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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Giving your Dog Treats

By Joseph Then

Dog treats are a great way to let your dog know that you love them and you appreciate him. Sometimes we forget to show our dogs how much we love them and giving them a great treat is a good way to let them know. The look they will give you when they get their treat and wag their tail will let you know just how much they love you too.

There are all different kinds of treats. You can find all kinds of flavors and kinds of dog treats. There are hard crunchy treats, or you can find chewy gooey treats for your dog. It all depends on what your dog likes to eat and what is better for the health of the dog.

You can find treats in most grocery stores all over. If you prefer, you can go to pet shops and get great dog treats for your dog. There are gourmet and international dog treats that you can purchase for your dog. If your dog has a medical condition and you need to get a certain kind of treat for him or her, then you can ask your vet for some advice on the best dog treats for his or her condition. After all, keeping the dog healthy and happy is what your relationship with your dog is base upon.

Some dogs will even do a little trick to earn a dog treat. If your dog does something good, cute, or even just out of the ordinary, you should reward him with a treat. Doing this will let your dog know that when he or she does something fun or good, they will be get a great tasting dog treat for their reward. You will be surprise at how good they will be a how much more behaved your dog will act if they know they are getting a reward for it.

It is fun to give your pet a dog treat. They will sit up and beg, or they will wag their tail and look at you with that look of love. Giving your dog a good dog treat will make them feel better and you as well. You may want to keep your dogs treats in an airtight container. This will keep your dog treats fresh and secure so that the dog cannot get to them. This will also give your dog a feeling of security; they will know they are rewarded with a great treat after doing good things for their master.

For more about dog treats and how you can provide the best for your dog, please visit:http://www.1-dog-treats.info

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Cleaning Your Dogs Ears

By Matthew Homfray

Just like humans, dogs produce ear wax (cerumen). If there are factors present which increase production of this ear wax, or if the normal clearance mechanism is compromised, then manual removal might be necessary.

Why clean the ears?

1. So that your veterinarian can visualize the ear drum. Waxy debris obstructs the view, so the integrity of the ear drum cannot be ascertained.

2. To remove debris prior to applying topical ear medication to treat an infection.

3. As part of a preventative ear care programme, to minimize the chance of an ear infection occurring.

When performing a general clinical examination, for example during a yearly check up at the time of vaccination, a veterinarian will usually look at the inside of the ear for excessive wax or inflammation. A vet will only want to look further into the canal with an otoscope if the dog is showing symptoms of an ear problem, such as scratching at its head, rubbing its head along the floor or head shaking. Otoscopic examination of the ear canal is usually performed to check for the presence of ear mites, foreign bodies (e.g. grass seeds), polyps, tumors and middle ear disease.

If the ears are waxy, but there is no evidence of an infection and no itchiness, then regular cleaning with a dog ear cleaner is the recommended course of action. Ear cleaners can usually be purchased at veterinary clinics, pet shops or online.

What do ear cleaners contain?

Many ear cleaners contain ceruminolytics, which disrupt the wax by acting on the cells it adheres to. Many also contain lubricants, which soften and loosen the wax. The main components are listed below.

Detergent (e.g. docusate sodium, carbamate peroxide, sodium lauryl sulfate)

Lubricant (e.g. squalene, propylene glycol, glycerin)

Ceruminolytic (e.g. olive oil, aqueous alkaline solutions)

Disinfectant (e.g. parachlorometaxylenol)

Antimicrobial agents (e.g. lactic, salicyclic or oleic acids)

Drying agents (e.g. isopropyl alcohol)

Is there a recommended technique for cleaning the ears?

The most common cleaning regime is to apply the product, gently massage the ear canal and then wipe with dry cotton wool. The objective is to keep the ear canals open, clean and free from accumulations of wax, debris and hair. Start with one ear, go through the following process, then move onto the other one. Squirt some of the ear cleaner into the outermost hole in the ear, when looking at it from above. Hold your dogs head steady as it will be inclined to shake its head at this point and disperse the liquid. Massage the ear canal with your fingertips so that it makes a squelching noise. When you have massaged for a good 20 seconds, take a ball of dry cotton wool and clean out the ear by wiping in a corkscrew motion. Your dog may now shake its head to remove the tickly remains from its canal.

Can I pluck the hair from inside the ears myself?

Regular plucking of hairy ear canals will make cleaning easier and improve ventilation. Although it seems like a sore thing to do, there are actually no nerves running through the hair follicles in the ear canal so plucking is painless. Owners can do it themselves at home if their dog is cooperative, but many prefer to leave it to the grooming parlour or to a veterinary nurse.

How often should I clean my dogs ears?

As a rule of thumb, once a month should suffice. However, dogs with large hanging ear flaps such as spaniels and basset hounds might need their ears cleaning more often. Dogs that swim frequently also need closer attention.

What if the home treatment system does not work?

Some ears are so dirty, hairy or sore, that a dog will not permit its owner to clean them out via the technique described above. These owners require veterinary assistance, where either simple lavage or mechanical removal is performed.

LAVAGE

This is usually performed under heavy sedation, or general anaesthetic. A syringe is attached to a soft catheter, which is fed into the ear canal. Water is repeatedly injected and then sucked out again, containing globs of wax and debris. This is repeated until the liquid sucked out is clear. Sometimes other liquids are used rather than water, such as dilute chlorhexidine or povidone iodine. However, these can cause damage if the ear drum is ruptured. Since by definition most dogs requiring veterinary assistance to clean their ears have very dirty ears, it is safer to use water or saline as an irrigant.

MECHANICAL REMOVAL

This is the safest method of cleaning out wax as there is no risk to the ear drum. Sedation is generally required. A wire loop or blunt curette is gently pulled along the lining of the canal, loosening and rolling wax out of the canal as it progresses.

Dr Matthew Homfray is one of the veterinary pet experts at www.WhyDoesMyPet.com. Our dedicated community of caring pet experts are waiting to offer you advice, second opinions and support.

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