Category Archives: Health

5 Most Common Dog Health Issues To Be Aware Of

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When you take care of your dog, you are rewarded with friendship, loyalty and unconditional love. As well as ensuring they are well fed and exercised; it also involves safety when handling and housing them, but also carefully monitoring their health over time.
However, it is not always easy as it can be stressful when your dog is ill and suffering. To help give you a greater understanding of what is happening, there are five common health issues that you should be aware of.

Diarrhea
Although it is not a disease, diarrhea is more a symptom of an underlying condition. This could be something very short term and acute and related to their diet. It is likely to pass by quickly.
You need to look our for other symptoms though, such as vomiting or if they are feel uneasy, lethargic and have lost their appetite.
Diarrhea could be a sign of a more serious illness. Look out for recurrences and make water readily available. If the diarrhea doesn’t pass and your dog shows signs of other symptoms, it could be a move serious condition. In this situation, take them to your local vet.

dog ear cleaner

Ear Infections
Your dog may have an ear infection if they are shaking or tilting their head a lot. Another symptom or sign is rubbing or scratching their ear. If you see your dog doing any of these things, take a closer look around their ears for redness, swelling or discharge. Also check for any bad odors and if there is a combination of any of these symptoms, it is possible your dog has an ear infection and needs to take a trip to your vets.
Dogs commonly suffer from ear infections, particularly breeds with ears that flop. As their ear canals are vertical, it makes them much more susceptible to contracting infections, as it makes it east for microorganisms, foreign objects and unclean water getting trapped. All of which can cause infections.
Your vet or animal hospital will need a swab taken from the area and inspect their inner ear. Insecticide, antibiotics and fungicides can be used to treat ear infections, depending on what caused them. You could also make sure that you have some ear dog-ear cleaning products in at home to make sure their ears are always clean.

Fleas
Fleas are incredibly common are very easy to spot. The first thing to look out for is your dog biting, licking or scratching at their coat or skin. If they have an infestation that has gone on for a long time unnoticed, this might become clearer if you notice skin irritation and abrasion signs or the loss of fur. Check your dog’s coat regularly for fleas, looking out for dark droppings and eggs. Around the ears, the neck and tail base are the most common areas.
Vets will provide your dog with an oral treatment if it is a more serious infestation. A simple flea treatment in the form of a liquid can be applied to your dog’s skin, which deters adults from staying on your dog’s body. Along with treating your dog, you need to also think about the environment they live in and if possible, remove or replace bedding and vacuum around the places they frequent, disposing of the dust collected carefully.
After treating your dog’s flea problem, make a habit of using spot-on treatment every 4 to 8 weeks to prevent a recurrence. As flea’s lay eggs that mature, the cycle begins once again, so break this cycle.

Hot Spots
The first sign you may be aware of with hot spots is a small area of irritation in the form of an insect bite. That small issue can become worse if your dog scratches or itches around the offending area.
In time, this can develop into what is known as a hot spot, also referred to as acute moist dermatitis. Hot spots are irritated, moist skin, that can sometimes ooze and cause matted hair. Other causes for hot spots can be something dog’s environment, poor grooming, fleas or allergic reactions. When your dog suffer from this, they will scratch and itch at it until it worsens and causes a more serious irritation of the skin, which can lead to nasty infections if untreated.
Treating hot spots normally involves having your dog’s matted hair clipped, cleaned and dried sufficiently. Then applying a light disinfectant. If there are severe hot spots, cortisone can be applied. Your vet will be able to advise what is the best course of action.

Vomiting
Although if your dog vomits on occasion, this is not anything you should be worried about, especially if they are an otherwise healthy animal. However, if you it appears that your dog is vomiting more often, it is important to be on the lookout for more symptoms of distress and discomfort. It may be that normal dietary issues cause vomiting.
Be sure to look for sings of diarrhoea, blood or any other changes in your dog’s behavior, as these can all be signs of more serious problems. Vomiting is caused by various diseases, toxins and even infections. Therefore, if it persists, it is a good time to visit the vets.

dog health

4 Reasons Why Your Dog Should Wear a Flea Collar

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Fleas are exceptionally hardy creatures. Even if you manage to kill all the adult fleas with the most expensive flea medication in the market, you’re actually only addressing 5 per cent of the problem. This is because 95% of fleas are eggs, larvae, or pupae. It is for this reason that effective flea control requires a more holistic approach, preferably one that includes a variety of treatment modalities to help arrest the growth and development of these immature fleas and put a stop to their life cycle. One of the things you really should consider putting on your pet dog is a flea collar. And here are 4 reasons why your dog should wear a flea collar.

flea collars

It is effective in killing and repelling not only fleas but also ticks, lice, and other bugs
Most flea collars act in two ways. First they kill fleas within the first 24 hours of application. Some products can actually start killing the little pests within 12 hours after the initial application. What this simply means is that if your pooch already has fleas, you can expect that 80 to 90 per cent of the insects will be done for within the first 24 hours. Give it another day and the extermination should already be complete.

However, since your pooch will not be confined to a particularly zero-flea area, there is always the possibility of other fleas from the external environment crawling up onto your pet. Depending on the mechanism of the best flea collars that you’ll be using on your pooch, you can prevent this from occurring. A different active ingredient may serve as a repellent for these bugs that they will never go anywhere near your beloved dog.

With this combination of insecticidal and insect-repellent properties of flea collars, you are ensuring the best possible flea solution for your pet. But that is actually not everything because the best products in the market also happen to have a broad spectrum of activity. These are fully capable of killing and repelling ticks, lice, and other organisms as well.

It is much easier and less invasive to use on your dog.
Compared to spot-on flea medications, putting a flea collar on your dog is very easy. It is as simple as, well, putting on a collar. Spot-on topical applications will require you to meticulously part your dog’s fur so that you are going to apply the medication onto its skin and not on its fur. The same is true with medicated flea shampoos. You will have to massage the formulation onto your dog’s skin to make sure that the active ingredients don’t just stay on your pet’s coat. For tablet flea medications, you do know how challenging it can be to shove a large pill down your pet’s throat.

It can work almost all-year round
Topical flea medications have a maximum insecticidal effect that lasts about a month, some as long as 3 months. On the other hand, some of the best flea collars can work up to an amazing 8 months, although 3 to 6 months is the usual norm. With this in mind, you can actually use a single flea collar to last the entire flea season and even further.

It is more practical
This is a natural outcome of the lengthy insecticidal effect of flea collars. A monthly application of topical flea medications means 12 units of the product. A 6-monthly application of a flea collar means you only get to buy this product twice a year.

Flea collars are effective only against fleas that are already on your pooch. That’s why it should be made part of a more comprehensive approach to flea management and not be made as the sole treatment.

flea collars

Dog poo on beaches

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Hundreds of bags of dog poo have been found on the UK’s beaches according to the Marine Conservations Society’s 2016 research; with 792 bags recorded at 364 beaches by volunteers over the Great British Beach Clean weekend in September last year. However these numbers don’t show the full scale of the problem; beach clean volunteers do not record unbagged waste therefore the total amount of dog poo left by some owners on our beautiful beaches remains unknown.

Dog poo on beaches

Many people believe that leaving dog poo on the beach is OK because the tide washes it away, however this natural disposal technique isn’t the best thing for our beautiful beaches and seas. Bacteria present in dog poo is potentially harmful to beach users and can affect water quality.

That’s why organisations and campaigns from across the UK are uniting this week for #binit4beaches; a campaign focused on reducing pollution and litter at the beach and calling for dog owners to help with ongoing improvements.

Millions of people head to the UK’s beaches to relax, paddle and swim every year and we want water quality to be the best it can be. Last year 98.5% of the UK’s bathing waters met the tough minimum standards. By working together, we can continue to help protect and improve water quality. So, if you visit the beach with your dog please do your bit to help by bagging and binning your dog poo, making the beach safe for everyone to enjoy.

Support by visiting this link: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/63649-confess-who-hangs-dog-mess

10 Things All Dog Owners Should Know About Lungworm

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You may have heard lungworm being discussed by other dog owners in the park or even seen posters in the vet waiting room. But what actually is lungworm, what are the symptoms of lungworm in dogs and what is the best treatment for lungworm?

1. Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a parasite that can cause serious health problems in dogs and can even be fatal if not diagnosed and treated early enough.

2. Slugs and snails carry the lungworm larvae which means dogs can become infected when they accidentally eat these common garden pests, or their infected slime.1

3. A recent survey of UK vets by Bayer, experts in parasitology, indicates that the vast majority (66%) have experienced a case of lungworm in their practice within the last year.2

4. Dogs of all ages and breeds can become infected with lungworm, but younger dogs are more likely to contract the parasite, due to their inquisitive nature and new owners not knowing enough about the risks of the parasite. The average age of affected animals is between just 10 and 14 months.3,4

5. If your dog likes to rummage through undergrowth, eat grass, drink from puddles or outdoor water bowls then speak to your vet about preventative treatment. Be careful about leaving your dog’s toys outside too as slugs and snails can be attracted to them.

6. Spring and autumn are peak times for slugs and snails due to the wet and mild conditions. It is important to be extra vigilant around these times.

7. Lungworm infection can result in a number of different signs in your dog which may be confused with other illnesses. However, some dogs will not show any signs.

8. Not all worming treatments cover lungworm. Only monthly prevention with products available on prescription from your vet will protect dogs against the parasite; use only every three months leaves dogs at risk of disease and even death.

9. Lungworm is now endemic throughout much of the UK, according to a study by researchers at the Royal Veterinary College, one in five veterinary practices in the UK have reported at least one clinical case in a dog.

10. To find out whether lungworm is in your area, search by postcode at http:/www.lungworm.co.uk/lungworm-map/

1. Conboy et al. WAAVP 2015
2. Survey of 300 UK Vets, conducted by Bryter in March 2017.
3. Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in 23 dogs (1999-2002), P. S. Chapman et al., Journal of Small Animal Practice (2004) 45, 435–440
4. Spatial, demographic and clinical patterns of Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in the dog population of Southern England, T. R. W. Blehaut et al., Veterinary Record (2014) doi: 10.1136/vr.102186

How to Stop Your Dog from Peeing on the Carpet Now

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Dogs may be adorable creatures and keeping them indoors can be such a joy. Giving them food through an automatic pet feeder would be convenient too. So, even when you are out, you don’t need to worry that they will get hungry.
While dogs are great security guards for your home, they can be naughty from time to time though, so you need to prepare yourself for when they misbehave. There are times when it’s hard to keep them in control. Sometimes, they will mess up with the pet water fountain or run around your home like crazy in the name of fun.
There are times, however, when their antics become destructive. Some dogs love peeing in the wrong places like your carpet. The last thing you want to end up with is a carpet that is stinking of dog urine.
If your dog thinks that the carpet is the perfect place to pee, you need to do something about it quickly or else you will tolerate this bad habit. What’s the best way to discourage your canine to do answer the call of nature by peeing on the carpet?

Here are 4 things that you can do to address that behavior:

Potty Training
There’s no denying that a dog needs to be reminded that it should be peeing in the right place. One way to make sure that your dog knows this is to start potty training. Teaching your canine about proper behavior is a must if you do not want to end up cleaning the carpet over and over because your pet considers it as his bathroom.
Potty training will help your dog realize that there is a right place to pee. This means that it would be easier to teach your dog about the right place to poop. So, if you have a dog that has not been housebroken yet, this may be a good choice.
Potty training is all about teaching your dog that there is a place to poop. The most effective way to accomplish this is through positive reinforcement and by rewarding your pet. Taking your pet outside to a regular spot to pee or poop is the best choice to do this so that next time, they will know what to do.

Crate training
Another choice for making sure that your carpet will not suffer from more accidents is through crate training. Keeping your pet in a crate and letting them out when they have to go is easier and less dangerous when they are in a crate. Just a word of caution, this is not the magical answer to all dog problems.
Housetraining is best done using crates although there are differences in opinion about that among dog owners. Some people find this to be an inhuman way to treat canines since the animals are placed in captivity. Although you can put a dog in a crate when you are out, it’s not recommended since dogs tend to feel depressed when you leave them alone for long periods of time.
Crate training is a means of making sure that the newest addition to the canines in your family will not destroy your house. However, you should never consider this as an option when you are dealing with puppies that are less than six months old. The maximum number of hours that you can leave your pets in a crate is just four hours, so always keep that fact in mind.

dog peeing on carpet

Clean carpets to remove any trace of pee
Dogs have a good sense of smell. This is one of the reasons why they are such a valuable companion when you are hunting and tracking. This same ability can backfire when you are training your dog to stop peeing on the carpet.
Once your dog already peed on your carpet, they will leave their scent in there. If they get a whiff of that smell and they get the urge to pee, they tend to do the deed in a place that smells just like pee to them. So, if there are still traces of pee smell on the carpet, they will love to pee in there as much as they want.
You also need to keep in mind that just because you can’t smell the pee, it’s not there. Make sure that the carpets are cleaned thoroughly so that your dog will not get the urge to continue peeing on it. Although it’s good to use homemade solutions, always make sure to get the scent totally gone or else your carpet could still be in danger.

Hire professional dog trainers
If you have done everything that you possibly can but your dog is still peeing on your carpet, you might be feeling quite frustrated by now. Don’t worry, there are still choices that are open to you. You can always look to professionals for help. These people are the best choices that you have when it comes to understanding dogs and their behavior.

When things seem to be too hard to handle and your dog just won’t budge, there could be a bigger problem. Professionals can help you in this aspect and they might even assist you in handling your dog and making it obey you. This may be a costly option but it would totally pay off.
Dogs that keep on urinating on the carpet can be a huge source of frustration. If this is one of your struggles, try to look into these suggestions.
Did you ever own a dog that kept on urinating on the carpet? What did you do? Tell us all about it in the comments section and be sure to share this with your friends if you found it useful.

BIO:
My name is Diana Hutchinson. I am the founder of Tinpaw.com.
I have more than 10-years’ experience in nurturing and caring cats & dogs. I love them. Since long ago they had been become important members of my family.

Small Black Country Business Gets Twitter Boost from Theo Paphitis

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Small business start-up, BIGPAWS.CO, has received a business boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis.

Tracy Messer, owner of BIGPAWS.CO, tweeted Theo about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ and was one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet by Theo to his huge Twitter following.  This weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has 1700 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.

dog bowl

Business and retail entrepreneur and self-confessed Shopkeeper, Theo re‐tweeted Tracy’s message to his 500,000 followers which has resulted in BIGPAWS.CO getting increased followers and orders for her Wall Mounted Dog Bowl Holders, a unique product which fits at any height and stops your dog’s bowl sliding around on the floor.

Tracy said, “I’ve only been trading for 7 months, so as a relatively new start-up it’s great to have support from Theo because it’s tough trying to raise your profile when you’re a small business. Theo has recognised all the hard work and helped spread the word about what the business is about.”

Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis, said: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.  My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings. The website and Shop #SBS will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish BIGPAWS.CO every success.”

Anyone looking for a re‐tweet from Theo should tweet him about their business on Sunday between 5 PM and 7.30 PM and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8 PM and then invited to enter their profile on the new website, attend the annual #SBS networking event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

Do you know the effects of dog poo in the sea?

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Millions of people enjoy the British beaches each year, paddling in the sea or, if they are daring enough, going for a chilly swim!

To protect and advise the general public using the beaches the Environment Agency check the areas of the coast classified as bathing waters 20 times a year monitoring their water quality. They then report a result of either excellent, good, sufficient or fail on their website and at signage on the beach.

Did you know that dog poo has a significant effect on these results?

effects of dog poo in the sea

Not only is it unpleasant to find dog mess in the sea but the harmful bacteria in it can make those swimming and paddling sick. Also, if left on pavements inland it can also be washed into the sea during heavy rain.

As this bacteria affects the bathing water quality high volumes of dog poo increases the risk of the bathing water receiving a fail status, resulting in the location being withdrawn. This may have a bigger impact on the coastal economy relating to tourism and jobs.

LOVEmyBEACH is a campaign with a huge challenge: to work together to keep our local beaches and bathing waters clean. That is why we are speaking to as many responsible dog owners as possible to who can help promote this important message so we can all enjoy the beaches for generations to come. As always, please bag it and bin it when on the beach as the tide cannot wash away your dogs bad deeds.

dog poo in the sea

What dogs really think of their owners – video

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If you’ve ever wondered what dogs might say if they could talk, then now’s your chance to find out.

As well as making dog lovers laugh, the video hopefully shows why it’s important to register your appliances. In the event of a product recall, you’ll be alerted to the dangerous device you have at home. Electrical Safety First’s research found that 5 million tumble dryers were recalled last year, but thousands remain in people’s homes to this day, putting dogs and their owners at risk of house fires.

It only takes a few minutes to register your appliances, and one day your dogs might be thankful you did!

Visit registermyappliance.org.uk today.

Why the UK Should Acknowledge Emotional Support Animal

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In the US, the number of emotional support animals is growing steadily. Thousands of mental health patients have been able to survive difficult times with their ESAs without expensive therapy sessions and medical bills. However, acknowledging the importance of emotional support animals in the UK is still a controversial subject. While airlines in the US allow passengers to travel with emotional support animals, (they should have specific documentation to prove they need one) the rules are different in the UK.

British Airways let passengers carry their assistance dogs in the cabin with prior agreement, whereas all other emotional support animals need to travel in the hold. According to The British Airways, if an individual is travelling with a recognized assistance dog, the dog will be placed in the cabin, without any additional cost. Unfortunately, you cannot book this service in advance but when it comes to the actual flight, there are a limited number of spaces for dogs.

Emotional Support Animal

However, when it comes to ESAs, they have to be placed in the cargo bay but the airline assures IAG World Cargo takes good care of all transporting animals and pets. An Emotional Support Animal is a companion animal for people having physical and psychological needs. The animal does not necessarily have to be task-trained and the purpose of keeping one is to benefit from the unconditional love and affection it provides.

Research implies that mental health issues in the UK are rising and mental health services struggle to provide effective and timely solutions as people have to wait for months to get appointments. An emotional support animal offers long-term support and will help people spend less with this permanent support system.

Owing to extensive researches around the world, ESAs are now prescribed in some states in the US and are recognized legally as service animals that receive the same rights as guide dogs. There are many companies in the US, such as TherapyPet.org and EmotionalSupportAnimalCo.com, that make it very easy to obtain this type of documentation for your pet. However, in the UK, emotional support animals are simply not recognized even though prisons, educational institutions and medical premises provide sessions with therapy dogs, to help reduce anxiety, depression and stress.

Since ESAs are required to follow animal import and quarantine rules, there are a few places in the world where they are not allowed at all, such as Maldives, or have to go into quarantine (New Zealand or Australia). Therefore, you should check with the embassy of the country that you want to visit with your emotional support pet.

Nothing is documented in the guidance document about the UK regulations about giving access to guide dogs and assistance dogs. Even though there is no law that prevents the British from accepting a pet or emotional support animal that travels by air with its owner, it is uncertain if the handler of a privately trained assistance dog will be allowed to attend places of public accommodation and public transportation.

By assisting individuals with disabilities to function better in society, emotional support animals serve a greater purpose than conventional house pets. The purpose of an ESA is to offer healing benefits to individuals with psychological, mental or emotional disabilities. Emotional support animals are not restricted to just dogs and all domesticated animals qualify for an emotional support animal.

The purpose of an emotional support animal is to offer therapeutic benefits to individuals even when they are traveling. The British are familiar of viewing dogs in harnesses or other types of assistance dogs that wear bright colored capes with the Assistance Dogs of the UK logo. People who wish to carry their emotional support animals or dogs are suggested to consider pet friend hotels and rent a car services to help you keep your emotional assistance dog with you.  In the future, our hope is that therapy animals are recognized in the UK and are able to support their owners during times of need no matter where they are or what the situation is. As more research unfolds, I wouldn’t doubt the UK starts to identify these types of pets in a legal manner.

Author Bio: Brad Smith is an avid content writer who enjoys telling stories about animals and their effects on human mental & behavioural health.

Love is giving a dooup this Valentine’s Day!

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In the UK

12% of dog and cat owners will buy gifts and cards for their pets
19% of people will spend the same amount on their pet as their partner
The average Valentine’s gift will cost £23

Americans will spend at least $800 million on gifts for their dogs this V day and meanwhile, the only gifts they’ll receive back will be the kind one doesn’t really want to see or smell!

Dooup

Of course, the benefits of owning a dog far outweighs the one downside but why not make it easier for loved ones receiving these rather unpleasant gifts every day? Dog waste is often left in the garden that’s used to dine and lounge in and a place where children play! The dooup Complete Pet Waste Clearer is the ultimate in thoughtful gifts. It’s practical and it says ‘I’m thinking of you and sparing you an awful job’. And you’ll be spreading that love across the environment by preventing the spread of the 23 million bacteria contained in dog waste that affects our aquatic life and waterways.

And, let’s face it, nothing quite says ‘I do’ like a dooup! It says ‘I’m committed to you and your dog’! So, if there’s anyone out there wanting to make a big impact when they pop the question to their dog loving lover…buy a dooup, video your other half receiving it, along with a romantic proposal of marriage and post it on our FB page and we will not only refund you the cost including shipping, we will provide you with a large refill pack too, so that you’re kitted out for the whole year. That way, you can focus on the ever-important wedding costs. Don’t worry, we won’t expect an invite.

Such a unique marriage proposal cannot fail to go viral! However, we won’t hold our breath that anyone will post such a video…we’ll leave the holding of the breath to those of you still sporting an old-fashioned scoop or shovel!

If you don’t think you’re old fashioned…consider the difference between the old-style chamber pot and how one would have to physically transfer one’s waste. Now we simply flush it away so effortlessly. Now think about how you deal with the waste from your dog in the garden. Then watch our short video here www.thedooup.com to see how things have progressed!

This Valentine’s Day, ‘If it doesn’t make you smile, change it’!