Acute Pancreatitis In Dogs

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All mammals have a pancreas.  It plays an important role in metabolizing sugar in the body by producing insulin and it produces pancreatic enzymes to help the body digest nutrients.  In cases of acute pancreatitis the pancreas becomes inflamed.  It is a life-threatening condition.

Causes

Pancreatitis can be caused by both external and internal factors.  Some medications can contribute to pancreatitis.  Dogs can also develop infections which affect the pancreas.  Certain metabolic disorders can cause the body to have high amounts of lipids in the blood or high amounts of calcium.  Even trauma can bring on pancreatitis.  But obesity and nutrition are most commonly associated with pancreatitis.  Dogs which are overweight or which are fed diets high in fat are at increased risk for pancreatitis.  Dogs which are fed fatty table scraps or which are allowed to binge during holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas can often have an attack of acute pancreatitis.  Thanksgiving leftovers and other fatty foods can lead to an attack of acute pancreatitis.

Symptoms

Dogs suffering from acute pancreatitis may show some of the following symptoms:

Painful abdomen
Distended abdomen
Lack of appetite
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Depression
Dehydration
Hunching their bodies
Oily or greasy stools
Fever

You may notice these symptoms at home.  They may be particularly noticeable if your dog has binged on some fatty food or gotten into the trash and eaten something he shouldn’t have.  If you see these symptoms you should take your dog to the veterinarian so he can assess whether or not your dog has pancreatitis.  Your vet will be able to determine if your dog has other symptoms that can accompany a severe case of pancreatitis such as heart problems, difficulty breathing or a possible hemorrhage.

Diagnosis

Your vet can make a diagnosis of pancreatitis by talking to you, observing your dog, doing a physical exam and performing some laboratory tests.  If your dog has pancreatitis he will likely have an increase in certain enzymes in his body, such as amylase and lipase.  His liver enzymes may also be affected.  His white blood cell count will also probably be raised.  Your vet may also want to take x-rays or an ultrasound.  There is also a new test called a serum cPLI (pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity) test that can help determine the state of the pancreas.

Treatment

Treatment of pancreatitis will depend on the severity of the attack.  The immediate goal will be to get the attack under control and return your dog’s enzyme levels to normal.  Your vet will have to get any vomiting stopped.  Generally, your dog won’t be able to take normal food, water or oral medications for about 24 hours.  This will also give his pancreas time to return to normal.  During the next few days he will take a bland, easily-digestible, low-fat diet.  It’s very important for his recovery that his fat intake be controlled and reduced.  Your dog may need to switch to a special diet.

Your vet will also make sure that your dog is getting enough fluids.  Dehydration is common in dogs with pancreatitis so your vet may need to give your dog fluids intravenously.

Since acute pancreatitis involves an inflamed pancreas your dog may be experiencing pain.  Your vet will manage pain with pain relievers and may give your dogs appropriate antibiotics.

Long-term Recovery

It is possible for a dog to have one episode of acute pancreatitis and fully recover.  Making adjustments to his diet and avoiding fats may prevent any further occurrences.  In other cases a dog may have recurrent bouts of acute pancreatitis.  There can be complicating factors.  If your dog has diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, epilepsy or other health problems, then pancreatitis may become chronic or even lead to fatal complications.  You and your vet will need to work together to manage your dog’s long-term health needs.

Recommended Resource Veterinary Secrets Revealed

Acute Pancreatitis In Dogs courtesy of Dog Articles

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Socializing Your Dog to Other Dogs

Zoe and Wiley, Castro Valley Dog Park

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You have a new bag of dog food and a bunch of new toys. You planned to take a day off work just to make this trip just as you have been planning for weeks and waiting for the pup you picked out to be weaned. You placed a deposit on the animal six months ago, long before it was even born and the day has finally come. You’re bringing the new puppy home today. On the way home, one of the kids asks, “Dad do you think him and old Yeller will get along?” UH OH… Forgot to plan that one out, didn’t you? Now what? Well, it looks like you are going to get a socializing lesson for your dogs. So how hard can it be? It’s not really difficult at all if you follow these simple steps.

For the First tip, insure the Safety of Both Animals and Yourself. To start, make certain that the puppy will be safe. If the new dog is small enough, place the new pup in a pet container or some other sturdy structure that prohibits the dog from actually physically contacting the animal but still allows for both animals to see, smell and hear each other. This provides a way for both animals to acclimate to each other in a safe situation. In the case of larger dogs or two adult dogs, leashing both animals may be advisable and having an assistant on hand is recommended.

Secondly, rewards will work wonders at achieving a peaceful home life for your two pets. After the animals have both calmed a bit give them each a small reward, such as a morsel of some favourite food. Be sure to give the dogs lots of verbal praise and affection for not barking or trying to be aggressive towards each other as this will show the dogs that you are accepting of the other pet’s presence and you expect them to be also. Repeat this process several times until both animals seem fairly accustomed to the presence of the other and their aggressions seem to have subsided.

The third tip to socializing your animal is Get Help. This step will require an assistant to help with one of the animals. Have the assistant leash the dog and hold him firmly on a very short leash. After instructing the assistant to maintain control of the dog, open the pet carrier and bring the new pet out carefully or if both animals are on leashes, bring them together. Your dogs will likely move towards each other to explore the other animal so be sure the assistant has the dog held tightly and be careful not to let the new pet panic and escape your grasp. Gradually bring them closer together and let them calmly adapt to each others presence. The dogs may show a bit of an aggression towards each other and this is ok at first. They will learn a pecking order quickly and resolve any small dilemmas between themselves.

The final point to remember is that not everyone is going to get along. There will be days where the dogs are going to feud. Some animals were just never meant to live in harmony but with a lot of patience and a little direction you can make your household fairly peaceable most of the time. When things go sour, just take it in stride and put the animals in their separate areas for a bit and, given a cooling period, they will be friends again in no time.

Another great idea for socializing your dog to other dogs can be done long before you get a new pup. Take your dog to the park or some place with lots of dogs and let him explore the other animals. Perhaps even be the host of a Pooch Party and invite several playmates for your dog and their human companions to come over for a treat and some time together. This is a great way to teach your dog some manners and also gives you a great way to relax. With these simple tips you can be certain that life around your home will be much more peaceful and your pets will have companions for a lifetime.

Recommended Resource Dog Trainer Pro

Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

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My Dog Will not Listen to Me

Puppy beagle

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Bringing home a new dog is extremely exciting, but we generally overlook the fact that a new puppy doesn’t understand a great deal.  They are yet a baby.  Their mother and siblings have shown them a few things about being a dog, but when it comes to understanding people, they are a novice.

It doesn’t count how many times you say to them, “NO!” or “OFF!”,  if your our puppy hasn’t yet discovered what these words mean.  They maybe don’t even understand their name yet.  They certainly have no idea what exactly it means when you inform them to lie down or leave anything alone. So your natural reaction is “my dog will not listen to me”.

Your puppy can rapidly become very good at interpreting your body language and understanding the tone of your voice, however you need to carefully train them on every single word and phrase which you want them to know.  Puppies aren’t born understanding English or any other dialect.  It’s up to you to teach them the basic vocabulary.

If you are adopting an grownup dog, then they will also need to be taught some things when they come to live with you.  They may know some fundamental words, particularly if they are housebroken,  but your household will most likely have some words that are strange to them.  There may be some new rules that they don’t know yet.  It will take a little time for your new dog to understand the new words for things.  They might know a few things by other names — “bathroom” for “potty,” or “dinner” for “supper,” and so on.  Try various words for things and see if they react to them.  You could possibly discover the words and phrases that they are familiar with.

However, there are times when your puppy or dog does know particular words and phrases but opts to disregard you.  If you have been training your puppy or dog and you realize that they know the word “Sit”, but they won’t sit for you, then there may be something incorrect with your training methods.  Most likely your training is inconsistent.  You might not train very often and your dog doesn’t see any good reason why they ought to obey the command, when it is only utilized once in a while.  In these situations, you should practice more often, so your dog will take the training more seriously.

If you allow your dog to sleep on your bed six nights in a row and on the seventh night you tell him very sternly that they are not permitted on the bed, the chances are that they are not going to take you seriously and you are left with the assumption that “my dog will not listen to me”.  Training is the same way.  If you would like your dog to listen to you, then you must be consistent in what you tell your dog and in what you expect them to comply with.  Be consistent, use the identical words for things, and always be reasonable.  You must also train regularly, so that your dog is aware you are committed to the things you are instructing them.

If you are inconsistent or you don’t train fairly often, then it is likely that you will end up believing, “my dog will not listen to me”.

Remember that your puppy isn’t born knowing any language at all.  Like human children, puppies have to learn the meaning of words.  They cannot hope to learn any intermediate training, till they begin to comprehend some words in the home. Fortunately, puppies learn very quickly and they can begin to learn all that we have to teach them — as well as some things we don’t mean to teach them.  Your puppy will begin paying attention to you as soon as they are able.  It’s up to you to teach things that are worth learning.

So, do you now think that you have some answers to your “My Dog Will Not Listen to Me” dilemma?

Regards

Tracey Metcalfe
www.jms.net.au

Penthouse Blues

We are told to ask and we will receive, but sometimes we ask and don’t quite get what we thought we asked for. Maybe we were not clear enough.

©Tracey Metcalfe 2011 – Permission to use this image must be obtained  prior to use. To obtain permission please leave a comment to this post,  using a valid email address and we will be in contact.

How To Train Using Your Dog’s Personality

Dog Training - Jan 2009

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This type of training is effective because it takes the dogs natural tendencies and just reinforces them and focuses them into proper channels. Let us now look at some of the behaviour and personality traits that can be advantageous to training.

For Curious dogs, it is quite easy to train in all manner of tricks and behaviours. These dogs are naturally inquisitive and can be taught such tricks as opening and closing doors or fetching cold drinks from the refrigerator. An easy trick for this dog is fetching ones slippers or even bringing you the food dish at your dog’s meal times. These dogs love to perform so give them lots of chances to do so. They are most easily trained by giving them a challenge to work out. Perhaps hiding a treat under a box or playing games such as hide and seek with them. These dogs are excellent for tracking once they learn to focus their attentions.

The Aggressive dog can be a bit harder to tame but does have its useful areas. A dog with aggressive tendency will be very defensive of its master, including the master’s house and belongings. This animal should be trained with this thought in mind but it is of great consequence to also teach this animal proper outlet for its aggression and also, when enough is enough. In other words, clearly and consistently teach the no and leave it commands or you run the risk of finding this dog mauling a neighbour’s child for getting too close to the fence.

The Friendly dog is a pure pleasure to train as they truly want to please you and will do almost anything to gain your attention and approval. These dogs are wonderful companions and are awesome when trained for specialized uses such as visiting nursing facilities or hospitals in a pet therapy usage. These dogs do require a bit of training in how to contain their sometimes over friendly advances and must be taught the “down” commands and the “lick / no lick” commands as their warm personalities can be a bit overpowering for some peoples liking.

The Shy or Reclusive dog will be in adventure to train, as first you have to find the pet. This animal will make it a point to stay out of your reach and usually out of your sight. These animals can be stubborn during the training process and they must be taught to answer when called. Leash training most easily facilitates this with a lot of rewards for appropriate behaviour. Negative reinforcements rarely work with these animals, as they perceive this is a further reason to avoid your presence.

The Nervous or Easily Frightened dog is very similar in training technique to the Shy pet. They require patience and understanding during training and much in the way of positive reinforcements. Avoid using negative reinforcements unless a particular behaviour could prove immediately harmful to you, the pet or another individual. This animal will not respond well to negative reinforcements and these will damage the trust relationship between you and the pet. Trust is a very important issue with these animals and this must be established before any other training will have any effectiveness. These dogs almost always have had prior abuse or neglect issues.

Learn as much as possible about the past of the animal and find what behaviours trigger the fear responses of the animal. For example, if you raise your hand when you say “no” and the dog whimpers, drops to the ground or tucks its tail and runs, you can safely assume someone has struck this dog at least once. If this is the case, modify your training behaviours and hand movements to be less threatening to the animal. Perhaps, instead of raising your hand with the command, just give the verbal cue. This still implies the same lesson to the animal without producing fear, which is contraindicated in training. After the dog learns to trust you, hand gestures can be added later at the animal’s comfort level.

As we discussed before, each animal is different and you may see traits of any or all of these personality types in your pet. You should use this knowledge to modify your training and achieve a happier, healthier bond between you and your pet by reinforcing the animal’s own personality.

Recommended Resource Dog Trainer Pro

Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

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Can You Catch A Disease From Your Dog?

Ancylostoma caninum, a type of hookworm, attac...

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We all love our four legged friends, but is there a possibility we may catch something from them?

Most everyone is familiar with tales of rabid animals, dogs included. Animals that foam at the mouth, go insane and are more than willing to bite. Chances are, you’ve never met a rabid animal, but you’ve certainly heard of one.

If you’ve ever been bitten by a dog, you’ll know that one of the things they have to do is rabies testing on the animal to make sure there is no way you could contract the disease from the bite.

Obviously, if there’s this much concern, there is definitely the potential for you contracting an illness or disease because of your dog.

Rabies is what is called a Zoonotic Disease. Derived from the Greek word “zoon”, or animal, and “nosos”, or ill, zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted from a wild or domesticated animal to a human (or vice versa).

While these diseases are relatively rare, they are still something to be considered when approaching strange or stray dogs as well as when handling your own.

Even if your animal does not appear to be ill, he could easily have a parasite you aren’t aware of. For example, hookworms can be present in the feces and (consequently) the salvia of an otherwise healthy dog without your knowledge. If you or your child were to let your dog “kiss” them while he is infected with hookworm, it could very easily be spread to you or your child. This demonstrates the importance of worming your animal early on and making sure your animal has regular check ups.

Hookworms, rabies, salmonella, roundworms, fleas, lyme disease, tapeworms, giardia, ringworm and other bacterial, fungal and parasitic illnesses are zoonotic and can be caught from your animal.

The best solution here is preventative maintenance. For one, always be sure to take your animal to the vet for regular check ups and for his routine vaccinations. If your animal is not sick, there is no way you can catch a sickness from him.

Also, do not handle animal feces directly. Always wear gloves or use a doggy poop bag when handling your animal’s waste. Also, always be sure to pick up any animal waste in your home quickly if there is the potential for your child to come in contact with it.

Wash your hands frequently when handling any animal. At the very least, be sure that wash your hands in between handling an animal and eating or touching your mouth in other ways. Use caution around strange dogs. Even if they appear healthy and friendly, they way very well be carrying a parasitic or fungal infection which could be contagious to you.

While it seems like there is much to be wary about in terms of your animal (or other animals) infecting you, remember that the list of zoonotic diseases is very short in comparison to the number of diseases you can catch from another human. As long as you are sure to worm your animal, treat them with flea/tick treatment if necessary, take them to regular vet check ups and stay hygienic when handling animals, you have very little to worry about.

Recommended Resource Veterinary Secrets Revealed

Can You Catch A Disease From Your Dog? courtesy of I Love Dogs Articles

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Bit Too Fast on the Last Corner

Are You Moving Too Fast?

Life just seems to move so fast these days and we seem to spend so much time trying to catch up. So what are the dangers of our fast paced lifestyle?

©Tracey Metcalfe 2010 – Permission to use this image must be obtained prior to use. To obtain permission please leave a comment to this post, using a valid email address and we will be in contact.

Dog Skin Conditions

Itchy Dog
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There are many causes of Dog skin conditions. They may be the result of hormonal issues or imbalances, additives and preservatives in dog food, dehydration, rashes brought about by seasonal, environmental or food allergies, mange, fungus infections, mite irritations and so on. As you can see this is not a straightforward topic. Dog skin conditions are common enough occurrences and they drive both the dog and the owner crazy. Regrettably the higher the breeding, the more susceptible to dog skin conditions the dog is, as many times there is a lot of inbreeding that goes on, thus weakening the immune and genetic strength of the breed.

Dog skin conditions for many owners are easy to miss, since most breeds of dogs are covered with a thick coat that can hide the smallest skin problems. If your dog is scratching and chewing a lot more than usual, it is possible that they have a dog skin condition that need to be treated. Many dog skin conditions are treatable and can often be prevented.

Prevention is your best treatment option, through learning about common dog health problems, maintaining your pet on a routine pest treatment, regular vet visits and feeding them high quality pet food.

Commonly, dog skin problems begin with moist eczema or moist dermatitis. Many dog skin problems take a while to surface, but it always seems like it happened over night once you notice them. In addition allergies from inhalants will show up as skin conditions in dogs.  Seasonal dog allergies resulting in dog skin conditions can include parasite allergies. Sometimes allergies can cause dogs to get bad odors on their feet, in their mouth, their skin /fur, and in their ears.

If you suspect a food allergy the best course of action is to eliminate everything but a few ingredients and gradually add ingredients, paying attention to whether your dog’s skin problems diminish with each change. Contact allergies are harder to identify, as you will need to watch everything that your dog is coming into contact with and observe the result. As soon as the allergen is identified contact with it needs to be eliminated.

If a skin problem does develop, you have many treatment options. See your vet to rule out any underlying heath conditions that may be producing the skin condition. There are vet approved dog skin ointments and dog vitamin supplements to ensure the proper treatment of dog skin issues. There are also a number of natural options to think about such as lavender oil.

Ultimately, your dog is depending on you to make decisions that are in his or her best interest. Only by understanding your dog’s condition and your treatment options, will you best be able to do that.

Answers To Commonly Asked Dog Questions

A Keeshond-Sibirian Husky puppy
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Here are the answers to just a few of the questions most commonly posed by by dog owners:

1. What supplies do I need to have on hand before I bring my new puppy home?
The first thing you’ll need is a travel crate for your dog’s trip home. You’ll also need to buy some high quality puppy food and bowls for food and water. Your vet, breeder or shelter personnel can tell you which brands of food are the best. Other items you’ll need to get in advance of the new puppy’s arrival are: an adjustable collar, a leash, toys and bedding. Don’t forget to make an appointment with your veterinarian for your puppy’s first check-up!

2. What is crate training and how do I do it?
Crate training is a method by which your dog is taught to stay in a crate within your house for prolonged periods of time. This is an especially useful technique for dogs that would otherwise tear up the house when left alone. The best time to start crate training is when your dog is still a puppy. Leave him in the open crate for brief periods of time at first and then begin closing the door behind him. Make sure that your puppy’s crate experience is always positive by giving him treats and rewards whenever he enters the crate. Once he is comfortable, you can leave him in the crate for increasing periods of time – give him his meals there as well. Never use the crate as punishment. You want your dog to feel that his crate is a safe refuge, not a prison. Furthermore, the crate is a place where your dog can go to feel safe and secure while you and your family are away from home for a few hours. When you’re home, your dog should be out of his crate and socializing with his human family.

3. How do microchips work?
A microchip is a very tiny device that is injected underneath the dog’s skin, usually at the neck. If your dog is lost, then any veterinarian or shelter can use a scanner to read the information on the microchip and then return the dog to you. Do you need to microchip your dog? If you are always with your dog, then a microchip might not be necessary. However, given that the implantation procedure is such a safe and simple one, you really should consider it. Even the most closely guarded dogs can get away from their owners.

4. How can I tell if my dog has worms?
Some of the most common worms that a dog can potentially have are: heartworms, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms and whipworms. All can cause internal irritation and damage to your dog, but heartworms can be fatal. So, it is very important that your veterinarian routinely test your dog for these. Your vet will take a stool sample from your dog and look for worms under a microscope. Of course, if you see what you think are worms or worm pieces in your dog’s stool, get him to a veterinarian for treatment as soon as possible.

5. Why should I get my dog fixed?
Unless you plan to professionally breed your dog, you should get him or her neutered or spayed (fixed). Pet overpopulation is an extremely serious problem in the United States. There are just not enough homes for all of the puppies and kittens born each year; and, as a result, over 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized annually. Don’t let your dog contribute to the overpopulation problem – have it fixed! Spaying and neutering procedures are routine and pose very few health risks for your dog. If there are no complications, your dog can usually come home on the same day.

In addition to its being an effective pet population control measure, spaying and neutering can also benefit your dog’s health. If you have your dog neutered or spayed before it reaches 6 months of age, then its risk of developing certain types of cancers and infections will be cut in half.

6. Why should I take my dog to obedience school?
Every dog should go through some form of obedience training. Obedience training not only allows you to get your pet to do what he’s commanded to do, it teaches you to communicate effectively with your pet and get the best out of him all the time. Obedience training also helps socialize your pet, as he is taught to remain calm in a room full of unfamiliar people and dogs.

Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

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How to Stop Your Pup From Chewing the Wrong Things

A Dog Chews
Image by lucianvenutian via Flickr

Here are Five Simple Steps To Stop Your Pup From Chewing

You got your brand new pet almost a week ago. In that time period, the small beast has eaten three pairs of footwear, four of one’s favorite novels,  gnawed the trim surrounding the bathroom doorway, chewed through the power  lead of your laptop and just this morning, you discovered him gleefully munching your wallet with a side order of your current charge cards. This  is getting costly really fast and beginning to get hazardous for your pup also. Maybe it’s time that we intervened to stop your pup from chewing.

So how can we handle this situation? Once more, we want to be  sure our young  pup is well to start with, so off to the vets office, if you haven’t been lately. There is a health condition that can cause chewing in pups, apart from the usual tendencies they have of  chewing to investigate their world. This illness is named Pica and triggers your pet to eat non-food items in an attempt to cope with nausea. So please, go to your veterinarian and be sure your animal  posesses a clean bill of health.

The next step involves understanding that, while chewing is a  normal and strong component of any pup’s growth, it has permissible and unacceptable outlets. Puppies find out about their environment through chewing much the same as human children. They utilize their senses to  discover the new world, which lies in front of them and their tactile  awareness and sense of taste is brought into play as they chew on  different things. Much like human children, pups also require our  protection from the hazards that lurk in their explorations. Electrical cords, needles, poisonous houseplants and household chemicals, even chocolate, all pose extremely genuine threats to your pet.  It s your duty to safeguard the animal from all these dangers.

Regular training with the “NO” command is able to do this. “NO” is a  word your dog needs to learn early and respond to immediately. This one  word has saved many dogs from a number of horrible fates and can be use to stop your pup from chewing. The pup is  taught by repeatedly using the “NO” command every time a situation  occurs. If your pet is caught chewing on your shoes, say “NO” in an  affirmative tone and get the item from the animal. Do not allow it  become a game of tug-o-war. Rather, remove the item swiftly or reinforce your “NO” with a spray out of water bottle, a loud clapping of  the hands, or a gentle but convincing tap on the nose. This little  distraction is usually sufficient to make a dog lose interest in whatever  they may have been munching on.

Also, do not give chase to an animal who is chewing on an undesirable choice of chew toy. They are going to interpret this behavior to be a game and they will be  very happy to play for hours on end. Rather, calmly work your way  towards the animal and then remove the item. For items that are habitually mistreated, a chemical additive like Bitter Apple might be a way to impart a foul taste to the item and make it unpalatable for the animal to chew on.

You do not want to completely stop your dog from chewing however, as this behavior is healthy for them when exercised properly.  Instead, give them suitable objects for their chewing pleasure.  Perhaps a dog toy. Rope toys and crunchy dog biscuits supply good outlets for a dog’s damaging activities and also help to keep up the oral hygiene of your pet.

Also be aware that all animals are different. Your dog may respond differently than a different dog in a given situation. Some dogs develop aggressive stances upon attempts to remove an object from their  possession. If your dog becomes threatening and territorial, then  expert assistance is highly recommended to prevent additional problems or biting.
Can you see how implementing these simple strategies, can stop your pup from chewing and insure your pups’ good  health as well as the well being of your personal items?
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