Iris Returns!!

Well, I thought it was just a visit, but my sister Iris has been here two weeks now, and it looks permanent. We get along ok, as long as she doesn't chew my stuffed toys. They are for squeaking only! And, wonder of wonder.....now I like rawhide bones again! Especially if Iris has partially chewed one already! I LOVE to go for walks on the leash with Mom and Dad, but I have to say that Iris needs to learn some self control. I mean, she wants to charge across the street and sniff and play with all these little yip yip dogs that are out walking with their owners. Mom must not care for it either, because she has hired a "dog whisperer" for Iris. The first day Iris went, she came home with a shiny, new metal collar and she was dog tired. Now Mom takes her for at least one solo walk and later we all walk together. Now, I prefer to take the lead, but Iris does not like to be in back and she sure lets you know that. What a WHINER! But, I allow her a little Alpha time, just to be fair. Yup, I am a good dog!!

Buckle Up For Safety

I have talked about this before, but since the travel months are rapidly approaching, I thought I would address it once again. If you have ever thought about buying a seatbelt for your dog, the answer is of course you should. There are only advantages to buying and using a canine auto restraint system. Your dog deserves the same kind of protection that you afford yourself and your family.  There are several reasons to use a canine auto restraint system.
Prevent driver distraction.
This is the most important reason. You don’t want your dog roaming your car. Your attention needs to be focused on driving. Small dogs can be caught under the pedals and all dogs can leap at the driver. And please, don’t ever drive with your dog in your lap. If the airbag deploys in a crash….your dog would be killed instantly. It’s simply not worth the risk of having your dog unrestrained in the car.
Protect your dog.
Your dog deserves the same protection as you and your family.  In a 30-mph collision, occupants of the vehicle can exert a force 20 times that of their body weight! Canine restraint systems protect by absorbing some of this force and distributing the load evenly across the stronger areas of the body, protecting the head, neck, and body from injury. A canine restraint system that reduces this potential impact force can make the difference between life and death, and help prevent serious injury.
Protect yourself, your family, and other passengers in your vehicle.
In an accident, a dog can be thrown with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of force into other occupants of the vehicle, easily causing life-threatening injuries. A good canine restraint system can help minimize this danger.
Prevent your dog from jumping out of the car.
Even well behaved dogs can become distracted. The worst place to lose your dog would be far from home on vacation. Dogs can be seriously injured or killed jumping from even a slow moving vehicle.
Protects rescue workers from being attacked.
If an accident does happen, a dog can be disorientated and confused. The dog may even attack rescue personal attempting to help you. This can be avoided by using a canine auto restraint system.

Many local pet stores carry some type of canine auto restraint system and many more are available on the Internet. So, please do the right thing and buckle up your furry friend for safety!

I am visiting my very best friend Sasha in South Carolina. It is so very cool to have a change of scenery. Sasha lives on a lake so there are bunches of new smells around. My nose is constantly on the ground. Sasha's mom is one of my fav humans. She likes to give me treats, and not carrots either. REAL DOG TREATS! I am in heaven here. Hope we get to hang here for a while!!

Easter bunnies, ducks, and chicks......oh MY!!!

Easter is coming!!! Here comes Peter Cottontail!
I am not going to tell you that domestic bunnies don't make good pets. They do. They're intelligent, cute, and fun. But, lots of times folks who buy baby bunnies for their kids don't know what they are getting into. So,  they eventually decide that they don't want them. So, they either take them to shelters, or release them into the wild. Shelters are already under a strain, and domestic bunnies have zero chance of survival in the wild.....I don't even want to speculate what could happen to them, but it would be very ugly indeed.
Please think long and hard before you get your child any pet; a bunny, dog, cat, whatever. And don't even think of getting them a cute baby chick or baby duckling. That is just WRONG! But, if you do go for a bunny, read up on their feeding and care, and find one at your local shelter, NOT a pet store.
Make Mine Chocolate is a great website for info on pet bunnies. Check it out!!

 

Heartworm Prevention....Protect your best friend all year round!

Heartworm Overview
Heartworm infections are very serious, and potentially fatal for dogs. Heartworms are a type of roundworm known as filarids. They live in the arteries, lungs, and heart of an infected animal. Many mammals such as dogs, cats, foxes, and even people can contract heartworms.
Heartworm infestation is spread by infected mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites a dog it deposits heartworm larvae under the skin. The larvae eat through the skin and connective tissue for up to two months before reaching the blood stream. Once in the blood, heartworms are transported to the arteries and lungs where they mature into adults. At six months of age, heartworms will begin producing offspring. Heartworms may live for up to seven years, with males reaching eight inches and female worms growing to twelve inches.
In reaction to the infestation, the organs heartworms inhabit become inflamed. Because this inflammation interferes with blood flow, the most common causes of death from a heartworm infestation are blood clots in the lungs or congestive heart failure.
Because heartworms are spread by mosquito bites, dogs with short hair are more susceptible to infection than those with longer hair. While heartworm infection is found throughout the United States, infection rates are highest (approximately 50%) in areas within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.
The only way for your dog to become infected with heartworms is through a mosquito bite. Dogs cannot be infected by eating or coming into contact with dog waste that contains the eggs of heartworms. An infected dog cannot spread heartworms to another dog.
Heartworms are a dangerous parasite and can permanently damage a dog’s health. Even once treated, the damage the worms cause may be permanent. Please—if you have not done so already—put your dog on a preventative medication!
Diagnosing Heartworm Infection
Your veterinarian may use both blood tests and physical tests to determine the severity of a heartworm infection.
Blood Tests
The following two blood tests are used to diagnose heartworm disease:
~Microfilaria Test
~Heartworm Antigen Test
The Microfilaria test detects pre-larval heartworms in the blood. When female heartworms produce microfilaria, they produce antigens that the heartworm antigen test detects. It may take up to seven months after the infection has occurred before either of these tests provides consistently accurate results.
Physical Tests
Diagnosing heartworm infection using a physical examination alone can be difficult to perform accurately. Mildly infected dogs may show no signs of infection. Therefore, your veterinarian will likely perform a blood test in addition to a physical examination.
Severely infected dogs may show signs of heart failure, fatigue, coughing, rapid heartbeat, enlarged liver, loss of appetite, fainting, or jaundice. Occasionally, heartworms may also be present in the eyes, abdominal cavity, and even the spinal cord.
Physical tests used to identify the extent of heartworm disease and to develop a prognosis include x-rays and ultrasounds performed on the heart and lungs.
Heartworm Treatment
Unless the infection is severe, heartworm disease can be successfully treated in dogs. Treatment involves injecting a drug called adulticide into the muscle tissue of the dog to kill the heartworms. Adulticide is the only FDA drug approved for the treatment of heartworms. Treatment presents some risk: the blood vessels may become filled with dead worms, which may block blood flow, causing death.
Severe cases of heartworm disease may be extremely difficult to treat, and one dose of adulticide may be insufficient to kill all adult heartworms. Six months after the adulticide treatment has been completed, your dog will need an antigen test to ensure that all heartworms have been killed. If the test is positive for the antigen, your dog will likely need another treatment.
It is very important that your dog not be allowed to exercise during treatment, as your dog’s entire pulmonary system will be under significant strain. So let your pooch take it easy with a gentle recovery period.
Heartworm Prevention
Heartworm disease is preventable. Dog owners need to take steps now and consult their veterinarian about how to best protect their pets from this dangerous disease. Heartworm prevention is safe, easy and inexpensive.
There are a variety of options for preventing heartworm infection in dogs,including daily and monthly tablets and chewables, monthly topicals and a six-month injectable product. All of these methods are extremely effective, and when administered properly on a timely schedule, heartworm infection can be completely prevented. These medications interrupt heartworm development before adult worms reach the lungs and cause disease.
It is your responsibility to faithfully maintain the prevention program you have selected in consultation with your veterinarian.
So please, give your best friend heartworm preventative all year round. It's the right thing to do!

(Information from the American Heartworm Society)