Jill Bowen

Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas and has taught at Texas A&M. She lives with her veterinarian husband and two cats in Blacksburg. If you have a question, please write to her in care of The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, VA 24068, or send an e-mail to mjbowen@radford.edu

Recent columns

• Invisible fences aren’t best option for every dog
• Wrap pets in protection this holiday season
• Take treats so horse associates you with something good
• Illness or change in environment may cause cat to stop using litter box
• Column archive

I have a lovely boxer male that I think would make a fantastic stud dog. How do I go about telling people about him? How much should I charge?

There are one or two things you should consider before deciding to use your dog for stud purposes. First, while most intact male dogs’ personalities remain the same, some stud dogs become more difficult to handle, especially if there is a bitch in season in the area.

Second, if you have children or elderly people in your home, stud dogs can become a little rambunctious, especially if they have not been used for stud for some time and may have a tendency to try to mount people. Boxers are big, strong dogs that need firm handling.

While I am sure your dog is a beautiful pet, most people who want to mate their pedigree boxer bitches look for a sire that is both well-bred and has proven itself in the show ring.

If you do decide to use your dog for breeding, you need to get him checked by your veterinarian. Certain diseases are more common in boxers, and you would not want to pass on any hereditary problems. That exam can be expensive because your dog would need to have his hips X-rayed. By the same token, any bitches should also have been checked out.

There are a number of dog journals in which you could advertise, but I don’t guarantee any results unless your boxer is very well-bred. Most breeders charge the cost of one puppy as a stud fee or the pick of the litter.

It would be more responsible to consider having your dog neutered unless you are prepared to take him on the showing circuit to establish his credentials.

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Having seen a bloodhound at work on the television, I think it would be neat to own one and perhaps do some tracking. Have you ever owned one?

I have never owned a bloodhound and never want to. When I was in practice, a client of ours had several. One of the snags is the amount of drool they produce — not just at feeding time, but all the time. Our client used to bring a supply of bath towels to mop up after his dogs.

Bloodhounds are big dogs that need lots of exercise and food. They do develop a slightly oily hound odor, so they have to be kept spotlessly clean if allowed in the house to prevent the whole place smelling of “doggie.”

They are gentle dogs, in spite of being so powerful, and get on well with people and other dogs. Exercising them off the leash can be difficult, because if they pick up a scent they become deaf to all commands.

Because they have long drop ears, bloodhounds are prone to ear trouble; this too can be pretty smelly. Before buying a bloodhound puppy visit some breeders and owners to see this breed at home.

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Note: Remember it is tick season. After each walk it is important to check your dog, even if you are using some of the newer flea and tick medications. Ticks feed on the blood of mammals. Once fully sated with blood they drop off into the grass until they need another meal.

When empty, ticks appear as small dark spots with legs. When full, ticks look like small raisins. They can introduce infections into both you and your dog, and a large infestation can cause anemia, especially in puppies. If you find a tick embedded in the skin, remove it as soon as possible, taking care not to leave any mouthparts behind. Soak the tick in rubbing alcohol and use a pair of tweezers around the base of the tick to remove it.