Grapes Raisins and Kidney Failure in Dogs

You have a healthy, happy young dog. All of a sudden you notice that your dog feels really sick and is urinating a lot. You rush to the veterinary clinic, looking for an answer. Your veterinarian starts asking questions to get a good history, and starts running tests. Blood work and analysis of urine seems to indicate that your dog is in acute kidney failure. How did that happen? Your veterinarian asks questions- is there any chance your dog got into anti-freeze? No. Lilies? No. Grapes? Yes.

There are a number of different toxins that can cause acute kidney failure in an otherwise healthy dog. Many drugs can predispose dogs to this condition.

Feeding Senior Pets

As our pet cats and dogs get older, they start to develop their own set of age-related health problems in a similar way that we humans do. While some pets tend to slow down in their old age, others retain that same high level of energy that they had when they were young, and this can sometimes make it difficult for us to recognize that our senior pets may need a little extra care and attention.

Designer Dog Breeds

Over the last decade or so there has been a lot of commotion about “designer breeds”. Goldie-poos (Golden retriever x Standard Poodle), Shi-poos (Shi tzu x Miniature Poodle), and Jugs (Jack Russel terrier x Pug) are some of the more commonly seen breed combinations. These cross-bred dogs (as we will refer to them in this article) have been advertised as having various desirable physical and personality traits. The claims run from non-shedding to “the best qualities from both breeds”. There has been a lot of attention, both praising and critical, given to these cross-bred dogs. We will try to distinguish myth from truth in this article.

Pain aggression in dogs – Pet tip 257

Unfortunately the following two scenarios occur from time to time: You’re innocently petting your cat or dog when all of a sudden your pet bites you. The same reaction can happen when you pick up your cat or dog the way you always do, when all of a sudden it bites you. What is going on here? Your pet NEVER bites you, and now that you are trying to show it some love, it bites you. Has your pet gone mad? What might be going on here is pain induced aggression.

It seems so obvious after you bring your pet to a veterinarian to figure out what is going on, but it may be as simple as pain induced aggression. Pain induced aggression means that your pet has exhibited an aggressive behaviour because it is in pain. This is especially common in older pets that may be suffering from arthritis or perhaps one of their internal organs is bruised or diseased.

Drugs that fight parasites – Pet tip 256

The thought of parasites makes most pet owners shudder. Just in case we’ve forgotten what they are, a parasite is an organism that lives off another animal without benefit to that animal and without killing that animal. Parasites can be classified into external (ectoparasites) and internal (endoparasites). There are many different types of these critters, from roundworms to hookworms, tapeworms to fleas and ticks. Here is an overview of some of the drugs used to kill them, and a couple of pointers that you as a conscientious pet owner might want to be aware of.

You JUST got a new dog – Don’t freak out – Pet tip 255

Today’s domestic dog is still closely related to the wolf. Like all wolves living in a pack, dogs must be part of a stable family and feel safe. Most domestic behavioral problems occur when the dog is confused about how to act/behave in different situations such as your home or out on a walk.

It is recommended that you keep Fido confined no matter his age for at least the first month in your home. This will allow him to settle in more comfortably and adapt to your lifestyle. At the same time, confinement will reduce such misbehaviors as chewing and separation anxiety.

Here are a few general rules to help you to prevent misbehaviors when you bring Fido home: