Bird Dog Field Care Class at Pheasant Fest
Join Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever for an opportunity to learn proper field care for the bird dogs who give us their all! In addition to receiving training on how to address the issues you and your K9 hunting companion are likely to face, you will receive a PF or QF Dog Life membership and a Sporting Dog Premium First Aid Kit.
Our hunting dogs are extreme athletes and as such encounter unique hazards and conditions in and out of the field. In this course, Dr. Joe Spoo, DACVSMR will help you become a more educated and empowered dog owner when it comes to keeping your hunting partner healthy, active, and in the field.
During the lecture portion, Dr. Spoo will cover what you should have in your first aid kit should you experience an emergency in the field. He will also cover, in detail, numerous health issues, injuries and conditions encountered by these amazing working dogs. This portion will cover how to recognize, treat and prevent conditions ranging from heat stroke to migrating foreign bodies and everything in between. In addition he will cover post-hunt issues like stress diarrhea, anorexia and soreness.
In the hands-on portion of the lecture, Dr. Spoo will demonstrate how to properly conduct a tailgate exam at the end of every day and will include some tips and tricks to help identify the source of a lameness. Next, we will take you through how to properly place a bandage and splint to a limb as well as how to properly bandage an ear wound. In this portion of the lab, we will also go over how to properly exam the eyes as well as flushing seeds from the eye and how to properly apply medication to the eye. We will have dogs available so that you can practice these techniques. As part of the hands-on portion of the course the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks will also demonstrate how to identify and remove your dog from the three most common traps, leg holds, conibears, and snares.
In the final portion of the course, Dr. Spoo will teach you how to properly staple a wound in the field. How to recognize what wounds you can close, what wounds you shouldn’t, and when to seek veterinary care.