What Are the Most Serious Home Hazards for Your Pet?

Pets are an important part of their family, and yet their wellness and wellbeing is often unknowingly put at risk by having harmful plants, foods or other substances around your home. To keep your pet healthy, it is important that you know what is safe for them and what is not.

 

Chocolate, for example, may be your absolute favourite thing, but did you know that it can be terribly toxic for your dog? There is a component in chocolate called theobromine and it can cause increased heart rate, hyperactivity, arrhythmias, diarrhoea, vomiting and even seizures if chocolate is consumed by dogs. If a dog eats a lot of chocolate it can even lead to sudden death. Keep all chocolate well away from your dog, and if your dog eats chocolate by accident then contact your vet immediately as a precaution.

 

Antifreeze is also terribly dangerous for pets. In colder weather like we are currently experiencing in the UK, people start to add antifreeze to their car engines. It’s great for protecting cars from extreme temperatures but it can be deadly if a cat or dog laps it up from a puddle in the driveway. Just a few licks of antifreeze (such as a cat might get from cleaning its paws after standing in some) can be enough to cause kidney failure and even death in your cat. If you do spill whilst filling up your car then ensure that you hose down your driveway thoroughly and let it dry again before you let our pet outside.

 

If you transport your dog around in the car then make sure that you put a seatbelt on them. Larger dogs especially should be harnessed in the back seat of the car, which prevents them from distracting the driver and also keeps them safe in the event of an accident. Smaller dogs should be in a carrier or pet crate, secured with a seatbelt.

Categories: antifreeze, chocolate, Danger, dog eats, Dogs, hazards, nbsp, pet, seatbelt

Could Chiropractic Care be Suitable for Your Pet?

Chiropractors are trained to help alleviate pain and treat a range of conditions, including the nervous system. But did you realise that there are people trained to provide chiropractic care to your pets? If your pet is suffering with certain conditions, this form of care could be just the thing they need to get back to fit health again.

Chiropractic care focuses on the nervous system – dysfunction in this area can lead to a variety of illnesses and health conditions, and this form of care can restore the nerve flow to the body. The difference between chiropractic care and other forms of treatment is that this gets to the root of the problem, rather than simply treating the symptoms. When a joint is misaligned, it can lose motion and its position, for example. Chiropractors can restore the function and subluxation, so that it works efficiently again. The most common conditions treated with this form of treatment include ear infections, seizures, arthritis, hot spots, neurological conditions, sudden back leg paralysis, abnormal gait and injuries which have occurred as a result of a fall or trauma. It can also be used to treat pets who have undergone a variety of tests, all of which are normal even though the pet is clearly still unwell.

Some animal chiropractors can provide wellness care, which is for healthy pets whose owners wish to prevent conditions from developing. For example, getting your pets spine checked a couple of times a year can greatly reduce the risk of a condition that is often disregarded as ‘old age’. In a typical chiropractic appointment, your pet’s history would be discussed and any imaging or treatment records may also be looked at. This will almost certainly take place if your pet has a current condition for which they’ve had specific tests.
Neurological tests may be performed, as well as stance and gait analysis, after which your pet will be adjusted. Most animals enjoy this, although on their first visit they may be a little nervous. However, once they realise that it isn’t painful and that they feel better afterwards, most relax and enjoy the treatment. It’s important that you seek out a chiropractor who is trained to perform adjustments on animals, as a normal trained chiropractor will not be equipped to do so. Pets are naturally very different to humans and their spine and biomechanics work differently. It’s not just dogs who can receive this treatment, either – cats, rabbits and even birds are all suitable.

This form of treatment can be very effective for dogs, for example, who compete in shows and competitions. It is a fantastic form of therapy for improving agility and flexibility in animals, and can be very effective in pets who suffer from joint problems, such as arthritis.

There have been a number of success stories for animals who have suffered injuries who serious conditions who have benefited greatly from this therapy, being restored to full health after a course of chiropractic treatments. Depending on where you live, you may need a referral from your vet in order to see an animal chiropractor – this is something you will need to discuss with your pet’s vet. It’s worth noting that chiropractors don’t replace regular medication for your animal. They can be useful in complementing the medication though, and provided that your animal is up to date with their annual exams, they could benefit enormously from this treatment.

Categories: care, chiropractic, chiropractic care, conditions, Neurological tests, pet, pets, treatment

The Secrets to Protecting Your Family Dog from Cancer

A dog is as much a part of the family as anyone else, and keeping his or her wellness as a top priority is vital if you want to enjoy a long and happy relationship with your pet.

 

One of the biggest threats to your dog’s wellbeing is cancer. Just as in humans, there are some important lifestyle decisions that you should make when it comes to your dog to help prevent your canine friend from succumbing to the deadly disease.

 

Not only is cancer just as serious in dogs as it is in humans, it can also become very expensive, with vets bills and medication costs stacking up. It can also be very upsetting to watch your dog’s health deteriorate. Although it is curable in some cases, it is far better to make sure that your dog doesn’t get cancer in the first place.

 

One of the things you should be mindful of is avoiding unnecessary vaccinations. If your vet suggests that you need to get your dog vaccinated against some kind of illness, do a little research of your own and work out whether the disease is the biggest risk or whether the possible damage caused by the vaccine is more of a consideration. A recent study has shown that some of the additives used in vaccines can cause problems with your dog’s autoimmunity, and this can lead to organ failure and cancer.  Certainly, if your dog has been diagnosed with cancer it would be extremely wise to avoid vaccinations where possible, as the immune system is often suppressed by cancer (and by the drugs that treat cancer) and this can lead to vaccinations making your pet very ill.

 

Getting your dog spayed or neutered is always a very important part of their care, but it is also worth remembering that removing the sites where some cancer lurks can be a preventative measure. One of the benefits of spaying or neutering is that it can decrease your dog’s chance of cancer, especially if you do it at the right time (i.e. not too early and not too late).

Categories: cancer, Disease, dog, lead, nbsp, pet, Vaccinations

How to Revive Your Dog in the Event of an Emergency

If you have a dog, you will know that they are part of the family, and that their wellness is almost as important as that of any other member of the family. You may have thought long and hard about doing a first aid course, or finding out a bit more about what to do in a paediatric emergency, but do you know how to look after the wellbeing of your dog in the event of an emergency?

 

If your dog stops breathing on their own in the event of sudden illness or an accident, you may find yourself required to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in order to keep the dog’s oxygen going to the vital organs until help arrives.

 

Start by making sure that your dog is unconscious – you can do this by talking gently to your dog, rubbing him or gently shaking him to try to wake him up. It is paramount that you ensure your dog is unconscious and not in a deep sleep before attempting rescue breathing, as if your dog were to wake up to find you mouth to mouth with him, you could end up getting seriously hurt.

 

Start by clearing the dog’s airways by extending his head and neck and trying to keep them in line. Open his mouth and pull the tongue forward. Make sure that the mouth is clear of saliva or vomit by using your fingers.

 

Check again at this stage to see if your dog is breathing, as sometimes just aligning the head and neck can start the dog breathing on his own. If there is no sign of breathing after 10 seconds, start to do CPR.

 

Pull the tongue forward, hold the mouth and lips shut by cupping both your hands around his muzzle. Put your mouth over his nose and blow air into the nostrils until you see the chest expand. For a dog, do the same thing but use your mouth to seal his nose and mouth. Do this four or five times and keep checking for breathing.

Categories: Breathing, cpr, dog, Emergency, event, mouth, nbsp, pet