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Babesiosis in Dogs- Everything you need to know

Your furry friend is an important part of your life, and you need to ensure you take proper care of it to avoid any condition. Dogs are very much prone to several diseases if they aren’t taken care of properly. Properly hygiene needs to be maintained for dogs to ensure proper working.

Furry dogs are prone to ticks, especially in warm weather. If these ticks infest the body of your dog, it may cause tick fever which may even escalate to babesiosis. These ticks are usually transmitted to dogs from either dogs or other species.

Babesiosis is a serious condition and the severity of the illness varies depending on the response of the dog. Babesia infection may either cause anaemia because the red blood cells are damaged. Nonetheless, at the same time, Babesia infection can also escalate to other serious conditions.

What is Babesia?

Babesia is a type of protozoan parasite attacking the red blood cells. Unrecognised eventually escalates to babesiosis. Different strains of Babesia affect different strains of animals and a few of them are widely known for affecting dogs. Babesia may either cause minor harm to major harm based on the strain that causes them.

Details about babesiosis

The incubation period of babesiosis is usually two weeks. Hence, it is not possible to notice any symptoms regarding this problem before two weeks. Nonetheless, in many cases, the symptoms may get unrecognized and may appear after a year. Dogs are affected by babesiosis irrespective of their age, breed, and sex.

Tick exposure is one of the main reasons why babesiosis affects the body. Nonetheless, the environment also plays an important role in determining whether or not the dog is affected by babesiosis. Babesiosis not only affects humans but cattle as well. Babesiosis is known by different names such as Texas cattle fever, piroplasmosis and redwater.

Signs and symptoms of babesiosis

Infected by babesiosis, dogs can suffer severely. In some cases, babesiosis may have a mild impact while in some the impact can be heavy. Also, the impact of infection depends on the strain that the immune system of the dog. The Babesia strains from the US usually show mild impact. While you may notice symptoms in some cases, it may not be visible.

Some of the prominent symptoms of babesiosis include the following

Red and orange urine
Pale gums and tongue
Weakness
Fever
Enlarged spleen
Jaundice
Lethargy
Fatigue
Enlarged lymph nodes
Loss of appetite
Swollen abdomen
Yellow stool-colour

In some severe cases, babesiosis can even lead to multiple organ failure damaging lungs, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. Dogs affected by serious symptoms of babesiosis eventually undergo a state of shock and collapse.

Causes of babesiosis

As mentioned above, seasonal changes and ticks are the main reason for babesiosis. Ticks usually spread in the warmer season and become huge in numbers. Apart from that, depending on the Babesia strain, babesiosis may even be transmitted due to blood transfusion from dog to dog or through biting. The wounds are one of the main sources of transmission.

Babesiosis is also transmitted from mother to baby pup during birth. Dogs affected by babesiosis at a young age tend to suffer more from serious disorders. Pitbull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and Greyhounds are commonly prone to babesiosis.

Babesiosis diagnosis

Babesiosis diagnosis has always been complicated for dogs because blood tests often show a decrease in blood count. Blood count decrease has never been specific for address is babesiosis in dogs. However, to determine the presence of Babesia organism, the blood smears are examined. If the organisms are present in blood smears, the test is positive. Nonetheless, the only drawback is that in certain cases, the organisms may not show up in the blood smears.

One of the most common ways to find the presence of the parasite in dogs is by taking blood from the tip of the ear or toenail. Blood test for babesiosis or antibodies can sometimes produce negative and misleading results. Usually, a genetic material tests may be taken into consideration but this is a very sensitive test and not performed accurately. One of the best ways to determine whether or not the dog is affected by Babesiosis is to check the medical history and lab tests. If the dog is infected by Babesiosis, there is a high chance of them being affected by other problems caused by ticks too such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Ehrlichia.

Treatment

Most of the medicines used for treating babesiosis have shown a positive response. Although your dog may recover, they may still be prone to infection because of the persistent nature. Based on the severity of infection, the dog may be given several anti-infective agents.

The drugs prescribed for treating babesiosis is usually given in two doses at a span of 14 days. Pentamidine isethionate is a common drug used for treating all types of babesiosis while Babesia canis will only be treated by imidocarb disproportionate. You need to be extremely careful and prevent your dog from being infected by Babesios gibsonu and Babesia conradae. This is usually because these two are hard to treat. Nonetheless, a combination of pentamidine isethionate and atovaquone may help treat the condition.

Prevention

One of the major sources to prevent Babesiosis is to prevent tick exposure. You need to keep a check on your dog and remove ticks as soon as you notice them. Moreover, you should keep an eye on your dog, once you have brought them home from a walk.

Several products are present in the market to prevent ticks and parasites. You can consult the vet and use these tick prevention products. Also, you need to ensure that the grass in your garden is trimmed to avoid ticks from other dogs in your area.

Most dogs show signs of recovery in the initial phases of treatment, while some may be slow. Even after the complete recovery of your dog, you should take them to the vet for follow-up appointments. The chances of relapse are very high even after recovery. Therefore, keeping a check on your dog can help you not only prevent but save your dog from the risk of suffering once again.

Why a Bird Makes a Great First Pet

Have you decided it’s time to get a pet for your family? A bird is a great first pet for any family. Owning a pet bird teaches kids the responsibility of feeding and watering it each day as well as cleaning its cage each week. Look at some other reasons why a bird makes a great first pet for a family.

A Low-Maintenance Pet

A bird is a low-maintenance pet. Simply make sure your bird has fresh food and clean water each day. Cleaning the bird’s cage is a matter of wiping the bars of the cage with a clean cloth, wiping down the perches and changing the paper or material on the floor of the cage. Be sure to let your bird out of its cage to exercise a few times per week. Let it out in an area away from other pets and close the curtains on the windows so the bird doesn’t fly into the glass.

An Inexpensive Pet

Most smaller birds are an inexpensive purchase. Bird food is also inexpensive and only needs to be purchased about once per month because most little birds don’t eat much. The accessories such as perches and toys needed for a bird are not very costly and, if they are durable, can be used for years.

Needs Very Little Room

A pet dog or a cat is going to have the run of your home. But, when you have a pet bird, you put its cage in one room where it takes up may be part of a table or the top of a bookcase. Many people appreciate that you don’t need to set aside a large area of space for pet birds.

No Grooming Necessary

Pet birds groom themselves. Most birds like to take a bath each day so you may want to provide your pet with a birdbath that hooks to the side of the cage. Some birds simply like to be sprayed lightly with a bottle of warm water. They preen their own feathers in order to keep them smooth and soft.

Birds Are Social with Humans and Other Birds

Another reason why a bird is a great first pet for a family is they are social animals. If you have two birds, they will talk to each other and sit side-by-side most of the time. As a note, it’s best to purchase two birds at the same time so neither one feels the other is invading its territory. In addition, most little birds can be trained to sit on your finger or take celery leaves or other food items from your hand. Talk to your bird and you’ll gain its trust, love, and friendship!

Birds Are Friendly and Engaging Pets

Some small birds, as well as big ones, can be taught to talk. Many like to hang upside down in their cage and get involved in funny antics with other birds. While some pets like to burrow down in their shavings and ignore their owner, birds like to be in the spotlight. They’re awake and ready to play during the day.

What Type of Bird is Best for a First-Timer?

With so many breeds of birds to look at in a pet shop or animal shelter, you may wonder which one would be best to start with?

Parakeets

Many people go with a parakeet for their first bird. If you’d like to get a parakeet, consider getting two birds. These birds like to have the company of another bird. Parakeets are gentle birds that are easy to train and like to be held. They are fun-loving birds that can live up to 15 years. So, you’re getting a pet that’ll be with your family for a long while!

Cockatiels

A cockatiel is a little bigger than a parakeet. These birds have a lot of personalities and can be taught to whistle and talk. They are playful and like to sit on your arm or hand. Sometimes they are content to climb up on top of their cage and sit there watching the activities of the family.

Canaries

The canaries are pleasant birds to have around because of their song. If you get two males, you are sure to hear them compete with one another to see who can sing the best. These are gentle birds, but they have fragile bodies. So, they prefer not to be held. If you want to observe beautiful birds and enjoy their song, canaries are a good choice.

No matter what type of bird you choose, you’re sure to have a pet that is appreciated by all members of your family.

Stem Cell Therapy for Cats and Dogs

Over the years, researchers have regarded the stem cells to be an effective treatment for various diseases. People suffering from leukemia are often treated with stem cell treatment. However, it is also used to treat other problems such as lymphoma, and blood-related disorders. These can also increase the risk of solid cancer tumors. With the advancement in technology, pets too are being treated with stem cells. Experts are of the view that stem cell therapy can help to treat various health disorders in pets too. Stem cell therapy helps to treat osteoarthritis in dogs and various injuries in bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Various researches have also shown that stem cell can successfully treat a dry eye of dogs. Apart from that, it also helps to treat stomatitis – an oral disorder in dogs. Experts suggest that various researches are being done to determine if stem cell therapy can help to treat various chronic disorders.

What is stem cell therapy?

The stem cell is the blank slate that can turn out to be any of the cells. It has the power to regenerate tissue the part of the body where the disease has damaged. This further loosens the overall function. Pet stem cell therapy withdraws the bone marrow, blood from umbilical cord or fat from your animal or others.

The veterinarian injects the stem cell in the areas which have been damaged. These areas usually include being knee joint such as osteoarthritis. The cells usually get transferred from the damaged tissues. This further lowers the risk of inflammation and helps to treat the pain. However, this enhances the new tissue to grow in a proper way. The new tissue looks the same as that of original tissue apart from the scar tissue. This further helps to treat the inflamed area.

However, stem cell therapy may not be able to treat all the health conditions in pets. You should not believe the veterinarians who say that stem cell treatment can cure all. The price of the injections may usually vary depending on the number of doses. If you’re wealthy enough and want your pet to live longer, you can consider the stem cell treatment. It is necessary that you consult an expert veterinarian. Apart from that, you should prefer clearing all your doubts about whether or not your pet is an effective candidate.

Who is a good candidate for canine stem cell therapy?

The dogs suffering from arthritis or hip dysplasia can consider getting canine stem cell therapy done. The dogs may be in good condition but may not respond to the medication. If your dog is in such a condition, you can consider treating this. Apart from this, the dog that is affected due to an invasive surgical process may also undergo stem cell treatment. In canine stem cell therapy, the own tissue of the patient is used. Nonetheless, in this case, the dog should be in good condition. Otherwise, the collected stem cells may not be effective.

How are canine stem cells collected and used?

The fats of the dog’s body are removed to extract the canine stem cells. The regenerative cells are present in the stem cells of the extracted fats. These are also referred to as dog stem cells. The extracted stem cells can serve a lot of purposes. Some of the prominent ones include the following:

The canine stem cells help the chemicals of the body to be released. This helps to decrease the inflammation.
The canine stem cells transfer the chemicals to the body to enhance the healing cells into the affected areas.
The dog stem cells can help to cure the damaged tissues. Basically, these reproduce the tissue similar to the way they were in the younger stage.

The canine stem cells are not the synthetic cells added to the body. Since it’s the natural healing cells, recovery can be faster. Moreover, the body won’t reject the cells or there won’t be any chances of counter-reaction.

Cats suffering from stomatitis should prefer feline stem cells therapy. It is necessary to consult an expert to enhance the treatment.

Both, canine and feline stem cell therapy is very prevalent. You should consider talking to the experts from Pharr Road Animal Hospital to determine whether or not your pet can undergo the treatment.

CBD For Pets – Advanced Treatment of Curing Furry Animals

Millions of people from different parts of the world want their animals to take in cannabidiol based goods. I read the news a few weeks ago and was bit shocked by the fact that even pets could consume the so-called miracle solution.

We don’t realize how active the compound mentioned above could be in today’s world. We don’t understand why some people still go against the CBD consumption on a day to day basis. I mean, there is no reason to worry about. Scientists try their best to let the owners of the dogs and cats take care of their lovely friends without hurting them in any possible way.

More and more companies have entered the market to produce CBD for pets only. Of course, It represents a specific niche and them, the founders of the online retailers will find it easy to provide the custom audience with proper types of goods. Majority of you might now know that cannabidiol oil has already been successfully used by millions of customers to get rid of pain and anxiety. Besides, the compound itself has characteristics of overcoming various diseases.

The typical symptoms are way easier to deal with, and that’s the reason why you should become the loyal customer as soon as it is possible. By the way, all the case studies have been conducted on human beings. However, the cannabidiol affects the animal’s same way. Both of us has an endocannabinoid system, and even receptors follow the same guideline.

What You Should Consider While Purchasing CBD for Dogs

As you already know, most of the companies produce cannabidiol extracts from the hemp plants. Fortunately, there is no portion of tetrahydrocannabinol in the compound itself. Aside from if your pet consumes the just tiny amount of THC, surely it will get stoned immediately. That’s the reason why manufacturers should not use the cannabis flower in their production line.

Keep in mind, to filter all the products out which could be indeed dangerous for the health condition of your furry animal. Once you have read the list of essential ingredients, you can quickly make the right decision. Some of the consumers still think that no one has ever successfully used CBD for dogs. However, the recent researches prove the opposite. It still is matter of time to see the actual results but soon scientists will let everyone know about the upcoming changes.

How to Choose the Proper Dosage:

It is so hard to control daily servings for the furry animals. Nevertheless, the dosage itself is estimated according to the weight of the pet. If it is your first time trying the cannabidiol based goods, it would be a way better idea to purchase full spectrum oil. You will find it easy to choose the exact amounts. Most of the manufacturers of the CBD products recommend consuming up to 10 milligrams of cannabidiol per 5 kilograms.

Please don’t hurry up to change the dosage every minute. It may take almost 10 hours to see the results thoroughly. Let the personal vet decide how much your pet should take in on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, we have seen numerous side-effects, but all of them were caused by not following the basic guideline.

If you see your dog or a cat having the dry mouth or their sleeping behavior worsens, please get in touch with professionals who will help you out overcome the life-threatening condition. By the way, don’t forget to put the cannabidiol based goods away from the pets, because they can quickly grab them and digest all the amounts straightway.

Everything that you need to know about your horse’s health

Getting an animal as your companion can be hard to digest decision, but once you have taken up the challenge, then you are going to enjoy it in the hardest way. A horse as your companion can be very hard for you if this is your first time and there are a lot of differences that your horse has as compared to other canine animals. There are many things that you need to know if you want to take care of your horse and for that you need to read this guide to help you with everything.

Care Tips for Healthy Horse

When you have a horse with you, then there are some things that you need to make him do that for you. These things are better when you know them and getting a horse without the knowledge for care tips can end up in terrible events. However, here are some things that you need to follow up for your horse’s health. So, let us get started –

1) Allow Exercising

Workout for your horse is the main thing and if your horse in the stall for all day long then you might not get the things on the right track. There are so many things that you can get when your horse is doing proper exercising and what else do you need.

You just have to make sure that your horse has a proper exercise and that thing will surely make you the best trainer for your horse. Make your horse run through the ground and this is what they were made for, isn’t it? So, pull off the leash and let them run and do train them for the run and watch it on TVG if you are preparing for that.

2) Let Your Horse have Companion

Just like humans, horses need a companion, and without a friend, they will never get to train themselves. You need to make sure that you have a group of horses or you need to take your horse to some place where he gets to see many horses. It can help your horse to get better at comparing himself with others. Playing with others is the main thing here, and when your horse gets into a group of likely animals, then he will surely get to learn a lot of things.

3) Create Safe Environment

If you let your horse has the positive reinforcement, and in short, a safe environment will surely help your horse to be healthy without any worries. Never make them stressful with anything and beating them never let you with the game.

You will end up making the situation more badly, and that thing can harm you even. You need to have a better solution for that and if your horse is in worse condition then give him love, affection and let him know that you are here for him. Not only this, you can even give him time for grazing, and they take time. You need to let him take full time so that he gets a proper diet and nutrition for better performance in the field.

Checklist for a Healthy Horse

Why hire a vet when you can check for the basic things or call it a general check-up? Many people spend a lot of money on these general checkups and end up losing too many bucks. That doesn’t mean your horse doesn’t get any check-up, but for more recent checkups, you can do that on your own. If you want to be able to check for that, then here is the guide for you that can help you in some of the better ways.

1) Body Temperature

The Body Temperature tells a lot about your horse’s health, and if you find any deflection while measuring temperature, then there might be something that is troubling your horse. You need to figure all that out before you even get started.

There are so many things that are related to all that stuff, and one can easily figure things out. If you found that the basic medications are not working and the condition is getting worse, then you need to ask any vet for a visit.

2) Healthy Heart Rate

Healthy heart rate has to be on the top of everyone’s list and without the healthy heart or low maintained heart health; there is almost nothing that you can get. You can check out the heart reading with a normal heart rate monitor, or you can check out the approximate value with your hands and feels.

This will surely turn out to be beneficial while checking for heartbeats and a poor heart rate may lead to many internal wounds and many other BP problems. You need to keep track of all these things.

3) Respiration

Respiratory System for your horse is the only thing that let him run without stopping. To make sure that your horse is healthy, you can do so many tests on your horse’s lungs, and even the common flu can harm your dog’s way or respiration. The normal respiration rate of the horse is 8 to 20 breaths maximum, and if the amount of breaths goes more than this, then you need to see a vet as soon as possible.

4) Gut Sounds

The Gut Sounds from your horse’s tummy is the easiest way to help you to know the things that are happening in your horse’s tummy. A noisier and growling belly can tell you that your dog is hungry and even after eating; these things continuous then it might be an intestinal infection or any worm in your horse’s stomach.

5) Behavior

Animals shoes humanly behavior and how can someone stay happy with poor health. Your horse feels the same, and one can easily notice that in the behavior. You need to check that out on a regular basis, and if you don’t have time for that, then there is nothing that makes you deserve an Animal.

For more information on horse health, you can stay tuned with us!

How Dogs Help Anti-Social Writers Stay Positive despite Stress?

Spending hours on my work desk and getting absorbed entirely into the stories I was writing, I didn’t use to realize when I began to detach myself from my family and friends, and day-to-day responsibilities. I felt lonely, and depressed, but found no one to appreciate or support my efforts. Such is the story of a close friend, Miss Julia Smith.

I bet most of the writers will relate to this pressing reality. Is there a way out? Yes, since the day Julia has brought home Happiness-Labrador Retriever, her neighbors have felt a change in her personality—dull to lively.

Dogs can practically help you get out of your comfort zone, de-stress yourself, and stay positive. Here are the various ways dogs can help the introverted and anti-social writers to avoid stress:

1. Dogs Bring Writers Back to Reality:

Anti-social writers often lose themselves in their imaginations that they lose touch with reality. Did you know imagination can be dangerous for you? According to Dr. Johnson in Rasselas, constant flights of imaginations can lead a man’s mind to “to hope or fear beyond the sober limits of probability.”

On the opposite, dogs follow routines which you have to follow despite the fact that you are in the middle of a rendezvous with your characters. You need to take them out for walks, feed them on time, and pet them every now and then.

2. Dogs Can Wake You Up For Morning Walks:

Once you have trained your dog for a morning walk, he is going to wake you up at the exact time daily. If you try to ignore him, his sad yet cute face will convince you to get out of bed. Yes, he will be the reason for you to wake up early.

We all know well that exercise is miraculous therapy for stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise helps to regulate blood flow throughout the body. Physical activity promotes the release of feel-good hormones, the endorphins.

A lot of positive energy and creative ideas are going to be at your doorstep soon. A day that starts well ends well. Here’s a great tip for you, use retractable leashes to let the dog explore the surroundings. Then, simply observe his eagerness to know everything, it will amaze you.

3. Dogs Show Eternal Love and Acceptance:

Writers, being an introvert, struggle a lot with getting accepted. Dogs show unconditional love in spite of all the mood swings we demonstrate. Pets give us such unconditional love, acceptance and time that we never feel alone for a single moment. They can read our emotions and imitate them, so we just have to stay happy to make the pooch happy.

Writers, often, want to be listened to. Dogs can listen to all your stories without getting tired. George Eliot was right in saying,

“Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”

4. Dogs Bring Positive Energy that’s Contagious:

Dogs have a lot of energy and they like invest it in playing with you. Their funny acts at the most serious moments can crack you up. Such good laughs and physical activities can uplift your positive energies.

The upsurge of happy hormones will help boost your mood and the cuddles will increase the release of oxytocin that will decrease your stress levels. It will help you view life under an optimistic light and be more creative in your writings. According to Hertenstein, “Oxytocin is a neuropeptide, which basically promotes feelings of devotion, trust and bonding.”

5. Dog Training Can Make You Creative:

When we are the teachers, we learn from our students. It’s true with dog training as well. Rewarding the dogs with treats to motivate them for learning the desired behavior can help you as a writer. The focus, compassion, and zeal a dog brings into the learning process can be a great inspiration for you.

The more ways you will find to teach and train the dog, the more creative you will get. Constant learning leads to creativity.

6. Dogs Remind Us Of Proper Sleep:

Most of the times, writers lose themselves in their stories for days and nights, ending up becoming insomniacs. Lack of sleep can lead to writer’s block, decreased creativity, and increased stress.

Dogs love to cuddle at all times and can sleep for hours. Following an active routine with them can help you fall asleep according to the routine. Did you know? Most of the renowned inventors like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, etc. were great nappers. Sleep is necessary for creativity.

Author Bio:

Fiona Appleton is a Labrador owner. She is the manager of https://ultimatehomelife.com/ that has been developed to help people solve the troubles of pet ownership. She is an active advocate of animal protection campaigns. She wants people to understand that dog-behavior is reflective of our behavior.

5 Ways to Benefit From DOGA—Yoga with Dog

Doga, the yoga with dogs, has gained popularity in the last few years. You must have seen doga classes being held in your vicinity. Doga is meditative in effect that benefits both you and your dog.

Remember that dogs cannot follow your yoga posses exactly, but they have fun stretching with you, having a pet massage, and relaxing with the soft music. If your pooch isn’t much interested; forcing it wouldn’t help. It will take some time to make a routine.

Doga has several positive effects on your mind and body as well as on your pooch. Let’s explore the benefits of doga here:

Bonding with Your Dog:

Dr. Danni Shemanski from Hilton Veterinary Hospital says that doga helps dogs feel important and happy. All the attention-seeking behaviors are resolved with the time spent together– of the owner and dog.

Doga benefits the owner and the pooch by strengthening their bond. I felt amazing doing yoga with my pooch and felt more connected to the little soul. Leo, my dog has always made my yoga classes’ all the more fun with his perfect imitation of my poses.

The mindfulness exercise enhanced my dog’s focus, but the mat would always be soaking in sweat, drool and pet hair. But, what are pet hair vacuums for!

Relaxed Mind and Body:

Breathing and mindful relaxing exercises are the foundation of Doga. It helps dog owners and hyperactive dogs to relax their mind and body muscles and feel connected to each other. It helps to tone down anxiety problems of the owner and the dog.

Doga will help obese dogs to lose weight and burn some extra calories. On the other hand, if you have been complaining about your dog’s unwanted behaviors, you will see them diminishing from then onwards and a calm behavior will overcome you when dealing with the pooch.

Doga is basically based on the strategy of doing meditation with a partner because it helps us overcome the sense of loneliness. You will start seeing your pooch as a real best friend who loves to be a ‘partner in crime.’

Improved Social Skills:

If you have taken membership of doga classes, it’s a great opportunity for you to meet new people and socialize more. If you are an anti-social person who doesn’t like loud people commonly found at the dog parks, you can meet some calm, mindful and self-aware people at the doga class.

Your pooch will benefit from the social environment of complete strangers and other dogs. If he is a shy or anxious one, he can find some good friends in the yoga class to overcome his fears.

Fun-filled Activity of the Day:

When your pooch imitates you, it’s fun to watch him and you may get a good laugh. Dogs are just curious and their mischievousness is a good distraction.

The joy is equal for the pooch as other dogs are involved in imitations too. They meet their dog friends at doga classes every day. Thus, they will always be enthusiastic to visit doga classes with you daily. Moreover, that cute face will convince you to follow them.

Physical Strength:

Doga can help you and your pooch stay physically and mentally healthy and stable. Doga can help obese dogs and overweight owners lose weight without doing an extra effort on long walks.

When the dog performs the stretches, the circulation of blood to the entire body increases and helps the dog overcome destructive or inappropriate behaviors. With a stronger bond with the pooch, his obedience level will increase and you can easily train him to achieve desired behaviors.

Doga helps in calming the whole body and makes you feel relaxed. The feeling of connectedness helps both the partners feel whole and satisfied. Moreover, daily massage of the Fido can prevent arthritis and injuries. It helps dogs suffering from hip dysplasia.

If your dog has suffered from a major trauma or injury, doga stretches can help in pain relief of the pooch. He will regain strength within no time.

About the Author:

James is a part-time dog-trainer and dog behavior consultant with years of experience in dog training and the man behind LabradorTrainingHQ.com. He is interested in finding out fun ways to handle dog behaviors, specifically, Labradors to help dog-owners enjoy their companions at all times.

All That You Need To Know About Dealing with Ringworm in Pets

Despite its misleading name, ringworms are actually a fungus infection that causes red and itchy patches on the skin and causes hair to fall in affected areas. Not only humans but pets of all kinds can be infected with ringworm. Since it is very contagious, it can be very easily transmitted from pets to humans and vice versa. This makes it very important for it to be diagnosed and treated properly.

How to Identify a Ringworm Infection?

In pets, the infection causes the hair to become brittle and easily break leading to the development of ring-like bald spots that may be mildly inflamed or appear crusty. Typically, the infected areas involve the legs, ears, and face, and may even deform the claws as they grow. The itchiness of the skin is not a result of the ringworm fungus but occurs due to secondary infections by bacteria. Some animals may not show any visible signs but can cause the infection to spread. Typically, ringworm is spread by contact with the infection carrier or items like brushes and bedding that has been in contact with it. The potential for infection remains long after the fungal spores are released into the environment.

Diagnosis of Ringworm

A fungal culture is the best way of diagnosing ringworm. The process involves plucking of a few hair strands from the lesions and letting the organism grow in a culture medium for an extended time, though five days are sufficient to yield a preliminary result. Another quick but not so reliable method is to use a Wood’s lamp to examine the lesion; if the lesion glows yellow-green under the ultraviolet light, ringworm infection may be likely. All humans and pets in the same household where a ringworm infection has been diagnosed should be tested and treated, if necessary.

Treatment

Ringworm infections are typically self-limiting, which means that given enough time, the infection will get cured without requiring any treatment. However, an active treatment plan will cure it faster and restrict its spread. Topical medicines may be applied after clipping or shaving the fur in the affected area; the medications include anti-fungal sprays, shampoos, creams, and a lime-sulfur dip. There are a number of oral medications; the most popular is itraconazole as there are fewer side effects compared to Griseofulvin.

Infected pets should ideally be confined, and the areas frequented by the pet vacuumed thoroughly. Toys and bedding should be washed in hot water. Rugs and carpets should preferably be disposed of and exposed surfaces, including kennels, disinfected with an antifungal spray or dilute chlorine bleach. Periodic cleaning and disinfecting till the infection has been contained should be done. Fungal cultures need to be undertaken after the lesions have disappeared and treatment stopped only after confirmation of negative results.

Conclusion

It can be very difficult to prevent pets from being infected with ringworm as it is not only highly contagious but the fungal spores can remain active for many months altogether. Getting tests done at regular intervals will help in early detection and treatment.

Author Bio: Tim Bailey is a vet with considerable experience. His clinic is among the most popular in the area. Tim is a consultant vet to PrimpPlay, a leading grooming center for pets.

Do You Recognize These 7 Pit Bull Diseases That Affect Their Life Expectancy?

Pit bulls are a healthy breed. If you feed them well and take care of them well, you will help to ensure that they live for quite some time. However, if they get sick, this can affect their life expectancy given that most of these dogs may suffer silently, so you will not know that they are sick and seek the medical attention that they need.

Here are some early warning signs that all is not well with your pet and that they need to be taken to the veterinary.

Infections

The dogs can easily get sick as a result of picking up an infection. This can happen when a foreign substance finds its way into the body of the animal. There are so many kinds of infections that they can get. Here is how to check if your dog has an infection:

Check their ears on a regular basis to see if there is any dirt or fluid buildup.
Check their eyes to see if theyare swollen or red or there is something inside.
Check their coats to see if there are any fleas or ticks.

Make sure to clean the dog on a regular basis and brush its coat so as to get rid of pests. Also, cut its nails so that dirt doesn’t get under the nails and cause an infection when it scratches itself.

Getting a prompt cure for an infection will help to increase their life expectancy since lack of treatment can cause the situation to get worse.

Skin allergies

Check your dog’s skin on a daily basis to see if it has any allergies. If you notice this, then try and eliminate various things in its environment that might be causing the allergy. Eliminate things one by one so that you can identify the cause of the problem.

Diabetes

Diabetes can severely affect the health of your pet. Avoid giving your pet foods that can increase the risk of them getting diabetes. This includes foods that are rich in fats and sugars. That is why you should avoid giving your pet food from your table.

The pit bull should eat food that is specifically prepared for dogs. It should be ideal for their age and body size. It might be tempting to toss them food when you are eating, but avoid this at all costs.

Obesity

Obesity can lead your dog to develop many problems. It can increase the risk of heart disease and tumors that can eventually lead to the death of your dog.

It is quite easy to overfeed your dog and that is why you should be cautious about how much food you feed them. Have regular meal times and only feed them portions that are suitable for their size. You should also ensure that they get to exercise on a regular basis.

Use a calorie counter to determine how much food to give the dog. Also, avoid giving them table food as much as possible.