BigGameHoundsmen.com

This just happened to one of my dogs and thought I would pass it on.

Got back from 2 weeks plus lion hunting in the Davis Mountains in West Texas, where we hunted hard using UTV and mules. I thought that my Jazz dog was just becoming real thin because of covering so many miles and hunting hard every day?

NOT SO! After arriving back home and observing closely, the third day back, she started breathing fast and hard. I had my local vet check her out and his first thought was that she had been hurt in some way? Referred to another vet clinic that have X-Ray equipement more suited for small animals.

Jazz had severe fluid build up in her chest cavity(that had to be drawn off) and samples were sent to lab to see what we had to fight to save her life.

The Pathologist came back with news that Jazz had a severe bacterial infection that was gotten from unknown source?
I was fortunate in that a antibotic drug in pill form only is available(very costly, with lots of search on internet--cost about $5.65/pill if you buy 50). After the first 24 hours, Jazz started back drinking and eating soft food. That was 4 weeks ago, and I took her on short bobcat hunt Weds----she is back to normal!

Clyde, What's the posibility that my dogs have something similar? Since I got back, Oakie and Hammer come and go on thier appatite and thier overall health. Just as soon as I think things are good, they both get off thier feed again. They also seem sluggish when off thier feed.

I had the same thing happen to one of my dogs, but it was not diagnosed correctly..

He lived.. but is no longer a hunting dog.. It completely ruined his heart..

My vet at home (this happened in Colo) said it was from a bacteria, but it was caught to late and the damage had been done..

M'am I can appreciate your loss!

I was so dumb, about 2 years ago, a Redtick that was really making a "Catdog" fell to nothing in 3 days? Took to Vet--he just gave couple of pills and a shot---2 days later he was dead!

Told same Vet on Jazz---Doc--I don't want to have her die--so if you don't know, you tell me? He did and we went somewhere else and did X-Rays and drew fluid off of lungs.

I will have over $1000 in expenses, but she is heck of cat strike and tree dog, lion and bobcats! So, she is worth the cost to me anyway.

Good luck!

Clyde and Benny,

Was there anything out there in the Davis Mtns. that you suspect might have spread the bacteria? It has to be very hostile to last that long and also to incubate after the hunt. I have seen wicked viruses such as Valley Fever that destroy the immune system but an airborn bacteria or possibly one carried by rodents or birds is odd.


Bordetella, Lepto, Kennel cough and some canine flus are airborne bacteria and non virul. It most likely will not infect other dogs kenneled with them, unless they were also exposed to the orginal source.

Mike,

I don't have a clue? And, of dogs we had(16 total--between three of us there), why don't we have more that are sick?
My one and maybe Benny's three dogs, for instance, with remainder dogs doing fine. I provide shots and booster shots every May for all of my hounds. But, as I understand this and other virus's can last for a long time and only certain dogs are suspect for infection?

Lots of feral hogs out there, but we never had any problems with our hounds trying to run them. We have a number of feral hogs in OK in most of all of my hunt areas, but not like they have in the Davis Mtns.!

Like stated in original, I just thought that we hunted Jazz to much. Happens with me anyway, seems my best dogs will "toe up to the line to go hunting" even when their health should keep them in the dog box. And, when you depend on that same dog to strike and find those tracks that seemed are lost---I cannot keep from saying "OK"--lets go!

Cryptococcus, a fungus found in the Pacific Northwest, can harm, kill humans and domestic animals alike. Dunno if this is what has affected your hounds or something other, but it can`t hurt to be informed.

Doctors know about this, and *most* informed vets should too........


http://www.cher.ubc.ca/cryptococcus/new/default.htm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... h-science/

http://www.aids-ed.org/aidsetc?page=cm-507_cryptococcal

I guess I need to keep a closer eye on my two dogs. As pointed out, no other dogs seem to have any symptoms. Perhaps there's a genetic link also because Oakie is Hammer's son. 25 years ago a buddy that I had at the time lost 4 or 5 dogs to a viral infection that filled thier lungs with fluid. A dang good vet never got it figured out. I have hunted that same country for 25 years without ever having any problems. Most of his dogs that had problems were related.
Clyde, aren't several of your young dogs out of Jazz? If so, perhaps genetics don't play as big a role as I am trying to believe.
Right now both of my dogs are doing fine, but if they slip off again I'll be calling on you Clyde.

Marc

Thanks for those links... I've got to run into the vet's office in the am.. Going to give him that info.. It makes sense..

None of my other dogs got sick.. He didn't until he was being hunted hard.. He as diagnosed with pneumonia at first..

Sorry to hear about your hounds getting sick. I saw where you were hunting and instantly thought HANTAVIRUS. After doing some reading about the virus the article states "it is not know to affect dogs and cats", I was thinking that perhaps this is one of those cases that it did. Not that it means much but thought I would share that with you guys hunting down there in the Southwest.

Travis

Maybe a few thoughts I can add. Valley fever or in our area called blasto, is a fungus lung infection, lungs turn black, and usually water around them, it can lay dormiate for up to six months once the spores are inhaled, and usually takes the dog, or if saved, a pet, or breeder. ( not saying this is what your dogs have) I've just had a dog which had a case of something which seems to pop up once in a while, runny nose, and quit eating. When I see the symptoms, I start them on amox, and a few days of not eating they come around and everything gets back to normal, its like a flu, virus or something, usually takes two weeks to run its course.(by the way, he was in ok hunting hogs a month ago?) From my personal experience, of blasto, I have lost two dogs over the years. Both were well papered dogs. The same year, another hunter in the area, lost one which was papered also. ( mine walkers, and his a redtick)Seems line breeding or whatever, looses their ammune system a little. The dog which had a case of flu is registered, i just healed up? Most of my dogs are not line bred, so I do not fight the problem, and have never lost a grade mutt to this illness, not saying I cant or wont. Food for thought. Maybe this will help you Benny with your line of thoughts? Good luck.

cat and bear, Thanks for your input. I have only owned one hound that was papered. When I started focusing on hunting lions in the dirt I went to guys that were doing it for years and years to get dogs from. In that scenario, a lot of guys line breed. My Hammer dog came from a dog that was most likely line bred, but he is the result of an outcross. I know that one outcross does not necassarily eliviate problems, but it's a start. Oakie is from Hammer and a bitch that, to my knowlege, has no line breeding behind her. The guy from 25 years ago probably had some line breeding in his dogs, but not as much as today. I wonder just how much conditions, along with a jillion other factors, compound the situation to make timing the most important factor for something like this to strike a certain dog, that without all things coming together just right, that dog would never have been affected.

Call or contact anytime, Benny.

Your correct on my dogs breeding. Five of my pack are all out of Jazz. Freckles is the big male that I think I told you, treed 26 hours + on the lion in the small cave.

Your little redtick pup, BeGee, is sure doing good! What was his brithdate? He bays or trees my barn cats all the time. And, he's getting big enough that he's not far from going with me.

Keep in touch.

Clyde, That pup was born Dec.12. If I didn't give you his breeding, let me know - I can send you some paperwork. After that 22 mile day behind the mules, I figured he was going. Don't baby the little booger, hunt his tail off. If he can't run with the big dogs, we'll make a different cross.

Thanks Benny, for info.

And, when you can, paperwork would be great!

He will get started on wild feral cats in June, and being taught to rig and road now.

I took him last week for his second trip to the woods with the "old" dogs.

Bred on 4/1/10, a full sister to Jazz to my Odell dog that you hunted with. Both are hard tree dogs, and pups will be 3/8 Running Walker & 5/8 Bluetick---all parents back 5 generations have been cat dogs. If you would like to try one, I will save one back and get to you this late summer or fall. Know your going to Africa, so when you get back, you will have it?

Let me know?