“Contact with caterpillars can be fatal”

Although they may seem innocuous, their body is covered in hairs that release a toxin called Thaumatopenia, capable of causing severe allergic reactions in your dog when sniffing, licking or eating them.

The most common symptoms of this intoxication are hypersalivation (drooling), itching, inflammation of the head, lips and tongue, being able to appreciate colour changes in these areas, agitation, vomiting, panting, respiratory distress, etc. In some cases, contact with the caterpillars can be fatal.
“In case of contact with a caterpillar, go immediately to your vet.”

For all this, we leave you some tips to avoid the risk of this poisoning:

• Avoid walks with your dog through areas infested with caterpillars, especially between February and April, when temperatures begin to rise, although due to climate change their presence is increasing more and more.
• You should use gloves and wash the affected area well with running water, but without rubbing, since friction stimulates the production of toxins and helps their penetration and, we repeat, go immediately to your veterinarian.
• In the presence of this insect in parks, gardens or forests, inform the authorities so that they take the necessary measures. To eliminate caterpillars from your field or garden, seek the advice of a pest control company so they can propose the best solution.
• In case of contact with a caterpillar, go immediately to your vet. How quickly treatment is given is essential to saving your life.

If you want to learn how to groom your dog at home, you need to know the basics, such as how to cut a dog’s nails. I’ll show you exactly what you need to do and how to do it safely so that know one gets hurt.

Cutting a dog’s fingernails might sound scary but there’s nothing about it that’s difficult. You just have to be careful and know what you’re doing .

You should start off by collecting all of the supplies for this task. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Nail Trimmer
• Scissors
• Styptic Powder (optional)

Now that you’ve got your stuff together, it’s time to get started.

Step 1: Make Your Dog Comfortable

First, make sure your dog is relaxed and comfortable around you. Do this by giving him a treat or two before starting. If possible, start this process after they’ve eaten their meal to help them feel extra sleepy and calm! For anxious dogs, you can even try CBD Oil for Dogs.

Step 2: Prepare The Paw

Second, lift one of your dogs paws into your hand and press gently on the pad of the paw while looking at the tip of each nail. You’ll be able to see where your dog’s skin is and if you cut it, he will bleed and it may hurt him.

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That’s why we use a nail cutter, so we don’t have to worry about hurting our dog when trimming their nails.

Step Three: Secure The Paw

Third, you can feel free to push down on the pad of their paw if it’s more comfortable for you. If your dog is wiggly when you’re trying to hold his paw, you can try this instead!

Step 4: Apply The Cut

Fourth, once you’ve identified where the quick ends in each nail, go ahead and cut just past that point. You’ll only want to cut into the pinkish area on the end of his nail, not into the black part. If you do accidentally cut into this black section, use an absorbent cotton ball to stop the bleeding. After it stops, apply some styptic powder to help the blood clot faster and prevent infection in your dog’s paw. You can then apply some CBD for Pets to promote healing as well.

Step 5: Repeat on All Nails

Fifth, keep trimming until all their nails are the same length.

Step by Step Instructions for Trimming Dog Nails

1. Pet your dog and make sure they’re comfortable with you
2. With one paw in each hand, feel for the end of each nail to know where to cut
3. Cut just past this point (only into the pinkish area)
4. Keep cutting until all of the nails are the same length
5. If you accidentally cut into the black part, apply some styptic powder to stop the bleeding

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Now that you’ve learned how to cut your dog’s nails, you can feel confident doing it at home! If this process continues to be too stressful for either of you, then why not try bringing them to a groomer?

If you want more information on how to do this and other dog grooming basics, check out the video linked below:

Whether or not dogs dream isn’t known with scientific certainty, but it sure is difficult to imagine that they don’t. We’ve all watched our dogs demonstrate behaviours in their sleep that resemble what they do in a fully awake state. Paddling legs, whining, growling, wagging tails, chewing jowls, and twitching noses inspire us to wonder what our dogs are dreaming about.

What we know about dogs and dreams

While our knowledge on this topic is very limited, the following known information helps us believe that dogs do indeed experience dreams. According to MIT News, Matthew Wilson, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, and Kenway Louie, a graduate student in 2001,  have studied the relationships between memory, sleep and dreams. They found that when rats were trained to run along a circular track for food rewards, their brains created a distinctive firing pattern of neurons (brain cells). The researchers repeated the brain monitoring while the rats were sleeping. Low and behold, they observed the same signature brain activity pattern associated with running whether the rats were awake or asleep. In fact, the memories played at approximately the same speed during sleep as when the rats were awake.

Can we apply this to dogs?

Can we take what is known about dreaming in rats and humans and apply the information to dogs? Wilson believes that we can.”My guess is — unless there is something special about rats and humans — that cats and dogs are doing exactly the same thing,” he said, according to USA Today’s website.

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It is known that the hippocampus, the portion of the brain that collects and stores memories, is wired much the same way in all mammals. According to healthday.com, Professor Wilson says, “If you compared a hippocampus in a rat to a dog; in a cat to a human, they contain all of the same pieces.” He believes that as dogs sleep, images of past events replay in their minds, much the same way people recall experiences while dreaming.

In people, it is known that most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. Dogs also experience periods of REM sleep. Psychology Today’s website says that during REM their breathing becomes more irregular and shallow. There may be muscle twitching during REM and, when one looks closely, rapid eye movements behind closed eyelids can often be observed. It is during REM sleep that behaviours thought to be associated with dreaming (legs paddling, twitching, vocalizing, etc.) are most commonly observed.

What we want to believe about dog dreams

When we observe our dogs as they sleep, it’s just about impossible to imagine that they are not dreaming. Just like the rats studied by Wilson and Louie, it is tempting to believe that our four-legged best buddies are reenacting their recent experiences; playing at the dog park, sniffing in the woods, chewing on a treasured bone, and chasing squirrels.

The National Institutes of Health says that Sigmund Freud theorized that dreaming was a “safety valve” for our unconscious desires. Perhaps he is correct, and, when our dogs sleep, they dream about catching the neighbour’s pesky cat, continuous belly rubs in conjunction with unlimited dog treats, and stealing the Thanksgiving turkey from the dining room table.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

Did you know that some authorities feel that 1 out of every 100 dogs that reach 12 years of age develops diabetes mellitus?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hormonal problem where the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, the hormone that helps push sugar (“glucose”) into the body’s cells. Without the insulin, the body’s cells are starving for sugar; unfortunately, this then stimulates the body to produce more and more sugar (in an attempt to feed the cells). That’s why your dog’s blood sugar is so high (what we call a “hyperglycemia”) with diabetes mellitus.

Without insulin, the sugar can’t get into the cells; hence, why you need to give insulin to your dog with a tiny syringe twice a day. In dogs, this is a disease that can be costly to treat and requires twice-a-day insulin along with frequent veterinary visits for the rest of your dog’s life.

So how do you know if your dog has diabetes? Clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs include:

• Excessive drinking
• Excessive urination
• Urinary accidents in the house
• Dilute urine
• Overweight or obese
• Muscle wasting
• Ravenous appetite
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Weakness
• Unkempt or poor hair coat
• Blindness secondary to cataracts
• Neuropathies (nerve problems)

As your dog gets older, it’s worth talking to your veterinarian about doing routine blood work to make sure your dog is healthy. This blood work will help rule out kidney and liver problems, anaemia, infections, electrolyte problems and diabetes mellitus. The sooner you recognize the clinical signs, the sooner your dog can be treated with insulin and the fewer complications we see as a result.

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So, if you notice any of the signs above, get to a veterinarian right away. Now, continue on for 5 important reasons to test your dog for diabetes:

1. Your dog will live longer

Diabetes mellitus can shorten the lifespan of your dog, as secondary complications and infections can occur. With diabetes, the body is immunosuppressed and more likely to develop diabetic complications which cause long term harm to your dog.

2. Your dog will be able to see

Did you know that the majority of dogs with diabetes eventually go blind from cataracts? Even in well-controlled diabetic dogs, the excess sugar in the body can have secondary effects on the lens of the eye; it causes more water to influx into the lens, which disrupts the clearness of the lens. As a result, cataract formation occurs, resulting in eventual blindness and secondary inflammation in both eyes. While cataract surgery can (and ideally, should) be performed, it can be costly.

3. You’ll save a lot of money

Treatment for diabetes mellitus includes twice-a-day insulin treatment, insulin syringes, prescription diets, and frequent veterinary trips for blood tests. Also, as diabetic dogs can’t go without their insulin, it may mean hiring house sitters or pet sitters to treat your pet while you are on vacation.

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4. You’ll have fewer urinary accidents in the house

One of the biggest signs of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is excessive drinking, urination and having urinary accidents in the house. Because of hyperglycemia, dogs are also at increased risk for urinary tract infections, wreaking havoc on your carpet. The sooner you can treat your dog with insulin and get diabetes controlled or regulated, the less your dog will drink and urinate, making your dog more comfortable too!

5. You’ll have more peace knowing that your dog is healthy

As a veterinarian and dog owner, I want to make sure my dog is as healthy as possible. You might already be talking with your veterinarian about vaccines each year in a dog that is older than 7 years of age; next, talk to your veterinarian about doing an annual exam and routine blood work too. It’ll pick up on medical problems sooner, so you can rest assured that your dog is going to live a longer, happier, healthier life!

Having a diabetic pet is also a big commitment, as it requires dedicated pet parents who can give twice-a-day injections of insulin. Caring for a diabetic dog does require frequent trips to the veterinarian to regulate blood sugar. That said, dogs can live with diabetes for years with appropriate care and treatment. When in doubt, make sure to monitor your dog carefully for the signs of diabetes, and seek veterinary attention sooner rather than later to help test for this ever-growing problem!

The post Protecting Your Dog from Caterpillar Dangers – Tips and Advice appeared first on The Petster.

Common Poodle Eye Diseases

Poodles are predisposed to several inherited eye conditions including progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts and glaucoma. These diseases can lead to vision loss and blindness if left untreated. Being aware of the signs of eye disease allows early veterinary intervention which gives the best chance of preserving vision or slowing disease progression.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited, degenerative disease of the retina causing progressive vision loss leading to blindness. There are several forms of PRA that affect poodles. The most common form shows initial symptoms around 3-5 years old. Affected dogs lose sight in dim light and darkness first before eventually progressing to total blindness.

Signs of PRA include

• Reluctance to go out at night
• Difficulty navigating in dim light
• Dilated pupils
• Bumping into objects/walls

There is no treatment for PRA but animal health studies are working on gene therapy research to potentially restore partial vision loss from this disease in the future.

Cataracts

A cataract is an opacity in the lens of the eye that can cause blurry vision and eventual blindness if untreated. Cataracts are common in senior poodles over 6 years old but can develop at any age from inherited genetic conditions, diabetes, eye injury, or inflammation. Signs of cataracts include cloudy pupil color, clumsiness in dim light, excessive blinking or eye squinting and reluctance to go out at night.

Cataract surgery to remove the lens is an option to restore vision loss. After surgery, dogs require prescription eye drops multiple times per day for the rest of their lives. Recent advances in cataract surgery for dogs including phacoemulsification and artificial lens implantation are providing improved surgical outcomes.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma refers to increased pressure within the eye caused by inadequate drainage of intraocular fluid. Pressure on the retina and optic nerve eventually leads to blindness. Glaucoma is a painful condition and the eye often appears red due to inflammation and additional blood vessels on the white of the eye. Breeds with shallow eye sockets like poodles have an increased risk.

Middle to older aged dogs are most commonly diagnosed though it can occur at any age. Signs include:

• Squinting
• Redness
• Cloudy eye
• Enlarged eye
• Reluctance to go out at night
• Pawing at the eyes

Glaucoma requires immediate veterinary treatment to decrease pressure and save vision. This may include eye medications like beta blockers as well as surgery when needed. Even with aggressive treatment, damage cannot be reversed once nerve cells in the retina die from high pressure. Lifelong monitoring and medication are necessary once a dog develops glaucoma.

Other Poodle Eye Problems

In addition to major diseases, poodles can be affected by numerous other eye conditions including:

• Eyelid abnormalities – abnormal growth of eyelashes causing eye irritation. Often requires corrective surgery.
• Dry eye – insufficient tear production leading to eye redness and discomfort
• Eye infections – bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Eye injuries – foreign objects, scratches, blunt trauma. Can lead to infection, inflammation and vision loss. Requires rapid veterinary care.
• Allergies – environmental allergies to pollen or chemicals irritate the eyes

Protecting Your Poodle’s Eyes

While poodles are prone to inherited eye diseases later in life, there are several things you can do to keep their eyes healthy:

Get thorough ophthalmic exams
Starting as a puppy, regular eye exams by your veterinarian are important to evaluate for early signs of inherited diseases. Based on exam findings, genetic testing may be recommended for conditions like PRA. Annual exams after age 5 are especially crucial to identify age-related eye diseases early.

Feed a healthy diet
High quality dog foods support eye health. In particular, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, vitamins E and C, zinc, beta carotene and lutein provide antioxidants to reduce cell damage in eye tissues. Avoid obesity which increases risk of diabetes and subsequent cataracts.

Control environment
Use harnesses instead of collars, keep floors free of clutter, supervise play with other pets and avoid activities where foreign material could enter eyes. These steps reduce injury risk. Also avoid exposing your poodle to secondhand cigarette smoke which contributes to eye disease.

Monitor for symptoms
Check your poodle’s eyes daily for redness, swelling, discharge or other abnormalities and see your vet promptly if you observe signs of eye discomfort or vision issues. Catching problems early is key to effective treatment.

Consider preventatives
Discuss using anti-inflammatory eye drops or glaucoma medications with your vet for at-risk dogs. Though eye diseases cannot always be prevented, these drugs may delay onset or slow progression in some cases.

In addition to watching for eye disease, good general health supports ocular wellness too. Grooming face and head hair regularly prevents hairs around the eyes that could scratch the cornea. Keeping ears clean reduces spread of bacteria and yeast that could travel to the eyes. And maintaining parasite prevention prevents organisms that can migrate into tissues surrounding the eyes.

Though poodles are prone to serious eye diseases, many dogs retain excellent vision well into their senior years. Close monitoring paired with prompt veterinary care when eye abnormalities appear gives your poodle the best chance of healthy eyes and clear sight throughout life. Committing to regular eye health evaluations and strict follow up when problems are found makes preserving vision possible. With extra attention to eye care, your poodle can continue enjoying everything the world has to see even as they grow older. I sincerely hope you find this “Poodle Eye Problems-Protecting Your Poodle’s Vision” article helpful.

The post Protecting Your Poodle’s Vision – Common Eye Problems and Solutions appeared first on The Petster.

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What is a Heart Murmur?

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. It occurs due to turbulent blood flow within the heart. Normal blood flow between heart chambers makes a “lub-dub” sound. An extra sound like a whooshing or swishing noise in addition to the “lub-dub” indicates a murmur.

Heart murmurs are graded on a scale from I to VI, with grade I being the mildest and grade VI being the most severe. The loudness of the murmur does not necessarily correlate with its severity though. Some mild murmurs can be quite loud.

Causes of Heart Murmurs

There are two main categories of heart murmurs, systolic and diastolic. Systolic murmurs happen when the heart contracts. Diastolic murmurs occur when the heart relaxes between beats. The cause determines which type of murmur and where the abnormal sound occurs.

Congenital heart defects present from birth lead to abnormal blood flow and turbulence. This turbulence produces heart murmurs. Common congenital defects leading to murmurs in chihuahuas include:

• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) – Failure of a fetal blood vessel to properly close after birth causes blood to abnormally flow between the aorta and pulmonary artery. This results in a continuous murmur.
• Pulmonic stenosis – Narrowing of the pulmonic valve causes a crescendo-decrescendo systolic murmur heard on the left side of the chest.

Acquired heart diseases can also cause murmurs in chihuahuas:

• Mitral valve disease is extremely common. The mitral valve separates the left atrium and left ventricle. As it deteriorates with age or infection, backflow and turbulence create a murmur during ventricular contraction.
• Dilated cardiomyopathy stretches the heart muscle leading to inefficient contractions and leakage between chambers. It produces soft murmurs.
• Endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves or lining, creates turbulent flow from inflamed, damaged tissue.

How Are Heart Murmurs Diagnosed?

Veterinarians detect heart murmurs with a stethoscope during a wellness exam or physical. However, further testing is needed to determine the cause and severity. Diagnostic options include:

• Chest x-rays check heart size and shape for signs of enlargement or fluid in the lungs suggesting heart failure.
• ECG records the heart’s electrical activity to evaluate rhythm and rate.
• Echocardiogram uses soundwaves to create images of the beating heart allowing thorough evaluation of structure and function.

Blood tests check for signs of infection or heart muscle damage. Oxygen saturation monitors can also be used. These noninvasive tests detect worsening function over time.

Managing Chihuahua Heart Murmurs

How a heart murmur is managed depends on the cause and severity. Mild murmurs may just require continued monitoring for progression. But treatment usually involves:

Lifestyle Changes – Restricting exercise and managing environmental temperatures prevents overexertion and heat stress on the cardiovascular system.

Medications – Drugs like ACE-inhibitors, diuretics, and vasodilators treat congestive heart failure and high blood pressure associated with some murmurs. Antibiotics treat bacterial endocarditis. Blood thinners help prevent clots with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Surgery – Procedures can repair structural defects like PDA. Metal implants can rebuild deteriorating mitral valves.

All cases require consistent veterinary follow-ups to monitor murmur grade, cardiac enlargement, fluid accumulation in lungs, and quality of life. Catching progression early allows rapid intervention.

Promoting Cardiovascular Health

You can help support your chihuahua’s cardiovascular system at any age through:

• Proper nutrition with dog food for heart health
• Achieving ideal body condition score to avoid obesity
• Regular exercise that avoids overheating
• Preventative care including heartworm, flea and tick medications
• Annual vet exams to screen for illness and establish baselines
• Learning CPR signs of canine cardiac distress
• Avoiding toxins like tobacco smoke
• Managing anxiety that raises heart rate/blood pressure

A heart murmur diagnosis can be scary. But being an educated and proactive chihuahua owner will give your dog the best chance at a high quality of life. Monitoring cardiovascular function is essential for early intervention if problems develop. With proper treatment and management, many dogs live happily for years after a murmur is detected. Stay in tune with your chihuahua’s health and you’ll be prepared if a concerning heart sound is ever heard. I sincerely hope you find this “Chihuahua Heart Murmurs-Monitoring Cardiovascular Health” article helpful.

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This is the case with hiccups, which are compulsive, rapid, and involuntary contractions of the diaphragm at more or less regular intervals. The lungs are forced to expel air in small amounts and abruptly, which generates the familiar and characteristic sound that gives the hiccup its name: hip, hip! It is very common in all mammals, including humans and, of course, dogs.

In general, we shouldn’t worry when our furry friend hypes. As in the case of people, the hiccups will usually last only a few minutes and will have no consequences beyond the fun of the situation. However, it is inevitable that we ask ourselves the question: why do dogs get hiccups? The causes can be very diverse, so it is better that we go through them one by one.

As we said, hiccups in dogs can have different causes. Most of them are trivial or easy to solve; in fact, the most common is that the hiccups resolve on their own. However, in some cases, hiccups can be a symptom of a more serious problem, so it is worth reviewing all the possible causes to understand why our dog has hiccups. Let’s go there!

• Eating or drinking water too quicklyIn both humans and dogs, this is the most common cause of hiccups: by eating or drinking too fast, the dog ingests not only food or liquid, but also excess air that is released during digestion, either as hiccups or in the form of flatulence.Many dogs eat with more anxiety than they should, but it is a problem that can be solved with patience and training. We must teach our dog to control himself when there is food in front of him, and it may also be a good idea to divide the food into several doses with smaller amounts. In this way, his level of anxiety about food will decrease, since the dog will end up learning that not by being more nervous and eating faster, he will receive his next ration sooner.
• Digestive problemsHiccups in dogs can also be caused by digestive problems of various kinds: food allergies, ingestion of toxic foods, excessively heavy digestions, etc. In many of these cases, the hiccups will be accompanied by other symptoms.If our dog hiccups very frequently and even more so if he also vomits food or bile, we should take him to the vet, nobody better than him to identify the problem and put a treatment.There are two types of dogs that are more prone to hiccups from digestive problems: puppies and hunting dogs. In the case of puppies, it is usually a temporary problem that appears especially when the feed is changed (their gut is more delicate and is growing). Hunting dogs, on the other hand, have a certain tendency to develop digestive problems of which hiccups can be a symptom, but this does not mean, of course, that it happens to everyone.

   

• Cold, anxiety, stress, nervousness, or fearAll of these are situations that can cause hiccups in a dog. That the dog hypes when he feels cold may be curious, but it is so: especially in the case of puppies and small breed dogs, the cold usually causes frequent episodes of hiccups. To make sure that the cold is the cause, we must look for the appearance of other symptoms, such as tremors.Anxiety, stress, nerves, and fear also cause hiccups in dogs, in addition to the flatulence mentioned above. If our dog is very excited or afraid, the first thing to do is try to understand why: are we making him nervous with too rough games? Has he heard a sound that has frightened him? There can be many reasons. When we solve a situation that causes discomfort to our dog, the hiccups will eventually subside.

How to Remove the Hiccups From Dogs?

In most cases, as we have already said, hiccups are totally harmless and will go away on their own. However, if we see that our dog is especially uncomfortable when hiccupping –of course, he does not understand what is happening to him– we can try some of the remedies that we mention at this point. When the hiccups are not due to a more serious problem, the same thing happens to dogs as people: they don’t stop hiccupping because they are too focused on it. Almost all solutions will, therefore, pass by distracting the animal.

• It is not about scaring them as we do with people, as that will not only work, but it can also confuse him or even cause him to react aggressively. We mean to distract him with games, a ball, etc in short, something that makes his breathing change.
• Give him some food or drink. The result will be the same as in the previous point: the dog’s breathing will change and the hiccups will surely disappear.
• Take him out for a walk. A third variant of the same solution: make the dog do some activity, and thus get distracted and breathe differently. If you love to walk, hit the streets!
• Bathe him. Whether your dog loves baths or he hates them, the fact is that taking him to the bathtub will be a major distraction that could end the involuntary hiccup reflex.
• If the hiccups are due to cold, this solution is obvious: as soon as we warm the dog and his body temperature begins to rise, the hiccups will disappear.

Conclusion:

You must pay attention that your dog’s hiccups disappear after a few minutes otherwise if it lasts for more than an hour, they may be a disease symptom.

The post What Causes Dog Hiccups? Understanding and Preventing Canine Hiccups appeared first on The Petster.