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Our dogs are more like us then we think, not only are they loyal friends and companions to us humans, but also they are susceptible to some of the same ailments and diseases that their human masters suffer from, diabetes is one of them. In dogs, diabetes is life-threatening if not detected in early stages and treated, although with proper treatment diabetes can be controlled and your pet can lead a normal life. Diabetes in dogs is more common in obese dogs. Some breeds of dogs are more likely to have diabetes than others, these breeds are Poodles, Schnauzers, Keeshounds, Cairn Terriers, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, and Beagles. An early detection of diabetes in dogs can get the dog proper treatment and they can live for years once their blood sugar levels are regulated.

Sugar is, of course, the main source of diabetes, which your dog may not exactly be asking for extra cubes of sugar to go with their kibble. The treats you hand out unwittingly can be loaded with sugar or products that when broken down become sugar. Make it a habit to read the label of commercial pet foods before making a purchase. As a general rule carbohydrates when broken down gets converted into sugar.

What are the symptoms of diabetes in dogs? Symptoms to watch out for and perhaps should make you consider switching to diabetic dog diet or diabetic dog food are: when you pet which is constantly thirsty and drinks more water than a camel, laziness, an increase in appetite, constant peeing and an overall weakness. Somehow this list points more and more to that orange cat and not to the dog. For one thing, he's not even consuming commercial pet foods, hence you can imagine the sugar imbalance he now has. Perhaps its time for John to put him on a diet for diabetic dogs!

What you generally feed your pet will last for the rest of his adult life. With the wide variety of diabetic dog food available, choosing food for your diabetes inflicted pooch should not be difficult. Obviously, you want to make sure you do not feed your dog any more sugar. What is the best diet for diabetic dogs then?

The best-recommended diet for diabetic dogs, whether it is a specially formulated diabetic dog food or a homemade alternative requires you to feed 2 to 3 times a day instead of one big meal. With these rations, you could control the level of sugar in your pet's bloodstream. Choose only diabetic dog food kibble rather than its semi-moist counterparts. There's nothing wrong with commercial pet foods as long as you choose one that is right for your dog. Also starting your pooch on a similar diet for diabetic dogs is not a bad option as it encourages a healthier lifestyle at an early age.

Imbalanced blood sugar levels can cause kidney problems, cataracts, intestinal disorders, and liver failure. A diabetic dog diet or any diet for the matter is always more effective when combined with exercise. One can also count on exercise to help prevent diabetes in dogs. Daily walks or jogs around the park will keep blood sugar levels at a healthy rate. Take your dog for swimming, play fetch, or indulge in some Frisbee action.

Overweight dogs are targets of diabetes. Before diabetes strikes your pet, make sure to keep him healthy with the proper diet. Preventive diabetic dog food can be used or simply controlling what your pet consumes should keep your pet fit for life.

All You Need to Know About Dog Diabetes


Did you ever see a dog owner and go green with envy that their dog was perfectly well behaved walking without a lead, whereas your dog was all for dragging you through a hedge and across a field? What sort of magic dust or hypnotism did they employ to get the dog to do that? Well, with a little practice and some repetition, you could be the one with your dog happily walking without a lead at your heel.

Firstly you will need to have a couple of different leads and a training collar (either a choke collar or head halter collar). The leads you will need are a short lead about 50 cm long, a regular lead of about 2 meters and a good quality extendible lead. One thing to always remember is that you are the boss. You are taking your dog for a walk and not the other way round!

The first step: Using the short lead and a control collar, train your dog to walk to heel whilst you have good control. Practice this every time you go for a walk and praise the dog when he does good and says no, pulling him back to heel when he transgresses.

The second step, when your dog has learned to walk to heel at your given command is to use the extendable leash. Start with the leash locked at about 1 -2 meters and walk with your dog at heel. Slowly extend the leash so there is ample slack when the dog is at heel. This means you are getting the dog used to walking at heel but can still stop him from running off or remind him if he forgets what he is supposed to be doing. Praise the dog for correct behavior and if he forgets, bring the lead back in to short and let him know what he should be doing.

The third step is to walk the dog using the regular lead with the control collar. By the time you get to this stage the dog should have a good understanding of what is acceptable behavior and should not be pulling on the lead at all (but it is still attached just in case)

When the dog has mastered this and you find that you never have to pull the lead to bring him back to heel, you can now move towards using no lead at all.

By following these simple phases in training your dog you are conditioning the dog right at the start that the area of up to a meter or so from the side and rear of your foot is where it belongs and, as you allow more freedom, that conditioning remains. Dogs will want to stop and go to the toilet or snuffle in the hedgerow as you walk but the conditioning will remain and you will see the 'oops' moment when your dog looks up and realizes he is not in the correct place.

As a responsible pet owner, it is worth mentioning that you should obey the law and, for safety, always have your dog on a lead on busy roads and anywhere where there is livestock.

It is advisable when you get your new pet not to waste the valuable window of time in the early days by not implementing proper training. To do this, you can consult a pet behavior specialist or training school in your area. It can be far less expensive, however, to learn the basic training techniques yourself


How to Train Your Dog to Walk Without a Lead


Dogs do lots of strange things that might not always seem normal. However, many strange habits are completely normal in dogs, although a few may suggest hidden medical problems. Whining is a low utter usually a complaining cry or sound. Dogs are not exactly drunk when they whine but it is rather an emotional fix and do this because they want to get a message across. It is just similar to humans shedding tears. As dogs are sensitive creatures, they are subject to the smallest signs of annoyance and it's not anything that makes them feel good.

The causes of dog's whining are sadness, hunger, asking for something, seeking attention or when they want to poop. Puppies can get sad in the absence of older dogs in its family especially the mama dog. They whine as a sign of distress and it's a call that says they feel left alone or are in pain. It may be past its meal time that's why it's whining. The dog whines like a child it and wants to ask for something. A dog whines because it wants to play with its master and wants attention. Dogs that are toilet-trained whine when they feel like pooping and they can't because they're not in the right place.

Dogs scoot because of the itch and pain that comes from their anal sacs which are basically scent glands that give away bad smelling liquid. The anal sacs leak every time when the dog poops and they also spray liquid when it gets scared. The spray of the anal sac is not poisonous but it just smells bad because of bacteria. All dogs don't smell the same because it is nature's designed. Dogs scoot in order to get rid of that extremely itchy feeling and they rub their butts across the floor.

To stop a dog from whining, one can do things like understand the tone of whining, play hard to get and deny his advances and teach it hand and body gestures to set limits. If it's not a minor whining and is rooted in deep physical and psychological pain, then the dog has to be taken to a vet.

One might think that a dog likes the itchy feeling while scooting. In fact, scooting creates a very painful feeling in your dog and it gets to a point where the dog suffers from poop impaction. Scooting is the only way a dog sees to relieve itself. A dog may need professional treatment at this stage.

One does not need to see a vet unless a dog's whining borders on the pathological. The fur and fangs of a dog have nothing to do with whining unless it's a horror movie. If dogs scooting is not very serious as in the case of bred dogs, it just needs to be kept clean and treated well.


Why Do Dogs Scoot and Whine?


Have you ever wondered if your dog is right-pawed or left-pawed (i.e., a "southpaw")? Just like humans, dogs have a preferred paw. There is an equal chance your pup can be a lefty or righty. In fact, dogs, like humans, do tend to have a preference for using one side more than the other.

According to the people who research such things, animals are similar to humans. The majority of animals are right-hardens. A much smaller percentage are left-hardens. And quite a few dogs are ambidextrous or they can use both paws equally.

In one study of 28 dogs, 57.1 percent preferred to use their right paw; 17.9 percent preferred to use their left paw, and 25 percent were ambidextrous. There appears to be some suggestion that male dogs are a little more likely to be left-pawed than females.

Paw preference and behavior

Some researchers have speculated that there is a connection between paw preference and behavior. Findings from at least one study suggest that dogs which are ambidextrous are more likely to be reactive to noise from fireworks and thunderstorms. This theory has been suggested as a way to screen them before training them for bomb sniffing, guide dog work, and other programs which have a high rate of failure. Animals that react to this kind of stimuli would not be good candidates for these programs if the theory is correct.

Testing your own dog

You can test your own pooch and discover his paw preference in several ways:
    Put a treat under your sofa and see which paw he or she uses to try to reach it;
    Give your pet a bone and see which paw he uses to hold it when he chews on it;
    Put a piece of tape on your dog's muzzle for a moment and see which paw he uses to try to remove it;
    See which paw your pooch normally uses when he steps forward;
    Put a Kong filled with treats in front of your pet and see which paw he uses to try to get the treats out.
These are all good ways to determine which paw your dog prefers to use. Have fun and see what you learn about your pet
.
Right brain and left brain

Other studies suggest that dogs have the same right brain-left brain reactions that humans do. Their left brain controls the right side of their body, while the right brain controls the left side of the body. Studies have shown that they react by wagging their tails to the right when they are happy and they wag their tails to the left when they are apprehensive. (You can try this at home. Your dog should wag his tail to the right when he sees you but if he sees something that scares him, he should wag his tail to the left.) This is because with dogs (and humans) the left brain is associated with love, safety, and bonding. The right brain handles things like fear.

Can my dog be left-pawed?


A lot of people are finding the joys of including their dogs in their special occasions and events. And dressing your dog up for such special occasion can be a bit difficult. It may be for BBQ, parties, and even to very formal events such as weddings. if you're going with your pup to something fancy, she's got to look the part. This is where pet clothing will help you out.

You can dress your dog for the occasion with one of many great dog formal attire options. There are picks for girl and boy dogs and dogs of various sizes which mean you are sure to find something that will suit your needs. Shop around for a bit If you want and really choose something that suits your dog's personality as well as the occasion you are shopping for. This is how you can be sure you get the perfect attire for your pup's big day.

You also want to be sure you choose the size properly because this will keep your pooch happy in the new outfit. When it comes to special occasion attire for dogs, you can find wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and dresses that would be befitting to prom for the girls. You can also get wedding veils, bows for her hair and more. She will look absolutely beautiful for your special event.

For the boys you can find full tuxes, tuxedo vests, dog bow ties and neckties, ring bearer outfits and more. There are many choices for fancy dog formal wear and you just might find you're having trouble picking which outfit you want for your dog. He will be his most handsome when he is all dressed up for the big day.

Remember when dressing your dog for the occasional that you need to keep him as comfortable as possible. Avoid letting him get overheated and be sure he is comfortable in the clothes you choose. You might even want to do a practice run in the comfort of your home before the big day so he can feel comfortable in his new clothes and you can make any changes or alterations as needed.

Most small dog breeds love being the center of attention and dog formal attire gives them one more method of gaining the attention they love. If you find your dog fits this bill then he will love doggie clothing whether it is formal or just taking a stroll in the park in a nice doggie tee.

How to Dress Your Dog for Special Occasion



Bringing a new puppy or older dog into a home with children is an exciting time for both the family and the new pet. Make the experience as happy as possible by matching the breed of dog to the lifestyle of your family. Here are the list of dogs will tolerate the rough and tumble lifestyle of a family with small children.

Golden Retriever: The golden retriever is one of the favorite breeds for families. This breed of dog is one of the most playful breed out there. A golden retriever does not bark excessively, enjoys spending time with people and is very loyal to every family member.

Basset Hounds: If you want a more laid back dog for your family, look at the Basset Hound. This dog does not get excited easily, which makes it the perfect choice for families who have docile children. This breed loves being with the family; however, it will not get under your feet the way other dogs will.

Labrador Retrievers: Labs are listed as one of the most popular dog breeds by the American Kennel Club. A Labrador Retriever can quickly learn the rules of your house. These fun-loving dogs are full of energy and will play for hours. They are easy to house-train and love learning new things.

Beagles: Beagles make wonderful family members and are great with children. These smaller dogs are very intelligent and are super easy to train. Beagles are gentle dogs are very protective, which can be great for families with small children.

Collie: If you want a dog that will play with your kids and protect them from danger, look no further than a Collie. These dogs are independent, yet are easy to train. A collie is a larger dog, yet it is a very gentle pooch.

Poodle: The Poodle is a great choice for children with allergies because it doesn't shed. This intelligent pooch can become a kid's best friend. The dog's friendly nature and patience make it the perfect partner for your child.

Bichon Frise: If you are looking for a small dog, a Bichon Frise may be the perfect choice for a family with small children. This fun-loving dog loves to play and sheds very little. This intelligent pup loves to spend time with the family and enjoys playing lively games of fetch.

There are a lot of breeds that do well with young children. Introduce your children to your new pup and teach your children the proper way to handle a dog to help prevent injuries from occurring. Soon, your child and your pup will be the best of friends.

Best Dog Breeds for Families With Young Children


PRA in dogs actually refers to a whole group of hereditary eye diseases. Technically known as progressive retinal atrophy, it involves the degeneration of the retina in a dog's eye. The bad news is that it almost always leads to total and permanent blindness. The good news is that it isn't painful. I know that doesn't sound like much of an upside, but your dog might disagree.

Symptoms

This one really sneaks up on both you and your dog. You won't see any squinting, redness or weepy eyes--and it's amazing how well a dog can adapt to slow loss of vision. He already knows the layout of the land--and your house--and his nose can help fill in the gaps. You may not notice the problem at all until you rearrange furniture or take him to a strange place. That's when he'll be hesitant to take off exploring like he used to do. You suddenly have a doggie burr stuck to your leg, and you wonder when that started. Ah, he'll never tell!

Diagnosis and Treatment

A veterinary ophthalmologist can tell you, after a quick and painless exam, if your dog has progressive retinal atrophy. The retina tells the whole story. And it's news you didn't really want to hear. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for PRA in dogs. Your beloved pooch will probably lose his eyesight totally, in time.

 Coping With PRA In Dogs

Though it's natural to feel sorry for your dog, he'll be much happier if you treat him just like you always have. He can still hear your loving voice, and smell all those delicious smells in the world around him. There are ways to help him cope with his blindness and learn to lead a relatively normal life. He'll still be the happy dog he was before--as long as you don't rearrange the furniture!

What You Need to Know About Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Dogs


When a beloved pet dies it can be very traumatic, and for many people the loss of a treasured family pet is almost as difficult to deal with as losing a friend or relative. Often when this sad day comes, people will choose to have their pet cremated and memorialized in a one of a kind custom made cremation urn.

Choosing to have your pet cremated and the remains contained inside a hand made funeral urn is a great way to honor the loyalty and friendship that a pet showed to you during its life. Family pets are just that important and make our lives that much richer and more meaningful. They stick with us through thick and thin and show us loyalty and friendship that is unconditional. A beautiful cremation memorial can be created indoors or outdoors depending on what type of urn you should choose to go with.

There are many options for creating a memorial to your pet. Creating a cremation memorial with a one of a kind urn as the centerpiece is a truly wonderful way to keep the memories of that beloved pet alive for all time. Hand made art urns are a great addition to any memorial display and can be kept on a mantle or in a special place to constantly remind you of the special time you shared with you wonderful family pet.

Glass cremation urns, metal funeral urns, ceramic art urns and pet urns are all available to keep the cremated remains of that special animal close to you. Decorative urns made especially for that wonderful family pet will be perfect for showing the world how much your sweet animal meant to you. Dog urns or cat urns can be a custom made cremation urn that reflects the personality of that special dog or cat that brought so much joy and love to your life.

If you want to create a memorial shrine outdoors, it is best to use a durable material for the one of kind hand made funeral urn. Selecting a metal cremation urn or a stone funeral urn is ideal for the outdoors, because it provides a durable material that is strong and will hold up against the elements and the weather. Indoor cremation memorials offer a little more flexibility in what type of material you choose to go with.

Having a custom made funeral urn crafted by a truly expert artisan is the best way to go about this process. This way, you can have the art urn created to your specifications and ensure that the vessel that holds your special family dog or beloved family cat will be a true memorial to that special friend. Finding an artisan who specializes in these types of hand made urns can be a challenge, but these days it is not as hard as it once was.

There are now companies that specialize in creating unique urns for any occasion. Cremation urns are available in many places, but finding some folks who truly care about honoring the memory of your pet as much as you do is rare. Look closely and choose wisely to make sure that you are dealing with a reputable dealer who understands the importance of what they are creating and the honor it is to do this sacred duty.

Dog Cremation Memorials

Watching a dog go through the grieving process is as painful as watching a friend or relative go through the stages and come to terms with their bereavement. The advantage we have is, we find solace in the words and actions of those who care about us and our faith. Dogs depend on us, their caretakers, to sense and ease the pain of their suffering at the loss of a human or dog companion.

This heart-breaking footage shows the moment a stray dog frantically tries to revive his friend who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Sadly, the dog hasn’t realized she has gone and desperately scratches and paws at the brown mongrel. He gently prods her head and tries to lift her leg up with her mouth in a final attempt to guide her to her feet.

The dog spent several minutes trying to wake the dead female before grudgingly giving up and creeping away along the pavement. Observer Jay Villanueva was driving home when he parked up to video the tragic scene, which he said ‘broke his heart’. He said: "Drivers should be careful not to hurt anyone on the road, even dogs." They do not understand the right of the way; they don’t understand traffic rules such as "Stop, look and listen"

"Some people will say," Oh, it's just a dog, "but watch the video, they're like a family, like best friends, life is also very important to them.

After filming, Jay said he walked to the side of the road and moved the dead dog to the bushes. He added “I felt very sad for the two dogs, the male was upset. He clearly had feelings.’

Dog desperately tries to revive friend killed in a hit-and-run accident


Vestibular system aids in providing equilibrium and a sense of spatial orientation to dogs. But a dysfunction can have serious effects on the balance systems of the dog's body. This system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain, which are responsible for the balance and eye movements. If the network is damaged by illness, aging, or injury, serious disorders can result, and are often associated with one or more of these signs, among others: Vertigo and dizziness.

There are two types of this disorder in dogs:

Central Vestibular Disorder and Peripheral Vestibular Disorder
The first one is less common but more serious form of this disease that originates inside the central nervous system.

The second type of this disease happens when there is annoyance to the nerves connecting the inner ear with the brain. This results in failure of balance and other symptoms resulting in vertigo and dizziness. This illness can look to be quite melodramatic to the dog owner if this is the first time the dog has been affected. But most of the times the dog recovers with supportive care and treatment.

Causes: This disorder can be cause by the following:
Chronic and perennial inner and middle ear infections
Overzealous cleansing of the ears leading to perforated eardrum
Trauma from head injury
Stroke
Tumors
Polyps
Hypothyroidism
Meningoencephalitis
Signs and Symptoms
Head tilting
Loss of co-ordination
Circling and stumbling
Staggering
Falling and rolling

Congenital Vestibular disease is seen between birth and three months of age. Certain dogs are more predisposed to this condition, including Doberman Pinschers, English Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, German shepherd, Tibetan terrier and Smooth Fox Terrier.

This disorder is often mistaken as a stroke. The vertigo originated by this disease has an adverse effect on older dogs having symptoms like difficulty to stand up, circling, nystagmus, nausea, and head tilt. Older dogs are more stressed out due to this disease and so there is a need reduce their stress through earthy calming agents like amino acid, L-theanine and herbs including hops, Valerian, chamomile, and passionflower. Other remedies, including GABA, flower essences, tryptophan, and Homeopathic are also good in calming overwhelmed dogs.

Diagnosis

The veterinarian would conduct a physical examination to determine whether the disorder is peripheral or central. In case, a peripheral form of the condition is found, the veterinarian would use an otoscope to look deep into the ears of the pet. There are times when X-rays would be required. The veterinarian would also take the aid of blood tests, culture, sensitivity and cytology to get rid of other likely causes of specific symptoms. For tumors and polyps your veterinarian would propose a surgical biopsy. In case the central Vestibular disease is determined, the veterinarian would use an MRI or CT scan along with spinal fluid taps to find the root cause. If it is due to infection, then it has to be resolved.

Treatment
It is possible to alleviate nausea and vomiting with motion sickness treatments, but there is no specific treatment to manage Congenital Vestibular Disease. For middle or inner ear infection, antibiotics might be required to improve the condition. In case an under-active thyroid is the reason, the disorder will get resolved when the metabolic condition is managed precisely. If the treatment is the root cause then discontinuing the treatment can bring about complete resolution. But there are times when there can be some residual hearing failure. To completely cure this situation, the veterinarian would remove the polyps, but if there are cancerous tumors, then the conclusion is generally less positive.

This disease has a poor prognosis than peripheral form as a result of potential dangers to the brain stem that can be quite devastating. If there is an infection found, it has to be treated. In case of an inflammatory condition, it may react to treatment at first, but it can advance to a point where it could be untreatable. But the most common form of Vestibular disease - the peripheral form - improves swiftly, once the inherent cause is addressed and symptoms of vertigo are managed with supportive care.

All you need to know about Vestibular Disease in Dogs

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