23
Oct
2013

Pet News: Jerky Edition

categories: Pet News
Newspaper

Newspaper (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week we’re starting a new feature on the blog. There are so many pet-related news stories, both happy and sad, that we’d love to highlight a few that caught our eye. As always, please let us know if we missed something in the comments.

  • Huffington Post has an interesting article this week on why dog growling can be a good thing. Nicole Wilde writes, “He could certainly have snapped at the puppy, or worse. But instead, he gave an appropriate warning. That the puppy didn’t buy a vowel, get a clue, and understand what was being spelled out was a problem, so the dog growled louder.”.
  • Read more from Huffington Post: Why Growling is Good 
  • Tampa Bay Times has a heart-warming story about an Air Force dog that survived heatstroke. From the article, “When a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois dog named Eddie put his nose to the ground in Afghanistan last year, he was credited with saving an entire Air Force platoon from an improvised explosive device.”
  • Read more from Tampa Bay Times: Celebrated bomb-sniffing Air Force dog survives brush with heatstroke.
  • And in viral news this week, the Internet is loving this Kitten Tootsie Roll Video. Check it out below:

 

22
Oct
2013

Pet Halloween Costumes

categories: Puppy Tales
Superman puppy!

Superman puppy!

Will you be dressing up your pet in costume this Halloween? Check out some of our favorite costumes from around the web and let us know in the comments what your cute critter will be this All Hallows Eve.

Rawr!

Rawr!

Go Allergic Pet, Go!

Go Allergic Pet, Go!

The Headless Dog-Man?

The Headless Dog-Man?

We think a three-headed dog wouldn't be such a terrible thing...

We think a three-headed dog wouldn’t be such a terrible thing…

Witchy Kitty

Witchy Kitty

Meow-maid

Meow-maid

Da da da dum...here comes the bride...

Da da da dum…here comes the bride…

Now that's just cruel

Now that’s just cruel

11
Oct
2013

Treatment for Seizures in Dogs

categories: Dog Seizures
English: 9 Week Old Dog

English: 9 Week Old Dog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Seizures in dogs are not uncommon, but they are life threatening. They occur due to an abnormal burst of electrical activity within the brain. This causes the dog to have convulsions. It can occur in just one area of the body, but it is more common to occur throughout. Initially, the dog may be anxious, crying out or even may seek seclusion. Then, the seizure, which lasts under two minutes, will cause a collapse of the pet and then a period of time where the dog is unconscious, not breathing or otherwise rigid. It can be frightening.

Why Does It Happen?

What can be behind this? There are numerous risk factors present. If the dog is ill, such as suffering from heat stroke, encephalitis, brain injury or kidney failure, this can bring on a seizure. It can also occur from poisoning. If a pet gets into rat poison or other animal baits, this can cause it to occur as well. Other risk factors for poisoning include chocolate, insecticides and lead.

How to Treat Dog Seizures

If your dog is experiencing seizures, and it occurs more than one time per month, treatment may be necessary. First, treatment for the underlying cause is necessary in all situations. Removing chemicals that could be causing it and improving health are necessary steps. Aside from this, other treatments can help to reduce the frequency of such attacks.

When selecting any type of treatment medication for dogs for seizures, be sure to keep the following in mind.

  • Choose only all-natural dog seizure treatment. These are by far the best because they have few, if any, type of side effects to the dog.
  • Look for all natural anti-convulsive medications. These will be the best overall treatment for the pet in this situation.
  • Some dogs benefit from acupuncture and changes to their diet.

If your doctor states that using a chemical-based medication is necessary, find out if an all natural option would work better. All-natural products are also easier on the dog’s liver and overall health.

When it comes to dog seizures understanding your pet’s risk factors are important. Seek out treatment that focuses on all natural remedies whenever possible.

09
Oct
2013

Topical Solutions for Dog Allergies

categories: Dog Allergies
itchy dog

itchy dog (Photo credit: Ikayama)

Dogs will itch for all sorts of reasons, but without knowing what the cause is, a pet owner can go through a lot of mistakes trying get his canine friend some relief. Dog allergies can be caused by many of the same things that cause humans to have allergies. These can include:

  • Food reactions – certain foods will cause some dogs to break out in hives and skin irritations. It’s not common but some dogs due have reactions to what they are eating. Protein reactions and wheat gluten are both known to trigger reactions.
  • Mold – When dog food is stored in large quantities, it can develop mold, especially if some type of moisture is present. Most dog food ships dry, but that doesn’t mean it can develop spores quickly when the conditions are right. Ingesting mold can trigger skin reactions in some dogs by causing an immune system drop.
  • Other animals – Dogs can react to other dogs hair and dander just humans in terms of allergies.
  • People – Believe it or not, your dog can be allergic to human beings too.

In terms of topical treatment, pet owners have a bit of a challenge because dogs are covered with fur. This makes it a bit hard to apply a topical treatment effectively. However, a good bath cleaning with a pet shampoo and an application of tea tree oil can alleviate itching from a topical perspective, at least providing temporary relief.

Other topical treatments aren’t so much applied to the dog’s skin as it applies to the surroundings. Using air filters cut down on animal dander and fur flying around. Frequent vacuuming of the indoor areas where the pet frequents does the same. Air conditioning cuts down moisture which removes mold potential where the food is stored. All combined and applied regularly can help reduce allergy sources for a pet. All of the above are natural approaches to treating a pet without resorting to drugs or chemicals. This provides a healthier remedy for the pet as well as less chances of side effects.

07
Oct
2013

Dog Diarrhea Symptoms

categories: Dog Diarrhea
Fany Dog

Fany Dog (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A lot of owners see diarrhea in dogs as just a messy proposition. However, an episode is often a sign of a medical problem.

Causes of Canine Diarrhea

Diarrhea in dogs occurs when the animal passes loose or unformed stools. The dog typically passes large amounts of stool and has more frequent bowel movements than normal. Dogs can have repeated accidents in the home because of urgency.

There are many causes of diarrhea in dogs:

  • Food intolerance – The pooch either eats something he shouldn’t have or has an intolerance to ingredients in some commercial foods.
  • Parasites – Especially common in puppies, the big offenders are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, giardia and coccidia.
  • Gastroenteritis – A common culprit is idiopathic hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, particularly in small dogs.
  • Viruses – They most often occur in puppies not yet fully vaccinated. Dangerous viruses include distemper, coronavirus and parvovirus.
  • Bacteria – Many dogs have them without showing any symptoms. The most common are Clostridium perfringens, salmonella, E. coli, spirochetes and campylobacter.

One way to pinpoint the likely cause of diarrhea and probable location of the problem in the gut is by noting the characteristics of the dog’s stool, such as color, amount, odor, consistency, frequency and whether it contains red blood or clots. A dog’s weight and condition are also important.

Traditional vs. Natural Treatments

Unfortunately, some of the traditional treatments for diarrhea in dogs have potential side effects. Veterinarians prescribe wormers for common parasites. Sometimes they use antibiotics like sulfa, albendazole, febantel or metronidazole that can actually cause diarrhea.

For severe cases, a veterinarian might need to administer subcutaneous fluids. Some dogs with virus-caused diarrhea have intravenous catheters.

The goal of natural dog diarrhea treatments is providing allergy-free care that normalizes the dog’s stool without harmful side effects. One natural treatment for a dog that has eaten something undesirable is withholding food for a day, then feeding rice coupled with chicken or ground beef until the diarrhea ends. Changing from a commercial product to a natural food can often resolve diarrhea caused by a food intolerance.

It’s a good idea for a vet to examine any dog with diarrhea. Owners should always get a vet’s recommendation before starting any treatment.

04
Oct
2013

Safe Dog Seizure Treatment

categories: Dog Seizures

More and more dog owners are seeking alternative treatment methods for their dog’s illnesses and disorders. Canines experiencing seizure disorders should be put on the safe dog seizure treatmentalternatives.

Chemicals, fillers, stabilizers and coloring are not appropriate or safe for dogs with seizure disorders. There are several remedies for treating dog seizures. Aside from the recommendations of vets, there are always home remedies and natural herbs to consider.

Seekins dogs

Seekins dogs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Healthy living is the safest most natural way to treat seizures in your dog. Changing what your dog eats, and the way your dog eat can greatly reduce the number of seizures your dog experience. Your dog needs to eat foods that are naturally high in Vitamins and minerals.

Most dog seizures are caused by deficiencies in vitamin A, B6, and D. The lack of folic acid, zinc, calcium, taurine and magnesium also contributes to seizures.

Environment and exercise are other key factors that play a role in reducing or eliminating your pet seizures. Your pet living and eating environment should be mold and allergen free. When you are shopping for dog food, be sure to check the ingredients.

Restrain from buying foods that are high in chemicals, artificial flavoring and processors. Aside from eating right, make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise. A word of caution; be careful not to over stimulate your dog. Some seizures are caused by over stimulation.

The electrical brain waves in your dog could be over stimulating for your dog. There are natural medications that can keep your dog calm, if you feel your dog is too excited and too energetic.

Natural ingredients found in supplements, vitamins and dry foods are always safe for your dog. Natural ingredients contain no harmful chemicals, no preservatives and no additives. Keeping your pet safe from products that can trigger an epileptic seizure is your main priority.

With the proper homeopathy treatment and nutritional therapy seizures can be controlled or reduced. Building up your pet’s immune system is even better. Consider a raw food regimen for your dog. It helps with his digestive system. He needs to take in good enzymes.

03
Oct
2013

Kidney Stones in Dogs

categories: Dog Kidney Stones
Dog waits outside Kiasma

Dog waits outside Kiasma (Photo credit: hugovk)

Many people are not aware that dogs, like humans can get kidney stones. This is a dangerous illness because a lot of the time, there are no signs or symptoms that you need to watch for. The only way to know for sure if your dog is suffering from kidney stones is to have them tested in your veterinarian’s office. This condition is often diagnosed when testing is being performed for other illnesses. A few symptoms that you may happen to notice include:

  • Vomiting
  • Blood within the urine
  • Urinary tract infections

You may or may not notice all of these symptoms at one time. It is important that you know that all, none or some of these symptoms may occur. The symptoms that you are able to notice and recognize will depend on where the stones are located.

There are quite a few causes of this condition in dogs. The most common causes of this condition are increased levels of calcium that are found in the urine. These calcium levels can be found in the blood as well. Other instances that may be causing your pet to have kidney stones include frequent urinary tract infections and certain diets that have the ability to product high urine pH, also known as alkaline.

When it comes to the diagnosis in your pet, your veterinarian will need to be aware of all of your dog’s medical history. It will be a good idea to take notes as soon as you suspect that your pet is acting strange. The more that the veterinarian knows about your pet and the events that have taken place, the sooner they will be able to assist you and provide your dog with some form of relief. Once a diagnosis has been successful, you can move on to the options of treatment that you have.

As far as treatment is concerned, there is usually more than one form of treatment available. In the unfortunate event that your dog is suffering from kidney stones, you may be given the basic form of treatment for this illness. In this instance, you will be given medication to give to your pet once or twice each day for one or two weeks. The medication that is prescribed will dissolve the kidney stones and have your furry friend back to go spirits in no time.

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