*Bond et al. A survey of flea infestations in cats & dogs in the UK during 2005.

Vet Rec 2007 160, 503-506

Unknown to most, only 5% of a flea problem is on your pet, with a shocking 95% in the pet’s environment as eggs, larvae & pupae. To prevent & control flea infestations you need to break the flea life cycle.

How To Break The Flea Life Cycle

The life cycle can be broken by using FRONTLINE Spot On regularly to kill adult fleas on your pet. Treat your cat every five weeks and your dog every two months. All of your cats and dogs should be treated as each pet can act as a host. Also, regularly vacuum your carpets and furnishings and be sure to wash your pet’s bedding above 60ºc. All this will help reduce the number of eggs, larvae and pupae in the environment.

In addition to the above, if there is an active flea infestation, treat your home with an environmental spray containing an insect growth regulator to kill eggs and larvae. Be sure to treat those hard to reach places such as under the furniture as this is where the numbers of larvae will be highest. Your pet can still have continued access to affected are as as this will ensure newly hatched fleas are killed on contact with FRONTLINE Spot On when they jump onto your pet.

And What About Ticks?

It’s not just the flea life cycle, it’s also the life cycle of ticks. The whole tick life cycle can take several years to complete. Ticks lay their eggs in large numbers (1000 to 10,000 from just one tick) before dying. Eggs hatch into larvae which seek a host animal, feed for several days, before dropping off to find shelter in which they moult in nymphal ticks.
The nymphs do the same as the larvae (seek host, feed, drop off) and moult into adult ticks. Adult ticks follow the same habits, with the females then laying eggs to complete the life cycle.

All pretty grim and not much fun for your pet if they are the chosen host. FRONTLINE Spot On kills the three most common species of ticks found in Europe within 48 hours. Once they’re dead they should drop off naturally or can normally be removed with a gentle pull using tweezers. If not, consult your vet.

>> Highly Recommended >>
For further info please visit www.hugyourpet.co.uk

FRONTLINE Spot On contains fipronil. Always read the label.



Frequently inspecting your dog is essential. This is not just to detect cancerous tumours, as many other canine maladies come in the form of a bump or boil. It is, however, extremely important never to leave a discovery to just go away. Because, if it is cancer, then every second is valuable to ensure that treatment starts in earnest.{+++}

Fortunately, research into the treatment of canine cancer is continuing at a furious rate, and has been for the past twelve years. Scientists at the University of Cincinnati have developed new treatments for certain types of cancer in dogs, and other new treatments are constantly under development.

Radiation treatment has been implemented with high levels of success. However, at present certain cases are more suitable for treatment than others. The treatment has been working more successfully in cases where the tumour was localised. (A localised cancer is one that has not spread) The radiation treatment prevents the cancer from spreading by sterilising the cancer cells so they don’t reproduce. This may not result in a reduction in the actual size of the lump straight away, but it will ensure that cancer is unable to affect the rest of the body.

This particular method of treatment is more suited to low grade cancers. (Low grade cancers do not begin to spread until the latter stages of the illness) It is also more effective on smaller tumours, because larger tumours will need to be removed before radiation treatment can begin. Cancers on the limbs, chest, face and mouth are more suited to this treatment, whereas cancers affecting the brain, spinal column and intestines are not.

It is highly important to accept that not all tumours are cancerous and that not all cancers are tumours. A tumour may be benign, in which case it will not spread and will not cause illness, but it is always wise to keep an eye on such things in order to monitor any growth or change in shape or texture. A tumour may also be malignant, in which case it is going to, or already has, spread and caused cancer. A cancer may develop from a neoplasm. A neoplasm is a new growth on the body. If a neoplasm is malignant, then it is cancer.

For a dog to receive the radiation treatment he will need to be in an otherwise good state of health. This is so that his body will be strong enough to tolerate the radiation. Although the treatment is painless for the dog, it does have certain side effects such as hair loss, skin burn in the treated area and skin ulcerations.

A dog diagnosed with cancer will be referred to a specialist for treatment. Before treatment commences the dog will undergo certain examinations to ensure he is in a fit state. They include a blood profile, a chest x-ray and urinalysis. The treatment will last for a total of three weeks. The radiation is administered in six minute sessions each week day, but the dog is required to remain at the treatment centre for a further ninety minutes for monitoring. The entire treatment programme will cost $1150.

Certain dogs are more prone to cancer than others. The unlucky breeds include; Boxers, Boston Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Airedales, Border Collies and Scottish Terriers. Un-spayed bitches and un-neutered dogs are also at higher risk. Cancer is more commonly found in older dogs and since modern medicine is lengthening dog’s lives, statistics indicate a sharp rise in canine cancer which can be misleading.

Certain types of cancer are more commonly found in certain breeds or type of dog. Large dogs are prone to bone cancer. Short nosed dogs are prone to cancer of the skin, breast, testicles and brain. Long nosed dogs such as Labradors and Dobermans are prone to cancer of the nose. Boxers are susceptible to cancer of the skin, testicles and bone. They are also prone to lymphoma, an aggressive cancer which attacks the lymph nodes. Darker coated dogs are more likely to develop skin cancer than lighter coated dogs. Cocker Spaniels are prone to cancer of the skin, anus, mouth, throat and breast. However it is worth noting that these cancers are not peculiar to these breeds.

If your dog has to undergo any form of cancer treatment it is important to ensure that he is well nourished throughout the whole illness. This is important for many reasons, one of which is concerned with the behaviour of cancer cells inside the dog’s body. In order for the cells to grow, they need nutrition.

They steal the nutrients they need from the dogs food intake, particularly glucose and fats. It may seem like an option to reduce the intake of these nutrients in the dogs diet and replace or supplement them with other ones that will not encourage the cancer to grow. However, fats and glucose are essential to help the dog to fight the disease. A reduction in the processing of these nutrients (i.e. he takes in the nutrients but they are processed into energy by the cancer cells and not by him) will result in a reduction in the dog’s sense of smell and taste. Also it is likely that liver problems will develop if his food intake is not sufficient to feed both him and the cancer cells.

These nutrients are essential to the body so that it can perform OMEOSTATIC mechanisms. This means the body will simply not function correctly without fats and glucose, which is why people and animals become weakened by cancer. If necessary, force feed or tube feed your dog to ensure he is receiving sufficient nourishment. If this does not happen a downward spiral of energy wastage, weakness and weight loss will occur. Any element of that downward spiral can result in any other element occurring, but remove one element and the symptoms should lesson.

Owners of all dogs should be vigilante of possible cancer in order to reduce the risk of cancer developing to untreatable stages. Any suspicions should be dealt with as priorities. But do this in a calm and rational manner to ensure that nobody worries unnecessarily and nothing problematic is overlooked.

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Dogs that have been genuinely sick and who get a lot of attention as a result are the prime candidates for the “sick pet syndrome.” They can quickly discover that when sitting quietly or acting normally they are ignored, but if they suffer a sudden relapse of an alarming symptom, their owner immediately rushes over, pets them, makes concerned cooing sounds, and so on.

Dogs that suffer gastric upheavals, as all dogs do, often get extra attention and sometimes special food. It doesn’t take long for certain dogs to learn that bouts of vomiting and diarrhea are rewarded with hamburger and rice dinners, while behaving normally results in the same old dry dog food. Dogs have acquired such imaginary ailments as lameness, paralysis, muscle twitches, and runny noses, among others.

The surefire test for whether a dog is faking an illness is to leave the house and then sneak back and peek through a window to watch what the dog does when no one is around to provide the immediate reward of attention.

Many alarmed owners, concerned that their pets are suffering from some horrible disease, who refuse to believe that it could just be an act, quickly become converted when they see their lame or paralyzed dogs get up and prance around the house when they think no one is there.

The solution, once it is clear that it is an act rather than a true illness, is simply to ignore the dog whenever he is performing his routine, and to pet him and give him extra attention and food treats whenever he is acting normally, or even just lying quietly. This exactly reverses the previous reinforcement schedule, under which the dog was rewarded for acting goofy and ignored for being normal.

It might seem that a dog that can put on an act only when it has an audience must have some ability to understand the mental state of its audience, a conclusion that seems at odds with the experimental evidence that dogs lack a “theory of mind” and an ability to imagine what others are thinking, perceiving, and feeling. But most likely the dogs in these cases have learned a fairly simple association.

Dogs that seek attention seek that attention from a human, so the presence of a human is the stimulus for its learned behavior. This is no different from a dog that learns to jump up on a bag of dog food – it is the simple presence of an object associated with a reward that is the trigger for the behavior.

A dog does not have to grasp the idea that another being is watching and interpreting his actions; all he has to learn is that taking such an action when a person is present results in a reward – and doing it when no one is present does not.

Human digestion starts in the mouth. A human chews food with 32 teeth, which have flat surfaces for grinding and breaking down food. Enzymes contained in the saliva contribute to this breakdown of the food, which is being digested before it reaches the stomach.

Carbohydrates come in two forms, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates come from grains such as wheat, corn, rice, oats, soy and millet. They break down into starches and sugar when properly cooked.

Complex carbohydrates come in the form of various fibers such as brans, hulls and peanut shells from the outside of plants. A small amount is needed for proper digestion and stool formation.

Nutrients are obtained from both sources, but most come from simple carbohydrates.

If carbohydrates are a major part of your dog’s diet, the time and energy needed for digestion increase, the dog performs less well, large amounts of stool are produced, and a protein deficiency disease may develop.

Dogs have evolved as meat eaters and although they need some grains, their health and longevity will be better served on a diet containing more animal protein than protein from grains.

Think about the origin of the dog. It is unrecorded in history that wolves lit fires and cooked grains picked in fields! But there were whole carcasses available that contained everything needed for wolves to survive, including predigested vegetable matter in the intestinal tracts of their prey.

The reason the majority of dry dog foods contain such large amounts of cereal grains is that grains are a cheap source of nutrients. According to the NRC guidelines, “Carbohydrates provide an economical source of energy in the diet of dogs.”

Allergic reactions to grains are common in dogs. The best diet for your dog matches that fed in the breed’s country of origin as the breed developed. Each dog is an individual, and if yours refuses to eat his food, check the grains listed on the package. The dog may balk because of an allergy to one of the grains in the food.

Several breeds of sporting dogs, such as Chesapeake Bay retrievers, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, cocker spaniels, and springer spaniels, were on average a bit farsighted.{+++} But two-thirds of Rottweiler and half of German shepherds and miniature schnauzers in this study were significantly myopic, by more than 1.5 diopters.

The myopic Rottweilers were close to 3 diopters nearsighted on average. Generally, people who have more than about 0.75 diopters of nearsightedness will complain of noticeable impairment and find they need to wear glasses or contact lenses to function in everyday life.

The animals in this study population were all pets. Interestingly, when Murphy and his coworkers looked at a second population of German shepherds – animals kenneled at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California – they found that the guide dogs had average normal vision, with fewer than a third showing even as much as 0.5 diopters of nearsightedness.

The guide dog program did not specifically test dogs’ vision in selecting animals, but they did flunk out any dogs that failed to perform well in training, which suggests that myopia results in a real impairment in getting the job done.

The average farsightedness of sporting dog breeds suggests that there has likewise been selection at work in these breeds – that good distance vision has a demonstrable effect on making a good working dog.
The researchers noted a tendency for severe nearsightedness to run in families, which suggests a strongly inherited component.

In breeds that are not expected to perform anything more demanding than lying on the carpet, walking on a leash, and finding their supper bowl, there has no doubt been little selection for good vision, which has allowed myopia to sneak into the gene pool.

There are distinct breed differences in peripheral vision and overall field of view as well. Human eyes look straight ahead, giving us just about a 180-degree field of view, but with a lot of overlap between left and right eyes.

Animals can see in true 3-D vision only when they use both eyes together, and the overlap in the human visual field thus maximizes the region in which we can perceive depth by using this binocular vision.

The eyes of dogs are turned a bit to the side, which allows them to see a bit to the rear, with a wider overall field of vision.

Q) I have a four-year-old Labrador mix that contracted distemper from an old neighbor’s puppy. The initial acute period of the disease went by with little problems thanks to homeopathy, but within weeks she was having seizures on a daily basis. After doing a lot of research and talking with my veterinarian, my wife and I are considering putting our dog on Phenobarbital. How does Pheno work and is it safe?{+++}

A) When an animal has distemper, the nervous tissue lining is destroyed due to demyelination. In response to this action, the dog’s body tries to counter the issue by using its own immune cells. This causes inflammation of the brain, otherwise referred to as encephalitis. Seizures are a result.

Pheno is actually said to be a quality way that will help suppress your dog’s seizures. You should also consider supplementing with a special Chinese herbal formula that will assist in the healing process. In addition, hemp oil, B vitamins, vitamin D, Kelp, extra magnesium, and vitamin C are all healthy supplements for your dog’s condition.

In time your dog should stabilize and slowly become weaned off of the Pheno. Most holistic practitioners will still recommend that you continue with the herbal supplements. As with any health issue, supplementation, and drugs, always consult with your veterinarian and be sure to research the advice of a holistic practitioner.

The Pet Owners Premier Club Pet Advisory Panel is not a substitute for professional, hands-on pet care advice and should only be used in conjunction with advice provided by a suitably qualified pet care professional who has seen your pet. Always seek immediate professional help if you have any medical or behavioural problems with your pet. The pet experts who serve on the panel do so on an honorary basis and the advice provided by them is for guidance purposes only and should not be considered as irrefutable or conclusive although it should be helpful, accurate and informative. The Pet Owners Premier club is happy to refer members to appropriate organisations and governing bodies if you are seeking a qualified pet care professional.

Q) I have a six-month-old Chihuahua puppy that I would like to switch to an all-vegetarian diet. Some people say that this type of diet is not healthy for a dog but I would really like to give it a try. Is it a bad idea?

Lately there has been a lot of controversy concerning what pets should be eating, especially when it comes to dogs and cats. The recent pet food recall events have triggered a lot of awareness into the reality of pet food and what is considered healthy today.

There should be nothing wrong with an all-vegetarian diet for your puppy so long as there are additional supplementation guidelines adhered to.

While dogs can live a long and healthy life eating this way, you cannot denounce the fact that they are carnivores by genetics. Their ancestors ate meat from the time they were born, into old age, and did just fine.

Monitor your puppy’s health and growth, and be sure to add omega-3 oils and a vitamin/mineral tablet.

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The Pet Owners Premier Club Pet Advisory Panel is not a substitute for professional, hands-on pet care advice and should only be used in conjunction with advice provided by a suitably qualified pet care professional who has seen your pet. Always seek immediate professional help if you have any medical or behavioural problems with your pet. The pet experts who serve on the panel do so on an honorary basis and the advice provided by them is for guidance purposes only and should not be considered as irrefutable or conclusive although it should be helpful, accurate and informative. The Pet Owners Premier club is happy to refer members to appropriate organisations and governing bodies if you are seeking a qualified pet care professional.