Our canines are like our family – so ensuring their health is a high priority. Sometimes we have to take measures to ensure that our canines are given the care that they deserve. This includes taking them to a animal doctor for check ups periodically and on time. This is all it takes to give our pets the assurance that they will not need to contract heartworm disease. Heartworm is a parasitic worm that act to infect dogs and may cause very urgent health issues. Commonly observed symptoms of heart worms may involve frequent bowl movements, weight loss, and regurgitation.

Luckily are a variety of trusted medicines that are prescribed to help prevent the development of heart worms. You may have heard of Heartguard Plus for Dogs. It works by interrupting the vital tissue stage of heartworm infection. It will also help safeguard against full development of heartworm. For developed cases of heartworm infection, a medicine called Lufenuron is a recommended option. Flea control is an additional benefit that Lufenuron provides. A different pill that’s often recommended is Interceptor for Dogs.

An excellent plan of safeguarding against this disease is by using heartworm medicine. Be sure to talk to a animal doctor first before administering heart worm treatments to your pooch. To decide on the right heartworm medication for your pet, talk to your vet. A detailed schedule and dosing recommendation will be provided by your pet doctor. Your pet doctor will ascertain the right dosage for your pooch based on its size and weight. Being familiar with possible side effects is also key.

One of the #1 reasons that dogs die is become of heart worm infestation. Heartworm medicines are also incredibly beneficial when it comes to complete infection prevention. By having your pet checked for heartworms yearly, you can take the steps that are vital to keep him at his best. Catching this disease right away may be the key to saving your canine’s life.

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1. Canine Cardiac Disease
2. Dog Illnesses Symptoms
3. Dog Ear Mites Symptoms

It’s no surprise that ours is a nation of dog lovers needing services, with people seeking Ann Arbor dog grooming and Ann Arbor dog boarding and  just as do those in Miami, New York, and everywhere in-between.  Dog grooming usually brings to mind images of snooty poodles and people who spend the bulk of their time preparing for dog shows.  This is certainly not the case!  Proper dog grooming makes your dog healthier and can make you happier.  Families don’t neglect the personal grooming of their children, why then the family dog?  You find quality caregivers when looking for dog boarding so doing the same for your dog’s grooming makes perfect sense.

Professional grooming is a wonderful choice when it comes to your dog grooming.  Professional groomers offer a wide variety of services, and they vary from groomer to groomer.  For example, some groomers offer to wash your pet for you.  Others have services as wide ranging as brushing your dog’s teeth and deep conditioning and styling his coat.  Even if you don’t show your dog, you can still get his or her coat looking fabulous for that yearly family photo.

Other services include pre-clipping, which allows dog grooming professionals to thoroughly wash the skin of the dog, before a final professional clipping.  For the long-haired dog, de-matting is a must to get rid those icky fur mats.  Nail clipping and filing are a must, the better to protect those wood floors at home.  dog grooming also emcompasses ear cleaning, teeth brushing, and flea dips.  It’s important to remember that dog grooming is not veterinary service, and it is unlikely that your groomer will be able to diagnose or recognize health problems of your pet.

If you are considering entering the world of dog shows, a competent groomer is a must.  Certain breeds are expected to have a specific style to their coat, and groomers familiar with the show dog world should be able to conform to the rules and regulations for the particular dog show.  When you start getting into more specialized services, it is important to inquire as to additional fees associated with these services.  Because of the care and precision needed to conform to show rules, it isn’t surprising that there are extra costs in most cases.

Wherever you make your home, dog grooming is a component of the proper care of your beloved pet.

1. Symptoms Of Dog Stroke
2. Are Blueberries Safe for Dogs?
3. Dog Ear Mites Symptoms

Unusual behavior following a heat cycle (estrus) in the non-pregnant female dog is a common occurrence. This condition is termed false pregnancy (hyperluteoidism, pseudocyesis, pseudo-pregnancy). It is a hormonal imbalance and may cause a wide range of clinical signs.

Let’s have a brief review of a normal estrous cycle on the female dog in order to have a better understanding of the abnormal type. The onset of heat is characterized by swelling of the vulva and a bloody discharge which happens from four to fourteen days.

In most female dogs, the bloody discharge lasts about ten days. During this time, the ovaries are preparing eggs for release. As the vaginal discharge changes from bloody to straw color, eggs are expelled from the ovaries. It is during this time that fertilization will take place if she is bred and this period also lasts from four to fourteen days. For most dogs, eggs will be released from the ovaries for ten days.

Following these stages the vulva will gradually return to normal size and the discharges will stop. The areas on the ovaries from which eggs erupted are termed follicles and they will undergo changes to become corpora lutea. These secrete progesterone, a hormone necessary for maintaining a normal pregnancy. If no fertilization occurs, then the corpora lutea will regress in about one month and stop secretion of progesterone.

False pregnancy results when the corpora lutea persist and an excess of progesterone is secreted. This is basically and oversimplification of a complex process but it serves to outline the basic hormonal cause.

Symptoms of False Pregnancy
Clinical signs vary considerably but almost always include increased size of the mammary glands and behavior changes. The onset of false pregnancy will usually fall between one and a half to three months after normal heat cycle.

The mammary glands can be slightly enlarged and produce a thick fluid or they may swell up with actual milk up to the point of discomfort. Behavior changes can range from irritability and aggressiveness to shyness and lethargy. Some dogs want to hide and avoid people while others appear to be actively protecting their phantom litter. Often a toy will be “adopted” and carried almost constantly. Any type of behavior change following a heat cycle should make one suspect of this condition.

Other less common signs are loss of appetite, slight fever, and mild digestive disturbances such as diarrhea. The syndrome can appear from the first heat cycle and usually recurs with every cycle.

1. Declaring War On Ticks Part 1
2. Declaring War On Ticks Part 2
3. Diarrhea In Dogs

Many eye diseases in dogs can be successfully cured surgically if non-surgical treatments do not help. In the condition in which the tear glands and ducks are not producing tears, for example, a medication is put into the dog’s food in the form of drops.

If there is any function at all left, the medication will stimulate the glands to again produce tears normally. If the medication does not work, an unusual and creative operation is sometimes performed, whereby a duct of one of the dog’s salivary glands is moved so that it empties out of the eye instead of the mouth.

The saliva moistens and protects the eye just as the tears are supposed to. Logically enough, Pavlov’s theory works with slight alteration – a dog who has had such an operation cries when his appetite is stimulated!

If an ulcer has resulted from the dryness and inflammation of the eyes, or from some other irritation or trauma, medication is again tried initially. Especially if the ulcer is a superficial one, antibiotics usually heal it.

If the ulcer is a deep one or has punctured through the cornea into the eye itself, another innovative type of surgery is performed. The ulcer is covered with a truly organic “bandage” – the dog’s own third eyelid, or a flap from the white part of his eye. The bandage is left on for several weeks while antibiotics are used to heal the ulcer. It can then be removed with a snip or two of the stitches holding the bandage in place.

Cataracts
Owners of old dogs often notice a condition commonly referred to as cataracts – a bluish white film over the eyes. Actually, the condition is a thickening of the lenses, which is a function of age. It usually begins to be noticeable in dogs about 10 years of age, and progresses slowly. It does not usually affect the dog’s vision until the dog becomes quite old.

True cataracts are a total thickening of the lenses, so that light cannot come through the pupil and sight is lost. Certain injuries and infections can cause cataracts, and the condition is sometimes a sign of diabetes.

There is a disease, juvenile cataracts, in which cataracts appear at a very young age (as early as 1 year old), first in one eye and then in the other.

This is an inherited disease, seen most commonly in Irish Setters, Afghans and Old English Sheepdogs. The only way to prevent blindness is to surgically remove the lenses. Dogs are nearsighted anyway – they can’t adapt their vision to distances – so the removal of the lens is something they can live with quite comfortably without much noticeable difference in eyesight.

1. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 1)
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 2)
3. Dog Seizures Symptoms

Most dog owners, if not all of them, never consider looking into their pet’s eyes for signs of illness, especially dogs with hair over their eyes.

There is a myth that cutting the hair away from a dog’s eyes will cause blindness, but, in fact, a dog’s eyes are much less likely to become diseased if the area is free of air. Dogs with hair growing over their eyes should either have it trimmed or pinned back.

Glaucoma
The most serious problem that can result from an inflamed eye is a condition called glaucoma. Glaucoma occurs when the fluid pressure within the eye gets too high. It is caused when the passage which drains the fluid out of the pupil becomes too narrow to allow fluid to pass. Glaucoma can and does cause blindness if not treated immediately. Inflammation of the eye is one thing which can cause the drainage passage to become swollen shut.

Glaucoma can also be caused by a tumor in the eye, or by an inherited condition peculiar to certain breeds, in which the angle of fluid drainage in the eye is too narrow at birth. Wire-haired Terriers, Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, and Malamutes are more apt to be born with this abnormally narrow angle of drainage than most dogs.

If glaucoma is not treated immediately by alleviating the extremely high pressure of the eye fluid, a great deal of pain and eventual blindness will result. Owners, especially of the breeds mentioned, should watch for redness in the white part of their dog’s eyes, dilated or large pupils, and rubbing of the eyes by the dog. If the symptoms are treated early, blindness can be prevented.

Check The Eyelids
Many eye problems require medical tensions caused by eyelid abnormalities. These are problems the dog is born with, and again, certain breeds are especially prone to certain abnormalities. The two most common types of eyelid abnormalities are ectropian, in which the eyelid turns out, and entropian, in which the lid turns inward toward the eye.

Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, Cocker and Springer Spaniels, St. Bernards and Akitas are some of the breeds most likely to suffer from ectropian. Entropian is often seen in Chows, Bulldogs, Doberman Pinschers, Setters, Golden Retrievers, Poodles, and St. Bernards.

Both conditions can cause infection and inflammation of the eye. They are most commonly corrected surgically. The surgery is a cosmetic one, for the purpose of correcting the confirmation of the dog’s eyelid. The part of the eyelid which droops or turns inward is removed, making the eye normal. It is not a complicated procedure, and one which in nearly every case solves the dog’s eye problems.

1. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 3)
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 1)
3. Declaring War On Ticks Part 2

There are essentially three ways that you can help prevent your dog from getting diabetes. This disease is one that you want your dog to avoid so that he lives as long and healthy as possible. And although it’s rare, there are many dogs whose diabetes go into remission just by having their diet, supplementation, and exercise all in good order.

1. Lower the carbohydrates. Most dog foods sold in pet stores contain ingredients that are as high as 98% carbohydrates. By reducing the amount of carbs in your dog’s daily meals, this moderate carbohydrate level can go a long way towards diabetes prevention.

Diet is especially important for dogs that are genetically at risk for diabetes. It is critical that you study up on your dog breed and make sure that he is getting the right nutrients so that the gene which can store diabetes will not be triggered off.

Golden retrievers are among the most popular pets that dog owners have in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these retrievers get diabetes because their owners did not do enough research for their breed type in order to get their diet correct from puppy hood.

2. Seek out the nearest holistic veterinarian in your area. Ask the vet about natural supplementation for the immune system. Many dog owners miss this very important diabetes prevention step. Supplementing with organic products such as antioxidants and herbs for the immune system can make a huge impact on preventing diabetes, especially for the dog breed types which are genetically at risk for this disease.

Along the same lines as natural prevention, it is important to avoid your dog from being over-vaccinated. This can cause toxins to build up in the animal’s system which can trigger diabetes.

Flea medications and tick insecticides can also trigger diabetes from the toxic state produced in the body. By keeping your dog clean of these chemicals and toxins you are helping his immune system stay healthy.

3. Exercise! It is sad to see so many dogs out there who develop diabetes that should never have in the first place had they been active and not become overweight. This of course is the direct responsibility of you, the dog owner. If your dog is inactive and gains weight, he can develop diabetes even if he is not a breed that is genetically at risk.

It doesn’t take much. 20 minutes of brisk walking two to three times per day is all your dog needs for optimum health and to keep him in good shape. If you can go jogging with your dog then that is even better. Having your dog swim is also a great option for exercise.

1. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 3)
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 2)
3. Are Vaccinations for Pets Really Necessary?

If you have been following the standard guidelines for pet vaccinations you have probably been submitting your cat or dog to a painful shot as well as the anxiety of a visit to the vet every year in an effort to provide them the best health possible.

Vaccinations are a big business. Owners will spend what they are told in order to protect their pets and possibly themselves from contacting scary and deadly diseases such as rabies or distemper.

However, some veterinarians and pet owners are starting to question the wisdom and necessity of annual vaccinations.

Dr. Margie Scherk who runs a veterinary clinic in Vancouver was quoted in a CBC news story as stating that “We have no reason to think a cat’s immune system is different than a human’s immune system. And we don’t get vaccinated every year.”

If this is true, why do vets keep warning us to have our dogs and cats vaccinated annually?

Possibly some encourage the visits for the monetary benefits, but it is also a subject that is still fraught with controversy.

Pet owners in general are not anxious to take risks with such deadly diseases and so until conclusive studies are embraced by the medical field they will continue with annual vaccinations.

On the other hand, some studies have shown that certain vaccines, such as the rabies vaccine, may be linked to an increase in tumors in cats.

Other pet owners have had personal experiences which led them to believe that vaccines in puppies may have been responsible for a higher mortality in a healthy litter.

Until these concerns have been researched further, veterinarians take their own stand on vaccinations. Dr. Kruth, who was also interviewed by CBC, believes that owners should make decisions based on the lifestyle of their pet. He explains that hunting dogs are clearly more at risk for picking up some of these diseases than a pet kept indoors in the city.

How can pet owners make an educated decision? There is a lot of information available online, as well as recommendations from Associations and veterinary schools which may reflect the more recent research. However, most individuals will likely require the experience and recommendation of their family pet’s doctor or shop around to find one who seems to be implementing newer recommendations. In this case most will suggest a three year gap between most vaccinations. There are still some diseases that may require annual shots or even six month shots such as feline leukemia and kennel cough.

1. Symptoms Of Dog Stroke
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 3)
3. Canine Cardiac Disease

The eye, in dogs, as in all animals, is the most specialized of the sensory organs. As such, it is highly sensitive to trauma, infection and disease, both acquired and hereditary.

Because dogs can’t tell their owners when they are suffering irritation or pain in their eyes, the eye is an often overlooked area of trouble. Many a devoted dog owner has failed to notice his pet’s eye trouble until it is so advanced that blindness results or the removal of an eye is necessary.

From the tiny Pekingese, whose slightly bulging eyes can become diseased because of inadequate protection, to the huge St. Bernard, whose drooping eyelids can catch and harbor bacteria which cause eye infection, many special breeds are particularly susceptible to certain types of eye disease.

Dog owners should be aware of some of the most common eye problems, which breeds are most likely to develop them, how they are treated, and, most important, how they can spot potential trouble while there is still time to safely treat or cure the disease.

Many a serious problem starts with an irritation or trauma to the eye, which causes inflammation. If a dog’s eye becomes inflamed, the problem should be attended to immediately, as the problem can usually be treated if diagnosed in time. If inflammation is allowed to continue for too long, much more complicated problems can result.

What Can Happen To The Inflamed Eye?
For one thing, one of the most important protections the eye possesses – the ability to produce tears – can be interfered with or stopped completely. If the dog’s eye no longer produces tears because the tear glands and ducks are inflamed, the dog can develop ulcers in the eye.

Your dog can also develop a condition known as keratitis, or inflammation of the cornea – a clear protective disc over the colored part of the dog’s eye – gets inflamed, the white part of the eye often responds by growing blood vessels down over the injured cornea.

Of course, the dog will be temporarily or permanently blinded if the blood vessels are allowed to block light from entering the pupil, the small hole behind the cornea which lets light into the eye.

Infection, bumps or scratches on the eye, foreign bodies such as foxtails in the eye, and ingrown eyelashes are all common ways in which a dog’s eye becomes inflamed. If a dog’s eye become swollen, red, runs a lot, or if the dog rubs his eyes excessively, the owner should see a veterinarian before the condition becomes serious.

1. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 3)
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 2)
3. Are Blueberries Safe for Dogs?

How Common Heart Murmurs In Dogs Could Be The Result Of CCD

If your dog gets diagnosed with a common heart murmur problem, it may be a sign of canine cardiac disease.

According to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, a heart murmur results from blood flow running through the heart that is abnormal. Some heart murmurs are perfectly normal while others, similar to those heard in aging dogs, may be a sign that some type of heart disease is prevalent. The most common cardiac diseases in dogs include:

1. Congenital birth defects that show up when a puppy is young.
2. Degenerative valve disease (heart valve leaks) that mostly affect older or middle-aged dogs.
3. Loss of heart muscle tissue that is typically seen in young dogs or middle-aged larger dog breeds.

Detecting The Disease
Heart disease may not show up or be detected until it has reached a point where your dog experiences heart failure, collapse, or even sudden death. Your veterinarian can certainly check your dog out for heart murmurs by using a stethoscope. However, as the dog owner, your responsibility is to be on alert for certain signs such as difficulty in breathing, coughing, intolerance to exercise, or a swollen abdomen (caused by fluid retention).

Canine cardiac disease can further be checked for by specific information regarding your dog’s breed type, age, chest x-rays, blood pressure measurements, and EKG readings. For a definitive diagnosis, an ultrasound of your dog’s heart is required.

Treatment
Treating your dog back to good health will depend entirely upon the stage of the disease and how severely it has affected other parts of the body. If your puppy is young and has a congenital defect, it may be surgically removed.

Heart disease that is acquired later in your dog’s life requires heavy lifestyle management and changes in living. Such changes include maintaining a healthy body weight, additional exercise (or reduced activity depending upon your dog’s condition), special cardiac diets, and specific medications that can be used to reduce stress put on your dog’s heart from his condition.

The prognosis for dogs that have canine heart disease will vary. Some dogs may be fortunate enough to have successful long-term care. Others may have a shorter lifespan ranging from a few weeks to a few years. It is important to keep in mind that the earlier your dog’s condition is assessed, the easier it will be to treat and the odds will be greater that your dog or puppy will enjoy a long, healthy life.

1. Heart Worm Disease Treatment Methods
2. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 1)
3. 3 Ways To Keep Your Dog From Getting Diabetes

Ticks are amazingly efficient at surviving almost any attack. The rate of propagation and resistance to insecticides is phenomenal to say the least. In heated kennels and homes, ticks breed all year round. When the weather is cold, they’ll withdraw to cracks and crevices to await warmer times.

Since it takes twenty to thirty days for eggs to hatch, an infested home should be treated at ten-day intervals, at least four times, then once a month for two or three months. Sprays and insecticides used should be marked as a acaracide. Other insecticides appear to have little-to-no effect.

Usually it is only necessary to spray as high as two or three feet from the floor up the walls (unless tick infestation is heavy). If the family dog is accustomed to sleeping on the sofa or in overstuffed chairs, spraying should include those areas, paying particular attention to cushions as well as the edges of rugs and baseboards.

To man, the tick represents the disease known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Originally, it was thought that the disease was restricted to the region of the Rocky Mountains – thus its name. However, it is not regional at all, and may be acquired over a considerable portion of the United States, east and west, and even in Canada. (The tick is also responsible for “rabbit fever” in rodents, which is transmissible to man.)

In the southern portion of the United States, as well as in France and Africa, there is an intestinal protozoan parasite – Babesia – which attacks blood cells in a dog and causes extreme anemia. This protozoan is spread from dog to dog by ticks. Heavy infestation of ticks upon a dog can cause an extreme loss of blood, anemia, paralysis, and even death.

Flea and tick collars are available commercially, but while such collars might eventually cause the tick to die, much damage and infestation can be done in the interim. Veterinarians can also prescribe tablets, which, when given to a dog, ensure that any tick that bites the dog will die.

The consequences of tick infestation should dictate the importance of tick control in homes and kennels. The approach of warmer weather signals the approach of Rhipicephalus Sanquineus. Now if THAT sounds like a blood-sucking monster from a science fiction movie, you’re partially right. Blood sucking monster? Yes! Science fiction? No way!

1. Declaring War On Ticks Part 1
2. Declaring War On Ticks Part 2
3. Your Dog’s Eyes (Part 1)