Canine Influenza

Since we received a reminder from our veterinarian and I have had a client ask me whether I will be requiring the new canine influenza vaccine I thought it was a good time to talk about canine influenza and my thoughts about the vaccine.

According to Wikipedia canine influenza was discovered in 2004. While listening to a program on NPR I discovered it is a form of highly contagious influenza that may have originally been transferred to dogs via feeding Greyhounds in Florida raw horse meat. Because it is a relatively new virus the dog population in our area will have no natural immunity to it and because it is highly contagious I suggest vaccinating your dog.

The symptoms of canine influenza are similar to kennel cough. They include a cough, a greenish nasal discharge, and in severe cases, a high fever or pneumonia caused by a secondary infection. Symptoms can last from ten to thirty days.

Petitions To Remove Unsafe Dog Treats From Stores

I mentioned in a previous post that certain dog treats made in China have been linked to the deaths of several dogs and one cat. Since then I have discovered two petitions demanding that the dangerous treats be removed from store shelves so that no more beloved pets are harmed. I have already signed the petitions to try to keep all of our pets safe.  If you would like to show your support you can sign the petitions using the following links.

http://www.change.org/petitions/restore-our-trust-take-dangerous-dog-treats-off-the-shelves
http://www.change.org/petitions/nestle-purina-recall-chicken-jerky-treats-made-in-china

Thank you and have a Woofderful day!

Happy New Year

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I was very busy with boarding dogs and started the new year off with four new furry friends joining us for daycare and boarding. I would like to say Happy New Year and Thank You to all of my awesome dog clients who trust me with the care of their precious fur babies and to the continuing support of my friend Katie with my website and my husband for helping me when we have a house full of dogs and keeping the driveway free of snow and a path plowed for the dogs to walk around the yard. And of course I would like to thank the dogs for making every day they are here Woofderful!  

Green Gift Giving Season

With another gift giving season quickly approaching I wanted to mention my favorite gift giving ideas for a dog lover this holiday season or any time of the year.

1. Make a donation in someone's name to your local humane society or animal rescue group. The Humane Society of Chittenden County has a Guardian Angel program that sponsors the home of an animal of your choice for six or twelve months. For more information visit www.chittendenhumane.org/get-involved/guardian-angel.

2. Sponsor a wolf or wolf-dog in someone's name at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is a wonderful organization that rescues wolves who can no longer live in the wild and dogs which can be adopted. They also provide education programs about wolves. For more information visit wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org. 

2. Bake some homemade dog treats and package them in a decorative reusable container.

3. Instead of using wrapping paper wrap a present with a  reusable item such as a dog blanket and use a dog toy as a bow.

For more tips on celebrating a greener holiday season visit http://www.nature.org.

Have a Woofderful Day!

Beware of Chinese Chicken Jerky

For those of you who may not be aware of it chicken jerky treats, particularly Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, have been linked to the deaths of at least 360 dogs and one cat. Both brands were made in China. The FDA has issued three warnings about the products but not a recall and retailers are still selling the treats despite the warnings. So for now it is up to all of us as loving pet parents to know where our pet food and treats are made and avoid products made in China in order to keep our pets healthy and hope that retailers will soon get the message and quit selling treats that are harming pets.

November is National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month

November is National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is a relatively common disease in which the body doesn't use glucose properly. If left untreated diabetes can be life-threatening. If treated and medicated pets can live a normal life. Symptoms include the following:

    an increase in water consumption  
    an increase in urination
    an increase in appetite
    weight loss
    cataracts

One of the risk factors of diabetes in pets is being overweight. Recently as the number of overweight pets has increased to the point that now approximately half of all dogs and cats in the United States are overweight the rate of diabetes has also increased. For more information on diabetes in pets read
http://www.catchannel.com/news/2011/05/02/cat-diabetes-rises.aspx. If you suspect your pet may have diabetes or need help managing your pet's weight consult your veterinarian.

Acid Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux or acid reflux is a condition characterized by stomach acids leaking into the esophagus, throat and mouth causing inflammation. The most common symptom is excessive salivation. Other symptoms include regurgitation of food, howling or whining while swallowing, loss of appetite and loss of weight. Acid reflux can have many causes. Some of the common causes are anesthesia,  persistent severe vomiting, congenital hiatal hernia, food poisoning and indigestion. A young dog whose sphincters are still forming is at a greater risk of developing acid reflux than a mature dog. Acid reflux is diagnosed by a procedure called esophagoscopy which involves inserting a camera down the dog's esophagus to look for any abnormalities. Treatment of acid reflux is a strict low fat, low protein diet given in small amounts spread throughout the day. In severe cases medication may also be required.