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Skunks and Fireworks Are NOT a Dog’s Best Friends

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My senior dog Otto has never liked fireworks, but he’s never been a total wreck around the Independence Day holiday, either. He will pant...

Making Weighty Decisions for Our Dogs

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Using optical coherence tomography, the technicians were able to get images of the interior of Odins cornea. They observed that a tear or bubble has formed between the corneal endothelial layer and the next layer upward (outward), the Desemets membrane.

Tea Tree Oil Diffusers Are Toxic to Dogs

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While some essential oils can benefit dogs, others are extremely dangerous - especially when used in their concentrated form. Tea tree oil demands extra caution around dogs, cats and small children. Although exposure to any essential oil is generally most concentrated when it directly contacts skin, tea tree oil diffusers and liquid potpourri present specific health concerns to dogs. These items release essential oils like tea tree continually into the air, risking exposure by inhalation.
Soaking dry dog food in water can make it easier to swallow for senior dogs.

Soaking Dry Dog Food in Water

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If youve ever soaked your dogs food, youre aware of how much dry dog food expands when immersed in water. Its a little horrifying, actually, to realize how much more space a certain amount of food will require in a dogs stomach and gut once the dogs digestive juices hydrate the individual kibbles. It nearly doubles in volume. The kibbles are like little sponges - some more than others. Ive noticed when soaking food for various foster puppies that some kibble is more resistant to soaking than others.

Torn Cruciate Ligaments in Dogs

A cranial cruciate ligament injury in a young, healthy dog is typically an athletic injury. In older dogs, it is usually an injury of chronic wear and tear. This explains why its so common for a dog who has damaged the CrCL on one side to then tear it on the other side. When you take one back leg out of commission, the work load shifts to the other, increasing the strain on the ligaments of the good leg.
canine cancer patient

Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs: Is It Always Cancer?

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Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are one of the most frequent skin cancers seen in dogs. Mast cell tumors are the reason why careful monitoring of any skin growths is essential for maintaining a healthy canine. Any new masses on the skin should be evaluated by your veterinarian. In regards to MCTs, there are several predisposed breeds including Boxers, American Staffordshire terriers, and pit bulls.

Want to Help Animals? There Are Many Ways You Can

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It may be that when someone talks about volunteering to help animals in a shelter, that the average person imagines herself walking dogs or cleaning cat boxes in a shelter facility. Those are tasks that shelters can often use! But there is literally no end to the ways that people can help homeless animals.

Camp Fire: More Notes from a Disaster Area

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Tens of thousands of people and animals have been affected by the fire, and thousands of people are helping those displaced. Several emergency shelters were hastily set up to contain pets. Some of the pets were left at the shelters by owners who were themselves homeless and staying in shelters; many more were rescued and brought to the shelters with either an address or rough estimate of where they had been rescued from.

How to Keep Dogs Off Furniture – If You Want To

There's a method to keeping your dogs off the furniture if you don't want them there. I personally love a dog on my lap or under my arm when I'm sitting on the sofa. Not only do I enjoy the cuddling, I also get cold easily and love the warmth of dog bodies next to me. In our home, we keep the furniture covered with blankets for easy removal when company comes (dog hair begone!) and both dogs are taught to get off and/or stay off when asked to do so.

Are Dogs More Fearful Than They Used to Be?

An increasing percentage of clients are bringing dogs to me for help with fear-related behaviors. Many of my fellow behavior professionals agree: They, too,...
dog with runny nose

When to Worry About Your Dog’s Runny Nose

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It's that time of year again. Runny noses and sneezes abound for us humans, as new plants bloom in the fall. But did you know that your dog can suffer a runny nose too? Dog runny noses are more correctly called nasal discharge. It can run the gamut from clear and watery to thick and purulent. The appearance and frequency of nasal discharge in dogs can tell you much about the underlying cause.

Is Frequent Urination in Dogs Normal?

If the symptoms your dog exhibits are straining to urinate, frequent, small accidents or repeated, small puddles when going outdoors, a likely cause is a lower urinary tract issue such as a bladder infection, bladder stones, or cystitis (bladder inflammation). Diagnostics will include a urine sample, urine culture, and possibly xrays of the bladder. Some breeds such as Schnauzers are more prone to certain lower urinary tract issues like bladder stones.