Dog Health

Dog Dementia

2011-06-27T04:12:00.001-04:00

Dogs are mans best friend. We take care of them making sure that our dogs are well treated and loved. However dogs are like humans too, they get old and get sick. Dog dementia is one sad thing to witness for a dog to go through with as they aged.

In 1990s its been known that canine brains mirror those seen in people suffering from
dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. Dog dementia is a cognitive dysfunction syndrome. It's a loss of brain function affecting the thinking, and behavior. As a dog aged, they may show behaviors which is similar to their childhood.

Now what causes these to happen? When Beta-amyloid plaque accumulate in the brain, it
deteriorates mental capacity of the dog leading to lack of memory to behavioral decline. Having low neurotransmitters, the brain will not function well. Not enough blood on the brain and free radical can harm the brain cells, leading to dementia. With the causes we have for this disease, its actually hard to hard to prevent it. We may sense if our dogs are going through this sickness and the least thing we can do is to compassionately deal with it, given that theirs no cure.

Being observant will pay off on how to manage dog dementia. Notice your dog. Does your dog
having problem walking? Do you get late response when you call them? Any issues on your dogs visual? Or any unusual actions that can be a sign of dementia? If so, always take into consideration on how you can make it easy for your dog to cope with it.

You should keep the dog in as familiar places so he is not confused by new things. Since its not curable we can lessen the dementia behavior by getting the dogs on vitamin therapy,changing the dog food diet by reducing fat and protein. Bond with your dog in a way that they will enjoy and will also help in decreasing anxiety. Walk your dog, it increase the brain blood flow. Talk to your dog, they are like humans too, it will give them a sense of security and care. Visit your local veterinary to check on your dog health from time to time.

Like humans, old dogs needs special attention and care. Dementia can be a frustrating part of life cycle for a dog, and as for your loyal friend it may also frustrate you on how hard to deal with it. The dog is your best friend try to make it as a moment to emphasize the love you had to take care of it since it was little because the dog needs you now even more .

Dog Health Watch: Tonsillitis in Dogs

2011-04-12T02:20:00.001-04:00

If you noticed that your dog is licking its lips and coughing, he may not have a simple cough. He may be suffering from tonsillitis. Some people may not know it, but it is not only humans who experience tonsillitis. Man's best friend is likewise susceptible to this infection.

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils which are lymph nodes located at the back of a dog's throat. This may be caused by viral or bacterial infection. Learning more about tonsillitis and how it affects dog health is very useful. Knowing what are the potential causes and treatments for the ailment will help pet owners in resolving dog health issues related to tonsillitis.

How Do Dogs Get Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis in dogs is primarily caused by a bacteria or virus attacking the dog's immune system. There are some situations such as diseases in the dog's mouth and chronic vomiting which bring about this infection to your canine pal. Sore throat is also another factor found to be linked to tonsillitis. Tartar buildup may likewise cause this common dog health problem. One unique fact regarding tonsillitis though is that it is more common in smaller breeds as compared to bigger ones. So if you have small dogs then regularly checking for the symptoms would be a recommended practice.

How Do I Know My Dog Has Tonsillitis?

Some of the most common symptoms of tonsillitis in dogs are coughing and gagging. This is the most noticeable and most likely to grab the owner's attention. Aside from this, other known symptoms of tonsillitis are fever, difficulty swallowing, repeated licking of the lips, and refusal to eat. In some cases, the inflamed tonsils of the canine can be noticed upon a simple stroke of your pet's neck.

How Do I Treat Tonsillitis In My Dog?

To best treat tonsillitis in dogs, it is important to find out what specifically caused it. Addressing the root cause would then result in the deflation of the tonsils and improving the overall dog health of your pet. It's always wise to consult a veterinarian on the proper treatment to administer so you would not be giving the wrong medicine to your pet.

Prednisone, an antibiotic, is usually prescribed by the vet in cases where vomiting and coughing symptoms are present. If the cause is the tartar buildup then a dental cleaning would probably be administered. In worst cases the doctor would recommend for a tonsillectomy to be done. This is a procedure where the inflamed tonsils are removed surgically and is done only when necessary.

How Can I Prevent Tonsillitis In My Dog?

It's an age old saying that prevention is better than cure. Keep your dog's oral hygiene in proper check and have regular check-up visits to the vet. This can help prevent tonsillitis and limit the dog health issues that your pet may encounter. It may seem a bit expensive at first but keeping your pet healthy and happy will be well worth it.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs Early Detection

2011-04-05T23:39:00.001-04:00

Dog health is very important to all dog lovers out there. Knowing some of the diseases that might affect our dogs will help in the prevention and in curing our canine companion. One of the rare diseases that affect dogs is hyperthyroidism, which we'll be going into further in a moment.

The Thyroid gland is one of the largest Endocrine gland in the body. It produces thyroid hormones which are important in regulating many metabolic processes in the body by producing thyroid hormones the most primary of which are the triiodothyronine (T3) and the thyroxine (T4). It is important to dogs as it regulates the rate of metabolism and also affects their growth. Although rare in dogs, one ailment which have been documented to affect the thyroid glands of dogs is hyperthyroidism.

Hyperthyroidism in dogs occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormones, particularly thyroxin, usually because of a tumor in the gland. It is bad for dog health because it can cause weight loss, hyperactivity, and restlessness.

If you want to check your dog to see if it is suffering from hyperthyroidism and to catch it early on, be sure to watch out for the following symptoms or changes in dog health.

1. Weight Loss – Despite eating the same amount of food or even more, dogs that have
hyperthyroidism may lose weight. This is probably one of the symptoms which can easily be observed. If your dog is eating a lot of food yet is losing weight then you better consult your vet right away.

2. Increased Activity or Restlessness – Dogs that have hyperthyroidism tend to be hyperactive. An increase in the activity of your dog or increased restlessness can be caused by the high thyroid hormones. Take note of any surprising hyperactive or restless behavior in your pooch and report any prolonged peculiar behavior immediately.

3. Increased Heart Rate – the high production of T3 in the body causes the heart rate of the canine to rise. Check your pet's heartbeat from time to time to catch any abnormal increase in heartbeat early.

4. Increase in Water Intake and Urination – Water is important to dog health. But if you observe that your canine is drinking more water than usual for an extended period of time it may be caused by hyperthyroidism.

If you notice any of the above symptoms pay a visit to your veterinarian immediately. There are several treatments available in order to cure your pet and to improve your dog's health. Options which are practicable range from medication to the more intensive option of surgery. Discuss with your veterinarian what option you would like to take. A healthy dog is a happy dog so be sure to pay close attention to the dog health of your pet so that you may catch hyperthyroidism early and stop it in its
tracks.

Colitis in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

2011-03-28T22:15:00.000-04:00

Colitis is one of the threats to dog health that every pet owner needs to be aware of. It is the inflammation of the colon and is often times associated with diarrhea and blood in the stool. In canines, colitis causes around half of the cases involving chronic diarrhea in dogs. It is a painful condition which affects kinds of dogs, regardless of age or of breed. The most common causes of this are parasite and bacterial infections, food allergies, and irritable bowel syndrome.

There are two kinds of colitis in dogs: acute and chronic. As the name suggest, acute colitis only persists for a momentary period of time but may sometimes have more intense and rapid onset of symptoms. Chronic colitis on the other hand is persistent and affects dog health over a long period of time.

Symptoms

Some indications in dog health may be the key in figuring out if your dog has colitis. The most common symptoms for the ailment are painful and bloody discharge of stool, diarrhea, as well as stool mixed in with either blood or mucous. If you observe these with your pet consult a veterinarian immediately and test your dog for colitis right away.

Diagnosis

The primary way to test your dog for colitis is done by way of a stool exam. Based on the results that will arrive , additional procedures may be taken to further evaluate and confirm colitis in your dog. Diagnosis is important in the case of colitis since certain types require specific methods of treatment to quickly improve dog health of the afflicted canine.

Treatments

It is always best to follow the veterinarian's recommended mode of treatment once the colitis is known. There are specific medication such as Metronidazole which alleviate and cure colitis as well as the symptoms that it presents. But in cases that the a veterinarian or the medication is not immediately available, you can make use of natural remedies or approaches to help improve the dog health of your
pet.

For acute colitis, fasting your dog for 1-2 days would usually help. Having your dog drink plenty of water and eat food with limited ingredients and low fat content such as fish, chicken, potatoes.

In cases of chronic colitis, herbs such as licorice and marshmallow root have been documented to decrease the effects of colitis. Having your pooch take homeopathic medicines aimed at alleviating the diarrhea such as Arsenicum Album and Colocythis have been found to be effective as well.

Dog Allergies | Dog Food Allergies

2010-09-11T11:34:00.002-04:00

One of the biggest concerns for a dog owner is dog allergies. Allergies can happen to any dog of any breed, although some breeds are more susceptible than others. Among the most common types of dog allergies is food allergy and can lead to indigestion for one’s dog. The trouble with food allergies however, is that its symptoms tend to be latent for quite some time, even despite the dog’s regular consumption of food.

Should this happen to your dog, don’t make the mistake of assuming that they are experiencing something akin to human food allergies. Most dogs don’t get food allergies unless they have eaten it food on a regular basis. Dogs are resilient animals and they can eat a type of food which they are allergic to and not show any symptoms until after a month or so.

Like all animals dogs can show intolerance to certain food stuffs, but that does not necessarily mean that they are allergic to it. Allergies may result in skin irritation, and may not even illicit any reaction from your dog until it’s too late. Food intolerance on the other hand can be likened to food poisoning. It results in a serious case of indigestion and threat to dog health.

A lot of pet gurus these days point to lamb and rice diets as the solution for food allergies from dogs. Unfortunately, this is still a new type of diet and whether or not it’s effective is something which the jury is still out on. It is also possible that given a dog’s tolerance levels, allergies for any new diets will not be known until a certain period of time has passed. So it’s best not to put one’s hopes on a diet alone.

Sometimes, the only way to overcome dog food allergies is through experimentation. Through the process of elimination, you can try feeding your dog various food stuffs to find out which of them he is allergic to. It’s not going to easy but each dog has different levels of tolerance just like people, and the only way to be sure is to check your dog’s reaction to each type of food you feed him.

The tricky part is that you may need to wait a month, perhaps longer, to accurately determine if your dog really is allergic to something or not. Allergens tend to stick around especially in animals and it will take some time before they are completely eliminated from your dog’s system.

And in case your dog does catch allergies and his fur is falling off at a fast rate, the best thing that you can do for him is to bring him to a vet for a medical exam, so that tests may be applied to see what type of health problems your dog may have developed as a result of eating something he is allergic to.

Dog Liability Insurance

2010-08-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

Having a pet can mean a lot of responsibilities. Cleaning, training, feeding… We all know the drill. But pets can be unpredictable, and it’s not unheard of for different animals to get themselves into accidents – like destroying property or attacking people they don’t like. No pet owner likes to think about it, but it does happen.

Among the most serious of them are dogs attacking bystanders and strangers. And even though it’s an unpleasant thought, it’s best to be prepared for it, especially if your dog is overly aggressive.

The solution to a situation like this is dog liability insurance. And although it may seem useless because of how much you trust pet, for people who own very aggressive hounds, having dog liability insurance means having less to worry about should Fido make the mistake of biting somebody for whatever reason, and there’s a lawsuit underway.

But exactly what is Dog Liability Insurance About?

Like what its name suggests, Dog Liability Insurance will cover any costs of damages resulting from dog attacks. A complete insurance policy covers all the financial obligations the plan holder has in case of any damages, injuries or even deaths which may have been caused by his or her dog.

Most cases of dog attacks don’t usually involve fatalities however. Instead, they are largely comprised of dog bites. That said, every dog owner should have dog liability insurance – no matter how small - because every dog can potentially bite someone. It goes without saying also that owners who own large and overly aggressive dogs, like Rottweilers and German Shepherds should seriously consider buying dog liability insurance for their pets.
But how would you go about buying dog liability insurance?

Like all forms of insurance, dog liability insurance has its own unique characteristics that you should know about. Like other forms of insurance, it has its premiums, coverage levels for damages and the extent of damages which are to be covered. Basically, buying dog liability insurance is the same as buying other types of insurance such as those intended for your dog health.

This sounds cliché but it’s best to start on the internet. From there, you can look for a major insurance program that suits you, which in turn will provide you with all the information you need to make your decision about a particular plan.

And if you know a veterinarian, that also helps. They may be able to provide you with pertinent information with regard to dog liability insurance and how they apply to different breeds of dogs.

Dog Training Basic Guidelines

2010-08-07T14:44:00.002-04:00

Before you begin your dog training, there are certain things which you need to avoid. There are quite a few, but the most common may be generalized into the following main ideas.

First of all, pick the right breed. Many people fail to understand that different breeds of dogs have different proclivities and weaknesses. What this means ultimately is that different types of dogs are not interchangeable, and that a person should select a pet which suits his or her own tendencies. For example, it makes sense for someone with a sanguine temperament to get a dog which belongs to working breed. Likewise, if you’re more inclined towards less activity then you may want to pick a less energetic breed. It does not work to mix a quiet introverted person with a dog breed which is predisposed towards outdoor activity. But all concerns aside, the point here is that you need to pick a breed that suits your lifestyle.

Next, make sure that you are prepared for unexpected accidents. During your dog training, any number of things may happen and some can even affect your dog's health. Also, some dogs catch on pretty quickly, while others can be a little slow. If or, more likely, when something goes wrong, don’t be violent with your dog. That is counterproductive. Spanking and yelling will not make the whole training process go smoothly. It may even complicate things even further.

Potty training for example, can lead to a lot nasty emotions. It’s the kind of training that requires large amounts of patience, not to mention a little praise every time the dog does his business outside.

Of course, discipline and violent behavior are two different things and a little corrective measure is always necessary in facilitating the training process. Just remember that discipline doesn’t involve physical abuse.

And lastly, avoid exposing your dog to chaotic or loud noises during training, especially your voice, as they will only cause confusion and fear. And although it can be understandably difficult to avoid swearing or shouting when something goes wrong, it’s also something which needs to be avoided.

Dogs are very attentive creatures by nature and they can easily detect if you’re angry or about to do something unpleasant. The same is true for body movement. They can tell what you are about to do based on movement alone. As a result, in a tense situation, your dog may know what you’re feeling even before it registers inside your mind.

On the other hand, commands are understood by dogs partially at an emotional level, which means that if you intend to train them properly, you will need to put the right amount of emotion behind your voice. The trick of course is to balance it in such a way that it doesn’t scare your dog, while at the same time relaying the command that you want him to obey.

Other than the general tips mentioned above, here are also a few things which you need to avoid while training your dog (And although they may sound obvious, it always helps to have them as a checklist for easy recall):

•Kicking
•Hitting
•Tapping
•Throwing

•Yelling
•Grabbing
•Poking

Avoid these kinds of behavior, and with the right training routine, you’ll have an easier time
training your dog.

Dog Dementia | Canine Cognitive Dysfunction | Canine Alzheimer's

2010-07-22T14:43:00.002-04:00

Like human beings, dogs also suffer from Senile Dementia as they grow older. The most common causes of dog dementia are Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or CDS and Canine Alzheimer’s Disease, which can be quite common among dogs of advanced age. And like senility among people, dog dementia can be very difficult to cope with. However, given the right measures, the effects of this disease may be mitigated and thus make life for both the owner and his dog a little bit easier.

The first thing that needs to be done is to recognize the problem. Among the first signs of senility in a dog are sudden bouts of confusion and staring off into the distance. If the owner recognizes these signs then he or she will be in a much better position to be patient with the dog, and as the problem worsens, the need for a patient, caring attitude will only become more important.

For example, a dog may have trouble remembering where its bowl is and may end even more confused than before. To remedy this problem, the owner will need to accompany the dog to the bowl and see how well it does. In some severe cases, the dog cannot even remember whether it has eaten or not, despite having done it only minutes ago. As a result, the dog may demand to eat or drink more than what is healthy, which can only lead to even more dog health problems.

In addition to feeding, there is also the problem of the dog having trouble figuring out where the toilet is, not to mention figure out whether or not it’s time to go. And since, dog dementia leads to repetitive action, it goes without saying that the owner will need to help his or her dog with its toiletry, otherwise things can get messy.

Aside from confusion, it’s entirely possible that the dog may become overly aggressive or irritable because of dementia. This is particularly true in cases wherein the dog is confused and has forgotten who its owners are. Because of this, it’s best not to expose the dog in potentially tense situations, such car rides or places with loud noises, as that may only heighten its confusion. And although this ultimately means missing out on the fun activities which you used to do together, it’s also important to remember that dogs who are suffering dog dementia have special needs also.

And lastly, you should consider how dog dementia can influence your dog’s sleeping patterns. It’s entirely possible for the dog to begin sleeping at irregular hours and to begin following unpredictable and erratic schedules.

This can result in a number of errant behaviors, not the least of which are whining, howling and/or barking. So if you’re dog seems to be doing a lot of these then it’s possible that it’s suffering from dog dementia. Sometimes, the dog may even try to go out for a walk in the middle of the night.

At any rate, dog dementia has no cure. That’s the truth. There may be some supplements available to help him sleep or to help with nutrition, but at the end of the day, dealing with dog dementia is something which an owner may have to face up to on a 24 hour basis.

Kennel Cough in Dogs

2010-07-19T11:18:00.003-04:00

Being a dog owner seems to come with certain responsibilities. Among the most difficult of these is detecting certain diseases which your dog contract in the course of its life. One of the most common dog illnesses which you need to look out for is Kennel Cough. Because this illness is very contagious, you will need to isolate the infected dog from any other pets that you may have.

Kennel Cough can affect any number of animals, including rabbits, cats, hamsters, and all sorts of other mammals. They can be infected by your dog and vice versa, which is why you need to isolate infected pets, otherwise they will end up infecting other animals they come in contact with.

Aside from isolating your dog, you should also consider washing any blankets that he may have used so that the disease doesn’t spread to furniture. This also applies to your dog’s feeding bowls, chew toys or sleeping baskets.

One of the main characteristics of Kennel Cough in Dogs is that it spreads via air-borne bacteria. This is particularly true in an enclosed environment. Places like Kennels, parks and dog pounds are all places where Kennel Cough bacteria can thrive.

Kennel Cough symptoms generally manifest within a week. At this point, the dog will begin coughing like it has something stuck inside its throat. However, the dog will not become feverish quite yet. The dog may cough up a lot of phlegm after several rounds of cough.
If the Kennel Cough is not serious, the color of the phlegm will be light, and the disease will only last about a week or so. On the other hand, if the symptoms were to last longer than 3 weeks and the phlegm has a dark color then he will need to be brought to the vet, otherwise the infection will become increasingly more fatal to dog health.

Healthy dogs have better chances at resisting the disease and expelling it from their system very quickly. In other words, the best way to fight Kennel cough is to keep your dog healthy with a good diet and plenty of exercise. In the event that your dog does develop kennel cough, you can always try good old fashion natural remedies. If that doesn’t work then veterinary medication is always an option.

The best way to prevent Kennel Cough in dogs is to build up its immune system. The most common preventive vaccine for Kennel Cough is the bordatella vaccine. However, this vaccine may cause a lot of unpredictable effects in your dog health, including debility, vomiting, hives, or even death.

Despite vaccines however, it is possible to use natural pet remedies to prevent the kennel cough, most of which you can create with ordinary ingredients that you may have around your house. Doing so, will allow you to take of your dog’s Kennel Cough without resorting to medication.

Lyme Disease in Dogs

2010-07-16T16:18:00.003-04:00

One of the most serious illnesses your dog may get is the Lyme Disease. The most common causes of this illness are fleas and ticks, which also causes skin irritation in many different animals. Their nuisance aside, the real danger to your dog's health from these pests is that they are blood feeders, and as many people know, most blood feeders act as carriers of Heartworm and Lyme Disease.

However, Lyme Disease is not exclusive to dogs. Cats and many other mammals may also get this disease. Microorganisms such mites, chiggers and fungi’s can also carry these diseases as well as canine mange and various skin related diseases.

Now, the symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs are pretty consistent among different types of dogs. Its common symptoms include swollen joints, fevers, poor appetite, weariness, vomiting and fur falling off the dog’s body.

The scary thing about Lyme Disease in Dogs is that they may spread to humans. And although people are generally less susceptible to the disease than dogs, it is worth remembering that this disease may be transmitted through the bite of a deer tick. So everybody is at risk. Those who have been infected by this illness may suffer from a number of symptoms, including fatigue, fever, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes.

There’s good news though. Almost two decades ago, in the early nineties, the USDA has licensed a vaccine which can render dogs immune from Lyme Disease. So if your dog is a bit on the hyper-active side, and enjoys exposing himself to nature and the elements, you should consider getting him vaccinated for Lyme disease.

Of course, if your dog hasn’t been vaccinated then you may want to watch out for the symptoms mentioned here. And if the illness becomes worse over time, don’t be afraid to bring your dog to the vet. Remember that Lyme disease is transmitted via pests and parasites and it is quite possible for your dog to get other illnesses as well.

With early treatment however, coupled with antibiotics, the progress of Dog Lyme Disease may be halted before it can cause any serious damage to your dog health. Still, prevention is better than a cure. Although vaccination is a good insurance policy, the best way to keep your dog from getting infected is to keep him away from tick-infected areas or at least, remove those ticks which have managed hitch a ride on your dog’s fur. Of course, as a last resort, you can always try using chemicals to clear away any ticks which may be present in your yard or your house.

How Dog Fleas Affect Dog's Health

2010-03-22T11:21:00.003-04:00

Dogs are, and will always be, Man's best friend. For centuries, they have provided reliable companionship to people and have proven themselves to be indispensable co-workers in daily living.

That's why it is only proper that they receive proper treatment and care from their owners. Sick dogs make for sick homes. And one of the worst source of sickness for dogs are fleas. Dog fleas are becoming a very common thing in dogs as well as the remedy Click Here! . Dogs that are not properly groomed and not well taken care of may end up having fleas. Fleas are small insects that can bite like mosquitoes. When they do bite, they will leave red spots on the dog's hide about 3 millimeters in size.

Dog fleas are one of the most irritating aspects of dog ownership. Dog fleas not only annoy your pet, but can cause a more serious dog health problems. Fleas feed on your dogs blood and can cause skin irritation, allergies, anemia and even death. Fleas also carry tapeworms and diseases such as lyme disease. While dog flea bites are rarely a major health concern for humans, they can turn into one when they become carriers of epidemics like the bubonic plague. If you can remember, this is the disease associated with the Black Death that plagued Europe during the Middle Ages.

That's why dog owners should make it a habit to groom their pats regularly. Studies have shown that regular grooming of pets, especially dogs, results in better health and social interaction between animal and owner. Also, when you groom pets, you reduce the chances of fleas and other insects to reside on their skin. You can also gain a better relationship with your dogs as they will see you as caring owners and will reciprocate your actions in return.

If your dog has been infested with fleas, there's no need to worry. There are many treatment solutions that are readily available Click Here!. One of the most common would be the use of dog shampoos. These mild detergents are specially formulated to contain insecticides that are designed to destroy these parasites without harming your pet. If you feel unsure about the correct treatment for your dog, then a short visit to the veterinarian may be in order. It may be a bit of hassle, but it will be invaluable for your dog's health.

Dog Health Care Guide

2010-03-03T15:28:00.003-05:00

1) Create a safe surrounding in your house – This is just like making your place safe for a baby before you bring one home. You also have to do it for your pets as well. Since all our pets have the tendency to end up getting access to so many of our stuffs, it would be better if we could make sure none of the dangerous things ever reach them. The usual items secured from pets would be cleaning materials, medicines and other drugs, incompatible foods, garbage and electrical cords.

2) Ensure your pet undergoes regular medical check-ups – It sure may be expensive, but do try your best to go to the veterinarian often. And while you're at it, see to it that your pets go through a complete examination to make sure they're hip and healthy. Ask your vet questions, if there's anything bothering you about your pets. Inquire if there's any need for pet medicines like Sentinel or Frontline Plus. These are the medicines you will need to help maintain their hearts' and bodies' normal functions.

3)Take care to give your pets the right food – different kinds of foods have different effects to animals, that's why it's good to find out what your pets can eat. Just to be sure,there are certain foods and drinks that should never be given to your pets. These are chocolates, garlic, onions, grapes, raw yeast, alcohol, any moldy foods, and garbage.

4) Create an exercise system for your pet – all household pets tend to grow fat when they get older, a very good example would be cats. That's why you need to give an extra effort to make them fit. If your pet's a dog, frequent outside walks would be good for them. Cats are also easy to manage, since you can also play with them using items they like, for example, a laser pointer.

5) Castration – research has show that castrated animals have a much higher rate of survival and often more likely to life longer and healthier. You don't have to worry if money is your issue. You can always get in touch with local animal shelters who would be happy to do it for you for as little as ten dollars. A lot of them are actually state programs that aims to make pet care more convenient for more people.

Dog Care Guide

2009-07-23T15:48:00.002-04:00

Not all dogs are born aggressive. There are some dogs that are just so angel-like! Most often than not, they are the ones who are well taken care of. Probably because their owners pamper them with essential Dog Care Products!

They care for their dogs the same way they care for their family. It's almost amazing to see how dog lovers consider their dogs as one of their family. They pamper their dogs and in return, they get unconditional love, companionship and loyalty from them. It's a two-way street.

Show your dogs that you care by bringing them to their veterinarian and completing their vaccinations. In that way, you'll be sure that your dogs are completely healthy.

Responsible dog owners give their dogs a nutritionally balanced diet and that includes bottomless clean and fresh water. Don't forget to consult your vet, it's still best to get advice from the experts. Remember, it's your dog's health that we're talking about here. You wouldn't want to put your dog health at risk, would you?

Dogs need exercise to keep them fit, not exhausted! They get irritated when they're too tired... thus, the bad dog behavior! I suggest you take them for a walk and stop when they want to. Don't push them too hard. They get annoyed too, just like us, humans.

Give your dog proper shelter, a place where they can play and have fun. Most if not all small pets need and crave companionship and should spend most of their time inside with their family.

Your dogs also need basic grooming to keep them happy, healthy and beautiful. I'm sure you can handle the basic grooming procedures yourself. Don't forget to check their fur, skin, teeth, nails and ears on a regular basis. You can also ask help from professional groomers. Find the right groomer to provide quality grooming care for your dogs.

Just show your dogs that you care and they will show you that they were born to behave.

The Basic of Dog Grooming

2009-07-14T05:27:00.004-04:00

My aunt who works in Australia once said that people in Balmain are amongst the most dog friendly people. That is why, dog grooming in Balmain are very popular in their community.

One of the basic dog health needs of your dog is proper grooming, and this is one of the major responsibilities of dog owner. For those dog lovers that are busy and can't spend a lot of time for their pet grooming, I recommend one of a low maintenance dog which is a pugalier; a cross-breed between Pug and Cavalier Kingz Charles Spaniel. My aunt has chosen to get a pugalier over other breed simply because it's adorable, child-friendly and is more suited in hotter countries such as Australia.

Before you go to a pet store that has a pugalier for sale sign, here are the things that you need to know to see to it that your pugaliers will grow healthy and happy dog.

BRUSH YOUR PUG'S HAIR. It is advised that you take time to brush the Pug's coat many times a week. Regularly brushing the pug's coat will control the hair shedding and will maintain a shiny look, healthy at that.

BRUSH YOUR PUGS TEETH. Dogs are prone to dental problems, it is but right to teeth at least twice a week. But remember, use toothpaste that has been formulated for dogs. Human toothpaste may harm them.

LET THEM TAKE A BATH. At least twice a month or every 2nd or 4th week of the month. Be sure that the shampoo you are going to use is formulated for dogs. Human shampoos may not be tender for them and may destroy their healthy hair and skin.

TRIM THEIR NAILS. Trimming their toenails is one good thing to do at least once a month. Use a sharp dog nail trimmer but just don't cut it too short. Just enough to be trimmed.

CHECK AND CLEAN THE EARS. Ear mites and dirts might cause damage to the pug's ear. It is but right to check it often for the pug to be always clean and away from harm. Dirts and ear mites might cause serious illness to your pugs.

CLEAN THEIR EYES BUT BE VERY CAREFUL. The eyes of a pug is so sensitive, thus it need extra handle in cleaning it. Using soft materials like soft tissues and others is advised in cleaning your pugs eyes.

Mind these tips and keep your pug well-groomed! It's easy and is very indispensable in keeping your buddy healthy!

Go for Natural Dog Shampoo

2009-07-13T05:21:00.004-04:00

Itching is often associated with inflamed skin, and you may also see other signs such as reddened skin, excessive hair loss, weeping or flaking skin. The worst is, some dogs also have a terrible stinky smell.

Most of dog owners immediately resort to ointments, and allergy medications and other form or strong medicine. Not me. While I recognize the fact that bringing your dog to your vets is the best option, I also believe that aside from proper hygiene, there are other simpler approach to this kind of problem.

In my case, I tried switching my dog food to exclusively barf diet for a week along with vitamin supplement prescribed by my vet. I also found a very good dog shampoo alternative in K-9 Health Solutions while searching online for helpful information. I am particularly using Dogosuds, because just like Barf Diet, its all natural. Dogosuds is a breakthrough products of which is chemical free shampoo that contains 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils that have natural, healing properties.

Strokes in dogs

2009-05-27T09:21:00.005-04:00

Stroke in dogs are rare. This neurological injury called as Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) occurs when there is a disrupted blood flow in an area of their brain causing them to head tilt and loss of balance. Canine strokes appear in different types and the fatal the type, the severe the case is. Unlike human stroke, distorted mouth or eye is rarely seen in dog stroke.

In some cases, a vestibular disease is a more common dog health problem than stroke. This condition has two types: the central vestibular disease or the brain abnormality while the peripheral vestibular disease refers to the nerve abnormality in the inner ear. When your dog is older and is diagnosed with peripheral vestibular disease, your dog experiences disorientation

Dog Stroke Symptoms

Here are some common signs and symptoms of dog stroke. It’s highly recommended when your dog experiences three or more events in the list, bring them to your nearest veterinarian for consultation.

1. Dizziness

2. Head Tilting

3. Circling Movements

4. Disorientation

5. Confusion

6. Eye Twitching

7. Falling down

Causes of Stroke in Dogs

When your dog’s blood vessel in the brain bursts, it dies and stops working the task it should do. This event may not cause any seizure but eye twitching is commonly noticed. There are cases your dog simply feels normal after the stroke and recover immediately. The recovery period may sometimes take weeks before getting back to normal.

Diagnosing Strokes in Dogs

Extensive clinical tests such as Computed Tomography (CT) scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are used to evaluate the damage in the brain. Spinal operation is also necessary to avoid any inflammation or infection that might surface unexpectedly. To assess your overall dog health, a simple blood test is enough to detect if your pet has thyroid problems or diabetes.

Treatment

Until now, the best treatment for strokes in dogs is proper nursing care. Always be observant to your dog’s daily behavioral patterns. If the condition is too critical, don’t wait for next day or next week, inform the veterinarian right away.

Colitis in Dogs

2009-05-03T20:34:00.009-04:00

Does your dog find it hard to poop? Perhaps, he might have Colitis. Colitis is defined as a colon inflammation and in most cases; it is usually caused by bacteria, too much stress, allergies and parasites.

Symptoms of Colitis in Dogs

At first sight, you might not suspect your dog of having colitis. Most of them with this disease appear normal but once you notice irregular bowel patterns and the feces are accompanied by red blood, your dog might be positive of having colitis.

Depending on the situation, some dogs experience chronic colitis due to the absence of symptoms. Especially boxers, they are susceptible to this disease for unknown reasons and they need long-term treatment to stay alive. There are also cases when the dogs with severe colitis, they suppressed the urge to poop and the resulting condition is constipation.

Causes of Colitis in Dogs

Eating the wrong type of food.
Eating food scattered everywhere, in the garbage can, in the park etc.
Dietary Intolerance
Stress
Undigested food
Bacterial growth in the gut area
Drinking not fresh water

Treatment for Colitis in Dogs

Since most of the causes of Colitis in dogs are the improper handling of their food intake, a change in healthier diet plan is required. The treatment usually lasts for two to six weeks depending on the severity of the case.

Cases of colitis in dogs shows no hazardous signs and symptoms in early stages. Perhaps, the best thing you can do is observe. Always be aware of your dog’s health and well being. Observe when he regularly poops, when he loses his diet and when he feels stressed.

If you decided to bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian, it will be better if you collect some fresh stool samples before your scheduled visit. Colitis can only be detected if it undergone radiography, biopsy or colonoscopy.

The best thing to do is just follow what your vet’s recommended treatments are and if there are prescribed antibiotics, let the dog drink it religiously no matter how weird or bitter the taste.

The most common antibiotics to cure colitis is Metronidazole or rather be called as Flagyl. The role of Metronidazole once ingested by your dog is to control the production of bacteria causing the disease. The sulfa-containing Azulfadine are used to treat chronic colitis.

The eating patterns should also be change. Your dog must only eat types of food that are easily digested. In most cases, tender slices of chicken, rice, eggs and cottage cheese are suggested. But for those with chronic colitis, vets usually make a lifelong dietary system appropriate for your dog health condition.

Tapeworms in Dogs

2009-04-23T05:27:00.003-04:00

Tapeworms are parasites that are found in a dog's intestine. It attaches itself by using it's hook-like mouth and sucks the nutrients from the poor dog. You wouldn't want this to happen to your dog, would you? Well, this article is about giving you information that you definitely need to know to get rid and prevent tapeworms in dog.

That said, how does a dog get tapeworms in the first place? Well, it starts with the flea larvae that eats on fecal matter that has tapeworm eggs. As these eggs hatch inside the flea, they become cysticercoids. They are then swallowed by dogs when they bite or chew at an itchy part on their bodies. As soon as the flea gets to the intestine, it is broken down thus releasing the cysticercoids that develop into tapeworms. That is when they start to attach themselves and start to feed off the dog's nutrients. As the tapeworms in dog mature, their tail segments, which contains the eggs, drop off. These are then passed off the dog's feces and the cycle starts all over again. Keep in mind though that dogs may also get tapeworms by eating infected rodents and lizards. The eggs would likely be found in your dog's beddings or in your carpet.

If you are having a hard time trying to figure out if your dog has tapeworms or not, here are a few tips. If you look at your dog's anus, you would see the dried segments of tapeworm that would resemble rice grains. Your dog would also be scooting around on it's rear end because of the irritation on it's anus. Try to look at the dog's feces if you could see the moving segments on it. Finally, the easiest thing to do would be to bring your dog to a vet for a thorough examination.

Don't worry, treatment for tapeworms in dogs is very effective and has no side effects. These are tablets that you can purchase from your local vet.

If your dog doesn't have tapeworms, lucky you. To prevent tapeworms though, you have to control the fleas. Regular de-worming is also a must. It's a small price to pay for the health of man's best friend, wouldn't you say?

Lastly, although tapeworms in dogs are a rare occurrence, there have been cases where a human became infected with tapeworms. So, just like your dog, stay away from fleas and try to maintain a clean environment in your homes.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs

2009-04-17T01:42:00.007-04:00

Are you familiar with hyperthyroidism in dogs? Do you want to know if your dog is sufferings from it?

When you say hyperthyroidism in dogs, there is something wrong with your dog's health, specifically their endocrine system. The system overproduces hormone thyroxin (growth hormone) that causes their thyroids to swell and enlarge. This enlargement is often referred to as functional thyroid edematous hyperplasia.

As this is a rare case in dogs, hyperthyroidism in dogs symptoms are hard to distinguish and is tagged as a slow progressive disease and it is not a benign condition like many believed. Since very few dogs are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, the underlying cause of the thyroid enlargement is unknown but may be due to the combined effects of several factors circulating in the blood.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs Symptoms
The following are the basic signs and symptoms of a dog suffering from hyperthyroidism:

Increased Heart Rate
Weight Loss
Nervousness
Increase Appetite
Frequent Urination
Frequent Water Intake
Heavy Breathing
Unexplainable Fatigue
Hyperactivity

If your dog has one of the symptoms indicated above, you need to bring your dog to your trusted vet so he can immediately start the physical examination of your dog health. To be more effective, a blood sample is required. You know, unexpected results occur all the time. Sometimes, the condition of the thyroid hormones will remain normal during the check up, sometimes it's not.The best solution to this variation is a follow up check-up as directed by your vet.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Most cases, your dogs are diagnosed using a blood test procedure known as T4 and Free T4. The former yields unreliable results due to cheap quality of the instrument but the latter is said to be better but expensive on the part of the owner. If your dog is under presciption, blood test are usually given in an interval to monitor the changes in the hormonal level of the dog.

Hyperthyroidism in dogs is is curable. Your vet may only prescribed medications to stabilize the production of thyroid hormones. However, when it's not detected early, another option you need to consider is surgery.

However before giving in to surgery, it's better to ask your vet about the complications. There are times when one of thyroid glands are removed, it will results to a condition which is commonly called as hypothyroidism. This is a condition wherein there are only little production of thyroid hormones and will be discussed on a separate post.

Roundworms in dogs: Nasty Sight to Behold

2009-04-14T22:03:00.004-04:00

Unlike a tapeworms in dogs where they only generally feed off the dog's nutrients and make the anus irritated, roundworms in dogs on the other hand take it a notch higher. These spaghetti-looking worms can have several negative effects on your dog's health.

Aside from feeding on the dog's food from inside, leading to a pot-bellied look, they also cause diarrhea and vomiting. Sometimes, when the dog is vomiting, the worms end up vomited as well and can be a really nasty sight to behold. If your dog is heavily infected, it may lead to pneumonia. Worse still, is there are too many worms, the intestines may get blocked. And worst of all, humans may get infected too and is considered a serious matter.

What you've read earlier can be vary scary, especially for dog lovers such as yourself. But fear not because this article will give you a few tips to help combat roundworms in dogs.

Symptoms of Roundworms in dogs

Finding out if your dog has roundworms is the first thing you should do. How? Obviously, if your dog throws up a worm, that could be a good indication right there. Also, a fecal check up is a must. Also have your dog de-wormed. It's a good habit to have it done on a regular basis because you may never know what your pet picked up along the way.

Treatment for Roundworms in dogs

If you are positive that your dog has roundworms then you need to know how to get rid of them. There are several de-worming dogs products in the market today. Some may be bought over-the-counter while some need a prescription.

There are basically two ways of de-worming dogs. The first one pumps anesthesia on the worms so that they will let go of their grip on the intestine and will be flushed out of the body together with the stool. Be ready though for a nasty sight.

The second one stems from the fact that all the larvae in migration cannot be killed by any of these products. After the worms are cleared from the intestine, they will be replaced by new worms completing their migration.

A second, and sometimes even a third de-worming might be needed to keep the intestine clear. The follow-up de-worming is generally given several weeks following the first de-worming to allow for migrating worms to arrive in the intestine where they are vulnerable. Do not ever forget the follow up de-worming.

Bo - The Presidential Dog

2009-04-12T23:42:00.003-04:00

WASHINGTON – Bo? No jest. The first family has settled on a first pet — a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog that the Obama girls are naming Bo.

The selection was one of the White House's most tightly kept secrets.

President Barack Obama's daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, picked a black and white pup, a White House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Saturday night.

The dog is a gift from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself.

"We couldnt be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha," Kennedy said in a statement. "We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls — and their parents — will love theirs, too."

The Washington Post reported in its online editions Saturday night that Obama's daughters chose the name Bo for the pup because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley. The name for the dog was an apparent reference to the singer "Bo" Diddley.

White House aides told the AP that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post. The officials, who demanded anonymity because of the deal with the Post on exclusive details, said the dog was not in the White House as of Saturday evening.

Throughout the day Saturday, celebrity Web sites and bloggers were abuzz with rumors of the first family's selection of a Portuguese water dog; one site even claimed it had pictures of the future first pet.

The president had embraced the frenzy: "Oh, man, now, that's top secret," Obama joked Friday to reporters.

Obama promised his daughters a puppy during the campaign.

"This is Washington. That was a campaign promise," Obama said when he appeared on Jay Leno's talk show last month, as the audience roared with laughter. "No, I'm teasing. The dog will be there shortly."

The president and first lady had said their choice was down to either a Portuguese water dog or a Labradoodle because they were considered good pets for children who have allergies, as Malia does.

Article by PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

Tonsillitis in Dogs: Information, Treatment and Prevention

2009-04-12T22:36:00.010-04:00

Like humans, dogs have pair of tonsils.If you take a look inside your dog's mouth, they appeared like lymph nodes. Same to human, the role of these tonsils is to combat infection to protect dog health. Now when these tonsils are swollen, your dog may experience pain. They gag and the lick their lips regularly. They can't eat well. Dog suffering from tonsillitis usually experience loss in appetite due to pain and frequently, swollen tonsils results to extreme fatigue.

You see, there are millions of bacteria inside a dog's mouth. When these dogs suffer from chronic cough and chronic vomitting, it results to tonsillitis. There came to be a point when your dog experiences depression due to the inflamed tonsils and even in your naked eye, you can observe this condition.

You need to be aware that tonsillitis in small dogs are common than in the large ones. Seeing them suffer breaks your heart that's why; you need to immediately bring them to the nearest veterinarian and seek help.

Prednisone Tonsillitis in Dogs

What can you give a dog for tonsillitis? Usually, the first method to treating dog tonsillitis is to find out what truly causes the disease. It's better not take them to veterinarian than diagnosing them all by yourself. The vet will not administer medication unless he cures the underlying cause of the disease.

If the symptoms of the tonsilitis in dogs are vomiting or coughing, the veterinarian administers prednisone antibiotic to be taken for two to three weeks. The role of the antibotics is to treat the infections only. If the existence of tonsilitis is only caused by tartar, your dog's teeth must only be cleaned by a professional dentist for dogs and no further medication is needed.

When you use prednisone to treat your dog's tonsillitis, this means your dog is experiencing the worst type of tonsillitis. Dogs should not take prednisone or other steroidal drugs for a long period if possible. Some people say tonsillitis in dogs can be contagious to humans. This is not true. Only the tonsillitis caused by unusual bacterium can be harmful to humans. Other than that, it's safe.

If antibiotic-treatment is not enough, your veterinarian might suggest of a tonsillectomy. This is another surgical procedure where the infected tonsils are removed. Tonsillectomy is only done when it's only necessary depending on the chronic severity of the condition.

Preventive Measure

Therefore, to avoid tonsillitis in your dogs, keep their oral hygiene clean. It will be better if you take them in their dentist twice in two months. I know it will be expensive but better be in this condition than seeing them suffer. Treating tonsillitis in dogs is possible but avoiding the disease is even better.

Pet Products - A new challenged in your dog's health

2009-04-09T23:56:00.001-04:00

There are estimated more than 71.1 millions pet owners in US alone. And majority of these people are willing to spend $43.4 billion to get the best Pet Products for their beloved pet. This can range from Pet Health Products, Accessories, Pet Insurance and the regular visit to veterinary clinics. Pet owners are expected to most likely have sufficient if not excessive budgets specific to pamper their pet in different ways.

However making the right choice when it comes to their pet’s diet, especially dog foods is a new challenged for dog lovers. They are more careful and vigilant when it comes to choosing the best and reliable brand of dog food. Personally I have a preference for a pedigree dog food for my beagle which can actually be purchase in cans or dry. Be careful when purchasing your dog food though because there are actually Pedigree foods which are specifically for Adult Dogs only and pedigree for puppies which is designed for all types and needs.

Keep in mind that dog food is supposed to provide the dog's nutrient necessities and not to jeopardize your dog’s health. It’s important to read and check the nutrition facts in the bag of your dog food. After all it always pays to check the label.

Facts about Prostate Cancer in Dogs: In the Eyes of Rosol & Millan

2009-04-08T12:52:00.001-04:00

Prostate cancer - your dogs can have it too and this type of cancer must not be ignored. Dogs with prostate cancer are a serious dog health conditions and if not medically treated, it results to death.

Statistics shows that prostate cancer in old dogs are more common. Some studies claim that if your dog suffers from prostate cancer, the disease spreads to the bones. Once the signs and symptoms exist, some dogs can die in two months. One year is in fact the longest time frame your dogs can have.

A veterinarian in Ohio State University, Dr. Tom Rosol, said;

“There are only two animals in all of nature that get prostate cancer… dogs and humans.”

In reference to this statement, the prostate of a male human being is similarly structured to canines. You see, your dog’s prostate produces bioactive elements that are of significance to metastasizing diseases.

To Rosol, conducting an experiment relating to prostate cancer in dogs seems complicated. The development of cancer cells in human protate is fairly different than in canines.

Signs and Symptoms

Weight Loss

Presence of blood in the urine

Difficulty in peeing

Weak Hind Legs

Walking in shorter steps

General Pain

Your fog might be suffering from prostate cancer if you observe him behaving differently. So, it is a must to see your vet in the early days of these signs and symptoms to make sure your dog's health is not affected by this kind of problem.

If you think these symptoms are okay, think again. Non-neutered or non-castrated male dogs are heavily prone to prostate problems and can always lead to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Even benign and not entirely cancerous, it’s still best to consult your vet for to get more dog health information.

Treatment and Preventive Measures

Usually, when you think your canine has prostate cancer, they need to undergo series of laboratory tests. These are ultrasound, urinalysis, contrast x-rays and biopsy.

Rosol is still investigating the various ways of treating cancers both in humans and in dogs. He even tries to develop new techniques such as transferring of human cancer cells to dogs and dogs’ cancer cells to mice. According to Science Daily, dogs are possibly the nearest type of mammals to humans and with further and elaborate experiments, scientist can uncover the mysteries behind prostate cancer.

For these reasons, the most effective treatment procedure to prostate cancer in dogs is surgery. Yet, various vets claimed surgical procedures are risky to dogs. A dog surgery can only take ten to twenty minutes but there are still complications to look at.Some studies claim before committing your dog to surgery, you might consider chemotherapy and radiation. These procedures may not be as effective as surgery but these can certainly fight the risks of cancer.

According to Cesar Millan, the famous dog psychologist in the hit TV Reality Show “Dog Whisperer,” the risk of prostate cancer in male dogs is massively reduced if you sterilize them.

“Many people, particularly men, have a hard time sterilizing their pets, imposing upon their dogs their own feelings on losing reproductive abilities. A dog will not feel like less of a “man” or “woman” after being sterilized. It will not suffer an identity crisis or mourn the loss of its reproductive capability. Your dog will simply have one less need to fulfill,” he wrote in his website.

Ringworm in Dogs– What is it Really?

2009-04-06T22:34:00.001-04:00

Contrary to it's name, it is not really a worm. It is a fungus called dermatophytes which basically means, “plants that live on the skin.” It got it's name from the circular lesions on the skin that were thought to have been inflicted by worms. This fungi lives on the skin surface and feeds on dead skin tissue and hair. Ringworm in dogs would look like a circular and hairless lesion. As it grows in size, it's shape may not remain circular anymore and becomes irregular.

Contraction happens by direct contact with an infected animal or person. It can be passed from dogs to cats, cats to dogs, animals to human and vice versa. The fungal spores can also live in for quite some time and can be found in carpets, grooming equipment, beddings and the like. There are also some rare cases where ringworms were spread through infected soil. It takes about 10-12 days after contact for the lesions to appear. Fortunately, these spores are easily killed with a solution of bleach and water. So better start cleaning those items.

If you have an adult dog, the chances of contracting ringworms are small. Ringworms in dogs are more often seen in puppies and young dogs. Many dogs are also carriers but show no symptoms of ringworms. However, they may infect another animal or human.

Vets have several tests where they can positively diagnose a ringworm in dogs. Just looking at the lesions won't do. They may use a black light as 50% of these spores will glow under the lamp. A vet may also use a microscope to look at a part of the hair or skin from the lesion. Lastly, he may scrape the lesion and send it to a laboratory to see what the culture grows.

In two to four months, if no treatment is done, the ringworm in dogs will run it's course and the problem will resolve itself. Treatment though is highly recommended to ease the suffering and to cut down the period of contamination. Your vet may prescribe Griseofulvin for your dog's health. It does have some side effects though so be sure to consult your vet before giving any medication. Griseofulvin inhibits fungal reproduction. Lime sulfur dips are also recommended. Dips should be given twice a week and can be performed either by your vet or at home. Please be aware that Lime Sulfur will stain clothing and jewelry and will cause temporary yellowing of the dogs hair. Ignore the bad odor and always follow your vet's instruction on mixing the dip.

Cystitis in Dog – Answers To Your Burning Questions

2009-04-03T10:51:00.001-04:00

The medical term cystitis simply means inflammation of the urinary bladder. This is usually caused by an infection due to bacteria. Other causes of cystitis are bladder stones, tumors in the bladder and diverticula.

The most common sign of cystitis in dog is hematuria or blood in the urine. Many dogs will also have discomfort when urinating making them spend a few minutes to pass through a small amount of urine making them urinate more often than normal. Signs of cystitis in dogs are also determined by the specific cause. Bacterial infections usually cause hematuria and dysuria or straining to urinate. Bladder stones are often very rough causing irritation to the bladder as they rub against the bladder wall. They also create hematuria and dysuria. Tumors or polyps are usually not highly irritating to the dog’s bladder, but they can cause bleeding and mild straining to urinate. A diverticulum is a small pouch in the wall of the bladder that usually causes hematuria and dysuria secondary to the chronic bacterial infection that occurs. Bacteria often reside deep in the diverticulum and are nearly impossible to remove without surgery.

To diagnose for possible cystitis in dog, check the dog's history for hematuria, dysuria, and increased frequency of urination. These a very strong indications that the dog may have cystitis. If these symptoms are seen, several tests are then needed.

The first group of tests include urinalysis, urine culture, and bladder palpation. A urinalysis consists of several tests to detect abnormalities in the urine, including abnormalities in the urine sediment. These are usually enough to confirm cystitis in dogs, but they are not enough to determine the exact cause. A urine culture determines if bacteria are present and what antibiotics are likely to be effective in killing them. This is appropriate because most cases of cystitis are caused by bacteria which may be eliminated easily with antibiotics. Bladder palpation is the first test for bladder stones, since many are large enough to be felt by experienced fingers.

There may be times when cystitis is present but the culture is negative and no stones can be felt. This would require more tests such as x-rays, ultrasound and contrast radiographs. These tests will show what other tests will not.

Treatment for cystitis in dogs may depend on the cause. If it was caused by bacteria, it is easily treated with antibiotics. As for bladder stones, some of them may be dissolved through a special diet while some may require surgery. Benign bladder polyps can usually be surgically removed, but malignant bladder tumors are difficult to treat successfully. A bladder diverticulum should be removed surgically.

Blastomycosis in Dogs

2009-03-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

If you live anywhere near rich soils like pond banks or lake shores, that may be bad news for your dog health as well as your own. Blastomycosis is a fungal infection that can be acquired through the blasto spores of a blasto fungus that is released in the air by local wildlife and subsequently inhaled by dogs and humans as well. Once in the lungs, the blasto spores become infective organisms and multiply at a rapid pace. Usually though, a healthy dog's immune system will fight this off and that's the end of it. But for those that aren't that healthy to begin with, it can spell some bad symptoms with some that are irreversible.

Once infected, there are two classifications of symptoms to look out for, the obvious and the less obvious signs and the length of time between infection and outward signs can vary from a few days to a few weeks, making it almost impossible to establish a link between the time of infection and the location of the infectious spores. Blastomycosis symptoms also mirror other diseases are are very often mis-diagnosed making the need to find infectious organisms for further testing very important to attain a more accurate diagnosis. If there is a skin lesion, a microscope slide comprised of a tissue sample will show the infective organism. If no wounds or lesions are available, needle aspirations of the lungs may be done although treatment for Blastomycosis may be done even before positive diagnosis can be made as a precautionary measure that may save your dog health.

Obvious symptoms are listed as:

Deep cough
Abscess of the skin
Sudden blindness
Blood in the urine

The less obvious symptoms are listed as:

Fever at 104 degrees or higher
Loss of appetite
Lethargic
Intolerance for activity

The current available treatments for blastomycosis in dogs are oral antifungal medications called Sporanox and Diflucan. These should be administered for about three to six months which is pretty long. After such, your dog will be back to normal but unfortunately, as earlier stated, there will be some irreversible symptoms. If your dog went blind, the meds are not going to restore his sight back. Other long-term effects are irreversible as well, such as, spinal or bone damage. If you feel that your dog health is in peril, the best way to deal with it is to take you dog to your vet immediately.

Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs

2009-02-27T14:07:00.002-05:00

Dogs are man's best friend and there is nothing more important than our dog's health. Today's topic will cover congestive heart failure. We will learn to know and understand what it is, what it does and how we can prevent such a disease from happening to our dogs.

Congestive heart failures is the final result of a massive heart disease or a genetic malformation of the heart muscle. These conditions can severely lessen the heart's ability to pump effectively thus, fluid retention in the dog's body cavities eventually lead to a complete heart failure. Due to the many causes of heart failure, this disease can be seen in dogs of any age or breed but larger breeds are more apt in having this condition as opposed to smaller breeds. Some of the most prone breeds are Dobermans, Boxers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Cocker Spaniels and Scottish Deerhounds. There are many things that can cause failure in your dog's heart. Some are treatable and some are not.

Some common causes of congestive heart failures are:

Congenital Heart Defects
Heartworm
Degeneration of the heart valve
Cardiomyopathy
Inflammation and disease of the pericardium
Arrhythmia

There are two types of congestive heart failure, the left CHF and the right CHF. They have some symptoms that are identical and some that are different but are all dangerous to your dog's health.

With the left CHF, your dog should have the following symptoms:

Intolerance to exercise
Rapid breathing
Difficulty in breathing
Coughing
Fainting

For the Right CHF, your dog should be feeling these symptoms:

Swollen abdomen due to fluid build up
Intolerance to exercise
Rapid breathing
Difficulty in breathing
Coughing
Swelling of the limbs

Congestive heart failure in dogs may be diagnosed by your vet by using a stethoscope to listen to your dog's heart and lungs. Other testing procedures that may be used are x-rays, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram and measuring blood pressure. Doing these tests will allow the vet to develop a treatment plan. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the dog's heart problem. Treatment may be done at a dog hospital or at home. When at home, always monitor your dog's diet and activities. Try to make it stress free for your dog and let him enjoy an activity level where he is comfortable with at his own pace. Do not try to force him. Anything that looks out of the ordinary should be immediately addressed to your vet. Do not try to do things on your own so as to avoid complicating your dog health.

February is Pet Dental Health Month

2009-02-20T16:11:00.000-05:00

Dog health, cat health and generally, our pet's health is very important but often overlooked or forgotten in this busy times of economic struggle. This is why February is the time for our pet's dental health because just like their owners, they need the dental attention too. It is a known fact that eighty percent of dogs and seventy percent of cats show signs of oral disease as early as age three and dental health doesn't just affect the mouth. It may actually lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lungs and kidney disease. We definitely wouldn't want that to happen to our precious babies. So let’s look at what you can do and try to break it down so that you would know how to go about the task.

One very serious disease is called the Periodontal Disease. It is an infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth that can take hold during the progressive stages. It starts out as mere plaque and eventually, as the bacteria in the plaque dies, it becomes calcified by the calcium found in saliva. It now becomes tartar and invites more plaque and will lead to gingivitis which causes the gums to swell and bleed. If left untreated, it can spread around the root of the tooth. Finally, the surrounding tissues are destroyed and the bone socket holding the tooth erodes and the tooth becomes loose. This is very painful for your canine friend but luckily, it can be prevented by gaining information on your dog's health as well as other pets.

The two critical components of your pet's dental care are oral examinations and dental cleanings. It is highly recommended that you have your pet checked early because then, as your pet ages, your veterinarian will look for developmental anomalies, the accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease and oral tumors. Basic oral examinations can be performed while the patient is awake but anesthetics may be required for a more thorough and complete examination as well as the cleaning itself. It is also recommended by the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) that general anesthesia should be used for oral examinations as well as dental cleanings for all cats and dogs. Furthermore, these procedures should be done at least annually at one year of age for cats and small breed dogs and at two years of age for large breed dogs. This is not much to do for our pet's sake knowing that you would do anything for you cat's or dog's health any day.

Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds for 2009

2009-02-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

Every year the American Kennel Club declares top 10 of the most popular dog breeds in the US. Even though the Top 10 Popular Dog Breeds for 2009 were not yet announce, it is clearly evident that Labrador Retriever will again be the victor for 19 years in a row. AKC Dog Registration Statistic for 2009 shows that Labrador retriever is unanimously the number one in the top 10 Most Popular Breeds in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities for 2008 and most probably will continue until the end of 2009.

Below are the list of American Kennel Club Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds for 2008 in 50 Major US Cities

Labrador Retriever
Yorkshire Terriers
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Beagles
Boxers
Dachshunds
Bulldogs
Poodles
Shih Tzu

The Westminster Kennel Club 2009 Dog Show

2009-02-02T17:12:00.001-05:00

Monday and Tuesday, February 9-10, 2009
Madison Square Garden
Pennsylvania Plaza
Seventh to Eighth Avenues and 31st to 33rd Streets
New York, New York

America's First and Only Champions Only Dog Show Entry limited to 2,500 dogs

Individual breed judging will take place each day between the hours of 8:00AM and 6PM.

All Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds and varieties will be judged on Monday, with Groups judged on Monday evening.

All Sporting, Working, and Toy breeds and varieties will be judged on Tuesday, with Groups judged on Tuesday evening. Best In Show will also be judged on Tuesday evening.

All Junior Showmanship preliminaries will be judged on Monday afternoon, with the finals to be held at 7:30PM on Tuesday evening.

170 Breeds and Varieties will be judged in seven different groups during the day Monday and Tuesday*.

*Competition in each breed and variety may be viewed in streaming video at the Westminster website. This video will be available within two hours of completion of the judging of that breed. (Please note: A high speed connection is necessary for viewing.)

Broadcast Information

The Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting, and Herding group competition will be televised live Monday on USA Network from 8-9PM ET and continuing on CNBC from 9-11PM ET. The Sporting, Working, Toy, and Best In Show competition will be televised live Tuesday on USA Network from 8-11PM ET.

Breed judging highlight videos are available throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday on the Westminster Web site. These highlights will be available after the show, as well.

To our West Coast viewers: Please note that the West Coast telecast is delayed for your time zone. Since results are posted to our Web site as they occur live, if you want to enjoy the drama of the moment, please avoid the Westminster Web site after 5 p.m. Pacific Time on each evening.

More info

Future Westminster Dog Show Dates

Monday and Tuesday, February 15-16, 2010

Dog Health Tip for Holidays

2008-11-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

As families all around the country start pulling out their favorite holiday recipes, and shopping lists, and decorations, it's easy to overlook one hairy detail: the family pets. Between vacationing out-of-town and readying the house for a veritable invasion of friends and family members, it is really no surprise that pets feel left out, but more than that, the general upheaval of the holidays can be a dangerous time for cats and dogs.

Nationally recognized veterinarian Dr. Bernadine Cruz, DVM, and one of the resident veterinarian advisors on MyPetCareTV.com, encourages pet owners everywhere to add "pet safety" to their holiday list and check it twice.

Year-round every room in a house can pose a potential threat to your dog health when human foods, cleaning products, insecticides and rodenticides, and medicines meant for people are left out where pets can get into them. During the holidays inattention to things left unattended can double. Everyone is busy, caught up in the celebration of good food and good company: house guests may unwittingly allow the dog into a room he is usually forbidden to go, or feed the dog a "treat" to which he is allergic. The holidays bring out so many more potential hazards to pets than we may think. Dogs may ingest tinsel, ribbons, and string, harming their digestion and intestinal tract. Especially harmful is fertilizer used in the water of Christmas tree stands which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

To pass the holidays in celebration, companionship, and good health, Dr. Bernadine Cruz offer these tips to add to every dog owner's list:

* Remind houseguests not to feed your dogs human food, especially fatty foods and candy.
* Restrict dogs to "safe areas" or outdoors during dinner parties when you are too occupied to watch them.
* If you have not already, install child safety locks on cabinets that contain cleaning supplies, paints, and medicines. Even hand soap and toothpaste can harm your dog health.
* Try to give your dog some focused attention each day to keep her or him calm, relaxed, and less likely to misbehave.
* Be sure dogs wear identification tags at all times. That includes indoor pets, because with the hustle and bustle of having visitors, pets can wander outside without their owners being aware of their escape.
* To protect curious pets, be sure to keep candles safely out of the reach of paws, whiskers, and tails.
* Pets, especially dogs, tend to eat first and think later. A dangling, shinny tree ornament or holiday table decorations may be more than your pet can ignore. A nibble of a plant can lead to an upset stomach or worse. Decorations can lead to an obstruction in the digestive tract and require a visit to the veterinary emergency room.

Please visit PRWEB for the original article and other similar articles.

A Bite of Information on Dog Rabies

2008-09-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's a big responsibility to own a dog. You need to protect your overall dog health and protect him or her from any form of diseases. Rabies is a life-threatening viral disease that causes inflammation to your pet's nervous system and eventually results to madness and death. When your dog is infected with rabies, he or she might go through the three dreadful stages.

Prodomal Phase - the first phase which can last until two to three days. During this stage, your dog may experience fever, frequent chewing at the infected area of the bite and showing unusual behavioral changes.
Furious Stage - this might be the most scariest phase of the three because the pressure has already reached the dog's brain and starts to rip him off. Your dog will begin to display disorientation, irritability and a different level of aggression and he or she might no longer follow your orders. This terrible stage will last for two to four days.
Paralytic Phase - The final stage, like the Furious stage, this will also occur between two to four days and the entire body of your dog will be numbed. There's no cure once your dog is already at this stage and whether you like it or not, he or she will die in a short while.

Protecting Your Dog from Rabies
Dog rabies can be cured if it is detected early. Once your dog is bitten by some vicious or any domestic animal, you need to bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian for immunization. It is suggested that you need to make arrangements with your vet regarding this matter. Don't delay things, you just need to make it happen. Remember, you need to protect your dog health before anything else. Studies show that a puppy can now have its first immunization at eight weeks old. The second shot should be be given four weeks after. When the puppy turned sixteen weeks old, he or she can have the vaccination for rabies.

Yet, there are some side effects you should be wary of once your dog is immunized. These side effects are: disorientation, lethargy, vomiting, trembling and swelling. If you observe that your dog has displayed any of these signs, you need to call your vet asap. To prevent these heartbreaking events from happening, you need to protect your dog. Regular grooming and proper health care of your dog should be observed. When you walk them down the street, avoid contacting them with wild dogs.

Protecting Yourself from Rabies
Are you aware that the effects of rabies in dog is same as that of humans? Truth is, the chances of having a rabies in humans may be slim but still, you need to be extra cautious.
For any instances that you are bitten by dogs or by any animal, wild or not, with rabies or without, you must immediately wash the infected area of your body with soap and water before seeing your veterinarian for further testing and observation.

It might be also helpful that after you've been bitten, you follow the dog on its way home then request the authorities to capture it. When the dog is captured, never injure the head as this is used for further medical verification.

Conclusion
“Prevention is better than cure,” you need this quote all the time. It's not impossible to fight dog rabies as long as you are doing the proper precaution in protecting your pet dog and your health and life, as well.

Canine Distemper Virus

2008-08-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

Canine distemper virus or CDV is an above ground variety and highly transmissible disease-causing illness that is every so often deadly and can affect the respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal, optic nerves, central nervous systems and your dog health as a whole. This communicable disease usually affects dog of all ages worldwide. However the degree of severity is more dangerous in young puppies compared to a non-immunized adult dogs.

Dog distemper is a dog health problem which is strongly associated to human measles because the virus that generates canine distemper belongs to the same paramyxovirus group where human measles virus is a member. Thus, if a person has vaccine and is immune to measles then they will also have imperceptibility to canine distemper. In spite of this, there is an account that humans can conceivably be infected with dog distemper virus but will unveil no signs or warnings at all.

Symptoms of canine distemper are on case to case basis depending on your dog health. Early signs include high fever, loss of appetite because of tonsils and lymph nodes problem. Because of this the dog will drastically loss weight and will eventually becomes very weak. The virus will attack the lungs and respiratory tract so dogs will develop persistent cough. Severe diarrhea with bloody traces is the manifestation of intestinal inflammation.

This disease that attacks dogs has a 50% mortality rate and most of the dogs die by the third week because of neurological complications. In selected cases, the dog's protective mechanisms generate antibodies in this period, and subsequently beat the infection. However the virus is not completely gone and it actually remains in the brain which can be activated anytime. This if often times referred to as “Old Dog Encephalitis”. It should be noted also that virus can survive and in fact loves cold temperature and is more pervasive during winter and fall season. However they only remain dormant on warm weather.

It is important that puppies should receive colostrums from their mother to strengthen their immune system in order to battle not only distemper virus but all forms of dog health problems. New and tested vaccines are now available to protect your dog health from canine distemper virus. Veterinarians strongly advised that your dog should be vaccinated at an early age and lessens contact with other animals and avoid exposure to other places. Proper sanitation is encouraged as a best form of prevention.

Dog Cognitive Disorder

2008-08-20T08:50:00.000-04:00

Dogs can be affected by a degenerative disease like Alzheimer's disease in humans. This is formally called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer disease in humans, dog cognitive dysfunction syndrome causes behavioral changes that are not normal in the canine aging process. This condition affects mostly dogs aged 11 years and above. There are similar studies about this dog health issue that revealed that 48% of dogs with ages 8 years and older, 62% of dogs 11 to 16 years of age and 100% of dogs 16 years of age and older exhibited at least one of the changes that occurs in dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS).

The symptoms of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in dogs can be abbreviated with the following acronym: D.I.S.H.

D - Disorientation
I - Interaction changes
S - Sleep changes
H - House soiling

Dogs who have CDS or cognitive dysfunction syndrome have been seen to be disoriented with familiar surroundings. Your dog with CDS can have a hard time locating his favorite area where he naps or sleeps. In some cases, your dog will have a harder time of locating your doors. Regarding interaction changes, he may not remember to do as he is commanded; even simple commands like “Stay” and “Sit” can elicit strange responses from your dog. Dog with this kind of problem may not even recognize your family members, familiar people or your friends; he may even act hostile to them. Sleep habits of your dog may change with this condition, he may sleep more during daytime than at night; depression can also be seen wherein your dog seems lethargic and lack energy or enthusiasm with favorite activities.

About the house soiling category of symptoms, house-trained dogs may have accidents in your house. Your dog may even forget where he is and have a hard time making his way around your house. He will usually urinates and defecates anywhere or even inside the house.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome in itself is not fatal to your dogs, but complications arising from this disease can seriously harm your dog. The symptoms like disorientation and interaction changes can lead to situations that can seriously physically and emotionally harm your beloved dog.

If your dog is exhibiting the above-mentioned behavior or symptoms for no apparent reason, it's wise and best to consult your veterinarian for proper recommendation to alleviate and control this dog health problem.

Flee From Dog Fleas

2008-08-11T02:25:00.001-04:00

When it comes to being a dog owner, do you care enough and are attentive to your pooch? Are you that vigilant when it comes to your dog health? If so, then maybe battling with a creature that's so fast, nearly invisible, irritating, can cause itchiness and can jump high and fast, wont be any greater problem for you. What I am referring to is one parasite that can contribute to harming and troubling your dog's health – DOG FLEAS!

If you happen to see your dog scratching like hell, well, don't just think that your dog may have some allergies. Although you are also more likely to panic and go around see what you can do to give remedy to that itchiness that you think allergies may have caused, the treatments for parasite infestation may differ and have some variant effects. When it comes to your dog health, you should be as alert and as knowledgeable so that you can take good care of things by yourself without even going to see a veterinarian. The type of control depends on the extent of the dog's problem and the preferences of the dog's owner. Take these things into consideration to prevent or cure the fleas infestation in your dog:

1.The best thing that you do first, is to check what may have caused your dog's itchiness.
In order for you to know and confirm if your dog is infected or been bitten by fleas, you should observe your dog if he/she bites at his rear end especially around his tail or the inside or outside of his thighs. The tapeworm or the skin bumps may be one of the signs that the fleas are present. Small red raised bumps on the base of the tail and along the outside of the back legs, self-induced scratches, and thickened skin on the base of the tail are all signs of chronic flea allergy. The diagnosis can be confirmed with an intradermal skin allergy test.

2. Check your house for some fleas especially the place where your dog sleeps.
You are more likely to detect whether there are fleas around through its “droppings” or flea dirt. It looks like sprinkled pepper on the dog's fur or skin. If you drop some of this "pepper" onto a damp paper towel and it turns reddish, it's fleas, and not seasoning. You can check out if your dog has those droppings when you take your pooch to a good bath and then use a flea comb to brush away the flea dirts and even some flea themselves. Flea combs are specially made fine-toothed comb that could trap fleas and flea eggs on your dog’s fur. Use dog shampoos or those designed to suffocate fleas thus killing them when you give your dog a bath. Clean the places where fleas are possibly to hiding or and laying their eggs. They have a great ability of jumping fast from host to host so you really should take so much precautions. Use flea sprays to prevent them from coming back and to kill flea eggs that can bring about more trouble to you and your dog health.

3.The use of pill or topical application take less effort.
But they should not be used alone in a heavy infestation because they do not treat the environment. The pill works when flea bites dog, so may not be suitable for an allergic dog. The topical solutions kill adult fleas and have some residual action as long as they remain on the pet's hair — even hair that has been shed on carpets and furniture.

Some synthetic insecticides may be harmful to your dog health that's why it is advisable to use home remedies instead if you want to get rid or prevent dog fleas from troubling you and your dog. Whatever strategy you use to ensure your dog health, it doesn't matter as long as you give prior attention and dedication towards achieving the desired results. And of course when in doubt, always seek for veterinarian's help.

How to deal with Dog Arthritis

2008-08-01T10:43:00.001-04:00

How much do you value your pet? Survey says that the basic annual expenses for dog health amounts to 453 dollars including Surgical Vet Visits, Food, Kennel Boarding, Routine Vet, Groomer/Grooming aids, Vitamins, treats and toys. It only show that in American alone, pet lovers has enough supply for pet care and know exactly what their pet needs especially for dogs There is also a possible indication that dog lovers could easily know what their dog health condition directly from their vet or on how their dog looks like. Because your dog can’t talk, he's counting on you to recognize signs of pain and to have your veterinarian diagnose to treat the condition.

Certain signs like reluctant to climb steps, to rise from a resting position, when your dog tire easily and lag behind during long walks may show that your dog might be or suffering from painful arthritis. Arthritis is defined as an inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and sometimes changes in structure. Sometimes this joint pain is the first symptom that is noticed. Other joint problems include stiffness and swelling, particularly in the large joints such as the knee, elbow, and shoulder. Arthritis like osteoarthritis (General term) is a debilitating disease that greatly affects your dog health and well being.

Unlike humans where an injury doesn’t immediately manifest itself as arthritis, in dogs symptoms can be seen within several weeks and develops this arthritis as they age. Although there are no miracle cures, much can be done to make your dog with arthritis more comfortable and improve their lives. In order not to make it more difficult for your dogs, arthritis treatment can be done to decrease mobility. This treatment includes medicines, supplement, exercise, diet/weight and surgery. Medicines may help to both reduce the pain and slow down the progress of osteoarthritis. Aspirin is not recommended for even it reduce pain it still cause the cartilage in the joints to break down. Supplement is a good approach but it would be better if you discuss it with your vet so to determine the level of effectiveness.

Moderate amounts of exercise are also important not only for arthritis suffering dog but for the dog health as a whole. One round on the block two or three times a day of walk is about right. Avoid strenuous activity. Try to ask advice from a physical therapist that specializes in canine arthritis. See to it also that you monitor the diet of your dogs because overweight dogs make the arthritis treatment more difficult. The more weight on those poor joints, the harder it is to move around. In severe cases, Surgery might also be a possible way to fuse together joints that are causing pain. Additional treatment is also to give your dog a soft comfortable place to sleep. It is much easier for your dog if you use a foot off the floor bed for them to get up and down.

A pet dog has been part of our family. Like any members, we must give importance as how to improve and maintain our their health. Before anything could possibly happen and become worse we should make it habit to be accountable to them. It is for us to easily know any signs of diseases and avoid unexpected results because prevention is still the best cure.

Dealing with Dog Mange

2008-07-28T02:17:00.001-04:00

Spring brings warm weather, longer days, flowering trees, fleas and mites. No one would really want to see their favorite dog rolling all over to ease the pain felt from these fleas and mites. Like fleas, mites are also microscopic bugs that burrow under your dog's skin and this is not visible to a human eye. Other parasites that affect dog health are ticks and lice. Although fleas are the most common parasitic skin disease found in dogs, mange is a skin disease which is caused by mites.

According to most veterinarians, dog mange is a common disease in skin that can greatly affect dog health. A mange is a persistent and contagious disease of the skin causing inflammation, itching and loss of hair that can affect domestic animals like dogs (and sometimes people). There are two types of canine mange: demodectoc and sarcoptic mange (scabies). Puppies are usually afflicted by mange because their immune systems are not fully developed yet. Signs of demodectoc mange is when hair or fur loss occurs in round patches resembling ringworm. Oftentimes, the skin appears red and scaly. Demodectoc mange is caused by Demodex canis, a minute size, cigar shaped mite that affects puppies from three to 12 months old. The most commonly affected areas are the face and the front legs. With sarcoptic mange, symptoms can be loss of fur and crusting of teeth. It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which also causes human scabies. The dog's ear, front legs, chest and abdomen are most commonly affected by sarcoptic mange or scabies.

Several treatment methods can be done to cure dog's mange. Most veterinarians recommend the antiseptic method by clipping the infected area and washing it thoroughly. Anti-mite dips and shampoos can be useful too. Most cases of mange respond well to this treatment. In cases of ear mites, thorough cleaning of the dog’s ears while the animal is sedated is also advisable. This treatment can be followed up with home treatments using special solutions like insecticidal dips, sprays, powders and shampoos. These are just few on how to secure your dog health away from dog mange.

Taking note of the condition of dog's skin and coat is important to ensure good pet health . As always, the key to fast recovery from mange is early detection and treatment. If these kind diseases are not treated early, then the possibility of chronic illness and damaged organs can occur.

BARF Diet for your dog health

2008-07-16T03:53:00.000-04:00

Are you feeding your dog with the right food to ensure its optimum health? Do you think that what you see as a good stuff for your dog health is really appropriate and could give you and your dog the security that what you've been feeding to him/her is safe? Now what kind of food is it really that can not only satisfy your dog's hunger but will also optimize its health?

It has been a practice for pet lovers, dog lovers specifically to feed their dogs with processed foods. Branded dog foods are just what they would prefer. They think that by feeding their dogs with this kind of stuff, they will have no worries or whatsoever regarding their nutrition. But little did they know that these processed foods can just bring about more harm to their dog health. Most of these foods contain a long list of additives, preservatives and grain products.

So why not stick to the traditional manner of feeding our pets? Why not feed them the way they would feed themselves into the wild? Why not give them the kind of food that their ancestors feasted originally when they were once scavengers and hunt for food to suffice their hunger? Feeding your dog with fresh, raw foods is just what I am talking about. Giving them exactly what the typical food chain would allow them to have is more likely to guarantee you a supreme kind of healthy lifestyle for your dog.

BARF (“biologically appropriate raw food") or "BARF" diet is the healthy, safe and nutritious way to feed your pet. The natural way your pet or dog used to eat just before all those manufactured, highly-processed and grain-based foods entered the system of their food chain is what this BARF diet is trying to portray and win back to all dog lovers all over. This diet is typically made up of 60-80% of raw meaty bones(RMB), that is bones with about 50% meat, (e.g. chicken neck, back and wings) and 20-40% of fruits and vegetables, offal, meat, eggs, or dairy foods. The BARF diet looks only to the freshest whole raw food sources rich in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids derived mostly from human edible ingredients.

The presence of bacteria in raw food often worries pet owners and vets. They assume these bacteria will imperil their dog health. However, dogs, being scavengers, have evolved to eat and thrive on bacteria laden food, requiring them for immune system maturity. Living enzymes are proteins found in raw foods which help the body function. Enzymes are only beneficial to the body if they are living. Once food is cooked or processed, it no longer contains living enzymes. Living Enzymes in a raw diet restore, repair, and maintain health. Animals replenish their enzymes systems by eating raw unprocessed foods. As a result, feeding your dog with raw food is more likely to give out a lot of benefits for the betterment of your dog health.

So if you want to improve your dog health, lengthen the span of its life, give your dog stronger teeth and fresher breath, indestructible immune system and fully-developed bones or body structure, then settle for something that's natural and proven to have made supreme developments for your dog health. If we people are now trying to resort to alternatives or those natural ways to improve our lifestyles, then why leave out our dogs with the least essential stuff if we can give them the most appropriate and rewarding kinds of food to feast with?

Dog Lyme Awareness: Taking Care of your Dog Health

2008-07-10T21:20:00.001-04:00

If you have a pet, perhaps a dog that you just cant take your eyes off; would you always give most of your time and efforts to cater to its needs especially when it comes to your dog health? Pampering your dog and taking care of it like it is one of your own is such a very rewarding and satisfying treat for yourself. And whenever you tend to face problems regarding your pet's health, you just cant help but worry and panic.

So, when talking about your pet, are you always aware of the changes happening to your dog? Have you ever noticed that one day, your dog just seemed so weak and silent in pain when in fact your dog has never been that way for it would always seem to be so energetic and vibrant? And then for the next day, it would wail in agony due to swollen joints that if you don't give a proper remedy or bring to a pet hospital would go limping for a long period of time? Would you even believe that despite all the attention and care that you give to your dog, it can still get bitten by ticks? Now that is the major reason of the alarming changes in your dog that can make it sick or even paralyzed.

Dog Lyme or Lyme Disease in dogs is a condition wherein dogs are admitted due to limping (usually one foreleg and from three to four days, the degree of limping will be from mild and barely noticeable up to the complete disuse of the painful leg), the affected limb's lymph node is swelling, fever, loss of appetite, cough, depression and even lethargic behavior. Your dog health is greatly to be affected by this kind of disease when it gets bitten by ticks especially the smallest one called the deer tick, because ticks are the carriers of the bacteria ( Borrelia burgdorferi) that develops this disease.

At least three known species of ticks can transmit Lyme Disease. However, the great majority of Lyme Disease transmissions are due to the bite of a very tiny tick commonly called the Deer Tick, or Black-legged Tick. The tick's body size varies depending on the stage of its two-year life cycle. These ticks are hard to see for they are smaller than the head of the pin. They don't make dogs itch and don't glow in the dark. They are like vampires that sucks the blood and breath out of your dogs body. The dog lyme or lyme disease is actually named after the town (Lyme) in Connecticut where an early outbreak was first noted.

To to ensure your dog health against the development of this lyme disease, you must follow or practice certain habits of prevention by trying to minimize the number of ticks growing in places possible as their breeding place by spraying insecticides on the parameters or merely just staying away from those sites, injecting vaccines for tick prevention, application of anti-tick insecticides, sprays or repellants and carefully picking off the ticks as soon as you find them on your dog's skin especially if you go outdoors. Now if you really want to take good care of your dog health, better be aware of these information and ask your specialist about the things that you are just not so aware and sure of.

Discovering Kennel Cough

2008-05-28T10:12:00.001-04:00

Just when you thought that humans are the only breathing social organisms exposed highly to bacteria and viruses; canines also have to suffer a great deal, sometimes, much in the same way that humans do. If humans experience and suffer from fever and flu, dogs also have high chances to experience the same problem.

Coughing is also a common issue among people, young or old. But when it comes to domestic dogs, it is called kennel cough. This is a common problem in the world of dog health, but why the name? Why is it called kennel cough? Should it not be called canine cough instead? The name itself originated from how dogs in the same kennel can quickly acquire an infection. When this happens, inflammation on the upper respiratory system occurs to the dog concerned. As for other dogs inside the kennel, they also can easily catch the same virus and bacteria simply by air. Sneezing and coughing emits bad bacteria and can easily transfer to other dogs within the same area.

If your dog starts to show any signs of coughing without phlegm, hacking, retching, sneezing and snorting for several days, it could already indicate kennel cough because these are common symptoms of an infected respiratory system. In some cases, a dog can experience fever and the worst case scenario, is when kennel cough develops to something bigger and a more serious problem called pneumonia.

The idea is simple, though not too many dog lovers know it. Keep dogs where they stay clean and boarding kennels in particular, need to be hygienic too. Any activities that also require for dogs to interact with other dogs in places such as parks or training schools call for a vaccination alert. Doing precautionary measures in your dog health, even way before an infection starts to develop or symptoms to occur, is all worth it to save a dog owner from experiencing all the headaches and late night sleep disturbances if issue such as this ever happens.

The simplest way a dog lovers can do to prevent any type of virus and bacteria that can harm their dog health, is to disinfect kennels in a regular basis. Also, the importance of dog vaccine against parainfluenza, distemper and other type of bacteria is paramount. If these steps were not successful in preventing the early stages of bacterial and viral development in a dog, a cough suppressant is the next best choice. On the one hand, if there is no exact diagnosis yet, antibiotics remain undefeated in curing bacteria-related illnesses.

Dog Training 101

2008-05-07T16:42:00.002-04:00

A lot of people think training a dog to hand-shake with a man is so easy. Maybe it is. So, they consider teaching a dog doing a hand-shake “dog training”. Certainly a no, no, no!

Dog training is more than just teaching a dog to do a hand-shake, or to catch a ball, or to roll. There's more to those tricks. But of course, those tricks are also a part of “dog training”. Other than caring for their dog health, dog owners will eventually want to teach their dogs with even just the basic tricks because they want them to behave in a way that they are pleasant to be around. Studies proved that dogs do not learn obedience on their own, instead they have to be trained in order for them to act the way humans want them to.

Dog training has several areas. One of the most popular and commonly done by trainers, handlers, owners or friends of the dogs is the obedience training. This is the basic area of dog training where you teach your dog to “sit”, “stand”, “lie”, “heel”, “beg”, “come”, and “stay and down”. Obedience is the prerequisite or the foundation of your dog training and it usually requires a good relationship and trust between the dog and the owner or the handler.

Once the dog already knows the basics and is already “obedient”, then you can move on to a more difficult area like teaching more tricks to be performed in a circus, or to be a guide to the blind, or to be a rescue dog and help find victims during a disaster, or be a hunting dog and help hunters find what they want in the forest. Be sure that you are not jeopardizing your dog health along the process of your dog training. Dogs play an important role as guard animals. You may also train dogs with other tricks which can be very helpful so they may be police dogs, rescue dogs, detection dogs, sheep dogs or schutzhund, a German term for protection dogs.

Dogs are considered to be man's best friend. They are among the very few animals that are easy to teach and to be tamed. It’s good to train dogs if they are still puppies because just like humans, this is the stage where their attitudes and abilities and dog health are still developing. Dogs that are petted and are handled carefully during this stage is more amenable to be trained and to be lived with in the house. There are some training schools for dogs where professionals teach them the tricks. However, it is also advisable that the owners learn the tricks as well. It is best that both the dog and the owner enroll to the training school together so they learn easily and interaction will be fun.

For those who are patient who want to spend time personally with their dog training, it is quite easy, though it requires patience. Just like life, you cannot just train the dog overnight. It also requires constant practice. It is trial and error. Communication is a very important factor. Humans want to teach the dogs what attitudes and behaviors are correct. They want the dog to know what is right and wrong, but it may be so difficult because these animals cannot talk nor can they understand what a person is trying to say. Dogs bark and they cannot speak so humans must make effort to show the dog what he wants to happen and once the dog learns what is being taught, they must also be given a reward. Just like human beings, these animals have feelings; too, so rewarding them for a job well-done will also boost their self-esteem.

Dog Kennel: There’s no place like home

2008-05-02T01:12:00.000-04:00

Dogs need shelter from the storm and protection from their enemies. They also need a place of safety when necessary. Dog kennel provides the man's best friend this need and therefore protect dog health.

There are several types of kennels for the man's best friend. Some are made specifically for your dog health protection, others for show. Most of the time, we see those kennels which really resembles like houses so we term them “dog house” where our dogs rest after a long day of playing around, guiding us, giving us entertainment and looking after us.

Since dogs are very good companions, it is certainly a must that we provide them with a comfortable dwelling place. And since there are several designs of dog kennel, there are also professionals who can back us up and help us decorate our dog houses, we have no other excuse to just let your dog sleep in an unused room or beside your car in the garage.

But it is inevitable that families will travel and since the dog plays an important role in the family, it cannot just be left behind. It has to tag along in the family's picnic in the beach or be with the daddy and baby boy on their hunting adventure. There's only one problem; it is difficult to look for a place where the dog can spend the night because it cannot just sleep in the living room of the summer house. There's no worry though because right now, there are a lot of dog kennel that are handy and can be brought anywhere.

Dog kennel are available in various forms, sizes and colors. However, before we buy a certain kennel, we first have to consider several things. First, are the size of our backyard and the size of our dog. We also have to take into consideration the breed of the dog that we have and the sensitivity of the dog health. Some dogs have different needs so maybe its best we seek for help from our friendly veterinarians on what type of kennel does our doggy need. For humans, after a long day, when we're weary and exhausted, we want to lie down on that corner we consider to be our comfort zone. Dogs have that feeling, too, so let's make sure that the kennels we give our dogs will provide that need.

We don't really have to spend so much buying that ready-made dog kennel. If you have that carpentering skills, then start buying the equipments and take our your hammers, nails and saw and anything else that you need and make the best kennel that you can think of for you pet satisfaction and dog health. If you don't have that skill, check out some people in the neighborhood, I'm sure they're willing to lend a hand to help you out.

Dog Food Recall; Past Present and the Future

2008-04-27T11:50:00.000-04:00

The term back yard dog is becoming more of taboo now for dog lovers. Pet owners’ nurtures and spoil their dog as if it’s their only child. They are actually spending a lot of money now on eye-catching yet expensive collars, dog kennel, dog health insurance and a good brand of dog food.

However after the series of unpleasant incident of a massive dog food recall, pet owners are taking a lot consideration when it comes to choosing what to feed their pet. The improved self-consciousness of pet owners in their dog health and choices greatly affects and still affecting sales of various pet food products. Various associations for dog health protection and FDA are sterner on regulating the distribution of pet food. Companies are obligated to follow strict guidelines and requirements which should in general satisfy the needs of most pets.

Harking back to the past, the FDA found out that a certain brand/brands of dog food are the primary caused of dogs getting sick and a considerable number died after eating that food contaminated with harmful chemicals. Dog health were put at risk and dogs generally experienced kidney problems and showed sign of poisoning which includes but not limited to vomiting, convulsion and difficulty of breathing. Pet owner’s grievances steers the very heart of the media and therefore heightened consciousness of the general public.

In the face of the past sticky situation on dog food recall, studies shows that in America alone, pet owner will spend $43.4 billion on their pets in 2008, which is way higher that $41.2 billion last year. And the focal target market is of course the Baby boomers, since being alone in the house; they are most likely the people to own a pet and will have enough superfluous budgets to pamper their pet in most ways. Nevertheless they are also the type of pet owner who are more involved in their dog health and will spend extra time reading nutrition facts and bag of dog food.

After the dog food recall, comes a new challenged for dog food manufacturer to make available to the more educated pet owners the best products they can offer without jeopardizing the dog health and being. It would probably be one of the grounds for higher price on dog food, improve premiums, and confusing hype. Either way, dog food ought to supply the dog's nutrient necessities. After all you dogs are your family and you don’t want any of your family eating pieces of crap, don’t you?

Dog Health Insurance: A Luxury or Necessity?

2008-04-21T01:58:00.000-04:00

Most dog lovers spend more money on their pets in order to maintain their dog health. It is a known fact that the medical care for a dog becomes more expensive as he grows older; for his risks on acquiring serious and expensive illness is greater the younger ones. Dog health insurance may still be a luxury for some, but most dog owners still avail it for their dogs. They treat their pets like members of the family and spoil them with expensive food, toys and doggy fashion. That is why some of gets confused, whether dog health insurance is luxury or necessity.

Veterinary costs have been rising these past few years. When you do not have dog health insurance, most veterinarians today make you pay for every visit at the time of the appointment, whether it is a routine checkup or emergency cases. This can cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket unexpectedly. That is where dog health insurance comes in.

Due to the advancements in veterinary medicine, our pets can live longer than ever before. Because of these sophisticated diagnostic tools used by veterinarians today, overlooked illnesses for too many years can still be detected. The more the advancements in veterinary medicine, the more the dog health are preserved. Sadly these treatments, which can save your pet’s life, are usually very expensive for most dog lovers. Because of this many of them resort on getting a dog health insurance.

A lot of dog health insurance companies offer different plans with deductibles and premiums. Some plans cover only illnesses and accidents while others include vaccinations and routine exams as well. Normally, an average dog’s policy may cost $25 to $30 a month depending on age, species, and breed of pet. Even lifestyle and area of residence can affect the choice and price of dog health premium for your dog.

So if you plan to get a dog health insurance, see to it that the company allows you to choose your preferred veterinarians. Check on the length of the waiting period, the cost of premium including deductibles, co-pays, and caps for your pet. Also check the company's policy conditions and exclusions, claim time turn around, and be sure that it is licensed in their state. Dog owners should also check the company’s ratings, news and financial data for the insurance industry worldwide to avoid problems in the future.

Dog lovers should seriously consider getting dog health insurance. It is a normal thing for having pets to give them the good things that they need. It is well worth it and it can really ease your mind knowing that your dog's health can be saved through expensive medical treatment. What is good about health insurance is that over a lifetime, pet insurance premiums will add up to more than the claims. But insurance is not all about economics. Whether you consider it as luxury or necessity, one thing is for sure; it brings you peace of mind knowing that your dog health is out of danger.

Dog Health and Obesity Awareness

2008-04-12T11:49:00.002-04:00

When we talk about “obesity”, humans normally come in our mind. But what if it is dog obesity and not humans? Strange, right? We ought to know that dog health and obesity awareness is a perfect way to save the man's best friend. Maybe it was too distinct for people who lived many years ago; but fortunately not for people living in the modern society nowadays. Dogs of today, like humans, experience obesity as one of the major health risks.

Dogs that eat excessively and with unhealthy binges can become obese. This situation often triggered by some environmental factors could create more problems in a dog health if not controlled. Dogs also develop certain diseases if they are overweight that can lead to more serious complications including death. Obesity in dogs tends to put extra weight developing arthritis on their joints and other parts of the bones. It can also develop other muscle and joint problems like spinal disc disease, hip dysplasia, and cracks on the joint ligaments.

We all know that overweight causes diabetes in humans. It certainly does happen to dogs, too. More fat stored in the dog's body generates more insulin in order to cope with its increasing mass. Dogs have the tendency to resist too much insulin in the body, so this results to diabetes. Skin problems also occur if a dog is overweight. Excessive fat deposits are stored in the skin makes the owner find it hard grooming his dog. Dogs without proper grooming oftentimes accumulate bacteria, dirt, or other elements that can harm their skin. This eventually develops rashes, skin ruptures, and infections that are very dangerous on your dog health.

Overweight dogs are prone to heat stroke especially during summer time. Too much fat deposits accumulated in their skin lowers their heat tolerance. Obese dogs can also develop respiratory problems and heart diseases. Thick fat deposits covering the chest cavity, thus making the lungs and the heart expand hardly whenever the dog breathes. If the heart and the lungs can no longer produce the right amount of oxygen and circulate it within the dog's body, it could kill him. Inflamed pancreas, which is very painful, can seriously affect dog health. Lastly, obesity in dogs can create a liver malfunction because of too much fat deposits accumulated in the area. This may even cause the death of your dog.

These health problems are all life threatening to both humans and dogs. But in the case of our pet dogs, it all depends upon the owner on how he secures his dog health. It is important that dog lovers should create a healthy exercise schedule for their dogs like taking them for a walk every afternoon or letting him run through a field. This does not only benefit the dogs but their owners as well. Owners must also create a healthy diet for their dogs. Diet meals with necessary nutrients should include the right combination of fiber, meat, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals in order for the dogs to stay healthy.

Dog lovers should always give more water to their dogs when they feed them fiber. This can prevent constipation. Above all, they should also remember that before trying out new things on their dogs, it is best to consult the veterinarian first. Give your dogs the best love and care you can. Your dog health and obesity awareness is a perfect way to save the man's best friend.

Dog Allergy and Remedy

2008-04-07T02:45:00.000-04:00

Because of the unstoppable modernization of our society today, more people find ways to pacify their stress. One of these ways is to have a pet at home. We all know that most of us especially the dog lovers consider dogs as the perfect pet for anyone. Some even treat their pets as humans, dress them up and let them sleep in their own beds! But, how much do you know about your dog health? Do you know that dogs can acquire allergies like humans, too?

Yes, new allergies develop each day and increases in severity of existing ones. Dogs also suffer seasonal allergies involving pollen, plants, and molds, just like us. But the most common dog allergies include flea allergy, dog food allergy, contact allergy and occasionally an allergic reaction to vaccinations. Dog allergies caused by different substances generally produce symptoms that affect the skin, affecting you dog health. If your dog scratches and licks himself especially his belly and paws continuously; with sore, red patches of skin, and patchy hair loss, he definitely suffers from allergies.

Other symptoms include sneezing, coughing, persistent head shaking or discharge from the eyes or nose. Small dogs or puppies commonly do not develop dog allergies until they become a year old or more. Their exposure to allergens in the environment, food, and others sensitizes them to certain substances and tend to develop allergies. Treating an allergy that appeared recently seems easier than the one present and untreated for a long period of time. Canine allergies can severely affect a dog health because the symptoms it produces can make your dog very miserable and uncomfortable, unless you treat it carefully. Dogs do not get better by themselves.

In order to protect your dog health, minimize your pup's exposure to as many “triggers” as possible to lessen the chances of developing canine allergies in later life. Feed him a high-quality food without dangerous chemicals and artificial additives. Use a good, effective flea medication on your pup during flea’s season. Give him a regular bath and grooming, and minimize your dogs' contact with long grasses.

It is advisable to take your dog to a veterinarian that can perform either skin tests or blood tests to determine the exact cause of the allergy. But if in case your dog's skin conditions looks severe and appears to be infected, your veterinarian may prescribe corticosteroids, cortisone shots or allergy medications. You can also use products available in the market that can help you treat the skin allergy symptoms that your dog may be experiencing. Different shampoos such as hypoallergenic or hydrocortisone formula, itch stop sprays, lotions and salves can soothe and reduce inflammation. Hydrocortisone products also help in fast healing. All of these products are of big help to your dog health if allergy occurs.

Some dietary supplements and excellent dog foods that contain pure, natural ingredients can also improve skin condition and boost immunity. It can also end food allergies and strengthen the digestive and immune system. Vomiting, diarrheas, loss of appetite or lethargy are symptoms that are often mistaken as food allergy instead of food intolerance. To expose a food allergy and isolate the offending ingredients, perform an elimination diet for the betterment of your dog health. These symptoms also indicate one of several serious canine illnesses, so better seek veterinary attention.

Occasionally, dogs suffer allergic reactions to a vaccination. Most of these vaccine reactions are mild involving lethargy, loss of appetite or a slight fever. We rarely encounter vaccination's moderate to severe reactions, but it can seriously affect your dog health. Development of any swelling or hives on your pet's body, particularly around or on his face after taking his shots minutes or several hours later is definitely serious. This could even progress to swelling of his throat, difficult breathing, seizure and even death. Seek immediate veterinary attention before it's too late.

We may think that dog allergies are usual, but we must do something to reduce the chances of putting our dog health at stake. If you suspect your pup experiences a canine allergy of some sort, you figure out what is causing the problem and make him feel better! Know about your dog health before anything gets worse. In that way, you will feel better, too, and can enjoy more time with your pet.

Dog Health Tip – Take Your Dog for a Walk

2008-04-01T03:05:00.002-04:00

Talking about dog health, don't you know that a round of exercise a day will keep your dog up and about from the boredom of being alone at home while you are at work? Truly! If you are a dog lover, spending time with your dog outdoors like taking him for a walk could mean a lot in strengthening the bond of a human-canine relationship plus keeping you both fit, healthy and above all happy.

Like humans do, dogs have certain basic needs necessary for survival. Aside from providing a good food and a good home, a routine of a good exercise must be made available as well. Exercised dogs will likely live longer than inactive and isolated dogs. It will spare them from having poor muscle tone, obesity, heart ailments and bone disorders resulting to weakness and untimely death. Dog lover wouldn’t want this to happen. Consequently, it will bring you grief and guilt since your pet is a mere reflection of the kind of owner you are breaking down to the quality of care and provisions you have given. However, a well exercised dog possesses a strong, active and a happy aura with the benefit of behaving well in your household.

What kind of dog training exercise should you imposed? Actually, taking your dog a walk while on leash is the simplest form of dog exercise enough to improve your dog health. It will allow him to experience outdoors, socialize with people and fellow dogs – a good way of treating aggression problems. An appropriate venue may be in a wide open space preferably in the park as not all households nowadays have a wide yard giving your dog the opportunity to run around but with close supervision. Other than walking you can introduce more exciting and vigorous exercise like swimming and fetching. Swimming can be helpful in strengthening the lung function and the good thing is you will have the fun of dipping together with you pet while improving your dog health Doing this activity in lakes or the beach is a great choice during hot summer seasons, since it gives him a great workout without the risk of getting overheated and the peril of dehydration. Another fun dog exercise is fetching. You can teach your dog to fetch and catch a ball or could be a Frisbee.

Committing yourself to your dog health through exercise is like a touch of love to your furry friend. In return guarantees you to a fun and stress away moments with your canine companion the way you wanted them to be. This is the surest thing to prove that you are a certified dog lover.

Chocolates for your Dog Health - A big NO NO

2008-03-26T08:13:00.000-04:00

They say that chocolates are symbols for love, but certainly not when it comes to your dog health. Most dog lovers are aware that chocolate should not be given to pets particularly your pet dog. Dogs are receptive to a chemical called methylxanthines and unfortunately the compound theobromine found in chocolates is members of that family. Although it is fairly safe in humans, dogs are having difficulty if not unable to digest theobromine at all. Expectantly the dogs system will continue on digesting this substance and in effect poisoning itself instead of eliminating it as waste. That is why the premature manifestation of chocolate poisoning for dogs includes but not limited to diarrhea, vomiting, hyperactivity, dehydration and restlessness. The effect on dog's heart is the most decisive because it can cause rapid heartbeat and abnormal breathing rate and eventually can cause death.

Dog lovers should be aware that even though the severity of chocolate poisoning depends on the type of chocolate or the amount eaten, it nevertheless contains the same chemical harmful to your dog health. Although it’s of equal importance to know the toxic dosage amounts and the type of chocolate because it can be of help in determining what proper treatment or medicine your veterinarian should administer. Dark chocolates or chocolates high in cocoa is the most fatal of all the types, while white chocolate has the lesser amount of theobromine and therefore not as harmful as the former.

Dog lovers should take heed on their dog health if they suspect that their dog has eaten chocolates in anyway. Even if early signs of poisoning are palpable, most of these symptoms will appear at a snail's pace and can take 3 days to completely manifest. So by the time you assimilate that there is a threat to your dog health, it will be too late. So do not wait for this to happen, be sure to bring your dog to the nearest animal hospital and have it diagnosed for possible poisoning. Whatever the result are, you’ll be glad that you brought your adored pet in the vet. If you have discovered intake within 2 hours or less it will be helpful if you can simply induce vomiting while preparing to take him to the vet for further treatment and possible admission.

It is our inmost interest to endow with the best things for our treasured pet but sometimes we should keep in mind that what they want are not essentially they justly needed.

Harmful food for your dog health

2008-03-20T10:44:00.001-04:00

If you care about your dog health and you want them to live the longest, healthiest life possible, it is critical that you know what you should and what you should not be feeding to them Click Here!. Dogs have different metabolism compared to humans and feeding them with foods that we enjoy can be very fatal.

Here are some of the common food items that should not be given to your dogs, as they have been found to be either directly or indirectly "toxic" to them:

Grapes and raisins
Grapes and raisins should be avoided as pet snacks as they can cause the dog to develop a sudden kidney failure with anuria (a lack of urine production).

Raw eggs
Undercooked eggs still contains an enzyme called avidin. This enzyme decreases the absorption of biotin or B vitamin, which can lead to skin and hair coat problems.

Tobacco
Like in humans tobacco is also very harmful to your dog health. Tobacco (from cigarettes and cigars or their butts, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, nicotine patches, and nicotine gum) contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. This can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.

Onions and Garlic
These contain thiosulphate, which can damage red blood cells and cause a form of anemia called Heinz body anemia, where your pet's red blood cells burst while circulating in its body.

Raw Fish
Feeding your dog raw fish regularly can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death.

Alcoholic Beverages
Feeding your dogs alcoholic beverages can result to intoxication, urination problems, coma or death from alcohol poisoning. Remember that your pet is smaller than you are, so even a small amount is very lethal to your dog health.

Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems
The starchy white flesh inside potatoes is not harmful, but potato skins which are still green and any green sprouts or "eyes" contain the alkaloid solanum which is poisonous to dogs and humans. The stems and leaves of tomatoes and rhubarb contain oxalates, which can cause bladder stones.

Yeast Dough
Yeast dough is designed to expand and when eaten by your pet, it can expand in your dog's warm stomach and produce gas in the digestive system. This causes extreme pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Chocolate, coffee, tea and other caffeine
Chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean.

This compound is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. It increases urination and affects the central nervous system.

As a dog lovers, it is very important to remember that dogs and puppies do not have the ability as we humans have to digest and to utilize these foods for our benefits. Foods like these are delectable to us human but these are damaging to our dog's health.

Top Four Dog Killing Diseases

2008-03-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

Taking care of your dog health and well being means knowing every threat that could harm them. To keep them safe and secure and provide sufficient food, vitamins and shelter are the basic needs but do you know the major concerns that keep your canine friends at risk? Below are the top four most dangerous and the most death causing diseases ever listed on canine statistics these past few months.

1. Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)
CDV attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. The disease is contracted through contact with other infected dogs and can be fatal to both young and old dogs. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, shivering, and redness around the eyes, loss of appetite, weight loss, seizures, thickened footpads, cough and a discharge from the nose. There is no specific treatment, but sometimes antibiotics can be effective. However, dog vaccination exists and should always be administered.

2. Canine Adenovirus or Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH)
Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH) is an acute liver disease, and highly contagious. The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids like urine, eye or nose secretions. Young and old dogs can be affected by ICH, but puppies are at a higher risk. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice and corneal edema, though a blood test is needed to make a final diagnosis. Many dogs recover, but it's best to prevent ICH through a simple vaccination.

3. Para Influenza or Tracheobronchitis (aka Kennel Cough)
The common name for Tracheobronchitis is Kennel Cough because of its propensity for spreading in close quarters, such as in a boarding kennel. It's highly contagious and attacks the dog's upper respiratory system. Like bronchitis in humans, the symptoms are coughing, snorting, hacking and sometimes fever. Kennel Cough can be treated with antibiotics or prevented through vaccination.

4. Rabies
Rabies is not just a dog disease; it will affect all mammals that are not vaccinated against the disease. Rabies directly attacks the brain and the prognosis is often deadly. This common disease can be easily prevented through vaccination. In many states, vaccination for domestic pets is absolutely mandatory.

Many dog lovers have suffered a great loss and emotional struggle and this is indeed a big deal to dog lovers who treated their dogs as family and friend. Many dog owners invested a lot for their dog health but uncertain things might just happened and you lose them because of lack of knowledge and preventive measures. If you are truly devoted to your dogs and cared for them, know the diseases, protect your dog health, be prepared at all times and take note of the procedures to fight dreadful diseases. Always remember, your dog is your responsibility.

Dog Health 101: Why Dog Lovers Need to Vaccinate their Pets

2008-03-11T22:52:00.000-04:00

Oftentimes, pet owners have this doubt about dog vaccination. They pity them, especially newborn puppies whenever getting their vaccinations. That is why, questions like, “How often do we need to let our dogs have their injections?', or “why do we need to vaccinate them?”, or for dog lovers who cannot withstand the pity cries of their pets ask themselves first, “to vaccinate or not to vaccinate?” Those are just some of the baffling questions most dog owners always ask themselves. But do they know the importance of vaccination?

Talking about dog health, vaccinations are antigenic preparations used to boost immune system and in so doing, establish immunity to various illnesses. These are given to prevent your dogs from acquiring malefic diseases and are designed to stimulate your pet's immune system, bolstering it to bring out antibodies to battle all kinds of harmful or deadly viruses or bacteria. Today the widespread of harmful zonotic diseases or diseases from animals to humans is one of our major health problems. With this we resort to the fundamental and most effective form of prevention, that is, vaccination both to humans and our pets. Since most of the dog lovers usually interact with their pet, vaccination uphold the dog health and/or public health.

If you want to make your dog’s life easier and less painful, you can also choose to administer what they called multivalent vaccine. The basic principle is a single injection for multiple defensive actions. One of the most common multivalent vaccines is DHPPiL for dogs or referred to as 5 in 1 vaccine. This stands for the 5 common dog diseases namely distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, para-influenza and leptospirosis. However, vaccines can only last for 6 months or a year so annual re-vaccinations are suggested to keep your dog healthy. We just have to relate the need for regular shots for our dogs to newborn babies. Babies, still don't have a strong immune system that is why they need to have their monthly immunizations. Same as with our pets, we need to keep them away from viruses that may cause their unwanted sickness or even untimely death.

Dog vaccination helps protect your dog from diseases and your pet can develop strong immunity thus making vaccination a vital factor of your dog health care. Nevertheless, engaging your pets to 'annual vaccinations' needs to be consulted from veterinarians. It is important that you know what and how often to give your dog a vaccination, for his total safety. You should continue vaccinating you dog as per advice of your vets or by the requirement of local laws. As dog lovers, you should take full responsibility to make your dog as healthy as he can be. Prevention is always one step ahead than cure.

Dog Lovers Guide to Dog Vaccination

2008-03-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

A certified dog lover must not only be concerned about how his pet dog would bring fun and entertainment to the household but a certified dog lover must also seek for the dog health and welfare. To do this, a complete and regular vaccine shot is needed for protection against possible diseases.

Dog vaccination does not only develop the well being of the dog but most importantly the overall well being of your household and the community. Prevention is better than cure has always been the rule. You wouldn't imagine how adverse and disastrous a rabid dog would cause and the contagious dreadful infections it carries may become alarming.

Dog vaccination has been found to be the preventive method. Remember that there is no proven cure for the disease only preventive measures. Thus to some countries were there are prone cases of rabies , government had imposed a law requiring core vaccination, not only to rabies but as well as dog diseases such as canine distemper, canine parvovirus, canine hepatitis serovars and leptospirosis. The vaccine being administered contain viruses and bacteria. Normally it may cause diseases but in this case, they have been chemically altered so that they won't bring any harm to your beloved pets. After vaccinated, your pets immune system develops antibodies that combats the virus and bacteria during exposure. Thus, prevent the disease and strengthens dog's health.

You may asked as to what age does vaccination must be applied how frequently. The answer is as soon as the puppy is weaned from the protection of a mother's milk. The mothers milk called the colostrum contains antibodies that serves as the primary protective agent for the nursing young. The antibodies are stored in the blood but its effect is temporary up until the puppy can be able to produce his own antibodies to keep it more effective and long lasting vaccine shots are needed. How often? Consequently, puppies are given a series of vaccinations until they reach 16 weeks of age. By vaccinating more frequently, later doses will continue to stimulate the pet’s generation of its own disease-fighting antibodies.

This protection from dog vaccination however has not come without side effects. Adverse reactions may occur in the appearances of ulcers, scabs, darkening of the skin, lumps with scarring with hair loss nearing or surrounding areas where the vaccine is administered. Fever may occur afterwards. To treat this a pentoxyfylline may be given to eased the inflammation. Future vaccinations where reactions arises must be reduce or avoided to the extent medically and legally possible. Dog Vaccinations are necessary but a dog lover must also take note the appropriateness of the type of vaccination to be administered so as to avoid further damage to the dog health. Consultation and supervision of a veterinarian is your best advantage.

Dog Health Protected at Home

2008-03-04T20:37:00.001-05:00

Dog lovers are often put into a dilemma of determining if their dog health is in danger because like humans, dog do have emotions too, and sometimes they are not just in the mood to eat, play or roam around. Here are some of conditions that call for immediate actions.

· Pain, prolong or severe

· Major trauma, injury, or shock from

falls, vehicle accidents, wounds or cuts, fractured bones

· Demonstrate signs of:

weakness, collapse, rapid heartbeat, rapid of breathing, dilated pupils, and disorientated appearance,

· Ingested poison; be sure to present the product or the container if you have it.

· Penetrating wounds anywhere, but particularly in the chest or abdomen.

· Vomiting and diarrhea accompany by blood or violent episodes.

· Weakness and cannot put any weight on the leg.

· Any other signs that look serious, such as: eye problems, severe itching with self-mutilation, severe hives

· Difficulty breathing,

raucous respiration, blue tongue, gasping for breath.

· Continuous bleeding on any part of the body; apply pressure with a clean cloth and go!

· Bloated or swollen abdomen or painful abdomen with or without vomiting.

· Inability to urinate, constipation or has bloody stool or urine or painful defecation or urination.

· Heatstroke

heavy panting, intense weakness and body temperature about 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

· Inability to deliver puppies or kittens, labour contractions for longer than one hour or more than 15 minutes of labor with the fetus or membrane showing.

· Loss of balance or consciousness or seizure, including

tremors, coma, staggering, convulsions, sudden blindness, tilting of the head, biting at imaginary objects and
Sudden changes in disposition such as unusual withdrawal or out-of-character aggressiveness.

In addition I also included a list of basic and helpful first aid kit that every dog owners need to have in their houses. With this first aid kit, do lovers can take care of minor injuries and problem in their dog health if they have the appropriate tools, remedies, and equipment.

· Rubbing alcohol

· Ear syringe -- two ounce capacity

· Ace self-adhering athletic bandage -- three-inch width

· White petroleum jelly (Vaseline or similar)

· Eye wash

· Sterile, non-adherent pads

· Gauze sponges -- 50 four-by-four inch sponges, two per envelope

· Triple antibiotic ointment

· Sterile stretch gauze bandage -- three inches by four yards

· Buffered aspirin

· Dermicil hypoallergenic cloth tape one inch by 10 yards

· Hydrogen peroxide

· Pepto Bismol tablets

· Generic Benadryl capsules -- 25mg, for allergies

· Hydrocortisone acetate -- one percent

· Kaopectate tablets maximum strength

· Bandage scissors

· Custom splints

· Vet Rap bandage

Other suggested items are:

Blanket
Tweezers
Muzzle
Hemostats
Rectal thermometer
Ziplock bags
Chart, that includes all dog health information, medications, and for other pertinent numbers to call in case of emergency.

Dog Health Questions on Hygiene

2008-03-03T21:40:00.000-05:00

Cleanliness is next to godliness or should I say dogliness. Understanding you dog health is the same as understanding your health. Raising a dog also takes the responsibility of finding out and providing their needs as well as guarding their health. So here are more of dog health questions and answers that you need to know.

Why the bad breath?
Focusing on dental care is important because dental diseases can cause bad breath. Common implications are plague and calculus deposits on your dog's teeth. The worst thing is for it to develop into gingivitis. Give your pet a good brush of teeth at least 3 times a week to avoid this. Try to give your dog something hard to chew to exercise their teeth and remove plaque. At the same time you can visit vet clinic and pet shop to buy mouthwash or dental toy cleaner.

Does the frequent urination of puppies’ manifestation of infections?
Frequent urination in young or even adult dog is not considered normal. The first thing you need to do is to take a closer look at his urine. Examine if there is a trace of blood or unusual components. A young dog especially the female is prone to urinary tract infection since they cannot fight the infections because of their unchallenged immune system. An adult dog possibly be experiencing hormonal imbalance which can dramatically affects his kidney performance.

My dog stinks, literally!
Dog lovers know that their dog may get its unpleasant odor from playing around garbage’s and dirt. If regularly bathing does him no good then maybe you are bathing him too often. Like humans, frequent bathing can remove the natural oil from your dog’s fur and can cause dry scalp and eventually dandruff. You can change your regular shampoo or use milder shampoo for your dog. Mold and yeast are possible factors of stinks also, so be sure to dry your dog fur well after bathing.

What's the right way to remove those ticks?
The most common dog health problems every do lovers will agree are ticks. In fact, one of the main sources of ticks is from our dog and not from other wild animals. One way to remove this is to put mineral oil to the scalp of your pets. After 30 seconds you can then remove ticks by using a sharp pointed tweezers. Be careful in pulling them out from the hair. Do not twist the tick; rather pull out straight and slowly so as not to squeeze the head or the body to avoid exposing other organisms. In severe cases, you can go the veterinarian to ask for specialized formulated powder to kill ticks. Proper bathing and cleaning are a helpful way of preventing ticks.

Do I have to check my dog ears and eyes?
Yes. It’s advisable to check your dog’s eyes and ears at least once a week especially dogs with large and hairy ears. You should check for unusual discharged and odor. To clean your dog ears, use cotton with baby oil and gently clean starting from the inside to the outside. This is not only good for your dog health but I am sure he will like this. Healthy dog’s eyes appear clean and shiny and usually wide open. Just used a wet cloth and wipe any discharged or obstruction. Do not pour water directly to your dogs’ eyes because this can caused irritation.

I hope these dog health information educated you on how to maintain your dog’s proper hygiene. It is better to know the basics, to move out and learn on your own.

Dog Lovers on Dog Health Questions

2008-03-03T01:37:00.000-05:00

Dog lovers are very concerned towards their pet that they usually do a lot of researching on dog health information. They are often times tend to be anxious when their dogs start to show unusual behavior. These are only a few of the dog health questions and answer information that I found in the splendid world of Internet that any dog lovers need to know about taking care of their dogs.

How will I know if my dog is sick?
There are obvious signs to tell when your dear dog is ill. They might show any or all signs of loss of appetite, diarrhea, constant vomiting, depression, weakness and weight loss. It's safer to contact your vet before you administer something. Be cautious; some thing's wrong if one of these signs shows up.

Do I have to brush their teeth?
Of course, because you need to maintain the dog's oral hygiene. Studies show that almost 80 percent of puppies get into oral disease in as early as age three. Regular brushing of their teeth will keep it stronger, healthier and you can keep them away from pains of anesthesia. It is also advisable to give them toys that will strengthen their teeth.

Can I know the temperature of my dog through his nose?
This is one presumption of most dog owners which is untrue. You can't tell the temperature of your dog through their nose. In times of hot temperature, your dog sweats off to cool himself resulting for its nose to feel cool and moist. On the other hand if the temperature is too cold the dogs’ nose will go dry just what human manifest to regulate the temperature in their body.

How often should I take him for vaccination?
Only your veterinarian can tell how often your dog needs to be vaccinated. Since there are many factors that affects and determines this one, the best way is to regularly visit your vet and talk about more on this aspect so you will be oriented as to how often and what vaccine is needed.

Do I have to visit the vet often?
Visiting your vet generally depends on your dog health, age and status. For puppies, regular visit is a must since you need to secure a lot of checkups and vaccination and for older ones, at least twice a year depending on its needs. If your dog is sick, it’s a must that you do regular visits for test and medications. The vet will then advise you on what to do and how often you need to follow up for check ups for your dog health to improve.

As much as you care to buy them good stuffs over the Internet so is the need to know information on how to perk up your dog health. And please take note that not all the time,word from dog owners are dependable, so remember do not try to make a diagnosis of your own, go to the veterinarian to seek medical and professional advice.

Caring for your Dog Health: When loving your dog is just not enough

2008-03-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

It has been very evident and has been proven for thousands of years that dog is really man’s best friend. Today, because it seems that the relationship between man and this fine animal is going stronger, one can also say that “man is dog’s best friend”. But why dog and man? Why not cat and man or horse and man? Why not even consider man and orangutan (many updated reports consider orangutans as the man’s most likely ancestor)?

Dogs - man's best friend, a faithful companion and ally since prehistoric times. This so called "Man-Dog" relationship that existed for Billions of years has always been clouded by mystery. No one could ever put in plain words why there is such a high level of understanding between man and dog. But do we truly understand these gentle and loving creatures? There are many reasons why this kind of bonding is far greater than anything. But if you would ask me, in my most personal opinion, maybe it’s because the word “dog”, when spelled backwards, becomes “God”. But whatever may be the reasons or whatever may be the opinion of many different people; this site was created to present helpful articles for dog lovers like me.

This wonderful animal will be discussed here extensively, how to take care of them, updates, stories, and so much more. As a dog lovers and simple as an owner, we must try to understand how they feel or how they react to certain conditions. One very important thing we often neglect is how to properly take care of our dog health.

If you own and love dogs, then you are certainly one of the many dog lovers. All you need is an understanding of how special and fragile they can be. We often hear or read heroic stories of dogs saving or helping their owner’s life. What sad is we also hear dogs treated in a bad way sometimes intentionally but most of the time because of our negligence and mistaken presumptions. As an owner we should make it a point to get involved in our dog health and life. If you are dog lovers, be wary of your dog health like you would with yours, and with that we could keep this so called "man-dog relationship for another billion years.