Category — Dog Health

This post today is a slight departure for all of us here at Doggi Bling.  Usually we post dog tips, dog toys, treats, crates, houses, dog food, or just about anything else relating to ways you can make your pet happier, healthier, safer or more comfortable.  Today, we’re posting about some news that we found, and the reason is…we couldn’t be happier at the outcome, or more upset about the facts behind it.

A dogfighting ring was just busted and broken in Texas.  For this, we are overjoyed.  According to the article I just read,

“State officials said late Friday that they had begun dismantling one of the largest dogfighting rings in the country that night, arresting eight people and seizing 187 dogs used by a sophisticated network of bettors throughout eastern Texas. Investigators continued to search for suspects Saturday….In all, 55 people were indicted after an undercover investigation that lasted 17 months. Officials said the network’s matches drew crowds of up to 100 people, who placed tens of thousands of dollars in wagers on a single fight.”

The simple fact that this goes on makes me angrier, sadder, and more frustrated than words can adequately describe.  How can anyone, anywhere, partake in such disgusting, despicible and atrocious acts?  As our friends on Dogster mentioned, the laws need to be changed to make punishments for such crimes MUCH, MUCH more strict and harsh.  It is insane that people convicted of these disgusting acts are only facing a maximum sentence of 2 years.  Ridiculous.  Dog and animal cruelty is a huge problem in this country and around the world, we all need to do whatever we can to help put an end to it.

Join the ASPCA, get educated, do research…if we all do a little, maybe we can do a lot.  For starters, could work Houston investigators to put an end to one ring.  Lets stop many more!

Yesterday we mentioned a very important warning to each and every one of you out there that just so happens to live anywhere your dog might be a little chilly.  Today, we’re issuing yet another warning to those very same people.  Man, not to be a total downer but when we read articles about accidents like the one we had yesterday, and the one I just read about today, I can’t help but warn all of my canine loving companions out there!

Today’s warning is about another method of heating you or your pets up:  Space Heaters.  The warning is simple:  Do Not Leave Your Space Heaters Unattended…EVER!  Dogs and space heaters can be some of the greatest enemies, well, ever.  An unattended space heater, if tipped overy by a dog, can start massive house fires.  Don’t believe me, just ask the family of two dogs in Hilton, New York.  Here’s the jist of what went down:

“A space heater sparked an accidental fire this morning in an apartment building in Hilton…Firefighters rescued two dogs from the apartment. One dog was initially unresponsive, but improved when firefighters gave the animal oxygen.”

Yikes.  Nevertheless, now you know, no electric blankets, and no space heaters if you’re going to be leaving the house at all.  Keep those beautiful dogs safe, keep your house safe, and find better ways to keep warm this year!

Hello and hopefully this finds you not TOO miserable being back among the working this fine Monday morning!  Just remember, we’re only days away from Thanksgiving and the sleepy, belly-filled weekend that will be sure to follow!  This Monday, we here at DoggiBling just wanted to impart some very important warnings to you:  NEVER give your dog an electric blanket!

That’s right, according to an article I just read, a chihuahua named Bubba in Bakersfield, California, is extremely lucky to be alive after chewing through an electric blanket and getting severely electrocuted.  Apparently, whilst snuggling into his electric blanket, Bubba chewed through and into the power cord and got shocked.  He immediately was unconscious and not breathing so his owners gave him CPR.  Luckily, they revived him and he was rushed to an animal hospital to recover with some severe burns.

Nevertheless, this is just a reminder for all you, like me, in colder climates:  Never attempt to warm your dog up with an electric blanket.  The electrical current running through it can be fatal, as Bubba almost proved.  Dogs chew, and if they chew the wrong things, they might not be chewing long, so please, please heed this warning!  Now, go snuggle up with your pets, keep each other warm and enjoy the rest of your Monday morning!

Hello and welcome back to the work week!  Hopefully this finds you well rested and hopefully over the diabetic shock that can be Halloween!  Here’s to hoping your dogs made it through the Halloween humiliation that can be pet costumes unscathed!  To kick things off this Monday morning, I decided that in light of Halloween’s passing, we should be very aware of our dog’s health.  We can’t always be scheduling vet visits, we can’t always take our pets in for checkups, but we should always be aware of their health.

So what do we do?  How about administer a DIY Doggy Exam!?  That’s right, you don’t need a medical degree, veterinary license or extensive knowledge to give your dog a daily, weekly or monthly check-up to make sure they are in tip-top shape without the bills of a vet visit, or hassle of meeting the appointments.  While regular check-ups and real vet visits are irreplaceable, this can be an amazingly helpful way to supplement those visits.  Here we go, DIY Doggy Exam:

“• Run your hands over your dog’s head and body. Any new lumps or bumps? Observe the eyes, and check inside the ears and under the tail. Give the pet a good belly rub as you check the abdomen for hardness, swelling, lumps or bumps.

Other things to check:

• Shiny coat?

• Fur coming out other than normal shedding?

• Visible discharges from eyes, nose, ears or glands?

• Lift up the side of the mouth to check whether teeth are clean and gums are pink. Bad breath and discoloration of gums are not healthy.

• The nose should be wet without a discharge.

• Ear flaps should be pink.

• A few minutes every month is all it takes. You probably will notice when something is not right. Be sure to tell the vet anything out of the ordinary to help avoid serious health problems.“

There you have it.  That should provide you with the very basics on how to make sure that your dog doesn’t have anything that requires help on a more serious level.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

When it comes to everyday household items in and around your house, there’s a pretty good chance that most of us don’t give any of them a second-thought when it comes to how dangerous they are to our dog friends.  Most of us know the usual suspects, rat poison, bleach and anything else that’d probably be poisonous to Us, but I just found out a great deal of very common, very ordinary household objects that I had no idea were so poisonous to our pups!

This is an article you are for sure going to want to read as it could drastically alter the way you store things, the things that are “reachable” in your home, and things you might want to toss out altogether.  Feel free to check out the full article for more in-depth analysis, but for now, here are 10 household items that can seriously injure your furry friends:

1. Laundry detergents and fabric softener
2. Mouse and ant killers
3. Chocolate, even in small amounts
4. Ice melt and rock salt
5. Oleander, mistletoe, and lily plants
6. Macadamia nuts
7. Tylenol can be fatal for a pet
8. Antifreeze
9. Avocados, raisins, grapes, and onions
10. Mouthwash

There you have it!  Numbers 1, 6 and 9 were the most surprising to me.  Not that I actually feed my pets dryer sheets, but from time to time they have gotten their little mouths on them, and I had no idea how dangerous they could be.  Avocados, raisins, grapes and onions I had no idea, as people can eat them without worry, I assumed dogs could too.  Wow.

Hello, Happy Monday and welcome back to DoggiBling!  Hopefully you had a great weekend, full of rest, relaxation and plenty of 1 on 1 time with your furry friends!  Speaking of our 4-legged counterparts, raise your hand if you don’t always give your pooch the right amount of exercise???

I have to admit, my hand was one of the first to shoot up.  We’re human, we make mistakes!  It doesn’t matter what happens, when it happens, or why, we all get sidetracked, busy and too involved to give our pets the proper exercise they deserve 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.  When you have a pet that demands large amounts of exercise and you just can’t give it to them on a regular basis, health problems, psychological problems and behavioral problems are often the result.  If you are NEW to the dog world, or not yet a dog owner, and you know you’re goign to have a tough time providing exercise, one of the most responsible and intelligent things you can do is invest in a dog that has a relatively low exercise need.

So what breeds are best?  The good news is, you have a wide variety of choices.  According to an article I just read, here are the BEST breeds for you, if providing a lot of exercise is just not in the cards: [Read more →]

I think it’s very important that every dog owner knows what type of foods to feed their dog. Not many really understand the importance of knowing whether to feed their pup dry food or canned food. Here are some views:

Dry Dog Food — Experts and dog owners both agree that premium dry dog food is the best kind to get. High-grade dog foods are said to be better because there are no grains — instead, potatoes are used to give your dog carbohydrates. One of the top high-grade dog food brands include Innova dog food. There are lots of flavors and nutrients to be had with this brand. And if you can’t afford going with premium dry food all of the time, try getting it every now and then.

Canned Dog Food — If you haven’t already heard, canned dog food has been known to be a better source of food for dogs. It has more nutrients and less fillers than dry food. Premium canned dog food is definitely the better way to go, like with Canidae Dog Food.

Overall, it is best to give your pooch the best of both worlds. So try switching it up every now and then and see your dog enjoying their meals more.

Tired of your pooch scratching up your favorite furniture? Do like I did and give him or her a pedicure. Before, I used to only allow my vet to cut my dog’s nails for fear of cutting them too short and hitting a vein. Now, I use dog nail clippers that give a signal when the cutting limit has been reached. It’s a good idea to invest in such products because with traditional trimmers, you’d have to be an expert at stopping at the right point.

Trimming your dog’s nails isn’t only to avoid getting scratched up; it’s also a health hazard. Dog’s nails are tough, so they continue to grow and end up dragging across the floor while walking and running, which can become uncomfortable for them. This could lead to sores developing on their paws and can even cause problems further up their legs. The toes you want to trim regularly are the five front nails; the sixth (or the supposed thumb) doesn’t have to be trimmed too often.

It is important for every pet owner to take care of their pups, especially when it comes to harmful insects like ticks, mosquitoes and fleas. Using insect repellents is ideal for keeping these pests at bay, but some of them are a bit too harsh. Just think, these pesticides contain dangerous chemicals and we’re placing them on our pet’s fur. It is known that these bug repellents seep into the blood of our pets and can spread through their bodies. And even worse, there are side effects - plainly stated on the labels of these repellents - that include:

• Fur loss
• Infections
• Organ failure
• Death

There is an alternative with organic bug repellents. These are made with natural herbs and substances that are completely safe for your dog - not pests, which is the way it’s supposed to be. Some even have vitamins and minerals that can help your dog’s immune system and give them a nice shiny coat.

If you don’t already have one for your dog, you may have thought of getting one. The temptation to do whatever it takes to keep your dog in your yard could become overwhelming, especially when regular fences can’t be used due to regulations on a deed. But the realities of using such a product could end up doing more harm than good. Here are some reasons you may want to keep in mind before strapping that leash around your pooches neck.

Invisible fencing sends a shock through the collar, which can be a bit painful for your dog. Yeah, it’s true that there is a warning high-pitched noise that sounds off when getting too close to the invisible fence perimeter, but dogs can be stubborn.

Some dogs become tolerable of the shock the collar sends through, which could allow them to stray away from the property. Also, if the dog accidentally goes out, he may be too afraid to come back in the yard where they will be greeted with another shock.

There have been some reports of behavioral issues with using invisible fences for dogs. It can be a bit confusing for them, especially when they associate punishment with the last thing they were trying to do; for instance, if your dog was trying to greet a familiar family member and gets shocked by the invisible fence, they may think they did something wrong. Eventually, the misconceptions can lead to rebellion.

The idea of getting an invisible fence is to keep your dog in, but what about keeping out dangers? An invisible fence doesn’t keep rabid and dangerous animals out of your yard and from attacking your dog. Also, if your dog is very protective, unsuspecting pedestrians may accidentally walk along the perimeters of the invisible fence and get bitten.

Most invisible fence collar’s come with different levels of shock. I think this an item that should be used sparingly and only if there are no other alternatives. Try getting your dog professionally trained or talk with the city to see if you can have a fence placed on your property.

So what do you think? Is using invisible dog fencing inhumane?