As families all around the country start pulling out their favorite holiday recipes, and shopping lists, and decorations, it’s easy to overlook one hairy detail: the family pets. Between vacationing out-of-town and readying the house for a veritable invasion of friends and family members, it is really no surprise that pets feel left out, but more than that, the general upheaval of the holidays can be a dangerous time for cats and dogs.
Nationally recognized veterinarian Dr. Bernadine Cruz, DVM, and one of the resident veterinarian advisors on MyPetCareTV.com, encourages pet owners everywhere to add “pet safety” to their holiday list and check it twice.
Year-round every room in a house can pose a potential threat to your dog health when human foods, cleaning products, insecticides and rodenticides, and medicines meant for people are left out where pets can get into them. During the holidays inattention to things left unattended can double. Everyone is busy, caught up in the celebration of good food and good company: house guests may unwittingly allow the dog into a room he is usually forbidden to go, or feed the dog a “treat” to which he is allergic. The holidays bring out so many more potential hazards to pets than we may think. Dogs may ingest tinsel, ribbons, and string, harming their digestion and intestinal tract. Especially harmful is fertilizer used in the water of Christmas tree stands which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
To pass the holidays in celebration, companionship, and good health, Dr. Bernadine Cruz offer these tips to add to every dog owner’s list:
* Remind houseguests not to feed your dogs human food, especially fatty foods and candy.
* Restrict dogs to “safe areas” or outdoors during dinner parties when you are too occupied to watch them.
* If you have not already, install child safety locks on cabinets that contain cleaning supplies, paints, and medicines. Even hand soap and toothpaste can harm your dog health.
* Try to give your dog some focused attention each day to keep her or him calm, relaxed, and less likely to misbehave.
* Be sure dogs wear identification tags at all times. That includes indoor pets, because with the hustle and bustle of having visitors, pets can wander outside without their owners being aware of their escape.
* To protect curious pets, be sure to keep candles safely out of the reach of paws, whiskers, and tails.
* Pets, especially dogs, tend to eat first and think later. A dangling, shinny tree ornament or holiday table decorations may be more than your pet can ignore. A nibble of a plant can lead to an upset stomach or worse. Decorations can lead to an obstruction in the digestive tract and require a visit to the veterinary emergency room.
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Nov 02, 2008 | | dog health
It’s a big responsibility to own a dog. You need to protect your overall dog health and protect him or her from any form of diseases. Rabies is a life-threatening viral disease that causes inflammation to your pet’s nervous system and eventually results to madness and death. When your dog is infected with rabies, he or she might go through the three dreadful stages.
Prodomal Phase - the first phase which can last until two to three days. During this stage, your dog may experience fever, frequent chewing at the infected area of the bite and showing unusual behavioral changes.
Furious Stage - this might be the most scariest phase of the three because the pressure has already reached the canine’s brain and starts to rip him off. Your dog will begin to display disorientation, irritability and a different level of aggression and he or she might no longer follow your orders. This terrible stage will last for two to four days.
Paralytic Phase - The final stage, like the Furious stage, this will also occur between two to four days and the entire body of your dog will be numbed. There’s no cure once your dog is already at this stage and whether you like it or not, he or she will die in a short while.
Protecting Your Dog from Rabies
Dog rabies can be cured if it is detected early. Once your dog is bitten by some vicious or any domestic animal, you need to bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian for immunization. It is suggested that you need to make arrangements with your vet regarding this matter. Don’t delay things, you just need to make it happen. Remember, you need to protect your dog health before anything else. Studies show that a puppy can now have its first immunization at eight weeks old. The second shot should be be given four weeks after. When the puppy turned sixteen weeks old, he or she can have the vaccination for rabies.
Yet, there are some side effects you should be wary of once your dog is immunized. These side effects are: disorientation, lethargy, vomiting, trembling and swelling. If you observe that your dog has displayed any of these signs, you need to call your vet asap. To prevent these heartbreaking events from happening, you need to protect your dog. Regular grooming and proper health care of your dog should be observed. When you walk them down the street, avoid contacting them with wild dogs.
Protecting Yourself from Rabies
Are you aware that the effects of rabies in dog is same as that of humans? Truth is, the chances of having a rabies in humans may be slim but still, you need to be extra cautious.
For any instances that you are bitten by dogs or by any animal, wild or not, with rabies or without, you must immediately wash the infected area of your body with soap and water before seeing your veterinarian for further testing and observation.
It might be also helpful that after you’ve been bitten, you follow the dog on its way home then request the authorities to capture it. When the dog is captured, never injure the head as this is used for further medical verification.
Conclusion
“Prevention is better than cure,” you need this quote all the time. It’s not impossible to fight dog rabies as long as you are doing the proper precaution in protecting your dog health and your health and life, as well.
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Sep 26, 2008 | | dog health
Right now, you’re only moments away from finding out how to protect your puppy or your adult dog from hundreds of different diseases, illnesses, and other threats.
- Learn how to protect your dog or puppy from serious diseases like canine distemper, parvovirus, rabies, Lyme disease, leptospirosis, and kennel cough
- Learn how a mosquito bite can cause serious illness for your dog and what you can do to prevent it
- Learn why fleas, ticks and other parasites can be dangerous for your dog and find out how to prevent your dog from becoming infested with these parasites
- Lean how spaying or neutering your dog can prolong your canine’s life
- Learn the one most important thing you can do for your dog that will make sure your dog lives a long, healthy, and comfortable life
- Plus much more
For more details check The Pet Med Site:
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Sep 02, 2008 | | dog health
As families all around the country start pulling out their favorite holiday recipes, and shopping lists, and decorations, it’s easy to overlook one hairy detail: the family pets. Between vacationing out-of-town and readying the house for a veritable invasion of friends and family members, it is really no surprise that pets feel left out, but more than that, the general upheaval of the holidays can be a dangerous time for cats and dogs.