Nov30

Parvo – What are the Symptoms?

Categories: DOGS
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Before you check out dog parvo symptoms, you must first know what it is, what it does and how it is spread. This virus was initially found in’78 and within a two year time span it spread worldwide. Over the years the parvovirus has mutated into two different strains and a third may be evident in Vietnam, Italy and Spain. Each case of canine parvovirus Or CPV comes from the first two strains. At first it was felt that this virus would develop into feline panleukopenia, a feline parvovirus, but there is no evidence of this. All species have their own unique parvovirus that cannot be spread outside of the species.

Parvo virus cannot be spread directly from a dog to a cat or from a bird to a cat, but it can be spread by contact. For example if you cat happens to wander through your neighbor’s yard and picks up the virus on her feet, she can bring it into your home and may infect your dog that way. Unfortunately, our 8 month old puppy that we acquired from the pound recently came down with parvo virus. She had all of the classic dog parvo symptoms, yet we did not realize what was wrong. We took her to our vet and treatment was commenced immediately. After a four day stay at the veterinary hospital, Lucy was ready to come home. And although we have since found out about more natural parvo virus treatments, we were actually very pleasantly surprised by our vet bill!

The parvo virus works in two ways either through the intestines or through the heart. When a dog gets an intestinal infection, it is picked up by the animal through oral contact with contaminated feces. Simply put, your dog would have to come into contaminated feces from another dog. The intestinal dog parvo symptoms occur when the virus attacks the bone marrow, rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal crypts and the lymph nodes. This allows normally occurring bacteria from the intestines to enter the blood stream to make the animal septic. The virus can be shed in the stool for up to three weeks thus making this a very contagious disease for pets that have not been inoculated.

The cardio form of this infection is usually seen in puppies that are infected before birth or shortly thereafter. It is noteworthy that the cardiac form of CPV is not as common since the mother passes immunity on to her pups from birth. The parvo virus will then attack the heart in the infected puppy and death will occur shortly afterwards.

Dog parvo symptoms usually present themselves within 3 to 10 days of contact. They include the following: lethargy, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. The diarrhea can cause severe dehydration and secondary infections. The dog will not usually die from the virus but from a secondary infection.

The survival rate depends upon how swiftly parvo virus is diagnosed and treatment is begun. If the virus is not caught early on, the usual treatment is given through an IV line in which fluids are pushed to re-hydrate the puppy or dog more quickly. In addition to giving fluids, anti-nausea and antibiotic shots may be given intramuscularly. Given the proper care, the prognosis is good, but if care is withheld your dog will die prematurely. Most vets will strongly suggest that your pet be vaccinated against parvo about eight weeks after a puppy is weaned.

To discover the facts about parvo symptoms and ideas on how to treat dog symptoms of parvo without the need for needles and potentially harmful chemicals, think about treating symptoms of parvo naturally.

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Nov29

Does Your Dog Hanker for Homemade Dog Food?

Categories: DOGS
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How important do you think it is to keep your dog healthy, as opposed to keeping your dog happy? Are the two mutually exclusive? I’m sure they’re not. Keeping your dog in peak health is bound to affect his general happiness and wellbeing.

Conversely, even if your dog is in peak health, if you leave him in a kennel in the backyard and rarely interact with him, he cannot be happy, because dogs are such social animals. The dog is regarded as their best friend by several dog owners but they may not give much importance to the dog food that they give to their pet. There are a few owners who are surprised by the fluctuations in the health of their pets for no reason at all.

A number of people will turn to professionals for dog information. Sometimes, the first suggestion will be supplements or pharmaceuticals. However, this may be unnecessary. If you have been feeding your pet grocery store brands, all you may need to do is switch to a premium food. The results will be quickly apparent. Many dog foods contain the scraps and waste left from food processors. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, and is not considered the healthiest type of food.

There are alternatives for those dog owners that are seeking dog information regarding a healthy diet. One option is to make your own dog food. You can use the foods you prepare for yourself and your family. Simply cool the food to room temperature in the refrigerator before feeding it to your pet. Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks to be aware of regarding this arrangement. Most importantly, unless you are knowledgeable regarding dog information and nutrition, there’s no guarantee that your dog is getting the proper nutrients from your diet. Additionally, it can be time consuming and costly to feed an extra mouth at your table.

It would be far preferable to discover a dog food product made with organic ingredients fit for human consumption. Flint River Ranch manufactures their pet foods under rigorously controlled conditions. Their product is highly digestible and its crucial vitamins and minerals are easily absorbed. This is a top level dog food that will make your pet lick his bowl clean. To improve a person’s dog’s appearance, health, and energy, Flint River Ranch pet foods can be of great help. Flint River Ranch owners produce good quality food products and give help to pet owners who wish for a healthy lifestyle for their pets. They can be provided with the best quality, human grade dog food.

Dog owners often regard their dog as their best friend, but sometimes may not pay enough attention to the dog food that they give to their pet. If your dog starts eating healthier, you may see improvements in appearance, energy level, and overall health. If you want a healthier dog, and are trying to improve your dog’s energy level and appearance, you should try flint river ranch dog food. Or, you could opt to make your own dog food. This can be done using the same foods you prepare for yourself and your family. For dog information, most people turn to veterinarians.

The best dog information online, includes info on homemade dog food, or the excellent dog food called Flint River Ranch.

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Nov28

Safe Car Travel For Pets – 7 Tips:

Categories: DOGS
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Don’t Let Them Put Their Head Out The Window: Even though it looks harmless, it just isn’t safe to let your pet stick their head out the window while you are driving. This leaves your pet vulnerable to anything that might be flying along in the road, debris, bugs, even things from the cars in front of you. You should also never put your pet in the back of a pickup truck. It is so dangerous (especially on long trips) that the majority of states actually have laws against this type of animal transport!

Make Frequent Rest Stops: You should always provide frequent bathroom and exercise breaks. Most travel service areas and public rest stops will have designated areas for walking your pet. When taking your pets on bathroom breaks or short walks, try to stick to this area, also remembering to bring a bag to pickup any waste. Whenever you are outside your vehicle, make sure to keep your pet on a leash and wearing a collar that has a permanent and temporary travel identification tag.

Stay Hydrated: Always keep some water handy so that they can re-hydrate at each rest stop. A trick that a lot of people swear by is bringing ice-cubes along with them on any long road trip. This cuts down on the space needed compared to bringing water jugs and is fun for your pet to eat.

Watch Their Food Intake: It is suggested that you keep feeding to a minimum while traveling. This also means feeding them their regular pet food and not whatever part of your fast-food that you didn’t finish. Pets and french fries, burgers or any other sort of fast-food item usually are not a good mix.

Don’t Leave Them Stranded: Never leave your pet by themselves in a parked vehicle. On average warm days, the temperature in your car can rise to 120 degrees in minutes, even if you have the windows slightly open. Another reason to not leave them in the car is it sometimes can act as an open invitation to pet thieves.

Don’t Let Them Run Around The Car: Always keep your pet safely restrained while in your car. Using a pet safety-harness or travel dog kennel are the safest ways to keep your pets restrained and out of harms way. These will not only keep your pet from injury, but they also prevent your pet from distracting you while you are driving. A pet safety harness works just like a regular seatbelt. Let your pet wear the harness for a while before you go on your first road trip. This will get them familiar with the harness and you’ll be able to adjust it for optimal comfort. If your dog prefers a travel kennel, make sure that it has amble ventilation. If you have a large car or SUV, you might want to consider using a vehicle barrier. Always remember that the passenger seat is the last place your pet should ever be sitting while your car is moving.

Staying Safe and Comfortable: Comfort should be a priority regardless of how you choose to travel with your pets. Just as it’s important for your seat to be comfortable on long road trips, your pet’s seat should be comfortable too (by seat we mean seating area). Usually your pets favorite blanket or travel bed will do the trick to quickly put them at ease. If you don’t mind spending the extra money, there are many different pet travel seats available that you can buy which are designed with your pets safety and comfort in mind.

Get answers to your own pet questions by visiting the Online Pet Vet.

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Nov27

Grooming Your Dog And Dog Grooming kits-What You Need To Know

Categories: DOGS
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Remember that just like you uphold your physical appearance to appear & feel good, your dog needs personal care & special grooming to lead a happy, healthy life. Grooming one’s dog comprises a primary responsibility of the dog possessor. Every dog possessor should buy a good dog grooming kit that comprises tools to carry out the basic activities of dog grooming:

Brushing your dog’s fur is essential to assure good fur and a polished, healthy coat. Since very few dogs are afraid to have their hair brushed, it is an easy process. Longhaired dogs need daily brushing while very short haired dogs need it monthly. Frequent brushing during shedding ascertains prevention of hair buildup & excessive shedding.

Nail clipping or filing of nails requires additional care and knowledge as cutting nails too close would lead to bleeding paws & infuse a permanent fear in the dog’s mind against nail trimming.

Most dogs require to be bathed once a month, though the interval depends upon the fur type and condition. It’s best to use a soap-free dog shampoo to keep the coat clean and shining. By all means, avert man shampoo if you don’t want your dog to come down with blizzards. A severely matted dog might need a good trim.

Ear care includes wiping the ears clean with cotton swobs dipped in ear cleansers. Dogs with long and droopy ears &/ or those with infections demand regular treatment, frequently with particular medication.

Fur trimming or haircuts are essential at frequent intervals, depending on the texture & length of the hair. This can be done by an knowledgeable, capable owner or a professional groomer on a cleaned, tangle free dog coat. Maintaining a clean coat prevents fleas & leeches.

Check the items in your dog grooming kit to assure if they are desirable for your unique breed of dog. As for clippers, an ergonomic shape is most convenient. Make sure that the clipper does not involve any perplexed system of removing and attaching blades. Also, it should be difficult, shouldn’t heat up too soon & be processed with a quiet, fast motor.

One should always keep a clabbering agent or a styptic pencil handy in the dog grooming kit while cutting nails, so that the dog can be assisted to if its paws start bleeding.

After a bath followed by drying with a spongy towel, it’s important to blow dry your dog’s coat. A dog grooming kit may or may not contain a blow dryer. Use a blow dryer specially designed for dogs. A human one might singe the coat of the dog.

If one does not want to get one’s home wet and hairy, doing it in the garden or backyard is a good idea. One can groom a dog on the ground or on a table.

I have seen some huge deals on nearly all dog merchandises, including dog grooming kit, dog medications and even dog grooming kit e-books. Sample the internet site and check out for yourself.

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Nov27

Transport Dog Crates and Stylish Pet Carriers

Categories: DOGS
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An alarming number of dogs and other pets become injured, lost, or even die on board an airplane when traveling in transport dog crates. Compared to the number of successful animals transported from one location to another via the airlines, this number is low. But dog enthusiasts and breeders routinely fly their dogs in transport dog crates or pet travel carriers without having any trouble at all. The airlines claim to make every effort possible that dogs that travel on-board will be perfectly safe.

It is sensible to take as many reasonable precautions as you can to avoid any mishaps. After all, you would never forgive yourself if something terrible occurred and it was avoidable by you having taken some simple precautions.

The best precautionary measure you can take, of course, is not to transport your pet at all. The next best is to drive to your destination and take your dog in the car with you – you will preferably need to use pet travel carriers for this purpose, but your dog will be right alongside you all the way. If you have a puppy, or small dog, then the trip will not be so traumatic for your dog if he is allowed to travel in the passenger compartment with you, tucked safely underneath your seat. There are some really stylish pet carriers you can use for this purpose, as well as the very small sized transport dog crates.

It is essential before proceeding with any type of dog transport, to take your dog to your vet for a complete checkup to ensure that there are no medical conditions that might be aggravated by any type of travel, or confinement for a number of hours in transport dog crates or pet carriers for small pets.

The best time of day for your dog to travel is when the outside temperature is at a medium level. So if you’re traveling in a warm climate, early morning or the evening are the best times. Conversely, if you’re traveling in especially cold weather, the middle of the day is best. This will help ensure that your dog does not overheat, or catch a chill.

Puppies and small dogs can usually travel in the passenger compartment with you if you are also traveling on the same flight. This is desirable, since it minimizes the potential for stressing your dog, and significantly reduces the potential for your dog to suffer from separation anxiety. Puppies, in particular, can suffer long term adverse effects from experiencing separation anxiety in such a situation. You will need small transport dog crates or pet carriers for small pets for travel in the passenger compartment. You could even splash out and invest in stylish pet carriers you’ll be able to use for other types of travel.

Not all dogs can easily cope with the experience of being locked up in transport dog crates and placed in the cargo hold during an airplane ride. Every dog owner knows what his or her dog’s personality is like. Trust your gut instincts on whether or not you think your dog can handle the flight.

Separation anxiety is a real condition that should not be overlooked. It is estimated that almost 20% of all dogs suffer at some level from separation anxiety. These personality types make very poor candidates for dog transport by airplane, unless they can travel in the passenger cabin with you (which medium and large dogs obviously cannot). Such dogs should not be left alone and when their condition reaches elevated levels, it is not uncommon for a dog to literally chew through a metal cage in the attempt of trying to escape, causing severe injuries that can cause the dog to bleed to death. It may be possible to treat your dog with natural anxiety remedies, or you may even want to talk to your vet about a sedative if you think your dog will react badly to being transported.

Luxury pet carriers are popular these days. But if you’re doing any serious traveling around with your dog, or dog transport, you may want to skip stylish pet carriers for heavier duty transport dog crates.

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