Gollum - Yellow Labrador Retriever

Gollum - 4 month old yellow Labrador Retriever.













Photos from Deepika (India)

Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets Labrador Retriever Pictures

Continue Reading...

Biscuit - Yellow Labrador Retriever

Biscuit - 1 year old yellow Labrador Retriever.








Photos from Aimee (USA)

Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets Labrador Retriever Pictures

Continue Reading...

Pet Waste At Dog Parks Can Make Your Pet Sick

Visiting a dog park or other community area is a great way to give your pet the exercise and socialization she needs to be happy and healthy. Unfortunately these places can become contaminated with deadly microorganisms found in dog waste and other bodily fluids. These are the facts about 4 common diseases spread in contaminated pet feces.

Parvovirus

Background: Parvovirus appeared in the 1970s. Since then it has spread around the globe and is considered ubiquitous (potentially everywhere) in the environment. This virus’s rapid proliferation was due in part to its hardy nature. Parvo is often fatal so any dog that has symptoms that suggest infection should receive immediate medical care.

Symptoms: Rapid dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, high or low temperature, lethargy and/or muscle weakness, loss of appetite, pale mucous membranes in mouth. Infected animals become sick 3 to 7 days after exposure.

How It Spreads: Parvovirus is primarily spread through infected dog feces so be careful to avoid it. However other bodily fluids including urine, saliva and vomit can also spread Parvovirus. Once this pathogen gets into soil it can remain active for months and freezing temperatures don’t kill it. Parvovirus survives best in shady, cool, moist areas so the dirt near things like trees, bushes or playground equipment are favored spots for this virus.

Prevention And Treatment: Puppies receive their initial vaccination at 6 to 8 weeks of age followed by a booster shot a few weeks later. Adult dogs receive a yearly booster shot. Parvovirus can be killed with bleach on nonporous surfaces like plastic, metal or cement however it is not possible to completely disinfect porous surfaces like soil. If infection occurs veterinarians can offer supportive care until the body is strong enough to mount a successful response to clear the virus.

Roundworms

Background: Roundworms are the most common worm parasite that infects dogs. Adult Roundworms live in the stomach and intestines of a host and shed their eggs into the environment through the host’s feces. These parasites are several inches long and look like thin, white or light brown worms in feces. Nearly all dogs will become infected with Roundworms during the course of their lives. Infestation in puppies can lead to serious illness or even death. Dogs older than 6 months develop a natural resistance to this parasite and usually don’t suffer from severe infestations or show symptoms of infection. Roundworms can infect humans and cause serious illness in children.

Symptoms: Diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, stunted growth, dull coat and hair loss.

How It Spreads: Roundworm eggs are shed into the environment through the host’s feces and become infectious approximately 3 to 4 weeks later. These eggs have a tough outer shell and can remain active in dirt or sand for years. If your dog or child ingests contaminated soil or sand infection can occur. In addition if your dog eats a dead animal that is infected with Roundworms it can become infected. These parasites can also be spread to puppies before they are born or through their mother’s milk during nursing.

Prevention And Treatment: There is no known way to prevent Roundworm infection. Veterinarians can prescribe worming medicine that treats Roundworm in puppies and adult dogs.

Whipworms

Background: Whipworm is a common species of parasitic worm that infects dogs. They are extremely small and difficult to detect in the feces of infected dogs. Whipworms burrow into the walls of the large intestine and appendix, suck blood and lay eggs that are shed in the dog’s feces.

Symptoms: Mild infection may not produce symptoms but severe infection can cause abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and in rare cases death. Symptoms may not begin for a month or more after exposure.

How It Spreads: The only way to become infected with whipworms is to ingest a Whipworm egg. Unfortunately this is very easy for your pet to do. A dog can become infected if it eats contaminated feces, soil or grass. In addition if a dog rolls in contaminated soil it can become infected when it cleans it’s fur and ingests the eggs. Whipworm eggs have a thick outer shell that protects the core and allows them to survive for years in the environment. These eggs are best adapted to cool, moist, well shaded soil and they can survive freezing temperatures. Sun and heat can destroy Whipworm eggs by drying them out.

Prevention And Treatment: Like Roundworm there is no known way to prevent infection with Whipworms. Veterinarians can prescribe worming medicine for puppies and adult dogs.

Campylobacteriosis

Background: Campylobacteriosis is a common gastrointestinal disease caused by bacterial infection. Up to half of all dogs carry the bacterium that causes Campylobacteriosis but few show any symptoms. This disease is most dangerous in puppies younger than 6 months of age and adult dogs with compromised immune systems. Occasionally this disease is mistaken for Parvo because the symptoms can be similar. However unlike Parvo most cases of Campylobacteriosis run their course in 1 to 3 weeks and this disease is rarely fatal if prompt medical care is administered. Humans are susceptible to this infection so care must be taken around dog waste.
Symptoms: Mild to severe diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, lethargy, lack of appetite. Symptoms start within 48 hours of exposure.

How It Spreads: Campylobacter is not a hardy germ. It can only survive for a few days at room temperature and can’t efficiently reproduce unless it’s inside a digestive tract. Unfortunately exposure to less than a thousand Campylobacter can trigger illness. At a park the major mode of transmission for this bacterium is fresh dog waste. Campylobacter can also spread through infected food or water.

Prevention And Treatment: Antibiotics can treat this disease. A veterinarian may provide other supportive care as needed.

When you visit a dog park or other community area the number one way to protect your pet is to keep her away from strange dog feces. If your community doesn’t clean up dog waste consider having a pet waste removal company do the work. Most cities have companies that offer this service. If you suspect that your pet has become sick with any of these diseases take your dog to a veterinarian immediately. Clean or dispose of any old toys, bones and bedding to reduce the chance of reinfection and to protect other healthy pets. Exercise and socialization are important for your pet’s health and well being. So watch out for landmines and keep your trips safe and fun!

Pet Article courtesy of http://pet-articles.blogspot.com.

Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets

Continue Reading...

Free Brothers Complete Pet Foods Sample

"Want some FREE sample packs of Brothers Complete Pet Foods? Please send your name and shipping address to sample@brotherscomplete.com. Include what formulas you want to try Red Meat Protein, White Meat Protein, Fish Protein, Allergy Turkey, or Fish Protein Cat.

Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets Free Brothers Complete Pet Foods Sample Free Dog Food Sample

Continue Reading...

Seizures In Dogs: The 5 Most Important Natural Remedies

If your dog has epilepsy, then you really should be looking at some of the alternative remedies for treating seizures. Conventional treatment typically consists of 2 veterinary drugs, Phenobarbital and Potassium bromide, which both have numerous side effects. This article will cover the types of seizures in dogs, causes, and the most important natural remedies.

A seizure is defined as abnormal muscle activity, as a result of uncontrolled messages from the brain. There is a sudden, brief change in how your dog's brain is working. When the brain cells are not working properly, your dog has the physical changes called a seizure.

Dog seizures are classified as either grand mal seizures, or localized. Grand mal seizures affect your dog's entire body. Generally the legs are extended and paddling and the head is rigid and extended. They may go through cycles of being stiff then relaxed. Some dogs may lose bowel/bladder control, and if the seizure occurs at night, this is all you may see in the morning. Localized seizures affect only certain areas of your dog's body. Typically you may see their head shake or their jaw chatter.

In the majority of cases the cause of the seizure is unknown, and it is then called epilepsy. Some of the other possible causes include: cancer (i.e. brain tumor), infections, brain trauma, poisoning, low blood sugar, hypothyroidism. Your veterinarian can discuss a variety of diagnostic tests such as blood work, x-rays, CT scan, MRI, Spinal fluid tap.

The age at which the seizure starts will give you a fairly good idea as to the underlying cause. For pets less than 1 year old, most are caused by brain infections (i.e. meningitis); some dogs though will develop epilepsy as puppies. For pets between the ages of 1-5, the most common diagnosis and seizure cause is epilepsy. If your pet has his first seizure over the age of 5, the most common cause is a brain tumor.

There are reports that show a link between diet and seizures in dogs. One human study showed a marked reduction in seizure activity with patients on the Atkins diet. Every seizuring pet should at least try a commercial hypoallergenic diet for 12 weeks. Most alternative practitioners are strongly advising a holistic diet, naturally preserved, free of grains, and primarily animal protein.

There is one acupressure point that can be particularly helpful. GV26 is the most important one, as it can help stop a seizure. It is where the nose meets the upper lip (immediately below the nostrils). This is a key one for CPR, as it can trigger your pet to breathe, and for seizures. Hold the point for 1 minute during a seizure.

Essential Fatty Acids may potentially decrease brain inflammation. Here you want to have high doses and therapeutic levels of the the EFA's; the dose being 1000mg per 10lbs of body weight daily. That equates to 1 tablespoon of flax oil per 50lbs daily.

There are 2 homeopathic remedies that have been reported to be helpful by some holistic practitioners. Belladona can be given twice daily in addition to the conventional medication; the dose being one 30C tab per 30lbs twice daily. Aconite is useful for sudden conditions ( such as during a seizure), dosing it at one 30C tab per 30lbs every 15 minutes.

Choline is used for certain human nerve disorders; it helps make a nerve chemical called acetylcholine. A specific choline product that can help seizures in dogs is called Cholidin. It can be given with conventional medication, at a dose of 1-2 pills daily for a small dog, and 2-4 pills given daily for a large dog.

You should now have a good understanding of seizures in dogs, and the classification of grand mal or localized. Most causes of seizures are unknown; they are then called epilepsy. If you have a seizuring dog, I encourage you to try some of the holistic options in conjunction with your veterinarian. You may be able to decrease the frequency of the seizures, or lower the amount of conventional medication.

Author Resource:- Dr Andrew Jones is the author of a NEW Free Ebook, Dog Health Secrets, which gives you over 100 safe, natural and effective at home remedies to solve your dog's health problems quickly and easily at home. He reveals what Vaccines to AVOID and what to give, The BEST food to feed, plus HOW to save money on veterinary fees. Your FREE Dog Health Secrets Book is here.

Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets

Article From Niche Articles Live

Continue Reading...

Dog Seizures - What Causes Seizures In Pets

Dr. Karen Becker of HealthyPets.Mercola.com discusses the frightening condition of seizures in pets – what to look for, what can cause the disorder, and what to do if your own pet suddenly has a seizure.



A seizure is an incidence of unanticipated, abnormal electrical activity in your pet’s brain.

Symptom-wise, it can range from a minor imperceptible twitch, to a full-blown grand mal seizure during which your pet loses consciousness.

Seizures can last from just a few seconds – so short, in fact, you’re not even sure it was a seizure because it looked more like a minor head bobble, tremor, spasm or a simple cramp – to several minutes.

There are two types of electrical impulses inside your dog’s or cat’s brain – excitatory and inhibitory. There is a proper ratio of excitatory to inhibitory impulses, and when excitatory impulses overtake inhibitory impulses, a seizure can be the result.

Whether your pet has a minor twitch or a grand mal event depends on what part of the brain is involved and how many excitatory impulses are generated.

The point at which excitatory impulses overtake inhibitory impulses is called the seizure threshold. In a healthy pet this seizure threshold is high, meaning the potential for a seizure is low.

There are a few things that influence your pet’s seizure threshold, including:

* Genetics
* Head trauma
* Infection
* Exposure to toxins

Three Phases of a Seizure

Every seizure has three phases: pre-ictal, ictus, and post-ictal.

The pre-ictal phase comes just before the seizure. It can last a few seconds to a few minutes.

Humans can often predict their seizures, and we suspect some pets can as well. During the pre-ictal phase, your pet may behave strangely. He may become restless or nervous. He may come to you and want to be soothed because he can sense there’s abnormal electrical activity revving up in his body.

The seizure itself is called the ictus phase.

After the seizure passes there is the post-ictal phase, which can last from a few minutes to several hours. In the post-ictal period, you may see a wide variety of responses in your pet. He may seem confused or fearful. He might stumble about as though he’s blind. He might bump into things. You might also notice nervousness, tension, or that your pet wants to be left alone or immediately go outside.

I suspect animals are very confused after a seizure because they don’t know what just happened to their bodies.

Types of Seizures

There are a few different types of seizures your pet can experience.

A petit mal seizure is the mildest and can be as insignificant as an eye movement. A grand mal seizure is the other extreme. During this serious event, a pet loses consciousness and usually falls down.

There can be paddling with the legs and vocalization during a grand mal type seizure, along with jerking and twitching. Some pets lose bowel and bladder control.

Status epilepticus is a grand mal seizure that doesn’t resolve. This is a medical emergency in which breathing ceases and the animal can die. If your pet is experiencing a grand mal seizure and isn’t coming out of it, it’s critical you get her to an emergency veterinary hospital right away in order to save her life.

Cats more typically have something called a focal motor seizure where only part of the body seizes. It can look like a twitch, tremor or a cramp. This type of seizure is more common in kitties and small dogs.

Cluster seizures are events that occur several times a day. Many cluster seizures are urgent care situations. If your pet has had more than one seizure in a day, I recommend you make an appointment with your veterinarian. This type of seizure can lead to continued seizing and/or progressively more intense seizures.

Seizure Causes

There are a number of different causes of seizures.

* Head trauma which results in brain swelling can cause seizures.

* Brain tumors are a very common source of seizures in older pets. It’s very unlikely your 12-year-old dog or cat will develop epilepsy. If you have a pet getting up in years who starts seizing, unfortunately, the likely cause is a brain tumor.

* Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections can also cause seizures.

* Certain immune-mediated diseases can cause seizures.

* Cervical subluxation can also cause seizures, and this is something many pet owners don’t realize. I see this type of seizure a lot in dogs that are chained outside. They run out the length of their chain chasing after a bunny, and when the chain snaps back against the neck it causes a high cervical traumatic injury of either the C1 vertebrae (the atlas) or C2, the axis. The C1 is the first cervical vertebrae in animals, and it articulates with the brain stem. When there is increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure in the brain stem, it can lead to a seizure.

I recommend you harness your pet not only for walks, but also if he’s ever chained out. It’s important your pet is not able to increase pressure on the neck, because high cervical subluxations and other chiropractic issues in the neck can caused an increased likelihood of seizures.

* Congenital malformation (birth defects) of the brain stem or spinal cord is also a common cause of seizures. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a breed well-known to have a birth defect in the occipital bone leading to cerebellar herniation, a condition known as Syringomyelia.

* Liver disease can indirectly cause seizures. The liver is designed to process toxins, and if it can’t do its job effectively, poisons can build up in your pet’s bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier. Your pet can develop a condition called hepatic encephalopathy which can lead to toxin-based seizure activity.

* Low blood sugar can also be a cause. Diabetic animals taking insulin can develop low blood sugar-based seizures, or animals with insulinomas (a pancreatic tumor)

* Other metabolic conditions such as hypothyroidism can also cause seizures. Interestingly, in one study 70 percent of dogs that were clinically hypothyroid had a history of seizures. I strongly recommend all dogs that have seizures be tested for hypothyroidism.

* Poisoning can lead to seizures. Lead poisoning, mercury poisoning, and plant poisoning (the marijuana plant, sago palm and castor bean plant, for example) can all induce seizures in your pet. Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and herbicides are all well-known to cause seizures.

Human drugs like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antihistamines, antidepressants and diabetic medications can all cause seizures in pets.

Veterinary drugs are also known to create seizure potential. In fact, neurotoxic topical chemicals like flea and tick preventives are included in the list of drugs that potentially cause seizures.

* Heat stroke is also a too-frequent cause of seizures in pets.

Vaccines and Seizures

Certainly not least among the causes of seizures are vaccines.

Veterinary vaccines still contain thimerosal or organo-mercury compounds as adjuvants to boost the body’s response to the immunization.

Needless to say, heavy metals cross the blood-brain barrier, and since your pet’s central nervous system doesn’t contain the equivalent of a liver, there’s no removing those heavy metals.

Another way vaccines can cause seizures is their implication in the condition known as autoimmune encephalitis. Vaccines can spark an autoimmune reaction that causes secondary swelling in the brain, which in turn can bring on a seizure disorder in your pet.

Diets and Seizures

Nutritionally related health issues can also be the cause of seizures. This is something many people never consider.

Diet has a two-fold potential implication when it comes to seizures.

Number one is if your pet has food allergies. This can cause a systemic inflammatory response that can decrease her seizure threshold.

Number two, the pet food you feed can contain synthetic chemicals, preservatives, emulsifiers or other ingredients that can cause systemic inflammation and decrease seizure threshold.

If your pet has been on the same diet for awhile or eats highly processed food, it could be a potential cause for seizures.

One of the things human medicine recommends for some people with seizure disorders is a ketagenic diet – one that contains no carbohydrates, moderate fat and high amounts of protein. Interestingly, this type of diet is actually species-appropriate for dogs and cats.

So if ketagenic diets are being used to help control seizures in humans, it certainly makes sense to me they could do the same for your dog or cat.

When I get seizuring patients in my practice, I strongly urge clients to eliminate carbs from their pets’ diets and feed them meals with moderate fat and high protein content. This way of feeding is not only species-appropriate, it also eliminates pro-inflammatory carbohydrates, which helps control systemic inflammation which can lead to seizures.

There are also some herbs that can decrease an animal’s seizure threshold. It’s not the herb itself which causes the seizure, but if your pet already has a seizure disorder or a low threshold, there are certain herbs and essential oils than can trigger seizures.

The herbs kava-kava, skullcap, evening primrose oil, borage seed oil, goldenseal, ginkgo, ginseng and wormwood have all been implicated. Essential oils such as eucalyptus, fennel, hyssop, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, and tansy have also been implicated in decreasing seizure threshold.

What to Do If Your Pet Has a Seizure

If your pet has a seizure, it’s important to speak with your veterinarian about it. (Obviously, if the seizure is a grand mal and your pet isn’t coming out of it, you need to seek emergency veterinary care immediately.)

If your vet rules out all potential causes of your pet’s seizure, then you’re left with a diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy, which means seizure of unknown origin.

In most cases of this diagnosis, vets will want to start your pet on an anti-seizure medication. However, at my practice, the rule of thumb is this: an animal must have in excess of one grand mal seizure a month in order to even consider drug therapy.

There are a whole host of natural substances than can help increase your dog’s or cat’s seizure threshold and decrease the potential for these events. In my practice, we use acupuncture, herbal, chiropractic and nutraceutical therapies to extend seizure thresholds.

We often use these modalities as the sole treatment for mild cases. For animals with frequent grand mal seizures, we often create an integrative protocol of natural therapies and drug therapy.

If you have a pet that has had a seizure, it’s important to track the dates, times and intensity of the events. I often see correlations between seizures and a particular time of month, year or even phase of the moon. Strange, but true!

If you’re able to identify a seizure cycle in your pet, your vet can help you devise a plan to control these events, which should of course start with use of the most safe, natural treatment options available.



Technorati Tags: All About Labradors Labrador Retriever Labradors Dogs Pets Dog Seizures

Continue Reading...