MY LIFE ON THE ALLEGHENY and VALBAZEN

FROM THE HIGH PLATEAU OF THE ALLEGHENY

and

THE WORLD HEADQUARTERS OF THE BIG WOODS HARE HUNTERS of the ALLEGHENY

"MY LIFE ON THE ALLEGHENY"

 Published in the March 2019 issue of the american beagler magazine the article is presented here for your reading pleasure with authority of the author.

MY LIFE ON THE ALLEGHENY!

From the High Plateau of the Allegheny of

Western Pennsylvania

Writing and photography by the

High HareMan

Of the Allegheny High Plateau

Joe Ewing

This past summer my little beagle, Aero, whelped a litter of the most beautiful beagle puppies I’ve ever seen. I’m a backyard breeder and proud of it. I raise puppies only when I or a beagling friend is in need of a new hound. I do not breed beagles just for the sake of breeding. I’m proud of the puppies I raise and I’ve had good success. I enjoy it. I try to be very selective in my breeding program. I sell or give away my surplus and I know I’ve made many hunters and families happy over the years. I give fellow beaglers preferred consideration. I want to see my puppies owned by real beaglers and grow up to be real rabbit hounds.

Aero & litter only a few days old. Music is on the heating pad, 3rd from the right.

Aero and her litter only nine days old.

I’ve worked hard on my breeding program to assure high-quality genetics will be passed along and concentrated in every dog I sell. When the last puppy departed my kennel for its new home, I wished I had more perfectly healthy puppies to sell so I could make even more families and hunters happy. I guarantee every puppy I sell for life. Each and every puppy will always have a home in my kennel. That's a sacred pledge I make to the puppy the day it’s born. If the new owner can't keep it or no longer wants it, I’ll gladly take it back. I’ll willingly refund every penny they paid. That’s the promise I give to the buyer with every handshake.

Aero's litter finishing up on their very first meal. Music is second from the top.

I wish I could raise more puppies but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to do it without going completely bankrupt. It makes me happy when I sell a puppy. I see nothing wrong with being a capitalist. It would be nice to be a winning capitalist though. I wish I could sell more puppies and make some money. I almost broke even this year. Whelping puppies is only the half of it. Next comes the expense of feeding, training, raising, housing, hunting, trialing and on and on. Little wonder I’m poor. The best part of it is, I now have a beautiful female beagle to raise and train named Muzette Mountain Music.

Music, just a few days old.

On the High Plateau of the Allegheny the wild snowshoe hare runs best when the cold winds blow and the snowpack deepens. 

Music at nearly four weeks old.

Meet the sire. James Creek Beagles Sidney Crosby.

My beagles are hunting dogs. I try to breed and raise them to withstand the extreme conditions found on the High Plateau of the Allegheny. I train only intelligent battle worthy athletes. The operative word here is “try.” They must be able to withstand some of the most inhospitable weather conditions and terrain in the world. On the High Plateau of the Allegheny the wild snowshoe hare runs best when the cold winds blow and the snowpack deepens. My hounds must maintain a thick winter coat, a good layer of fat, strong muscles, exceptional heart and lungs and a deep desire to run the varying hare. They must be able to track hare at temperatures at minus-25 degrees or lower. No weak or timid need apply. The more cerebral the better. A sluggish thinking hound could never survive on his own on the High Plateau. Not all the beagles I raise measure up.

Author's granddaughter, Alayna, with lemon and white puppy many years ago.

I’m not saying I’ve always had the greatest of success. Genetic imperfections have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The unfortunate fact is, despite my best efforts, some conditions and diseases are simply hereditary. These imperfect beagles will never be allowed to breed in my kennel or anybody else’s if I can help it.

There is not one person on this earth who can guarantee a puppy will make even a fair hunting dog and especially a hare hound. High prices and long lists of quality ancestors are far from a guarantee. Some of the best hare hounds I’ve reared have been grade dogs. Making a puppy into a quality hunting dog is like investing my money in the stock market. It takes a long time to know if my investments are paying off or worse. Long hours of field training and hard work might turn out well, but other times, not so well. After spending countless hours in the field with a young dog the unthinkable sometimes happens. An accident or a terminal illness will dash all hopes and dreams. Unbiased reflection on my hound’s progress will prove challenging. The guy who said, “that dog won’t learn a thing sitting in the kennel” had it right.

One of my first litters. Blacky, Bailey and Patch turned out to great hare hounds.

Raising beagles is my very impassioned hobby. I do my utmost to take care of every aspect of my beagle’s lives. My beagles rely on me for everything from food to vaccine. I consult with my veterinarian only on an as needed basis. Like I mentioned before, I can’t figure out how to do it without going bankrupt. Staying away from the veterinarian’s office as much as possible is my way of beginning.

Patch whelped only two puppies. Lucky was born naturally but
Gracie had to be taken by caesarean delivery.

Feed may be one of my most confusing and exasperating aspects of taking care of my beagles. I’m not even going to mention expensive. There are volumes of unfiltered internet and magazine articles floating around everywhere about the best food to feed. The pet food stores are packed with row after row and shelve after shelve of various brands of dog foods. All of these foods contain clever marketing slogans and fancy packaging intended to convince me they are the best. TV commercials pray on my emotions. Years ago, I followed the advice to feed nothing less than 27 percent protein and 15 percent fat to my highly active hounds. I currently feed 30 percent protein and 20 percent fat. The advice paid off. My Speckles hound passed away this year at the ripe old age of one month shy of 16 years, a long life for a hunting beagle. Just contemplate for one moment, almost 16 years of chasing cottontail and hare in all kinds of weather and on all kinds of terrain. She was even lost for seven days one time. Speckles was both tough and smart. Did I ever breed her? No.

Years ago, I read in this magazine or one like it, a series of articles authored by the well-known beagler, George Blane. Blane was a highly respected old-time dog breeder of fame and notoriety. When Blane wrote I listened. In a May 1991 issue, Blane went into great detail about vaccinations and how to administer vaccines to both dogs and puppies. Even though I knew dog owners who gave their own shots, I’d never tried it myself. I found everything he wrote to be thought-provoking and fascinating. The coup de grâce was when Blane wrote, “There is no reason whatsoever for any of us to have to carry our hounds to the vet for vaccinations. It is so easy and effective for each of us to do it ourselves.”

In that same article Blane talked about internal parasites and the use of “Ivermectin”. He wrote about Ivermectin, “the greatest discovery in canine health that I am personally aware of. Pretty high praise, huh?” High praise indeed! Blane wrote in detail about heartworms, tape worms, external parasites and how to combat them. He wrote in plain down to earth words even I could understand. His series was outstanding and I couldn’t get enough. I could see from Blane’s writing he wasn’t pretending to be something he wasn’t. He was a beagler of experience. I saved many of those articles and I refer to them often. I have been living Blane’s choruses ever since.

In November of 1995, after a writing hiatus, George Blane broke the news to the world, if not to the world at least to me, about a product called, “Valbazen®”. In January of 1996, in a supplemental article, Blane went into even more detail about Valbazen®. I soon became hooked on the product. I’ve been using Valbazen® in my adult hounds and especially my puppies ever since. I attribute great success in raising healthy puppies to this product. I suppose there are other products out there which are just as good, but, most of them are available only from my vet and they are costly.

In the words of the late John Yates, founder of the American Sporting Dog Alliance, “My life is filled with love and joy and beauty, and I owe most of it to my dogs. They have helped to keep me sane when sanity was not a given. They have given me courage on the days when all I wanted to do was lie down and quit. They have given me strength to endure on the days when all I wanted to do is run away and hide. I owe them my life.” Note: The American Sporting Dog Alliance was created by John Yates. John died September 15, 2009. The American Sporting Dog Alliance represented owners, breeders and professionals who work with breeds of dogs that are used for hunting. John wrote extensively on the topic of dog owner rights.

I take great pride in my puppies and in my beagles. It’s difficult, sometimes frustrating work, but I love it. Next comes the challenge of making Music into a hard-working snowshoe hare hound which I will do before another litter is considered.

I’ve cherished my time chasing snowshoe hare with the beagles I’ve raised over these many years. I’ve enjoyed witnessing their progress through the whole process whether I own them or not. One of greatest pleasures in my life is listening to the beagles I’ve whelped, raised and trained as they pound a hot hare track in one of the greatest places in the world, the High Plateau of the Allegheny.

Included with the above article was a companion piece called "Valbazen".

The article is included here with added information.

I've included dosage information at the end of this article which was not included in the magazine article.

VALBAZEN®

What is Valbazen? Valbazen is a registered trademark of Zoetis Animal Health (formerly Pfizer Animal Health). Valbazen is a broad spectrum dewormer containing 11.36% albendazole (a.k.a. albendasolum). It’s claimed to control more internal parasites than any other product on the market in both humans and animals. Valbazen is effective against all major roundworms, liver flukes, lungworms and tapeworms in cattle. Albendazole is an effective treatment for the most common type of tapeworms only. It is not effective for Taenia pisiformis tapeworms. It is sold at many animal supply houses without a prescription.

Ivermectin, another product for parasites in dogs, is commonly used for the control of heartworm and a variety of different diseases and parasitic infections and is found in many commercial products (Heartguard®). Valbazen has no effect on heartworms and Ivermectin has no effect on tapeworms. As a general rule, there is no wormer out there that gets them all.

Valbazen and Ivermectin have reportedly been used effectively as a treatment for Coccidiosis or Giardia in puppies.

Here is what I do for my beagles, it works for me, but might not work for everyone. First of all, Valbazen is not recommended in dogs. Any use of a product that is not clearly defined on the label directions is called “off labeling” and should be avoided and used only under supervision of a qualified veterinary professional. Valbazen is very effect on tapeworms and on many types of intestinal parasites in dogs, however, there are claims of side effects in dogs. The information presented here is not meant to replace your vet's advice or prescribed medications. The information contained here is only my opinion. There is no substitute for a good Vet. Visit yours regularly.

I’ve been using Valbazen in my fight against tapeworm infestations in my beagles since 1995. Almost twenty-four years of constant and continuous combat and I’ve never experienced any side effects. My beagles are constantly exposed to internal parasites in the field so I use Valbazen as a preventative or prophylactic medicine in my adult hounds year-round. I’ve used Valbazen in numerous litters of puppies.

I’ve used Ivermectin in the past; however, I live far enough north and have never heard of or experienced heartworm in my neighborhood so I discontinued using it. Ivermectin is powerful stuff! Some hounds-men combine Ivermectin and Valbazen; however, I caution against combining the two because of widely differing dosage amounts.

Ivermectin reportedly is used to treat various other parasite-related conditions like demodectic and sarcoptic mange, and ear mites. Although I can’t prove it, I believe Valbazen is also effective on many other types of conditions not mentioned.

I carefully avoid overdosing. More is not better. Higher dosages tend to have high risks of complications and potential side effects.  I give Valbazen orally, not under the skin (subcutaneously).  I treat each hound not more than once every 30 days as a prophylactic. If and when I see worm segments, I treat that beagle two days in a row. I’ve never had to treat more than two days. Valbazen is claimed to be effective treatment for common tapeworms only. It is not effective for Taenia pisiformis tapeworms, although I’m not sure of this claim either.

I do not give Valbazen to pregnant or lactating females. It is best to have potential mothers clear of intestinal parasites before breeding. If the potential mother is infested, she will pass the worms and illnesses to her puppies and this is not good.

I worm my puppies with Valbazen at two weeks of age and again every two weeks until the puppies are 12 weeks old. The dosage is given by weight. I invested in a scale and I weigh my puppies painstakingly before worming.

Coccidiosis and Giardia are parasitic diseases of the intestinal tract. These diseases spread from one animal to another by contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. Diarrhea, which may become bloody in severe cases, is the main symptom. Most animals infected with coccidia show no symptoms, but young or immunocompromised (sick) animals may suffer severe symptoms and death.

I’ve never experienced either of these parasitic killers in my kennel although I did lose an eight-week-old puppy I’d purchased from a breeder. After I brought the puppy home, the otherwise healthy-looking puppy became sick with bloody diarrhea and quickly died. This was before I became aware of Valbazen. I have no doubts Valbazen could have saved the puppy we had temporarily named Poopsy. I’ve lost many night’s sleeps thinking about the puppy which took its last breath in my wife’s arms.

Valbazen costs approximately $50.00 for a 500ml bottle with shipping and handling. At this price it’s very cost effective per dose. There are so many tapeworm medications on the market it boggles my mind. Whether they are as effective or more effective than Valbazen I have no idea. I do know they cost considerably more.

This information is what I’ve learned over the years and what I’ve gleaned from the internet and other sources about Valbazen. This product is one of the ways I’ve been able to kennel multiple beagles and raise numerous puppies without going completely bankrupt. I’m in no way recommending the product. Just thought you might like to know.

Thanks for listening. Happy beagling.

The following information was not included in the magazine article. 

The information presented here is not meant to replace your vet's advice or prescribed medications.

Like I said, I've been using Valbazen for almost 25 years with no side effects or ill effects of any kind. I give the amounts recommended by George Blane. 

I use Valbazen as a preventative or prophylactic medicine in my adult hounds year-round. I give each hound 3.0cc/ml Valbazen orally every thirty days or 1.0cc per 10 pounds of body weight. I never give any more often than thirty days or more than 3.0cc. I will go past thirty days but never more often. If I see worm segments in the dogs stool I will then give 3.0cc/ml two days in a row. I've never had to give more often than two days and I would never attempt to give more than three days in a row. If the worms persist you may need to buy something stronger. I use a 3ml syringe which can be purchased locally. I carefully avoid overdosing. More is not better. Higher dosages tend to have high risks of complications and potential side effects.

In puppies I start using Valbazen when the puppies are two weeks old. At 2 weeks old I give each puppy 0.2cc. orally. That is 2/10s of a cc not any more. The only way I know to measure 2/10cc or ml is by using a 1ml diabetic syringe. A bag full of syringes can be purchased at Walmart for around $10. Ten syringes can be purchased for $6. This should be enough syringes to last a lifetime. Or, any diabetic should be willing to give up a syringe. Make sure the needle is disposed of properly.

1ml syringes from Walmart.

At four weeks of age I give each puppy 2/10cc (0.2ml).

At six weeks of age I weigh each puppy and give no more than 0.1cc/ml per pound. Example: If the puppies weighs 3.5 pounds I will give that puppy 0.3ml/cc Valbazen.

I do the same at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks and 14 weeks (0.1cc/ml per pound). I then start the puppy on his monthly routine. I still do not give more than 1.0cc per ten (10) pounds.