The Wonderful World of Dogs and Cats!

How to tell if your cat or dog is diabetic...

2010-06-08T16:58:00.002-04:00

Hello again pet lovers!

I had two cats that at around age 12 started to show signs of being diabetic. I was unfamiliar with the disease, but learned some useful stuff along the way. Here's a few things to know;

Diabetes is a common disorder in cats and dogs caused by the inability of the hormone insulin to properly balance blood sugar (glucose) levels.

If caught earlier, your dog or cat may be able to return to a healthy state with a change of diet only. There are low sugar version of many food brands. In later stages, treatment can include oral medicines or insulin injections that you give them at home. Diabetes can start at any age, typically past 8 years. But, know your pet's eating and drinking habits enough to know when there is a change.

I first noticed my cat Leon drinking a lot more often. She was also eating more, but not gaining weight. Once I noticed this change, I took her to the vet right away. Any drastic change in your pets appetite for food and/or water is a sure indicator of some sort of medical issue.

Other signs include weight loss or gain, gorging on food then vomiting, lethargy, change in their coat and in the latter stages, weakness in their hind legs. If your pet has any of these symptoms, take them to the vet for a check up.

In our case, the vet asked me to bring a urine sample, so I did a lot of "creative" tries at collecting urine before I read about a better method and felt silly that I didn't think of it earlier. For a cat; put fish tank gravel in the box instead of litter. The urine will run away from your cat and into the bottom. Tip the box up and use a syringe to draw up the urine for placement in a bottle or baggie. Taadaah!
For dogs you will need to sneak up from behind and catch the stream with a cup of some sort. When testing a male dog, use a paper cup taped to a yard stick. For females you'll need a shallower plate like catcher to slide under at just the right moment. Thought I'd write that paragraph to save you some time :)

Diabetes isn't curable, but it's certainly manageable. Even the shots we eventually had to give Leon weren't painless and quick. So, keep an eye on your pets habits and act quickly if anything changes. The earlier, the better.

Thanks for reading our blog today. Please feel free to add comments, the more information the better!

Stuff your pets should NOT eat!

2010-05-27T15:49:00.001-04:00

Hello fellow pet lovers!

I recently read a great article about pet safety. I learned some great tips regarding poison control, what NOT to feed our pets, choking and pet CPR. We all need to know what to do if something happens.

If you think your pet may have eaten something questionable, you can call the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. A great number to have posted near the phone.

Here's a partial list of foods that can be toxic to pets.
-chocolate
-avocado
-chives
-coffee
-garlic
-milk
-mushrooms
-raisins (consult your Vet for a complete list)

When a pet chokes it can act frantic and run around, paw at it's mouth, gasp for air or even stop breathing. If that happens, and your pet is breathing, look into the pets mouth to see if it's something you can dislodge yourself. Be careful not to push it further down the throat. If your pet has stopped breathing, you're going to need to do CPR and mouth to snout resuscitation.

Go to RedCross.org and find your local chapter using your zipcode. They offer classes and instruction booklets on pet first aid, CPR and Heimlich manuever for pets.

Our pets count on us to help them when they are in trouble. Be prepared, it could save you pets life.

Woof!
www.TheDogBedStore.com Team

Plants that are toxic for pets!

2010-05-27T15:48:00.001-04:00

Hey ~ April showers has brought May flowers and lots of other plants. I wanted to add some information to our previous topic on pet emergencies. Here's the top 10 most common poisonous houseplants and landscape plants dog owners should avoid:

Autumn crocus (Colchicum): Its active ingredient, colchicines, triggers an anti-metabolic effect that can cause rapidly dividing cells, shedding of the gastrointestinal tract, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.

Azalea (Rhododendron): This popular plant can harm a dog's cardiovascular system and trigger vomiting or gastrointestinal upset.

Daffodil (Narcissus): Toxic ingredients in the bulbs cause convulsions, tremors, lethargy, weakness, and upset stomachs.

Hyacinth (Hyacinth): This popular plant can cause severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, depression, and tremors.

Japanese yew (Taxis): Extremely toxic to dogs, this group of ornamental plants can cause seizures or cardiac failure. The plant and red berries are toxic.

Lily of the valley (Convalaria): This plant can cause heart failure, coordination problems, and vomiting.

Oleander (Nerium): Extremely toxic, this popular outdoor plant contains cardiac glycosides that harm the heart, decrease body temperature, cause abnormal pulse rate, and can cause death. Beware: Even people have died from eating hot dogs roasted on an oleander twig.

Rhubarb (Rheum): Although the stalks are used to make pies, the leaves pack the potential to cause kidney damage.

Sago palm (Cycads): Resembling an upside down pineapple, this plant thrives in sandy soils, especially in warmer states such as California, Texas, and Florida. A few seeds can kill a dog.

Tomato (Lycopersicion): Surprisingly, the greenery of this common plant, not the tomato itself, contains solanine, a toxic ingredient that can prompt gastric upset, depression, weakness, and a decrease in heart rate.

Thanks to Jill Richardson, D.V.M, former ASPCA Poison Control Center Consultant.

Woof!

www.TheDogBedStore.com Team

Probiotics for your pets?

2010-05-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

It's becoming increasingly evident that Probiotics can enhance the health of you AND your pet. Our gut maintains an ecosystem of it's own, called microflora. The microflora is essential in fighting harmful bacteria that can cause a wide range of illnesses ranging from skin problems, food allergies, diarrhea, and other common problems.

When ingested, probiotic microorganisms exert their beneficial properties by establishing or maintaining a healthy balance of gut microflora. The flourishing of beneficial microflora out-competes harmful organisms. This results in optimum health and functionality. However, many situations can cause the gut microflora to be thrown out of balance resulting in ill-effects. These situations include: periods of stress; antibiotic treatments; changing of diet, etc. Thus it is important for the gut to reestablish or maintain normal microflora to prevent disease. For this reason, the use of probiotics is a hot topic in the health and food industry.

Personally, I've been taking probiotics for a while now and have noticed that my digestive system is working much better. I went "flueless" this year too! :) So, I'm looking for a good brand for the dogs. They say to find the freshest, so I'm sifting through the hundreds of manufacturers to find one. I may end up at my health food store.

Woof!
www.TheDogBedStore.com Team

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Dog Beds (and more)

2008-05-29T10:01:00.005-04:00

If you're like most people, you probably don't know that dog beds come in all shapes, sizes, fabrics, and are filled with a variety of materials. I know I didn't until I got in the business of selling dog beds.

I have since discovered a number of things about dog beds.

1) There's a lot more available than the 4-5 types of pet beds that you see in your local pet store,

2) All pet beds are not made in China. In fact, we only carry high quality, USA made dog beds at TheDogBedStore,

3) You can actually buy extra large dog beds for great dane sized dogs,

4) Buying a high-quality, long-lasting dog bed is cheaper in the long run, and

5) Dogs really will sleep in a dog bed that they like!

This post is dedicated to educating you a bit on what's available in the retail dog bed world. I welcome your comments and do keep me updated on any new discoveries.

Orthopedic beds have very thick memory foam fill, which is designed to support old joints or extra large dogs. There are various grades of memory foam on the market. Be sure to buy a dog bed that has medical-grade memory foam fill. Imitations will break down over time and your dog may end up bottoming out on the floor. One of our orthopedic dog bed manufacturers uses BioMedic memory foam that is guaranteed to never sag, flatten out, get lumpy or break down for the life of your pet.

Designer beds are luxuriously plush dog beds that come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designer fabric choices. They’re a great option for those of you who are fashion conscious and you want dog beds to match your decor. In many cases you can also select coordinating blankets, sofa pillows and crate covers.

Flat pads or crate mats are as a must have for dog crates. Dogs that like to stretch out when they sleep also love mat-type beds. Mattresses filled with thick foam are a must for large dogs who will otherwise bottom out in low profile mats.

Nesting/snuggle beds are usually oval shaped and are similar to human beanbag chairs. They are often preferred by puppies, smaller dogs and by dogs that like to curl up when they sleep.

Bolsters beds have padded sides and a center cushion filled with foam and/or recycled materials. Bolster beds are often preferred by dogs that like the security of walls around them.

Donut-shaped beds are typical donut-shaped bolster beds with removable center cushions.

Waterproof beds are good for outdoor use and incontinent dogs. Most are made with super tough tear resistant fabrics.

Heated beds function like human heating pads. They ease the aches of arthritic dogs and dogs that are recovering from an injury or surgery. They can also be used for dogs that live in colder climates to maintain body warmth.

Cooled Beds function much like water beds. They provide great joint support, keep your dog cool, and require no refrigeration or electricity.

Travel beds are light weight and typically fold up to save space. Taking a dog bed with you on trips will provide a safe and secure place for pets that are anxious about traveling.

Cot-style beds provide a dry and cool spot for your dog to sleep. Their “hammock-like” effect evenly distributes the weight of your dog, which in turn results in less joint pressure. They are great on the patio, at the park, and for camping.

Hypo-allergenic beds are made of organic materials that are less likely to irritate dogs that are allergic to non-organic materials used to make most dog beds.

Dog Furniture is the latest craze. Yes, couches, sofas, ottomans and chairs made specifically for dogs!

Dog Crates and Puppy Playpens are great training aids for puppies and untrained dogs who exhibit undesirable behavior. Crate training my dogs was the best thing I ever did!

Dog car seats, barrier gates, and portable pet crates are the best way to keep your dog (and you) safe while traveling in your car. Many states have legislation in the works, which will require that you restrain all pets that travel in your vehicle.

In summary, there are so many speciality dog beds on the market these days, that I suppose it makes sense to have more than one dog bed. I know, we have several at our house.