Food for thought:

When trying to manage your pets weight start with the guidelines on the food package, remember they are just guidelines and adjustments will be made based on your pets response. Also feed them for the weight that they should be, not the weight that they are (unless they are at their ideal weight). Keep in mind that when they recommend 1 cup per day they mean a measuring cup, not your extra large coffee cup.

Just like in people, some dogs have the genes that predispose them to being overweight. Some breeds that tend to have a higher incidence of obesity are: Labrador and Golden Retrievers, Pugs, Cocker Spaniels, Shelties, Dachshunds and Beagles. Some dogs also simply have a slow metabolism, this may be due to genetics or it may also be related to health problems like hypothyroidism.

Many people underestimate the impact of treats. Many pet treats are actually higher in calories then their regular food and thus can contribute significantly to weight problems. Four to five treats can translate into another meal’s worth of calories!

Portion control is an important part of a weight management plan. Having regular meal times and measuring out portions is the best way to help your pet lose those extra pounds. If portion control and regular exercise is not working to get the weight off then consider switching to a diet specific for weight loss. These diets tend to have fewer calories and more fiber so that your pet feels full with a lighter caloric load. I also recommend regular weight ins to monitor the animals progress and make sure that the weight is coming off at a reasonable rate.

If you think your pet is overweight have them assessed by your veterinarian, together you can create a weight management plan to get your pet back on a healthy track.

Dogs can be predisposed to ear infections because of a number of factors including recent swimming/bathing, allergies, ears that flop over and excessively hairy ear canals.  Ear infections are most commonly due to bacteria, yeast, a combination of both in a mixed infection or ear mites.

To diagnose an ear infection, your veterinarian will look down the ear canal with an otoscope (an instrument that allows them to see the deeper structures of the ear) and take samples.  An ear swab and culture allows the veterinarian to identify the causative agent and treat it appropriately.  Sometimes dogs have to be sedated or even anesthetized to properly diagnose and treat more complicated ear infections.  It is important to have your veterinarian examine your dogs ears at the first sign of infection, if the ear drum is not intact you do not want to put certain medications and cleaners down the ear canal as they can cause severe or permanent hearing loss.

Before medications are administered, the ear should be thoroughly cleaned in order for the medication to be able to penetrate deep into the ear canal and effectively treat the infection.  If medications are placed on top of ear wax or other debris they will not be as effective.

Cleaning and medicating your dogs ears can get a bit messy so make sure you do it on surfaces, and while wearing clothes, that are easily cleaned.  Most dogs require some restraint for this process.  While one person gently, yet firmly, holds the dog, the other should hold the ear flap (pinna) up and pull it gently away from the head and instill medication/cleaner into the ear opening.  Massage at the base of the ear in order to distribute the medication/cleaner deep into the ear canal.  When cleaning your dogs ears DO NOT use Q-tips, they can rupture the ear drum or pack wax and debris deeper into the ear canal. Excess cleanser and wax can be safely removed with a piece of cotton or gauze on the tip of the finger.  You can’t go too deep with your finger but you can go too deep with a Q-tip.

Dogs that are predisposed to ear infections may benefit from regular cleanings as a preventative.  If you are unsure about how to properly and safely clean/medicate your dogs ears, ask you veterinarian to show you.

Let us know if this article is helpful in keeping your dogs ears clean and free from infection. Leave a comment below..

It is important to keep the area around the eyes clean since the tear accumulation on the facial hair can also lead to matting of the hair, skin irritation, strong odor and possible infection. Tear staining can be traced to health and diet, as well as genetics. Here is a Hot Product that will help eliminate these tear stains and improve your pets over all well being.

Angel’s eyes is 100% safe for daily use and guaranteed to clear the tearing better than any other product on the market and of course, the best review is from a happy dog owner like myself!

Angels’ Eyes® is the first product specifically developed for both dogs and cats to eliminate unsightly tear stains from the inside out! Angels’ Eyes® also helps to eliminate staining around the mouth and their coats due to licking.

Other products are topical requiring high maintenance and yet will only remove the tear stains temporarily causing it to return worse than before. Angels’ Eyes® starts working before the tear stains begin and never adds food dyes or wheat which can have negative effects on your pet.

Before starting a supplement regimen, please consult with your veterinarian. Once you have ensured your pet’s overall health and comfort, use ANGELS’ EYES® as directed.

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The majority of cats presenting with the above-mentioned clinical signs fall into the idiopathic FLUTD category. Before a cat can be said to have idiopathic FLUTD the other recognized causes of urinary tract disease have to be ruled out. Even after extensive work up and diagnostics more than half of these cases yield no specific cause and can thus be classified as idiopathic FLUTD.  

In order to diagnose a cat with lower urinary tract disease your veterinarian will want to do at least a physical exam and a urinalysis. Additional testing that may be indicated include: a urine culture, blood work, x-rays and ultrasound imaging.

Treatment of feline lower urinary tract disease depends on the underlying cause, if one can even be identified. 

Bladder stones either need to be removed surgically or may be amendable to dissolution with an appropriate therapeutic diet depending on what the stones are composed of.

Some crystals in the urine can be normal but if they are found at abnormally high levels or if an abnormal type of crystal is identified then diet modification may be all that is needed to resolve the problem.

Cystitis (bladder wall inflammation) in cats is usually idiopathic, in other words we can’t identify a specific cause. It’s believed that stress plays a major roll in its development and that is why we often see a flare up of cystitis in cats that have recently moved to a new home or if a new family member/pet/roommate has come into the picture. Minimizing stress, optimizing litter box hygiene, encouraging water intake, diet modification, changing the type/location of the litter box and litter can all be beneficial. This can be a painful condition and these cats are often given some pain medication initially. Weekly subcutaneous (under the skin) injections of medication that promotes the protective lining of the bladder can be given once per week for at least 4 treatments. 

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI’s) are actually quite rare in young to middle aged cats. Cats appear to be innately more resistant to bacterial UTI’s than dogs due to their differences in anatomy and the higher concentration of their urine. Urine also has substances that inhibit bacterial colonization. A urinary tract infection can be diagnosed via a urine culture and then treated with an appropriate antibiotic based on the culture results.  Urinary tract infections are more common in older cats that have other conditions that predispose them to UTI’s such as diabetes or kidney disease. 

Urethral plugs are usually composed of either crystals or a proteinaceous substance and can cause a life-threatening blockage of the urethra (the duct by which the urine is conveyed out of the body from the bladder). This obstructive form of feline lower urinary tract disease is seen almost exclusively in male cats.  If you notice your male cat straining to urinate but producing no urine you must get him to a veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian will have to sedate or anesthetize your cat to remove the blockage and hospitalize him for at least 24 hours to make sure that he does not re-obstruct. 50% of these cats will have a recurrent obstruction in their lifetime. 

Trauma to the urinary tract can be sustained in many ways, the most common of which is cats that are hit by cars or that fall off balconies. A bladder rupture requires surgical intervention whereas less severe trauma may be amendable to more conservative medical management. 

Cancer can affect the urinary tract and needs to be properly characterized and staged before the best treatment options can be determined. 

Idiopathic feline urinary tract disease, which is the most common form of disease affecting the lower urinary tract in cats, is treated in much the same way as cystitis. Diet modification, pain medication, stress reduction, anti-inflammatory agents, glucosaminoglycans (promote the protective lining of the bladder), and litter box hygiene are all used to treat and manage this disease. This can be a very frustrating disease for owners and veterinarians alike because of the lack of an identifiable cause and the high rate of recurrence despite treatment.     

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Our pets can have dental issues at all stages of their life.  Young animals can have problems with their baby teeth or the alignment of their teeth.  Adult dogs can break their teeth when chewing hard bones/toys and often suffer from periodontal disease if their oral hygiene is not maintained.  Brushing is the gold standard of oral health care in our pets, just as it is for us, but most pet owners are not aware of this.

Young animals from birth until 9 months of age can have problems with their deciduous (baby) teeth, the most common of which is retained baby teeth.  This occurs if the baby teeth are not shed appropriately when the adult teeth are erupting.  The adult teeth normally erupt between 4-6 months of age.  Most veterinarians recommend spaying/ neutering pets at 6 months of age and their teeth should be assessed at this time.  If they have two teeth where there should be one (i.e. 1 baby tooth and the corresponding adult tooth right next to it), the baby tooth should be extracted.  If left in place, tartar and debris tend to accumulate very quickly, which leads to an accelerated onset of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is defined as the process that begins with gingivitis and progresses, if left untreated, to periodontitis.  Periodontitis is the destructive process involving the loss the gums, supportive ligaments, tooth structure and the bone that houses the roots of the teeth.  Gums that are swollen and inflamed (gingivitis) combined with chronic infection (periodontal disease) allow bacteria to enter the blood stream where it can seed organs (heart, kidneys, liver etc), which can result in serious infections of these organs.

Periodontal disease can begin as early as 9 months.  The onset of this disease can vary greatly with breed, diet and home care.  Most small dogs have periodontal disease by 3 years of age!! 

Dental cleaning

Before any dental procedure is performed a veterinarian should examine your pet and their anesthetic risk determined.

A complete dental cleaning should be performed at a veterinarian hospital because your pet will have to have a general anesthesia.  Anesthesia allows your veterinarian to place an endotracheal tube in the trachea (windpipe) to prevent tartar/bacteria from being inhaled into the lungs and possibly causing a lung infection.  Also, the most important part of a dental cleaning is the removal of tartar and plaque from under the gum line; this can simply not be done properly in a conscious pet.  Finally the teeth need to be polished, if this step is skipped the microscopic scratches made during the cleaning process will actually provide a rough surface that plaque can more easily adhere too in the future.  It is for these reasons that a “non-anesthetic” cleaning is never recommended.

During a cleaning procedure the animal is placed under anesthesia, at which time they are intubated (endotracheal tube is placed into the trachea) and their heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ECG and temperature are closely monitored.  Modern day anesthetics and IV fluids have hugely minimized the risks associated with anesthetic making it very safe.  The tartar/plaque is removed from the teeth, the area under the gum line is cleaned, the teeth are polished, a detailed chart of the oral cavity is made and further treatments (dental x-rays, local blocks, extractions, root canals, etc) are performed if indicated.  The animal is then allowed to recover and generally can go home the same day as the procedure.

The frequency with which these cleanings are required varies between patients and depends on the anatomy of their mouth, diet and home care (brushing).  There is no treat, diet, water additive or bone that is as good for your pets’ oral health as brushing.  Ideally we should be brushing our pet’s teeth once daily or a minimum of 5 times per week.  Plaque is calcified into tartar over a period or 2-3 days.  Plaque can be brushed off, but once it has turned into tartar a professional cleaning is needed to remove it.  Cats and dogs who get their teeth brushed daily will need fewer dental cleanings over the course of their life then pets who do not.  Generally smaller dogs should have their teeth cleaned earlier and more often because their teeth are more crowded in their mouths and they often develop periodontal disease at an accelerated rate.

A healthy mouth makes for a healthy pet and we can extend the length and the quality of our pets lives by keeping their mouths clean and healthy.

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This generation is more aware than ever of the germs around us and in our homes. Did you know that many of your household cleaners may contain toxins such as formaldehyde, which could cause severe health problems to your pet?

Your loyal friend the pooch is at especially at risk of contacting these toxins because of their insatiable need to lick everything in site including the bottoms of feet and shoes.

Unfortunately, any chemicals that are toxic and have been used to clean the floor can end up in your dog’s internal system.

Behaviors around the home that can harm your pet:

• Room deodorizing
• Using toilet bowl cleaners your where your pet can drink from
• Bug spraying
• Leaving matches around your home (sulfur)
• Fertilizing your lawn
• Chlorinating swimming pools where your pet can drink

Toxins to avoid:

Alcohol: Lysol household cleaner is very high in alcohol. Keep all of these out of the reach of pets to prevent poisoning.

Bleach (sodium hypochlorite): Never combine bleach with cleaners containing acids or ammonia or a release of toxic chlorine/chloramine gases will occur. Mildew removal products may contain calcium hypochlorite and this is about twice as deadly as the regular bleach.

Paradichlorobenzene: Is a key ingredient in numerous air fresheners. This chemical is especially dangerous and can cause cancer to your pet.

Pine Oils: Pine Sol is a cleaning solution containing high concentrations of pine oil alcohols derived from pine tree wood. Turpentine also consists of pine oil terpenes.

Phenols: Cats are sensitive to Lysol cleaner. It contains phenols and cats have difficulties detoxifying this type of poison.

Some tips to help you keep your pet safe are:

• Make sure you read the label before purchasing products
• Minimize the number of harmful compounds in your household
• Consider shopping for less toxic alternatives to some of the typical household items
• Keep only enough in your home to do the job

No matter what kind of cleaners you use, it is also important to keep them stored in a safe place. Make your home safe for you, your pets and of course, the environment.

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