Dog urinary tract infections are common among nearly 15 per cent of the dog population worldwide. The main culprits behind dog urinary problems are often various bacteria that can infiltrate your dog's body. Bacteria enter your dog's internal system through the food s/he eats and the water s/he drinks everyday. In some instances, bacteria gain access to your dog's urinary system through his/her external urinary openings. This is most common in female dogs because they have shorter urethra than their male counterparts, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate.

Dog urinary tract infections occur in the bladder and urinary tract where urine forms and is excreted out of the body. A mild case of infection is not easy to detect. That is why in most cases, dogs are treated only when the infection is already on its advanced stages.

There are two classifications of urinary tract infections in dogs. One is upper urinary tract infection and the other is lower urinary tract infection. These two kinds of dog urinary problems produce different signs and symptoms. Upper urinary tract infection is usually associated with weight loss, anorexia, and vomiting. On the other hand, lower urinary tract infection is associated mostly with abnormalities and incontinence or a change in the dog's urinating pattern.

The most effective way to tell if your dog is suffering from a urinary tract infection is to observe your dog's urinating habits. Check if your dog has enough urine every time he urinates.  If you notice that your dog has to make several attempts before he can excrete urine from his body, the chances are your dog is suffering from urinary problems. A worst scenario is your dog not being able to urinate at all. In this instance, you have to take your dog to the veterinarian immediately as he may already be suffering from a serious case of bladder problem.

Another way to tell if your dog is showing signs of dog urinary problems in their early stages is to observe your dog while taking him out for a walk. Any sign of irregularity, such as cringing in pain, may be a sign that your dog has urinary problems. Foul-smelling urine, blood in the urine, tender bladder, and a reduction of the amount of the dog's urine are signs that you should bring your dog to the veterinarian immediately. If left untreated, your dog could suffer from a more severe case of infection and eventually die.

Although dogs are bound to suffer from urinary problems in any given time of their life, it is still important that owners know how to at least minimize the possibilities of their dog contracting such a disease. Some of the ways to prevent this from happening are the following: giving your dog plenty of clean water to drink everyday, giving your dog a regular bath and shampoo, giving your dog proper nutrition and diet, bringing your dog to the vet regularly for check-ups, and giving your dog citrus juices and other sources of vitamin C.

Clean water is essential as it helps flush out unwanted organisms and bacteria from the dog's body. Proper nutrition and diet also helps to keep your dog healthy. Bringing your dog to the vet for regular check-ups helps to determine early signs of dog urinary problems and thus minimize the chances for bacteria to cause greater harm to your dog's internal system. Citrus juices lessen the presence of bacteria by making your dog's urine acidic. Vitamin C helps to keep your dog in top shape by strengthening his immune system.

Dog urinary tract infections are life threatening for dogs. However, they are highly curable. The most important thing is that as a dog owner, you are able to suppress the growth of the infection by knowing its different signs and symptoms.

This can be achieved with a natural dog UTI remedy. These natural remedies can do wonders for canine UTIs.

Click here for more information.


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One of the toughest responsibilities of owning a pet is deciding if circumstances warrant euthanizing your pet. There are many factors to consider, but analyzing your pet’s quality of life will help you in making the decision.

I've had several requests from readers for an article on this topic.  Personally, I must admit to finding the topic a very emotional one to even contemplate, so I was pleased to get someone else to write this one for me. … 

So here is a step by step guide to assist you if you are considering the ultimate decision for your pet.

If you and your family have found yourselves in the difficult position of wondering whether or not to euthanize your pet, follow these steps:

Step 1: If you suspect that your animal’s life is nearing its end, make an appointment with your veterinarian to get a professional opinion on the prognosis of your pet. The veterinarian will be able to talk with you about pain management options and ways you can make your pet more comfortable, but ultimately the decision to euthanize will be in your hands.

Step 2: If your pet is ill, consider the factors that will contribute to his care and attention. Do you have the time, resources and finances to care for your ailing pet? If you’re unable to spend quality time with your pet through his illness, or if you are unable to afford the medications required to keep him comfortable, you will need to keep those considerations in mind.

Step 3: If your pet is in pain, you need to consider how comfortable you can make your pet during the time he or she has left. If the vet is unable to provide pain management, or if your pet is nonresponsive to the pain management, you may need to consider euthanasia sooner than later.

Step 4: If your dog is not in pain but you fear he is no longer getting enough enjoyment out of his life due to his age or other health factors, begin journaling his activities. Make a commitment to journal his activities for a week, making note of his appetite, sleeping habits and exercise or activity level.

Step 5: Before you analyze the journal, determine with other family members what criteria you need to see in order to determine if it’s time to euthanize. For instance, if your pet slept for 20 or more hours a day, would you consider that sufficient evidence that he is not experiencing a high quality of life? Or, if he is excited to greet you at the door but remains inactive throughout the rest of the day, is that enough activity to warrant that he is enjoying his life? Only you and your family members can create and answer questions such as these.

Step 6: Gather decision making family members to analyze the journal and come to a consensus as to whether or not it’s time to euthanize your pet. Allow the opportunity for all involved family members to share their thoughts and feelings, however try to keep emotions out of the final decision and instead focus on what is best for your beloved pet.

Step 7: If you make the decision to euthanize your pet, decide whether he or she will be cremated or buried. Begin collecting special memories of your pet, perhaps a paw print or a few final photos.

Above all else, spend as much time with your best friend as possible, making him as comfortable as possible until the time comes to mourn his life. Also, although you will be heartbroken, don’t forget to spend time celebrating the life of your beloved pet and the special memories you’ve shared together.

This article was written by the authors at pet super store an online pet shop that carries dog beds, patio pet doors, and dog houses.

And remember, if your dog could write a Will, this is probably what your dog would bequeath to you.


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Pets with Fresh Breath Get More Cuddles

People love to closely interact with their pets — to snuggle, hug and kiss them. When they have bad breath, snuggles, hugs and kisses don’t happen as often. Fresh breath can help improve the human-pet bond, making pets and people happier.  Find out how to keep your dog's breath fresh all the time!
 

A Healthy Mouth Feels Good to Your Dog

Dog dental disease can cause severe inflammation of the gums and socket of the tooth. Inflammation also means the pet is in pain — even if they don’t show obvious signs of discomfort. 
 

Pets with Healthy Mouths Live Longer – Yes, They Really Do!

Pets free of dental disease may live three to five years longer. The stress placed on the immune system and the bacteria that escapes the mouth and makes it's way into the bloodstream can cause major organs like the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver to age prematurely, thereby shortening their potential life expectancy. Find out how to lengthen your dog's life by keeping your dog's teeth healthy!
 

Pet Owners are Looking for a Convenient Solution for their Dog's Teeth

Brushing is the gold standard for keeping the teeth free of tartar, the mouth healthy and the breath fresh. Apparently fewer than one out of 20 pet owners are willing or able to brush their pet’s teeth on a regular basis, and many therefore end up having their veterinarian clean their dog's teeth under anaesthetic, which is both costly and risky! That means 19 out of 20 pet owners are looking for a more convenient way to control dental disease and doggie breath. Dog oral care is it!

You can prevent doggie breath by feeding a healthy diet, brushing your dog's teeth, or by easily adding a solution to your dog's drinking water. – Click here for more info.
 


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February 24, 2009

Odor Control Idea

As any cat owner will tell you, one of the biggest challenges about having a pet cat is the smell of the litter box and the effort needed for odor control. Cats are very clean animals, but because they are territorial and because they like to bury their waste in the same spot, it is up to their owners to manage their smelly cat boxes.

Ammonia and cat feces are two very strong odors. It is important to make sure that proper odor control is in place to reduce or eliminate the odors. Cat urine contains ammonia and in high concentrations it could be toxic to you and your pet. It is very important that the litter box be kept clean.

First it is necessary to make sure you have enough litter boxes. If you have multiple cats, experts suggest that you should have one litter box per cat, plus one extra. This keeps the cats happy because they don't have to share, and it keeps one litter box from becoming too dirty. You can also control smells by keeping the litter boxes somewhere with good ventilation, and away from where you spend most of your time.

Cleaning the litter box frequently is the best way to achieve odor control. Cleaning it at least one time daily should suffice. This task can be accomplished easily if you use scoopable litter. Odor removal litter will keep the box from smelling.

Daily removal of soiled cat litter will ensure that the litter box remains fresh. The litter contains chemicals that can neutralize the odors of waste and ammonia. However, it is important that the box be cleaned regularly. Odor removal litter can be purchased that will aid in reducing the smell. A litter box that has air filters built in will also help. The air filters need to be replaced occasionally but they will help reduce the smell in the air.

Another good idea is to have air fresheners in the area where the cat boxes are stored. They can be candles, or the kind that plug into the wall, or sprays that refresh the air. Either way, they will go a long way in keeping your home smelling clean and saving your nose.

The first step is ensuring there are enough litter boxes. It is recommended by experts that there be one litter box per cat plus an extra litter box. Place the litter box in a location that has good ventilation. Cleaning the litter box frequently is the best way to achieve odor control. Odor removal litter will keep the box from smelling. When you remove smell kitty litter, your battle with bad smells will be helped quite a bit. Using litter boxes with lids help significantly too. Another good idea is to have air fresheners in the area where the cat boxes are stored.

- Fred Wild

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February 21, 2009

Dog Food- Avoid Their Health Problems

Purchasing dog food is baffling even under ideal circumstances. However, with the current economic situation, there are further concerns. This is because there are inexpensive foods and some pet foods that are costlier. An abundance of brand names, like sojos food, are available. So, how can consumers know what to purchase?

Of course, price is foremost on buyers' minds. They might ask if it is truly worth it to pay more for organic, healthy, or premium dog food. The answer all depends upon how much you care about the pet. Would you give your child any bad food? Certainly not. So why should it be any different for your dog?

When buying dog food, be sure to look at the list of ingredients! Many manufacturers will attempt to save money and put filler into their product instead of actual food. This is bad for pets because these filler ingredients are either non-nutritious or even actively harmful to their digestive systems. Some ingredients to watch out for include the following.

Corn is probably the number one filler in dog food, just as with human food. It is cheap and not digestible and does nothing but take up space. This can be in the form of ground corn, corn meal, corn husks, or even corn syrup! None of this is good for your dog and should be avoided at all costs, especially if it is in the first few ingredients.

Internet has become a very big part of our everyday Other ingredients which you should look out for are anything labeled as a "by-product." What by-product means is anything deemed unfit for consumption, such as feet, diseased meat, brains, even road kill! There is no way you can tell what you will be getting. Why even take those chances? "Mill run" is a phrase you may also see, and it just about as bad; that is waste from mills. It's just hulls is the best scenario.

Pay attention to the quality of dog products other than food as well. For instance, dog treats are often packed with as much or even more filler than regular food, with the justification that "it doesn't have to be healthy because it's just a treat." Don't believe that. If your dog is going to eat a treat, it should be of the highest quality you can find.

Do you find time scrutinizing your pet's food? Well, its worth it. Checking labels will help you in finding quality food for your pet. As they say, prevention is better than cure. Thus, feeding your pet will save you from spending for veterinary bills if your pet have health problems especially in digestion. Giving quality dog food assures you that your best friend can be healthy and happy. So, both of you will benefit from it. You will also be worry free.

In these trying times it is important to remember that your pet is a part of your family and you are responsible for them having a healthy diet. It is essential to learn how to read dog food labels, as well as other dog products, to ensure your pet is not getting harmful or unnecessary fillers or additives. There are so many options out there for pet food, such as sojos food, that you need to be sure to understand what you are looking for. Common unnecessary things you will find on these labels are corn, in any form, and by-products. These are just fillers and provide no nutritional value.

- Melinda Smith

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Natural food for dogs is the ideal option for the pet you love. Simply check out the ingredient list on pet products that aren't completely natural dog food. You'll discover these are comprised of animal by-products, filler items, as well as left-over contents, which fail to furnish appropriate nourishment for your pet. Natural and organic dog food businesses throughout America are drawing a line and transforming the quality guidelines for pet food.

Businesses like The Honest Kitchen are committed to making dog food that is of the same quality as what we serve our own families. There aren't any highly-processed components or filler ingredients, but only nutritious human quality standard food items. Organic pet foods don't contain unsafe hormones or different filler ingredients that a lot of non-organic dog foods include.

Wysong Dog Food is a different business like this. A premiere natural dog food maker, Wysong offers a wide array of natural dog food products that are created with painstaking care and study. Businesses like these are sincerely interested in your dog's wellness and are committed to ensuring that your pets receive the appropriate nourishment needed.

Hormones, cereal fillers, and animal derivatives that are ingredients in an alarming amount of dog foods that are selling in the marketplace can cause bad health problems in dogs. Problems can be anything from increased weight, heart ailments, and also skin care conditions. Also your dog's teeth might be affected by a bad diet.

Turn your dog on a raw, holistic and anicteric dog food diet can process your pet's brio expectancy and attribute of vivification. Their hair testament seem and think ameliorate. Their teeth instrument be better and stronger. And their bravery will be stronger as recovered. These dog foods are released of preservatives and bionic ingredients, sharing your dog the vitamins and nutrition he or she needs in request to smoldering a nightlong and rubicund

Honorable as we reparation near what we are swing into our bodies every day, we should aid some what our dog is consuming on a daily ground as intimately. Dogs poverty catalyst and vitamins fair equivalent humans do. Giving your dog human-grade nutrient that is a truly natural dog nutrient can be the physiologist prize you give ever urinate for the eudaemonia and healthiness of your pet.

Ever looked at the ingredients on the average can of dog food? It can be surprising how much filler, additives and by-products get put into pet food. You love your pet, and giving them good nutrition might be the best gift you could give them. Companies like wysong dog food and the honest kitchen have been founded to bring you the very finest in all natural dog food. Using only one hundred percent human grade ingredients, filled with the vitamins and minerals needed to keep your dog happy and healthy.

- Melinda Smith


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Dogs can have urinary problems just as people can.  Some common issues faced by dogs include urinary incontinence along with canine bladder and urinary tract infections.

Does Your Dog Have a Weak Bladder?

How do you know whether your dog has a weak bladder?  Urinary incontinence in dogs commonly occurs in female dogs, especially if your dog has been spayed.  If your dog has this problem, you may notice urine dribbling out when your dog is lying still or when she gets up from a prone position.  You could also notice a strong smell of urine around your dog and notice wet fur on her rear end.  These are almost sure signs of some kind of dog urinary problem.

As your dog gets older, the problem can start, or if already present, it can increase.  Male dogs are also likely to develop the problem as he ages as well.

Your dog may not even seem to notice the problem.  But you may well notice it!

Canine urinary incontinence
is sometimes treated with hormones or drugs that tighten the muscles in the urethral sphincter.  Such prescription drugs have side effects, though.  Hormone treatments can also suppress the immune system, and other types of drugs commonly used for urinary problems can affect your dog’s heart or cause hypertension, restlessness and severe weight loss or appetite loss.

Bladder Infections and Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

Have you ever suffered from a bladder infection? If you know this condition as cystitis and have suffered from it, you will certainly sympathize with your dog.  You will definitely know how painful and uncomfortable such a bladder infection or urinary tract infection can be.  Some people describe a terrible burning feeling, while others describe the feeling as akin to passing out broken glass.  Ouch!

Bladder infections can occur in dogs of any age, and although they are are much more common in cats, many dogs are also afflicted.  As mentioned, female spayed dogs tend to develop more bladder infections.  Recurring infections often occur in certain breeds, including Poodles, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds, especially middle aged to senior German Shepherds.

Bladder infections are often treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.  These treatments will curb the infection, but antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria as well as the harmful bacteria that may have caused the bladder infection in your dog.  While antibiotics may well treat the symptoms and bring those symptoms under control, they fail to address the root causes of the problem.

Another point about these types of drugs, is that if your dog is being treated with antibiotics or corticosteroids for any other condition, you need to be aware that these medications can actually predispose your dog to bladder infections.

Natural Remedies for Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

The herbal and homeopathic remedies that humans have used with a great deal of success for several centuries can also work just as well on dogs as they do on humans.  Herbal and homeopathic remedies are particularly effective in treating both the symptoms AND the cause of UTIs in dogs.  These natural remedies are safe, effective and affordable, and do not have the side effects and possible health complications that conventional medicines are prone to have.

Two well known herbs that have antiseptic and antibacterial properties that are excellent in the treatment of urinary tract infections are Bearberry and Barberry.  These two herbs also reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system at the same time.

Cantharis and Staphysagris are homeopathic remedies that can provide excellent symptomatic relief for many urinary problems such as cystitis.

All natural solutions need to be appropriately prepared according to the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia.  It is therefore very important to purchase remedies only from reliable homeopathic manufacturers.  One company that is well-known for the quality of both their herbal and homeopathic products is Native Remedies, as all their products are carefully formulated and prepared in registered facilities.  And all products are backed by a twelve month money-back guarantee, and their prices are reasonable. – Click Here for more info!

So if your dog has problems with urinary incontinence, recurrent bladder infection or UTIs, or if your dog has had a urinary tract blockage, you need to learn more about these conditions.  Be sure to read the testimonials written by other pet owners.  Your dog will thank you for it.

Click Here for more information.


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February 5, 2009

Heartworm Treatment – How to Cure Dog Heartworm

Heartworm

Let us define first the word “worms”. When you ask an ordinary individual their usual response is "long, wriggly, slimy creatures" while a dictionary type definition is that, “the word worms applies to a great variety of long, slender and limbless animals”. To a zoologist however, it is applied particularly to three distinct groups (phyla) of animals/parasites; the flatworms (plathyhelminths), the segmented worms (annelids), and the roundworms (nematodes). These groups are found in almost all parts of the world. Some of them burrow in the earth, others crawl along the ground, and still others swim in the water.

The roundworms or nematodes do not have cilia, a hair-like projection, nor are they segmented. They are considered a richly varied and highly successful group, consisting of enormous numbers of small worms that occupy essentially every habitat in which multicellular organisms can survive-terrestrial, marine, and freshwater. However, roundworms are best known in the parasitic realm. A number of these are parasitic on humans and animals, some attack plants. Insects as well as other invertebrates are also heavily parasitized.

Dogs, cats, poultry, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and goats are some examples of domestic animals that are also invaded by these parasitic roundworms. Heartworm, a potentially deadly disease of  dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes and other animals, such as ferrets, sea lions and even humans is caused by a roundworm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes, so heartworm prevention is particularly important for pets wherever mosquitoes are at all prevalent. The heartworm is a type of filaria, a small thread-like worm. The heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, lives as an adult in one chamber of a dog’s heart – usually the right atrium – where it can live for many years, or in the arteries that lead from the heart to the lungs. Infection may result in serious disease for the host and when untreated may die.

Stages of Canine Heartworm

Heartworms go through several life stages before they become adult infecting the heart of host animals. In order to complete their life cycle, they use mosquito as their intermediate host. Immature worms, or microfilariae, then circulate for a number of years in mosquitoes’ bloodstream while transforming into the next stage of their life cycle. The microfilariae then undergo a series of molts until they reach the infective or third larval stage and migrate to the salivary glands of the bloodsucking mosquito where they wait to infect another host, typically dogs.

The disease is usually asymptomatic during the first six months of infection. Infected animals will show minimal or no sign of infection at all even after the heartworms have matured. There is only light infection and the animals can live a fairly sedentary lifestyle without showing signs of infestation. However those that are severely affected shows signs of exhaustion upon exercise, severe weight loss, fainting, coughing up blood and congestive heart failure. In some instances migrating worms end in unusual sites such as eye, brain, or in an artery in the leg which may result in blindness, seizures, and lameness. 

Heartworm Treatment for Dogs

The best defense against heartworm disease is the use of prophylactic treatment given monthly. But before the worms can be treated once they are established, the infected host must be evaluated first for heart, liver, and kidney function to assess the risks of treatment. Prevention of heartworm infection can be obtained through a various numbers of veterinary drugs. Heartgard is a veterinary drug manufactured for the prevention of heartworm disease in dogs and cats. It is one of the most commonly prescribed heartworm prophylaxes. Heartgard contains Ivermectin as its active ingredient; it eliminates heartworm by destroying the tissue stage of the worm and blocking its development to its contagious disease. However, it can make your dog pretty sick while treating him/her.  Because the dog is already sick from the heartworms, not all dogs survive the treatment.

Heartworm Pills – No Prescription

Heartworm preventative drugs are highly effective however the monthly preventives all have a reasonable margin for error. Adult heartworms do not die off completely until some 18 months of treatment have elapsed, if heartworms are already present. Nevertheless, conventional and other methods of heartworm prevention are often assumed to be the most effective. From time to time various homeopathic, natural or herbal heartworm products are touted as cures or preventives from heartworm disease, and there is a large body of anecdotal evidence that they can be effective.

Of course, the most suitable and cost-effective heartworm prevention is to eliminate all mosquito species in your area, but this is rarely possible,
 
Unfortunately, heartworm is usually neglected by the public because humans are rarely affected with this disease. However respiratory disease is the prodromal sign of humans infected with heartworm. The worm does live for very long upon reaching the human lung, typically being  absorbed, and therefore killed, by a nodule, called as granuloma. This may well be the reason why humans are atypically infected. It is still beneficial however to inform and educate the public about this particular phenomenon.

If your dog has heartworm, click here for information on a natural heartworm treatment that can kill off heartworm withOUT the need for the chemical Ivermectin products.

However, you should NEVER disregard the advice of your vet.  Discuss alternative heartworm treatments with your vet, and express your preference by all means, but do listen to your vet and take into account whatever he or she has to say*.  Also take into account what your research on the subject has disclosed about alternative treatments.  And make your decision based on all the facts.

* (bear in mind that many vets are not open to alternative treatments of any type)

This article researched and written by Adriene Conde.


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