Heatstroke in Dogs

Heatstroke Can Be Fatal
With the temperatures rising as we get deeper and deeper into the summer months, it is extremely important to prevent your dog from overheating. Dogs cannot tell you when their temperature rises and it is our responsibility to ensure that our pets have sufficient shelter from the sun, adequate water to drink, and a way of cooling off when the summer sun rises.

Watch Your Dog’s Temperature
Monitoring your dog closely in high heat is not enough however. It seems that pet owners tend to drop their guard when the temperatures level off, either in the Spring and Fall, and owners think the dangers are passed. Failure to realize that exercise and subsequent confinement, whether in a hot car, crate or doghouse is enough to send your dog’s body temperature skyrocketing.

A dog’s body temperature is normally between 101°F and 102°F.

Dogs regulate their body temperature by panting, expelling heat out, causing an evaporatory reaction. If he can not expel the heat fast enough, his body temperature rises. A rise of 3 degrees to a temperature of 105°F is all it takes to send your dog into a dangerous situation. At this temperature, the dog can no longer cope with reducing his body heat and the oxygen demand goes up to where the dog can not keep up, and his temperature continues to rise.

When the temperature hits 108°F, the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and intestinal tracts start to begin breaking down at a cellular level, and the damage can progress at an alarming rate. Even immediate treatment and effective cooling to bring his temperature down can leave the dog with internal damage that may affect his health in long term ways.

Dogs Die in Hot Cars
Leaving your dog cooped in a hot car is a sure way to bring on heat stroke. A hot car is like an oven, with temperatures that can rise an astounding 34°F per minute! People have been known to break windows to retrieve dogs in danger from hot cars, if they don’t do it themselves, the Humane Society most assuredly will.

Early Signs of Heat Stroke
# Rapid breathing
# Dry mouth and nose
# Rapid heart rate
# Dull, greyish-pink, or red gums This Is An Emergency
Even at the earliest stage of heat stroke, you may be fighting for your dog’s life. You must get him to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
These symptoms can be followed in minutes by collapse, seizures, coma and death.

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Important Information On Your Dogs Protein Intake

Protein seems to be a foggy issue when it comes to our pet’s diets. There are vegetarian dog food diets, and there are some diets that are heavily meat-based. So, what kind of protein does your dog need? And how much protein should they have in their daily diet? Here are a few facts about your pet and protein, so you can make the best decision about your pet’s daily diet.

First of all, here is a thought of interest: felines are classified carnivores, and dogs are classified omnivores. This means that cats must have meat in their diet to survive, and dogs must have meat and vegetables in their diet to prosper. Because dogs are omnivores, they can survive on either plant or animal diets; however, for your pet to achieve their ultimate health, a combination of the two is necessary.

So what are some signs of a poor diet in dogs? Obesity or excess weight, dull or coarse coat, itchy or flaky skin, and low energy and sometimes low resistance to infection are often common signs of a poor diet. If your pet is exhibiting any of these signs, change their diet; if any symptoms still continue, take your pet to the vet immediately.

So, here is the key to your dog’s diet. Dogs thrive on meat-based diets. This means dog foods that are based in meat are healthier for your pet than those that are composed of primarily grains or only-meat diets that have no grains or vegetables. A balanced diet is the best diet for your pet.

Why are whole grain diets harmful for your pet? Grains such as corn, barley, wheat, oats and soybean meal primarily supply carbohydrates. While carbohydrates are good for your pet (and necessary), if grain is their primary source of food consumption, excess carbohydrate intake often leads to the storage of extra carbs, which simply turns into fat. If you then add protein to your pet’s diet, it takes the carbohydrates through the kidneys and out of the body! Basically, this creates instant weight loss. If you’re wondering about kidney damage to your pet…don’t. Dogs are specifically built to tolerate lots of protein in their diet, because they need it. Unless your dog is getting excess amount of protein in their diet, then their kidneys should remain safe from protein damage.

Also, if you have a young puppy or an elderly dog, an increase in protein in their diet can be beneficial to them. Puppies are rapidly growing into full-grown adult dogs. Therefore, they need protein to build their muscles, strength, and to simply grow like they are supposed to! Older dogs need higher levels of protein in their diet to help retain their muscle mass and to keep it strong.

So, what is in your pet’s diet? Is your pet demonstrating symptoms of a poor diet? Consider changing your pet’s diet if you are concerned. Though this article is a general guideline to dogs’ diets, conducting your own research is always helpful. Feel free to contact your vet or a pet nutritional specialist if you have any other concerns. Remember, an excellent diet makes for a happy dog!

Elise Rogers is an avid pet enthusiast who writes articles for Discount Pet Mall. Visit their site today for great savings on pet beds, raised dog bowls and dog ramps.

How To Develop Healthy Habits In Your Pet

As your puppy continues to grow bigger, it is always a good idea to start your pet’s healthy habits sooner, rather than later! The more you work with your pet and develop daily, weekly, and monthly routines, the benefits to your precious pet’s health and happiness are endless!

First on the healthy habits list is grooming. The importance of grooming your pet properly cannot be stressed enough! If you start giving your pet baths early on, though they may not like it, you are helping them get used to being clean. However, make sure you give your dog a bath only when they need it (a good sign is the simple nose test…if they begin to smell, put them in the tub!). Other basic grooming procedures include clipping you pet’s nails, cleaning out their ears, and regularly brushing their coat.

Dental care is very important in keeping your pet healthy. It is possible to buy doggie toothbrushes and toothpaste at almost any pet supply store. Such items such as Greenies® Dental Chews and Kong’s Dental StickTM are great ways to help keep your doggie’s mouth clean and free of plaque, tartar, and gingivitis.
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Understanding Hip Dysplasia for Your Dogs Care

There are several breeds of dogs that are prone to hip dysplasia. It is a condition where the hips do not form right and can be come painful for the dog to walk as well as move their hind end. There are several things you can do to help your dog when they have this condition as well as try for preventative measures. You will find the joints are going to be extremely uncomfortable for the dogs because a gap in the area has left them underdeveloped. Dogs prone to this disease include Old English Sheepdogs, Kuvasz dogs, and several others.

With certain dogs you can actually prevent the issue from becoming to unbearable. You will find that vets recommend dogs with hip dysplasia, especially old English Sheepdogs, to have their tails cut short. If, the tail is cut short that will take away the stress on the dog’s hindquarters alleviating the stress on the hip bones.

You will also find that a nutritious diet can help you to prevent the hip dysplasia from becoming an issue. Most often bones do not form because there is a lack of calcium in the dog’s diet. If you add high calcium food or supplements to the dog’s diet you are helping them to form bones as puppies. This can mean that during the growth cycle the hips actually form properly rather than missing the growth needed. You should always speak with a vet about the proper dosage regarding the calcium intake they may require.

You will also find the nutrients you feed them is important. Vets may recommend that a high calorie diet is very bad. You will want to watch how much they eat, and when they eat to prevent any further discomfort for the issue. You will also want to ask what other types of minerals and vitamins they may need as puppies and adults to find the right mix of food. You dogs care is very important to you and those with diseases they are genetically predisposed to can be even harder to care for, during their older years. If you take proper preventative measures during their youth you may find the problem won’t form with hip dysplasia or that it will be a minimum issue rather than ones that will require surgery down the road.

Another means for caring for a dog with hip dysplasia or potential issues is having proper bedding. Sometimes we just go for the crate and a few layers of blankets, but for those that experience hip dysplasia you should have more bedding. It should be softer and they should be able to lay down comfortable for their size.

You will also want to watch the amount of exercise they get. The running or jogging can be very hard on the bones. If they haven’t formed correctly you could be speeding up the process of the hip issues rather than helping prevent the issue. Bear in mind exercise is still important to the overall care, but you should be careful not to over exert them.

Lastly for hip dysplasia there is surgery. Surgery can help the dog get the correct hip they need. It is like a hip replacement surgery for humans. You will find the procedure is very expensive and time consuming for the healing process. You may wish to speak with a vet and pet insurance before considering the idea. What you really want to do for care is provide the most comfort and best care you can to prevent exacerbated discomfort.

Ashley Peach is a writer for the websites dog breeders, pet bowls and dog treats.

Just Great, My Dog Has Worms, Now What?

It can be a devastating and disgusting diagnosis when a Veterinarian tells you that your dog has Worms. Even worse, you may actually see the Worms coming out of your dog or in their stool, if they have Roundworms or Tapeworms. Trust me when I say that that can be a nearly traumatic experience. Also disturbing, some of these Worms can even be transmitted from your dog to you, which is called zoonosis. These include Roundworms and Hookworms, so you should take extra precautions and follow your veterinarians advice to the letter, if you dog has one of these parasites.

Each type of wormy parasite requires a different treatment or medication, and will display different symptoms. Every dog owner should at least have a working knowledge about the warning signs of a Worm infestation and the treatments involved. Here are the five types of Worms that may infect your dog.

1. Roundworms - There are two types of Roundworms and they are the most common Worm infestation in dogs. The symptoms of Roundworms include: pot-belly appearance, diarrhea, vomiting, dull coat and weight loss. You may even see this type of Worm in your dogs vomit or feces. They look like pieces of spaghetti up to 6 inches long or longer. This type of Worm is usually treated with oral medication, with follow-up fecal screenings. This is one of the types of Worms that can be transferred to humans, but good hygiene will usually eliminate this threat.
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Three Reasons Your Dog is Brought into the Back at the Vets

You are at the veterinarians office with your dog. You are waiting to see the vet and when your turn comes you get into the room. Then you are asked to wait in the room, while your dog is taken into the back to have blood drawn, the vaccines, or some other procedure. Or you get into the room the veterinarian comes in does an exam and notices that your dog is a little agitated, he asks to have your dog brought into the back. You ask yourself, why? Why is my dog going back there, what is happening to my dog back there, you might even hear a yelp and you know it is your dog…what are they doing? Why does my dog need to go back there why can they not do the procedure in the room or why can I not go back there to see what is happening? All these are legitimate questions and I have three reasons why…. attitude, insurance and training.
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Dog Blastomycosis Pictures

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Feline Herpes Pictures

Adult cat with herpesvirus corneal ulcers. Dendritic ulcers are indicated by the arrow.

Herpesvirus conjunctivitis in a juvenile kitten

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