Posts Tagged ‘healthy’
Dogs and Diabetes
Posted on: January 29, 2011
By Kelly Marshall
Diabetes in dogs is increasing in number. Some authorities feel that it may be due to the increasing instance of dog obesity. Keeping your dog at a good weight can avoid many illnesses including diabetes.
The difficulty with diagnosing diabetes in dogs is that the symptoms can be very subtle and seemingly unrelated to diabetes. Often owners do not notice many of the symptoms until there is an emergency.
Some of the symptoms of diabetes are:
• Cataracts
• Fatigue and lack of interest in play and exercise
• Increased thirst and increased urination
• Lack of activity can increase weight gain
• Weight loss can be very noticeable. It can be sudden or gradual
Any combination of these symptoms may indicate diabetes.
There are several factors that contribute to the develop diabetes. Senior dogs are more likely to develop diabetes. Dogs over ten years of age are more likely to become diabetic. If your senior is overweight, it increases the chances of diabetes.
Un-spayed females are more likely to some degree of developing diabetes. Dogs that are under fifty pounds get it more frequently than heavier dogs. While this may sound contradictory to the obesity facts, it refers to dogs that are naturally under fifty pounds. It does not mean that your Great Dane should be under fifty pounds.
Diabetes cannot be cured. It can be controlled with insulin and intense attention being paid to the dogs diet and activity.
After your dog consumes a meal, the food is broken down into glucose and nutrients. These are absorbed by the blood. As the glucose circulates through the blood stream the pancreas begins to increase its insulin production. In a dog, this does not happen. The increased levels can cause many issues with your dogs health.
Insulin injections will supplement the bodies production and assist in digestion and maintaining healthy levels of glucose. With the large variety of insulins available, you may have one that only has to be injected once each day or one that needs to be done more frequently. Your veterinarian will make that decision.
Once your dog has been diagnosed, maintaining a schedule is very important. Your dog should be fed the same time each day. Exercise should also be done on a time schedule. Diabetic dogs need a healthy diet that contains a lot of good protein, vitamins and minerals. The amount of food is also carefully controlled. Any variation from this can cause an emergency situation for your pet.
There is no cure for diabetes. It can be controlled. Diabetes cannot be prevented. There are some researchers that feel it may be genetic or particular to some breeds. Dog weight management that can be achieved by feeding your dog a healthy diet is key. Combined with a routine exercise program are you best methods of preventing or delaying the progression of the disease.
It is vitally important to observe your dog for significant changes in habits, appetite or energy. If you notice any changes, contact your veterinarian.
About the Author: Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at Oh My Dog Supplies – where you can find dog feeders, small dog beds, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you’ll never find at your local pet store.
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Dieting Is For The Dogs
Posted on: January 29, 2011
By Connie Janzen
Sure my dog is a little chunky. But I was a little more than surprised when the veterinarian told me that I needed to put my Lhasapoo on a diet. She needed to lose three pounds! That may not seem like much but on a 18 pound dog it’s a lot of weight.
I never did give her people food and snacking really wasn’t an issue. She is just a sedentary dog and is quite happy spending the majority of the day going from one napping place to the next. Occasionally she’d get a rare burst of energy and want to play fetch with a toy back and forth down the hallway, but other than that sleeping is one of her favorite things to do.
So at her doctors request here’s what we did:
* Changed her food to a low fat formula
* Measured out her daily food allotment to only ? of a cup a day
* Changed her treats to low fat, high protein treats and only gave then sparingly
* Cut back to a ? small dog bone in the morning instead of a whole treat
* Rewarded her with rawhide chews
* Increased her activity
* Gave her canned green beans if she was still hungry
In the six months between vet visits she met her goal, lost the required weight, and was looking really good…then the marks I put on the scoop I was using to measure out her food wore off. I began eyeballing the amount of food I was giving her.
I didn’t change anything else and I couldn’t have been off by more than a few pieces of kibble at each meal, but apparently those few pieces were enough for her to start putting the weight back on. I was so shocked when I saw the scale at her last vet visit and made them re-weigh her, twice, because there had to be an error. There was no way that she’d put the weight back on.
Well, now we’re starting over again.
The only problem is now she thinks that she’s never going to get enough food. I’ve had to switch to a larger size kibble to force her to chew her food instead of just inhaling it. As well, I’ve begun placing a soup can in the middle of her food bowl and then pouring the food around it so that it slows her down and makes her work a little harder when eating. (Recently I’ve found that you can actually purchase bowls with raised pegs in them that are specifically made to slow down fast eaters. But if you’re on a budget and don’t mind the homemade version, a soup can works just as well.)
Since the beginning of this journey, now any time I use the can opener, no matter what I’m opening, she thinks it’s green beans and that they’re for her. She’ll come running from wherever she’s been sleeping, start jumping up and down, so excited for her healthy treat. That I can live with.
Having her healthy, and making sure she has the best quality of life she can have, is not only my responsibility but my goal. For all the love she gives me it is the least that I can do to love her enough to see that she is healthy and happy.
Like it or not, dieting is for the dogs, but it’s for me too. If the scoop was in the other paw I’m sure I’d have lost a lot of weight by now too!
About the Author: Connie Janzen is a bonafide animal lover, a foster parent for the Humane Society, and the proud owner of Barkley Paws Pet Boutique. Your everything for your dog place to shop online – from pet strollers to dog treats. Great prices, personalized service, and fast shipping! Check it out today! If you can’t find what you’re wanting let her know and she’ll do her best to find it for you.
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Top Medication For Dogs
Posted on: January 29, 2011
By Brian Jenkins
Keeping your furry friend healthy is easier if you understand and know about the medications and preparations that are most often prescribed by veterinarians. Many of the most commonly prescribed dog medications are preventatives. Others are meant for treating common conditions that affect dogs and their health. Take a look at some of the top medications that can help keep your dog healthy and playful throughout his life.
Heartworm can kill your dog. The parasites are carried by mosquitoes, and can infect the heart and permanently damage it. Heartworm prevention is one of the most important things you can do for your dog’s health.
Heartgard Plus Chewables for Dogs is a once a month heartworm treatment that will protect your dog and keep him or her safe from the dangers of heartworm. It will also treat and control hookworms and roundworms for up to a month. Anyone who has tried to worm a dog on a regular basis will appreciate the ease of having the task of prevention reduced to giving the animal a single tablet once a month during heartworm season. The Heartguard tablet is specially formulated to be palatable to most dogs, so there’s no fighting to get a nasty tasting pill into your dog’s mouth and holding his jaws closed until he swallows.
Osteoarthritis is a common ailment in older canines caused by a lifetime of wear and tear on the cartilage in the joints. The stiffness and soreness can seriously affect your once playful pet, making it difficult for them to get to their feet and painful for them to move, run, play and climb stairs. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but there are medications that can make your pup’s life less painful and restore his quality of life.
Cosequin is a nutritional supplement that promotes joint health and may prevent or delay the onset of osteoarthritis. It is formulated with high quality chondroitin and glucosamine, essential amino acids that are found in health joint fluid. Cosequin has been proven to maintain joint health in controlled, published studies. The all natural supplement can be used to improve joint health in dogs that already have compromised joint function, or given as a nutritional supplement to protect joints before damage happens.
Rimadyl Chewable Tablets are one of the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory and pain relievers for dogs. The NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) reduces inflammation and pain due to osteoarthritis. It is also commonly prescribed by veterinarians to reduce pain and soreness after surgery. Rimadyl tablets are designed to taste good to dogs, so you won’t have to fight to get it into your pet, making it easier to give the tablets according to your veterinarian’s directions.
Diarrhea is not unusual in dogs, but it can be a concern and can also cause further problems. Diarrhea can be caused by emotional stress like a move or boarding in a kennel, by illness or antibiotics given to treat another illness or by eating inappropriate foods. One of the dangers of diarrhea is a resulting imbalance of intestinal bacteria that can create other infections and illnesses.
Fortiflora is a natural supplement made by Purina for dogs with diarrhea. It contains a probiotic that encourages the growth of healthy, needed bacteria in your dog’s intestinal tract. The live active cultures promote a healthy balance of intestinal flora in your dog, and promote a healthy immune system. It also contains high levels of vitamin A, E and C to promote overall health and well being. Fortiflora is specially formulated by one of the leading makers of pet foods to be tasty and palatable for dogs, so it will be easy to treat your dog and ensure his future health.
Fleas, lice and ticks are one of the perennial problems faced by any pet owner. These dangerous critters are more than just an annoyance, though. All three can transmit serious diseases to your pet, and can be responsible for allergic dermatitis that makes your dog miserable. Flea infestations can be impossible to eradicate, and can affect your entire family, while various types of ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other serious illnesses that can affect your dog’s heart and other organs. Battling fleas can be a major undertaking for a dog owner, but there are medications that make it far easier.
Frontline Plus is a topical treatment that kills fleas, ticks, lice and their larva and eggs, and prevents reinfestation for up to a month. The topical treatment collects in the hair follicles and is released throughout the month to kill fleas, larva and eggs within minutes, and prevent fleas from reinfesting your dog’s coat for thirty days. It also kills all stages of ticks, including deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease, before they can transmit the disease.
About the Author: Brian Jenkins is a freelance writer who often writes about topics pertaining to the care of pets and health options for pets such as Pet Meds at http://www.vetrxdirect.com/
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