Lately there have been more stories popping up about stolen dogs, lost dogs and missing dogs. Dog theft is up but since dog theft is treated, statistically, like any other property theft, it’s almost impossible to really track any numbers.

One thing for sure, dogs are being seen as ‘opportunities’ to the unscrupulous. They steal them, they sell them and they are even ransoming them back to the owners.

The latest scam seems to be aimed at the owners of lost dogs. Imagine, you lose your dog somehow, it’s heartbreaking! You worry and wonder. You plaster posters everywhere, check out shelters, contact lost dog websites to send out alerts, offer a reward.

Then you get a call from someone saying they found your dog. You’re ecstatic!! And this it seems is when the scam starts;

The pitch: “I found your lost dog!”

The scam: A phone call from someone who reports finding a beloved pooch is usually cause for celebration. But Western Union warns that it could be a cruel scam. The company has received reports from owners of lost dogs who say they’ve been called by people identifying themselves as truckers. The dog, a supposed trucker says, was found along a highway.

How it works: The driver says there was no time to get the dog home because of a tight delivery schedule. Now the truck is across the country, but the trucker offers to put the dog on a flight. All you have to do is wire money for the fare. Or sometimes the trucker will also say the dog was injured, and request additional money to cover vet bills.

Read more… »

“If I catch my dog digging in the garden one more time…” Fortunately the thought of taking drastic action gives way to frustration as you try to cope with a dog who digs.

The annoying habit of digging ranks high on the list of behavior problems of dogs. Unfortunately, there is no one answer to solve this particular problem.

In some instances, the instinct to dig is the heritage of the breed. Over the centuries dogs have been bred for a variety of tasks ranging from the close interaction of toy breeds with their owners to sporting dogs who require regular sessions of physical activity. Nordic dogs dig holes to cool themselves. The heritage of terriers (from the Latin, “terra,” for earth) has been to dig underground after rodents and small game. Dachshunds were developed to chase badgers into their holes.

Some dogs, regardless of heritage, may be more inclined to dig if they are left alone in the yard for long periods of time. Digging is often the result of boredom and this can be a learned behavior in some dogs.

Read more… »

First, Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

The signs depend upon the extent of heat stroke. In the early stages, your pet will pant rapidly, have thick, ropey saliva, and have bright red gums. His body temperature will be between 104-106°F.

As the body temperature climbs above 106°F, your pet will go into shock with subsequent organ shutdown.

He will have pale gums, be weak and dizzy, with vomiting and diarrhea. The brain becomes affected and he may seizure or fall into a coma. In this case, he requires immediate, life-saving veterinary intervention.

The normal body temperature of a dog or cat ranges between 38 - 39°C or 103°F. Our pets maintain this temperature through panting, however sometimes they are unable to lose enough heat. Dogs and cats probably do suffer from heat cramps and heat exhaustion like us humans but the symptoms are mild and we don’t recognize them. The condition that we see is heatstroke, and it may cause the death of a pet.

Most Common Causes of Heat Stroke

Being in a Hot Car - Never leave your pet in a parked car in sunlight. The car heats up to be like a sauna even on mild days.

Excessive Exercise on a Hot Day - Minimize exercise in the heat of the day. Avoid exercising your dog in unusually hot or humid conditions especially at the start of summer. Most heatstroke cases are seen at the start of summer.

Not Enough Shade or Cool Water - Make sure your pet has plenty of shade to escape to during the day. Make sure your pet has plenty of fresh cool water (the water should be placed in the shade) available at all times.

Read more… »

I’ve written quite a number of times on puppy scams and scammers. For people who get taken in by these thieves, the damage and loss goes beyond just monetary. Think of the heartbreak for the person who is excited and looking forward to their new puppy; again and again they’re requested to send money and more money for something they’ll never receive.

Scammers work in a variety of ways, mostly through advertisements, internet and email. Yesterday I got yet another one of these emails and I wanted to post it as a warning. Scammers usually always use ‘free’ email addresses and have some kind of a ’sob story’ to play on your heart. Death or religion are two of the biggest ones. Often the language and grammar are poor as if English is not their native language and they tend to be overly effusive. They often offer puppies, mostly small breed, for sale or adoption, for free or very much below what is the ‘going price’ for these breeds of puppies.

Read more… »

Pet First Aid Tips and Information

Bite Wounds:
Approach pet carefully to avoid getting bitten. Muzzle animal. Check wound for contamination or debris. If significant debris is present, clean wound with large amounts of saline or balanced electrolyte solution. If these aren’t available, use regular water. Wrap large open wounds in a clean cloth. Apply pressure to profusely bleeding wounds. Do not use tourniquet. Wear gloves if possible. Bite wounds often become infected and need professional care. Call your veterinarian.

Bleeding:
Apply firm, direct pressure over bleeding area until bleeding stops. Hold pressure for at least 10 straight minutes (continually releasing pressure to check wound will hamper clotting). Avoid bandages that cut off circulation. Call your veterinarian immediately.

Breathing Stops:
Check to see if animal is choking on foreign object. If animal is not breathing, place on firm surface with left side up. Check for heartbeat by listening at area where elbow touches chest. If you hear heartbeat but not breathing, close animal’s mouth and breathe directly into nose–not mouth–until chest expands. Repeat 12-15 times/minute. If there is no pulse, apply heart massage at same time. The heart is located in lower half of chest, behind elbow of front left leg. Place one hand below heart to support chest. Place other hand over heart and compress gently. To massage the heart of cats or tiny pets, compress chest with thumb and forefingers of one hand. Apply heart massage 80-120 times/minute for larger animals and 100-150 times/minute for smaller ones. Alternate heart massage with breathing. Please note: Even in the hands of veterinary health professionals, success of resuscitation is very low overall. Success may be slightly higher in cases of drowning or electrical shock. Call your veterinarian immediately.

Read more… »

Ear infections show up on the list of the top 10 reasons for vet visits for both dogs and cats. Here’s some tips on how to handle some of those those problems.

Ear infections and problems are one of the top reported problems faced by many pet owners. Does your dog or cat shake their head and scratch their ears or rub their ears against the ground or furniture? Do you ever notice a foul smelling, discharge in their ears, black, yellowish or brown in color? Are their ears red and tender? These are all signs of an ear infection or problem in your pets.

A dog or car’s ear canal is L-shaped which causes dirt, moisture, parasites; mites, and wax to be trapped in the canal which can lead to ear infections. Dog which have long, floppy ears tend to be more prone to ear problems due to the lack of air circulation available to the canal. With long haired, floppy eared dogs, you can keep the hair trimmed on the inside of the ear to increase air circulation.

The conventional treatment for most infections is antibiotic and anti-fungal medications. The problem with these treatments is that they treat only the symptoms, not the underlying cause. To successfully conquer the problem, both must be treated. Medications will mask the problem and may actually make it worse in the long-run by creating a chemical imbalance in the ear resulting in long-term problems.

Read more… »

With summer here many of us are doing more traveling and taking vacations and we love to take our dogs with us when we can. Here’s some great safety travel tips for you and your canine companion

• Secure your dog in the car with a crate or seatbelt. If your dog is crate trained and the crate fits in your vehicle, this is a great, safe option. A specially designed seat belt harness works with your existing seatbelts to keep your dog safe. Dogs should be belted in the rear seat to keep them away from front air bags which may seriously harm or kill a dog if deployed. If you drive a pick up truck, it is against the law in many places, not to mention very dangerous, for a dog to ride free in the back; use a secure crate or harness & short leash containment method.

• Never leave a dog in the car on a warm, sunny day as heat as temperatures can sore to over a 100 F within a few minutes regardless if the windows are open an inch or two or the car is parked in the shade. Older dogs, puppies, overweight dogs and those with heart or respiratory problems generally have a harder time regulating heat. Breeds with short muzzles such as bulldogs and pugs cannot pant efficiently and should be kept cool. Signs of heat stroke include heavy panting, profuse sweating from paw pads, thick saliva, dry mouth and high body temperatures (above 105F), weakness and more serious signs that include nausea, diarrhea, breathing problems, muscle tremors, seizures and collapse. If heat stroke is suspected, immediately lower body temperature by spraying with cool water (NOT COLD WATER as constricts blood vessels and impedes cooling), covering with towels soaked in cool water and placing the dog in front of a fan or in an air conditioned car. Follow up with a veterinarian is essential as there can be internal organ damage.

Read more… »

Dog theft is on the rise, all you need to do is check out the news. Small dogs, especially, are big business and big money. Thieves are targeting these dogs and pet owners are suffering.

Here are two stories of stolen pets, both Yorkies, one from Florida and one from Texas and some tips on protecting your pet.

Thieves Bypass Valuables, Steal Dog

One Florida couple, the McKinnons, who had been victims of home invasion previously, had their home broken into and the thieves bypassed jewelry, electronics but not their dog. Precious, a 3 year-old, 5 lb Yorkie was stolen and the couple are heartbroken.

“It’s just very sad that someone would do this to you,” said the dog’s owner, Ken McKinnon. “I don’t know what to do.”

“She’s as cute as can be,” McKinnon’s wife, Marie McKinnon said. “I don’t know if (they took her) because they couldn’t get anything else.”

Since the theft on Tuesday, they worry whether Precious will be properly taken care of. They’ve put up fliers, a video on YouTube and registered at petfinder websites.

Read more… »

Owning a pet can ward off depression, lower blood pressure, and boost immunity. It may even improve your social life.

A pet is certainly a great friend. After a difficult day, pet owners quite literally feel the love.

In fact, for nearly 25 years, research has shown that living with pets provides certain health benefits. Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety. They boost our immunity. They can even help you get dates.

Allergy Fighters

“The old thinking was that if your family had a pet, the children were more likely to become allergic to the pet. And if you came from an allergy-prone family, pets should be avoided,” says researcher James E. Gern, M.D., a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Read more… »

As a nation of proclaimed animal and dog lovers, many of us take our dog with us on trips or even when we are just our running errands and summer time is definitely peak travel time. Most places now have laws to protect people from driving without vehicle restraints for our safety but what about the safety of our furred companions?

A dog loose in a car is a distraction not only for the driver and passengers and also for other drivers. They are also a serious hazard in the case of an accident. They can be propelled around the vehicle and cause serious injury to persons in the vehicle and to themselves. It’s not something we often think about but we need to!

Read more… »

Hearing that your beloved canine companion has been diagnosed with cancer has got to be one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to a pet parent. You want to know if there’s anything you can do and what. You search for help and advise from any source available.

Here’s some wonderful advise and something you can do to help.

A Healing Diet for Dogs with Cancer

You never want to get the news that your dog has cancer. However, it’s good to know there are many effective treatments available to dogs now. One of the simplest and most affordable is a good diet. While the food you give your dog won’t necessarily cure cancer, it can make a significant difference in your dog’s ability to fight the disease.

If your dog is diagnosed with cancer, you should make it a priority to help him maintain as healthy a body as possible with a sound immune system. This may require some adjustments to his diet, because many cancers cause dogs to lose weight and muscle mass. This condition, called ‘cachexia,’ can be caused directly by the cancer or it can be the side effect of some cancer treatments.

Read more… »

With summer upon us, those scorching days will be hitting their peak so I thought I’d pass on some ‘cool’ ideas for your canine companion.

A dog’s temperature is supposed to be about 102 F and since they can’t sweat it really doesn’t take too much for dogs to overheat. You definitely want to make sure your pooch has plenty of fresh cool water and someplace cool and shady to escape the heat. I know my two prefer the AC vents themselves. But then I’m sure I’ve mentioned at least once or twice that they’re completely spoiled!

Read more… »