The Negotiation: Boston Terrier vs. French Bulldog: Video
February 28, 2011 in Fun Videos, News
Who will get the bed? You have to watch the video to see!
You are browsing the archive for 2011 February.
by Melody Chen
by Kenn Bell
What Is The Most Toxic “Human Food” For Dogs On The Market?
February 28, 2011 in Dog Safety, Endangerment, Health & Science News, News
It’s found in everything from cupcakes to toothpastes to nicotine gum. And it’s considered the most canine-toxic “human food” on the planet.
It is xylitol, a sugar substitute that is used in many products that we use everyday
According to the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center, more dogs than ever are being poisoned by products containing xylitol. That’s partly because xylitol use is more widespread than ever and also because of low awareness of its harmfulness among pet owners.
So just how dangerous is xylitol? A few sugar-free Tic Tacs, a pack of Trident gum, a spilled tin of Starbucks mints, a sugar-free Jell-O dessert cup. All it takes is just a tiny amount of this toxin to send a dog into hypoglycemia-induced seizures and sometimes fatal liver failure. All dogs are susceptible, some more than others. It has been calculated that as little as a gram of sweetener can kill a 10-pound dog.
What is very unnerving however, is that xylitol is being added to many pediatric medicines that our veterinarians use to treat our dogs with. And it is only just recently that veterinarians have become aware of this new change.
Now it would be easy to say that all dog owners should speak to their vets about xylitol and carefully read all ingredient labels before purchasing products, yet it seems that will still not solve the problem.
It appears that not all consumer product manufacturers are willing to list xylitol on their ingredient labels.
The moral of the story? Let’s keep human food away from our dogs for now, keep your eyes on the ingredient listings and always question your vet about drugs you have to give your dogs.
We have a new “chocolate” to contend with and it’s called Xylitol.
by Kenn Bell
Achieving Inner Canine Peace: A Poem
February 28, 2011 in Inspirational, Lifestyle News, News
A beautiful poem about achieving inner peace. Enjoy!
If you can start the day without caffeine.
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains.
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles.
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it.
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time.
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment.
If you can conquer tension without medical help.
If you can relax without a glass of wine.
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs.
Then you are probably… the family dog!
Thanks to Roxy Xrouz.
by Kenn Bell
Dolphins Save A Doberman In Marco Island, Florida
February 28, 2011 in Dog Safety, Heroics, News
Quite an incredible story about how one of man’s best friend was helped by another of man’s best friend. You gotta love dolphins!
by Kenn Bell
Nervous Dogs Could Be Helped With “Pressure” T-Shirt
February 25, 2011 in Dog Safety, Health & Science Files, Lifestyle News, News
Susan Bechtel is one very patient and loving dog owner.
Hi guys, just wanted to let you know that this isn’t a review. We haven’t tried it and we are not making any money off of it. We just thought it was a really interesting product. If you have tried it, please leave your thoughts, pro or con, in the comments section.
Thanks!
Kenn, Max & Remy
First, there’s Drake, an active border collie who likes to go running with Susan but also likes leaping the fence and go running on his own. When someone knocks on the door, he barks like a madman and actually begins spinning in a circle, biting at his own tail. He’s lovable, even if he’s a little nuts.
Then, there’s Winnie, a nervous little guy with wiry hair, a bum shoulder that gives him a bit of a limp and a perpetual shake. He finds most of the world a scary place and that makes it difficult for him to learn and follow Susan’s commands.
Susan’s done everything she can to make her dogs comfortable and secure, but she’d really like for their behavior to improve.
Enter the Thundershirt which claims to have the “Best Solution for Dog Anxiety.”
The Thundershirt is, essentially, a tight-fitting, neoprene jacket for dogs. It wraps around the animal’s neck and mid-section and is secured in place with Velcro straps. The wrap creates pressure without restricting the dog’s movement.
“Pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system,” the site says. “Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. The Thundershirt is like a giant, wearable hug that never ends.”
“Probably the toughest dog to train is a dog that’s afraid of the world,” says Scott MacConachie, a certified dog trainer and owner of K9 Ponderosa in Delaware, Ohio.
?
MacConachie tested the Thundershirt on Drake and Winnie as Susan was there to watch.
First, MacConachie gave some basic commands to Winnie without the Thundershirt. The dog was his usual nervous self. Then he strapped the Thundershirt on Winnie. Almost like magic, the dog seemed calmer and obeyed all of MacConachie’s commands.
It was then Drake’s turn and like Winnie before him, Drake’s behavior and demeanor changed as soon as he was strapped into the Thundershirt.
Susan was amazed at both dogs’ responses in the shirt.
And while MacConachie noted that the shirt definitely appeared to make a change in the dogs behavior, the Thundershirt’s own website only claims 80-percent success.
by Kenn Bell
Blood Donated By South Jersey Dogs To Help Fellow Canines
February 25, 2011 in Dog Safety, Health & Science News, Lifestyle News, News
After Remy finished donating blood, he was rewarded with a bowl of creamy, chicken-and rice-dog food that he eagerly lapped up.
Yes, that’s right, dogs need blood drives, too.
Remy, a six year old boxer from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was one of several dogs that gave the “gift of life” at Saturday’s K9 blood drive which was sponsored by the American Red Cross Pet Aid team.
These blood drives have been taking place since 2002 and are held four times a year.
On Saturday’s blood drive, five pints of blood were donated.
Red Cross volunteer Elaine Sullivan of Mount Holly, New Jersey helps coordinate the drives by recruiting donors and scheduling times for the donations.
“There really is a demand for canine blood,” said Sullivan.
“With the advances being made in animal medicine (veterinarians) are able to treat more illnesses and injuries. They’re now doing hip replacements, back surgeries, and many dogs need transfusions when suffering from anemia.”
Inside the Animal Blood Mobile provided by the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, veterinary technician Amy Guldin checked the dog donors’ health status and took a sample of blood to test for anemia before a blood unit was drawn.
And when Guldin takes blood from a canine, she goes right for the jugular.
“The veins in the legs of dogs aren’t big enough,” said Guldin. “So we clip a small patch of hair on the neck, clean it with disinfectant and draw from the jugular vein. It takes about four to five minutes. Then we give them the food, and they really love it.”
Guldin said the Animal Blood Mobile will travel to dog clubs, parks and neighborhoods in and around South Jersey “about once a week depending on our need.”
The next K-9 blood drive is scheduled for May 14.
For more information, go to the Pet Aid website at www.burlingtoncountypetaid.org.
by Kenn Bell
Little Girl’s Service Dog is a Real “Tattle” Tail
February 25, 2011 in Lifestyle News, Service Dogs, Uncategorized
Thanks to her dog, Sam, there’s no mischief that 11-year old Joy Cahill can get away with.
You see, Sam, a 3-year-old Labrador/spaniel, is not only Joy’s canine playmate he is also her service dog.
Joy, born with Down syndrome, also suffers from respiratory distress and epilepsy. She has supplemental oxygen and a feeding tube. A seizure affected Joy’s ability to walk and she required physical therapy.
“He’s gotten to know her norm,” said Denise Cahill, Joy’s mother. “So when something is not normal, he reacts. He also doesn’t let Joy do anything she’s not supposed to be doing. We call him ‘our built-in little tattler.’ ”
It was a few months ago that Denise learned that Joy can be as mischievous
as any child. Joy, who’s not highly verbal and sleeps with oxygen and a machine that measures her heart rate, learned how to switch off her machines when everyone was sleeping and also discovered the fun of leaving the house when other family members are occupied .
That was when Denise began researching service dogs and found Sam, a rescue dog through Midwest Assistance Dogs Inc.
Sam, who now goes everywhere with Joy, not only senses when she is about to have a seizure, but also, mysteriously, when her oxygen levels are low. And along with constantly monitoring her health, Sam does not put up with Joy’s shenanigans.
“The first week we were home, he came out of her room at 3 a.m. and nudged me,” Denise said. “She had shut off her machines.”
Currently it appears that along with being her service dog, Sam has benefited Joy in other unexpected ways. Having to give Sam commands, Joy’s verbal and social skills have improved. And since she is responsible for Sam’s basic care such as brushing his coat and feeding him, Joy has also progressed in physical therapy and grown in her ability to assume responsibility,
Denise acknowledges how hard Sam works and how much she wants to give him a break, “but when (Joy) comes home, it’s like they haven’t seen each other for three days.”
by Melody Chen
Parrot Feeding Dog: Cute Video
February 24, 2011 in Fun Videos, News
Wow, that beak sure has a firm grip!
