Pet CPR is a very important skill for those who deal with emergency medical cases concerning dogs. Although not everyone learns it, those who do are a vital factor in saving the lives of many beloved pets. Do dogs get hepatitis? People obviously do. But do dogs get this disease? And how does this affect them?

Hepatitis is actually a very broad term. It will signify an inflammation of the liver, although the causes may actually differ. Since the liver is a very complex and vital organ a disease that incapacitates it will prove to be fatal. The livers primary functions are the detoxification, metabolism, the storage of glycogen and the synthesis of plasma protein. It also produces the bile that aids in digestion. The good news is, the liver is a large organ with plenty of reserves. The bad news is, since it has a large reserve, it won’t show apparent symptoms unless the liver is seriously damaged.

Although dogs do get hepatitis, it may be different in cause and effect from human hepatitis. There is what is called Infectious Canine Hepatitis. This disease is caused by a virus, and may prove to be a fatal disease in some dogs.

What is It? This disease is caused by the CAV-1 an adenovirus. Dogs typically acquire this virus from contact, either through inhalation or ingestion of urine, eye secretions, and nasal secretions of infected dogs. This type of virus does not affect humans or other animals, only dogs.

The virus will attack the liver, eye, kidney, and blood vessel cells upon entry into the system of the dog. Fortunately, not all of these infections are fatal. Some dogs, after acquiring this virus, will manifest a cough, lethargy, loss of appetite, moodiness and low grade fevers. In some cases, they do not show any symptoms at all.

Some will develop blue eye. Blue eye is a bluish discoloration of the cornea of the pets eye. Dogs that go through these become immune to re-infection from the disease. This will usually be the case in healthy, mature dogs with a healthy immune system.

However, there are some dogs especially puppies that will become very ill due to the virus. These dogs will develop internal bleeding, liver disease, tonsillitis, and general inflammation of the eyes and mouth. If left untreated, this condition could quickly deteriorate to shock and death.

The virus is also known to attack the dog’s spinal cord and brain. After infection the virus will take about five days to a week before manifesting openly. By this time the dog will be secreting the virus through its stool, urine, saliva, and nasal secretions. In two weeks time, the dog either succumbs to the illness or develops chronic hepatitis coupled with cirrhosis of the liver. This will seriously impair the dog’s capacity for converting glucose, and absorbing toxins.

This condition will reduce the liver’s capability to perform functions necessary for life. These functions include filtering harmful and toxic elements from the blood, storing blood sugar for conversion into usable energy, and creating many proteins that are necessary in the system.

Unfortunately, there is no way to destroy the virus after it has entered the dog’s system. Veterinarians will treat the disease by good supportive therapy intravenous fluids, good diet, rest, medicines to lighten the liver’s workload, and good care all aimed to strengthen the dog’s ability to recuperate. They will also give antibiotics to treat secondary infections.

There is a vaccine for this disease. It is a routine part of a puppy’s vaccination plan. And partly due to its efficiency, the cases of canine hepatitis in the United States are low. Therefore, the best way to keep your dogs free from this disease is a proper vaccination plan, and prompt and periodic visits with the veterinarian.

Canine hepatitis can prove to be a troublesome disease that, if unattended, will surely result in a dog’s death. With proper information about this disease dog owners will be able to take preemptive steps to assure themselves that their pets are safe from this debilitating diseases.

Chronic Active Hepatitis: As opposed to the previous disease, this form of hepatitis is harder to treat and the prognoses are not very promising. This usually occurs in dogs of advanced age. The disease is caused by other factors such as toxins and molds in the dog’s diet. Infectious Canine Hepatitis can also cause this.

The symptoms of this disease are hard to pinpoint, but generally they will include lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, swollen abdomen, jaundice (or yellowing eyes, gums, and skin). This disease could advance into the nervous system and render the dog blind. Seizures, coma and death usually follow.

To avoid this disease, good health habits including a good diet that emphasizes foods screened for toxins and molds should be exercised.

To read about beagle adoption and lemon beagle, visit the About Beagles site.

Exercise is important for everyone including your pet. Too much confinement can result in stress, emotional and behavioral problems, and a generally unhappy dog.

Unhappy dogs result from negative environments, experiences, and inconsistent interaction with their owners, along with a lack of exercise, an unstable routine, inappropriate social interactions, and underemployment where the instinctual desires to perform an activity are not met.

Emotional stress and loneliness alter neurochemical and vascular functions and can increase susceptibility to major diseases.

A lack of exercise leads to obesity, poor muscle tone, heart, bone, and emotional problems.

The opposite scenario occurs with exercise. Exercise leads to longer life, increased strength and endurance. Your dog will rest more calmly and be less nervous when left alone. Exercise can improve dog bone and joint health, heart, and lung function.

Your dog’s metabolism is geared for field work, pulling sleds, or other vigorous tasks.  Pent-up energy demands an outlet and it is up to the responsible dog caregiver to channel this energy constructively through exercise.

The most effective exercise engages both mind and body.

It’s important to understand what your dog’s instinctual traits are and incorporate them into activities and exercise. For a working breed, performing a task would be naturally satisfying, possibly pulling a wagon or carrying a pack with your water bottle. For a retriever breed, engage your dog in ball throwing and retrieving.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that dogs need a big yard to get plenty of exercise.

The truth is that most dogs do not exercise when they are alone outside or indoors; they spend most of their time lying in a comfortable spot waiting for “their guardians” to play with them.

Exercising with your dog creates a human-dog bond in which the dog will sense you care as a good pack leader, which will make your dog happy.

A brief daily walk sometimes is not enough.

The exercise you choose for your dog should depend on the age, weight, health and breed characteristics. A Border Collie or Parson Russell Terrier needs more play and exercise than an English Bulldog or Pug.

For small dogs, vigorous play activity for exercise can be accomplished indoors; for larger breeds, outdoor activity needs to be given unless the weather is especially dangerous or conditions are too extreme. 

Daily exercise is recommended and is a great stress reliever.

Dogs on average should be exercised aerobically for at least 20-30 minutes each day, of course taking into consideration health and age limitations, unless there is a medical problem or a pregnancy.

Keep in mind that obese dogs and those with heart and lung diseases may have a problem, and be sure to consult with your vet before starting any exercise regime.

Healthy dogs need interaction with other dogs and people for proper socialization. Dog parks are great for this and some of them allow the dogs to play and walk unleashed. If you participate in off-leash activities, be sure you are in control and can reliably recall your dog.

Your exercise should include activities the dog finds stimulating and enjoys — games of catch, long walks, jogging, swimming and biking. A Ruff Dawg K9 flying disc is similar to a Frisbee, only more rugged, flexible and non-toxic for on-land or in water. Try a simple game with a rope tug toy, a Hyper Disc which is floatable, durable and soft on your dog’s mouth, or a Hyper Ball Launcher that allows you to launch a ball up to 220 feet. These and other quality dog exercise toys are available at CalloftheDogShop.com

Caution should be used when exercising in the hot weather.

All dogs, especially those with heart and lung ailments and dogs with thick hair coats will likely have trouble with hot and humid conditions.

Use precaution when temperatures are approaching and greater than 100 degrees and for at-risk pets when approaching and at 90 degrees. Exercise your dog in the early morning or evening and when the temperature is less than 80 degrees and humidity heat index is less then 30 percent. When the heat index greater then 72 use precaution for at-risk breeds. Any relative-humidity reading above 17 % will make the heat index higher if the actual temperature is above approximately 68 degrees, and full sunshine can increase heat index values by up to 15 degrees. Always avoid hot and humid conditions.

Dogs do not get rid of heat the way we do.

Sweat cools our skin; however, dogs do not sweat. They have a few sweat glands in their feet, but mostly they dissipate heat through their paws and mouths.

Dogs do not dissipate heat as fast as we can, which makes heat stroke a real possible danger. While they are having fun, many dogs will run themselves even to the point of collapse, which can prove to be fatal. Limit sun exposure during the mid-day hours and provide plenty of water in a shady area

People assume that if your dog is in water, your pet won’t overheat. This just isn’t true when the water temperature gets much above 75 degrees and if the dog is working hard in the water.

Keep in mind that searing hot asphalt is not good for your dog’s paws.

Consult your veterinarian before you decide on a fitness program for your pet.

CalloftheDogShop.com specializes in DOG EXERCISE TOYS, and supplies for all pet needs.
We have existed as a company since 1985, but it was a love of dogs that inspired the creation of CalloftheDog.com and CalloftheDogShop.com. Be sure to see our About Us page.

In dogs bladder tumors are a rare occurrence. Bladder tumors are of two different forms, one is potentially fatal while the other is benign. To ensure your dog remains healthy and free from such tumors continue reading this article.

The symptoms of bladder tumors in dogs are as follows:

1. The dog may go to the toilet a lot more than usual
2. There will be a slight amount of blood in the urine produced.
3. They dog may struggle to produce any urine.

As mentioned above there are two different forms of bladder tumors one being malignant which can be potentially life threatening while the other being benign. The benign or non progressive type of bladder tumors usually leaves the tissue which surrounds the growth relatively unharmed and does not spread to other parts of the body.

Squamous cell carcinomas and transitional cell carcinomas are the two most common types of bladder tumors . Both of these are highly malignant which means that they may spread to other parts of the body. Polyps are very rare but unlike the two mentioned above they are benign and do not spread to other parts of the body.

To make sure that the dog remains healthy any such growth will be need to removed. Complications arise depending on where the tumors is located inside the body. If it is close to an organ or a vital body part then the risks of surgery increase.

Treatment is not really effective when it comes to dealing with cancer and tumors in a dog’s bladder and this can prove to be a very costly option. Most people try and keep their dog on antibiotics and painkillers to try to relieve the pain as much as possible as the dog begins to suffer and then on a later stage the dog is put down as humanely as possible.

Your vet may conduct a number of tests such as ultrasound scans, x-rays and even passing a camera through the bladder of the dog. Only after all these tests will the vet know for sure whether the dog has been affected by a tumors or not. To determine the type of tumors the dog has the vet will have to conduct a biopsy.

If it is a polyp tumors then it will require surgery to be removed. Potential complications arise depending on the location of the tumors . If it is located at the bladder neck skilled surgery or complicated reconstruction would be required to keep the connection between the bladder and the urethra intact and even if the surgery goes as planned there are always chances that the dog may become incontinent for a short while after the surgery.

If the tumors is either squamous cell carcinomas or transitional cell carcinomas the vet will have to conduct further x-rays of the abdomen and the chest in order to determine how far the tumors cells have spread.

If the vet has determined that the tumors hasn’t spread then they may try and remove the malignant cell. Of course there are many difficulties and risks in doing this. A Lot of healthy tissue may need to be removed in order to remove a cancerous tumors from the dog’s body and to be certain that all the effected cells have been removed. This results in the vet having a lot less room to work with as compared to the polyp tumors . It is also likely that vital body parts and organs will cause hindrance.

Most vets will still try to remove the tumors first and then use chemotherapy and radiation to remove the remaining cancerous cells. A histopathologist will decide the type of therapy depending on the samples given to them

For more information on dog bladder tumors or Dog Health take a look at this Dog Behaviour website.

Is your dog sick? What are your dog’s symptoms? We all know that your dog can’t tell you if it feels bad (at least not in so many words), so it’s your responsibility to take care of your dog and to understand when your dog is feeling bad.

Just how do you do that? Well, the best thing I can suggest to you is to know exactly how your dog feels when it is not sick. If you know this, and you know it well, you will be able to tell the difference when your dog is really sick without anyone else having to tell you otherwise.

When your dog feels bad he will probably exhibit some sort of symptom that should communicate to you, if you’re really paying attention, that he does not feel well. What is a symptom? Well, to be precise, a symptom is often defined as “a physical sign that a disease or sickness is present”. Knowing exactly what kind of symptoms your dog has can usually guide your veterinarian toward diagnosing your pet illness.

Here are just a few of the more common symptoms your dog may exhibit if it is injured or feels “under the weather”, including: vomiting, diarrhea, going off it’s food, stumbling, seizing, drooling or limping.

The ability of recognizing your dogs symptoms and knowing when they need to be treated professionally is very important. This is a skill that everyone does not have but learning it can be the difference between life and death in many instances. The best thing I can tell you is to watch carefully. If your dog exhibits any thing out of the ordinary, and if that symptom continues or worsens over time, then it could very well become a problem.

Certain symptoms, such as seizures, breathing problems, or any kind of collapse should prompt you to get your dog a veterinary exam immediately. If there is ever any kind of doubt about the seriousness of any symptom then please contact your veterinarian or local veterinary emergency facility immediately and ask. Don’t wait to see if it’ll go away on it’s own. Explain the symptoms to the pet professional and ask for their advice. It is always better to be safe than sorry if you’re not sure whether or not your dog is in serious trouble.

There are all sorts of serious symptoms that should never be ignored in your dog. Potentially any of these symptoms could easily indicate an underlying disease and might even be your first clue to the presence of a life-threatening conditioning in your dog. You never know. So, here are a few symptoms that should never be ignored if you see them in your own dog!

Seizure. A seizure is often a symptom of some sort of neurological disorder. They can be caused by several things including epilepsy, toxins or tumors. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

Collapse or Fainting. Any reasons for collapse or fainting should always be considered serious and should not be ignored. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

Breathing Problems. Respiratory distress, labored or difficult breathing or even shortness of breath are all very serious symptoms and should be taken care of immediately.

Bloated or Distended Abdomen. Abdominal distension is an abnormal enlargement of the abdominal cavity and can often be a symptom of potentially life-threatening disease. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

Unproductive Vomiting. Dogs that attempt to vomit over and over and are never able to bring anything up is very serious. You should call your veterinarian immediately.

Trouble Urinating. This can range from: straining to urinate, frequently attempting to urinate, or even great discomfort when urinating. This can be very serious. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

Bruising and/or Bleeding. This should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian.

Not Eating or Loss of Appetite. This is often the first indication of illness in your dog. This should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian.

Pacing and Restlessness. In dogs, pacing and/or restlessness can usually be indicative of pain, discomfort or distress in your dog. In many cases it an indicator of a serious problem. This should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian.

Losing Weight. There are several causes for this, if you’re not actually trying to help your dog lose extra pounds – some of which can be very serious. This should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian.

Urinating and Drinking Excessively. Either of these are often the early signs of several diseases such as: kidney failure, diabetes, thyroid problems, uterine infections, etc. If you think that your dog is drinking excessively, make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.

Fever. The normal temperature in dogs is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If your dogs temperature is higher, call your veterinarian asap.

Excessive coughing. Don’t think that this is no big deal. Coughing is a common protective reflex to clear the throat, etc. It can also affect the respiratory system if the coughing is excessive. Common causes of excessive coughing can be quite severe, such as: an obstruction in the windpipe, heartworm disease, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung tumors, kennel cough or even heart failure. This should be evaluated immediately by your veterinarian.

Bloody Diarrhea – Bloody Urine – Bloody Vomit. Any of these should be evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Some may be the result of minor ailments, while others could be severe or even life threatening. Contact your veterinarian immediately.

While the list of dog symptoms above is not at all all-inclusive, it is meant to be merely a resource of symptoms of which you should always be aware of as a dog owner. Keep an eye on your dogs health in much the same way you would do so for your own child and you will be well on your way to a long and lasting relationship with your own dog. Your dogs health is important so watch for any symptoms your dog may exhibit closely and be ready to act on them as necessary.

If you’d like to learn even more about your dogs health and how to keep your dog healthy, please check into the book called Veterinary Secrets at: http://www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com for more information or visit my website at: http://www.pedigreedpups.com

Most Common Problems Pet Owners Face

Pets enrich our lives in an almost endless number of ways. Whether greeting us at the door, keeping us company when we are down or simply entertaining us, having a pet in your life is a great way to improve the quality of your life. For all that they add for our lives, we owe it to them to do all we can for them in return. One of the ways to ensure your pet enjoys a long, happy life is to understand the common problems pet owners face.

Inappropriate Elimination
Inappropriate elimination refers to the unseemly practice of dogs urinating, defecating, or both inside the house. The first step is to find out why your dog is having accidents inside the home. Dogs do not naturally soil their dens, so why the home?

Young Pets
Puppies and kittens less than nine weeks old are too young to know any better, but for adult dogs there’s often no excuse. Some offenders were never properly housebroken in the first place and that’s usually the owners fault. Others were housebroken but, for some reason, have suddenly started having accidents inside the house again after years of appropriate behavior.

Medical Conditions
Medical conditions that increase thirst and urination, or in which the bladder or gastrointestinal tract are irritated, may contribute to the house-soiling problems in pets. It is important to have your veterinarian perform a thorough physical examination to rule out underlying medical conditions as a cause of inappropriate elimination behavior. This is particularly relevant if your dog has had a sudden breakdown of its house training.

Territory Marking
Dogs and cats, like many other species, use urine and feces as a method of communication.  Territory markings are a mark that signals possessions and territoriality. Marking typically involves the spraying of small amounts of urine in strategic locations around the house. Unneutered male are regular urine markers, but some neutered males and even spayed females mark their territory with urine, too. Neutering and spaying your pet corrects this problem in about most of the cases, but many pets persist in marking for months or years after the surgery. It is crucial to spay and neuter while they are still young and have not picked up the habit.

The behavioral approach to treating territorial urine-marking in neutered males and females involves increasing your leadership status and thoroughly cleaning urine-marked sites with an odor neutralizer. If the slightest trace of odor remains, your pet is likely go back to that same area to eliminate again. If this measure fails to address the problem, treatment with medication may be the only solution.

Separation Anxiety
Your pet eliminate when you are away from home. In all likelihood anxiety is triggering the behavior. Dogs with Separation Anxiety typically have a dysfunctional history, follow their owners around the home, look distressed when about to be left alone, whine or bark immediately after their owner leaves, fail to eat in their owners’ absence, and greet them exuberantly when they return home.
Anxiety-based problems are now treatable, thanks to modern medicines and a better understanding of the root cause of these problems. Drugs like buspirone (Buspar®) and fluoxetine (Prozac®) have revolutionized the treatment of anxiety-based inappropriate elimination problems.

Litter Box Problems
This is a behavior problem in which the cat chooses not to use the litter box for any one of a variety of reasons, electing to use an alternative area for elimination. Affected cats simply avoid shun the litter box and select a quiet, carpeted spot behind a chair or in the closet.
There are many reasons why your cat may dislike his litter box:
•Too few boxes
•Inappropriately positioned boxes (high traffic area)
•Inconvenient location
•Hooded box (most cats don’t like hoods)
•Box too dirty (rarely scooped)
•Box cleaned with harsh smelling chemicals (such as bleach)
•plastic liners
•Plastic underlay (not always appreciated by the cat)
•Wrong type of litter
•Litter not deep enough
•Animosity between cats in the house (guarding of litter boxes)
•Difficulty getting into/out of the box, especially in elderly

Destructive Behaviors
As most of us know, our pets can wreak havoc. While dogs use their teeth, cats use their claws. Before attempting punish you pet for their behavior, consider the signs or symptom of the matter.

Scratching is Good for Cats
Scratching provides your cat with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of his paws. While he is scratching, his claws are getting practice extending and retracting. The front legs and shoulders are getting some stretching and strengthening exercise, too.

Knowing why your kitty likes to scratch your expensive couch might make it easier to understand. However, you don’t have to live with that behavior. By gentle and consistent correction and by providing alternative scratching areas, you can persuade your cat to scratch where you want him to.

There are several Deterrents are things that discourage your cat from scratching where he isn’t supposed to scratch.
•Covering a piece of furniture with heavy plastic may alter the texture so your cat doesn’t enjoy scratching there.
•You can spray moth repellent that contain naphthol. You’ll have to spray periodically because the odor fades.
•Feliway may work. The spray contains a pheromone that deters your cat from scratching.
•”Soft Paws”™ (or Soft Claws) are plastic nail caps that can be super-glued to a cat’s claws following a preliminary nail trim. The caps have to be replaced every month, or you can replace each one as it falls off. They usually keep the furniture from being damaged.
•Keep your cat’s nails well trimmed will ensure that you cats don’t inflict injury on other and themselves. You must use a sharp pair of nail trimmers made specifically for cats – don’t use human trimmers.
•Having a Scratching Post preferably near scratching sites that your cat has selected for himself. Gradually you can move it to another place that you like.

Dogs Love to Chew
Whether it is a bone or you dress shoes, a canine with a penchant for chewing can transform your valuable coffee table into rubble in a matter of hours. Because reasons for chewing are so diverse, it should be considered a sign or symptom of the motivation. Before attempting to change your dog’s chewing behavior, it’s first important to understand just why she’s laying into your stuff.

Curiosity Propelled Chewing
Dogs learn about their environment by mouthing and gnawing on objects. Typically the targets are random, and may include shoes, books or bedposts. Investigational or “play-related” destructiveness of this kind is a normal behavior for a growing dog.

Puppies seem to escalate such chewing behavior around teething time. The most expedient solution to play-related destructiveness is a dog bed. Ideally, your puppy should be acclimated to a bed from the first day in her new home. Also helpful for house-training, have the bed be in a small area to limits your pup’s access to valuable items while allowing her to rest and chew at her leisure on appropriate items provided by you.

When your puppy must be left alone for long hours, a bed’s too confining and among other things, may force your pup to stand or lie in her own urine or feces. Instead, when you have to leave your pup for a few hours, it is better to restrict your pup to a larger area, such as a kitchen, by means of a baby gate. Even then, introduce freedom only slowly and just for short periods. Well-designed “food-for-work” toys, which can be filled with treats, can keep your dog busy for hours.

Anxiety-Related Chewing
Normal chewing is dog-years apart from the anxiety-based chewing of anxiety ridden dogs. Separation Anxiety-related destructiveness happens when your dog is alone. The dog gets severely upset when “abandoned” by their owners each morning. In frenzied efforts to escape the house or find its owner, a dog of this persuasion will dig and chew at doorways, windowsills and curtains. The dog may also search for shoes, pillows, purses and other personal items to chew on to alleviate the anxiety. If your dog suffers from anxiety, it can cause dramatic damage to your house. Your dog may also develop fears of thunder, fireworks, wind, and a variety of other noises.

Anxiety-related chewing is treated indirectly by addressing the anxiety itself; if you suspect this to be your dog’s reason for chewing, ask your veterinarian for help in addressing the problem. Most typically, a temporary anti-anxiety medication will be prescribed – along with a behavior-modification program – to help your dog feel less stressed and react more calmly when left alone or when exposed to storms.

Training my Out-of-Control dog
Dogs like humans have a mind of their own and sometime it feels like they get too out-of control. Here are some tips to take control back:
•Use a head collar. Out-of-control dogs almost all universally respond to a head collar, or head halter, a humane and simple tool for training.
•A leash is valuable – even indoors. Dogs that jump, leap and run out of reach should be kept on leash before a problem actually occurs. He will quickly learn to behave appropriately if his good behavior is rewarded while his “bad” behavior is ignored or corrected each and every time.
•Increase your dog’s exercise. All dogs enjoy and appreciate regular exercise. Some dogs, however, require particularly vigorous exercise, such as running, swimming or regular and extended games of fetch. Whatever your dog’s exercise regime, consider increasing both its duration and quality.
•Consider professional help. If the problem seems too difficult to change without help, ask your veterinarian for assistance or for a referral to a behavioral specialist. Although most overactive dogs are normal and will respond to behavior modification, a minority may be suffering from true, physiological hyperactivity, which may require medication in addition to a training program.

Reward good behavior
We love our pets that’s no surprise, but what is surprising is that one of the big mistakes people make is focusing on punishing their pets for bad behavior rather than focusing on rewarding them for what we consider good behavior. A perfect example of this is letting a pup eliminate behind the couch when you are in the other room. The dog is unlikely thinking they are in trouble for eliminating in the house. They probably think you don’t like to see them eliminate, so they learn to hide behind the couch to do so.  Like children, pet also need a clear set of rules and boundaries to help them stay safe and ensure that he or she is with you for their whole life. By rewarding your pet with treats or praises for going to their designated area to eliminate gives them the expectation that it is permitted only in that area. Punishing your pet will damage your relationship with your pet. They may end up fearing you make them more likely to eliminate when they see you enter the room. Instead, focus on managing them (using supervision and confinement, such as keeping them on a leash or in a pet-proofed room or crate) to set them up for success and rewarding for good behavior.

Spaying or Neutering pets
Some people still think that spay or neuter their pets is like mentally destroy them.  Aside from the fact that there is a serious pet overpopulation problem, Spaying and neutering your pet means it is less likely to wander away to look for a mate and in doing so potentially get lost, hurt, hurt others, or contract diseases. Overall, spaying and neutering will greatly increase the length and quality of your pet’s life.
For males, neutering eliminates the chance of developing testicular cancer and may reduce problems with aggression and decreasing inappropriate urination issues. For females, spaying decreases the chance of developing breast cancer if done before the first heat cycle. It also eliminates the chance of developing pyometra (a potentially fatal infection of the uterus), decreases or eliminates mood swings associated with heat cycles and eliminates spotting.

For more information on this subject or any additional pet health articles please visit www.entirelypets.com

Dogs are man’s best friend. Like children, dogs are to be taken cared for just like people are. It takes a lot of responsibility to take care of your pooch. The proper dog care must be applied to your pet so he or she remains to be healthy and free of any diseases. Dogs are loyal to their human counterpart. In return, we must provide them with the appropriate dog care essentials.

We should provide them healthy food, water, exercise and veterinary care like vaccinations. Reading books for the best dog care information and health tips are useful for dog owners who need more education in maintaining a pet. While dogs offer unconditional love to their owners, the owners themselves must show their dogs how much they care for them.

Day To Day Dog Care Needs

The basic everyday need of a dog is obviously food. As an owner, one must feed the dog regularly with healthy food that is excessive in protein. Grooming is another part of proper dog care. Bathing your dog regularly relieves them of fleas and ticks.

“Big and small dogs need exercise daily, big dogs more than smaller ones”

You can bathe them at least once a week for them not to have that foul smell. Grooming your dog gives you the bonding between owner and pet; and this can also emphasize your authority towards him. Brushing the dog’s fur is relaxing in their part, they enjoy the strokes of the brush on their hair as you do it slowly.

Dogs should have vitamins too. Vitamin E can cure skin ailments. You can apply vitamin E oil to their skin to cure dry skin and any other skin ailments. You can save some money if you try conventional and natural ways in giving the right dog care for your pets. Acidophilus in yogurt is not only good for humans but for dogs as well. Consult with the veterinarian first if you plan on doing this because there are some factors that can harm them.

The Dog Care Supplies

Dog care provisions are classified as functional, basic and pampering. The fundamental dog supplies comprise of dog leashes, grooming kits, sleeping pads, dog house and most especially, food.

“It is not only people who will benefit from natural care but also our dogs. Natural pet care is now a growing trend that shows pet owners how to take care of their dogs in a way that is not harmful”

The practical but functional dog materials consist of doors, fences, and gates. The pampering kit is usually composed of toys, massage oils and treats for your dogs.

One of the most ascendant basic supplies provided is dog beds. It helps keep the dog’s bones healthy and strong. Several pet shops have supplies such as training equipment and aid to make practices much easier for your dog to follow. Some may even include dog collars which are made to punish dogs for inappropriate behavior.

Kennels are also sold in the supplies too; and they come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Choosing a good one would mean picking out something that ‘ s spacious enough for your dogs to easily move about. For better dog care, grooming kits are available in a variety of options too. The products include shampoos, nail clippers, brush, combs, and even conditioners. Hygiene supplies are also made available for the best dog care that you can render.

Are you seeing the same recycled information on every website you visit? Try http://www.dogcaretruths.com for fresh information!

Commonly found among the larger breeds of dogs, Hip Dysplasia is an ailment affecting the hip joints. It is most prominent in pure breed dogs, such as Great Dane, Labrador, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. There are other breeds that suffer with hip dysplasia not mentioned here of course.

Until recently, not much was known about Hip Dysplasia. The most important thing to look at is the hip joint. In dogs, it is caused by the malformation of the hip. This ailment usually occurs when the dog is at a young age, while they are still growing and bones are forming. The hip, a ball and socket joint, ends up growing crooked, causing the back legs to be affected. The ligaments, muscles and connective tissues of the hip become lax, thus causing the hip to grow unnaturally.

When a dog is born, they usually have normal hips, but over time develop this lax muscle. Genetics plays a large role in this defect. As the bones grow apart, the capsule holding the bones together become strained and stretched, as opposed to growing towards each other as they should. This adds more problems to the joint as the two bones, pelvis and femur, get separated from each other. Therefore, the bones are no longer in alignment and put pressure on the nerves, which cause many of the symptoms of Hip Dysplasia.

Here are some of the signs of Hip Dysplasia.

Dogs feel pain after exercise and during a usual day’s activity. They find it hard to stand on their hind feet in the early morning from stiffness. They tend to stop walking and sit down often. Very stiff hind legs. You can tell as they run, how they try not to put pressure on their back legs. Over time, dogs find it hard to stand up without assistance.

Things that can help Hip Dysplasia.

Try to keep your dog at a slim weight. An overweight dog will find it much more difficult to get around with added pounds. Most genetic cases can’t be helped, but you can make it easier on your pet. There are some products on the market that are specifically for hip issues. There are even wheelchairs for dogs with this ailment. Another option is the “Helping Hands” from Mikki which enables the handler to take weight off of their dogs hind legs while still allowing the front legs to operate normally. This allows exercising and increased circulation.

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Is this the beginning of the end for my old dog?

My Golden Retriever, Bailey, just turned 11. She has hip displaysia, a heart murmer, and hypothyroidism, and has had these ailments for a long time. She moves slowly and sleeps a lot, which I expect in an old doggie.

A year or so ago, she started having bloody noses. They were infrequent, and irregular, but they were unilateral. I took her to the vet, and he scoped her nose and couldn’t find anything. He suspected a cancerous tumor in her snout somewhere, but couldn’t find it without a cat scan which we couldn’t afford. She had about 25 or so bloody noses over a year and then they stopped. She hasn’t had one in 6 or 8 months.

Several months ago, she started collapsing. It was not predictible…very random. I would be petting her, and she would shake or tremble and then fall down. This would happen once every few weeks. It didn’t seem to bother her. They weren’t seizures I don’t think because she would just tremble like she got a chill, and then fall, and then she’d be fine.

This week she started falling a lot. She’ll be just standing in a room, and not shake or tremble, and then fall. She also has stopped eating some. She used to clean her bowl at every feeding, but now she’s leaving half of it. There is also a mysterious swelling on her snout. It looks like a bee sting, but it’s winter and there are no bees. It’s hot to the touch and she would prefer me not to touch it. She has also started eliminating in the house, frequently.

Is this it? Am I losing my Bailey Girl?

Please don’t answer with a “take her to the vet.” I’m looking for answers from people who have seen their dogs age and might have insight into these symptoms.

Answer
my grandmother saw somewhat of the same problem

im afraid to say the only options is to pray about Bailey or take her to the vet
i am very sorry
but if you have to put her down dont be sad just think of it this way she will be in heaven

In its simplest terms, Pyometra (Pyo means “pus” and Metra refers to “uterus”) is an infection in the uterus. The disease mainly affecting middle-aged female dogs that have not been spayed. Pyometra is a hormonal abnormality, and a secondary bacterial infection may or may not be present. Pyometra follows a heat cycle in which fertilization did not occur. Typically, within two to four months after the cycle, the female starts showing signs of the disease.

Female dog ovaries are producing tow main hormones estrogen and progesterone. Overquantity of progesterone or oversensitiveness of the uterus to progesterone causes Pyometra and cysts are forming in the lining of the uterus. These cysts contain numerous secretory cells, and large quantities of fluids are produced and released into the interior of the uterus. This fluid, along with a thickening of the walls of the uterus, brings about a dramatic increase in the overall size of this organ into sac-like pouches the circumference of cucumbers and 12 to 18 inches long and weighs around 1 to 4 pounds compare to normal 2 to 4 ounces.

Bacteria commonly colonize the uterus by entering through the cervix. This produces an even greater response by the body, as it showers additional fluid and white blood cells into the affected organ. This effectively traps all of the fluid within the uterus. As the body attempts to flush out the build-up of waste products through the kidneys, the animal will drink excessive quantities of water and urinate large amounts frequently. As the uterus increases in size and weight, the dog shows weakness in the rear legs, often to the point where she cannot rise without help. As the dog enters kidney failure, she stops eating and becomes very lethargic.

Diagnostic test were; complete blood cell count, a chemistry profile to evaluate function of internal organs, radiograhs of the abdomen, ultrasound of the uterus, culture of pus in the uterus, and biopsy of the uterus if cancer is suspected.
Since toxicity may develop very quickly in dogs with Pyometra, it needs to be treated promptly. Dogs will receive intravenous fluids, usually for several days before and after the surgery, and antibiotics for 1 to 2 weeks. In most cases, the preferred treatment is a complete ovariohysterectomy (spay). This removes the ovaries, oviducts, uterus, and all associated blood vessels. Other treatment includes transfusions of plasma, Hetastarch and while blood. In mild cases, when the cervix is still open and the fluid is draining, the success rate is excellent. This therapy should only be used in dogs 6 years of age or younger, who are in stable condition, and have an open cervix. Prostaglandins help the uterus to expel pus and alters the hormone levels of the ovaries. Prostaglandins can have side effects, especially after the first dose, including restlessness, panting, vomiting, increased heart rate, fever, and defecation.  

The best prevention is to have all female animals spayed at or before six months of age. If the animal is used for breeding, then spaying the animal after she is past her breeding years is highly recommended. Pyometra is a fairly common and serious problem and is just one of many compelling reasons to have female pet spayed at an early age.

Hannah Serrano is a passionate writer of http://www.americaoutdoor.com, an informative website about dog crates and pet strollers for pets and animals.