakes get shown to educate others about consequences of ignorance and over estimating knowledge or skills.
I also personally own an over 3,000 yahoo member email list (with another over 15,000 who have come in solve their problems and moved on from that high volume list) of people who help each other correctly understand and apply Cesar’s way to their unique conditions and situations.
As a college teacher for health and safety issues, biological hazards are something I work to stay on top of (not just for humans but canines as well). I learned that many times people will do for their pets what they would not do just for themselves. Thank you for educating and sounding the alarm about this dangerous parasite. I will be adirecting many people to your information!
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Firstly let me thank you for your response to my comment and would agree with many points you make. I find the arrogance and egoism that many trainers adopt – Millan included but he’s certainly not the only one – offputting and stifles healthy and productive criticism and debate on the methods we use to train our dogs.
The AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour) (as I meant in my original post, apologies), is probably self-regulated, as indeed is the UK APBC (who to my knowledge do not have an official position statement on Millan’s methods). Yes, they do represent the interests of their members, but the vast majority of people working in this field do it for genuine reasons of compassion and caring for the animal, not ulterior motives. And the damage that can occur to dogs through the application, or misapplication if you prefer, of some of these methods, is the only motivation that most behaviourists have to voice their concern over their promotion. Moreover, the APBC will soon be the only organisation in which to be a full member one must have reached CCAB (Certified Clinical Animal Behaviour) accreditation standards. This independent accreditation is given by the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, who are working closely with the Companion Animal Welfare Council, who advise the government. This accrediation combines qualifications with experience, and is the highest standard available in the UK. Some people do not place any importance on qualifications, but then again, maybe would not go to an unqualified human psychologist!
Millan has without doubt had success (particularly with his human clients and fans!). In many senses, he has benefitted the dog population of the US, in promoting awareness of training and exercise needs. Unfortunately his outdated views on dominance and pack structure and his use of physical punishment and restraint are not only misguided; they are potentially extremely dangerous. It’s not just about teaching the dog; its about training the owner, and I don’t agree with Anderson that these methods can be done appropriately by the majority of people. Fear and anxiety is prevalent in a large proportion of aggression cases, and in these cases using punishment is potentially dangerous.
One final point, on the arrogance or otherwise of considering one trainer right and another one wrong. There is a tendancy for trainers and behaviourists to take strong views on particular issues, but in this we lose sight of the fact that we are all dog lovers and ultimately all want the same thing; happy, healthy, well-behaved dogs. There should be more reasoned dialogue between us, as there are plenty of non-dog lovers out there who make life difficult enough as it is!
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