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I can remember when I was younger being told never to give our dog chocolate because it could make him sick. I didn’t question it until I found out that you couldn’t really grow an apple tree in your belly after eating the seeds. Chocolate poisoning in dogs is, however, not only real but also very common. The majority of pet owners don’t realize the potential for toxicity that chocolate possesses. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is toxic to dogs in sufficient quantities. When dogs ingest theobromine, it begins to affect the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Signs include:
How much chocolate is deadly? You have to take into consideration the health and age of the dog and the type and amount of chocolate consumed. It takes a fairly large amount of theobromine to cause a toxic reaction. The lethal dose for theobromine is between 100mg to 200mg per kg of bodyweight. As a rule of thumb:
If you suspect your dog has eaten a large amount of chocolate, contact your vet immediately. Treatment will usually involve fluid replacement, sedatives and medication to reduce heart rate and blood pressure if the poisoning is severe. So think twice about offering your dog chocolate, it could be a fatal mistake.
I read an interesting article the other day about a dog (Luke) that had been picked up and put in the local pound in Oklahoma after roaming the streets. His owner, a 53-year-old woman, was informed that they would release Luke when a fence was built to contain him. The next day, however, the owner unfortunately passed away. Rumors then began to fly about Luke being euthanized so one minor (17 years old) and two adults (18 and 22 years old), therefore, decided to break into the pound to get Luke out. The purpose of the breakout was to allow Luke to attend its owner’s memorial service. They were able to cut the lock at the pound with wire cutters but were greeted by the police as they left the building holding Luke. As it turns out, the pound had no intention of euthanizing Luke, and the two adults were charged with second-degree burglary while the minor was cited and released to his mother. And no, Luke didn’t make it to the memorial service!
Humans aren’t the only ones who have allergy problems! Dogs too can develop and suffer from allergies. There are five known types of dog allergies: contact, flea, food, bacterial, and inhalant. Common signs of dog allergies include frequently scratching, licking the paws, or pawing at the ears. Sores can then develop and become infected and painful. Some dogs even lose their hair in these spots. One of the most effective ways to relieve allergy symptoms is to give your dog cool frequent baths. Shampoos with aloe vera or eucalyptus might help with the itching. Your best bet is to consult with your veterinarian in order to get an accurate diagnosis and recommendation of the best method of treatment. For allergies to dust and dust mites (inhalant allergies), vets often suggest using plastic or some type of waterproof liner to cover your dog’s bed and keep your dog off of upholstered furniture and carpeting. Also get rid of stuffed animal type toys for your dog. Dusting and vacuuming frequently will really help also. If the dog’s allergies involve pollen, stay away from fields or high grass and stay indoors on days when pollen counts are elevated Contact allergies are the least common and result in a local reaction of the skin. An example is a reaction to a flea collar, and getting rid of the contact irritant solves this allergy problem. Speaking of fleas, flea allergies are quite common in dogs. The flea allergic dog has a severe itch-producing reaction when the flea’s saliva is deposited in the skin. Just one bite causes such intense itching that the dog may severely scratch or chew himself, leading to hair loss and bacterial infections on the open sores. There are several species of Staphylococcus bacteria that live on normal dog skin. Some dogs, however, develop an allergy to this bacterium ( bacterial allergies). When this happens, the dog develops areas of hair loss that look much like ringworm. This can be treated with antibiotics to control the immediate problem and desensitization with Staph antigen for long-term relief. The most effective way to manage dog allergies is to prevent them. There can be relief for your dog!
There really isn’t enough time to prepare you for the birth of a child. But after nine months and much thought and preparation, you are as ready as you are going to be. Well, the time finally arrives for you to bring your new bundle of joy home, but what about the big baby in your life, your faithful pooch, you left waiting for you at home? After all, it was getting most, if not all, of your attention before. Did your preparations include getting your dog ready for this new family member?
Before the baby arrives home:
When the baby arrives:
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole!” ~Roger Caras
I heard this story on KSDK news and was touched by the actions of one eight-year-old girl from Atlanta. Katherine Hawkins is her name, and she was able to change the life of a golden retriever named Rocky. Rocky was under the care of the rescue group Adopt-A-Golden and needed surgery to repair a broken leg that previous owners neglected to take car of.
Thanks to Katherine’s love, determination, and hard work, Rocky was able to have the needed surgery. Katherine and her family have adopted Rocky, and Katherine decided to rename him Tanner since he is too sweet and loving for a name like Rocky! Tanner is now in post surgery therapy and loving every minute of the love and attention he is receiving from his new family. All for the love of Rocky!
Perhaps your dog is an Aries and is “The Leader of the Pack” or a “Snoop Dog” because he/she is a Scorpio and finding the perfect toy to satisfy your dog is challenging. If you are having trouble finding just the right toy to fit your dog’s personality, then I have a few cool toys for you to check out. If your dog is the type that must keep busy to stay out of trouble, then how
Some dogs, however, prefer to be challenged intellectually. For these problem
My yellow Lab, Knucky, died unexpectedly about two years ago, and I A woman from California, however, has a different opinion. She recently This, of course, sparked a great deal of opposition from animal rights groups and the U.S. Humane Society as well as veterinary associations and concerned citizens. One of the fights is that although you might get a dog that looks like the one you had, it might have health problems and cause suffering to the dog and perhaps death. Others claim that people have a false hope of getting an exact match of their dog in every way and that might not be true. It might have a different temperament, or it won’t retain all the training and nurturing it experienced over the years. On the other hand, Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh says the “primary goal is to advance medical, including veterinary medical, understanding of disease causes and to accelerate stem cell research to the clinic.” Well, the list of pros and cons goes on and on as well as the ethical and moral debate!
My life is great, especially when I’m getting my way. I like to greet you with a sniff and a big wet one, Who can deny that I’m so darn cute and a lot of fun!
Let’s pretend for a minute that a man and his wife are in Alaska looking for grizzly bears. Looking in different directions, both of them spot a bear at the same time. The man whips out his gun and shoots the bear he sees just as his wife takes out a camera a takes a picture of a peaceful bear sleeping she has spotted. One of them is going to jail for breaking the law. Yes, it is the wife! Stupid, you say. Well, Alaska is not alone with stupid animal laws. I, therefore, present to you a list of laws that make you go hmmm… Alaska
Connecticut
California
Illinois
Oklahoma
Arizona
Michigan
Mississippi
North Carolina
Arkansas
Ohio
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