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

How to Organise a Special Doggie Detox Diet for your Pooch

When you think about the topics that affect family wellness, you probably consider the health of a couple, and perhaps a child (or five), too. What you may not consider, is the wellness and wellbeing of the family’s faithful four-legged friend: the family dog.

 

When other members of the family are feeling lethargic or suffering from stomach or digestive problems, you may consider some kind of detox diet. When it comes to the dog, perhaps you should consider the same strategy?

 

Pets are surrounded by the same exposure to daily toxins and chemicals that can impair the ability of all living things to naturally get rid of all of the waste materials that they carry around, leading their bodies to feel heavy and sluggish. This can lead to illness, and a few days of a detox diet can help to improve the function of the liver, clear the skin, restore healthy digestion and improve overall energy levels.

 

Holistic pet care is a school of thought that believes that pet care should encompass the whole pet and every aspect of their mental and physical wellbeing. Many people believe that a lot of the health problems in pets come from problems with their kidneys and liver, brought about by chemicals in pet food, in the air around them (such as in cigarette smoke) in chlorinated water, in pesticides and in pollution. This can lead them to suffer from parasites, digestive problems, weight gain or loss, lethargy, skin problems and respiratory problems.

 

Prevention is best, so if possible, try to avoid chemical cleaners and insecticides, avoid smoking around your pet and use natural flea treatments and pet foods with your pet. If a detox is necessary though, there are a number of options, such as adding probiotics to their food to improve their digestion, giving them milk thistle to help with damaged liver and using dandelion as a detoxifier.

Categories: detox, detox diet, diet, digestive problems, dog, nbsp, pet care, problems

Lower Your Heart Disease Risk Simply by Owning a Pet

For older people, those who live alone or even happy families, pets can be wonderful enrichers of wellness, providing love, companionship, exercise and entertainment for many years. Now, a new study has shown that owning one type of pet in particular could actually help to add years to your life.

According to the new study carried out by the American Heart Association, owning a dog could actually help to save your life. The research seems to indicate that owning a pet, and a dog in particular, could help to reduce your risk of falling victim to cardiovascular disease. The conclusion of the study was that owning a pet was associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

This may, in part, be due to a reduction in stress levels that stroking and caring for a pet is likely to induce, but it is more likely that the regular exercise associated with owning a dog is having a beneficial effect. Dogs require at least two daily walks, often at a good pace, and this walk can help you to lose weight, improve your blood pressure and the functional capacity of your heart.

Walking for two miles every day for five to seven days every week can help to reduce your risk of suffering from a heart attack by as much as 30 percent. In addition to this, the more exercise you get, the happier you are likely to feel, and spending time with your pet (and often socialising with others who have pets, such as when on a walk in the park) can increase your happiness levels too, and this can reduce your blood pressure, leading to a healthier heart.

Some hospitals even have pet therapy, to help improve the wellbeing of their patients.

Dogs are thought to be particularly important as they like routine and they ask for attention. However well-intentioned you are, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to go for a daily walk, but if you have a dog you will have no choice, as the dog will ask to go out and pester you until you do!

Categories: Disease, dog, heart