Presidential Dogs – First Dogs of Presidents the Annual First Dog Shows of the Westminister Dog Show, the 134th Annual Westminister Dog Show presentation did not fail to please dog lovers around the world. Presidents have had dogs in the WhiteHouse and this president has Bo Obama. Just like other presidents who have loved dogs as all Americans do, watch some of the presidential dogs.
TAGS: Presidential Dogs, Westminister Dog Show Review 2010, the 2010 Dog Show Westminister Show, The Presidential Dogs Club, Bo Obama, Presidents Dogs, dog health.
Best in Show for the Westminister Dog Show -2010 See the Highlights in the Video
the Scottish Terrer Sadie wins the Best in Show Category and the dogs were just beautiful. Not that your dog isn’t the Best in Show in your Home.
tags: Best in Show 2010 Westminister Dog Show, Sadie Wins the Show, best in Show dogs, Show Dogs at Westminister, Dog Show Highlights Video, Video of Westminister, Sadie wins the 2010 Westminister.
You have to howl at these Pet Strollers that carry your dog and some critics will say but that defeats the purpose of a walk.
These strollers are designed to help your dog enjoy some outdoors and fresh air when they are lame, disabled, or older dogs that just can’t make it all the way home. You can walk your dog along with the stroller and when they are getting tired give them a lift all the way home. In this manner your dog will enjoy the fresh breezes and still be outdoors. Dogs that are sick are not likely to want to get out of the house much but as they progress and get better you will find this stroller comes in handy.
Tags: pet strollers, strollers for pets, older dogs, sick dogs, strollers help older dogs, dog health products, dog health, dog health problems.
Jan. 23, 2010 Dog News – The Haiti Dogs Rescue People Under Rubble
The Haiti disaster on Jan. 12, 2010 has been a disaster of untold consequences to human life. The problem is the rubble and people trapped under mountains of concrete and the US has send search and rescue to dogs to help save Haitians.
These dogs sniff for human life and are finding people alive in Haiti and some are from the Search Dog Foundation in the United States. This organization was started in 1996 for disaster and is a non-profit and non-government organization which has helped firefighters find people in disasters.
The search teams are based in Florida and California and provide life saving searches for people. You can donate to this worthy organization by going to : Donate to Search Dog Foundation to save even more lives.
TAGS: dog news, working dogs, Haiti Dogs, Search dogs in haiti, search dog foundation, working dogs, dogs save lives, sniffing dogs, training dogs to sniff, dog rescue in haiti, dog health.
Is it possible for your dog to get the swine flu from a human who contracted the swine virus from a pig? Seems like these viruses have crossed the line of human to animal and back to human to another species. It makes one wonder what is being cooked up in those laboratories these days.
You would think there would be a real effort to cure diseases rather than create new ones. No one believes that a virus from 1918 could surface again unless it was released from a lab.
Well back to dogs now. Do Dogs get the human H1N1 virus? No. Do they get other viruses? Yes. Can they be cured and prevented yes.
Here is what to do: Take your dog to a holistic veterinarian for a summary of what symptoms your dog has currently and a whole health assessment. The holistic vets can be found in each state at this site:
There are many herbs and supplements you can use to prevent flu the natural way without vaccines, drugs or chemicals. Natural Anti-Virals are safer and without side effects. The association has numerous listings of vets in your area that can help your dog stay healthy and not contribute to illness.
TAGS: dog health, dog health issues, American Holistic Veterinarian Medical Association, Dog Swine flu, dog anti-virals.
Is Your Pet Dying From Over-Vaccination Due to Vet Economics?
(courtesy of vaccinenews.com)
Over vaccinating your pet with needless vaccines can lead to its death, you must know the truth about vaccines that your vet will not disclose to you.
We found this article for you from : www.VaccineNews.com – if you want the TRUTH- read this:
Nationally and internationally, companion animals (pets) are being over-vaccinated – a practice that is resulting in vaccine related deaths, severe illnesses, reduced longevity and large monetary costs to guardians (pet owners).
The most common practice is the annual administration of rabies vaccine, based upon the oft-stated supposition that an annual booster is necessary to maintain the vaccine’s effectiveness. In reality, there is no research substantiating that practice, and veterinary schools and professional associations increasingly are embracing a triennial administration standard.
A study of more than 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs in the United Kingdom by Canine Health Concern in March 2001 showed a 1 in 10 risk of adverse reaction from vaccines! The study, which tracked over a seven-month period the health of cats and dogs vaccinated by one UK veterinarian, found that 7.54% to 12.42% of the dogs had adverse reactions within a 45-day period post-vaccination. An almost-identical number of cats – from 7.56% to 12.44% — also suffered adverse reactions within 45 days. This is quite contradictory to the vaccine-manufacturers’ claim that less than 15 adverse reactions occur out of 100,000 companion animals vaccinated. The UK study results were reported at the 99% confidence level. Vaccine manufacturers rely on adverse-reaction statistics from the vets themselves.
In our opinion many vets continue to cling to the annual rabies shot has less to do with a cautious standard of care and more to do with their economic dependence on vaccinations for fiscal solvency. This is especially true of a substantial – if not vast – majority of small vet practices (1-3 people, non-specialty, non-emergency practice).
A vial of rabies vaccine costs the veterinarian about 61 cents and is typically administered at a cost to the guardian of from $15 to $38 – not including the $35 office visit. In perspective, an 18-oz. package of Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes® is $2.20 to the grocer and approximately $2.75 retail. If the grocer’s mark-up were comparable to that of rabies vaccine, Frosted Flakes would cost $137 without the office visit and more than $260 with it. To borrow Tony the Tiger’s expression, that size of a mark-up is “Gr-r-reat!”
Take out 1 year of rabies vaccination and the consequential office visit– just for dogs — and the average small-practice vet’s income drops from approximately $87,000 to $25,000 — and this doesn’t include cats or other vaccinations!
The Veterinarian “Shot-based Practice” Model is a systemically flawed economic approach and potentially detrimental to companion animals. Bad practice-management becomes bad medicine, resulting in unnecessary — and widespread — death, illness, reduced longevity of companion animals and unnecessary cost to owners.
Shot Based Practice Analysis
The vast majority of dog owners vaccinate yearly. There is an arguably safer choice –the three year rabies vaccination option — but many, many in the veterinarian community are not informing the guardians (pet owners) to the potential detriment of their animal companions’ (pets’) life, health, and longevity.
Could economics be a factor in this lethargic effort on the part of many vets to provide their clients with an opportunity for informed consent?
Yearly rabies vaccination is big business and materially impacts the small-animal vet practice!
We can make these assumptions based upon various surveys and studies printed by animal association groups and trade associations.
· Average vet has 2,500 dogs and cats (45% dogs).
· Cost of vial of rabies vaccine is 61 cents.
· Cost of inoculation is between $15 and $38 yearly not including office visit.
· Cost of office visit is approximately $35.
· Price markup on rabies vaccine: 2400% to 6200% and again, this does not include the office visit.
If 100% of the dogs in the average one-vet practice are annually given the rabies vaccine= 2,500*.45 (dogs per practice) or 1,125 dogs.
The gross operating profit (after cost of goods, 61cents per shot) equals:
@$15 per shot, a net of $14.39 = $16,189.
@$38 per shot, a net of $37.39 = $42,064.
If the three year option is exercised (versus a yearly vaccination for rabies), then each vet loses between $32,000 ($16,000 x 2 years) and $84,000 ($42,000 x 2 years) of operating profit in each three-year vaccination period.
Adding office visits (1 a year for 2 years x 1,125 dogs x $35 per visit) = $78,800 of potential lost revenue.
(Note: The guardian should see that his/her companion animal receives a wellness exam at least yearly, which would extinguish this loss.)
Now, consider these figures. The:
· Median number of transactions per vet per year in 1997 was 5,102.
· Median gross income per vet in 1997 was $305,000 for a one- person practice.
· Net-income median for a one-vet practice before owner’s compensation as a percentage of gross income was 26.8%. Assuming $305,000, that would be$87,300 for the average 1-vet practice.
· Average transaction charge is $58.41 per vet in a one-vet operation.
If 1,125 transactions for rabies vaccine would be lost here is the impact on the one-vet practice for the two years the dog doesn’t get a rabies vaccine (assuming no replacement revenue).
· Transactions go from 5,102 to 3,887 or a 22% decline.
· Gross income falls (at $20 per shot plus $35 for an office visit) by $62,000 from $305,000 to $243,000.
· Net median-income per vet in a one-vet situation could drop from $87,000 to $25,000 or by 71%!
And this is only if dogs were inoculated for rabies on a three-year cycle. The impact magnifies with cats going three years on the shot.
Source: “Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints: Comprehensive Survey and Analysis of Performance Benchmarks:Vital Statistics For Your Veterinary Practice,” published by the American Animal Hospital Association, 1998.
The Small Vet (Non-emergency, non-specialist) Shot Model’s Systemic Dependence on Transactions Assumptions:
- That a $25 rabies shot is eliminated for 1,000 dogs only in one year. (Cats are not considered and parvo virus and distemper shots would still be administered annually).
- Profit on the shot is $24.39 (the cost being 61 cents).
- 26% is the net profit margin.
Result: Instead of 1,000 transactions (shots) yielding $24,390, the vet would have to gross $93,807 from other areas of the practice to replace that net revenue. Furthermore, using a $54 average per transaction, the vet would have to conduct 70% more transactions – 1,737 instead of 1,000 – which would mean a 15% increase in workload (the average vet has 5,100 transactions annually) just to be at the same place. Then consider the loss of office-visit revenue and take out cats, and parvo and distemper annually, and the Small Vet Shot Model indicates red ink.
It appears that even at 20% of the gross revenue, rabies shots may constitute 100% of the net profits – or even worse, subsidize a net-deficit practice – of average small-vet practices. The loss of two years of shots, on which these practices seem dependent, would have a devastating economic impact if not replaced.
It appears that the small-vet economic model is a “shot model,” based economically – by design or by evolution – on transactions rather than expertise. Such a model needs to be reexamined for validity of purpose and economic consequences.
· Vaccine-related cancer in cats: According to Colorado State University Professor Dennis Macey, “the incidence of this often fatal cancer (sarcoma-cancer development at the vaccine site) has been documented by several studies to be 1 to 3.2 per 10,000 cats receiving a rabies vaccine Š If all the cats in Denver (estimated to be 400,000) were to be vaccinated yearly for rabies, the unneeded additional vaccinations would result in an additional 26 to 84 vaccine cancer sites per year! Š I estimate 22,000 vaccine-associated tumors per year. Since surgery is usually unsuccessful, radiation treatment is necessary. Treating all these cats would cost $66 million per year.”
– “Are We Vaccinating Too Much,” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1995· And this doesn’t even consider vaccine related prolonged illness or vaccine compounded deaths or reduced longevity for cats – and doesn’t consider the impact on dogs at all!
Mere Property or Next-To-Kin?
How much money would it take to persuade you to give up your television set? $3,000? What’s that? You say you have a 53″ high-definition projection TV that costs more that $3,000? Okay, would you give it up for $30,000?
Well, the pet food manufacturer, Iams Co., a division of Proctor & Gamble, commissioned a Gallup poll, which found that 66% of the respondents would not trade their dog or cat for $1,000,000! (Dog Fancy, May 2002 issue)
Here are some more facts to chew on:
•An annual American Animal Hospital Survey found that 83% of companion-animal guardians (dog and cat owners) “were somewhat likely … likely … or very likely” to risk their life for their companion animal; 70% said they would spend $1,000 on treatment for a life-threatening illness or accident; 40% would spend any amount necessary.
•Two other studies found that between 44% and 76% of companion animals sleep in their person’s bed.
• Midland National Life Insurance Company gives a discount on life insurance for senior citizens who have a dog, as it has been shown that dogs reduce stress (high blood pressure), routine visits to the doctor and, accordingly, medical expenses.
•In a study by Dr. Karen Allen, assistance dogs were able to substitute for paid-human assistance to the elderly or physically challenged in 68% of activities, saving a net-$13,000 a year in costs.
“Dogs aren’t my whole life, but they make my life whole,” wrote the late Roger A. Caras, noted broadcaster, writer and editor.
Yet, our laws still classify companion animals (domesticated non-farm animals) as “mere property.” In Great Britain dogs and cats are considered sentient beings.
Constructively, we are moving to recognize domesticated non-farm animals as beyond mere property in law. Several states now allow dogs and cats effectively to be heirs – via trusts set up for their care after the primary guardian has passed away.
It is time to declare companion animals (dogs and cats) to be “beyond mere property” and recognize that they are not mere objects. The value of the animal-human bond, and the companionship generated by that bond, should be legally recognized beyond the depreciated value of the cat or dog. This is not “whack-o animal rights” but simple protection both for the companion animal and for the guardian.
By recognizing the value of companion animals to be “beyond mere property, Next-To-Kin,” the law could establish significant civil economic penalties for the loss of that companionship through cruelty – be it of the gut-wrenching variety or the silent, systemic, willful acts of over-vaccination by smiling veterinarians. What else would one call economically driven acts that result in unnecessary suffering, illness, reduced healthy life span, and death?
As long as these $1,000,000 companion animals are legally considered mere property, there are no deterrents to over-vaccination and other types of self-serving, non-informed consent activities.
TAGS: over vaccinating pets, vaccinating dogs, vaccinating cats, too many vaccines, pet vaccines, veterinarians that over vaccination your pet, vaccines for pets, dog health, dog’s health, over-vaccinating animals.
Jan. 06, 2010 This is a True Story of a Dog’s Courageous Protection of its Owner – a Young Boy who was saved from being attacked by a cougar.
A brave retriever named Angel saved a young boy in Canada from a vicious attack from a cougar and saved the boy’s life. It happened in Boston Bar, British Columbia a small town when the boy Austin Forman who is 11 years old was in the backyard gathering firewood at dusk. His dog Angel was strangely acting up and must have sensed the presence of a threat in the area.
Angel started to pace and followed the boy closely as is the instinct of a dog trying to protect the boy when all of a sudden the dog starting running towards a charging cougar to fend off the attack. Angel got right into the thick of it and stopped the cougar from advancing towards Austin.
Photo courtesy of Canadian Press
Austin ran into the house while Angel fought off the cougar and called 911 and when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived they found the cougar had captured Angel and was chewing on the neck area of Angel.
The police officer Chad Gravelle immediately shot the cougar and found Angel had been badly injured by the attack. Blood from the wounds where the cougar had chewed on Angel’s head and neck showed puncture holes and also on the dog’s leg. She remained lifeless but suddenly got up and was coughing up a bit of blood. Angel was taken to the vet immediately and is recovering just fine.
Some may say it is mankind who are living closer to the natural habitat of wild animals and they are forced to try to find food where ever possible. The cougar was a young and skinny female looking for food. The home where Austin lives is near the wilderness area and the Trans Canada Highway. Angel is recovering away from the home for now and Austin is not collecting firewood at night but is leaving his chores for the daylight hours.
Angel is a beautiful dog that the Forman’s adopted although Austin’s father did not want the dog -he can’t say enough about the dog now that she saved his son’s life.
TAGS: Dog saves boy from cougar attack in canada, Angel the lifesaver, Angel saves boy, Angel saves boy from cougar attack, Cougar attack in canada, Angel the dog saves boy from cougar.
Dogs can have OCD or obsessive compulsive disorders just like people do and it generally is involving an object or some funny rituals at the dog bowl before eating like my dog.
Dogs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
Some dogs are prone to becoming victims of obsessive- compulsive disorder when under stress. The stress can cause either a sudden or gradual onset of the condition. The behavior pattern that emerges will depend on the particular breed. In general, long haired large breeds of dogs may over groom, herding breeds may chase or hoard and a pure predatory breed may bite, mouth or chase objects.
All these have human comparisons. All the behaviors performed by compulsive canines are essentially normal behaviors. They are just performed over and over again and out of context. The same occurs with humans. There is nothing wrong with washing your hands repeatedly, but if you wash your hands several hundred times a day you have a problem. Psychiatrists treat the human problems on a case- by case basis.
Veterinarians remain divided regarding the significance of canine overly expressed behaviors. Some feel it may be our attempt to humanize our pets, yet others are not so sure. Whatever the cause, it is very real in some dogs. Lick granuloma in the canine is equivalent to hand washing in the human. Affected dogs lick their wrists or hocks excessively, over- cleaning or over grooming themselves until the skin in these regions is ulcerated. For years, no one knew why dogs engaged in this pointless, mindless behavior.
Now, we are seeing dog health problems with the OCD link and with this understanding are able to treat the condition much more effectively. Lick granuloma primarily affects larger breeds of dogs such as Labradors, golden retrievers, Great Danes and Dobermans. Individual susceptibility and environmental influences are also required for the full expression of the behavior.
Affected animals are usually anxious, sensitive, and high- strung and may give an impression of a generalized anxiety disorder. Environmental factors include various stresses and conflict situations, including separation anxiety or boredom. For your dog’s health problems you may wish to check for holistic products that will remedy this problem without drugs. See your local holistic health professional and check for products that are natural and herbal in nature.
Some pet owners have used melatonin to relax their dogs and help reduce the anxiousness from various sources like thunder, lightening, fear, depression, seizures and restless sleep. Melatonin is a natural amino acid made by humans and animals to reduce anxiety naturally and without drugs. You can read more about it at our favorite store : Melatonin for Dogs.
TAGS: OCD in Dogs, Dogs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Obsession in dogs, dog Lick granuloma, dog disorders, dogs with strange behavior, dog aggression, dog calm, dog health1, dog’s health, dog health problems.
Dog ear problems can start from an infection, ear mites, allergies or a buildup of ear wax. Certain dog breeds can have more difficulty than others because floppy ears which do not allow air circulation.
Any dog breed with floppy ears from Sussex Spaniels to Basset Hounds these breeds are prone to have a potential ear infection problem. Dogs that swim a lot can incur ear infections easier than dogs that do not swim in lakes or rivers. Try drying inside the ear canal gently without probing to dry the ears after swimming.
Symptoms of Ear Infections
The symptoms of ear infections are:
Smelly ears
Rubbing or scratching of the ears
Discharge of wax or pus from the ears
Redness, or heat usually indicates an infection
Pain or sensitive to the touch in the ear area
Sadness, irritability or change in activity
Ear Mites
Ear mites or fleas can be inspected by your veterinarian and a typical exam will reveal the microscopic mites, or any foreign objects in the dog’s ear canal including a build up of ear wax.
Ear mites should be treated as soon as possible to break the cycle of the female mite laying eggs into the ear canal and the surrounding area of the ear. The eggs turn into larva that will feed on the dog’s ear wax.
Ear Infections and Dog Foods
Most dog ear infections can be attributed to dog food allergies and with non-organic foods you run the risk of skin allergies and ear infections. If your dog’s ears are inflamed or hot to the touch there could be an infection brewing inside the ear canal. Some vets attribute ear infections to corn or corn ingredients in dog foods, check your brand and eliminate those dog foods with corn. Most often genetically modified corn is used in dog food to save money on food production.
A holistic vet can find food allergies by doing tests on your dog food and a check on the ingredients of the food. It is important to eliminate the ingredients that can be the cause of the allergies. Also pay attention to where you walk your dog and if it is a public park there may be pesticides used on the grass which can cause infections on the paws and skin allergies. You may wish to check with your city’s bylaws and use of pesticides in public parks as these chemicals cause more than just allergic reactions.
Yeast Ear Infections in Dogs
If the ears smell funny there could be a yeast infection problem and this can be tested by your holistic veterinarian. A culture or swab will indicate what type of infection is present and treatment can begin to eliminate the problem.
Allergies
Your dog may have other allergies which contribute to ear infections such as food allergies or skin allergies from the dog food.
Alternative Natural Remedies
Use a soothing ear cleaner, such as apple cider vinegar and or hydrogen peroxide to clean around the ear area. Your holistic vet can recommend which products to use and how to apply them to clean up the ear infection. This would be applied several times a day until your dog is all better.
Probiotics and Dog Ear Infections
Some of our readers have found that giving your dog organic yogurt and increasing the active cultures can prevent further ear infections especially yeast infections.
A couple of teaspoons for small dogs, a couple of tablespoons for larger dogs and put in their food bowl will keep infections to a minimum. For natural healing the choice of products is important to protect your dog from further infections.
Ears are often ignored in pet care and pet health not so much intentionally but we never think about our pets ears because we do not know there is a problem. A weekly inspection of your dog’s ears may prevent problems from happening and results in a happier dog.
Entries (RSS)