K9FORCE
K9FORCE
FEBRUARY, 2025
EXPAT
MALINOIS
INTERVIEW WITH
MICHAELA
BOUZKOVÁ
FRENCH RING
DIFFERENT
GAME-ONE
PASSION
INSIDE THE
VET'S
WORLD
WITH DR.
ALEX HORNER
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Isabella Oxsengendler
info@k9force.ca
www.k9force.ca
over 30,000 views per issue
dog sport enthusiasts
trainers
handlers
breeders
professionals across Canada, the
United States, and internationally
K9Force is the official bi-monthly
publication of the K9Force Working
Dog Club. Our mission is to highlight
the world of dog sports, celebrating
not only IGP but a wide range of
disciplines that showcase the
incredible abilities and versatility of
working dogs. Each issue features
insightful articles, expert interviews,
event coverage, and updates
tailored to our community and
professionals in the working dog
community.
Reach
Contact
*Frequency discount available on purchase of two or more issues.
contents
FUELING PASSION,
POWER, AND
PERFORMANCE
FEBRUARY 2025
10 - FRENCH RING
18 - STARTER MEMBERSHIP
5 - INSIDE THE VET’S WORLD
4 - EDITOR NOTE
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
21 - BREEDER’S PERSPECTIVE
EXPAT MALINOIS
27 - FCI- IBGH TEST
What started as an idea in August 2023 has grown into
something bigger than we ever imagined. Each issue of
K9Force Magazine now reaches over 30,000 views—and
counting.
Our readers base is a diverse community of working dog
enthusiasts and practitioners. In response, we’re excited to
introduce several recurring features to expand our coverage
of everything related to working dogs:
Inside the Vet’s World – Dr. Alex Horner will provide
expert insights on canine health, covering both sport-
specific and general wellness topics.
Different Game- One Passion – Each issue, we’ll explore a
different working dog sport.
Breeder Spotlight – Breeders of various working dog
breeds discuss the philosophies shaping today’s top
working lines.
We wholeheartedly thank GSSCC President Jim Chrisp for his
contributions to the magazine since its inaugural issue
through his recurring column, Ask the Judge. His articles
have provided valuable insights into a wide range of IGP
exercises and how to maximize points in competition. As Jim
is no longer serving as Head Judge, he will not be continuing
his column, but all of his articles remain available on the
K9Force website under the Blog section.
We remain committed to bringing you the latest from our
club and our major competition, the K9Force Cup. We are
already working hard to ensure that the K9Force Cup remains
a must participate competition, featuring exciting new
elements. Watch this space!
Thank you for your continued support of K9Force and
K9Force Magazine. Here’s to another year of growth, learning,
and the relentless pursuit of excellence—on and off the field.
Warm regards,
K9Force Magazine
Front cover: Expat Epic
Owner: Stephanie Heinbockel
Photographer: Wise K9 Photography
From the Editor
Alfred De Witte
Connect:
www.k9force.ca
info@k9force.ca
K9 Force Working Dog Club
k9force_wdc
Back cover: Xtris Cobra
Owner: Isabella Oxsengendler
CACIT Dobris
Photographer: Petra Frustrova
Dr. Horner currently works out of Springbank Pet Hospital, offering a
wide range of reproductive services, including the preservation of
canine semen for long-term storage and transcervical insemination.
She is passionate about maintaining genetic diversity in the purebred
dog population and is committed to educating both breeders and the
general public on reproductive health.
In her free time, Dr. Horner enjoys conformation and dog sports with her
Black Russian Terrier and Sealyham Terriers, with a goal of exploring
the world of IGP.
WITH DR. ALEX HORNER, DVM MS DACT
INSIDE THE
VET'S WORLD
K9Force Magazine is honored to introduce a
recurring column by Dr. Alex Horner, starting
with this issue. In these columns, she will
address general dog health topics.
Dr. Horner is a proud Calgarian who earned her
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University
of Melbourne, Australia. During her time down
under,
she
developed
a
passion
for
Theriogenology
(the
study
of
veterinary
reproduction). After a short stint in general practice
in Calgary, she moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, to
complete a residency and master’s degree at
Colorado State University. She became a Board-
Certified Diplomate of the American College of
Theriogenology in 2024 and is one of the few
reproductive specialists in Alberta
Readers are welcome to submit general questions about dog
health to info@k9force.ca for Dr. Horner to consider in future
issues.
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
Battling the Bugs and Creepy
Crawlies: An Explanation of
Veterinary Anti-Parasitic
Inside the Vet's World:
"My dog isn't a risk for parasites; we don't go
anywhere but around the neighbourhood." This
phrase, in some form or another, is prevalent during
many of my consults and, unfortunately, just plain
untrue! Each dog is at varying risk for internal and
external parasites, and some of these parasites also
carry a zoonotic potential, which affects us humans!
But they can all acquire an infection in the right
situation!
When left unchecked, parasites can wreak havoc on
your pet's overall well-being. In severe cases, some
parasites can cause further damage than their initial
bite by transmitting several severe illnesses such as
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.
Dr. Alexandria Horner
DVM, MS, DACT
Board-Certified Specialist
of the American College of
Theriogenology
There are several categories of anti-parasitic medication, and some do
provide overlap protection. The main categories include:
Flea and Tick Preventatives
Heartworm Preventatives
Dewormers
Each category can then be further broken down into how each medication
is administered: oral, topical, collars or injectable. Which one to use
depends on the exposure and risk to each dog and, in some instances,
breed and previous health history.
Appropriate treatment and prevention with anti-parasitic medications can
help prevent these complications from occurring, improving the overall
quality of life of your companion.
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
Isoxazoline's work causes paralysis and death of susceptible parasites
such as ticks, fleas and mites. However, the medication is only
effective once the fleas and ticks have bitten and fed.
The
next
group
are
your
topical
medications,
such
as
Frontline®(Fipronil),
K9
Advantix®
(Imidacloprid,
Permethrin,
pyriproxyfen) and Revolution® (Selamectin). Each contains a different
class of drug compared to our oral external parasite treatments.
Frontline is not available in Canada but is available in the United States
without a prescription from a veterinarian. It is one of the few flea and
tick preventatives that can be safely administered to pregnant and
lactating females. These medications work by causing dysregulation of
specific neurologic pathways, ultimately resulting in the parasite's
death. Most parasites will be repelled, though some still need to bite
prior experiencing the medications effects.
Lastly, collars are impregnated with insecticides such as the Seresto®
collar. Seresto® collars use the medication imidacloprid/flumethrin to
repel and kill ticks/fleas through contact.
An Explanation of Veterinary Anti-Parasitic
Heartworm Preventatives
Mosquitoes that carry heartworm can be found worldwide, with
increased incidence in Ontario, Quebec, and interior British Columbia.
When an infected mosquito carrying microfilaria (the larval stage of
heartworm) feeds, it passes these along to the next dog. The larvae will
migrate to the heart, where they will develop to maturity. When mature,
they can average 5-12 inches long and can be found within the
chambers of the heart and the large blood vessels surrounding it.
Flea and tick preventatives have multiple different administration
styles and a wide range of different products available.
Oral medication is one of the most popular forms of flea and tick
preventatives. This category is largely made up from medications
from the isoxazoline family. They can be seen in products such as
Nexgard® (Afoxolaner) and Bravecto® (Fluralaner).
Flea and Tick Preventatives
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
These worms are spaghetti-like in their appearance, and infection
occurs when dogs come in contact with eggs from the parasite. In
some cases, roundworms migrate away from the gastrointestinal tract
encyst and then lay dormant in muscle and mammary tissue. This
becomes a risk for puppies to contract this parasite shortly after birth as
they become active shortly after whelping due to a drop in the dam's
immunity, allowing them to be passed on to the puppies when nursing
—making deworming protocols essential for young dogs! Medications
used to treat these parasites include pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole
and macrocyclic lactones.
An Explanation of Veterinary Anti-Parasitic
Hookworms are common across North America, especially in regions
with warm to moderate climates. Adult hookworms live in the small
intestines, where they attach to the wall of the intestine and consume
blood. If left untreated, it will eventually cause clinical signs associated
with blood loss, anemia, weight loss, dry coat and tarry diarrhea.
Similar to the roundworms, these parasites can be transferred to
puppies at nursing.
The last group of parasites to discuss are the intestinal parasites, which
include roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Roundworms are
one of the most common intestinal parasites, and it has been estimated
that 80% of newborn puppies in the United States will be infected at
birth.
Intestinal Parasite Prevention
As one can imagine, having a heavy load of these parasites within the
heart and its vasculature can result in chronic coughing, difficulty
breathing, edema of the limbs and abdomen, fluid accumulation in the
chest, weakness, exercise intolerance and collapse. Treatment is
complex and expensive and requires the use of melarsomine, an
arsenic derivative, to treat the infection. Therefore, early treatment
before larvae reach maturity through preventative medication is the
easiest and most cost-effective option.
The medication used is under the drug class macrocyclic lactones,
which includes products such as ivermectin, milbemycin and
moxidectin. The main formulations are available as a monthly oral
chewable (Heartgard®, Interceptor®, etc.) or as a long-lasting
injection (ProHeart®). Macrocyclic lactones work by disrupting the
parasite's nerve and muscle cells, resulting in paralysis and eventual
death.
An Explanation of Veterinary Anti-Parasitic
Choosing the Right Medication
When choosing which medication to use, it is best to
consider the individual dog, their risk level, parasites and
diseases prevalence in your area, as well as any current
or future travel plans. For example, if your dog frequently
travels to regions where heartworm prevalence and tick-
borne diseases are common, then treating with good
intestinal/heartworm prevention alongside an effective
flea and tick product monthly would be recommended.
To determine your dog’s risk to certain parasites it’s
important to do your research and to use your
veterinarian as a resource! I recommend checking the
parasite prevalence map (petsandparasites.org), this
site demonstrates which parasites are showing up in
your area by province or state, providing the most up-to-
date information to help you decide what your dog’s risk
is and what class of medications you may need to
prevent disease in your dog. Your veterinarian can be a
valuable resource to understand the diseases present in
your area and has the knowledge about potential
adverse effects that can occur using your pet’s previous
medical history and breed predispositions.
Tapeworms are present across Canada. They are flat, segmented
worms that live in the small intestine. There is often an intermediate
host (rabbit, domestic herbivore, etc.) that a dog will consume that has
infective cysts, resulting in infection. Clinical signs of tapeworm
infection may include weight loss and diarrhea. Still, case reports are
present with dogs presenting for "tumour-like" masses in the abdomen
due to the presence of encysted tapeworms! The primary drug
available to treat tapeworm in dogs is praziquantel, which can be found
in several oral formulations, including Drontal® and Interceptor
Plus®. In conjunction with preventative medication, owners should
also be mindful of other control measures, including avoiding feeding
contaminated raw meat, preventing dogs from scavenging on hunted
wild animals and controlling fleas.
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025
DIFFERENT GAMES, ONE PASSION
The wide world of dog sports
Photo by Dora Lazcano
10
K9FORCE | FEBRUARY 2025