Jogging With Your Dog

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We all know that dogs make for fantastic companions, but we often forget that they can benefit our health as well.  Having a canine companion gives a great excuse to get out and exercise! However, just as you wouldn’t drag an untrained spouse or friend out for a five-mile run, you shouldn’t take your couch potato pooch for a 5k without training.  Even though many dogs are born to run, you need to start slow.  Here are six easy steps to get started: Step 1: Wait till they are grown Puppies should not go running until their bones stop growing.  If you take a puppy out to soon you can… Read More Continue Reading
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Emergency Items Every Dog Owner Should Have On Hand

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Chances are, if you have a dog, at some point, you will have a veterinary emergency  In case of said emergency, there is no substitute for a visit to a veterinarian for expert help.  Even if you can’t get to a vet right away,you should call a veterinarian before attempting to help your pet.  Sometimes, however, you are in a situation where you cannot contact your veterinarian – such as camping in the wilderness, in which case, a little emergency know-how might save your pet’s life.  If you find yourself in one of these situations there are interventions you can do yourself, with the caveat that a followup visit with… Read More Continue Reading

Cynophobia: Real? Imagined?

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Imagine this scenario: you are walking down the street and see a large, menacing dog with bared teeth headed toward you. How would you feel? What if you had been bitten by a dog that looks eerily familiar like the Cujo headed your way right now – what might you feel like then? Your heart would probably race, you may shake, hyperventilate, or start to sweat. I imagine you would feel a myriad of negative emotions, including fear and panic, and your body would react physically to a surge of hormones, including adrenaline. You probably know that this reaction is called the flight or fight response, and in situations where… Read More Continue Reading

Nestle Purina PetCare Beneful Dog Food – Who is to Blame?

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A recent lawsuit filed against Nestle Purina PetCare Company is claiming that one of the company’s most popular dog food brands, Beneful, contains toxins that are poisoning and even killing people’s pets. The lawsuit, filed in California federal court earlier this month by pet owner Frank Lucido, alleges that thousands of dogs, including his three dogs, have become ill or died as a result of eating Beneful dry kibble dog food. According to the lawsuit, Lucido began feeding his three dogs – a 4 year old German Shepherd, an 11 year old Labrador Retriever, and an 8 year old English Bulldog – exclusively Beneful 2 months ago. Within a month,… Read More Continue Reading

Overweight Pets In America

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Latest veterinary surveys show that over half of the dogs and cats in the United States are overweight, putting them at risk for life-shortening conditions such as diabetes, painful arthritis, high blood pressure, cancer, kidney and heart disease. With a little intentionality, the solution to our pet’s weight problems may be easier than you think. Walk away the Pounds Research proves the most effective way to living along, disease and pain-free life is daily exercise. If you have a dog, then you have a built in exercise partner.  You don’t have to go out and run a marathon – as little as 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking is… Read More Continue Reading

Happy Holidays!

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Happy holidays to you and your fur family! Let’s go over a couple of tips to keep your pets safe this holiday season. Holiday plants can be hazardous. In truth, poinsettias are generally not poisonous, although munching on the leaves can lead to stomach upset for your cat or dog. Fresh holly and mistletoe are toxic, particularly the berries and lilies, also common holiday flowers, can cause kidney failure in cats, in particular, tiger, Asian, Japanese show, stargazer and the Casablanca variety. Ask any pet – Christmas trees are about climbing and sniffing, ornaments about batting, and gift ribbon about pouncing and chewing. Sparkling tinsel hanging from a tree is… Read More Continue Reading

The Bow! Why?

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Have you ever asked why does my dog bow? There are a couple of answers to that age old question. Dog bows serve as building blocks of dog communication and also have a physiological function in a stretch called pandiculation. The purpose of the bow depends on when the dog engages in the behavior. One function of the dog bow is called the ‘play bow’. This common posture, a building block of dog communication, can mean ‘Let’s play!” or it can also be a sign of an apology. It can be a dog’s way of saying: “I didn’t mean to bite so hard. Let’s keep playing. I wasn’t trying to… Read More Continue Reading

Doggy Diet – Are Dog’s Carnivore’s?

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Myth 1 “A dog is a carnivore. Look at his teeth!” Truth: There is much confusion out there in there in the pet world about what is the best diet to feed a dog. Many dog lovers insist on feeding their dog a pure meat diet because they think their dog is designed to be a pure carnivore. I thought we should start with some basics before we tackle this hotly debated myth. Definitions CARNIVORE – An animal subsisting primarily on animal tissue. HERBIVORE – An animal subsisting entirely on plant tissue. OMNIVORE – An animal subsisting on both animal and plant tissue. Cats and dogs are both members of… Read More Continue Reading

Flue Shot for your Dog?

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  Many concerned dog lovers ask their veterinarian whether or not their dog should get a flu shot. Your veterinarian will usually answer that it depends on your pet’s risk of exposure to the disease. In order to make an informed decision, it helps to have background information on the disease. Canine influenza was discovered about 8 years ago in racing greyhounds in Florida and is documented in 40 states. States with the highest exposure to the virus include the Midwest, the Carolina’s, and Colorado. The risk is also increasing in Kansas. The virus causes flu-like symptoms: coughing, fever, malaise, loss of appetite, nasal discharge, and pneumonia. The kicker is… Read More Continue Reading

Dogs Pawing and Scratching

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Pawing and scratching is a tactic dogs use to ask for something they want, or as part of play. Pawing is also used to get a person’s immediate attention, like when kids say “mom!” over and over. Humans, however, lack the protective fur covering that dogs have, and claws can cause severe skin injuries. Not only that, a large pawing dog can actually trip someone or knock them over. If your dog has a pawing problem, here are 5 tips to get help your dog learn some polite paw manners. More Exercise Sometimes dogs paw simply because they need more exercise. All dogs are different, but in general, 2-3 vigorous… Read More Continue Reading