If you’re a new dog owner and you’ve noticed something strange (maybe even wiggling) in your pup’s poop, been concerned about your dog’s potbelly, or reached out to your dog’s veterinarian about bloody diarrhea, you aren’t alone. The majority of the time, the answer to these questions points to a group of nutrient-depleting and blood-sucking culprits: intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites can range in size, shape, route of transmission, and how they affect the host. However, not all pet owners, especially those who just got a new puppy or kitten for the first time, are well informed about parasitic infections. If…
Author: kaitech
Working from home has many benefits, particularly if you have a dog. You can walk or cuddle her any time you want, and you don’t have to rush home to give her a bathroom break. But when you have a puppy, keeping her occupied so you can get some actual work done can be exhausting—I know because I have one. Among other things, Josie, my nine-month-old German Shepherd/Labrador mix, whines and barks to get my attention when I’m on the phone, which can make business calls a little less professional than I’d like them to be. Through trial and error…
Living with long-haired dogs, it seems all the brushing in the world won’t prevent fur from ending up in every possible crevice of my house. It turns out both human hair and dog fur is great for absorbing oil, including the oil spills along the coasts. The recent miles-wide oil spill off the California coast near Huntington Beach is ruining beaches and estuaries along the coast. In addition to ocean oil spills, researchers at the University of Sydney have found that dog fur and human hair—recycled from salon wastes and dog groomers—can be just as good as synthetic fabrics at…
While Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., with 476,000 people diagnosed each year, many pet owners do not know that dogs are also at risk for Lyme disease. Dogs can pick up the ticks while out hiking, walking, and even in your own backyard. It can be frustrating and time-consuming to search for ticks under all that fur. It’s a common misconception that ticks are only a summer problem, but if the temperatures are 50 degrees or warmer, they can be a problem year-round. If left untreated, dogs with Lyme disease can experience heart complications, joint disease, and permanent nervous system damage. As…
Dog owners do not need to be veterinarians to know that a healthy heart is as important for our furry friends as it is for humans. Yet there can be a lot of confusion surrounding cardiac issues in animals, especially when it comes to heart murmurs. Dr. Sonya Wesselowski, an assistant professor of cardiology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, offers insight on murmurs, given her expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in animals. Wesselowski describes a heart murmur as “an extra whooshing sound” heard during a heartbeat that is typically caused…
While all animal lovers share a close relationship with their pets, it often seems like dogs and their owners are virtually inseparable, even when they’re sleeping. As your dog ages, you may notice that they’ve started to smell a bit. You do regular grooming, yet somehow your dog still stinks If that sweet puppy smell vanished and was replaced by what can only be described as a funk, well, there might be other issues. This strange smell could be from several things like dental problems, gas, disease, or ear infections. But most commonly, it’s a hygiene problem. Causes for a…
When I first noticed Gus, my beloved white Boxer, dragging his back foot, I teased him about being lazy. At age 10, Gus was finally mellowing out after a decade of careening through life like a rodeo bull. Soon, though, he was dragging that foot on our walks, and because we live in an urban (read: paved) area, all that friction began to wear down his nails and scrape the skin from his knuckles. This was my first indication that Gus had degenerative myelopathy. An insidious disease, degenerative myelopathy in dogs is a slowly progressing condition that affects the…
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), sometimes known as “cognitive dysfunction syndrome,” is similar to dementia in humans. While there is no cure for CCD, there are plenty of ways to improve your elderly dog’s well-being, happiness, and sense of security in their twilight years. Here are six of the best tips for caring for dogs with canine cognitive disorder. 1. Stick to a Regular Routine All dogs benefit from a consistent routine. Knowing when they go out, when you’re at home and when it’s time to settle for the night is reassuring. However, routines are especially important for dogs suffering from CCD. An inconsistent…
I have always been a dog lover, but it wasn’t until I met my partner, Melanie, and her chihuahua, Emma, during graduate school that a dog became permanently part of my life. Emma is the boss. She is known for being immensely loyal to her people and often skeptical of newcomers, especially men; it took Emma and me all of five minutes to become the best of friends, so much so that Emma is credited with completing one-quarter of my PhD thesis. Upon moving back to Toronto to start work at SCIEX, a company that assists scientists with complex data,…
As anyone who has ever lived with a dog will know, it often feels like we don’t get enough time with our furry friends. Most dogs only live around ten to 14 years on average – though some may naturally live longer, while others may be predisposed to certain diseases that can limit their lifespan. But what many people don’t know is that humans and dogs share many genetic similarities – including a predisposition to age-related cancer. This means that many of the things humans can do to be healthier and longer lived may also work for dogs. Here are…