The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a dog breed of hound descended from the English Foxhound and American Foxhounds. They were first recognized as a separate breed in 1945. Thomas Walker had imported the English Foxhound to Virginia in 1742. The breed originated in the United States when a stolen dog of unknown origin, known as the "Tennessee Lead", was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the American Kennel Club in January 2012.The Treeing Walker Coonhound was bred to hunt small game, particularly raccoons and opossums. Some hunters use them for large game such as bear. They are a fast, alert, hot-nosed hunter with superb endurance, treeing ability and the desire to perform. They are vocal with a distinctive bay that allows their owners to identify their hounds from great distances. It has a clear, ringing bugle voice or a steady clear chop with changeover at the tree. These hounds are affectionate as family pets and enjoy living indoors, but they were bred for a life of action, and require a great deal of outdoor exercise.

The Trigg Hound (also known as the Trigg Foxhound or Hayden Trigg Hound) is a variety of the American Foxhound, developed in Kentucky by Colonel Haiden Trigg.

History

The Trigg Hound originated in Barren County, Kentucky, in the 1860s, when fox hunting enthusiast Colonel Haiden C. Trigg wanted to develop a faster hound than those available in his area. He used dogs from the Birdsong, Maupin, and Walker lines to develop his strain.According to W. L. Porter in an article in The Chase, local fox hunters who saw the dogs purchased from Birdsong found them unattractive, but their performance was surprisingly good. Porter stated that the dogs were "racy built, crop ears, rough coated, bushy tails and chop mouthed and looked unlike any fox hound any of us had ever seen". Eventually, Trigg's breeding program became successful on a local and national level. The variety has a long snout, hanging ears, and a short, smooth coat, and though it may come in any color, the Continental Kennel Club allows only tricolor and bicolor dogs.

Temperament

The Trigg Hound is obedient but "tenacious", and is well-suited to hunting because of its sense of smell and endurance.

The Turkish Angora ('Ankara cat') is a breed of domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region (historically known as Angora). The breed has been documented as early as the 1600s and is believed to be the origin of the mutations for both the coloration white (the dominant white gene is in truth the absence of color) and long hair. The breed is also sometimes referred to as simply the Angora or Ankara cat.

History

Like all domestic cats, Turkish Angoras descended from the Felis silvestris lybica (Felis silvestris lybica). The Fertile Crescent was a place where cats were first domesticated. Cats from eastern mountainous regions of early Anatolia and through inbreeding and natural selection, developed into longhaired breeds like the Turkish Van and the Turkish Angora.Longhaired cats were imported to Early Modern Britain and France from Asia Minor, Iran and Russia as early as the late 16th century, though there are indications that they appeared in Europe as early as the 14th century due to the Crusades . The Turkish Angora was used, almost to the point of extinction, to improve the coat on the Persian (cat). The Turkish Angora was recognized as a distinct breed in Europe by the 17th century.Angoras and Persian (cat) seem connected. The Persian cat was developed from Turkish angora mutations by British and American cat fanciers. Although some cat associations think the Persian cat is a natural breed, in the 19th century Persians and Angoras were identical. In 1903, F. Simpson wrote in her book The Book Of The Cat:

"In classing all long-haired cats as Persians I may be wrong, but the distinctions, apparently with hardly any difference, between Angoras and Persians are of so fine a nature that I must be pardoned if I ignore the class of cat commonly called Angora, which seems gradually to have disappeared from our midst. Certainly, at our large shows there is no special classification given for Angoras, and in response to many inquiries from animal fanciers I have never been able to obtain any definite information as to the difference between a Persian and an Angora cat."

The Angora of the 20th century was used for improvement in the Persian coat, but the type has always been vastly divergent from the Persian – particularly as the increasingly flat-faced show cat Persian has been developed in the last few decades.In the early 20th century, the Ankara Zoo, began a meticulous breeding program to protect and preserve what they considered a national treasure: pure white Turkish Angoras. The zoo particularly prized odd-eyed cat Angoras (i.e., Turkish Angoras with one blue eye and one amber eye), however the cats were chosen only by their color (white)—no other criterion was used. Despite the lack of selective breeding and no consideration given for the deafness problem, Ankara Zoo cats have a very similar type.The Turkish Angora, which was brought to Canada in 1963, was accepted as a championship pedigreed breed in 1973 by the Cat Fanciers' Association. However, until 1978 only white Angoras were recognized. Today, all North American registries accept the Turkish Angora in many colors and patterns. While numbers are still relatively small, the gene pool and base of fanciers are growing."Breeders in Turkey feel that the cat fancy’s fine-boned version of their national breed is unrepresentative of the true Turkish cats, which are much sturdier. American “Turkish” Angoras may have only a minimal remnant of the original Ankara Zoo DNA and are only “purebred on paper".

In popular culture

• The James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld has a white Angora cat.
• In the film The Crow (film) the cat (named Gabriel) that is owned by Eric Draven played by Brandon Lee is a white Angora
• Duchess (voiced by Eva Gabor), the mother of three kittens and main protagonist of The Aristocats, looks like a Turkish Angora, as does her daughter Marie.
• Mewsette (voiced by Judy Garland), the protagonist of the 1962 film Gay Purr-ee, is a Turkish Angora.
• In SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, the character Ann Gora's name is a pun on the breed's name.
• Felicity, a character in the Felidae (novel) and Felidae (film) Felidae, was a Turkish Angora.
• Sonja, Heathcliff's girlfriend from the Heathcliff (comic strip) by George Gately and both the Heathcliff (1980 TV series) and Heathcliff (1984 TV series) televised cartoon series, appears to be one.
• Pretty Kitty, a cat from the Bad Kitty (series) series, is a well-groomed Turkish Angora.
• Sawyer (voiced by Jasmine Guy), the love interest of the 1997 film Cats Don't Dance.
• Miss Kitty (voiced by Amy Irving), one of the characters in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.
• MidnightBSD is named after programmers' Angora.

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The Turkish Van (Turkish: Van Kedisi) is a longhaired breed of domestic cat with genetic origins in modern Turkey. The breed is claimed to be descended from the landrace of Van cats, mostly found near Lake Van, though one of the two original breeders has stated that none of the original cats used to found the formal breed came from the Van area. The breed is rare, and is distinguished by the Van colour pattern, where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the piebald white spotting gene, a type of partial leucism. A Van may have blue or amber eyes, or be odd-eyed, having one eye of each colour. The Turkish Van is nicknamed the swimming cat. The breed was developed in Britain from a selection of Van cats obtained that came from various cities of Turkey. It was first recognised by a breeder/fancier organisation, the UK-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), in 1969. The term "Turkish Vankedisi" is used by some organisations as a name for all-white specimens of the formal Turkish Van breed and is easily confused with the landrace Van cat, the Turkish name of which is Van kedisi.

The Tweed Water Spaniel or Tweed Spaniel, is a breed of dog extinct since the 19th century. It is most well known for being involved in the early development of the modern Curly Coated Retriever and breeds of dog. They were described as a generally brown athletic dog from the area around Berwick-upon-Tweed near the River Tweed and close to the Scottish Borders. A type of water dog, the breed was not well known outside the local area. This breed may have been created by crossing local water dogs with imported St. John's water dog, another breed of dog which is also now extinct.

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The Tyrolean Hound is a breed of dog that originated in Tyrol (state).

The Ukrainian Levkoy is a cat breed of distinct appearance, having inward-folding ears and little to no hair. These cats are of medium size with a longish animal, appearing both muscular and slender. They have soft, elastic skin; an excess of which leads to a wrinkled appearance. The breed is not recognized by any major, international Cat fancy, only Ukraine and Russia clubs.The Levkoy's peculiar features are: special angular contour of its head and "stepped" profile (dog-face appearance), folded ears and large, but not wide almond-shaped eyes. The cats express sexual dimorphism.

Why is it important to vaccinate?

When puppies and kittens are born, their immune systems are not fully mature. They rely on protective antibodies in their mother’s milk. However, this maternal immunity wanes within the first few weeks of the baby’s life. There are a number of serious viral diseases that cause high death rates in young, vulnerable animals. These diseases in puppies include Canine Distemper and Canine Parvo. In young kittens, Feline Distemper (FVRCP) is a very serious viral disease. The Rabies virus can infect any mammal and is 99.9% fatal. Only 2 or 3 humans in history have survived active infection, thanks to advanced, modern medicine. These terrible diseases are preventable by vaccination.

What if I want my pet to acquire immunity “naturally”?

Young animals have a “natural” immunity from the mother only if she was naturally infected with the virus and survived the illness or was vaccinated herself. This is one of the reasons that veterinarians urge owners to vaccinate their puppies and kittens starting around 6-8 weeks of life, when maternal protection has worn off.

If you want your pet to acquire immunity “naturally” – this means that your pet must be sufficiently exposed to the live virus and mount a significant immune response. This typically happens when pets are infected with the virus and live through the illness. Infection with these viruses causes severe sickness and often death. “Natural” immunity is not worth it – vaccines are a much safer and more responsible option. Puppies and kittens need a series of 2-3 vaccines may be needed in order to achieve protection against these diseases. Generally, the Rabies vaccine is first given at 12 weeks of age.

Vaccines are “boostered” at one year of age for both dogs and cats. After this vaccination, your pet may be vaccinated every year or every 3 years, depending on the availability of these longer-lasting vaccines. Even though antibody tests (called ‘titers’) can be checked at a laboratory on your pet’s blood sample to determine immunity levels, this option is often 3-5 times more expensive than giving a vaccine every 1-3 years.

What is Canine Distemper?

Canine Distemper is caused by a virus and enters the body through the nose and oral cavity. Nasal and oral secretions harbor the virus from dog to dog. Crowded shelter conditions with unvaccinated animals are a common scenario in an outbreak. Even dogs that do not show symptoms can shed the virus for 2-3 months after recovery. Symptoms include eye and nose discharge, fever, coughing, pneumonia, calluses on the feet and nose, full-body tremors and seizures. Some dogs who seem to have beaten the disease may develop neurologic symptoms and seizures weeks later. Some neurologic signs are permanent and the pet often is incapacitated and succumbs to the disease.

What is Canine Parvovirus?

Canine Parvovirus or “Parvo” is a very hardy virus that is ubiquitous in the environment. The reason that veterinarians discourage new puppy owners from taking their pup to the dog park is that infective particles can live in the soil for years. Once the puppy has a full set of vaccines, it is safer to expose them. It is extremely difficult to disinfect for this virus. Unvaccinated puppies typically become infected with the disease. It is rare for an older dog to get parvo, but it is possible, especially if the immune system is weak or if they have never been vaccinated. Puppies are infected with parvovirus by contact with infected soil or feces.

The virus attacks in two important ways. First, it infects the bone marrow, where the puppy makes the cells that run the immune system. Without these helpers, the virus is able to invade other parts of the body and ‘disable’ or severely weaken the immune system. The virus attacks the lining of the intestine, causing severe and often bloody diarrhea and vomiting. The intestine is left with “holes” – which allows other pathogens access to the bloodstream. Most puppies die from the disease due to extreme body fluid loss and dehydration.

What is Feline Distemper (Panleukopenia)?

cerebellar hypoplasia

What is Rabies?

Rabies is caused by a virus and is spread through the saliva. Most commonly, mammals are infected through a bite wound. Within days to months after the bite, severe neurological disease ensues. The animal goes through several phases of symptoms, including depression, appetite decrease to mania and severe aggression. This terrifying disease progresses to death often within 10 days - after the virus causes paralysis and the victim suffocates.

The virus is carried by domestic animals and wildlife. It is often seen in feral or stray cats and dogs that have had contact with rabid wildlife, such as foxes, skunks, raccoons and bats. A lovely stray kitten with a small healing wound could be harboring this deadly virus.

Most countries around the globe have Rabies vaccination laws and controls in place to prevent human and animal disease. Kittens and puppies should be vaccinated around 12 weeks of age (depending on local law) and this vaccine is repeated at one year of age. After one year of age, a 1-year or 3-year vaccine can be administered.

Vaccine FAQs

Do vaccines hurt?
The initial injection will sting a little due to the needle being inserted under the skin. Some pets may experience some tenderness for a day or two after the vaccine, while others don’t seem to notice a thing!

Can my pet get cancer from a vaccine?
Certain cats may be at risk of developing a type of cancer called Feline Injection Site Sarcoma (FISS) after vaccination. This disease was formerly known as Vaccine-Associated Sarcoma. Recent research has also shown that there may be a genetic component to this, as some cats develop sarcomas after being injected with medications or saline and not vaccines. One of the possible vaccine components thought to trigger sarcomas, an aluminum-based adjuvant, has been removed from use in most vaccines today. The incidence of FISS in the United Kingdom in 2007 was approximately 1 case in 16,000-50,000 cats. It can be concluded that the incidence and therefore risk is very low.

Due to this small risk, veterinarians place vaccines and other types of injections in cats differently from those in dogs. If a sarcoma does develop from the injection site, the location is easier to operate, possibly saving the animal’s life.

If your cat or dog develops a lump in the area of the injection, it may simply be a normal inflammatory response, but let your veterinarian know about it as soon as possible. Most inflammation will dissipate within a few days. If you have an older cat that was vaccinated in the 1990s or early 2000s, be aware that FISS can show up years after the initial vaccines. You can examine your cat for skin lumps just by petting and massaging him or her daily…your cat will appreciate it!

Parasites
Internal and external parasites have plagued cats and dogs since time immortal. Puppies and kittens are often exposed to parasites by their mothers – even through breast milk! Here is a quick reference list of the most common parasites.

Roundworms
Roundworms cause intestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea) and can occasionally cause blockage in large numbers. Roundworms have a remarkable lifecycle which is almost impossible to break. This is why roundworms persist as a problem for both animals and humans. Puppies and kittens are most commonly infected in the womb while they are still embryos! Even if the mother dog has been dewormed, there can still be inactive roundworm cysts living in her liver. The cysts are activated during pregnancy and infect the embryos. They can also be passed through the breast milk. When your puppy or kitten is seen by the veterinarian, a fecal sample will be examined for roundworm eggs. Deworming will be necessary to prevent intestinal disease. If your dog is pregnant, it is possible to prevent puppies from being infected in the womb – products called moxidectin and fenbendazole can be used under direction of your veterinarian.

Roundworms can cause infection in humans – most commonly children. Children can suffer from a form of blindness if infected by roundworms. Good hygiene and yearly fecal screening for your pets will help protect humans from infection.

Hookworms
Hookworms are common in puppies and kittens. Adult dogs can also be infected by ingesting feces or contaminated soil. Hookworms can also infect dogs (and humans!) by crawling through exposed skin from the environment in their tiny larval stage. Hookworms can also be transferred much like roundworms – through the breast milk of the mother or the pups are infected in the womb. Hookworms infect the intestines and suck host’s blood. Severe infections can lead to diarrhea, anemia and weakness.

Hookworms causes a disease in humans called cutaneous larval migrans, which means the worm burrows through the skin, leaving pain and inflammation in its wake. Hookworms can also infect a human’s digestive tract. If you go to a beach with dogs – be aware that you might bring more home with you than just sand between your toes! Dog owners need to be aware that their dog may be shedding hookworms and pick up the feces for proper disposal – this will help prevent the spread of hookworms in the environment.

Echinococcus tapeworm
It is important that people travelling with their pet be aware of this tapeworm. Several nations within Europe require a special deworming to prevent the entrance of this worm into their country. Why is it so important?

Echinococcus, also known as Hydatid Cyst, are found world-wide and infects dogs, cats, foxes, wolves, rodents, rabbits and coyotes. Sheep can act as an intermediate host to the parasite. Pets that live outdoors and hunt are susceptible to infection. If Echinococcus infects humans, it causes a hydatid cyst, which can occur in the liver, brain or muscles. These are ‘malignant’ cysts which have a high mortality rate (for example, of those with a lung cyst, 70% die within 5 years of diagnosis, even with treatment). It is important to not feed your pet offal from sheep that may be infected in endemic areas.

Ask your veterinarian if Echinococcus is a problem in your area and deworm your pet accordingly.

The Vanjari Hound is a breed of dog found in India. It is a greyhound-type dog used by the nomadic Vanjari (caste) of Maharashtra, primarily as a sighthound in hunting. However, it has also been used as a guard dog and a herding dog. The breed is currently at risk from interbreeding with other dog breeds.

The Vizsla is a dog breed originating in Hungary, which belongs under the FCI Pointer Group. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla are sporting dogs and loyal companions, in addition to being the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever breeds. The Vizsla's medium size is one of the breed's most appealing characteristics as a hunter of fowl and upland game, and through the centuries the Vizsla has held a rare position among sporting dogs – that of household companion and family dog.The Vizsla is a natural hunter endowed with an excellent nose and an outstanding trainability. Although they are lively, gentle mannered, demonstrably affectionate and sensitive, they are also fearless and possessed of a well-developed protective instinct.

History

The Vizsla was already known in early Hungarian history. The ancestors of the present Vizsla were the trusted and favorite hunting dogs of the Magyar tribes who lived in the Carpathian Basin in the 10th century. Primitive stone etchings over a thousand years old show the Magyar hunter with his falcon and his Vizsla.The first written reference to Vizsla dog breed has been recorded in the Illustrated Vienna Chronicle prepared on order of King Lajos the Great (Louis the Great) by the Carmelite Friars in 1357.Companion dogs of the early warlords and barons, Vizsla blood was preserved pure for centuries by the land-owning aristocracy who guarded them jealously and continued to develop the hunting ability of these "yellow-pointers". Records of letters and writings show the high esteem in which the Vizsla was held.The Vizsla survived the Turkish occupation (1526–1696), the Hungarian Revolution (1848–49), World War I, World War II and the Soviet Period. However, Vizslas faced and survived several near-extinctions in their history, including being overrun by Pointer (dog breed)s and German Shorthair Pointers in the 1800s (Boggs, 2000:19) and again to near-extinction after World War II. There are two breed clubs for the Vizsla in Britain, The Hungarian Vizsla Club and The Hungarian Vizsla Society. The winner of the Best In Show award at Crufts 2010 was a Vizsla named Hungargunn Bear It'n Mind.

Vizsla in the U.S.

Frank J. Tallman and Emmett A. Scanlan imported Vizsla Sari as the first Vizsla in the United States of America.Sari and her two pups (Tito and Shasta) were delivered by a TWA cargo plane to Kansas City, Missouri via New York from Rome on October 7, 1950.
*Major League Baseball pitcher, Mark Buehrle, owns three Vizslas, Drake, Duke and Diesel
*The Hungarian cartoon Frakk, a macskák réme ("Frakk,the nightmare of cats") centers around a vizsla dog named Frakk

Health

A Vizsla Club of America survey puts the average lifespan of the Vizsla at 9.15 years. The Vizsla is considered to be a robust dog, but some localized breeding programs using a small number of dogs have led to heritable illnesses in some offspring, including:

• Hip dysplasia is very rare but remotely possible.
• Canine Epilepsy
• Cancer (Lipoma, Mast Cell Tumors, Hemangiosarcoma, Lymphoma)
• Sebaceous adenitis

Responsible breeders do not select dogs for breeding if they have such inherent problems.
Vizslas can also suffer from hypothyroidism, dwarfism, persistent right aortic arch, tricuspid valve dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy. Major risks include epilepsy and lymphosarcoma. Vizslas can also be prone to skin and food allergies.Unlike many other dogs, Vizslas do not have an undercoat. Therefore they are unsuited for living outdoors. They must be housed indoors with the family to ensure a healthy, happy dog.