"Hundreds of thousands of our dogs are suffering every minute of the day with really painful joints and there's a strong chance that yours could be one of them. The funny thing is that you wouldn't know because they will only yelp if they experience sharp pain, like stepping on glass, but with a gnawing pain like arthritis they'll just put up with it and it'll get worse and worse."

Joe continues,

"People need to take action, check out their dog and take them to the vet for a professional diagnosis. Once the condition has been identified, it can be treated immediately and your dog can be back to fighting fit condition.

Symptoms of Canine Osteoarthritis Include:

- Licking or self injury
- Reluctance to walk or play
- Difficulty in getting up, climbing stairs and/or jumping into the car
- Limping or stiffness
– Change in character or aggression
- Reduced interaction with people
- Reduced appetite
- Increase in anxiety/clinginess

Find out more: http://www.k9magazine.com/arthritis-in-dogs ]]> http://www.mypetlibrary.com/what-are-the-symptoms-of-arthritis-in-dogs/feed/ 0 http://www.mypetlibrary.com/treating-arthritis-in-dogs/ http://www.mypetlibrary.com/treating-arthritis-in-dogs/#comments Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:57:54 +0000 admin http://www.mypetlibrary.com/?p=54
Continue Reading »]]> Arthritis in dogs can certainly have a detrimental impact on our canine pal’s mobility, but it doesn’t mean an end to their fun and sense of living life to the full. Proper treatment and, in some cases, medication can help ease the burden of arthritic joints.

A non surgical treatment plan for your dog’s arthritis can include suitable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), glucosamine or physical therapeutic approaches such as hydrotherapy.

Some of the more well known NSAIDs used in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis include carprofen and meloxicam (these are sometimes sold under brand names) as well as tepoxalin (Zubrin) and prednoleucotropin (which is combination of cinchophen and prednisolone, a steroid).

Your vet will advise on what he or she considers to the most appropriate medication (if any) depending on your dog and the stage at which the arthritis has reached.

A nutritional approach may be recommended and in some cases is as simple as tackling the dog’s weight, which is one of the most causes of joint problems in otherwise healthy dogs. Your vet may also suggest a  glucosamine-based nutritional supplement which can give the dog’s body additional raw materials used in joint repair.

It’s not at all unusual for a recommendation to be made for the dog to try multiple anti-inflammatories over two month period as it’s common that a dog may only begin to effectively respond to treatment of one type but not another.

Canine expert Sarah Heath, European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine, offers her insight on the subject:

“All dogs suffering with OA will need medication to reduce inflammation in the joints and control pain and discomfort. Consistent use of long term or long acting forms of medication can prevent pain from becoming established and this is of huge benefit to your dog. A selection of daily non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is available as well as a once-monthly treatment that helps ensure compliance by delivering continuous pain relief for your dog. Speak with your vet for more information.”

Sarah continues, “Don’t forget that improving the quality of your dog’s life involves managing the condition with a combination of medication, nutrition, weight management and appropriate exercise.”

If your dog is placed on to one of these medicines it’s most likely that your vet will ask for regular blood tests in order to monitor vital signs in your dog’s plasma. However, effective medicinal treatments can usually be maintained on a long term basis without cause for concern.

In some cases, vets have taken a pain management approach by using advanced use of “laser therapy”, in particular “class IV laser therapy”, however this technique is still very much in the experimental stage.

Watch our video with more top tips from Sarah, courtesy of www.awalkinthepark.co.uk

Article Brought To You By Canine Arthritis Awareness Month

The St. Charles Journals reported that there are a few things dog owners can do to help their dogs with noise phobias.

Begin by getting your dog used to the sounds.

Find a video or recording of fireworks or thunder and play it at the lowest possible volume a few times during the day.

Pair the sound of fireworks or thunder with things your dog likes, such as treats, petting or a game of tug-of-war.

Slowly begin to raise the volume of the recording or video over the course of several days, and continue to pair the sound of fireworks or thunder with good things for your

If your dog begins to show signs of fear, turn the volume down to a point where he feels more comfortable.

Read Full Article

Changing the pet’s environment and using behavior modification techniques can help ease the fear, but most important is acknowledging the problem and working closely with your dog in order to help them associate loud noises with positive experiences. It IS possible to cure dog noise phobia – but it's a lot easier the sooner you begin working on addressing the problem and not allowing the phobia to develop and exacerbate.

USEFUL RESOURCE

Noise Phobia in Dogs
Anxiety in Dogs ]]> http://www.mypetlibrary.com/dog-noise-phobia-cure/feed/ 0 http://www.mypetlibrary.com/should-you-pet-that-guide-dog/ http://www.mypetlibrary.com/should-you-pet-that-guide-dog/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:51:07 +0000 admin http://www.mypetlibrary.com/should-you-pet-that-guide-dog/
Continue Reading »]]>

Assistance Dog Etiquette: It is often hard to resist petting a cute, floppy eared dog when you see one. So, what do you do when you see a guide dog curled under a restaurant table, or walking along side a person who is blind or visually impaired? The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind encourages following these guidelines when encountering these specially bred and trained dogs;

– Don’t touch, pet, talk to, feed or otherwise distract the dog while
he/she is wearing a harness.

A guide dog is a highly trained dog that acts as a mobility aide to the blind and visually impaired. When a dog is in harness, they are “on duty or working” and must concentrate for the safety of his/her owner or handler.

– Don’t attempt to grab or steer the person while the dog is guiding, do
not attempt to hold the dog’s harness or give the dog commands.

A dog or handler may be in an unfamiliar situation that requires their full attention. Grabbing a harness or leash can disorientate and confuse the team. The handler will give the dog commands when necessary and will ask for assistance if needed.

– Don’t walk on the dog’s left side.

Walking on a dog’s left side may distract or confuse the dog. Instead, walk on the handler’s right side and several paces behind him or her.

– Speak to the person, not the dog.

Many handlers enjoy introducing their guide dogs. Both owner and dog go through training to work as a team, and in most cases develop a strong companionship through the process. Ask the handler if you can pet the dog. If they say yes, do not pat the dog on the head, but stroke the dog on the shoulder area.

Guide dogs are the guiding eyes for people who are blind or visually impaired, and you can expect to see them anywhere the public is allowed. So, the next time you see those “Simply Irresistible” puppy eyes follow these few guidelines and you will insure the safety of both the handler and the dog.

Leash training, like any other training, a cat will require the proper tools, research, patience and practice. Cats are smart and sensitive which you will never want to use force or physical threats on a cat. Any of the force behaviors that you use on the cat will only result in a cat fearing you.

You will be the one that will have to change the behavior in Good words used, the cat’s name, and the behavior the cat is doing. Like tabby, you are not to do that climbing on the table. Treats are another way of showing your cat for good behavior. Use small treats; you do not want them to have a full meal when training them. Later after the good behavior is recognized, you will be able to phase the treats so that you do not have to use them any more.

- teaching a cat to walk on a leash should be a fun, positive experience for the cat

Treats should be just that treats. Never use the cat’s dinner food for treats. Use good healthy treats in small portions. Do not give large amounts, as this is a treat and not the dinner.

Training your cat to be on a leash or wear a collar can take time. This time should be set a side to do the training. Do not ever start training a cat for a behavior and stop. If you ever want to start, again, the cat can become confused and very stressful. If the cat gets sick or an illness, this it self will be stressful on a cat and you will have to stop the training. At this time, you will want to get the cat to the vet.

After the sickness or illness, is taken care of, you can continue the training, also during this time you will want to gently and carefully want to maintain the step of training your cat is at. This will reinforce the training that you have done and can continue.

Next, you will want to seek out good equipment for the leash training of the cat. Looking at the equipment, you will want to keep in mind that a cat’s neck is thin-skinned. Harness are great for walking cats, keeping your cat safe, trying to get away, and much more comfortable to the cat. A light short leash would be perfect for walking. Do not get a long one, as you will want the cat close to you for danger is near. In addition, you are walking the cat the cat is not walking you.

You will need to work with your cat once you get the harness, so that the cat will be happy with it on. Use steps in doing this like, let the cat look it over to get their scent on it, after that apply the harness on carefully and remove it. Do this until the cat is comfortable with the harness on in the house. Do not take the cat outside to do this. Your cat will try to get away and with being outside you have no borders for the cat to stay in.

Once you have accomplished those steps, and the cat is happy with the harness then start with the leash. Walk the cat in side before trying outdoors. Once you see that cat is happy with this step, now is the final training.

Take the cat outside and do walking in the yard until you and the cat feel comfortable. Make sure the cat is walking with you and you are not pulling the cat with the leash. You cat at first will be distracted with many things that the outside world has to offer.

Training your cat on a leash has advantages not only for walking but also for other trainings. Taking your cat to a vet, instead of the carrier, you might try the leash once the cat is comfortable with using the leash.

Reward your cat each step of the way, and happy trails to you and your cat.

7 Simple Steps to Cat Leash Training

Most people think cats can't be trained to do tricks or walk on a leash, and that's simply not true. Look at any circus and you'll see the big cats literally jumping through hoops for their owners.

You'll want to start with the right equipment. It's best to use a harness rather than just a collar, for two reasons. First, a cat can quickly and easily wiggle out of a collar – their heads are not much bigger than their necks. Second, a harness will protect your cat from injury, since part of the harness goes around the cat's body, rather than just its neck. Choose a leash and harness made from lightweight nylon. Cats are easily weighed down even by the weight of the leash clip if it's too heavy.

NOTE: To easily restrain your cat, position the cat so it's standing, facing away from you, then put your arm around the front of its shoulders below the neck. Hold it gently backed up against you. No need for a lot of force. The cat may wiggle, but it'll mostly be convinced it can't get away, so it won't try.

1) Introduce the harness – While your cat is relaxed, slip the first loop of the harness over the cat's head and around its neck. The cat will wiggle a lot!

2) Re-introduce the harness (I know!) – If the cat gets away from you, stay relaxed and it will quickly calm down. After a minute or so, go pick up the harness and start again. Be prepared to restrain your cat this time, so it doesn't create a habit of running away.

3) Fasten the harness – Act quickly here. Fasten the harness then immediately let the cat go! It will run, squirm, and wiggle for 2 or 3 minutes before it lies down and tries to lick the harness off.

4) Attach the leash – When your pet stops, walk over, stroke and talk to it, then click the leash onto the harness, letting the leash hang loosely over the cat's back.

5) Bring out a toy – The average cat will immediately lay flat on the floor on its stomach with all four legs sprawled out. Have a toy ready – choose something on a string the cat likes to chase.

6) Play with leash attached – Your cat will play, quickly forgetting the weight on its back. After 2-3 minutes, let the cat rest with the leash still attached.

7) Remove the harness – Your cat now understands it can move around even while wearing a harness and leash. Unhook the leash, and after about 15 minutes, remove the harness.

Next day, put the harness on, let the cat go about its business, and after 15-20 minutes, remove the harness.

Third day, attach the harness and leash and keep hold of it with no pressure on the cat. Let your cat lead you around while it gets used to the slight weight it's feeling, then exert pressure on the leash to let the cat know you're taking the lead. If the cat resists, don't drag it. Encourage it toward you with a treat or a toy.

Most adult cats are prepared to go outside by the fourth day, and I once had a ten week old kitten who was ready on the first day after only about 45 minutes!

That's really all there is to it! In a very short time you'll be able to walk through the park with your cat prancing proudly beside you. They love showing off their personal grandeur, and will quickly learn to walk with head and tail held high.

Quick Vid: Walking a Cat on a Leash

A Bonus Cat Leash Training Tip

Sounds dumb and obvious, I know. But this is sincerely where a lot of people get tripped up when trying to teach their cat to walk on a leash. They think their cat will heel on command, and they are often surprised by their cat jumping up on a brick wall or trying to climb a tree.

Not only that, but it is much more difficult to discipline a cat, as they are not wired to "please us" in the same way a dog is. In a moment, I will give you the link to watch a video of how brutal a cat can become when you try to control it. Stay tuned for that!

Resources:

With thanks to Bonnie Dye, who has raised, trained and cared for dogs and cats for over 30 years. She is the co-author of "What Your Pets Want You to Know".

Total Cat Magazine (FREE!)

Cat Advice (cat information website) ]]> http://www.mypetlibrary.com/how-to-leash-train-a-cat/feed/ 0 http://www.mypetlibrary.com/the-dangers-of-canine-lungworm/ http://www.mypetlibrary.com/the-dangers-of-canine-lungworm/#comments Fri, 20 May 2011 07:48:35 +0000 admin http://www.mypetlibrary.com/the-dangers-of-canine-lungworm/
Continue Reading »]]>

Our friends at K9 Magazine have announced their first annual Lungworm Awareness Week.

Lungworm awareness week will run with express mission of answering dog owners concerns and queries about canine lungworms, the symptoms of lungworms and how to prevent lungworms in dogs.

If you have a canine lungworm concern or query about lungworm could affect your dog, we can put your questions to their canine lungworm experts

Send your queries to lungworms@k9magazine.com and K9 Magazine's advisors endeavour to have your question answered.

It's often said that pet owners see their pets as members of the family, treasured as much as any children and thought of as much as any family member. The pets of yesteryear provided certain functions as companions, such as sourcing food, whereas today, we ask nothing more than they be there as a companion in the home to comfort us, keep us secure, watch TV with us, make us laugh and simply be a part of the family. But how do we react when we think they may be falling ill?

Job security may be an issue we're all too aware of these days but a recent survey carried out by Direct Line Pet Insurance and K9 Magazine uncovered that over 81% of Britain's dog owners would risk their jobs by calling in sick if they were worried their pet was falling ill but only 6% would tell their boss the real reason for their absence. A massive 94% of those surveyed felt more comfortable saying they were unwell themselves.

The same pet lovers compared this to themselves where only 69% said they would call in sick if they themselves were feeling under the weather.

Adam Whiteley, Head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, said: “Most people consider their pet to be part of the family, so it’s no surprise that they would take a day off work to care for Fido or Fluffy, just as they would for a child. It’s a well-known fact that pets improve the quality of life for their owners, and employees who know their pet is happy and healthy won’t spend time worrying while they are at work.”

So what could be done to help prevent as many sick days being taken? Could Britain's employers take steps to becoming more pet friendly?

Ryan O'Meara, publisher of K9 Magazine believes more can be done to follow in the footsteps of employers such as Google, known for their pet friendly policy.

He says, “The benefits of a pet friendly office are known to those who have had the benefit to take advantage of them. Well behaved dogs are always welcome at our office, we even have a 'dog rota' so it can be planned in advance. A pet friendly policy can be great at bringing a new vibe to the office and can act as a great stress reliever. A short sharp burst of fresh air from a quick walk can also be great for freshening the mind.”

(Chloe and Jackson, pictured above, K9 Magazine's original office dogs)

Top Tips for a Pet Friendly Office

1) Always have treats handy. Some people may not be used to being around dogs all the time, this obviously needs careful handling and introduction to make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.

2) Take your pet for a short walk every few hours to give them some fresh air and a burst of exercise.

3) Before introducing a full pet friendly policy, have a trial. Create a rota and have a plan in place for the trial so it can be assessed how it can work for you long-term.

>> Highly Recommended: You can now get 12 months for the price of 9 from Direct Line Pet Insurance: Find Out More

Vaccinating your pet against preventable illness is one of the most important things owners should do to protect the health of their pet, so says the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PDSA.

The PDSA says cautions dog owners that vaccinations are used to prevent often fatal diseases such as canine parvovirus, canine distemper, leptospirosis (dogs), feline leukaemia (FeLV) and viral haemorrhagic disease (in rabbits) plus many more.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury, comments: “Losing a pet in any situation is heart breaking. It’s even worse when the loss is the result of a disease which could have been prevented through vaccination.

“Many of these preventable diseases can be very harmful to our pets. For example, over 80 per cent of puppies infected with the distemper virus will die. Some of these diseases can also affect us. Leptospirosis can cause serious diseases in people affecting the liver and kidneys, which again can be fatal.”

In cats, feline leukaemia (FeLV) is now the most common infectious cause of premature death in cats in the UK. It has been estimated that 8 out of 10 cats infected with FeLV will die within three years.

Rabbits don’t fare much better, either. One preventable disease, viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) is a very contagious and almost always fatal viral disease. The virus is very resistant and can remain active for almost four months.  In the acute form, the rabbit usually dies within a day or two after showing the first signs of the disease.

Elaine continues: “The development of many of these diseases is often horrific, and it is distressing for vets, nurses and owners alike to see a pet die when the problem could have been prevented with a simple vaccination.”

Whilst the PDSA are fully behind the call for dog owners to vaccinate, there are some dissenting voices who believe vaccinations are either unnecessary or even harmful.

Catherine O’Driscoll is founder of Canine Health Concern, and author of the book, ‘What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines’.

She says:

“In January 2004, 31 vets went to the extreme lengths of signing a letter, published in Veterinary Times (UK), stating that annual vaccination ‘constitutes fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by deception’.  I called annual vaccination fraud ten years ago, fully aware that, if proven wrong in a court of law, I could be sued.  I wasn’t.

The truth is that we are vaccinating too much.

In 2000, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents (COBTA) presented their consensus, stating:

When an annual booster vaccination  with a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine (i.e. Distemper , Parvovirus  or Fe Distemper) is given to a previously vaccinated adult  animal – no added protection is provided.  Modified live virus vaccines depend on the replication of the virus for a response. Antibodies from previous vaccines do not allow the new virus to replicate. Antibody titres are not boosted significantly, memory cell populations are not expanded. No additional protection is provided.

There is no scientific data to support label directions for re-administration of MLV vaccines annually.

Vaccines are not harmless. Unnecessary side effects and adverse events can be minimised by avoiding unnecessary vaccinations.

In short: annual vaccination is a waste of time.  Once immune, no added protection is provided by repetition.  Crucially, “vaccines are not harmless”.

COBTA announced that we should vaccinate every three years instead.  But you don’t need to vaccinate your animals every three years, either – because immunity lasts for years or life (RD Schultz, et al).  And every shot comes with risks.

In 1983, Frick and Brooks demonstrated that vaccines trigger conjunctivitis and dermatitis in dogs.

Canine Health Concern’s (CHC’s) vaccine survey, involving over 4,000 dogs, found that 56.9% of all dogs in the survey with conjunctivitis first developed it within three months of a vaccine shot, and 61.2% of dogs with dermatitis first manifested symptoms within this crucial timeframe.  Our premise is that if the vaccine has no bearing on subsequent illness, then only 25% of all illnesses should begin within each three-month period of the year. Most conditions began within a week of the shot.

We also found that 2.7% of all dogs surveyed had colitis, with 56.9% of cases occurring within three months post-vaccination.

The vaccinated group developed significant levels of autoantibodies of fibronectin, laminim, DNA, albumin, Cytochrome C, transferring, cardiolipin, and collagen.  When vaccinated, dogs begin to attack their own biochemistry: they become allergic to themselves.  One finding in the CHC survey, for example, was that 53.7% of dogs with kidney damage first developed the condition within three months of a shot.  In the Purdue study, one of the biochemicals being attacked post vaccination is laminin – and laminin coats kidney cells.

Similarly, autoantibodies to collagen might explain the locomotor conditions recorded against cats and dogs in a veterinary practice record survey conducted by the vet Ilse Pedler.  Vaccine components have also been found in the bones of arthritic patients, and other studies show that vaccines cause arthritis.

We need also to be alarmed that the Purdue study showed that vaccinated dogs develop autoantibodies to their own DNA, indicating that vaccines cause genetic damage.

A high number of behavioural problems were found to arise post-vaccination in the CHC survey: 73.1% of dogs with  short attention spans first developed them within three months;  72.5% developed nervous/worrying dispositions; and 64.9% began to display behavioural problems.

Encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, is an  accepted sequel to vaccination.  The Merck Manual states, “In acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (post infectious encephalitis), demyelination can occur spontaneously, but usually follows a viral infection or inoculation (or very rarely, a bacterial vaccine), suggesting an immunologic cause.”  This points to a connection between vaccine-induced brain inflammation and behavioural problems in both humans and animals.

In America, vets are vaccinating cats in the tail or leg so that they can amputate when cancer appears.  81.1% of dogs reported to have a tumour or growth at vaccine site in the CHC survey first developed it within the three-month post-vaccine period.

These are but some of the studies linking vaccines to life-changing or life-threatening illnesses.  Dr Jean Dodds, an American vet and researcher, has also written a number of scientific papers to correlate MLV vaccines and a rise in immune- and blood-mediated diseases such as cancer, leukaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, thyroid disease, and Addisons.”

Links:

BVA

PDSA

AVMA

Vaccinations of Dogs (WIKI)

Parvovirus in Dogs

A recent question from a K9 Magazine reader, we were asked – what does lifelong pet insurance mean?

A good query. So good in fact, we decided to write up a short article explaining the benefits, costs and advantages of understanding the various aspects of a pet insurance policy, with specific emphasis on lifelong pet insurance cover.

K9 Magazine’s article explains:

The costs of veterinary treatment are rising all the time as the science of veterinary medicine advances and it is common for courses of treatment to run into thousands of pounds.  When dogs get older, the chances that they will actually require treatment (and therefore need to claim on the pet insurance policy increases).

Read the article in full: Lifetime pet insurance cover.

Related:

VetsMediCover
Dog Insurance
Pet Insurance