Category Archives: Pet Health

Survey Reveals 55 Percent of Dogs, Cats Are Obese

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As Americans stretch the limits of their collective elastic waistbands, their pets aren’t far behind, according to findings from the sixth annual National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Survey, released today by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP).

The survey was conducted in October and December of last year. The data from 121 veterinary clinics in 36 states covering 1,485 dogs and 450 cats, combined with 2012 American Veterinary Medical Association data revealed:

• 80 million U.S. dogs and cats are overweight or obese
• 58.3 percent of cats are overweight or obese
• 52.5 percent of dogs are overweight or obese

Extra kibble, treats and more sedentary ways has lead to more serious health concerns than sporting a few extra pounds, said veterinarians familiar with the issue.

A great way to combat pet obesity is with a treadmill. A treadmill provides increased muscle definition, toning, improved vitality, increased life span and can help curb destructive behavior or excess energy often associated with the lack of regular exercise. Dog treadmills provide a way for you to exercise your pet even when the weather is bad or it is inconvenient to take them out for a walk.

Pet Food Recall

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The Kroger Co. announced Saturday that it was recalling three brands of pet food. Tests showed that select packages may have come into contact with aflatoxin, which can pose a health risk to pets.

The company advises customers: if you bought a contaminated bag of pet food, stop using it immediately and return it to where you purchased it for refund or exchange.

The affected packages of Pet Pride, Old Yeller, and Kroger Value brand pet foods were all produced at a Kroger-owned factory in Springfield, Tenn., according to Denise Osterhues, spokeswoman for the Cincinnati-based grocery store.

The recall affects customers at Kroger’s, Dillons, Gerbes, Baker’s, Food 4 Less, Jay C, Hilander, Owen’s, Pay Less and Scott’s stores in 19 states across the Midwest and South: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

If you buy Pet Pride, Old Yeller, or Kroger Value brand products, first check the sell-by date and then the UPC code. All of the recalled products have a sell-by date of either Oct. 23 or 24, 2011. Your package would read OCT 23 11 DP or OCT 24 11 DP.

If that sell by date appears on your package, “check the numbers on the packaging,” advises Gilda Rogers of Krogers. If both the date and UPC code match the recall list, “Take them back to a store.”

Kroger is recalling these products:

Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111088128.

Pet Pride Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with UPC code 1111071357.

Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111088152.

Pet Pride Tasty Blend Poultry & Seafood Cat Food sold in 18 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074580.

Pet Pride Kitten Formula Food sold in 3.5 lb. packages with UPC code 1111071903.

Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 22 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074566.

Old Yeller Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with UPC code 1111074563.

Kroger Value Cat Food sold in 3 lb. packages with UPC code 1111000018.

Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 15 lb. packages with UPC code 111107155.

Kroger Value Chunk Dog Food sold in 50 lb. packages with UPC code 1111000108.

If you believe your pet has been exposed to aflatoxin, and is showing symptoms of sluggishness, yellow-tinted eyes, and diarrhea, you are encouraged to seek treatment for your pet immediately.

Customers who have questions about this recall may contact Kroger toll-free at (800) 632-6900 or visit www.kroger.com/recalls.

Is Pet Insurance a Good Idea?

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If all dog owners had to worry about were a checkup, yearly shots, and an occasional injury, it would be hard to justify the cost of pet insurance. After all, premiums can run into the thousands of dollars over the life of your pet.

But the fact is that today, pet medical care rivals what’s available to humans in complexity and cost. For example, an MRI is a diagnostic tool once reserved for humans but is now available for pets as well–at an average cost of $1,200. Sophisticated procedures such as radiation therapy, can start at $900 and quickly reach $5,000.

And it’s not as if it can’t happen to you. Statistics show that one out of three pets will need emergency treatment every year, and two out of three experience at least one major health crisis in their lifetimes.

Given these catastrophic and skyrocketing costs, and with monthly premiums as low as $10 for some pets and plans–they average around $35–pet insurance may be a worthwhile option for you and your animals.

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How To Choose The Best Flea Medicine For Your Dog

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Dog flea medicines today are a far cry from the harsh chemical dips and messy powders pet owners used to use to combat fleas. The easy to use topical spot on products such as Frontline Plus are popular with pet owners as they are inexpensive and they kill fleas for up to 30 days. For owners of multiple pets, Frontline also offers a flea killing spray that will treat several dogs.

The price of flea killing pet meds goes higher when other parasites are also killed by the product. You may choose to provide wide ranging protection or may only be focused on killing fleas. No matter which product you choose for your dog, you can find significant savings by purchasing online from a site dedicated to discount pet medicines.

If you live in a hot, humid climate, flea control is a year round pet health care necessity. Such locations have heavy flea populations as well as ticks, heartworm and other nasty parasites that pose dangers to your dog’s health. Advantage flea medicine was one of the first topical products with residual killing power and has been gratefully accepted by pet owners as a real solution to fleas. The newest addition to the Advantage line of pet products is Advantage Multi which kills fleas and also protects your dog from roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and heartworm.

Frontline Plus kills fleas and flea eggs and also kills brown dog ticks, American dog ticks and lone star ticks as well. The spot on treatment lasts a full 30 days and remains effective after bathing your dog. Frontline Plus controls chewing lice and helps control sarcoptic mange for dogs 8 weeks and older. K9 Advantix is a good choice for flea prevention where high mosquito populations are present. K9 Advantix kills both adult fleas and larvae to break the flea life cycle. Ticks are killed and the product also repels mosquitoes. K9 Advantix should not be used on dogs that come into physical contact with cats or on pregnant or nursing dogs. For older or sick dogs, consult your veterinarian before using K9 Advantix to control fleas.

Revolution is a prescription medicine that is well named. This topical treatment offers a wide range of protection for dogs, killing fleas and flea eggs and American dog ticks. Revolution also treats ear mites, controls sarcoptic mites and is a heart preventive dog med. It is considered safe for use on puppies over six weeks old and for pregnant or lactating dogs.

Capstar is a unique flea product that is meant for specific occasions. Capstar is a single dose of one pill given to the dog that kills all adult fleas present on the animal quickly. This pet med does not kill flea eggs or have a residual effect. It is a good solution for dogs that have adult fleas as it kills the fleas quickly and can followed 24 hours later with a topical, long term flea medicine. Capstar is useful for dogs that are shown or boarded, or for a newly adopted animal brought into your home. The newest flea medicine for dogs is Comfortis. Unlike spot on treatments, Comfortis is a beef flavored wafer your dog will eagerly accept as a treat. This new product begins killing flea within 30 minutes of ingestion and keeps your dog flea free for 30 days.

Before buying flea medicine for your dog, decide what level of protection you need. What parasites does your dog need protection from in your area and which method of administering the medication do you prefer. Most flea prevention products (except Revolution) are available without prescription and can be purchased online directly from a veterinarian at discount pet med sites.

Fleas are adaptive little critters and can quickly become immune to flea killing products. Pet owners who live in states where flea protection is a year round task should change the brand of topical product every 6-12 months. By rotating the flea medicine treatments pet owners will hinder the ability of fleas to develop immunity to flea killers.

Choose from the latest dog flea medicine online.

Why Do Dogs Snore?

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About a third of dog owners allow their dogs to sleep on the bed with them. Many single men and women get company from their dogs in the day and the night time in this way. The lovers of no other pets allow their pets to sleep with them as much as dog owners do.

It is handy that dogs have a similar sleep pattern to humans, whereas cats tend to like hunting at night. Dogs also seem to dream and enter into the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep stage.

Every dog owner has observed his dog running and barking softly in his sleep. What else can they be doing other than dreaming? When a dog is sound asleep like this, it can be as difficult to wake him up as any child and when they do wake up they seem drowsy and they shake themselves awake.

Some dogs have been bred for definite purposes and this has lead to facial characteristics which have given rise to breathing abnormalities. Pugs and other dogs with squashed faces often breathe very noticeably in their sleep and at other times in the day.

Some dogs even snore and some snore very noisily. If your dog sleeps with you, this can be a concern. The causes why dogs snore are usually the same ones that lead to humans snoring, although, as stated above one of the main causes for breathing abnormalities is breeding.

One cause of snoring is a constraint of the nasal passages because of an allergy. If you suspect that this is the case, you can begin by thinking whether you have added anything new to your home or whether you use a new air freshener. If you cannot discover the cause yourself, you might have to call in a vetinary surgeon.

One of the principal causes of snoring in humans is being overweight and the same is true of dogs, particularly the smaller breeds. If your dog has just begun snoring, maybe he just put on that extra pound that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.

If you believe that this might be the cause of your dog’s snoring, the clear answer is to help him to lose weight through exercise and dieting. There is a good probability that that will stop the snoring.

If all else fails and you are being driven to distraction by your dog’s nonstop snoring, there is some minor remedial surgery available to open up the nasal passages. It is a quite routine operation that does not take long and should result in both you and your dog getting a better night’s sleep..

If you choose to go down this route, ring around a few vets to get prices as the fees that vets can charge differ considerably.