Worms and Worming Your Dog

Worms, ick, I can't imagine any dog having to deal with worms. We got Aspen as a puppy and made sure to keep close watch on what she ate. When we got Happy this year, she was between 2 and 3 years old, so we had to update her shots and leave a stool specimen to be checked for worms. Thankfully, there were none. In spite of our good fortune, we have an article about worms and worm remedies on this blog that was just updated today. Look at the list of pages to the right, and you'll find it, or click the link in the following paragraph.

I think the reason we don't have worms is that we never let our dogs run and we always know what they are eating. If you are having trouble with worms, click right here to go to our article.

Updated 2/17/17

Dog Breeds Most Likely to Suffer Bloat or Gastric Torsion Symptoms

"Bloat" or your veterinarian might call it "Gastric Torsion" can be a very serious and scary condition. If it isn't treated early, it can be life-threatening.

When the condition is present, the stomach in the dogs digestive system twists in a way that makes it hard for food to to move through, and it becomes bloated because of the food decay, and ultimately, unfortunately, can lead to death.

This is a condition that larger dogs are inclined to get. If you own one of the following breeds, you may want to learn more about this so you can prevent it:

1. Big sized Poodle


2. Labrador Retriever


3. Saint Bernard


4. Gordon Setter


5. Great Dane


6. Doberman Pinscher


7. English Sheepdog


8. Irish Setter

It is large dogs with large chest cavities that are more inclined to suffer from this condition.

What are some of the symptoms?

1. Drooling more than usual


2. Signs of pain in the abdomen


3. Trying to vomit, but not producing anything or producing foamy mucous material


4. Not wanting to play like usual, lying around curled up instead.


5. Later when the stomach becomes more bloated, more discomfort and more danger


6. Hard abdomen to the touch where it is usually soft to the touch

Dogs vomit for many reasons, even small dogs can spit up foamy yellow "stuff" which isn't uncommon, especially in the morning before eating because their stomachs are empty, and bigger dogs who play outside and aren't watched are good at finding things to eat that make them sick.  But if you suspect something more, it is ALWAYS best to have your pet checked by your veterinarian.  It may not be as serious as you think, but if it is, at least you will have support and guidance from your Vet.

Treatment:  Very basically, releasing the dangerous pressure and surgery are usually the treatment for this.  Do a search on this condition, you can use the search feature on this site if you wish, to find more information about this condition on the web.

Prevention:  Sometimes you can prevent this by not feeding one large meal a day, but feeding a few smaller meals...when you eat your three meals, give your dog a 3rd of what he/she should eat in a day, too.

When you change to a new food, it is ALWAYS a good idea to do it gradually for many reasons, mixing new food with old and gradually changing over.  Are you buying a dog?  See if any of it's "ancestors" have had the condition.

Updated 2/27/17

Is Your Dog Showing Symptoms of an Ear Infection?

Dogs get many of the same ailments that humans do, including ear infections.  A dog will not be able to tell you that he/she has an ear infection, so if they exhibit signs of discomfort, such as pawing gently at the ear, snapping at you when usually even tempered, and not wanting to do the usual things they enjoy, you may need to take them to the vet for an evaluation. 

If you visit this link to an article about dog ear infections, you'll find some helpful information, you'll also find it listed under "pages" to the right. If you have any comments to make, come back here after you read the article, I don't think there's a place to make comments on the pages.

We hope that your dog is being kept warm during the cold months if you are living in a cold climate like we are.  There have been some extra cold days this year.

Updated 2/27/17 

Is Your Dog Afraid of July 4th Fireworks or Thunder?

Every year on July 4th, my owners sit outside on the deck watching all the fireworks that are set off around the lake.   It's also the time of the year when we have thunderstorms.  Though many dogs are afraid of fireworks and thunder, I'm not one of them.  I just bark to protect one of my owners who is more afraid of the noise than I am.

But I know some of my dog friends are very afraid of thunder and fireworks.  Maybe if it is hot where you are, you can close the windows and put on the air conditioning and play some classical music, it is supposed to be soothing to us dogs.  I'm not promising it will work, but it might help depending upon how sensitive your dog is.

Another thing you can do is try a natural remedy that calms nerves.  We have a Bach Flower Remedy around the house that is similar to one called Rescue Remedy. People have used Rescue Remedy for years, but now there is one specifically designed for pets. 

To give your pet the remedy, follow the instructions on the bottle, which means putting a certain number of drops in your pet's mouth or perhaps in our water.  We like putting it directly in the mouth as it starts working right away, and when you are afraid, you aren't really thinking much about eating or drinking.

We hope that this will help you a bit in dealing with a pet that is afraid of thunder and fireworks.

Have You Used Flea and Tick Protection On Your Dog?

Spring is here, summer is coming, and my owner treated me for the first time for fleas and ticks yesterday.  It should have been done as soon as the weather got warm, but we've had a cold spring this year, so we waited a bit.  I haven't had any bites.  Some of you live in climates that are warm all the time, so please, be sure to keep those itchy little pests away from your pets...it's miserable when they bite, I know!

I get terrible allergic reactions to flea bites, just one little bite is enough to cause a rash over almost all of my body, so I was really happy when she read the article listed in the "pages" section to the right.  Or, to make it easier for you, just click this link. 

Updated 2/27/17

Bloody Diarrhea in Yorkies and Small Dogs

This isn't a pleasant post, but maybe it will help you if you have a Yorkie or other small dog that gets diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea.  It might help you if you have a big dog, too, but it's more of an emergency with small dogs like Yorkshire Terriers because we lose our fluids quickly and can become dehydrated and go into shock...now don't get scared if you're reading this and your dog is sick right now, read on, most of the time things will be okay.  First I'll tell my story, and what the vet did, then I'll give some tips to help until you can get to the vet....but get to the vet you must, if you're having symptoms like I did.

This happened a few years ago.  I didn't feel good, and had bloody diarrhea...I've had it before just a little bit, but never have been real sick with it.  My owners didn't know what to do because it was time to go to bed when I got really sick, but I settled down a little bit.  Then they got up with me at about 1:30 in the morning, and I was sick again.  Then by morning, I was panting, and trembling, and passing blood, bright red blood, more than we had seen before.  Of course they called the vet right away, and took me in to get checked.

The vet took a stool specimen, and it is getting sent in to see if I have parasites or other things that might have caused this.  She took my temperature rectally, then she felt all around my abdomen, I guess to see if there were any swellings or lumps.  Then they took me and injected a water-electrolyte solution under my skin that made kind of a big soft mushy bump on me, so my body would be able to absorb some fluids.  Since my intestines were so inflamed, even when I drank water,  and it was good that I was, it is hard to know how well he body can absorb the fluids.  Then she told us to buy, the following:

• An antibiotic - Metronidazole 100 mg suspension, and said I had to take 1/2 ml. 2x a day....we bought that from the vet.


• Pepcid AC 10 mg....have to take 1/4 a tablet once a day...we got that at the store


• id canned cat food, yes, I said CAT food, esp. good for intestinal problems....bought that from the vet, and guess what, I loved it.


• Gerber Baby Rice flakes or boiled white rice (not quick rice), we got the flakes, and mix them in with the food.


• Pedialite - we kind of think that might have been a waste of money, but we are mixing a little bit in with the food and rice...I won't drink it alone....that's to help replace fluids and electrolytes lost.

It wasn't long after I got the antibiotic, and ate some of that yummy food that I started to feel much better, and by evening, I felt good enough to beg all evening for my snack...the owners wouldn't give me my favorite snack tonight, because they can only give me boiled chicken, which they did, and the food from the vet...but I begged anyway, worth a try, right?  And I felt good enough to beg for my old stuffed bunny to be thrown a few times. So unless we hear something different from the vet when they get the results of my fecal tests, I think we're all set.

(NOTE: - After you read this post, you may want to click here and read the post just before it as it gives more detailed description of the remedy above.  At that time, which was a year later, I was diagnosed with Pancreatitis, and we now are quite sure that was my weakness all along, as we've had no trouble with this since we started being careful about what I eat.)

Oh, I forgot to mention that my owner is going to sprinkle just a little acidophilus in my food to help get good bacteria into my system between times that she gives me the antibiotics, and after.

The Pepcid AC will be a good thing to have around in case this happens again and we can't get to the vet on time.  And we've read that Pepto Bismol can help, but my owner feels funny about that one because she thinks it has aspirin in it, which thins blood and increases bleeding.  We have to ask the vet about that one.  Now, if you missed the post before this one, please go read it.  It describes what happened a year after the above.

Updated 2/28/17 

This Yorkshire Terrier had Pancreatitis

As a Yorkie, I can tell you having Pancreatitis is not fun...it hurts...I had a bad case of it in 2010.  This can be a condition that seems like other health problems, and requires a visit to your Veterinarian and a careful description of the symptoms.  I recovered, and didn't have any recurrences in the 3 years since. 

Here is what happened to me, I am hoping that it will help other Yorkie friends out there.

I started getting (sorry, this is yucky) diarrhea a lot easier than I used to, and we thought it was triggered by certain foods.  My owner did all kinds of things to take things out of my diet, and carefully add new things, very gradually, that's what you have to do when you're changing foods with a Yorkie, or any dog.

One day, I got really bad symptoms, and we went to the Vet.  We've done that before, but this time, they did a blood test for Pancreatitis, and I came up as having it.  There are really no medications for this, but they did treat it in almost the same way as they did when I had bloody diarrhea in 2009...since that post was lost during a transfer of this blog, we are going to update and re-post it for you tomorrow.

Here's some things my owner did wrong (I forgive her) and what the doctor had us do:

• My owner gave me Chicken Livers the night before, you would think that wouldn't bother me as liver is a very popular treat, but it's very rich and high in cholesterol.  When I was younger, I could handle more foods than I can now or could when this happened.


• The next day I had VERY yellow diarrhea, and was throwing up, also yellow, and walked around with my back kind of hunched and head down because it hurt inside. So we made an appointment with the Veterinarian...so important if you think something serious is wrong.


• The vet gave me subcutaneous (I think that's the word) fluids, they put a lot of water just under my skin with a needle to help with dehydration since....


• I wasn't allowed to drink or eat anything for 24 hours!!!  But it wasn't that bad, I wasn't feeling well at all so not very hungry, and if I did eat was in pain.


• I was given 1/4 of a 10mg Pepcid A/C tablet on an empty stomach in the afternoon a 1/2-1 hours before when I would have had my dinner, then every 24 hours for a week before my evening meal. The veterinarian had us add another week on because I still wasn't quite right after a week. After finding that to be a battle (I hate taking pills), and after I had started eating again, my owner added it to just a tiny bit of chicken breast so I wouldn't notice it, or so she thought, and that made it easier for me to swallow.  Then I got the rest of my meal a little bit later.


• I had to eat several small meals a day of white rice (or Gerber's baby flaked rice...just about a tablespoon mixed in with the cut up chicken with a little water added) and chicken breast, morning, mid morning, noon, mid afternoon, and dinner time, about 2 tablespoons of food each time until I got better.

I finally did get better, then there was the quest to find the right food for me, which we did by trial and error.  I seem to do best with chicken and rice foods, beef doesn't agree with me at all.

If you are dealing with Pancreatitis with your dog, we wish your dog a speedy recovery. 

Updated 2/28/17

Cruciate Ligament Tear in Two Legs

It's been about a month and a half since the Veterinarian diagnosed Aspen with a cruciate ligament tear in one of her hind legs.  In spite of all of our attentiveness and care, a little over a week ago, the other leg sustained the same injury.  She is watched over almost constantly, and this happened during a moment when she simply tried to go up a small step, it didn't take much.

Now that a week has passed, she is still limited, but moving about more than she did again due to some measure of healing, and again needs to be watched carefully so that she keeps on healing.

Thankfully, she is a dog with a good nature, and being older, tends to rest a lot anyway, but she misses the very thing she should never have been doing at her age, jumping up and down from the couch, and is learning to be content with her bed on the floor and occasional times up next to us on the couch or chair when we lift her and take her down.

We have a special harness for her now that supports her body from front to back with the hook that the leash attaches to toward the back rather than the neck are.  This helps to take some of the weight off of her back legs when walking...she it taking her time getting used to this.  Though she has hobbled about just a bit when she needs to go out and take care of business, this week we are trying to do just a little more controlled walking...nothing too active...to build and maintain her leg muscles and mobility.

She is on a anti-inflammatory pain medicine for dogs right now, but soon we hope to switch over to a Glucosamine/Chondroiton product in order to preserve what is left of the cartilage in the joints that will now rub together un-naturally due to her injury.

We will keep you updated on her progress and if you can learn anything from our experience, when your Yorkie reaches a certain age, don't allow them to jump up and down.

 

Yorkies and Torn Cruciate Ligament

If your dog is limping or not walking on one leg, he or she may have a torn cruciate ligament.  It may not be that, there are other injuries that cause this in the leg and on the feet, but it could be.

Aspen the Yorkie is an elder dog, 13 this month, but it is hard to keep her from jumping up on and off of the couch because she has done this all of her life. Two weeks ago she jumped down from the couch, not really a far jump, but far enough I guess, because she started limping and not walking on the back right leg. Thinking it may be something that would work it's way out, we waited a day and went to the vet on Friday.

When the vet examined her, an X-ray wasn't even necessary, they knew right away by how the joint in the "knee" slid back and forth that she had torn the cruciate ligament. The vet said this is very painful, though Aspen didn't act much like she was suffering. She was and for the most part still is her cheerful self.  The cruciate ligament is one of 2 opposing ligaments between the joints from what I saw when searching the internet...in her case her back "knee" I believe.  This site has a good picture that shows the joint and cruciate ligament...I am not promoting this service, just found the image when searching on Google.

The vet prescribed Rimadyl appropriate to her small size for pain and inflammation. She had been given a little baby aspirin the day before, but that had to be stopped right away as the two together are toxic for the dog.

Surgery is possible with this type of injury, but Aspen is an elder dog, and we decided it would be better to let nature take it's course. The recovery is just as long one way or the other, and the ligament will heal with rest (as much as we can get her to rest), but will be prone to arthritis.

So she isn't jumping anymore, in fact she "calls" for help when going up a step. She sleeps in her bed on the floor instead of on the couch. It is suggested that dogs be crated and rest most of the time with this injury. Since someone is always home, we just keep good watch over her, she rests all the time anyway, and we carry her outside where she takes care of business and walks about a bit, and then we carry her back in. The only time Aspen gets lively is during the evening, she walks around a little bit then, but we don't worry about it too much because it can't be healthy to be lying around all the time.

It's been two weeks now, we will update you in the weeks to come on how her recovery from her cruciate ligament tear is. Here's a picture of her resting on the couch...we were keeping close watch and put something in place so she won't jump off.

Collapsed Trachea in Small Dogs

A collapsing or collapsed trachea in a small dog is caused by a weakening in the rings of cartilage that hold the trachea open so that your dog can breath.  Some dogs are born with this weakened condition, others develop the condition with age. While the condition is not limited to small dogs, it is most common in small dogs.

The trachea in dogs, humans and most other mammals is the "tube" that runs from the nose and throat that carries air to and from the lungs...it can also be called the windpipe.  When it is collapsing or collapsed, dogs make an unusual sound caused by what some call backwards coughing...a sound like a honk.

Many dogs have this condition occasionally or chronically and live normal healthy lives.  If your dog is "honking" often and over an extended period of time, please do see your veterinarian as he or she will teach you how to manage the condition and perhaps suggest medications that will open up the breathing.  Surgery is not often needed.

If the characteristic cough is just occasional, your dog should be fine, this is up to you to determine.

Here are a couple of things we do:

When I (Aspen) cough like this, my owner gently lifts my head and strokes under my neck...she didn't read about doing this anywhere, it's just something she did one day, and it helped.  Maybe it helped me relax, maybe it helped open the trachea, we don't know, it just worked...but it's just a gentle lift and very gentle stroking, nothing more.

DO NOT walk a dog using  a regular collar with this condition, use a harness.  In fact, do this anyway with a small dog as a collar could contribute to causing the problem.

Do more research on the condition online, there is quite a bit of information out there, and thank you for visiting, we hope we helped you learn a bit more about tracheal collapse and hope you find help with your dogs collapsed trachea.

Fleas in the Winter?

In the northeast, we are having one of the warmest winters that we've had in a long time. It's nice to have such mild weather, but one thing that my owner didn't think about was the fact that the fleas and ticks are living longer than they usually do. In fact, we stopped doing my flea treatments, and now we are trying to get rid of fleas that are in the house.

This is not fun for any of us. But it's a good reminder that just because the calendar says it's winter in the northern states, it doesn't mean that the fleas are gone unless you have really had a good prolonged hard freeze which we have not. It's a lesson learned the hard way.

Wish us well in ridding ourselves of the fleas naturally. We will be back to let you know what works, and our progress.

Tonight I got my Rabies Vaccine

We live in a town that gives free rabies shots for dogs and cats if you happen to be in town when they are giving them.  This year my owners were out of town for the weekend, so I had to go get my shot tonight.  I hate getting shots, and am glad it's over-with now.  My owner had a flu shot a couple of days ago and is talking about how much his arm hurts as a result...well a rabies shot isn't any fun either.

The Center of Disease Control (CDC) has written a publication, "What You Need to Know About the Rabies Vaccination" to help you understand what this shot is all about.

Now we wait and see if my rabies vaccination shot site hurts, but hurt or not, it's something that has to be done or I don't get my annual dog license, and if they come around and we don't have our licenses, there is a fine.  So not getting your rabies shot can lead from one problem to another, and are a must in our Town.

How about your Town or City, are rabies shots required where you live too?

Do You Need Dog Health Questions Answered?

You don't have to look at the categories and pages along the right for very long to realize that we like providing answers to dog health questions.

But we aren't the only blog that likes to help answer your questions about dogs.  We have a friend who keeps another blog called "Ask About Dogs" that you're going to want to take a look at.

The site provides you with dog health and dog care advice of all kinds.

Expressing Dog Anal Glands

We learned the hard way about impacted anal glands and how to express them.  I got sick during our own natural disaster, Hurricane Irene, and my owners were doing their best to keep up with flooding issues and me not feeling well at the same time.

I couldn't tell them that it wasn't just the Pancreatitis that I'd had before...but something more.  At first it seemed like I was doing better when they started treating me for the Pancreatitis, but then one Saturday I was miserable and in pain.  These are the things I did to try to let my owners know what was wrong, and some things that they should have picked up if they weren't so distracted by the weather, power failure, etc.:

• I scooted around dragging my bottom on the floor, they just thought it was itchy, but it was more than that


• I licked myself a lot trying to clean my anal area, which made me feel sick..and icky thing to have to do


• I didn't have an appetite.


• I skulked around the house with my head down, flopping down wherever I felt like it.


• My belly felt bloated and distended, and felt hot, I was feverish

Finally my owner looked online, and through searching for different things about dogs anal glands, she found that they can need what they call "expressing" and if they aren't cleaned, they can get impacted.  She realized I had all the symptoms she was reading about, and tried to find a video on how to express the anal glands.  There were a few, but this is one that you can see really well, and of a small dog, so it was most helpful:



BUT, my owner couldn't do this, and decided to take me to the vet (finally) after the weekend. The vet said that because I had diarrhea, maybe from stress related to the storm, he wanted to hydrate me so gave me fluids under the skin. Also told my owner to continue to treat me for the Pancreatitis, and then he expressed the glands. He said that they were very full and that what they contained was thick, so hard to express.

I came home and now it's over a week later, and I'm fine...got better almost right away after that, and now my owner will know the signs and symptoms that show the anal glands need to be expressed.

Flea Repellent You can Make Yourself

My owner has used Frontline on me to get rid of fleas for years. She just gave me my first "dose" of it for the spring season a couple of weeks ago. I get a terrible rash all over my body with just a couple flea bites, so it's important to keep me treated.

While we were looking at information about flea repellents, we found that there is actually a natural herbal repellent you can use on dogs, cats and other furry animals as long as their skin is not sensitive to it.

What you do is combine 1 part eucalyptus powder; 1 part pennyroyal, sage or rosemary powder; 1 part fennel powder; 1 part yellow dock powder. Put all in something that has a shaker top...we keep a few emptied spice bottles that have shaker tops around to use for things like this.

Try a bit on your pet to make sure they are not sensitive to it. If all seems okay, sprinkle just enough so that the smell is evident on the fur, brushing hair against the grain as you sprinkle it on.

Do not get it in your pet's eyes...concentrate on areas like the back and "chest" area of the belly where they won't lick too much. You don't want to overdo it, and again, make sure it won't irritate your pet's skin.

You can also sprinkle this on carpets to repel fleas in the house, or around the perimeters of the room or outside of the house to keep them away. How often you do this is a matter of trial and error...you shouldn't have to use it every day on your pet unless they are particularly infested. I'd definitely put some on before going for hikes in the woods or grassy fields.

We have just discovered this, and are thinking of giving it a try. Have any of you ever tried natural herbal flea repellents for your pets? If so, tell us about it in a comment.

Strangest Items Surgically Removed from Dogs

Maybe you think that spaying or neutering your dog are the most common reasons for surgery...and maybe they are.  But dogs need surgery for some of the strangest things as well.

Some dogs eat just about anything, and sometimes the things they eat cannot be passed through the digestive system, and cause intestinal blockages, and need removal.

I am a small dog, and admit that I do eat some very strange things...I like licking the bottom of my owners shoes, or eating small things while out on the deck...a good reason to make sure all our dogs immunizations are up to date and making sure we're getting our heartworm pills.

Anyway, strange things removed from a dogs intestines are usually in larger dogs who have bigger mouths than mine, and can include:

• Socks - This is a big one, and if you are missing a sock and have a dog that likes playing with your socks, and your dog is vomiting, you may need to consider this possibility....you should keep dirty socks in the laundry and out of reach.


• Stones - yes, we are known to eat rocks and even sticks when we're outside, for some odd reason.  Keep an eye on us, if you can, when we're outdoors, and if you keep us penned outside, make sure there isn't anything around that we could eat when your not looking.  (And make sure we have shade and water in the summer and a warm place to go in the winter!)


• Undies - Sounds disgusting, doesn't it?  Some dogs are kind of disgusting to humans because we find smelly socks and smelly underwear is appealing. Sorry if you have a sensitive stomach, this is just something you should know if you own a dog.  Don't leave those things lying around on the floor...they belong where you put your dirty laundry.


• Dog Toys - including balls that we like to play with

There are many other things surgically removed from dogs, you can do your homework searching online....we just write this to make you aware that even though we're cute, we don't think like you, and dogs can eat strangest and sometimes the most disgusting things!

Since a dog vomiting is sometimes a symptom of blockage, we thought we'd include this video about reasons why dogs vomit.

Antifreeze Can Kill a Dog

A few weeks ago it was time to check the cars to see if they had enough antifreeze in them. This is something that people put in cars so that the liquid that circulates around the engine doesn't freeze.

It's great for cars, but terrible for dogs like me. I heard that about 3 Tablespoons could be enough to kill a 20 lb. dog, imagine what it could do to a little 7 lb. dog like me! It has a sweet taste, so we are tempted to lick it....that includes licking it off our paws if our owners don't keep us from stepping in it. Then we get very very sick and if it's too much, may become so sick that we die.

It attacks our nervous systems and kidneys, and we act like we're drunk within 1/2 hours to up to 12 hours depending upon how much we get into our systems. If we don't get treated in 3-8 hours, it may be fatal.

We just wanted to share that today since it's the time of the year, especially around here, when everyone is making sure that they have enough antifreeze in their cars, and if they put it into their cars themselves, there's just a chance of it spilling on the ground, and a dog finding it or walking in it and then licking either the puddle of it or licking it off their feet.

Eye Problems and Disease in Dogs

The older a dog gets, the more likely they are to develop eye problems.  This is unfortunate, and something that I am beginning to experience.  So my owner and I did some searching around, and found some information that we are sharing with permission about common dog eye problems.  I hope you will find it helpful.

Sometimes you just have to adjust because there is little you can do, and one thing about most of us is that we do adjust pretty well most of the time.

Here's the information we found:

Eye Problems In Older Dogs by Becky Day

Regrettably, most senior dogs do not see as well as they did when they were younger, there are 4 conditions listed here that cause their world to become over cast.

Cataracts are the most common cause. Cataracts are a clouding of the eye lens. They occur when the normal mechanics of the lens is altered, and the normal balance of water and protein in the eye alter, allowing excess water to enter the lens. The eye has a whitish cloudiness to it. If the cataracts have progressed sufficiently, your dog could show signs of vision loss.

Most senior dogs at some point develop a blue-gray color instead of a white color on their eyes. Many individuals often mistake this development for cataracts, it is far more likely that these dogs actually have a condition referred to as nuclear stenosis, which has little effect on the dog's ability to see.

The only cure for cataracts is to have the lens removed surgically. But should your canine has diabetes or you have an elderly dog that is failing in health, it might be best to merely get treatment for any inflammation that the cataracts have caused and naturally, to take as many measures as you can to reestablish your elderly dogs overall health.

Older dogs are especially vulnerable to conjunctivitis or "Pink eye", of which is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue that surrounds the eyeball and eyelids. This common canine eye ailment has many causes, including bacterial or viral infections, foreign bodies in the eye, irritation from shampoos and dips, or possibly allergies, and a wide range of other underlying eye diseases.

Conjunctivitis. A dog with conjunctivitis exhibits very apparent signs of distress in the eye area. Redness will occur in the white parts of the eye and, or the eyelids, your pooch may squint or even paw at the affected eye. The eye will more than likely emit a discharge, though the nature of the discharge typically depends upon the main cause of the conjunctivitis.

To remedy conjunctivitis, the vet will try and determine what triggered the condition in the first place. If the veterinarian can pinpoint the cause, treatment is going to be according to his findings. The vet will begin by alleviating the discomfort your pet is feeling. If the veterinarian does not find a exact cause, he generally prescribes a topical antibiotic and or corticosteroid to decrease irritation and eliminate the infection. Conjunctivitis clears up relatively fast if the underlying cause is identified and eliminated. If the cause is unknown, treatment of the symptoms tends to be slow.

Dry eye, formally known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS, results when a dog's eye does not produce enough tears. Causes of dry eye include skin allergies, side effects of certain drugs, and of course, age. Amongst some breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels, Bulldogs, and West Highland Terriers, the condition is rather common. With no treatment, the surface of the cornea can become damaged, that can significantly increase the distress your canine is already feeling and will certainly lead to blindness.

A canine with dry eye develops a red eye that discharges thick mucus. Your dog will start to squint to alleviate the discomfort or paw at the eyes. Crusty material tend to form at the corners.

Dry eye does respond very well to proper treatment. Cyclosporine in cream or liquid form, a couple times daily can enhance your dog's tear production. Artificial tears and antibiotic eye medications can help as well. Wiping away the crusty eye material at the corners is a good plan, just soak a cotton ball with warm water or purchase dog wipes designed to be gentle around the eye area. The moisture will soften the crusts so that it is less difficult to wipe away. Unfortunately, in a number of cases, treatment continues for the rest of your dog's life.

Glaucoma results when the fluid within the eye, which normally drains directly into the circulatory system, is blocked from making such an exit. Consequently, the fluid accumulates and takes up space in the eye, resulting in fluid pressure inside the eye to increase. As the pressure increases, the optic nerve becomes irreversibly damaged. With no treatment, the dog loses sight in the eye.

A unexpected bright redness in the eye is a typical symptom of glaucoma. Other signs consist of light sensitivity, dilated pupils, loss of vision, eyelid spasms, eye enlargement, discoloration or cloudiness of the cornea, and rubbing or pawing of the eye area. The dog also may tilt his head on the same side as the affected eye to be able to reduce the pressure. Unlike human glaucoma, the doggy version of this disease can be highly aggressive, because of this, your canine can lose sight in the eye within just a few days if he is not treated as quickly as possible.

Treatment will depend on whether or not any sight remains in the afflicted eye. If the eye retains some sight, surgery to either diminish the production of fluid or to bypass the blockage can help. To decrease pressure within the eye, prescribed medications can help. When the pupil no longer responds to light, your dog loses his or her vision in the afflicted eye. When this occurs, the best course of action is frequently to remove the eye in order to remove any infection or pain that results from the disease. A prosthetic eye may be used to replace the eye.

A dog with glaucoma eventually loses sight in the afflicted eye, and frequently, unfortunately, the other eye is affected later. Prompt treatment may put off the inevitable, usually for quite a while.

Author Resource: dog-gonnit.com

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Why I Love Aspen

I'm writing as myself today...not for Aspen...but about her.  She has been such a wonderful companion for over 11 years now, and is beginning to show her age.  She recently seems to have difficulty seeing, and other signs that remind me that I need to give her extra loving for all that she has given to me.

She isn't as lively as she used to be, because it is hard for her to see...I just took her out for a walk, and not that far ahead of us was a cat...usually she would have gone crazy with barking and excitement, it took her a while to even notice the cat.

She sleeps more, and is always happy to have a belly rub, a back massage, and her treats, they are a special delight...something my husband gives her each night after we have dinner.

Here are just a few of the pleasures Aspen gives us:

Unconditional love, and devotion.

All that loving is healthy for you, yes, petting your dog, having their companionship, can help calm you...stroking their fur is good for them and good for you...Aspen loves to snuggle and loves her tummy rubs.

Aspen is great company when no one else is around...of course she likes all of us to be there...we are her "pack" after all.

Aspen listens to everything we say, as if she understands...and I think she does understand...a lot more than we may give her credit for. When everyone is out during the day, she is always there with a listening ear.

Aspen gets me outdoors to walk on days when I may want to just stay inside. I love walking, but some days just don't feel like making the effort, her companionship makes it more enjoyable. We both get some exercise when we walk.

Aspen makes me feel safe when my husband has to travel, which is rare, but happens occasionally. She will bark if she hears ANYTHING, and this brings a sense of security...no barking, all is well.

I guess I'm feeling a little sentimental today, realizing that she's an older girl now, and more delicate than she used to be. Just hope I can give her all she deserves for the joy that she has given us over the years since that March day when I watched her birth.

Love your dogs, treat them like part of the family, that's what they are.

Pets Dying from Flea and Tick Products

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is putting restrictions on certain flea and tick products because of illnesses and deaths that have resulted from using them.  Among the things that happened to pets were seizures, serious skin reactions, deaths and more.  Here is a bullet-point list of some key facts we heard in a news report today:

• 44,000 adverse reactions attributed to collars and topical preparations


• 600 of these reactions lead to death


• Affects cats more than dogs, small dogs more than big


• EPA wants clearer labeling


• Want owners to read instructions carefully, many reactions are due to owner's carelessness, for example putting dosages meant for large dogs on small dogs, or not putting where you should on the pets body.


• When using a topical application, check the area after you apply, skin reaction can appear like a chemical burn which can become infected.


• Why aren't they taking the products off the market? Because it's even riskier if pets get fleas or ticks to both pets and humans

Click here for the EPA news release for more information.