Tooth of an Alsatian dog discovered a mile from Stonehenge.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of what they believe is the earliest known journey in British history: a 250-mile trip from York to Wiltshire made 7,000 years ago by a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer and his dog.
Scientific investigation of a dog’s tooth found at a site one mile from Stonehenge has thrown up a number of exciting discoveries, said archaeologist David Jacques, who leads the team digging at an encampment site called Blick Mead.
For one thing, it shows that Mesolithic man was using a domesticated dog, probably for hunting. But more fascinating is that the animal originally came from an area that is now the Vale of York, suggesting the pair made a long, gruelling journey.
Jacques said the findings showed the dog and people with it came to what is now Wiltshire. This is the earliest evidence of a journey that has been unearthed in Britain.
The clinching evidence was found by researchers at Durham University, who carried out an isotope analysis of the tooth enamel, which showed the dog drank water that came from the Vale of York area. They also speculate that the dog would have been roughly the same size, shape and colour of an alsatian, albeit more wolf-like.
Jacques said the Durham analysis was “a world first, it’s a big deal,” that substantially increased what archaeologists know about Blick Mead. “It is very hazy and this evidence just makes the glass slightly less dark, it is a significant movement forwards,” he said.
Previously, artefacts had been found which implied Mesolithic man had travelled long distances to get to the site. Jacques and his team believe people were coming to the spot over a near 4,000-year period, from 7900BC to 4000BC.
“It is an amazing sequence,” he added. “There is nothing like it in Europe and now we’ve got this evidence from the dog you start to piece it together. You can see that this place seems to have special to not just local people, it seems to have been drawing in people from long distances away and the sort of distances you would not expect for mobile hunter-gatherers.”
Jacques has led University of Buckingham digs at Blick Mead for nearly a decade, believing the area is key to the beginnings of people living in Britain because evidence of occupancy covers such a long period of time.
Today (3rd) on the anniversary of her passing, we commemorate our incredible founder Mary Tealby and her pioneering work in animal welfare.
GALA CONCERT
On Saturday 15th October 2016, Waggy Tails Rescue are holding a Gala Concert featuring the Dorset Police Male Voice Choir. The venue is QE Academy, Blandford Road, Wimborne, BH21 4DT. The doors open at 7pm and the concert begins at 7.30pm. The tickets are £10 to include a welcome drink. Please open the poster attachment to see full details and where to get your tickets. Tickets can also be purchased through Eventbrite, just search Waggy Tails Gala Concert.
The Knoll House Dorset, South West of England Ferry Rd, Studland, BH19 3AH
Knoll House on the south coast of England enjoys a unique position on the Dorset coast with views over Studland Bay and its famous three mile beach.
A traditional, family-run seaside hotel on the edge of the Jurassic Coast, we pride ourselves on a high standard of friendly cheerful service which caters to the needs of the whole family.
Knoll House is a peaceful oasis of traditional style, atmosphere, space and comfort, providing new and regular visitors a quality of amenities and service only associated with this type of country house hotel.
We understand that dogs are part of the family too. They are particularly welcome and may sleep in rooms, on the floor, if bedding is brought. Our special dog’s meal is included in the nominal charge of £5 per day.
Stunning beach and country walks with plenty of rural smells from all the wildlife around us: squirrels, rabbits and deer. Older dogs can be exercised close by in our fields and wood. The only places out of bounds are the dining rooms, playground, pool and Health Spa. Special diets can be arranged. There are three small friendly house dogs who visit from time to time and like to meet new friends.
A dog’s paradise really. Excellent low season offers.
Dog friendly details
Accommodation type
Hotels and Guest Houses
Board type
Bed and Breakfast, Half board, Full board
Dogs can be left unattended
No
Enclosed garden
No
Dog friendly beaches nearby for a great dog walk
Yes
Dog friendly pubs/restaurants nearby
Yes
Dog friendly local attractions nearby
Yes
Additional charge for dogs
Yes
Disabled access
Yes
Location
Dorset, South West of England
Ferry Rd, Studland, BH19 3AH
http://www.knollhouse.co.uk. To visit there website please go to Links.
With a little perseverance your dog’s itchiness can be resolved. Michael Hallam advises on how to bring skin problems under control.
If your dog is suffering from skin problems it can drive you to despair. Watching him scratch, and knowing he is uncomfortable can leave you feeling helpless and upset. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Even if your dog’s skin complaint cannot be cured it can be controlled so he leads a happy and healthy life. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to treating skin problems as each dog responds differently to different treatments. A tailored approach is needed for every individual dog. With commitment from you and your vet that is what your dog can have, meaning he’ll soon be comfortable in his own skin again.
Diagnosing a skin problem
Getting to the bottom of your dog’s skin complaint is the first step to an itch-free pet. It can also be the trickiest part.
Many different skin complaints have similar symptoms and some can cause secondary problems which can make diagnosis more difficult. It can take some detective work to uncover the problem.
Your vet will first check your dog over and ask you about all his symptoms. The history, age, and breed will be taken into account. As fleas are the most common cause of skin problems, your vet will ask if your dog’s flea treatment is up to date. There is a range of different tests a vet may use to confirm a diagnosis or eliminate possible causes:
Skin scrape: This is where a scalpel is used to scrape away skin so it can be examined under a microscope. Often used to check for sarcoptic and demodex mites.
Skin biopsy: A full thickness of skin is cut away under anaesthesia and examined under a microscope. Deep-lying mites may be seen or abnormal cells discovered which indicate other problems.
Skin test: An area of fur is shaved away and the skin injected with tiny amounts of common allergens. The areas which become inflamed and swell up give an indication of what a dog may be allergic to.
Allergy testing: As well as skin tests, allergies can be detected by testing the blood for the presence of antibodies to various common allergies.
Exclusion diets: Sources of proteins and carbohydrates which your dog is unlikely to be allergic to are given as your dog’s only food source for four to six weeks. If the skin problems resolve this indicates your dog is allergic to some food source. Further trialling may be required to discover exactly what this is and long-term changes to your pet’s diet made.
If the vet suspects your dog’s skin complaint is actually a symptom of an underlying problem or disease, further tests might be used to check for these. If your dog’s problem is complicated or quite severe your vet may refer your pet to a dermatology specialist.
Getting rid of parasites
Fleas are the most common cause of skin problems in dogs. If your dog is infested both your dog and home will need treating with a safe and effective fl ea treatment, which we looked at in the June issue.
Sarcoptic and demodex mites can cause mange, a skin disease characterised by itchiness and hair loss. Sarcoptic mange leads to severe itchiness but can usually be cured with a spot on treatment or occasionally a medicated shampoo if a spot on is not successful.
Demodex mange is more difficult to get rid of and is often associated with an underlying predisposition to demodex mites. It usually requires lengthy spot on treatments, medicated shampoos, and antibiotics to cure any secondary skin infections.
Though rare, if your pet becomes infested with lice they can be treated with a spot on too.
Spot ons can also protect against ticks — blood-gorging parasites that can cause skin irritation and transmit diseases. Check your pet regularly for ticks, particularly after walks through fields and long grass. If you find a tick it needs to be removed otherwise infected fluids could pass into your dog’s bloodstream. Use a tick removal tool which is designed to get ticks off your pet safely.
There are several different ones available but the O’Tom Tick Twister is often recommended by veterinary professionals.
Fighting diseases
Pemphigus is an autoimmune skin disease that can cause ulcers, crusting and redness of the skin, and pus-filled sacs.
There are four varieties of the disease which are usually treated with steroids to suppress the immune system. Non-steroid medications can often be used longer term to reduce the potential side effects. Owners should not expose their pets to strong sunlight for long periods as this can aggravate the condition. Dogs can go into remission for long periods, although treatment remains lifelong.
Certain health problems can cause skin problems. In these cases skin complaints are a symptom of the underlying problem, rather than the affliction itself. If your dog has scratched and irritated the skin it may still need some attention but this should diminish as the underlying problem is treated.
Your vet will often detect the underlying problem from symptoms that are not usually associated with skin disease and by other tests, such as blood tests.
Keeping allergies at bay
Dogs can be allergic to almost anything that is in the air (inhalant allergies), in their food (food allergies), or that they come into contact with (contact allergies).
If a food allergy is confi rmed following an exclusion diet (see diagnosing a skin problem) your vet will recommend a diet that avoids the allergen.
Skin tests and allergy testing can detect if your dog suffers from common contact or inhalant allergies but many of these can be impossible to avoid. While you may be able to reduce scratching by avoiding contact allergens such as disinfectants or by reducing levels of inhalant allergens such as dust by vacuuming more often, it can be impossible to avoid these contact and inhalant allergies all the time.
As allergies cannot be cured, they will need lifelong treatment to keep them under control so dogs can lead comfortable lives. There are a range of treatments which can be used. Your vet may suggest just one treatment or a combination of treatments for your dog.
Skin supplements contain essential nutrients that boost skin health and some vets may recommend more specialised supplements to deal with certain conditions. Medicated shampoos can also be used to soothe allergies.
When an allergen is detected by a dog’s body, chemicals called histamines are released to initiate an allergic reaction. Antihistamine tablets can be given to suppress this reaction and reduce the effects of the allergy.
Steroids — given topically or by injection — can improve skin problems dramatically. However, they are reserved for severe skin disease as they can have side effects and over used can impact on long term health.
There are also some drugs which suppress the immune system that have less long term side effects than steroids. These include cyclosporine, a more targeted immunosuppressive drug, and oclacitinib, a new enzyme-inhibiting drug which stops itching with almost no side effects. Unfortunately, it is currently in very short supply.
Instead of suppressing a dog’s allergic reaction, immunotherapy can be used to build up a dog’s resistance to allergens. Dogs are injected with tiny amounts of what they are allergic to over a period of usually between nine and 12 months. Gradually the amounts of allergens are increased as the over active response to the allergen decreases.
Secondary problems
Skin complaints can cause your dog to damage the skin through excessive scratching and lower the skin’s natural defences, meaning secondary problems such as bacterial infections and hot spots can occur.
Secondary problems usually need treating to make your pet more comfortable. Medicated shampoos and antibiotic tablets are used to treat bacterial infections and fungal infections such as ringworm.
Seborrhea, a condition where the glands secrete too much oil on to the skin, can either be a secondary condition or an incurable primary condition. Both can be treated with medicated shampoos and secondary seborrhea should clear up when the underlying problem is treated.
Super cosy on their Mummies bed!
These 2 are adorable and full of mischief!
Eye injuries should be treated with saline solution so as not to upset the pH balance of your dog’s eye.
Dog picture to make you smile!
It’s the weekend! Have a great one, all my human and 4 legged friends!
Ramsdown car park at Hurn village, Dorset.
A WOMAN who went to walk her dogs in a Hurn nature spot was left horrified after what was believed to be an air rifle shot narrowly missed her head.
Jane Prosser, 45, drove to Ramsdown Forest at around 7am on Thursday to take her two Jack Russells for their morning walk, but when she went to her boot to let them out she suddenly heard an “almighty bang”.
She said: “It was so loud it made me duck and cover my head with my hands. At first I thought someone had thrown a stone or a pine cone had fallen on the car, but there was no evidence of that.
“I looked up and, to my horror, I realised it must have been a bullet of some sort as there was a big hole, just smaller than a football, in the rear windscreen. It was about 10cm away from where my head was. If I had stepped just a bit to the right, god knows what would have happened to me.”
Jane, a mum-of-two, said she had been visiting Ramsdown twice a day for years and had never experienced anything like this there before.
After the window smashed, she called her dogs – who were so spooked, they ran away – and put them in the front of her car and drove home.
“It was such a shock. I couldn’t see anyone around when it happened and got so frightened that I went home. The glass completely crumbled on the drive back.
“I called the police who came to my home and asked what had happened. The officer saw my window and said it looked like an air rifle had shot it.
“He sent officers to the scene to investigate and confirmed they could find nobody in the vicinity. They reassured me this was an isolated incident, but I’m a bit concerned someone is still out there with an air rifle as a lot of people go to Ramsdown, often on their own or with children.”
Despite her ordeal, Jane added she was not going to stop visiting the area, which she calls her “little sanctuary”.
Police Constable Andy Kennedy, of Christchurch police, is asking anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area to come forward.
“The victim did not see anyone or hear anything apart from the glass smashing and it is not known what caused the damage.”
