May 22nd, 2010 by Jenny

Every year, veterinarians brace for the disease that has plagued our pets for decades. Yet this affliction is easily preventable with affordable and safe drugs. Occurrences of  Heartworms in both dogs and cats persist to grow and also the expenditure to begin treating (when discovered early enough) is actually much more that the expense to prevent. Therefore, how can you protect your furry friend from the deadly effects of this now wide-spread parasite?

Flash back to 150 years ago when a researcher initially detected the heartworm parasite in a dog. Then the parasite evolved and was then discovered in our cats 80 years ago. Even though heartworm prevention is available for both cats and dogs you would think that we would experience a reduction in the number of cases, however each year hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed and oftentimes perish too soon from this dreaded parasite. A number of researchers speculate that in North America alone, cases of heartworms in our pets might actually be in the millions.

The disease resulting from this heartworm dwelling inside of your pet’s heart is disastrous. Your pet can be infected by the one-time bite of  just one single mosquito. The worm may then migrate through your pet’s entire body eventually taking up residence in your pet’s heart chamber and the blood vessels leading to the lungs. This leads to your pet’s heart needing to pump harder to circulate the blood through his tiny body. The consequences on the lungs is much more critical with some pets gasping for breath because the lungs fill with fluid and tiny blood clots clog the vessels. Early symptoms can include coughing and exercise intolerance that some owners just attribute to the dog being lazy. Quite often, signs usually do not emerge until the disease is well advanced and the dog is being affected by heart failure, fluid accumulation in the lungs and abdomen that may subsequently result in death.

In cats, it takes merely one heartworm to trigger damage. The first signs are asthma like symptoms and frequently vomiting that the owners may attribute to hairballs. When that heartworm lodges in the lungs, it may result in a sudden death of the cat.

Treatment for heartworms is pricey starting from $500 for the smaller sized dogs, to upwards of $1500 for the larger breeds. Complicated heartworm disease with cardiac failure is even more expensive and oftentimes there is only a 10% chance of recovery in the severely affected pets. As of yet, there is no treatment for cat heartworm disease, just supportive care.

Amazingly, veterinarians do have a remedy to this dilemma. Safe, effective heartworm preventatives are available in a number of simple to use applications. What is even more amazing is that the expense of a lifetime of prevention for most pets is considerably less that the one-time treatment for the disease. So, why do pets continue to suffer and die from such a preventable malady?

With all cyberspace myths, two radical notions propose that either the heartworm medications are failing or that the parasites are developing a resistance to the medicines. While conspiracy theorists love these types of thoughts, scientific evidence for either explanation is absent. Heartworm preventives possess a failure rate of less than 1 in 1 million doses. Likewise, the intricate life cycle of the heartworm does not lend itself to creating a natural resistance to the drugs. The truth quite possibly lies in the memory of the owner to administer the dose in a monthly manner and the global temperature.

Increasing temperatures in our climate has led to an extended mosquito season and a greater chance of transmission to our pets. Here in Houston, our mosquito season is all year round. Some locations are currently finding more mosquitoes in formerly mosquito-free areas. Irrigation of dry areas and increased plantings of trees in certain places might actually help to increase mosquito population. With a bigger number of mosquitoes, there is a greater chance of transmission of heartworm disease.

When all the facts are considered, the simplest reason for our failure to manage this lethal parasite falls on the humans themselves. We simply fail to give the preventive as we must. It may be attributable to forgetfulness, or perhaps one husband or wife assumed the other one gave it or even it may be as a consequence of economy along with the financial difficulties imposed on the family. Regardless of the rationale may very well be, it can bring about dire implications for the sake of our pets.

Fortunately, as pet owners, you do have powerful allies to help battle the war against heartworms. With the help of your veterinarian, you can select the ideal heartworm medication for your pet and your spending budget. Oral medications, for instance Heartgard, Sentinel, and Iverhart can be purchased. In addition there are topical medications for example Advantage-Multi and Revolution that are formulated to also protect your pet from both heartworms and fleas. Proheart 6 is additionally available as a long lasting injection. The prevention of this disease rests entirely on the pet’s owners to ensure the pet will get the prevention before the pet might be exposed to the parasite. That means that this prevention must get started in puppy-hood and be supplied monthly, throughout the year.

Do not spend your time in search of “natural” or organic ways to prevent heartworms; they simply do not exist. Many people think they can formulate ivermectin to give to their pets, but incorrect dilution and storage can lead to overdosing or underdosing. Adhere to recommendations by your veterinarian and the American Heartworm Society (www.heartwormsociety.org) Your pet is relying on you and prevention is much better and much less expensive ın comparison to the treatment.

May 21st, 2010 by Jenny

How many dogs are dying a slow death from undernourishment and poisoning?  And by the hands of loving, caring owners?  Is your dog one of them?  If you’re giving your dog commercial pet food, that may well be the case.  Just because a specific brand of food is expensive and labels itself “premium” or “gourmet” doesn’t suggest it’s good dog food.  Here’s why.

Read the list of ingredients inside the can of food that you’re feeding your dog.  Have you any idea what each one of those ingredients are?  The maker of high end organic pet foods includes organic soybean meal in some of its dog foods.  Can’t be bad, right?  Soybean meal is, “the product obtained by grinding the flakes which remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by a solvent or mechanical extraction process.”  It is a low quality protein filler.

The fifth ingredient in another brand’s beef flavored kibbles is, “Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT)”.  Got a double here!  Animal fat is defined as, “Obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids.”  The animal source isn’t specified and can be from any source, including animals euthanized at shelters, and “downer” animals, animals disabled, diseased, or dying before slaughter.  

BHA and BHT have been banned from human use in many countries but still permitted within the US.  They’re possible human carcinogens, and are shown to be carcinogenic in animal experiments.  Feed your dog food with these in it and you increase your pet’s probability of getting cancer.

If you want to ensure your dog is getting the cleanest, most nutritious, safest food, then you ought to make it yourself.  The ingredients you are going to be using are essentially the same ones you use for your own food, and if you’re unsure of what to make or how to make it, sources of dog food recipes abound.  Truly good dog food is food you make yourself.  Your dog will be healthier and happier for it.

May 11th, 2010 by Jenny

Whenever housebreaking a dog, it truly is very helpful to be informed of a few general guidelines which will help you avoid unnecessary issues and ensure that the process will be a positive one.

  If you would like your dog training to go more smoothly, you’ll want to make sure to take note of the following tips on housebreaking a dog 

 Tip #1: It’s  generally a very good idea to start housebreaking puppies as soon as you get them home. This is also true for older dogs as well. However, whenever it comes to potty training puppies, it is vital to bear in mind that they have little to no sphincter control in the beginning. This will not be completely developed until close to 12 weeks of age. Although you’ll want to start training them right away, being conscious of this will likely help you prevent many mishaps and setbacks that frequently occur.

 Tip #2: Make sure to put your puppy on a routine. This is especially true when it comes to feeding and bathroom breaks. Make  sure to take them  outdoors first morning, following each meal, before their bedtime and every few hours in between. Try to do these things at the same times each day when feasible, this will help make things easier for your dog. Also, avoid providing them food or water in the evening about 1-2 hours before bedtime, this will help lessen the need to take them out in the middle of the night.

Tip #3: Do not leave your puppy unsupervised in your home and don’t allow them to have free reign of your whole home . The very best thing to do is to keep them to a particular area of your home , but make sure to watch them closely and interact with them. It is likely that you’ll notice them sniffing at the ground or circling an area or pacing. When you see this, get them outside immediately. This will not only avoid an accident, but also help prevent accidents in the future. Since dogs are most likely to soil areas where they or other dogs have previously soiled. If you don’t watch your puppy closely, this is very likely to happen.

May 6th, 2010 by Jenny

Little dogs and puppies are just so soft and adorable and you can’t keep your hands off them.  However when these little darlings can go on to bark nonstop– now they aren’t quite so endearing.  Now this may keep you up during the night and, your neighbors might not like hearing your “sweet darling” barking and keeping them awake too!

So before you think you have to get rid of your new pet you need to get a very helpful, gentle, and humane device to control this barking  with a small bark collar for your dog.  First you need to decide which of the several kinds of collars you suppose will work best for your littlel dog. refer ing with a dog training professional is most recommended, but you can also do your own search to make an informed decision. 

There are three kinds of small dog collars.  If you decide that you will be successful with just a simple high pitched tone that only your dog will hear, there is an UltraSonic bark collar.  The collar senses the bark and emits a tone that the dog will learn that it goes away when the barking stops.  You won’t hear a thing and neither will the neighbors.

If your dog needs just a bit more of a boost, then the spray collars with citronella are ideal and also shock collars that send a vibration that can be adjusted with a control. 

Whichever you prefer, The right size collar is next on the list .  Small dogs are difficult to fit so you need to shop carefully.  On the market for small dog collars, Petsafe has the smallest shock collar.  It is called Petsafe Deluxe Little Dog Bark Collar.  Others that are also available to you and also online are Innotek, Dogtra, Tritronics and DT Systems.  Read the reviews that are available to you online and do your research.  All of these products are available online and many at a discount. 

An added note on the Citronella spray collars and why they are a preferred choice for many small dog owners:  They deter flies and mosquitos. 

Static, also known as shock, collars are specifically designed for small and toy breeds.  They are lightweight and small.  The vibration sensation that it delivers to the dog is minimal and will cause no harm or injury to your small dog.  The dog will soon learn to control its excessive barking.

If you want your dog to stop barking you have to be consistent in this training.  Keep the collar on the dog until the problem is completely solved. 

The following are just a few steps to follow to put an end to the barking and help your little dog or puppy to become a desired and loved addition to your family.

1. Pick out the collar for your dog.  Research yourself or consult with a professional, but put some time and effort into the decision so that the end result will be what you wanted to achieve.
2. Get the correct size to fit.  This is essential.
3. With some patience and taking it slowly, introduce your dog to the collar.  Start with a short amount of time and gradually increase the time your pet wears the collar.  Reward your dog with positive reinforcement to let him or her know that this is not a punishment, but a training tool.
4. Now begin your training times with the dog in limited time increments.  Do not leave the dog unattended with the collar on in the beginning.  Monitor your dog’s reactions to the bark collar and give it lots of praise for not barking or howling.
5. Next, move to increase the time that your dog is wearing the collar.  Keep track of which situations that develop that cause the dog to start barking and concentrate on each. 

Once you and your dog have completed your bark collar training, you will have a well-behaved dog who will not be bother to everyone inside hearing distance.