FindAVet.us - Blog
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Not only can dogs use their incredible sense of smell to save lives by detecting cancer and finding people buried in rubble, they can also be trained to sniff out peanuts as well as other allergens that are potentially deadly to people with extreme allergies.
Dogs are natural-born sniffers: their sense of smell is 1,000 times greater than a human’s. While humans have 5 million olfactory receptors in their noses, dogs have a whopping 220 million.
The breeds commonly used for peanut detection are Poodles and Portuguese Water Dogs (both breeds also make good pets for highly allergic people since they don’t shed much and have little dander), Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds, along with mixed breeds such as Labradoodles. (more…)
Tags: allergen-sniffing dogs, allergies, peanut allergy, peanut-sniffing dogs, service dogs
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Friday, February 12th, 2010
Sputter, growl, snore, lick, kick, shake, jerk, snooze – oh, the joys of watching your pooch nap!
Many dog owners have contemplated the eternal question, can my dog dream? They’ve wondered if their Pug will snore, and have thought twice about whether or not they’re willing to promote their pooch to the “people bed.” They’ve even sat about and watched their dogs nap for hours on end, and jealously questioned whether or not so much sleep was normal.
A dog’s sleeping patterns are a mystery to many; without any direct access to our dog’s mind or thoughts we truly have no definitive answer to what’s going on in there when they’re sleeping. Despite this truth, studies that prove the similarities between dogs and humans can give us a lot more insight than we might have anticipated. (more…)
Tags: animal behaviorist, boxer, Bulldog, do dogs dream?, dog obesity, dog sleep, dog snoring, dog stress, dogs sleeping, Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Jack Russell Terrier, Mar Vista Medical Center, Paula J. Owen, PetPlace.com, Pug, stenotic nares, vetinfo.com
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Monday, December 21st, 2009
When Sophie was born, the German Shepherd’s rear legs were not functioning. It seemed highly unlikely she would ever be able to walk. Flight attendants volunteered to transport the immobile puppy from New Jersey to the Healing HEART Sanctuary (HHS) in Utah, which rehabilitates disabled or injured domestic and farm animals.
Laura Bradshaw, a founder and the executive director of HHS, treated Sophie using a combination of traditional and alternative therapies. Soon Sophie’s back legs began to move. Bewildered veterinarians who examined the puppy’s x-rays could not understand how Sophie could possibly walk, since her hips were not in their sockets. Bradshaw told them, “But she does, look.”
As Sophie grew, so did her mobility. Now an adult, Sophie can hike up to 10 miles at a time. She was adopted by the flight attendants who brought her to HHS, and is leading a happy and active life.
Sophie’s success story is just one of hundreds at HHS, which was founded in 2003. During the aftermaths of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, HHS worked with the Best Friends Animal Society (BFAS) to reunite nearly 1,000 pets with their families across the country. (more…)
Tags: alternative therapy, American Veterinary Medical Association, AVMA, Healing Heart Sanctuary, health, HHS, holistic, infrasound, Laura Bradshaw, Q Energy Spa, sound wave frequency machine, water therapy
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
Last week, i Love Dogs writer Laura Goldman wrote a great post about pet safety tips for the holiday season. This week, Dr. Donna Spector of VCA Animal Hospitals writes from a veterinarian’s perspective to warn about possible hazards in certain holiday pet gifts.
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Tags: DACVIM, dog gift, dog gifts, Dr. Donna Spector, DVM, gifts, Holiday gifts, present, VCA Animal Hospitals
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
Every dog parent dreads the day when they’ll see Fifi drag her bottom across the carpet. Not only does the potential resulting stain have most pet owners racing to shoo Fifi away, but the concern automatically settles in, “Is it worms?!” This doggie urban myth has echoed across pet communities for centuries. But, does scooting really mean your dog MUST have worms?
A dog scooting its bum across the floor is a good reason to ask some questions, but pet parents can relax a bit because booty scooting doesn’t always mean your pooch has undesirable parasites. For new dog owners, it’s only some time before they learn the many “ins and outs” (no pun intended) of the dreaded doggie anal glands. That’s right folks, as if picking up your pooch’s poop wasn’t enough!
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Tags: anal glands, dog anal glands, dog scooting, dog worms, impacted anal glands, tapeworms
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Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Last week, i Love Dogs writer Audrey Wong wrote a great post on easing your pooch through Halloween madness. This week, the celebrated Dr. Donna Spector weighs in with safety tips from a veterinarian’s perspective.
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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Spot is getting on in years and his muzzle is turning gray. He doesn’t chase the ball as much as he used to, preferring to nap on the couch instead.
But those aren’t all the changes he’s going through. Spot sleeps a lot more during the day. Then at 3 a.m., he nudges you awake to let him outside for a potty session. You hear him pacing in your dark bedroom all night long. When he’s not wandering, he stands in the corner of the room, staring blankly at the walls.
What’s going on with Spot? He’s showing signs of brain aging. (more…)
Tags: antioxidant, brain aging, cognitive dysfunction, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, free radicals, Irvine, National Institute of Health, oxidative stress, reishi, University of California, University of Toronto
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Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Halloween could be scary for our anipals and that’s not because of ghosts or haunted houses. What we consider treats could be toxic to our canine furiends and what dogs might think is yummy might also be dangerous. The sights and sounds of revelers can spook pets and cause them to panic.
So here are some tips to keep your pooch safe during Halloween and healthy through the rest of the year.
Trick or treating may not be for Fido. Pets may not realize that the zombies, monsters and other freaks are their human friends in disguise. Dogs and cats may attack out of fear or run away, according to the Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA). Pet parents can be liable for injuries inflicted by their animals.
It’s best to keep pets indoors in a quiet, comfortable area of the home, away from the trick or treaters that may spook them. Make sure pets have current identification tags and are microchipped in case they escape.
Never dress pets in costumes not meant for animals. Our pawls might look cute as a cowboy or ghost, but Fido might not find it amusing. If you insist Fido celebrate Halloween, then get him a costume made for pets. Costumes can feel uncomfortable and constraining to pets. Loose accessories could be hazardous if swallowed, according to Dogtipper. The best costume for your dog would be loose fitting and have few accessories.
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Tags: Halloween, Pet Poison Helpline, poison, spcaLA, toxic, treats
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Monday, October 19th, 2009
When Oprah Winfrey adopted two Cocker Spaniel puppies earlier this year, she didn’t know a dangerous and potentially deadly virus was incubating inside them.
The puppies developed Parvo. One of them succumbed to the malady while the other received supportive care. 
The disease made the news again in mid-October when officials reported a Parvo outbreak in Santa Barbara County in California.
Parvo, or Canine parvovirus type 2, attacks the lining of the dog’s digestive system, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). All dogs are vulnerable to the disease, but it affects puppies more than adults. (more…)
Tags: American Veterinary Medical Association, Canine parvovirus type 2, Cocker Spaniel, immune, Oprah Winfrey, Parvo, Santa Barbara, vaccination
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Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Not only is October national Adopt-A-Dog Month, it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although these two subjects aren’t typically associated with each other, dogs can get breast cancer – referred to as “mammary cancer” in the canine world – just as humans do.
Fortunately, mammary cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer in dogs since it rarely occurs in female dogs that were spayed before their first heat. Gerald Post, a veterinary oncologist, told ABC News, “It’s important for owners to spay female animals before the animal first goes into heat, because each following heat cycle increases the risk of developing the cancer.”
Mammary cancer is more common in five- to 10-year-old female dogs that have not been spayed, because with every heat cycle, their bodies endure a 60-day hormonal pregnancy regardless of whether or not they breed. Veterinarian Michael Watts writes, “This hormonal cycle continuously stimulates the mammary tissue for at least four months of each year. The constant stimulation leads to very high rates of cancer. Fortunately, 99% of canine breast cancer can be prevented by spaying young dogs.” (more…)
Tags: AVMA, biopsy, cancer, early detection, female dogs, mammary cancer, oncology, prevention, spay, tumor, veterinarian
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