What's Behind Your Dog's Allergies

What's causing your dog to itch? It's probably dog allergies. But is it food, dust mites ... or you? There are hundreds of possibilities. 

Here's how to rule out some of them, and get down to the likeliest ones. Once you know what's causing the itch, you can take action to provide your dog with some much-needed relief. 

Let's get down to business. Does your dog itch all year-round, or just in certain seasons? If it's seasonal, skip to that section. 

There are only a few causes of year-round canine allergies: 

Food. This is the first thing many people think of as causing canine allergies. But it's actually one of the least likely. True food allergies are uncommon in dogs, with only about 15% of allergic dogs being allergic to food. 

Dog's Allergies

A dog may be sensitive to a protein source in his food, or to the protein part of grains such as wheat, soy or corn. Wheat gluten is another one which frequently causes some dog itching and scratching problems. If you have an itchy dog, avoid foods with soy. 

More Tips for Finding a Lost Dog

• Call all surrounding town police departments and alert them (calling up to six is not a bad idea). Give the breed, size, sex, color, name and where it was lost and last seen. Give your name and phone number in case they find it. If the police department does not ask you what your phone number is, then call BACK and make sure they have it and understand why. Continue to call each day or every other day to find out updates. They won't LOOK for your pet. They'll only pick it up if they see it.
• Call the local animal shelter and humane society to alert them.
• Call all nearby park workers to alert them in case your pet ran into a park
• If you have internet access, register your pet in WWW.Petfinder.com

Make flyers which include:

-LOST PET announcement -your pet's picture -your pet's name, size, sex

-date it became missing -where and when last seen

What to Do if You Lose Your Pet

Getting the word out early is the key to getting your dog or cat back safely and soundly. Don't assume your pet will return on his own in a few hours. Don't wait around to see if he'll find his way home. As soon as you are aware that your pet is missing, GET THE WORD OUT. Remember, have good, clear photos on hand just in case, and ALWAYS make sure your dogs and cats are wearing a collar with identification tags. Microchipping is an excellent form of identification, but always make sure your pet has a visible collar and tags.

• Make posters, and lots of them. Keep it simple: "LOST DOG (or cat)!" should be at the top in large, easy to read, (even from a moving vehicle) bold letters. Then include a brief description or breed type: "Beige, wire-haired terrier " or "Striped grey and black short-haired cat ". Don't assume that people will know your particular pure breed, so always include a description. Include the animal's name, it may make it easier for someone to call your pet over and capture him, and it also makes your pet into a valued member of your family, and not just another lost animal statistic. Offer a reward, don't state how much in the ad, and include your telephone number in large numbers at the bottom of the poster.
• Make dozens of index cards with the same information as above, and go to every home, in every direction from the site of where your pet disappeared, and give a card, or stick a card under doors or on windshields. Stop and speak with every person you encounter –the more people know about your lost pet, the more likely the one person who spots him will call you. Your pet may be frightened, ask people to please check their barns and sheds, especially at night.
• Place a "Lost " ad in your local newspaper the very first morning your pet is gone. These ads are usually free.
• GET THE WORD OUT! The more people know you have lost a pet, and that you are upset, worried and desperately trying to find your pet, the more people will call you if they see an animal in the woods or on the road, or in their backyard.
• Get out and call for your pet by name. Enlist family and friends to canvas the neighborhood, in all directions, on the roads and as the crow flies. Don't try to predict where your pet could or wouldn't have gone –YOU NEVER KNOW. The best time to call for your pet is at night, and at dawn. If you are calling from your car, drive slowly, roll down all the windows, stop and turn your vehicle off frequently to listen.
• Call all your neighbors personally.
• Call all veterinary clinics, including emergency veterinary hospitals outside your local area. Sometimes people pick up a stray and drive it to a distant clinic. Call all animal shelters and animal control and dog control officers, all local police and state troopers, all local kennels, the highway department, dog training clubs, grooming shops get the word out.
• Visit all local dog pounds and animal shelters, don't rely on their information, go through and look at all dogs and cats, DAILY.
• Don 't give up!
• Dogs and cats often wander far away, and do things you wouldn't predict they would do. Try everything, look everywhere, tell everyone. You'd be surprised how many people will be supportive, will get out and help you look, will offer words of encouragement and hope, will suggest places to look that other stray animals have gone.
• Even the friendliest and most social pet may quickly become terrified and wild. Your own friendly pet, when lost, may hide from people, run away if he sees a person, he may even run away from you. Don't chase after a lost pet –they are much faster than we are and you'll only scare them more. Instead, sit on the ground; talk in normal tones, repeating his name and familiar phrases over and over again. A frightened animal will usually stick around, and after a few minutes or hours,come closer and closer.
• In rare cases, you may need to rent or purchase a Humane Live trap, and set it to capture a terrified lost pet. Local animal shelters often rent or loan these, and will have an appropriate size for a dog or a cat.
• Again, DON'T GIVE UP! Be aggressive in your search, get lots of help, get the word out right away – don't wait a few hours "to see if he'll come home on his own "– you need those early hours to put up posters and give out cards.

How to Find Your Lost Dog

By the time you are reading this article, most likely you have been looking for your lost pet for 24 hours or more. You have walked, then driven your neighborhood. You have been to the local animal shelter and registered your pet as missing. You have lost a lot of sleep.

You are reading because you feel the odds are strong that you will recover your pet. In the vast majority of instances, your instincts will prove true.

Let's try to help you. Let's briefly go over three things:

• Why pets run away and where they often go
• The logical steps to take in assisting recovery
• Things you can tell your friends later if you are among the many who succeed in recovering your lost pet.

(1) Why and Where Do They Go?

(2) Steps to Recovering Your Pet

(3) How to Avoid Losing Your Pet

How to Find Your Lost Dog

1. Why Pets Run Away and Where They Often Go

Normally, pets run away from acute boredom or loneliness, to answer sexual urges if they have not been neutered, in response to sudden and unexpected events that frighten them, out of curiosity if doors, windows or gates are left open, or if they are new to a home and are looking for their former surroundings.

How to Find a Responsible Dog Breeder

If you've checked shelters and rescue groups and still haven't found "the one," here's what to do

The Humane Society of the United States

So, you've decided to get a dog. You're prepared to feed, exercise, train, clean up after, work through problems with, and love a dog every day for the next 10 to 20 years.

You've evaluated your lifestyle and know exactly what sort of dog you're looking for (e.g., a high energy dog to go running with, or a more sedate dog to lounge on the couch with), and you know that you need to seek out your desired characteristics in an individual dog, not a breed, because a breed is no guarantee of temperament or likes and dislikes.

Start at a shelter or rescue group

Parvovirus in Dogs

What is parvovirus in dogs?

Also known as "parvo", parvovirus is a serious & often deadly disease caused by the highly infectious parvovirus. It was first described in the 1970's.

Parvovirus attacks rapidly dividing cells within the body, commonly involving the gastrointestinal tract, lymph nodes & bone marrow. A less common form of parvovirus affects the heart muscle.

It is spread via infected feces where high numbers of the virus are shed. Infection occurs via direct or indirect contact with infected feces. The virus can survive for months in the environment (bedding, kennels etc).

Unvaccinated puppies are most at risk of infection although adult dogs can also become infected. For reasons unknown, Dobermans, Rottweilers & Pit bulls are more susceptible to the disease than other breeds of dog.

Parvo Symptoms and Treatment

Is This a Death Sentence for Your Dog?

Unfortunately, it can be. But the rate at which parvovirus kills has been seriously diminished in recent years due to scientific understanding on how to replace the vital elements in your dogs body that are lost in the throes of this decimating virus.

If your dog has tested positive for parvovirus, you may want to save this page so that you can refer back to it for information, treatment, and comfort while you nurse your pup back to health.

If you think your dog may have parvo, please continue reading to learn what you can, must, and should do to help them through this devastating illness.

How Can My Dog Be Exposed to Parvo?

You May Be Surprised

Dogs do not have to be taken into to unfamiliar surroundings to be exposed, although doing so regular does increase the risk of contracting Parvo. In fact, even if your dog or dogs stay in an enclosed area such as your backyard, they may still be at risk for exposure to the Parvovirus. Some of the most common manners in which your dog can be exposed to Parvo include:

• Vet/Clinic Visits
• Dog Parks
• If an Owner comes in contact with sick dogs (rescue, vet care, dog sitting etc.)
• Contaminated Dogs visiting your home, or just your yard.

Although these certainly are not the only means in which your dog can come in contact with this deadly virus, but it is certainly a good idea of how easy, and how wide-reaching it can be.

Even if there is only an outbreak near your area, something as simple as a bird landing on parvo'd fecal matter and then perching on your dogs outside food or water dish could make it possible to have this illness.

Parvo Killed Dog: Warning Signs to Look For

Parvo Killed My Dog: What Warning Signs to Look For, in My Personal Experience

My Flea, my love, good-bye, my sweet, my baby, my friend, I miss you, good-bye...

Parvo killed my dog today. I'm an emotional wreck, I'm having a hard time even writing this down, so please bare with me. I wanted to share this now, and early, because Parvo kills fast with minor warnings, and it's this time of year when Parvo is most likely going to be spread to your dog.

Parvo attacks puppies and small dogs more than it does adult dogs, but don't think your pooch is safe from Parvo just because he is older. Parvo attacks lining in the dogs intestines, which causes diarrhea which can become bloody, depression, and vomiting. If not treated fast enough the dog will lose all of it's nutrients and electrolytes.

Flea died in 24 hours, thats how deadly it was. She was brought to the vet the day before and the bastards told us she was fine. The next day we brought her in again due to her being lethargic. A few hours later she died. I'd like to formally thank that the piss holes over at 24 hour emergency vet for telling us she was fine the day before, while she suffered for the next 24 and died. Thank you. You suck.

Treating Your Dog's Diarrhea

Question: Help! my dog has diarrhea—is there anything in my medicine cabinet or on my kitchen shelf that could be used to save both of us a visit to the vet?

Answer:

As a veterinarian, this author sees many patients with minor problems (such as the dog in this story) who could be treated at home safely and effectively. At the same time, there are dogs whose problems, if not addressed early enough by a veterinary professional, suffer more than they need to.

Probably the most common complaint received by veterinarians is that of diarrhea. It’s such an easy condition to identify: The smell is unmistakable, as is its chocolate-pudding appearance. Most of the time, diarrhea is caused by a dietary indiscretion or stressful circumstances, and is self-limiting. Diarrhea is not a disease; rather, it is a symptom of a dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). When associated with bad food or food-borne pathogens, diarrhea serves to rapidly remove pathogens from the GIT before they have a chance to be absorbed and cause more damage.

Diarrhea in Dogs: Causes and Treatment

Diarrhea is the passage of loose, unformed stools. In most cases there is a large volume of stool and an increased number of bowel movements. The two most common causes of diarrhea in dogs are dietary indiscretion and intestinal parasites. Many canine infectious diseases are also associated with acute diarrhea.

Food takes about eight hours to pass through the small intestines. During that time, the bulk of the food and 80 percent of the water is absorbed. The colon concentrates the remainder. At the end, a well-formed stool is evacuated. A normal stool contains no mucus, blood, or undigested food.

With rapid transit through the bowel, food arrives at the rectum in a liquid state, resulting in a loose, unformed bowel movement. This type of rapid transit accounts for the majority of temporary diarrhea in dogs.

Dietary indiscretion is a common cause of rapid transit. Dogs are natural scavengers and tend to eat many indigestible substances, including garbage and decayed food, dead animals, grass, wild and ornamental plants, and pieces of plastic, wood, paper, and other foreign materials. Many of these are irritating to the stomach as well as to the bowel, and are partially eliminated through vomiting....