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An essential to your dog’s health is his/her regular annual checkup with the vet. The vaccinations* which are given to your dog each year ensure your dog’s immunity to some common infectious diseases. And when the vet gives the vaccinations*, it’s also an excellent opportunity for a thorough physical examination to be carried out, and a time to discuss any minor problems or issues which you feel may be affecting your dog’s health or wellbeing. This is a time when your vet may pick up inherited diseases and the like (when your dog is young) so they can be treated early, or just kept an eye on. And as your dog gets older, the vet may find the early signs of more sinister illnesses.

I recently took my dogs for their annual checkup, and for the first time alarms were raised about matters of significant concern - it was thought that Kara might have early stages of lymphoma (cancer) - which, fortunately, tests then proved to be not the case. And Jet apparently has something akin to the early stages of cataracts in humans in her eyes, and according to the vet, Jet is likely to go progressively blind over the next several years. At least knowing this in advance gives me the opportunity to watch for any developing signs and, if and when necessary, adapt her outings and home environment to take into account any sight loss, and most importantly, it has made me realise that vitamin and mineral supplementation in dogs is actually a very wise idea.

Worming and “de-flea-ing” your dog are the commonest forms of health measures which you probably undertake yourself for your dog. Fleas infest almost every dog at some time. Sometimes a lot of the time. Dogs which socialise with other dogs outside the home tend to become infested the most often. Fleas can carry disease and parasites, including tapeworm.

But fleas are extremely irritating for your dog. They often cause intense itching, which in turn can cause your dog to damage his/her skin by vigorous scratching. Some dogs are allergic to flea bites. Even after the fleas have been doused with flea poison and killed, the cycle of itch, scratch, itch, scratch, can remain.

My Rottweiler has been terribly affected two or three times now by this self-perpetuating cycle caused by her allergy to flea bites. Most of the skin damage has been caused by Kara incessantly scratching and injuring herself.

A dog with an infestation of fleas is neither a healthy nor a happy dog. So at the first sign of a flea, it’s important to treat your dog for this very common problem. And those pesky fleas don’t always readily show themselves. So if your dog is scratching more than usual, the first thing to do is a thorough search through your dog’s coat. If you sight even one flea, treat your dog immediately. Some people treat routinely just because it’s flea season, and still others actually treat throughout the year. And of course, it goes without saying that if you have more than one animal, you must treat them all at the same time.

This way, you’ll ensure that your dog is as healthy and happy as can be!

* There are natural alternatives to vaccinations. For further information, subscribe to the Healthy Happy Dogs newsletter.

(c) 2004, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, go to http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com and submit your name and email address. Take a look around the site - http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com - while you’re there - you’ll find lots of useful information.

Tags: dog, dog diet, dog grooming, dog health, dog health info, dog health information, dog training, dogsdog, dog diet, dog grooming, dog health, dog health info, dog health information, dog training, dogs

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Avian influenza, also known as bird flu or H5N1, is a viral disease that most commonly affects birds. It has appeared from time to time in regions around the world. It can spread easily among wild birds, but can also infect domestic birds including chickens, turkeys, ducks, and can also affect humans and other mammals. There is a rising concern that the H5N1 virus could cause a flu pandememic.

The CDC says that dogs are not usually susceptilbe to avian influenza viruses. However, the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus that emerged in Asia in 2003 has been documented to infect other carnivore species (e.g. cats, tigers, leopards, stone martens). This has raised concern that this strain of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus may be capable of infecting dogs. An unpublished report from 2005 by The National Institute of Animal Health in Bangkok indicated that dogs could be infected with the virus, but the associated disease was not detected. Researchers tested 629 village dogs and 111 cats in the Suphan Buri district of central Thailand. Out of these, 160 dogs and 8 cats had antibodies to H5N1, indicating that they were infected with the virus or had been infected in the past.

There were news reports of a stray dog dying from bird flu (H5N1)in Azerbaiijan in March. This was the first reported death of a dog from the virus. So far, this appears to be an isolated case. The World Health Organization(WHO) states on it’s website that a better understanding of the situation in animals is, however, urgently needed.

So far, there is not enough information available about H5N1 in dogs to know how infection would occur. Most human cases have come from contact with infected poultry or feces. Affected cats in Europe appear to have become infected by eating infected poultry or wild birds. It is possible dogs could be infected the same way.

If H5N1 is found in your area, (at this time H5N1 has not been found in North America), it may be a good idea to keep your dog indoors unless restrained, to prevent contact with infected birds and their feces. If you have a hunting dog, you may want to reconsider using it for retrieving downed birds. Report to the local veterinary authority any evidence of significant bird mortality, both wild and domestic. If your dog shows breathing problems or nasal discharge, consult a veterinarian. Wash animal blankets with soap or any other commercial detergent.

An equine virus has recently shown up in dogs in the U.S. It is believed that the equine influenza virus mutated to produce the canine influenza virus. This may be a slighlty higher risk for dogs than avian influenza. This inter-species re-assortment is not uncommon for type A influenza viruses. It is unclear when this transition occurred.

Symptoms of canine influenza can be similar to kennel cough and include: a persistant, soft, moist cough, and a thick nasal discharge. More severe cases may include high fevers, pneumonia, and difficulty breathing, which can also be caused by a secondary bacterial infection.

If your dog exhibits any of these symtpoms, consult your veterinarian.

So far, there has been no indication of transmission from dog to human. There is no vaccine available at this time. Treatment is usually limited to IV fluids to help keep your dog hydrated or antibiotics to help control the infection.

For more information concerning the Canine Influenza, and Avian Influenza check out:

www.avma.org/

www.cdc.gov/

So, is your dog safe from the bird flu? No one seems to have a solid answer one way or another at this time. A little caution may be warranted, but the choice is yours: Would you rather your prized hunting dog stay home under the bed rather than risk catching the bird flu, or be out leading the hunt, doing what he loves? The best advise we have right now is always pay close attention to your dogs health. If your dog shows signs of ill health, consult your veterinarian. This will ensure you have a healthy, happy companion for years to come.

Copyright 2006 Andrew Saari

Andrew Saari contributes articles to several websites. For the latest on dog health visit http://www.quickdogtraining.com

Tags: dog health, dog health info, dog health issues, dogs, petsdog health, dog health info, dog health issues, dogs, pets

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It goes without saying that your dog needs suitable nutrition to remain healthy. Vets and pet food manufacturers often have differing views on appropriate nutrition for your dog. Although commercial pet food manufacturers are motivated in large part by profits, commercially prepared foods are routinely recommended as part of an adequate, or good, diet for your dog. Sometimes your vet or dog breeder may approve of commercially prepared foods as your dog’s sole diet. Many experts, however, tend to prefer a largely natural diet which for dogs is invariably comprised of meat and bones. Raw is preferable to cooked, as some of the minerals are definitely lost in the cooking process.

The reason why the commercially prepared pet food is so often fed to our dogs, is because, apart from the convenience, it can (depending upon the quality) actually contain many of the nutrients which are essential to your dog’s wellbeing. The key word here is quality. There are in fact very, very few commercial manufacturers which produce nutrient-rich food. And they’re not the brands you find in your supermarket, or even in most pet stores or vetinarians.

Raw bones with a little dry food as well as occasional rice or pasta, and perhaps the odd quality food scrap from your table, will generally contain most of the nutrients which your dog needs.

All dogs must obtain reasonable nutrition from their food to maintain excellent health and performance. The main nutrients required by your dog are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vitamin or mineral deficiency in dogs fed a commercially manufactured diet today is not widely publicised. But then again, the slosh and dried formulae which are readily available from your vet or the local supermarket are not your dog’s natural diet. If your dog was left to fend for itself in the wild (assuming it could manage to adapt, that is), would choose raw meat. And one of the reasons why meat, and especially bones, are so good, is the chewing action and the teeth cleaning function which the bones perform. Of course, there are also commercially prepared substitutes which can also effectively clean your dog’s teeth and satisfy his/her need to chew.

A lesser known fact is that to feed your dog only meat (with no bones and no cereals or other carbohydrate source) can cause severe deficiencies: your dog is likely to become lethargic, sick, and even death has been known to occur from an all meat diet. But what about dogs in the wild, I hear you ask? Isn’t meat a dog’s natural diet? Isn’t that what you just said, Brigitte? Well, yes and no: in the wild dogs eat the whole of their prey, not simply muscle meat - they thus obtain vegetable matter from the digestive tract of their prey, and calcium from the bones. As well, wild dogs occasionally, but routinely, add to their diet with plants, fruit and berries.

Most dogs relish some raw fruit and vegetables in their diet, so long as that’s what they’re used to. A dog who has been fed commercially prepared dog food all of its life won’t be used to the taste of fresh food, so may well turn up his/her nose if you introduce such healthy food later in life. But persevere - try hand feeding pieces of carrot or apple to begin with. And if your dog is still very young, all the better. Start as you mean to go on and feed him/her some raw fruit and vegetables from time to time. Your dog’s health will benefit!

(c) 2004, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, go to http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com and submit your name and email address. Take a look around the site - http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com - while you’re there - you’ll find lots of useful information.

Tags: dog, dog diet, dog grooming, dog health, dog health info, dog health information, dog training, dogsdog, dog diet, dog grooming, dog health, dog health info, dog health information, dog training, dogs

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