Health Alert for Dog Owners

It was just a case of allergies for 7-month old Riley. But while visiting the vet Wednesday, her owner learned about an unsettling disease. "It is concerning because you take them for walks in different places, we take them to Rock Cut hiking with us and theres alot of wild animals," said Pet Owner Andrea Rowan. Her vet, Mike Harter, told her about Leptospirosis. Its a harmful bacteria carried in wildlife feces. Dogs can pick it up by simply splashing around in a puddle. "Now is the worst time, after all the rain we had this year," Harter said. The consequences for our four-legged friends can be serious, with kidney and liver failure. And it doesnt matter the size of dog. "Weve seen several little dogs, you wouldnt expect it, they walked in the middle of a puddle that a possum peed in," Harter said. The trouble with detecting this disease is that dogs dont show specific symptoms. Theyre just sick with a fever, sluggish and dont eat. Harter says your best bet is just bring the dog to the vet once theyre under the weather. And it should help. "Its treatable with antibiotics. If we catch it at the right time we can treat it and eliminate it," Harter said. Theres also a vaccine available that Harter is just starting to use at his clinic. Even so, pet owners, like Rowan, say shell be keeping a closer watch on her pooch when Rilys allergies are gone and shes back outside.

So far this year, Harters clinic has seen at least a dozen dogs with this disease. He says it takes about five-to-seven days for Leptospirosis to kick in. Harter says this disease can be fatal. But with the right response and treatment, you can avoid a deadly outcome. He also says other pets like cats are resistant to this disease, so the concern is more for dogs.

Source: http://www.dogarticles.org

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Dog Ear Care – Keeping Your Dog’s Ears Healthy Pain Free

By Teresa James

Importance of Regular Home Dog Ear Care

Routine home dog ear care is very important to the health ofyour dog. Performed between your regular checkups with theveterinarian, it will help keep your dog’s ears healthy and painfree. If you see signs of trouble you may be able to head themoff before they require an extra visit to the vet. Excessivewax, foul odor, redness, constant scratching, excessive mattingof hair in the external ear, rubbing the ears against otherobjects, head shaking, and disorientation can all be signs ofear problems.

Inspect Your Dog’s Ears Regularly By Using Your Eyes & YourNose!

By performing a home dog ear care inspection; you will beable to detect problems early. Use both your eyes and your nose.If you need help seeing inside your dog’s ears you may want toinvest in a pet scope. A tool very similar to the kind yourdoctor uses to check your ears. Check for redness, excessive waxbuild up or any other foreign matter.

Sniffing your dog’s ears is another way to detect problemsearly. Normally a dog’s ears shouldn’t smell foul in any way. Ifyou see a dark waxy discharge this may be a sign of ear mites.On the other hand, if you see a pus-like discharge along with afoul smell this may be a sign of a bacterial infection.Allergies are also known to cause some dogs to have smelly ears.If you’re new to this and are unsure have the vet check yourdog’s ears. Right after the vet gives your dog a clean bill ofhealth make sure you inspect your dog’s ears. This way you willlearn how your pet’s ears should normally look and smell.

Is Your Breed of Dog More Susceptible To Dog Ear CareProblems?

Due to the warm, damp, and dark environment, as well as poorair circulation, your dog’s ear canal can be the prefectbreeding ground for mites, yeast or bacterial infection. This iswhy, for certain breeds, home dog ear care is even moreimportant. Some pets may require routine applications of dog earcare products to keep their ears free of mites, yeast orbacterial infections.

Some dog’s ears stand straight up which allows for more air toflow into the ear canal. Dogs with floppy ears, like spanielsand bloodhounds, are very prone to ear infections because verylittle air flows into their ear canals. There are also breeds,like the Lhasa, that have a heavy growth of hair inside theirears. This hair must be routinely removed as a preventionagainst chronic ear problems.

If Excess Ear Hair Is A Dog Ear Care Problem Learn How ToRemove It

If you suspect that excess ear hair is a problem, you mayneed to pluck the hair that grows inside your dog’s ears. Thisis a routine dog ear care task that can be performed at home andis much easier then it sounds. You will want to apply dog earpowder to the inside of both ears. Make sure that the hair iscompletely covered, especially at the base. Once the powder hasdried start plucking a few hairs at a time with your fingers ora tweezers. Plucking just a few hairs at a time will be lessirritating for the dog.

You may want to stop a few times to give your dog’s ears agood rub. Make sure you give your dog lots of praise and a fewdog treats too. Once all the inside hair has been removed,follow up by cleaning and inspecting the ears. If you are unsureabout this dog ear care procedure, have your vet or aprofessional groomer show you how to do it.

Things You Should Know About Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears

Some vets recommend that owners routinely flush their dog’sears with warm water at the slightest hint of odor. Other homedog ear care cleaning remedies include mineral oil, hydrogenperoxide, or a combination of equal parts of vinegar and rubbingalcohol. If your dog has open sores its best not to use thevinegar and alcohol because it will cause a burning sensation.

If your dog is prone to ear infections you may want to use apet ear care product that is specifically formulated to cleanand dry up excess moisture in the ear canal. A dog ear washcontaining Tea Tree Oil, which is also formulated to dry the earcanal is an excellent choice. Tea Tree Oil’s natural antiseptic,antibacterial and fungicidal properties can help keep your dog’sears problem free.

It’s also a good idea to use a pet ear-drying agent afterbathing or swimming especially if your dogs ears retainmoisture and dont dry promptly. There are many good pet earcare products available for routine ear cleaning that willdissolve wax, remove foreign debris and dry the ear canal. Thereare also home dog care treatments available that will kill peskyear mites and ear ticks.

A dog’s ear canal is L-shaped. It descends vertically and itmakes a 90-degree horizontal turn before it reaches the eardrum.Even though your dog’s eardrum is better protected than ahuman’s, you should still proceed with caution when cleaning theear canal. Many vets urge caution when inserting anything intothe ear canal, especially cotton-tipped swabs. They can actuallypush dirt and foreign matter deeper into the ear if not handledproperly. You can even lose the cotton tip in the ear canal.

Start cleaning the external part of the ear by swabbinginside the earflaps and all around the gnarled area at theentrance of the ear canal. If you choose to use a cotton-tippedswab you will need a long type since a dog’s ear canal is muchdeeper than ours. If your dog will tolerate it, gently andcarefully swab the inside of the ear canal. A much safer methodis to fill the ear canal with a pet ear cleaning solution andgently massage the outer ear. After a few minutes allow your dogto shake his head to help clear the ear canal. If you’re using acommercial pet ear care product be sure to follow theinstructions carefully.

Make Ear Inspections An Important Part Of Your Home Dog EarCare Routine

Checking your dog’s ears only takes a few minutes so make ita part of your dog grooming routine. And when your dog’s earsneed a cleaning don’t put it off. Remember regular cleanings canprevent many common ear problems. If you think a problem may bedeveloping that is beyond the scope of your home dog ear careroutine, take your dog to the vet for a check up immediately. Aninfection, if left untreated, can be very painful for your dogand could even damage your dog’s hearing.

About the Author: Article courtesy of:http://www.dog-supplies-advisor.com/home-dog-grooming.htmldedicated to providing quality dog care advice on a broad rangeof dog-related topics. Includes articles, frequently askedquestions, recommendations, and Free Ezine. Publication ispermitted so long as the resource information remains intact andthe link is live.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1733&ca=Pets

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Why Homemade Dog Food May Save Your Dogs Life

By MR Bruno

The recent dog food and pet food recall that has claimed thelives of dogs across the United States as a result of eatingcontaminated commercial dog food tainted with aminopterin, a ratpoison, and melamine, a chemical used in making plastics andfertilizer. As a result many dog owners considering homemade dogfood as a safe and nutritious alternative for their dog.

In a recent news article, a law professor states that littlechange is anticipated ( in the dog food industry) after thecurrent onslaught of dog food recall news and attentionsubsides.

The probable reason for this conclusion is that there areinsufficient financial resources and manpower to effectivelymonitor and regulate the dog food industry. You can’t trust thedog food industry to watch out for your dog and the governmentis not your answer either.

This is unfortunate. The dog food industry was born in postwarAmerica to meet a need…the need of business interests to recycleslaughterhouse and industrial waste. This refuse had potentialuses as fertilizer, landfill and such, but a more profitablehorizon existed in the packaging and selling this “junk” as foodto unsuspecting dog owners. It is now a common misconceptionthat your dog can not maintain a healthy life unless he is fedcommercial dog food. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To save your dogs life, you may want to consider making yourown homemade dog food. This is one of the best ways to guaranteeyour dog a healthy and safe diet.

Just glance at some of the regular ingredients delivered byrendering plants to commercial dog food manufacturers in theUnites States, Europe and worldwide.

• Euthanized dogs -Toxic chemicals such as SodiumPhenobarbital, the euthanizing agent injected to kill dogs dailyat dog shelters. (This comes with the euthanized dog who isground up at a rendering plant to be added to dog food. The dogmay still be wearing a flea collar and be in a plastic bag whenrendered )
• Blood
• Feathers
• Undeveloped eggs
• Downed, dying, diseased and dead animals (Known as the 4Ds)
• Hooves, beaks, feet and hide

And a host of other unsavory, unhealthy and toxic products thatwill slowly kill or euthanize your dog with every feeding.

So what’s the alternative? Well, if you are willing to spend alittle time, and maybe even some money, there is a better way tofeed your dog. You can halt the daily toxification, provideneeded nutrition and increase your dog’s lifespan

What You Should Feed Your Dog ?

A variety of homemade dog food options are available for you tomake your own dog food at home.

Some of these include completely natural dog food diets thatare currently the rage with certain dog nutrition experts suchas The Bones and Raw Food,( BARF) diet also known as theBiologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

BARF Diets typically include a variety of uncooked foods suchas :

• Bones with meat flesh attached.
• Organs
• Muscle
• Eggs
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Enzymes
• Herbs
• Vegetables
• Supplements and herbs
• Cereals

As to the preferred meat, there is none. BARF proponents usebeef, chicken, goat, buffalo, whatever is fresh and available.

The same philosophy seems to exist for vegetables. Again theemphasis is on freshness, availability and variety.

While anecdotal tales of remarkable results are reported dailyby BARFers, some veterinarians have found that BARF diets can bedeficient in certain required nutrients. The inability toqualitatively analyze each prepared meal may account for theseresearch results.

Vegetarian Homemade Dog Food Diets .

Dogs, while primarily carnivores are also actually omnivores.In the wild, 10,000 years ago, dogs would take down their prey,and eat not just the meat of the carcass but the contents of thestomach which included undigested grains, berries and grass.

This natural desire for a balanced diet suggests to many dognutritionists that a vegetarian diet containing sufficientprotein sources is desirable. The advantage of a vegetarian dietis that disease and other health related issues can be avoidedas well. Additionally, the philosophical objection of vegans tokilling any animal as a food source is accomplished.

Homemade Dog Food Vegetarian Diets include .

• Bread
• Brown rice
• Sprouting grains
• Carrots • Apples
• Dog biscuits
• Cottage cheese
• Eggs
• Lentils
• Baked beans

Make a Combo Homemade Dog Food Diet

A Combo diet is in essence a blend of all philosophies andmight include:

• Meat
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Brown Pasta
• Brown Rice

No matter which approach you choose for a homemade dog fooddiet there are a few pitfalls. One is the difficulty ofpreparing a properly balanced dog food diet with each batch.

The Whole Dog Journal states that a properly balanced dog fooddiet should include whole meat, vegetables, fruit, grain andhigh quality dietary fats.

Others suggest that the best alternative is to use a very highquality dog food that is natural, without preservatives,additives and the toxins that are found in many of the privateand major kibble brands sold in retail outlets. These dog foodswill typically cost quite a bit more than dog foods of lowerquality, but guarantee a balanced diet for your dog .

If you do choose to prepare homemade dog food for your dog becertain to avoid certain foods which can be toxic andpotentially fatal to your dog. These include but are not limitedto avocado, raisins, grapes, and chocolate.

If the pros and cons, yin and yang, of the various approachesto making homemade dog food for your dog has your head spinning,don’t despair. I have been researching this field for years andlearn something new daily that confuses me even more.

There is a good way to get some perspective on this.

First, find out what is in the dog food you’re eating at http://www.dogs-4life.com/dog-food-that-kills.html Second, If you decide on making your own homemade dog foodthere is a wonderful Free primer online at http://www.pet-grub.com/

Don’t be afraid to get started making homemade dog food if youdon’t have access to every recommended ingredient. Theimprovement in your dog’s health by simply removing the toxinsof his current commercial dog food and his new and improvedhealthy, nutritious homemade dog food will be worth gettingstarted today !

About the Author: My small 8 year old dog suddenly became illand no vet could determine the cause. She died after enduring 2weeks of pain and misery on Mother’s Day morning. Her lifeexpectancy was 25 years. Dont let this happen to your dog.Visit http://www.dogs-4life.com/veterinary-secrets.html

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Dog Health Insurance Plans – Getting the Best Health Insurance for your Dog

By Michael Lee

A few decades ago, dogs could fend for themselves when it came to their health, helped along by the occasional trips to the veterinarian. These days, however, it’s unthinkable for an owner to not get involved in every aspect of his dog’s well-being. That’s why dog health insurance plans are increasingly becoming available. Pet dogs are treated just like members of the family, so it’s understandable that any dog owner wants to protect them and be sure that their needs will be taken cared of. Dog health insurance not only helps make sure that your pet can get the best available care, but it also keeps your finances intact and provides you with a ready means to fund your dog’s medical expenses.

Veterinarian fees and medical costs are on the rise, and having a reliable dog health insurance plan is one way for you to be able to cope. Not only will you be able to have money set aside for your dog’s medical emergencies, but this also means your dog can promptly receive medical attention when needed.

Getting a dog health insurance plan is much like getting your own health plans. It also comes with premiums, exemptions, and various coverage plans. Some plans are based on the dog’s breed and size, and others may cover pre-existing conditions as well as annual checkups, so you have to check each plan’s details thoroughly. Most dog health insurance policies usually start when the dog is already six to eight weeks old.

If you don’t know where to look for dog health insurance, you can ask your vet. He or she might turn out to be a provider for a dog health insurance plan and may be able to help you make your decision. You can even turn to the Internet. Simply do a search for “dog health insurance plan” and you’ll immediately see numerous results from insurance providers focusing specifically on pets. Once you’ve narrowed down your selection, you can contact the companies one by one and request a free quote. Be sure to ask the important questions, such as what each plan covers, if they require physical exams, any exclusions, and their maximum payout.

Finding the right dog health insurance plan is definitely something that you shouldn’t take lightly. You’re going to want the best possible plan for your pet, so make sure that every possible illness or incident is covered. After all, your dog deserves nothing but the best care from you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-health-insurance-plans-getting-the-best-health-insurance-for-your-dog-289636.html

About the Author:Prolong your dogs life and know the life-saving secrets that most dog-lovers will never know about detecting bad dog food and solving dog health problems at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/dogs-exposed.htm

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