The Dog Health Blog

Happy Mothers Day To All Great Mothers!

2009-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just want to take this opportunity to wish all mothers a Very Happy Mother's Day.

If You Want To Get a Last Minute Mothers Day Gift or if can't seem to think of a gift to get her, I found a great site where you can get one and it seems to be constantly updated - click on this link -

http://www.mothersdaygiftsblog.com/

To Register, Train Your Dog (or Yourself) to Log On

2008-08-07T06:48:00.001-07:00

August 4, 2008, 5:14 pm

By Fernanda Santos

Even in these dog days of summer, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the
city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, traveled to a
Brooklyn park on Monday to spread a piece of welcoming news among dog
owners: They can now license their pets online.

Dog licensing is a legal requirement and violators can face fines of
at least $200. But the mayor said that only 20 percent of the estimated
500,000 dogs that live in New York City are believed to be licensed,
even though licenses are a requirement for dogs that frequent city
parks. One of the goals of the new system, he explained, is to
encourage more people to license their dogs.

“Licensing is not just a good idea — it’s actually the law,” Mr.
Bloomberg, who has two Labrador puppies in his Upper East Side mansion
named Bonnie and Clyde, said at the event, held at Hillside Dog Park in
Brooklyn Heights. (The mayor noted that sometimes, his dogs get more
attention at home than he does.)

The new online system shortens the wait time for new licenses and
renewals to 10 to 14 days, as opposed to the several weeks that it
often takes for mailed-in applications. The fee for first-time dog
licenses is $11.50. Renewals cost $8.50 if the dog has been spayed or
neutered or $11.50 if it has not.

Dr. Frieden said that although more than 100,000 dogs are licensed
each year in the city, “we hope to see that number increase
substantially.” “And having it available online, with a few clicks,” he
said, “really means there’s no excuse not to have your dog licensed.”

Mr. Bloomberg called the Web site
“a one-stop shop for dog owners.” In addition to applying for licenses,
owners can also request for a replacement of a lost licensing tag or
certificate and create a profile of their pet, with information like
its name, dominant color and breed, and month and year of birth.

As in paper applications, owners must enter their personal
information, including their address, which could help reunite them
with their dogs in case of separation.

Charlene Pedrolie, executive director of New York City Animal Care and Control,
the largest animal rescue and adoption agency in the Northeast, said
that dog licensing “has played a key role in reuniting lost dog with
their families.” In the past fiscal year alone, the agency was able to
reunite 1,100 dogs with their owners; of those, 500 were licensed,
which enabled the agency to find their owners within 24 hours, Ms.
Pedrolie said.

source - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog

Blogged with the Flock Browser

What's the best way to start my dog on a raw food diet?

2008-07-26T23:11:00.001-07:00

Q; "I took your advice and fed my dog raw liver, raw chicken necks, and raw eggs. He lost weight and looked really sick. What happened?"

A: Almost any mammal will get sick when his diet is suddenly changed, even when you are changing to a better diet. It works the same in humans.

Put your dog back on the dang kibble, but give him a raw egg-including the shell-with it. This will be a great step forward. Over a period of about a month, gradually add chicken necks to the kibble and egg mixture. Make sure the chicken necks still have the skin on them. They're actually harder to find than you might think: The butcher thinks he is doing you a favor by removing the skin. Just call your butcher ahead of time and let him know what you want-you'll be saving him work, so, odds are, he'll be happy to oblige.

After a few weeks on this mixture, start adding chicken liver as you decrease the kibble. I use kibble only as filler on top, since dogs do like the crunch. And don't forget the raw pork or beef joint two or three times a week.

I often substitute raw hamburger for the liver in my dog's diet. Buy the cheapest priced hamburger because, ironically, it is the most nutritious; it contains the most fat (YOU should eat it too).

My dog, Silky, has eaten this diet since she was six weeks old. Six months later, she was all bone and muscle and is covered with the most beautiful coat I have ever seen.

Source - http://www.douglassreport.com/deardd/080611.html

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Malnourished Dogs

2008-03-24T09:23:00.001-07:00

Give a dog a bone

Hold onto your leash. Pet supply mega-chains are peddling
over-priced pseudo-foods that are responsible for the
malnourishment of our hounds on a massive scale. Not only
that, they're intentionally steering dog owners AWAY from
the natural raw foods canines really need to stay as healthy
as they can be.

By now, you're surely asking: How can this be? Aren't those
expensive, pre-packaged pet foods "scientifically
formulated" and all that? Yeah, they're scientifically
formulated. In fact, the "three basic types" of dog foods
(dry, semi-moist, and canned) are virtually devoid of
nutrition - especially the keep-forever-and-a-day dry
varieties.

Technorati Tags: raw meat, bone, malnourished

What's good for the pet is good for the owner

2008-01-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Another ripper from WC Douglass....

You've heard it said before that pets resemble their owners. That's true in more ways than one. The diseases they get are all too familiar, to heart disease, cancer, arthritis. The rise in human diseases among pets is no great mystery. They're getting sick for the same reasons humans are: too much cooked, processed food. The difference is that you have a choice; they don't.

And if they're not getting adequate nutrition through their diets, you should at least considering investing in supplements.

You know that I've long defended multivitamins against arbitrary and alarmist attacks by the media and medical communities. Not too long ago, there was a study that made the absurd suggestion that daily multivitamin use could be harmful and even deadly. But I was here to let you know that while I may not agree that the multivitamins that are commonly available are as good as they claim to be, they certainly aren't going to kill you.

But today's item is about the benefits of multivitamin and supplement use, not the nonexistent dangers. And it comes to us from the veterinary community. Even pets at an advanced age can benefit greatly from pet supplements.

Take Sierra, for example. Sierra the cat wasn't doing so well. She couldn't jump on the counter. She didn't want to play. She seemed to be in pain. But since she's started taking vitamins, this 13-year-old feline is frisky as ever. She's jumping up on the counter. She's chasing balls of yarn. In short, she's got her old life back. In Sierra's case, the improvement in quality of life was significant after the introduction of a multivitamin supplement.

The pet supplement industry is growing because the results have been good for pets taking supplements. In the case of Sierra, the multivitamins she took included glucosamine and chondroitin, both of which are enormously beneficial for joint ailments. Glucosamine is a key component of joint cartilage, and is commonly used for treatment of osteoarthritis, along with chondroitin. Anyone familiar with dietary supplements knows of these two elements and is aware that they're often combined. What you may not know is that there's been a fair degree of controversy over their actual effectiveness in the treatment of humans with joint pain - in spite of the many cases of positive results in several clinical trials.

That stink you smell is Big Pharma.

Is it any wonder that there are doubts about the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin? After all - these are natural elements that needn't be formulated or created by labs - the source is the exoskeletons of crustaceans, arthropods, and fungi. And as many bows as Big Pharma likes to take, there's no way they can be credited for the existence of lobsters or mushrooms (though it wouldn't surprise me if the buggers tried!). And according to vets, these supplements are working like gangbusters for older cats and dogs that have the same kinds of degenerative joint issues that humans have.

The vet community was wary of multivitamins and supplements at first. Their benefits weren't generally taught in veterinary schools, and there weren't many on the market. But it's hard to argue with results. (And even the smartest pooch hasn't figured out the placebo effect.) Veterinarian Dr. Tim Montague was one of those unconvinced about the benefits of pet supplements. Then he tried them on his Golden Retriever Ayla, who was suffering from an arthritic shoulder.

"She could barely make it up the stairs, but with within a week after the supplement, she was running and catching Frisbees in the yard. That sold me," Montague said.

Now don't go slipping your dog or cat one of your own supplements with their breakfast, since the effect of many human supplements are untested on pets and the dosages can be very different. In fact, vets claim that many of the supplements actually made for pets are of dubious quality, and of a lower standard than the quality of supplements for people. Knowing what I know about the so-called "quality" of human supplements, that's a frightening thought.

The lesson here is that the right vitamins can be a boon to the health and quality of life for people and their pets. But if you're going to take them - or give them - be sure to get them fully "vetted" out by your doctor or vet.

A microorganism a day keeps the doctor away

The supplement trend in this country is just getting started. The mega corporation Proctor and Gamble, producers of all manner of package goods, from detergents to dog food, is testing Align, a probiotic supplement.

Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain beneficial bacteria. And they can help assist the body in combating gastrointestinal infections by helping re-establish what are known as "gut flora" - the microorganisms that live in your digestive tract. Studies show that probiotics can help do all kinds of wonderful things like strengthen the immune system, and fight-off allergies and other immune diseases.

The target for this product is suffers of gastrointestinal disorders. In fact, P&G is late to the party on probiotics. There are already yogurts and drinks containing probiotics, and Kraft has recently launched a line of cheeses that are probiotic.

Probiotics can be extremely beneficial, and I don't think adding them to food is a bad thing - as long as the companies are telling you it's there (it's your right to know what you're ingesting, after all). But if you've got some tummy issues, probiotics are something that you should look into and perhaps mix into your diet. It seems that's going to get easier and easier in the coming years.

source - http://www.douglassreport.com/dailydose/dd200801/dd20080115a.html

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everyone!!

2008-01-07T21:46:00.001-08:00

For Pet Owners, Too, Toys a Reason for Concern

2007-12-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

When Lane Nemeth, who founded Discovery Toys in 1978 and sold the company to Avon two decades later, decided to start a pet products company a few years ago, one of the first things she did was to look for regulations about how to manufacture pet toys safely.

She could not find any.

“It was totally shocking,” said Ms. Nemeth, whose company, Petlane, sells items like doggie tiaras and squirrel-shaped chew toys. “I was stunned because I had come from such a highly regulated industry to one that has no regulations.”

After the pet food contamination this year, which is believed to have caused the deaths of at least 300 dogs and cats, and a spate of children’s toy recalls, which highlighted the problem of lead in products from China, pet owners have been stepping forward to ask: How safe are pet toys?

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Is Your Puggle Dog Dehydrated?

2007-12-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

Author: Richard Cussons

Summer is the best time not just for you and your family but also to your Puggle dog to enjoy more outdoor activities. But you must remember that along with the fun and excitement these activities bring is the risk for your dog of becoming dehydrated. Dehydration is an excess loss of bodily fluids that usually involves loss of both water and electrolytes.

Yes dogs get dehydrated too! And dehydration in dogs can be a serious matter. There are lots of reasons why dehydration among dogs occur. It could be caused by illness, exposure to extreme heat or lack of fluid intake. Prolonged vomiting and diarrhea can also cause dehydration.

Read More...

To make your dog live longer, click HERE

Pet boutiques lapping up profits

2007-12-16T22:58:00.000-08:00

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Rocko Doppler Westerfield, a 9-week-old Boston terrier puppy, stayed calm but looked a little uncertain as owner Jessica Westerfield and sales associate Kim Norse slipped a set of Christmas antlers on his head to see how they fit.

Rocko left without his headgear, but Norse's employer, Vicki Wagner, co-owner of Silly Willie's pet boutique, said customers have been snapping up items like the antlers, edible dog treats called "chicken people," stuffed animals, squeaky toys and holiday outfits for their pets. Wagner and her sister, Joann Bennett, bought the store at 218 Flagler Ave. Nov. 1.

"We have a policy in the store that all pets are welcome, as long as they keep their owners on a leash," Wagner joked. Owners often bring in their dogs to try on pet outfits, she said, or to find out if their dog is the right size for a stroller or carrier before buying it.

Is Your Pet Bad For The Environment?

2007-12-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

Companies Offer Green Pet Products

Shiloh Woolman, Staff writer

UPDATED: 11:43 am EST December 5, 2007

If you drive a Prius, haven't brought home a plastic shopping bag this millennium and gave copies of "An Inconvenient Truth" to everyone you know last Christmas, isn't it time to get your four-legged friend on the eco-friendly bandwagon, too?

Candace Smith said she started sniffing around for more natural pet products for her dogs, Cain and Able, when she wondered which was worse for them: a flea bite or the chemicals used in many products to repel fleas.

Read More....

Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty Can Keep Two Dead Pets

2007-12-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

A court has ruled that a Massachusetts woman convicted of animal cruelty can keep a dead dog and cat, as long as she complies with health codes.

Heidi Erickson was charged in May 2005 with animal cruelty to five cats and a dog. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the cruelty to cats and 90 days for cruelty to the dog.

During her pending case, a judge ordered that her six pets be returned to her. During that time, four cats were living, while one cat and the dog were dead.

The city of Boston challenged the judge’s order, and after Erickson was convicted, the city forgo its challenge the order to return her living animals to Erickson, but continued to challenge the order of returning the dead animals to her.

In 2005, a single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Erickson could keep her dead animals if she arranged for the “prompt and proper disposal” of them “in compliance with health codes.”

She appealed the ruling saying that she should not be forced to dispose of her pets.

On Thursday, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the ruling in 2005 meant that she does not have to discard or destroy the animals, but “that whatever she does with them, including keeping them, she must comply with all applicable health codes.”

Erickson said that she is innocent of the animal cruelty charges and she has filed an appeal of her case.

Source: Boston Globe

Organic Proves Major Food Trend at Expo

2007-10-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

By Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post

The major food trend at last weekend’s Natural Products Expo East show in Baltimore was easy to spot, even though thousands of organic items were vying for attention. It wasn’t something that people were spearing with toothpicks. The trend was in fresh pet food.

Companies that make it believe they’re on the verge of big sales, due in no small part to this year’s pet-food recall concerns. “It may take some retraining on the part of grocers to find a place for fresh pet food on the refrigerated aisle,” said Cathal Walsh, chief operating officer of Freshpet, based in Seacaucus, N.J. “But other countries are well on their way. Fresh pet food accounts for 20 percent of the Australian market.”

An Urgent Message For All Dog Owners....

2007-09-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

Want to Increase The Lifespan Of Your Dog by up to 134% And Save Up To $10,000?

How do you do it? How do you raise a healthy, incredibly happy dog that can live up to 8.3 years longer? By NOT feeding your dog commercial dog food! It's just too risky.

Here's what I mean;

I hope that video clip opened your eyes just a little. Fortunately, there's a way to steer clear of this pet food minefield by learning from other peoples experiences. A gentleman by the name of Andrew Lewis has written an excellent report called "Dog Food SECRETS", that covers nearly everything you need to know about raising a super healthy and happy dog. He explains;

How commercial dog food is responsible for up to 87% of all dog deaths,
Banned chemicals in dog food that cause a myriad of diseases and behavioral problems,
cancer causing preservatives to look for in the ingredients of commercial dog food,
The 9 Best Dog Food Brands in all of North America,

And more. This report is the culmination of 3 years of research by Andrew to find out the truth of why his pet dog died just by eating commercially available dog food. He explains nutrition, recipes, how to diagnose for illness, keeping healthy teeth etc, etc. So here's the link to "Dog Food SECRETS"

Pet Food: A Dark and Dangerous Business

2007-09-04T01:11:00.000-07:00

September 3rd, 2007 | Animal Health, Animal Diet

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: Gailstrail

Last week I attempted to do an update with regard to the Pet Food Recall and got side tracked: Pet Food Recall: Trail of Tears, which gives a heart wrenching account of the loss of my Golden Retriever, Annie Oakley.

This week, I’m taking a long look into centuries of food industry practices. Practices which began innocently enough, but, in many instances have developed into a dark and dangerous business; bringing disease and death to the planets inhabitants!

The Truth Will Sit You Free!

Read More...

Tainted Pet Food Vs. Lead-Paint Toys

2007-08-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 By BILL TANCER

A sign explains why a store shelf is empty of pet food after it was pulled from the shelves at Petco.

Joe Raedle / Getty

There were two significant product recalls this year: tainted pet food and lead-based paint on children's toys. Two issues that concern the health of your pet and your child. Which is more important to you? Which topic would you seek more information on? It would seem that everyone would choose their child, yet our online behavior reveals a different story.

Read More....

More Claims Of Chicken Jerky Strips Causing Death And Illness In Dogs

2007-08-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Posted on Saturday, August 25th, 2007 at 10:00 am in News for Cats, Dogs & Owners, National Dog, Cat & Pet Info, Dogs, Pet Food Recalls & Safety.

By Emily Huh

First it was Kate Collins from Pennsylvania. Then it was Sherri Shelton from Indiana. And now there is Vicki Stone from California, and Jodi Zeremski also from Pennsylvania (Zeremski’s dog pictured here).

All four women say that chicken jerky strips purchased from Wal-Mart caused their dogs to die or become ill. And still there has been no official recall on these chicken jerky strips.

Dogs, Fleas and Natural Remedies

2007-08-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Everybody wants to protect their dog from fleas and nobody wants to be bitten by their dogs fleas!

Fleas are small dark insects that run through the fur rapidly.

Dogs will show signs of infestation by grooming and scratching excessively, some dogs will show signs of hypersensitivity to flee bites (the saliva) with raised red bumps on the skin which may even appear like eczema and could cause loss of fur.

Dog Allergy Treatment

2007-08-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

When treating your dog, it is always important to make sure the products you use are organic and chemical free for a completely healthy pet.

Monday, August 6, 2007

How To Treat Dog Allergies

Dog allergies can be very frustrating for both you and your dog. The constant itching and scratching, paw licking and chewing, skin rashes, or chronic ear infections can make life very unpleasant. Need some help dealing with your dog's allergies?

Read More

Dogs Sniff Some Pirates

2007-08-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Dogs sniff out pirate DVD factory

Lucky and Flo are trained to detect certain chemicals

Sniffer dogs have helped shut down a factory in Malaysia that was producing pirated films, according to the Motion Picture Association (MPA) trade body.

About 18,000 discs were seized from the premises near Kuala Lumpur, including illegal copies of The Simpsons Movie.

Sometimes We Have To Remember They're Just Dogs :-)

2007-07-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

- Stupid Dog causes accident in Tour de France -

Even Homemade Dog Food Has Its Dangers

2007-07-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients To Avoid For Homemade Dog Food

July 31, 2007 |

Here are some tips on selecting food sources for your fido when preparing homemade dog food. Put this in your shopping bag and refer to the list when shopping for your home made dog food. This is to ensure we do not accidentally add on food sources not appropriate for pets that could jeopardize their health if fed in the long run.

Moooooore Recalls......

2007-07-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

China Closes Two Food Exporters Involved In Pet Food Recalls

Posted on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 at 5:52 am in News, National, Dogs, Cats, Other.

China has revoked the business licenses of two firms that exported melamine-tainted protein products. These contaminants ended up in U.S. pet food.

Very important tell-tale signs to look for on your dog.

2007-07-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

How To Tell If Your Dog Is Sick?
"Dog ownership comes with responsibilities and one of them is to learn how to tell if your dog is fine or is probably sick with illness. I have come to know many dog owners who are not aware of early signs of health problems and when they have found out, it becomes more challenging to heal the condition. To prevent that from happening to your pet, read on to get yourself more intune with Scooby’s health condition."

Read More

Put Dogs In With The Crazies

2007-07-20T00:11:00.001-07:00

Pfizer's pet project

Two
months ago, drug giant Pfizer (maker of Lipitor and Viagra) achieved a
pair of firsts when the FDA approved 2 new products in their pipeline -
a weight-loss medication and a new motion sickness drug…

For DOGS.

Yep,
apparently the human drug market just isn't big enough, so Big Pharma
is setting its sights on the millions of dogs and cats currently
occupying American households. According to a recent article in the
Chicago Tribune, the market for these pet-meds is an impressive one, to

6 in 10 U.S. households have at least one resident pet
Americans currently care for 66 million dogs and 78 million cats
The animal health business grew 5% globally last year to $2.3 billion
Sales
of animal health products in America jumped a full 8% last year (to
$6.8 billion) - more than double the rate of growth for our economy as
a whole

Malnourished Dogs

2007-07-19T23:46:00.001-07:00

Give a dog a bone

Hold onto your leash. Pet supply mega-chains are peddling
over-priced pseudo-foods that are responsible for the
malnourishment of our hounds on a massive scale. Not only
that, they're intentionally steering dog owners AWAY from
the natural raw foods canines really need to stay as healthy
as they can be.

Read More

The Dog Health Blog

Happy Mothers Day To All Great Mothers!

To Register, Train Your Dog (or Yourself) to Log On

What's the best way to start my dog on a raw food diet?

Malnourished Dogs

What's good for the pet is good for the owner

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everyone!!

For Pet Owners, Too, Toys a Reason for Concern

Is Your Puggle Dog Dehydrated?

Pet boutiques lapping up profits

Is Your Pet Bad For The Environment?

Companies Offer Green Pet Products

Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty Can Keep Two Dead Pets

Organic Proves Major Food Trend at Expo

An Urgent Message For All Dog Owners....

Want to Increase The Lifespan Of Your Dog by up to 134% And Save Up To $10,000?

Pet Food: A Dark and Dangerous Business

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.This post was written by: Gailstrail

Tainted Pet Food Vs. Lead-Paint Toys

More Claims Of Chicken Jerky Strips Causing Death And Illness In Dogs

By Emily Huh

Dogs, Fleas and Natural Remedies

Dog Allergy Treatment

When treating your dog, it is always important to make sure the products you use are organic and chemical free for a completely healthy pet.

Monday, August 6, 2007

How To Treat Dog Allergies

Dogs Sniff Some Pirates

Sometimes We Have To Remember They're Just Dogs :-)

- Stupid Dog causes accident in Tour de France -

Even Homemade Dog Food Has Its Dangers

Ingredients To Avoid For Homemade Dog Food

Moooooore Recalls......

China Closes Two Food Exporters Involved In Pet Food Recalls

Posted on Saturday, July 21st, 2007 at 5:52 am in News, National, Dogs, Cats, Other.

Very important tell-tale signs to look for on your dog.

Put Dogs In With The Crazies

Malnourished Dogs

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: Gailstrail