Pet Library

What Are The Symptoms of Arthritis in Dogs?

Pet Library Editor — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:03:25 +0000

Experts estimate that over a million dogs suffer from canine osteoarthritis in the UK and a shocking 650,000 of these cases go undiagnosed. This is because arthritis is really difficult to spot and, unlike humans, dogs don't display obvious signs of chronic pain.

Joe Inglis, a vet who has appeared in the media, has said,

"Hundreds of thousands of our dogs are suffering every minute of the day with really painful joints and there's a strong chance that yours could be one of them. The funny thing is that you wouldn't know because they will only yelp if they experience sharp pain, like stepping on glass, but with a gnawing pain like arthritis they'll just put up with it and it'll get worse and worse."

Joe continues,

"People need to take action, check out their dog and take them to the vet for a professional diagnosis. Once the condition has been identified, it can be treated immediately and your dog can be back to fighting fit condition.

Symptoms of Canine Osteoarthritis Include:

- Licking or self injury
- Reluctance to walk or play
- Difficulty in getting up, climbing stairs and/or jumping into the car
- Limping or stiffness
– Change in character or aggression
- Reduced interaction with people
- Reduced appetite
- Increase in anxiety/clinginess

Find out more: http://www.k9magazine.com/arthritis-in-dogs

Protect Your Grass from Dog Urine

Pet Library Editor — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:41:21 +0000

Dog urine can kill your lovely green grass. It’s a problem many a dog owner has faced and it causes frustration and annoyance that on the one hand we want our dogs to enjoy our garden, on the other, WE want to enjoy our garden as well!

Our well kept lawn is now looking more like a patchwork of green and brown circles because our beloved dog has seen fit to create their own little patterns.

We spend money on our lovely garden and then along comes Fido and turns it in to a mini version of the Sahara. If they’re not digging it up, they’re ruining it with their toilet habits. Of course, it’s really not their fault. I’m positive if your dog knew how, he’d process his internal chemicals to such an extent that instead of killing our lawn, his toilet trips were able to grow us a beautiful little flower to remind us just why we love him so much!

In reality, dog owners with ‘doggy patches’ all over their grass is a problem we can solve with just a few simple steps.

How to Stop Dog Urine Killing Your Grass

Bev McDonald offers her insight in to how she tackled this common canine problem….

It never fails, my two dogs – both lovable and protective Rottweilers – seem to enjoy urinating in the same spot of the backyard, day in, day out. Whether it’s morning, noon or night, it’s down the steps and to the right, donating copious amounts of healthy, adult dog urine in an approximate 4-square-foot area.

The result is a large patch of brown, ugly, burned-out lawn that surrounds the bottom step of the deck. For my nicely landscaped backyard, the large urine burns are rather unsightly.

I realized that unless some serious changes are made (and getting rid of the dogs was NOT an option), then these spots were not going to go away on their own, so I had to start my research and will not share with you what I learned to keep my grass green and my dogs happy and to try and prevent dog urine killing my lawn.

Why Dog Urine Turns Grass Brown

It’s no secret that urine burns grass, as well as many types of shrubs, annual flowers and perennial plants. What causes the burn is nitrogen. When a dog eats a meal, the protein in the food is metabolized. A byproduct of metabolized protein is nitrogen.

The kidneys are responsible for the collection and secretion of many of the body’s unwanted excesses, including byproducts of metabolized foods, such as nitrogen. So, if all is going well with the dog’s bodily functions then excess nitrogen will be flushed out of the dog’s body through his urine.

Here is where things get a bit tricky: Those who work with lawns and plants know that nitrogen is used as fertilizer. So what’s so special about the nitrogen in dog urine that causes it to kill everything green it touches? The secret is in the solution, so to speak.

This Article Has Been Brought To You This Month By

With fertilizers containing nitrogen, a small amount goes a long way. If you’re using a rotary spreader (which is used to fertilize the lawn), spilling a pile of fertilizer in one spot would be similar to a pool of urine. The concentration would be too high and would kill the grass below.

Once grass is dead from nitrogen burn there’s not much you can do to revive it. If you want healthy green grass, you’re going to have to replant this area. You’ll need to rake up the dead grass and plant new seed.

Replanting dead areas, however, is somewhat of a “band-aid” approach. If you don’t get to the root of the problem (dog urine), you’re likely to wind up with more dead patches of grass all over the lawn.

So, without further ado here’s my top tip to stop dog urine destroying your lawn…

put a small blob of tomato ketchup in their food every day and watch what happens.

Sounds simple, yes? It is! Try it and observe.

So if you’re having similar problems with dog urine killing your lawn, now you have a workable solution that you can implement very easily.

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How to Have a Dog Proof Home

Pet Library Editor — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:57:09 +0000

As a dog owner, you'll know just how crucial it is to keep your dog safe and protected in their home and garden.

With dog theft on the rise and straying figures also climbing, this timely guide from DogTips.co (how to dog proof your home) is essential reading for any dog lover.

In the article you'll learn how to implement easy, actionable measures to keep your dog secure and to make your home the safe environment it needs to be.

Have a look: http://www.dogtips.co/dog-proof-home/

How to Stop a Puppy From Biting

Pet Library Editor — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:11:08 +0000

How to stop a puppy from biting your hand too hard is one of those problems that crop up over and over again on these pages.

We've recently recommended the FANTASTIC 'Cure Puppy Biting' book which helps owners solve this perennial canine behaviour issue inside the space of a dinner break. But we thought we'd do a more indepth article on the topic.

Animals play much rougher than people do, but this isn't a problem when they're playing among themselves. They have thick fur that protects them from each other's teeth. People, with their soft skin and hairless bodies, are much more vulnerable. Adult dogs understand this, but puppies don't. In fact, when they get really caught up in a game, they can get carried away and forget who they're playing with.

Dogs from 6 months to 2 years old do the most biting. Like human teens, they have more energy and strength than judgment. Plus, they're constantly testing boundaries. Even when they know they're not supposed to bite, they'll try just to see what happens. Dogs usually bite when everyone is running around and getting worked up. The faster and more furious the game, the more stimulated dogs get.

At that point, they're prepared to match playful aggression with more aggression. And once they're caught up in the camaraderie and competition, they may forget all their good manners and do rude things, including jumping on people, knocking over lamps, and biting.

Some lessons need to be taught at home. For dogs, one of the most important lessons they'll ever learn is that biting is bad manners. Mom dogs and other puppies in the litter have a very effective way of discouraging bites. They bite back, giving a little extra oomph for emphasis. It doesn't take dogs long to learn that biting invariably invites stronger bites in return.

By the time they're 8 weeks old, most pups have learned that biting their elders and playmates is a bad idea, even when they're playing. And most of them carry this knowledge into their human families.

However, if a puppy is taken away from his siblings and his mother too early – especially before 6 weeks of age – he won't have learned the proper etiquette about biting. At this point, it's up to his human "littermates" to teach the lessons that the poor pup didn't get earlier.

It's not always easy to do, mainly because of instinct: Puppies have an instinct to bite, and people have an instinct to swat the offending muzzle. This teaches dogs two things. They find that they can stop someone from swatting them by biting their hands and holding them. Second, they may decide that any hands coming toward them are fair game for biting.

How to Stop a Puppy From Biting – An Alternative View

Lena Carlson of How to be an Alpha Dog writes

If you have just bought your new puppy home and are reading this article, then you should congratulate yourself. Many owners of a new puppy do not do anything about their puppyÕs biting habit until they are almost fully grown adult dogs. It is easy to understand this behaviour, the puppy is very cute and almost comical in the way that it tries to bite at your toes, but unfortunately as your pup grows up, the bites will be harder and may even lead to aggression. Therefore it is essential that you let your puppy know that biting is not okay, no matter how cute they may be!

Puppies will learn so much about life and etiquette in their first 8 weeks of life, and one such lesson will be focused on biting. The little puppy that bites his brother will get just as big a bite back and they will quickly come to learn that the biting hurts.

To ensure that your puppy fully benefits from these lessons ensure they remain with their mum and litter until they are at least 8 weeks of age.

When you get your puppy home, you will need to develop your plan for biting, teach everyone in your home what to do if the puppy bites in any circumstance, especially if the bite occurs while you are playing. The first thing is to ensure you do not shout or hit your puppy, as you will confuse them. Instead, let your puppy know that you are hurt; the most effective way to do this is by a quick yelp and then follow this with a soft whimpering. While you are doing this, give the puppy one of his toys and withdraw from the game or interaction for a little while.

Because you are copying how a puppy would react if he or she were bitten while in their litter, your puppy is more likely to understand that they have hurt you. They also will associate the bite with the end of play together time, which will add to his or her lesson.

When your puppy starts chewing or biting the toy that you have given them, encourage and praise him or her to let them know that they are doing a good job.

Finally, it is best to avoid games, which can promote biting or aggression such as chase, tug-of-war and wrestling. Substitute these with games of fetch and extra walks.

Puppy Training

Whether or not your puppy bites, it is best to enrol him or her into obedience school. These are a great way to teach your puppy basic commands in addition to them learning valuable socialisation skills. If your puppy does bite, ask for a special class that focuses on this behaviour.

Keep up the training at home and reinforce the commands that your dog has learnt. Be strong and do not go soft on the puppy by letting him or her get away with nipping at you or your family. It is easy to let the puppy off because you know they didnÕt mean it, but if you do, you will be confusing them and quite possibly making the problem harder to get rid of later on.

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Go to: http://www.puppybiting.co.uk for more tips on how to solve puppy biting problems.

Kidney Disease in Dogs Doesn’t Have Mean The End

Pet Library Editor — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:16:00 +0000

Kidney Disease In Dogs by K9 Magazine – The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers Listen on Posterous

Kidney disease in dogs is one of the canine health concerns that more and more of our readers are asking about.
You know, they often say that one of the few downsides to a dog is that they are only here for such a short time – one of the things we, as owners, strive for every day is to extend our dog's life and improve the quality of it.

Thanks to our pals at K9 Magazine we can now recommend you take a look at their truly engaging and informative special report on kidney problems in dogs which you can download here:

http://www.k9magazine.com/kidney-disease-in-dogs/

In it you will learn:

How to spot the symptoms of dog kidney disease
Living with a dog with kidney disease
Understanding the management of canine kidney problems
The difference between kidney failure and kidney disease
How to identify the early warning signs of dog kidney problems

You can also listen to an MP3 extract of the article before you get the report.

Go get the report here.

article distribution by Aubrey Medina on behalf of petbuzz

Why Do Dogs Dig?

Pet Library Editor — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:35:33 +0000

Ahh. That perennial question: why do dogs dig?

Dogs, it would appear, love to dig.

Let us see if we can't get to the bottom of this fascinating canine behavior trait and learn the secret as to why dogs love to dig.

Some dogs have practical reasons for digging: It gets them under the fence! They're convinced that there is something underground worth having. Or they simply want to create a comfy, climate-controlled bed in which they can curl up and go to sleep.

Then there are dogs who couldn't care less about practicality. They dig for one reason and
one reason only: It's a heck of a lot of fun. For them, digging is the canine equivalent of sailing on the ocean and enjoying the salty air. They love the smell of freshly turned dirt and the way it feels under their paws. They enjoy the feeling of exhilaration that comes from tossing clouds of dirt behind them. Digging is their sport and their hobby. It requires no special equipment, and they can do it any time and just about anywhere.

The reason that dogs are attracted to dirt in the first place comes down to one thing: instinct. Long before domestic dog beds were created, dogs dug themselves dens, both for sleeping and for a secure place to raise their pups. They dug to catch burrowing prey and to bury leftovers. Digging was one of the few useful tools they had at their disposal, and they used it often.

Aside from searching around in the garden for treasures or making the occasional great escape, dogs don't have many real uses for digging anymore. That's fine for some dogs and some breeds. Greyhounds and Great Danes, for example, were never much into digging anyway. But others can't leave it alone.

For example, terriers were bred to control vermin and snakes, and dachshunds were badger dogs. For hundreds of years, breeders picked the dogs that had the most enthusiasm for digging. You can't just turn that off. Instinct is a powerful force. Add to it generations of specialized breeding, and you have a lot of dogs who will always find a way and a place to dig, even when there's nothing to dig for.

Dogs who are destined to dig usually hit their strides between the ages of 3 months and 3 years. Some get started after watching another dog do it, or even after watching their owners in the garden. Others don't need any more inspiration than an afternoon of boredom and the desire to try something new. It doesn't take much to get them started. They'll paw at a cricket on the grass, for example, and that leads to more pawing, and pretty soon the entire yard is filled with craters. At that point, they're usually hooked and aren't going to give it up easily.

Dogs love to dig. It's in their nature and it seems like it's not going away any time soon!

Breakthrough For Heart Failure in Dogs

Pet Library Editor — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 10:47:38 +0000

A break-through drug to treat congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs is now available in the United States. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) is the exclusive manufacturer of Vetmedin(R) (pimobendan), which is the first new drug approved by the FDA in over a decade to treat CHF in dogs.

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CHF is one of the most common heart problems in dogs, especially older, smaller breeds. Heart disease affects up to 11 percent of the almost 75 million dogs in the United States, and the incidence of heart disease could be as high as 60 percent in aged dogs. The majority of dogs die within one year after showing clinical signs of CHF.

While there is no cure for CHF, clinical study results have shown that dogs with the condition live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life when treated with Vetmedin. QUEST (Quality of Life and Extension of Survival Time), the largest clinical study of dogs with CHF ever conducted, revealed that dogs treated on Vetmedin lived nearly twice as long as those not treated with Vetmedin. On average, dogs on Vetmedin lived 267 days, versus 140 days for dogs who did not receive the new drug.

“Vetmedin is proven effective in prolonging the lives of dogs suffering from heart failure,” said Sonya Gordon, DVM, DVSc, a veterinary cardiologist at Texas A&M University. “Once a veterinarian diagnoses heart failure in a dog, Vetmedin can immediately make the dog feel better and nearly double life expectancy.”

CHF leads to excessive water and salt retention, causing fluid build-up in the lungs. Signs of CHF in dogs include a reduced willingness to walk or exercise, fatigue, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and coughing.

Vetmedin alleviates CHF symptoms by opening up blood vessels, thereby decreasing resistance to blood flow, and helping the heart to pump more efficiently. Available by prescription only, Vetmedin is administered orally to dogs in chewable tablets twice daily and may be given alongside other cardiac medications. Pet owners should begin to see an improvement in their dog within the first week on Vetmedin.

Studies show that more than half of dog owners are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure, yet knowing what to look for and catching it early are keys to prolonging and improving the quality of a dog’s life. Important steps that dog owners can take to keep their pets healthy and heart disease-free are maintaining the dog’s proper body weight, providing regular exercise and taking the dog to a veterinarian at least once a year for a checkup. Dog owners can learn more at www.yourdogsheart.com.

Vetmedin (pimobendan) has been available in Europe for over seven years and is now licensed in more than 15 countries worldwide. It is indicated for the management of signs of mild, moderate or severe congestive heart failure in dogs. Vetmedin comes in capsules and chewable tablets. In the United States, only the chewable tablets are licensed. Both the capsules and chewable tablets contain the same pharmaceutical ingredient, pimobendan, and are considered equivalent for clinical use. Bioequivalence, however, has not been established.

Passive Smoking Harms Dogs

Pet Library Editor — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:19:28 +0000

Can Second Hand Smoke Harm Dogs?

March is the month where National No Smoking Day urges people across the country consider stubbing out once and for all, leading veterinary charity, PDSA, is encouraging owners to consider their pet’s health when lighting up.

Research* shows cats exposed to second-hand smoke are twice as likely to develop feline lymphoma, a potentially fatal form of cancer, in smoking households. It can also make them sneeze, cough and wheeze.

Dogs are also very susceptible to smoking-related respiratory problems and their exposure to tobacco smoke has been linked to nasal and sinus cancers**.

Cigarette smoke can also be extremely harmful to pet birds, which have very sensitive respiratory systems.

“The effects of passive smoking on humans are well known, but many people don’t realise their pets are also affected by breathing in second-hand smoke,” says PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Sean Wensley.

“Studies have shown that animals dislike toxic fumes in their living environment, it causes their day-to-day life to become extremely unpleasant. As with people, the effects of cigarette smoke eventually take their toll on our pets, who then have to suffer the pain and distress of life-threatening cancer or chronic breathing difficulties.”

So next time your cat cuddles up to you on the sofa or your dog brings his ball for you to throw, please think about their health and don’t light up!

For more information about pet health log onto www.pdsa.org.uk.

Vets Warn of Lungworm Dangers for Dogs

Pet Library Editor — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:29:42 +0000

Clear your garden path in this wet weather, warns PDSA: dogs in danger from lungworms / slugs

The current wet summer weather may be annoying for us but it’s causing chest problems for many of our pet cats and dogs, says leading veterinary charity, PDSA. In many areas of the UK, vets are seeing cats and dogs with lungworms caused by eating snails, which thrive in wet conditions.

Sean Wensley, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, says: “Some slugs and snails carry infective larvae which, if eaten by a cat or a dog, can lead to lungworm. In cats, these lungworms live in the lungs, which can cause the cat to cough. In the dog, these thin worms live in the blood vessels that supply the lungs, which can also cause coughing, as well as problems with the circulation.

In rare cases these worm infestations can be very serious indeed – even fatal. PDSA vets have seen a gradual increase in pets affected by lungworm, which was previously confined only to Wales and the South West, but is now seen in many areas of the UK.”

“This rise in the number of cases of lungworm should remind pet owners of the importance of getting their pet regularly wormed by their vet. Lungworm is just one of many types of worm that are prevented by regular worming with an effective worming product.”

It’s not just a pet’s health that can be affected by worms; they can pose a real health risk to humans too. Some worms and other parasites can be passed onto humans from cats and dogs which can prove particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women, causing blindness and birth defects.

PDSA recommends dog and cat owners carry out a thorough worming programme for the whole of their pet’s life and produces a free Leaflet on Worms which gives advice on what to look for and how to prevent your pet getting worms.

This forms part of a range of leaflets on pet care topics including First Aid, Diet and Nutrition and Vaccinations. The leaflets are available from PDSA PetAid hospitals and charity shops nationwide. Further information can be obtained from www.pdsa.org.uk or by calling freephone 0800 917 2509

Lungworms in dogs

Dog Training Info: Dog Clubs

Pet Library Editor — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 23:15:26 +0000

Can dog clubs solve behaviour problems such as fighting, wrecking the house, or attacking the Hoover? Frankly no, these problems need to be dealt with in your own home by an experienced behaviour advisor. Dogs never have ‘just the one’ problem, but often it is only one of many which drives owners mad, or proves to be expensive. If your dog has any behaviour problems, sort those out first, as training will not help.

Do dominant dogs benefit from training? Eventually, but how do you spot dominance in your dog? Most dogs will assume dominant behaviour if they feel the lack of leadership within the household. A good rule of thumb is a dog who won’t be groomed won’t be trained.

The reason for this is that superior or dominant dogs will not accept grooming from their inferiors. Should you find yourself in this position, get advice and sort out who makes the rules in your house. Dogs do not appreciate being in charge, this is your job, but they will take on the role if you refuse to.

What can you expect to learn at a Club? Walking on the lead without pulling, returning when called, sitting, lying down and staying when told to are the basic building blocks, and you can expect to learn these exercises first. Should competition work be your goal, you will need to find a specialist Club.

Should you simply want a well behaved pet, try a club which hosts The Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Scheme, as this means that the training should be well planned, follows a well thought out route and you get to earn certificates and rosettes along the way! It also means that the Club is listed with The Kennel Club, and that it has valid insurance. The latter is important, as should you have an accident, or you or your dog suffer injury, an Insurance claim will need to be made. Well trained Instructors will show you how to use play, food, body language and voice to train your dog, and never a check chain in sight!

Common dog training problems

In a recent survey, 89% of owners said they had turned to the Internet to help them succeed with puppy house training. Training a new dog to go to the toilet outdoors is one of the most common behaviour problems new owners encounter. Dog club won't solve this particular problem but some of the people who attend dog clubs will certainly be able to advise!

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London / petbuzz / March 2011
Distributed by Robin Wiseacre on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.