K9Force February 2025

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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

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