Dog Health
Articles
Protect Your Dog From the Deadly Parvovirus
Spring is fading gradually into summer, and a lot of us love to spend time outdoors with our dogs. This means exposure to illness, but the most dreaded for dog owners is parvovirus. it strikes hard and kills fast-often within two to three days of dogs showing symptoms. But there's a lot of conflicting information on the web: some say it's airborne, some say it's only through feces. (Experts say it's through feces, even in trace amounts.) Some say it can stay in the environment for 6 months, others a year, some say indoors it will survive for only a month. Some say humans can be affected to some degree, others say not at all.
Fever In Dogs - Is Your Dog Sick?
A pet dogs normal temperature ranges from 99.5 degrees F to 102 degrees F, while a puppy has a temperature of 96 - 97 degrees F at birth, which gradually increases by the fourth week. Any increase in temperature no matter how small needs attention. All animals have a part in their brain that regulates body temperature; it is called the "thermoregulatory center". The cause for the increase in temperature may be chemical compounds called "pyrogens". These are released in the blood, which circulates its way to the brain therefore adjusting the thermoregulatory center settings.
Your Dog's Health - 7 Easy Ways to Beat the Heat This Summer
As the days grow longer, your canine companion faces a new, potentially deadly challenge to her health: the heat. Luckily, with a little planning and a few simple changes in her environment, you can arm her for a summer of fun in the sun.
Dog Food Recall Not a First to Kill Dogs
The recent nationwide recall of dog food manufactured by Menu Foods is not a first. The Menu dog food recall followed reports of kidney failure in dogs due to wheat gluten being tainted by aminopterin, a rodent poison. The FDA has been conducting and investigation. In fact, The FDA reported that at least seventy six dogs, nationally, died after eating contaminated dog food manufactured by another company, Diamond Foods, in 2006.
The Challenge Of Housetraining Small Breed Dogs
Small breeds of dogs including toys, miniatures and just small dogs are a unique challenge to housetrain. This is largely because as puppies they are so tiny it is hard to tell when they are actually going to the bathroom, their body positioning changes very little compared to larger breed puppies.
How To Prevent Dangerous Canine Ear Infections
Keeping your dog's ears clean is a very important part of having a healthy pet. You should give your dog regular inspections at least once a week. These inspections should continue until your next veterinary visit. It is important to keep your dog's ears healthy and pain-free, as they are very sensitive part of their body. Be sure to watch out for excessive wax, foul odor, redness, scratching or matting of the hair. If your dog is constantly rubbing the ears against other objects or shaking their head, these can be signs of ear problems.
Does Your Dog Snore?
Is your dog snoring? Are you among the pet owners that do not allow your dog to sleep in your room because of its snoring? Dog snoring is not a reason to worry but is sometimes irritating. Sometimes VERY irritating! It is a very common phenomenon in dogs. Dog snoring is mostly caused by a small degree of blockage in the throat of the dog. Obesity, a general reason of snoring in humans, is also to blame for some canine snoring. Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to snoring than the other.
Diabetes in Dogs - What You Need to Know
Just like humans, dogs can develop or be born with diabetes; in fact, about one in four hundred dogs develop the condition, and it's getting more common. Dog diabetes is similar in symptoms and action to the human variety.
Seizures in Dogs - More Common Than You Think
Few people expect to see seizures in dogs, but they are just as susceptible as humans, and can get seizures for a variety of different reasons, from disease to canine epilepsy. Just as in humans, it can be difficult to recognize dog seizures.
Caring For a Pregnant Dog
You have finally managed to breed your dog and now you have an expectant mother. So what exactly do you do now? Well, there are plenty of things that you should do in order to take care of the mother to be and it all takes a little time, money and patience!
How to Avoid and Treat Eye Infections in Dogs
Dog owners want the best for the pets and that includes keeping their pets healthy by trying to prevent diseases and illnesses and treating them when they occur. Unfortunately eye infections are fairly common in pets. They can crop up on their own or occur when something lodges in the eye. They can also occur when the surface of the eye, called the cornea, gets scratched.
Feeding Your Dog Fresh Foods
Okay, I admit it. I am fascinated, overly curious, not quite obsessed with the idea of "you are what you eat." If you could see me, you'd say I need to lose more than a few pounds and certainly don't seem to practice what fascinates me so. I know in my gut (literally), that my consumption of overly processed foods, restaurant lunches, sweets and chips are slowly but surely going to cause me major harm and very probably chop a few years off my life. To my credit, I am getting up early every morning and exercising in an effort to, if not lose weight, at least stave off the diabetes that runs in my family. So, if my family needs to eat better, what about my pets?
Give Your Dog a Longer Life: Understanding Dog Food Ingredients
It is often confusing when you go to buy dog food to try to identify what is important on the label and why some foods are priced so much higher or so much lower than the rest. It is important to buy a good quality food that meets your healthy dog's needs, but the quality of the food is not always guaranteed by the price. Many of the very high priced dog foods or "gourmet" foods are no more nutritionally balanced than the premium foods offered by large or small dog food companies. Typically the very low priced dog foods should be avoided as they are largely made up of filler type ingredients and little protein and very little nutritional value.
The First Trip to the Vet: How to Avoid a Nightmare
Taking your dog or puppy to the vet doesn't have to be traumatic provided that it is handled and managed well right from the very first encounter. Most healthy puppies will already have been to the vet to at least once, about a the six to ten week stage to get their first set of vaccinations and to have a quick physical examination. However, some breeders may do their own vaccinations depending on local regulations and laws regarding the sale of some of the vaccinations.
A Comprehensive Overview of Heartworm Disease in Dogs
Although it is one of the easiest diseases to prevent in dogs, the number of canines being infected by
heartworm disease is on the rise in the US and even other parts of the world. The major reasons for the increase are negligence and ignorance by numerous pet owners throughout the country. A number of dog owners either have never heard of the disease or believe that no mosquito could penetrate the skin of their hairy dogs.
Natural Heartworm Prevention for Your Dog
If you think mosquitoes are somewhat annoying but nonetheless harmless, think again. For a human, a mosquito bite can be an inconvenience. But for your dog, it can ultimately be fatal. Life-threatening heartworm can be the outcome for your dog of these fairly innocuous little insects. Heartworm preventatives come in basically two forms - chemical heartworm prevention and natural heartworm prevention. The chemical types are said to be non-toxic, but they're really not at all. Natural heartworm prevention is the only sure way of looking after your dog's health without exposing your dog to a concoction of chemicals that are poisonous to humans. (So what does that tell you about their toxicity on your dog?)
Fish Oil for Dogs - Better Health for Fido
"Fish oil for dogs - You gotta be kidding!" is a response I sometimes get from owners when I suggest they supplement Fido's diet with omega 3 salmon oil capsules. After all, every dog owner knows that felines eat fish, but canines are supposed to eat dry kibbles and bits - or maybe, if they've been really good, a can of Ken-L-Ration horsemeat. "It just doesn't seem natural," owners sometimes add. But, in our kibbles and bits mentality, it's hard to know what's natural or unnatural for dogs.
Canine Influenza - What You Need to Know
SITUATION: University of Florida researchers report that outbreaks of Canine Influenza virus, which causes an acute respiratory infection, have been identified in dogs in shelters, humane societies, boarding facilities and veterinary clinics in Florida, predominantly in Broward, Dade, Palm Beach and Duval counties. It started out in the Greyhound community. This highly contagious virus is a newly emerging respiratory pathogen in dogs and causes a clinical syndrome that mimics "kennel cough." The incubation period is two to five days after exposure.
Know the Reasons for Dog Urination Problems
Besides the basic elimination reason every creature on the planet has for 'doing business,' there are other dog instinctive behaviors which cause our four-legged friends to have dog urination problems. They run the gamut from the dog pack instincts of dog territory marking and dog scent mixing to female dog urination, dog mating behaviors, submissive urination, fear-based urination, excitement urination, and dangerous disrespect of owner authority. So let's explore what these mean and what you can do about them.
Brief: Hypoallergenic Dogs
More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. Yet, approximately 39% of the United States population owns at least one dog. With so many suffering from allergies how do so many dog owners still exist? Do they simply grin and bare it? There is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog, but the key is finding a breed which develops fewer allergies causing dander. Many toy dogs fit the bill perfectly.
Liposuction in Dogs
At a time when beauty is important and affects the lifestyle of each and everyone of us, it turns out everyone is concerned with how they look. A subject tackled by the series 'Nip/Tuck,' we all have our insecurities and these two dashing surgeons Sean and McNamara are here to grant us our aesthetic wishes.
Choose Healthy Treats for Your Dog
Your dog is indeed your best friend and how you feed him or her is very important. Even small items like treats are very important to their health. They can be used for different purposes. Sometimes you will use them as a reward when training other times just give them something enjoyable just because you love your friend. However you use them it is important to know your choices.
Keeping Older Dogs Healthy
Dogs are wonderful, loyal companions and an integral part of our families. Time flies, though, and in a few short years we start seeing changes in our faithful friends. There may be white hair around their muzzle, they may be less active and energetic, and they may be a little slow getting up. As a dog ages, his metabolism also slows, just like ours, and his health care and nutritional needs may change. Here is a look at how we can make life a little easier for our aging pets.
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