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Category Archives: Pet Care

Good nutrition for dogs.

Posted by admin on January 17, 2013 1 comments

I am sure you love your dog. Whether he is a huge Mastiff, or a tiny Chihuahua; whether he is a fierce Rottweiler who guards your property, or a cuddly Cocker Spaniel who plays with your kids; whether he is a working German Shepherd, or a pampered Maltese, whether he is an exotic Shih Tzu, or a cute little mongrel you rescued from the animal shelter, you love him as much as you love any member of your family (perhaps, even more!). So, do you know whether you are feeding your beloved dog the things he really needs? The foods that will keep him healthy, his coat glossy, and put a happy wag in his tail!

Dogs belong to the Carnivora class, which means they get their nutrition primarily from meat. They were originally scavengers and hunters, feeding on the meat, bones and organs of the animals they scavenged or killed. However, dogs can survive as omnivores, which means they can survive on plant or animal matter if needed. This does not mean that a diet without meat provides sufficiently good nutrition for dogs.
Even anatomically, dogs have been created to be carnivores. They have sharp, powerful carnivorous teeth and powerful jaws to bite, tear, crush and chew their prey.
Their digestive tracts contain specific enzymes designed to digest meat protein and fat. This shows that they are by nature meant to eat a meat based diet.

The most nutritionally sound diet for a dog should consist of raw, uncooked foods of animal and vegetable origin. This means plenty of muscle meat, fat, bone, organ meat, some vegetables and some grain. Generally it is best to give your dog a home cooked diet; this is more natural and holistic for your pet. However, it is not always possible to do this. What then?
Of course, dog food companies know exactly what your dog needs, but it is just not economically feasible for them to produce this diet at a competitive price. Price becomes an important factor while selecting food for a dog, so in order to keep their product price low, dog food manufacturers add extra grains such as corn, rice, wheat as fillers in the product. Grain should never be the primary ingredient in your dog’s diet.
Today we have a range of dry kibble, canned foods, and frozen foods available for dogs. If you are unable to make a home cooked meal for your dog, select the best commercial product you can afford, and make sure to add a good vitamin, mineral and calcium supplement every day. Processing removes most of the nutritional value of the ingredients, and pet food is probably the most over processed food on the planet. In most cases, pet food although advertised as ‘complete and balanced’, meets just the very minimum requirements for your pet’s adequate health instead of for optimum health.
Extra vitamin and mineral supplementation is a must for older, or stressed dogs, or for working dogs. Many good supplement products are available today. Invest in your dog’s health and nutrition and take good care of this loving friend.

To your beloved pet’s good health!
Sonia.

Are you feeding your dog the right stuff?

Posted by admin on October 23, 2011 3 comments

You love your dog. He is as important to you as any other member of your family (perhaps even more so!). He is your beloved companion; he makes you smile when you are feeling blue; he will never let you down; he is there when you feel lost and alone. As Billings puts it, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
So, what are you doing to keep your dog healthy, strong and happy?

Did you know that your precious pet is actually a descendant of the grey wolf? Yes, even your cuddly little Shih Tzu has some wolf in him! So, in order to provide him with the right nutrition, you need to understand his physiological and biological needs.

Dogs belong to the ‘Carnivora’ class, which means they get their nutrition primarily from meat. They were originally hunters and scavengers, eating the meat and organs, and chewing the bones of the animals they either hunted or scavenged. This is why they have powerful jaws, and sharp carnivorous teeth. Their digestive tracts contain powerful enzymes that digest meat protein and fat. So basically they are meant to consume a diet consisting of meat.
Dogs can survive as ‘Omnivores’. This means that they can survive on a diet of plant or animal origin. However, due to their physiology, a diet without meat does not provide for all their nutritional needs.

The best diet for your beloved pet is a mixture of raw meats and some veggies. A home made mixture of meat, organ meat, fat, and bones added to some veggies and some grain will provide the very best nutrition for your dog. However, most people are not able to make food for their dogs everyday. So, what then is your best option?
There are plenty of dog food brands available today. You can get dry kibble, canned foods and frozen dog foods. While manufacturers of dog food know exactly what your dog needs, it just is not economically feasable for them to provide good qaulity food for your pet at a competitive price. In order to keep the price down, most dog food contains grain as the primary ingredient. This is not nutritionally sound for your dog. Even brands that advertise as ‘complete and balanced nutrition’ meet just the minimum requirements for your pet’s health. Plus, processing destroys most of the nutritional value of food, and dog food is heavily processed. So what do you do?
If you cannot make a home cooked meal for your dog regularly, buy the best dog food you can afford, and then supplement with a good Vitamin, Mineral, and Calcium supplement everyday. Extra vitamin and mineral supplementation is an absolute must for older dogs, as well as working dogs (farm dogs, seeing-eye dogs, police dogs, etc.)

Your dog brings so much comfort, pleasure and fun in your life. Keep him healthy, strong, and well nourished so you can enjoy his company for many many years.

“Whoever said you can’t buy happiness forgot about little puppies.”
-Gene Hill

To your (pet’s) good health!
Sonia.

Canine Heartworm Disease

Posted by admin on August 26, 2011 11 comments

Canine Heartworm Disease (dirofilariasis) is a very dangerous and potentially life-threatening disease in dogs. (Very occassional cases of this disease have been found in cats, horses, foxes and skunks.) It is caused by long white worms called Dirofilaria Immitis which collect and live in the large blood vessels near the right side of the heart. A dog can have up to several hundred of these worms in his body.
Although a dog can live a normal life with a few of these worms in his body, when too many accumulate, they impair blood circulation, which in turn can lead to severe damage to the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys. If not detected and treated, this can lead to congenitive heart failure and death.

Surprisingly, Canine Heartworm Disease is spread my mosquitos. When a mosquito sucks an infected dog’s blood, microscopic heartworm larvae enter the mosquito’s body, where they incubate for about two weeks. When the mosquito then bites another dog, these worms pass into that dog’s blood and after about three months when the worms reach adult size, they accumulate around the dog’s heart. Naturally, this means that this disease is more prevalent in areas that have a high mosquito population.

Generally this disease is easily detected through a simple blood test. But at times, an x-ray or echocardiogram as well as other laboratory tests may be needed to diagnose heartworm infection.

So what can you do to treat your beloved pet if it has got Canine Heartworm disease? Thankfully, heartworm disease can be treated if detected early enough. A series of injections with an arsenic based drug kills the worms, and lodges them in the small blood vessels near the lungs. They decompose there and are gradually absorbed by the body over a period of several months. Once all the adult worms are dead, another drug is given to kill all the microfilariae (microscopic immature forms of heartworms). It is extremely important that the dog receive complete rest during treatment to prevent damage to the lungs when the worms decompose. Do not exercise the dog, or get it over stimulated.

Remember, it is always better to prevent disease than to have to treat it. Happily, there is a way you can keep your pet heartworm free. Ivermectin is given once a month year round for the prevention of heartworm disease. It helps prevent canine heartworm disease by eliminating the tissue stage of heartworm larvae (Dirofilaria immitis) for a month (30 days) after infection. A dose every month ensures a pet free from dreaded Canine Heartworm Disease. Ivermectin is available in tablet form, and as an Ivermectin injection.
You can also minimize mosquito bites by using a topical non-toxic mosquito repellant. Good diet, exercise and rest strengthens your pet’s immune system to help fight off all infections before they can get serious.

Heartworm disease is very preventable but potentially difficult and dangerous to treat. Prevention is always better than cure, so make sure your beloved pet gets its Ivermectin dose each month.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”
- Milan Kundera

To your dog’s good health!
Sonia.

Antibiotics – To use or not to use…

Posted by admin on July 25, 2011 None comments

There is just so much hoo-ha these days about antibiotics. You are damned if you take them, you are damned if you don’t. So, what is the real truth about antibiotics? When should you use antibiotics? When should you not?

antibioticwcd

Antibiotics (also known as antibacterials) are drugs used to kill infections caused by bacteria. The word ‘antibiotic’ comes from the Greek ‘anti’ meaning ‘against’, and ‘bios’ meaning ‘life’ (in this case, meaning the life of the bacteria). Bacteria are tiny living organisms that can be harmful to our bodies, causing illness and disease. Generally our immune system is able to fight off and destroy the harmful bacteria before they have a chance to multiply and cause us harm. But sometimes, our immune system is overwhelmed by the attack and is unable to cope. That is when we need antibiotics.
It is important to understand that antibiotics can only cure bacterial infections. They are completely useless against viral and fungal infections. If antibiotics are overused or used incorrectly there is a chance that the bacteria will become resistant, and the antibiotic becomes less effective against that particular strain. However, when used correctly under the guidance of a doctor, antibiotics can perform wonders to cure diseases that often in the past led to death, or at least, extreme suffering.

The first antibiotic was penicillin, discovered accidentally from a mould culture. Today there are over a hundred different antibiotics, however, they can be classified into a few major categories.
1. Penicillins such as Amoxicillin. (Amoxil)
2. Tetracyclines such as Doxycycline and Tetracycline. (Sumycin, Vibramycin)
3. Macrolides such as Erithromycin, Azithromycin and Clarithromycin. (E-mycin, Biaxin, Zithromax)
4. Cephalosporins such as cephalexin. (Keflex)
5. Aminoglycosides such as gentamicin and tobramycin. (Garamycin, Tobrex)
6. Sulfonamides such as trimethoprim and co-trimoxazole. (Bactrim, Proloprim)
7. Fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin. (Cipro, Levaquin, Floxin)
Each kind of antibiotic is effective against a specific kind of bacteria, so it is important to consult a doctor before using antibiotics.

For antibiotics to do you good, it is important to know which kind to take, how to use them and when to use them. It is also extremely important to complete the entire course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, even if you feel terrific after a couple of days. If the course is not completed, the bacteria may not be completely destroyed, and may multiply again. However, this time around, they may now have gained some resistance to the antibiotic, and are thus much harder to destroy.
Of course, like other pharmaceuticals, antibiotics do have side effects. Generally, they are quite mild, and include mild stomach upset and mild diarrhea. However, if you notice any intense side effects, you muct notify your doctor.
Some people are allergilc to penicillin. In that case. please let your doctor know right away, so he can prescribe an alternate antibiotic.

Like all medicines, when the benefits outweigh the risks, and the antibiotics are used under the care and guidance of a doctor, antibiotics can prove to be the greatest boon to the patient. Before the discovery of penicillin, a strep throat generally meant death for the patient. Today, we can just pop a few pills, and be cured in no time.
What do you think? Antibiotics – To use, or not to use?

Today’s quote:
“The trouble with being a hypochondriac these days is that antibiotics have cured all the good diseases.”
Caskie Stinnett.