Posts tagged "dog health"

Preventing pregnancy in an unspayed dog is a huge challenge -- that is, unless your dog is wearing her chastity belt.

Yes, a chastity belt. It sounds medieval – and there is some metal mesh in the construction of the Pet Anti-Breeding System (PABS) -- but dog trainer and inventor Dexter Blanch tells Paw Nation he's just keeping up with the needs of dog owners' today. Made to buckle on the rear end of a female dog in heat, the PABS allows her to get rid of waste but blocks an interested male dog from making too close a connection.

We talked to Blanch from his home in Shreveport, La. to find out more about his "holistic" approach to preventing pooch pregnancies:

When we heard about this, we laughed, but it sounds like it could work.
That's everybody's reaction, and actually I can understand it, really.

How did you come up with the PABS idea?
I've been a dog trainer for 41 years and I knew it was a needed product. But it really hit me one day when I was hunting with one of my registered female dogs and we came across a bunch of male dogs. She was a young dog and was learning so I needed to keep her in the field but her heat cycle came at the wrong time, and I was like, wow, suppose something were to happen.

My wife Anna and I had no idea. Turns out that when we acquired our puppy, we also received a Hoover upright free of charge! Our canine vacuum will consume almost anything within reach, including food we've dropped on the floor, socks, underwear, snow and even part of our down comforter. Yesterday, inexplicably, she wolfed down a wad of paper towels. A few days before that, she chewed up my favorite wooden stirring spoon. Perhaps the worst offense was when Pippi obliterated one of Anna's notebooks. It had been full of information Anna needed at the office, and required her to explain to her boss that our dog literally ate her homework. "I felt like such a moron," she says.

Perhaps we should count our blessings. After all, since the great diarrhea incident of early February, Pippi hasn't consumed anything that has aggravated her stomach. Also, she tends to stay away from the furniture and, of course, hasn't nipped any people.

And yet it's expensive to replace and replenish household items and foodstuffs, and we worry about Pippi's well being. Surely bits of wood can't be particularly conducive to digestive-tract health. For this conundrum we turn to you readers. We've been doing our best to keep potentially edible items out of her reach, but beyond that, what can we do? How do we ensure that young Pippi doesn't find herself at the vet with, say, an eggbeater in her stomach?

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Both cats and dogs can suffer from halitosis, aka bad breath. The number one cause of bad breath is periodontal disease, although it may also be caused by gastrointestinal disease, kidney disease, poor diet or sinus infection. Just like in humans, periodontal disease occurs when saliva, bacteria and food particles form plaque on the teeth. If untreated, this can develop into gingivitis and later periodontal disease.

There are a number of home remedies that are often recommended to help freshen your pet's breath, such as adding garlic, parsley or fenugreek to their food, but do these really help? According to Dr. Brett Beckman, a veterinary dentist and oral surgeon form Port Charlotte, Fla., although these remedies may prevent you from having to endure the foul odor of your pet's breath, they offer no benefit to your pet whatsoever and may even be harmful.

"The odor is produced by a population of infection producing bacteria that live in the pockets between the gum and the tooth," Dr. Beckman tells Paw Nation. "The smell that causes bad breath is a result of their waste products that accumulate in the gum pocket. Unless these bacteria are mechanically removed, they will continue to destroy the gum, making the pocket larger and eventually destroying the bone," explains Dr. Beckman.

There are ways to prevent plaque build-up on your pet's teeth and so avoid bad breath and its subsequent health risks. Dr. Larry Baker, owner of Northgate Pet Hospital in Decatur, Ill., explains that brushing your cat or dog's teeth with pet toothpaste, which contains less fluoride than human toothpaste, is the best way to keep plaque in check. This special toothpaste even comes in beef and chicken flavors that your pet will love.

"It is really not necessary to brush any surface other than cheek surfaces, where most of the tartar collects and causes bad breath," Dr. Baker says. "Once removed, it will come back, regardless of what is done in most cases, just much slower when you brush daily. The next best thing is Oravet, a wax that can be easily applied to cheek surfaces of teeth with your finger or a brush. It just takes a few seconds and helps to keep plaque and tartar from forming," says Dr. Baker.

Once the tell-tale brown tartar stains have formed on your dog's or cat's teeth, the only way to remove it is through professional cleaning by a veterinarian. Mechanical removal of the bacteria is done under general anesthesia. However, Dr. Beckman warns that cleaning alone may not remedy the problem. "Pockets and bone loss must be evaluated with dental x-ray to make the correct diagnosis and treat the problem correctly."

You can find out more about keeping your pet's teeth healthy and which products are available by visiting the Veterinary Oral Health Council.

Mangy mutt! It's an oft-uttered exclamation to stray dogs in the movies, but by and large, mange is misunderstood. There are three types of mange: demodectic mange (red mange), cheyletiella, and sarcoptic mange (scabies). Paw Nation spoke to Dr. Steven Kasanofsky, Medical Director at Riverside Animal Hospital in New York City, to get the scoop on red mange.

What is red mange?
Demodectic mange, better known as red mange, is a skin condition caused by the Demodex canis mite, that actually lives in dogs' hair follicles. In most dogs, these mites don't cause problems, as pets with healthy immune systems are able to keep clinical signs at bay.

What are some signs of red mange?
Clinically, red mange often appears as scaly red lesions with some hair loss, most commonly appearing first on the face (especially around the eyes and at the corners of the mouth) and also on the neck and paws. There can be just one or two lesions (localized) or the lesions can cover a larger portion of the body (generalized). In more severe cases, the lesions can be accompanied by crusting, pain, and deep skin infections.

Who is most susceptible to red mange?
Mange is most often seen in animals with compromised immune systems. Puppies (with not-yet-matured immune systems) and older dogs (with debilitated immune systems) are most likely to get mange. Animals who are under intense stress and/or malnourished are also at a greater risk.

Dog eye discharge -- we've all dealt with it. In fact, it's a rare morning when our pups wake up without a bit of icky goop in the corners of their eyes. Yes, we know: eeeewwww.

However, there's a difference between the harmless daily discharge that occurs in all dogs and dog eye discharge caused by an infection or disease. According to PetPlace.com, abnormal dog eye discharge can appear suddenly or gradually and can come in many forms, including somewhat clear and watery, mucoid (or gray and rope-like), mucopurulent (meaning it's a thick yellow-green color) or bloody. Watch the tissue around the eye for irritation and puffiness, and remember that, generally speaking, more discharge means a more serious problem.

These different types of dog eye discharge have a few possible causes. A problem with the tear duct can prevent normal tear drainage, or there could be excess tear production caused by eye pain. Inflammation of the eyelid, cornea, iris or blood vessels in the eye can cause this, or it could be due to another problem, such as corneal ulcers, lens displacement, or another defect within the eyelid.

If your pet seems otherwise perfectly normal, try cleaning the area with a warm, damp cloth and flushing the eye with saline solution, says Natural Dog Health Remedies. However, you should never use human eye drops or other human eye medications on your dog.

If the problem isn't resolved in a couple of days, or if your dog seems at all bothered by the eye (acting differently or rubbing the area), get to your vet right away for an accurate diagnosis.