Dog Hospital

Pets are just as much a part of the family as any other member. So its not surprising to find that many people include their animal friends in their holiday giving. Whether you own a dog, a cat or something a little more exotic, the holidays can be a lot of fun for pets.

The top gifts for pets are:

68% Toys

45% Treats or foods

8% Bedding

6% Pet clothing

3% Collar or leash

66% of pet owners plan to give their pet a toy this holiday season. The average pet owner spent $41 on pet gifts last year. This year’s average is expected to be $46. Pets are definitely part of our holiday celebrations, and the dedication to including them in the gift giving shows that pet lovers across the country value their four legged friends as family.  What are you going to give your pet?

Pet care costs are going up , and there seems no end to the increases. The average U.S. household spent $655 on routine doctor and surgical visits for dogs last year, up 47 percent from a decade ago, according to the American Pet Products Association. Expenditures for cats jumped 73 percent in the same time frame, putting the rate of increase nearly on pace with that of health-care costs for humans.

The rise has sent pet owners clamoring to lower-cost clinics to treat their pets, updating up their pet insurance policies and turning to discount retailers, like 1-800-PET-MEDS, which typically sells medicine at below most pharmacies’ pricetags.

Some veterinarians have been willing to work with pet owners by setting up payment plans to cover costs for some surgeries and emergency visits over a longer perio

Doctors and other experts say while owners are shelling out more cash to treat their dogs, cats and other pets, they’re also getting their money’s worth. Medicine and treatment techniques have vastly improved in the past decade. And that means more costs to customers.

The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates 72 million dogs and nearly 82 million cats were kept as pets in the United States in 2007. That same year, there were about 850,000 active pet insurance policies, according to the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues.

Monthly premiums for pet insurance can run from $11 to $50, adding up to roughly from $2,000 to $6,000 or more over a pet’s lifetime. And some medical procedures for pets can cost anywhere from $500 to $2,500, depending on the severity of the case.

While some experts argue the pros and cons of pet insurance — the premiums generally are cheaper than most other insurance, but the deductibles seldom, if ever, cover costs of more serious ailments or injuries — having it makes sense in an emergency, she says.

In many cases, pets can safely use insurance-covered medicine that is prescribed to humans, even generics

Eight in 10 pet owners took their animal companion to a veterinarian in the past 12 months. And cost was an obstacle for a third of those who did not visit the vet.

The bulk of pet owners faced costs below the average. Sixty percent of those who did take a pet to the vet spent $300 or less on their animal’s care, the average expenditure was boosted higher by the one in eight (13 percent) who spent $1,000 or more.

About one in six pet owners say their pet faced a serious illness during the year, and those pet owners spent an average of $1,092 on vet care. One percent say they took their pets to the vet and spent no money.

According to the poll, most pet owners have faith in the treatment vets recommend. Overall, 52 percent say vets do not often recommend excessive treatment, 26 percent say that happens moderately often, 17 percent extremely or very often.

Among those who did not take their pets to the vet last year, 52 percent say they only take their pets to the vet “when they’re really sick.”

To date, there is not cure for diabetes in dogs, but it can be managed well if caught at an early stage. There  are a few common symptoms to look for when dealing with dog diabetes. Dog diabetes usually surfaces between the ages of 7 and 9. About one out of every ten dogs will suffer from diabetes.

Diabetes is when the pancreas cannot produce enough natural insulin to prevent glucose levels from rising in your dog’s system. If the levels of glucose get too high, they will leak into the kidneys and cause infections and eventually lead to other internal problems.

Symptoms

There are a number of symptoms to keep an eye out for when dealing with diabetes. The most obvious symptoms include:

- Frequent urination

- Excessive water consumption

- Lethargy and lack of energy

- Cataract formation

- Weight loss or gain

The most common symptoms are frequent urination and excessive water consumption. This is because excess glucose in the body cannot process normally in the bloodstream. Your dog’s body will then try to rid the glucose through urination. This in turn causes extreme thirst, which starts the vicious process all over again.

Treatment of Dog Diabetes

Spaying Females.

Female dogs are more susceptible to diabetes than males. Lots of owners choose to spay their dogs to help balance hormone levels.

Insulin shots.

When your dog has diabetes, his natural production of insulin from the pancreas is low. Insulin shots are given and need to be monitored properly to avoid a low blood sugar crisis.

Diet.

Diet is extremely important for diabetic dogs. A good diet is beneficial because it decreases your dog’s dependency on insulin, controls sugar and carbohydrate levels, and helps your dog to lose weight.

 
Exercise.

It is important to keep your dog active during diabetes. This will help maintain weight and keep diabetes under control.

Always take your dog to the veterinarian if you suspect he may have diabetes. Diabetes can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis and organ failure if left untreated. Once diabetes has been diagnosed in your dog, it’s time to begin treatment. It is important to follow a strict treatment plan to best suit your dog’s case of diabetes. Treatments are different for each dog. Talk to your veterinarian about the best options for your dog’s specific case of diabetes.

This is a problem that happens when dogs are typically left alone. There is no explanation on why dogs suffer from this, but the symptoms of this behavior is digging or scratching at the doors when their owners leave them. They may howl, cry or bark for a period of 15-20 minutes to get their owners to return.

Separation anxiety is very common when a dog has rarely been left alone, or after a long period when the dog and owner have been together, on a vacation for instance. How do you know when your dog has this problem?

* He follows you from room to room when you are at home.
* He reacts to you when you are about to leave the house. This may be in the form of excitement, depression or anxiety.
* He does not like to spend time outdoors by himself.
* He greets you with a lot of frantic enthusiasm when you come home.

Dogs usually get over this separation anxiety, but in some cases it takes longer than normal and the symptoms are severe. In these cases use the following tips to improve the situation:

* Leave your dog with an article of clothing that smells like you.
* Keep your arrivals and departures “low-key”. When you come home, deliberately ignore your dog for a couple of minutes then pat him calmly without showing much excitement.
* Establish a “safety cue” – a word or action that you will use every time you leave that tells the dog you will be back.

Sometimes the problem can be solved by getting another dog. Never punish your dog for his actions – this may actually increase the separation anxiety. There is no real training for this – just love and patience.

At least one in four of all households in America own a pet. However, only a small percentage of these pet owners have insurance for their pets. If you have a dog with no insurance, then you are asking for trouble. It just takes one one hospitalization of your dog to set you back hundreds of dollars.

There are a whole variety pet insurance plans offering different levels of coverage. A good comprehensive pet insurance policy will cover the following types of situations:

1) If you end up in hospital for a period of time, who will look after you dog if you live alone? Most pet insurances will pay for the boarding and lodging of your dog while you are at the hospital – one less worry for you.

2) If your dog ends up damaging some of your neighbor’s property, your home insurance will not cover you, but some pet insurances will.

3) Most of the vet bills will be paid by the insurance company. This depends on may factors. You have to be very careful when buying the policy because many pre-existing conditions are not covered.

4) If you plan a holiday, but have to cancel because your dog is ill. Most travel insurances will not cover you for this, but pet insurances will.

5) You will get compensated if your pet is lost or stolen. The burial or disposal fees are covered, and you may even get compensation for a replacement.

If you are contemplating on getting insurance for your dog ( which you should), make sure you shop around. Be sure to compare all the different policies available, and ask a lot of questions. Not every policy is the same, and in some cases, pet insurance companies allow you to tailor your policy to meet your specific needs.

Roughly 2 years ago Micheal Vick ran a dog fighting racket in Smithville, Virginia. His dogs were treated in the most inhumane way possible. His dogs were kept hungry to make them meaner and leaner in the fight. The female dogs were tied down with ropes and raped by males for entertainment of the visitors. Michael Vick called his dog fighting operation “Bad Newz” and these dogs which numbered 51 had a life of pain and a lot more bad news than normal dogs.

Once this all became public knowledge, Michael Vick was convicted and sent to jail. His dogs were released and sent to homes and institutions where they were looked after.

Now a couple of months ago, Michael Vick expressed his desire to own a dog totally under his control and avoid the sentencing judge’s ruling. President Obama has weighed in on the controversy by explaining that even prisoners get a second chance.

Michael Vick was and is a savage animal. He has thrown his own pet dog into a ring of killer dogs only to see it being attacked viciously. How can anyone agree to allow him even near a dog?

The massacre of over 100 sled dogs in Whistler in April last year has got dog lovers getting together in many rallies and walks across the province of BC. In Vancouver at Ambleside Park on February 6th, there is a large rally being planned hoping to turn the tragic dog cull into something positive. The event is listed as “Barking Mad” tweetup and over 1000 dog lovers are expected to attend.

This event is the first of its kind in Canada. It starts at noon at Ambleside park and is expected to run for at least 2 hours. The idea of the “tweetup” is to have everyone working the ’net by uploading photos and tweets live using the title tag #BarkingMad. The organizers have denied that it is a protest. They want the event to be “positive and upbeat”.

There is also a rally planned for February 12 at the Whistler Village Square. There will be volunteers taking donations that will go to Whistler Animals Galore (WAG), the local rescue shelter.

The dog cull came to light last week after an employee of a Whistler dogsled company complained to WorkSafe B.C. he was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after he claimed he was ordered to carry out the slaughter.

A joint investigation by RCMP and the B.C. SPCA has been launched. There is a lot of anger and frustration in the country at this totally unwarranted slaughter. The principals and staff of the company responsible for the slaughter have received death threats.

In April 2010, a hundred healthy sled dogs were slaughtered in a town called Whistler in British Columbia, Canada. This happened in a company that specializes in giving its clients an unforgettable ride on a sled pulled by 8 dogs through the remote and beautiful wilderness of Southern British Columbia.

According to the company that was responsible for the deaths, business was considerably down after the very successful Winter Olympics, and there were a hundred spare dogs that could not be cared for. So management decided to cull them.

What has brought world-wide attention to this story which happened nine months ago, is the way in which the dogs were brutally massacred. The lucky ones were shot with a single bullet to the head. The unlucky ones had their throats slit, others had to endure a long and painful death.

All the dogs were piled up into a mass grave and buried. many of the dogs were dtill alive when they were thrown into the mass grave. World public opinion leans towards the fact that the dogs should have been euthanized by a vet, instead of suffering such a horrible death.

The local SPCA officer, Marcie Moriarty commented on the brutal ways in which the dogs suffered: “I won’t use the term euthanized, [which] implies a humane death, and I can say that based on his description, at least a number of dogs did not have a humane death. His descriptions of using a shotgun, blowing off half of the dog’s head while it ran off, a dog crawling out of a mass grave, it just made me shudder,” Moriarty said.

Meanwhile the local police and SPCA are continuing their investigations into this most heinous crime.

Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of your dog. They are responsible for spreading diseases and if not treated properly, will cause a lot of harm to your dog and your family.

If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, make sure you give its coat a thorough check at least once a week for ticks. Make sure that you cut your grass regularly, and treat your yard and the surrounding areas with pesticide.

It is important to learn how to properly remove ticks form your dog. Part the hair and hold it out of the way. Once you see the tick, pull it out firmly with a pair of tweezers. There will be some bleeding. Clean the area with a mild detergent and water. If you don’t remove the tick completely, the head will remain embedded. This will drop out eventually.

It is important to remove ticks from your dog. If they are left unchecked, the result can be disastrous for both yo and your family.

Did you know that if you sleep with your dog, you have a great chance of contracting diseases? Statistics show that more than half of the dog owners in US allow their dogs to sleep with them on their bed.

Zoonoses are diseases or infections transmitted from animals to humans. The risk for transmission of zoonotic agents by close contact between pets and their owners through bed sharing, kissing or licking is real and has even been documented for life-threatening infections such as plague, internal parasites and other serious diseases.

This is not only limited to dogs. Cats are also dangerous. In fact, studies show that diseases from cats are far more prevalent and much more serious. The number of cats snuggling up with their owner is far greater, which may explain the larger number of people acquiring feline-spawned diseases.

There is a lot of empirical evidence that shows that contact with pets can help the physically disabled and mentally challenged. But there is a price to be paid for this. The risk of getting sick from being close with your pets is real, but most of the diseases they pass on to humans can be identified and eliminated by regular veterinary care.