Archive for the ‘Pet Health’ Category »
Calling all pet parents! If you haven’t heard the news, just last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traced Salmonella contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America and placed a recall on Peanut Butter. Peanut butter is a popular ingredient stuffed in pet chew toys and treats. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is advising to temporarily hold off the use of peanut butter products for your pets until further notice.
Young puppies and dogs with health issues and compromised immune system are at a higher risk of getting infected than healthy adult dogs, but it’s better to be safe and discontinue the use regardless of your pet’s age and condition. Some of the symptoms of Salmonella in dogs are vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, drooling, and panting. If any of these signs are present, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately.
The Salmonella alert is true for everyone, and can be passed on between pets and humans. It can also be deadly if not treated immediately. Please visit the FDA online For a complete list of recalled products related to Salmonella and do check often as the list is regularly udpated. If you ever suspect that your dog may have ingested or has become sick after ingesting a recalled product, please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
We all know Peanut Butter is awesome, but nothing is more awesome than being healthy! So let us all wait patiently and hope that this Salmonella outbreak will all be over soon.
Hello fellow dog lovers. I hope all of you are staying nice and warm during this good old winter season… and so are your dogs!
Depending on where you live, the winter season can mean anything extreme from below zero temperature drops, to very humid conditions. If you live in the East Coast, you are most likely currently experiencing the insanely, teeth-gritting cold weather conditions. Unless you managed to provide yourself a sweet escape and are currently surfing and vacationing with your pooch in sunny Australia, you need to be aware of how cold weather can affect your dogs health, and several other winter hazards to look out for.
Just because dogs have fur coats doesn’t mean that all of them can withstand the cold temperature. Just like us, dogs especially certain ones, are susceptible to cold temperatures. If you have puppies under six months of age, or elderly and arthritic dogs, both can be predominantly sensitive to cold temperatures. Puppies are more sensitive to cold, and as much as possible, don’t let a puppy outside in the winter. It’s more difficult for them to keep their body warm than for adult dogs. Elderly and arthritic dogs suffer because their joints are prone to stiffing which becomes a painful experience for them. Dogs who are suffering from certain diseases concerning the heart and kidney, as well as diabetes should also be kept from the cold because they find it hard to regulate their body temperature. Lastly, dog breeds that have short hair and dogs with short legs should particularly stay out from the snow, because their chests and tummies are more likely to be in contact with the snow. If the need arises, you can always let your dogs wear protective clothing from the cold. Make sure it covers the neck to the top of the tail and protects the belly.
The dogs that I have mentioned can be especially sensitive to the cold weather, but any prolonged exposure to extremely low temperatures can increase your dog’s risk for hypothermia. If you notice that your dog becoming anxious and starts shivering, whining, and moving generally slower than usual in the cold, this might be the early stage of hypothermia and you should make your way home or in a warm area as quickly as possible.
Always remember that dogs are very much like humans. They need not only physical warmth, but emotional as well! The winter time can get depressing, so keep your pets happy this season as much as they like to keep you company. Everyone can make the most out of the winter time by participating in fun winter activities, but make sure you and your dogs are well protected from the cold. ‘Til next time.
Stay toasty!
You may have already heard of this, but I just ran across PetMD.com. I’d love to get the opinion of others on this site. The interface and graphics are nice, but unfortunately the look and feel greatly exceed the functionality. For example, there were only four vets in my zip code and the neighboring zip code didn’t even exist. I looked up diarrhea (as my Jack Russell does indeed have diarrhea) and all I got was a laundry list of diseases that my dog could have - ranging the gambit of stomach flu to conditions I’ve never even heard of. I guess if you’re going to mimic a dynamic service like WebMD.com, you might want to beef up your resources first.
A new service was also launched recently called Webvet.com. Again, the site is slick and contains a lot of information. I had a hard time navigating the many, many links, so I punted and searched for diarrhea. I received a lot of results, but in that same “laundry list of conditions” fashion, it was hard to narrow down what’s wrong with my dog. Webvet.com seemed to have more information than PetMD.com and with a little tweaking to their symptom checker - it could be a great resource.
With that said, all pet owners need to remember - if your pet is sick or hurt, take him/her to your vet. Tools like this are certainly helpful, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Reston, VA (March 27, 2006) – Despite a report of rain, the weather was perfect for the third annual Healthy Hound Dog Walk and Pet Health Fair sponsored by GoodDogz.org. Local dog owners learned about pet health and care at Lake Anne Village Center from exhibitors like Canine Caterers and the Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center. Over 80 walkers participated in the 1-mile dog walk around scenic Lake Anne. Walkers received goodie bags full of treats, toys and fun. The dog walk raised over $1400 that will help GoodDogz.org support homeless dogs.
Pam Ahart of Pet First Aid and Care conducted a demonstration of a “tail to snout” health exam. Ahart enjoyed the event. “What a great day! The Healthy Hound Dog Walk & Pet Health Fair was enjoyed by both the dogs and their owners. It was a great time for the dogs to socialize and the owners learn more about the health conscious pet businesses in their local area. As the Pet First Aid & Care exhibitor, many dog owners expressed how nice the event was and they will be attending next year!”
GoodDogz.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.
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Vienna, VA (June 5, 2005) – A beautiful Memorial Day weekend was home to the 2nd annual Healthy Hound Dog Walk and Adoption event at the Viva Vienna! Festival in downtown Vienna, VA.
The super dog adoption showcased 10 metro DC rescue organizations during the two-day affair. It encouraged the organizations to discuss their efforts, brainstorm ideas and offered them exposure to a much larger audience that they might not normally receive.
As an added Memorial Day bonus, over 50 walkers and their participated in the 2-mile Healthy Hound dog walk through Vienna. The walk was a 1.5 mile hike down the WO&D Trail and through the woodlands of Vienna. Each walker received a goodie bag full of treats and fun. The event raised over $1000 for GoodDogz.org.
“We’re very excited about the success of the event,” explained Mark Bates, Vice President of GoodDogz.org. “It’s always great when a rescued doggie finds a home.”
GoodDogz.org is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.
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