Dental Health for dogs and cats

Dogs and cats can't brush, spit, gargle or floss on their own. So owners who want to avoid bad pet breath will need to lend a hand.

"Brushing is the gold standard for good oral hygiene at home. It is very effective, but some dogs and more cats don't appreciate having something in their mouth," said Dr. Colin Harvey, a professor of surgery and dentistry in the Department of Clinical Studies for the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine.

The bulk of bad breath odor — the trademark rotten egg smell — comes from hydrogen sulfide, which is waste from anaerobic bacteria that thrive without oxygen in places like gaps between teeth and gums. Plaque buildup also invites the bacteria and as the accumulation grows, so does the smell.

Animal shelters and rescues know bad breath and filthy teeth can be a deal breaker. Some shelters, such as the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County in Florida, shuffle their charges through a dental health program before the animals are adopted out.

"We usually do dental cleanings and extractions when animals are spayed or neutered so the animal doesn't have to be put under anesthesia again after adoption and the adopter has one less thing to worry about," said Janet Winikoff, the shelter's director of education.

If a pet is already spayed or neutered, it will still get dental care before adoption, she said. Harvey added that bad breath could also be a symptom of an underlying medical problem.

Stacy Silva, Santa Barbara County Animal Services' community outreach coordinator, noted that wear on teeth could give the wrong impression of an animal's age. "(The animals) may look a lot older than their teeth, and it may just be a matter of cleaning the tartar off that gets them back looking their age and that helps them to be adopted," said Silva.

The animals that need a cleaning get chew toys or ropes, hard treats or cookies and a prescription diet if the vet orders it, she said.

Harvey, who has been director of the Veterinary Oral Health Council since it was founded in 1970, said such products are good substitutes for a teeth-brushing. Pet owners can try a combination or use other products such as water additives, chew toys, plaque and tartar cleaners, and dental diets, Harvey said.

Puppies and kittens are born toothless. They get their baby teeth before they're a month old, lose them three to five months later and get their permanent teeth by age 1. Dogs have 42 teeth and cats have 30.

Toy dogs tend to have more dental problems because breeding for their smaller size hasn't caught up with evolution, Harvey said. "Primitive dogs had a standard size and shape because they were evolved from wolves" but for toy breeds, their jaw size was reduced and tooth size was not, "so their teeth are too large for their mouths," he added.

Christie Keith, a communications consultant to animal welfare and veterinarian groups, said she spends about two minutes each night brushing the teeth of her three dogs after dinner. The Davisburg, Mich., resident believes most dog owners needlessly fear brushing their dogs' teeth.

"But cats are another story," she added.

Harvey said that's because cats' mouths are smaller, their teeth sharper and they could care less about bonding with a human during designated tooth time.

Keith said she took it slow when she began brushing the teeth of her 8-year-old greyhound Val. She started with one tooth at a time and used a foamless flavored gel that dogs can swallow.

"She started to nibble (on the toothbrush) and I rubbed it on her front teeth. I didn't make a big deal out of it. I didn't worry about brushing the first half dozen times. It was just a little bonding thing. Eventually, I brushed one tooth. Now she stands there and lets me brush all her teeth," she said.

The gel doesn't require water to rinse, lessening the likelihood of a mess. A year later, "(Val's) gums look healthy to me, and it doesn't seem she has any more tartar," Keith said.

Oral care products for animals are generally not regulated by any federal agency, although the Food and Drug Administration monitors all products that claim to prevent or slow disease. The agency does not test products that claim cleaner teeth, fresher breath or the reduction of plaque and tartar, Harvey said.

The VOHC is not a regulatory agency but it uses American Dental Association guidelines to test pet plaque and tartar products. Test requests are voluntary but companies pay nonrefundable submission and annual maintenance fees. Products are given a VOHC seal if they pass.

The council has approved a human, ADA-compliant, flathead toothbrush with soft bristles and rounded tips for pet use. A child's brush can be used for small pets and an adult size for big dogs, but don't use human toothpaste on pets, Harvey warned.

Such toothpastes contain detergents that foam and pets will swallow it instead of spitting it out, he said.

Harvey said he can't comment on any product VOHC hasn't tested, but as a rule, any wipe, tongue cleaner or additive should be beneficial — although nothing beats brushing.


Source- webvet

All I want for Christmas

All I Want for Christmas is a Dog!

Most dog experts will say that Christmas is the worst time to bring a dog in your family. In many ways they are right. A dog needs your time and attention and you probably do not have that much available around the Holidays.
On the other hand if the little fur ball caught your heart at the shelter, with a bit of organization it could work out very well.
Five Tips to Bring Your Pup home at Christmas and Make it Work.


#1 – Take a break and spend time together

Your dog is going to need extra attention at first. Especially if he comes from a shelter. Anxious, may be a bit worried he has to adapt to his new environment and life. Make a schedule for regular outing, walks and spend time with your dog. It can be done as a family or everyone individually. It is very important to spend some quality time together as your new four legged friend settles in.

#2 – Give him some space

This cannot be emphasized enough. Christmas or not, it is important to have an area in the house that is just his. It could be his crate, his bed or a corner in the living room where he can sees everyone and be alone at the same time. If you have children or visitors, make sure they know the dog cannot be disturbed when he is in his quiet spot.

#3 – Time to play and time out

Dogs are playful and so are kids. The two together will have a wonderful time together. Younger children and dogs can be all play and no stop. It would be best to have some adult supervision during play time. Then you need to create some time out and some quiet time so things stay under control. With to much play and attention, dogs can get stressed and this is when they can snapped.

Make sure they get involved with the training. To avoid incident teach your kids how to respect the dog. Non verbal communicator, dogs communicate with us with body language. Knowing sign of stress will help avoid problems.

#4 – Have a structure in place

Dogs love routine and structure. When your dog arrive in your house structure and routine will help him relax and understand the rules of the house. What is allowed – what is not allowed – what to expect – so he can adapt, learn quickly. and fit into your daily life. But be patient. It might take a little while to adjust.

#5 – Minimize alone time

I know it is difficult, but dogs do not like being alone. This is something you seriously need to think about before getting your dog. How long is he going to spend alone?. Is there a way you can take him along to work if you are gone for eight hours? If not think twice before you bring a dog in your life.

With a little bit of planning bringing a dog home for Christmas will give a different slant to the Holidays. You can make it work if you are ready to put some time and energy into it. Owning a dog is a responsibility, they cost money, they need our time, attention and love. But it is one of the most memorable and fulfilling journey you will ever undertake … no matter when you start it.

#6 - A good ID Tag

It is important that all pets have both permanent and visible forms of ID. Lost pets often lose their collar and ID tag/license and can only be identified by their microchip. Conversely, since microchips are embedded under the skin, ID tags and licenses serve as physical proof of ownership, alerting someone who has found your pet that he or she has an owner. Multiple forms of ID drastically increase the likelihood that you will be reunited with your lost pet. Remember, identification is your pet's ticket home!

source : happytail.com

Therapy Dog Saves Little Girl's Life

A young girl overcame a rare autoimmune disease thanks to the help of a therapy dog program at a Minnesota children’s hospital.

Ally Gillen was just like any normal 10-year old until one day in 2008 when she began to have trouble walking. Almost overnight, Ally’s condition deteriorated and got to the point where she had trouble making simple movements. Doctors ran tests and she was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), an extremely rare autoimmune connective tissue disease that affects one in a million children.

Upon receiving her diagnosis, Ally was checked into Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota, where she spent the next seven weeks. Ally’s mother, Heather Gillen, says that her daughter was in so much pain that she could barely lift her head up from the hospital bed. “When the occupational therapists would come into her room to get her to move, she would cry because it hurt so much. I wanted to yell ‘don’t touch my daughter.’”

During the course of her treatment, an occupational therapist brought a therapy dog in to visit Ally. After spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, and her birthday in the hospital, Ally missed her own dog, Angel, and was excited to spend some time with the therapy dog. “The occupational therapist would place a dog on my shoulder so I could pet him. Then she would move the dog to my other shoulder or other part of my body. I would reach down and pet the dog,” explains Ally.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Ally engaged in a variety of rehabilitation exercises which involved therapy dogs. She moved her arms around to pet the dogs and redeveloped her fine motor skills by dressing them up costumes and taking them for walks in her wheelchair. A small dog bearing a tic-tac-toe board game on its back kept Ally challenged, as she had to get on the floor and move the pieces of the board game around in order to play.

Forty-nine days after the therapy dogs began visiting, Ally was able to move out of a hospital bed and into a wheelchair. She resumed her therapy with Children’s Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota on an outpatient basis, where she continued to work with the dogs. Now at twelve years old, Ally has decided that she wants to become an occupational therapist and work with therapy dogs down the line. She enrolled her seven-year-old dog, Angel, in the Delta Therapy Dog Certification program, which she completed alongside her mother. Ally and Angel visit Children’s once a week and bring joy to many of the hospital’s patients.

Ally attributes working with the pet therapy program to saving her life. “Dogs are a big part of my life and always will be. Now that all of this has happened, I’m going to get a degree in OT when I’m older. And I will train a few dogs to be therapy dogs.”

source : Nicole Pajer

Halloween Safety Tip for dogs and cats

It's almost the spookiest night of the year! Here are some common sense precautions this Halloween to keep you and your pet saying "trick or treat!" all the way to November 1.

1. No tricks, no treats: That bowl of candy is for trick-or-treaters, not for Scruffy and Fluffy. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can also cause problems. If you do suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian immediately.

2. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered to be relatively nontoxic, but they can produce stomach upset in pets who nibble on them.

3. Wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations should be kept out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet might suffer cuts or burns, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

4. A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.

5. Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it (yup, a few pets are real hams!). For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” wearing a Halloween theme tag on their collar or harness is a better idea.

source: ASPCA, ID4Pet

Laboring Dogs: Celebrating Dogs Who Work Like Dogs

My best friend, Fran, sent me the article today. I found it really interesting and I would like to share with everyone.


In honor of Labor Day 2012, we would like to honor the all the amazing, hard-workin,' working dogs who have been keeping pooch productivity at maximum levels!

1) Bed Bug Super Sniffers - These super sniffers inspect hotels, college dorms and office buildings, suburban and luxury homes and apartments for bedbugs. These uber-sniffers and their canine cohorts are graduates of a bonafide Bed Bug Scent Training Academy and can inspect a room for pests in minutes, whereas lesser mammals like human beings need hours to conduct a visual inspection.

2) Special Ops War Dogs: These specially trained furry soldiers are trained to attack anyone carrying a weapon and have become apivotal part of special operations as they crawl unnoticed into tunnels or 6a00d8341bf67c53ef014e883ff212970d-400wi rooms to hunt for enemy combatants. The cameras on their heads beam live TV pictures back to the troops, providing them with critical information and warning of ambushes. The military has trained these amazing dogs, just like the Seals, to be dropped via helicopter into hostile territory from 25,000 feet in the air.

3) Border Patrol Beagle Brigade- Did you know that none other than the diminutive Beagle is responsible for keeping our borders secure? While known to be slightly stubborn and prone to howling, Beagles are actually some of the most valued members of the Department of Homeland Security Detector Dogs division, where these adorable hounds patrol the nation's airports to keep our food sources safe by sniffing out meat, fruit and vegetables banned in the U.S.

4) Search & Rescue Dogs and The National Search Dog Foundation - National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that aids in disaster response in America by recruiting rescued dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters. This wonderful program is provided at no cost to fire departments and ensures lifetime care for every dog in the program: once rescued, these dogs never need to be rescued again.

5) Therapy Dogs - Pet therapy dogs bring the unconditional love and tactile benefits of animals to people in facilities such as abused children's shelters, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and senior centers. Animals often bring out the best in people and can calm hyperactive children or stimulate movement and interaction in those with physical disabilities. Check out Mackenzie, a registered pet therapy dog who spends his time in a hospital in New York City cheering up kids!

Source : animal planet

Celebrity Baby Names: The Newest, Hottest Inspiration

Saturday morning, perfect beach weather. My friend, Franie showed me this article and I couldn't agree more. The name list is also the hottest baby name list for the pets.

" Celebrity names from Ava Gardner to Angelina Jolie, Miles Davis to Michael Jordan have influenced the names of real live babies over recent years.

But now there's a brand new generation of stars whose names are proving inspirational to parents in search of cool baby names. From the worlds of music, sports, and reality TV along with films, these celebrity names are showing major gains on the new popularity lists in both the U.S. and the U.K.

We combed the official baby name statistics to identify which names moving quickly up the lists were tied to hot young celebrities. Many of these new celebrity names are unusual, exotic, rarely heard before their famous bearers brought them to our attention. And their current popularity can be attributed directly to the stars who made them shine.

The newest, hottest celebrity names today are:

Mila - Natalie Portman may have won the Oscar for Black Swan, but Mila Kunis takes the prize for most influential name. This Eastern European diminutive - the Ukraine-born actress's real name is Milena - is the fourth highest jumper the most recent popularity list, up nearly 200 places. Mila is pronounced Mee-la, making it a logical successor to the Top 10 Mia.

Harry - You might be forgiven for guessing that the ginger-haired Prince propelled the name Harry to the new Number 1 spot in Britain, but the real inspiration is Harry Styles, Britain's answer to Justin Bieber. The X Factor contestant is a member of the boy band One Direction.


Bristol - While Palin has been heard as a baby name, Bristol has emerged as the hottest name out of the former Vice Presidential candidate's family. The place name, which debuted on the Top 1000 in 2009, moved up over 100 places last year, to Number 434.


Iker - Iker? Really?? The unlikely Basque name, pronounced ee-keer, is the second fastest-rising boys' name in the U.S., up 267 places thanks to World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas.


Amelia - Amelia has risen to Number 30 on the US charts on the heels of former first place sister names Emma and Emily, but in Britain it's exploded at Number 1 this year thanks to X Factor contestant turned hit singer Amelia Lily Oliver.


Kellan - Kellan Lutz has propelled not only his own unusual name but both those of his Twilight character Emmett Cullen up the popularity charts. The Irish Kellan, spelled Kellen in its native land and meaning slender, is now Number 363 in the U.S.


Audrina - Audrina Partridge of The Hills launched her name onto the Top 1000 in 2007. It's now leapt up 365 places. Audrina is an elaboration of the ancient saint's name Audrey, which has also been enjoying greater popularity.


Jenson - While Jenson has not yet cracked the Top 1000 in the U.S., it's the Number 69 name in Great Britain, where Jenson Button is a champion race car driver. This surname name means "son of Jens," the Scandinavian form of John - though some parents have been known to use it to honor an ancestral Jenny or Jennifer.

Adele - Singing sensation Adele has turned her old French name, which had disappeared from view for over 40 years, into a fresh new hit. Originally a short form of Adelaide, Adele jumped more than 250 places in the most recent popularity count.

Logan - Logan has been a Top 100 name for two decades now, but Percy Jackson star Logan Lerman, along with the mutant Logan character played by Hugh Jackman in Wolverine, are working together to keep the name Logan in the limelight.


Elle - There have been attractive film characters named Elle, in Legally Blonde and Kill Bill, along with supermodel Elle Macpherson, but young actress Elle Fanning is the one who made this French word for "she" - one of the most feminine of names -- into a baby-worthy star.


Niall - Irishman Niall Horan joins fellow One Direction band member Harry Styles in having a name sure to influence a new generation of babies. The ancient Irish Niall, name of a mythological hero, is pronounced by Horan like the River Nile."


What is your baby's name? Is your baby's name on the hot list? Don't forget to check your baby's ID tag info. Is it current? Remember, a proper pet identification tag with up to date info is your baby's safe ticket home.




Source - shine
ID4Pet.com

Driver License Tag for your pet by ID4Pet

Our four legged friends are more than just pets. They are more like family members, best friends, and therapists all rolled into one. ID4Pet understands the importance of your friendship. That is the reason we offer the best designed pet ID tags on the market today containing the most complete information to assist your pet.

In the event your beloved pet gets lost, pet ID tags are the first line of defense. Our pet ID tags have complete details of your pet including a picture, medication and reward information.

This will give your pet an extra chance to survive and come home safely. We hope your best friend will never be lost or injured, but if the unexpected happens, can you take a chance not having the best pet ID tags on the market?

Source ID4Pet.com