Buying Flea and Tick Medicine for a Dog? Read This First!With so many brands and types of flea and tick medications being sold today, it can be rather overwhelming choosing what's best for your dog. Here are a few important things to consider before grabbing the first flea and tick control product you see. 1. Usage Flea and tick control products come in a variety of forms, including foggers, wipes, dips, shampoos, spot-ons, collars and oral medication. Some products repel fleas and ticks; some attack the immature forms of the bugs so that they never have a chance to develop and reproduce; and others kill the adult fleas and ticks. There are even some products that do all three. Read the label carefully to select the best product for your situation, and consult your veterinarian if you have any questions. 2. Flea/Tick Species Effectiveness It may be a bit overwhelming to think about, but there are hundreds upon hundreds of flea and tick species worldwide! The dog flea, black-legged tick (pictured above), American dog tick and brown dog tick, just to name a few. Discuss with your veterinarian what type of fleas and ticks are found in your area and confirm that the flea and tick medicine you're considering is effective against those species. Look for medications labeled "broad spectrum," which are effective against several species in one easy-to-use form. 3. You and Your Dog's Preferences Another important consideration is you and your pet's preferences and lifestyle. Perhaps your dog isn't very fond of having spot-on flea and tick preventives and won't stay still during application. Try a flea and tick collar. What if you have a busy lifestyle and want something that is both effective for long periods and that isn't visible on your pet? Check out oral flea and tick preventives (i.e., pills or tablets), as some are effective for up to 12 weeks. There isn't necessarily a right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing flea and tick medication. Just choose what is best for your situation. 4. Intended for Dogs or Cats? There are times when dogs and cats can take the same medication, under a vet's supervision, to resolve an issue. This is definitely not one of them. Not only are some flea and tick medications specifically formulated to be effective for dogs (or vice versa); there are certain ingredients that can actually be harmful, even deadly, to cats. "Cats should never be given products designed for use on dogs," says Dr. Jennifer Kvamme, DVM, "nor should you use your cat products on your dog." Always read flea and tick control products labels carefully and only use as directed. If you have any doubts, ask your veterinarian. A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
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Here's a whole new reason to play fetch with Fido. With Tagg - The Pet Tracker, the activity tracker for dogs, you can view how much activity your pet has had in the past 24 hours and determine if he needs more or fewer walks. And just like advanced activity trackers for humans, this one can differentiate between various activities — in this case, catching a Frisbee, rolling over or playing fetch.This new activity tracking will be available late next week for free to current Tagg owners in an over-the-air update. The current Tagg device is used solely as a tracker and uses GPS to keep tabs on your dog's location. This technology will still be available in the new version, but now includes the activity monitoring. “Activity, exercise and wellness are hot topics these days, and while there are hundreds of ways for people to measure their progress, there has not been a tracking option for pet parents to monitor the activity of their four-legged family members as they do for themselves," Dave Vigil, president of Snaptracs, the company that made Tagg, tells Mashable. "Much like the exercise journals and health records we use to help understand our own health and wellness, the data captured using the Activity Tracking feature will help owners monitor their pet’s overall activity so they can make informed decisions about their pet’s exercise routine and be alerted about changes in their pet’s activity over time.” Pet parents can see how active their dog has been on the free iPhone or Android app, or on a desktop through a free Tagg account on the website. Movement is assigned a "Tagg Point" value based on the intensity and duration of the activity, ranging from resting to highly active. Tagg activity points are assigned to one of the following categories:
Battery life of Tagg depends on how close your pet stays to the docking station, but if the battery does get low, you'll receive a text message reminding you to charge the device. It takes about an hour to charge it. Tagg comes in four colors: white, gray, blue and pink, and attaches to your dog's existing collar with a clip and strap. The rubber strap allows you to attach the Tagg tracker to various sized collars, but it won't work with metal, studded or jeweled collars. The collar is meant to be used for dogs and cats over 10 pounds. In addition to tracking your pets health and location, the free apps can direct you to local vets, dog parks and pet stores. Tagg is available on the company's website and on Amazon.com, Target.com, Apple.com, Petco.com and at Target and Apple stores, and veterinarian offices nationwide. Source: mashable.com A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
When you hear the word “oxytocin” you probably think of moms nursing and bonding with their babies. This hormone, oxytocin, is also known as the “bonding hormone.” But its power is not limited to human bonding. A new study from Australia suggests that the hormone of love may have played a role in leading wild dogs to man’s fires and eventual domestication. What is “Oxytocin”? Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the hypothalamus of the brain and released from the back half (posterior) of a pea sized pituitary gland. Oxytocin is important for sexual arousal in both sexes for orgasm and sexual reproduction. It is particularly important for its effect on the cervix and uterus during childbirth and breast nipple stimulation that causes milk “letdown” for nursing. The effects of oxytocin on other parts of the brain during these activities are thought to bring about positive pair bonding, maternal bonding, and positive social recognition bonds. A PhD researcher at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, has found that oxytocin plays a role in the interactions between dogs and humans. Why Oxytocin May be Important in the Domestication of Dogs Previous studies have shown that just three minutes of petting and talking to a dog increases blood oxytocin levels in both dogs and humans. Other studies have shown that humans who are particularly close to their dogs have more oxytocin in their urine. This data lead Jessica Oliva to conduct her PhD thesis experiment. 62 dogs, 31 male and 31 female, were tested to see if oxytocin increased their ability to read cues from humans to the whereabouts of bowls with hidden treats. The dogs were scored on their abilities after receiving either a nasal administration of oxytocin or a saline placebo. Nasal spray was used because it ensures the direct passage of oxytocin to the brain in order to eliminate other factors that could cloud the response results. Not only did the dogs respond more accurately when given oxytocin, but the enhanced performance lasted 15 days after administration of the oxytocin. Oxytocin in some way aids a dog’s ability to read human cues. This far exceeds the ability of wolves to do the same. Oliva cited research that has shown dogs were far better at using non-verbal cues from humans than even wolves that were highly socialized and hand-reared by humans. This research only demonstrates the role of oxytocin in man’s relationship to dogs but does not explain the exact brain interactions involved. Oliva wants to conduct the same experiment on wolves to see if there is a different result. That would really help clarify the evolutionary separation of the wild dog from wolves and their eventual domestication. She also suggests that the identification of a genetic sensitivity to oxytocin in modern dogs may lead to better performing dogs. This could have an impact on breeding dogs that may be better suited as guide or service dogs, military dogs, or customs dogs. Maybe the dog-human bond boils down to a famous song lyric, “All you need is love.” Thanks oxytocin. Source: Pet MD A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Many pet owners will tell you their bundle of fur is like family. So there’s no shame in feeling just a little guilty when you have to leave yours behind, whether it be for a quick errand or night on the town. (The adorable drooping face and sad eyes don’t make it any easier.) You might be tempted to try an age-old trick: turning on the radio or TV to keep your furry friend company. Turns out, though, neither may produce sounds he’ll actually enjoy. Cats, for instance, just aren’t that into human music (the classical kind at least), according to new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The study, recently published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, compared how 47 felines responded to two different types of music at home, the first being classical melodies from the human world and the second dubbed “cat music.” That would be music composed specifically to appeal to cats using a particular pitch and tempo. “Their normal communication is at a much higher frequency range than humans,” says Charles Snowdown, PhD, the study’s lead author and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. So the study’s two “cat songs,” created by University of Maryland composer David Teie, are an octave higher than regular human speech or singing voices, Snowdon says. Plus, the songs were formatted to match tempos cats might enjoy, such as purring and the sucking noises made during nursing. Snowdon and his former student, Megan Savage, played four sets of sounds for the cats, including two classical songs and two cat songs. The pair found that the kitties showed more positive behavior (like purring and rubbing against the speaker) when listening to the music created for them versus the human music. And they reacted to the cat music about a minute sooner, too. Though the researchers aren’t exactly certain how cats might respond to other musical genres like rock or country, one thing is clear. “From the cats’ perspective, they really don’t care about classical music,” Snowdon says. And what about dogs’ preferences? Those would be much trickier to pinpoint. “We chose cats [for the study] in part because they are fairly homogenous in body size,” Snowdon says. “Dogs range in size and voice, so we’re not sure whether there would be a universal music created for them or whether it would be different for each breed.” (Small doggies make noises that sound very different than big ones.) Still, entertainment isn’t a total wash for pets. Some dogs with separation anxiety may respond well to radio music or TV noise if used as a safety cue. “The whole idea is to get them to like something that doesn’t remind them of you,” says Jeff Werber, a licensed veterinarian and founder of Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles. To spot separation anxiety in your pooch, look for behavior problems such as destructive chewing, howling, or urinating without cause. Then, start by training Fido to associate the radio or TV with positive things, such as a treat or praise (you can also use a word or action as a safety cue, he says). “Now the dog is getting rewarded for listening to music and it’s taking attention away from you,” Werber says. The more you do that, eventually your lonesome pup will learn to keep his cool when you’re gone. Before you go, be sure to hide anything he could link back to you, like a toy you often play catch with, then turn on the radio or TV. This trick is especially great if your dog already likes sitting in front of the tube (dogs CAN see what’s on the screen, according to Werber), but it’s not guaranteed to win over every furball. In that case, you could try investing in soothing tunes for canines, like the Through a Dog’s Ear music series, he says. You could also set out a toy with hidden pockets for treats to keep your animal busy, Werber suggests. Cats, on the other hand, may not need a safety cue to feel better about being alone. “Cats have more natural instincts that allow them to find ways to take care of themselves,” Werber says. That said, there are still little things you can do to keep your cat distracted and happy, Werber says, such as setting out a maze of treats or buying a diffuser like Feliway which sprays natural pheromones in the air to reduce your cat’s stress levels. Lucky for your feline, the cat music used in Snowdon’s study is also available to purchase ($1.29 per song) through the composer’s website MusicForCats.com. So even kitties can have their own jam session while you’re out. The important thing to remember is that human music may not always be the answer to help your pet feel better when you’re away. “To assume that just putting on a classical music station will calm your animal may not be the case,” Snowdon says. “We know very little about what animals really like, and we hope people start thinking more carefully about that.” Source:news.health.com / Rachel Swalin A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
Tests on 34 patients showed an 88% success rate in finding tumours. The team, presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, said the animal had an "unbelievable" sense of smell. Cancer Research UK said using dogs would be impractical, but discovering the chemicals the dogs can smell could lead to new tests. The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones to regulate metabolism. Thyroid tumors are relatively rare and are normally diagnosed by testing hormone levels in the blood and by using a needle to extract cells for testing. Smelly job Cancers are defective, out-of-control cells. They have their own unique chemistry and release "volatile organic compounds" into the body. The canine approach relies on dogs having 10 times the number of smell receptors as people and being able to pick out the unique smells being released by cancers. The man's best friend approach has already produced promising results in patients with bowel and lung cancers. A team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) had previously showed that a dog could be trained to smell the difference between urine samples of patients with and without thyroid cancer. The next step was to see if it could be used as a diagnostic test. Frankie the German Shepherd was trained to lie down when he could smell thyroid cancer in a sample and turn away if the urine was clean. Thirty-four patients, who were going to hospital for conventional testing, took part in the trial. Frankie gave the correct diagnosis in 30 out of 34 cases. There were two false positives and two patients who would have been incorrectly given the all-clear. Dr Donald Bodenner, the chief of endocrine oncology at UAMS, said: "The capability of dogs to smell minute amounts is unbelievable. "The medical community over the next few years is going to have a great appreciation [for them]. E-nose Some researchers are trying to strip out the canine-element and test for the unique pong of cancer with an "electronic nose". This approach is also being trailed outside of cancer and has been used to find dangerous infections such as Clostridium difficile. Dr Bodenner added: "We would like to know what Frankie is smelling, nobody knows." Commenting on the findings Dr Jason Wexler, an endocrinologist in Washington, DC, argued: "This is a fascinating, interesting study and it has high potential in areas of the world that may not have access to biopsy techniques. "There are many patients who are reluctant to undergo fine needle aspiration so I think that if you could design a technique where you have no invasive procedure that can have tremendous widespread appeal." But Dr Emma Smith, from Cancer Research UK, cautioned: "Although there's some evidence that some trained dogs can sniff out the smelly molecules given off by cancers, there have been mixed results on how accurate they are and it's not really practical to think about using dogs on a wide scale to detect the disease. "But carrying out lab tests to understand what the dogs are smelling might help to inform the development of 'electronic noses' to detect the same molecules, which could lead to better diagnostic tests in the future." Dr Bodenner says it is an approach that he is actively pursuing. Meanwhile, the lab is also trying to find a new home for canine-veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead of sniffing out bombs, they will be trained to hunt for cancer. Source: BBC News A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
If the bird appears to be uninjured, the best thing to do is to return it to its parents, so look around for the nest in all the surrounding trees. Birds often try to build their nests where they will be hidden from view, so look carefully! If you can find the nest, gently replace the baby bird, and keep an eye out (from a distance) for one or both of the parents to return. It is a myth that the parents will not care for an orphaned bird that has been touched by human hands. If you cannot find the nest and are able to hand rear the baby bird, you'll need to provide a warm, secure place (80°-85°F) and frequent meals. A small cardboard box (like a shoebox), lined with paper towels or a washable cloth, kept on a heating pad or hot water bottle, or placed under an incandescent light bulb or other heating light can work well. However, the heat must be monitored carefully to avoid overheating or possibly even burning the delicate baby bird skin. Never place a bird directly on a heat source of any kind. Baby birds need frequent feeding, every hour or two, from sunrise until early evening. Gently tap the upper beak to stimulate the baby to "open wide." Drop a small amount of the food into the back of the mouth, using an eyedropper with an opening large enough for the food to come through, blunt tweezers, or even your fingers. Most baby birds catch on after the first few times, and start cheeping when hungry and automatically opening their beaks when you approach. Likewise, when the baby stops opening its beak, it's full and should be allowed to rest until the next feeding. Most baby birds develop flight feathers and are ready for release in about three weeks. To see if the baby is ready, cup the bird in your hands and take it outside. If it doesn't jump up and look interested, bring it back in for a few more days. If it takes wing, then it is ready to go! If you are unable to hand rear an orphaned baby bird or if it appears injured (eg, broken leg or wing), call a local nature or wildlife preserve, or an avian veterinarian or rehabilitator for suggestions or transportation instructions. Q & A: What should I do if I find an orphaned baby bird? The best thing to do is to return the bird to the nest for its parents to care for it. It is a myth that the parents will not care for an orphaned bird that has been touched by human hands. Can an orphaned baby bird be hand raised? Yes, orphaned baby birds can be successfully hand raised with dedicated effort. You'll need to provide a warm, secure place and hand-fed meals every hour or two from sunrise until early evening, using a homemade feeding formula. When can a hand raised baby bird be released? Most baby birds develop flight feathers and are ready for release in about 3 weeks. If you take the bird outside every few days, it will let you know when it's ready to go by taking flight. Source: webvet A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
With Easter coming up here is a quick reminder that Easter Lily is poisonous to cats. Poisonous to: Cats Level of toxicity: Generally moderate to severe Common signs to watch for:
There are benign and dangerous lilies out there, and it’s important to know the difference. Benign lilies include the Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies; these contain insoluble oxalate crystals that cause minor signs such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus. Clinical signs of drooling, pawing at the mouth, foaming, and vomiting may be transiently seen. The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies of the Lilium or Hemerocallis species. Examples of some of these dangerous lilies include the tiger, day, Asiatic hybrid, Easter, Japanese Show, rubrum, stargazer, red, Western, and wood lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) – even the pollen or water from the vase – can result in severe, acute kidney failure. Other types of dangerous lilies include lily of the valley. This type does not cause kidney failure, but can cause life-threatening heart arrhythmias and death when ingested by dogs or cats. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently the lily poisoning can be treated. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis. Intravenous fluids must be started within an 18 hour window for the best outcome. Poison type: Plants Scientific name: Lilium longiflorum Alternate names: Lilies, Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, red lily, wood lily, Western lily, stargazer lily, daylily, Japanese show lily, Asiatic lily, Asiatic hydrid lily, peace lily, calla lily, lily of the valley, Lilium longiflorum, Lilium tigrinum, Lilium speciosum, Lilium auratum, Lilium lancifolimu, Lilium umbellantum, Hemerocallis Source: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
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