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Image via WikipediaYou'd be surprised. You might also be surprised that many of the names people find too silly or stupid are actually BAD for the dog (I'm not talking about names like Lucky, which seems to be cursed): there's a scientific explanation, which you can read about at WebMD's pet pages. It turns out that consonants count, according to Roxanne Hawn, because "Certain consonants (k, p, d) create broadband sounds with more energy across sound frequencies that get a pet’s attention. These sounds activate more audio receptors in the brain." How about that?
Image via WikipediaI'm a couple days late with this, but it's worth noting anyway. I've written before about the importance of reading pet food labels, and how we really need more information than is there. Now the FDA has a new pet food initiative that will at least keep track of pet food problems as they occur. Read their announcement of PetNet, which "is a secure, web based information exchange system that will allow FDA and Federal and State Agencies to share initial information about pet-food related incidents, such as illness associated with the consumption of pet food or pet food product defects." Sounds good.
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeWe're in the dog days now, so it's a good time to review hot weather dangers for our dogs, and WebMd's animal section has a good article on it. Excessive heat is often a serious problem for diabetic dogs because of their special hydration issues, so we need to pay closer attention to our pets' drinking habits and monitor their time outside.
My sister's larger Great Pyrenees, Doc, was clipped close for the summer in early June and doesn't seem to be having too many problems this year, though his fur seems to be growing back a lot faster than it should. Not all fluffy dogs should be clipped, however, so you need to check with your vet before jumping on the bandwagon.
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| Woody, after a hard day |
I'm visiting family in Minnesota right now, and hanging out with a dog I don't see as often as I would like, Woody the "Sharpador." Woody belongs to my brother Eric (Eric Wiertelak, the well-known neuroscientist and ballroom dancer), who just got married yesterday (Congratulations, Eric and Yuki), but right now he's living with my nephew Dan. Since both Eric and Dan have experienced owning a diabetic dog (the late Lucky), I was not surprised to find that Woody is on a well-regulated feeding schedule (twice daily, portion controlled) to keep him healthy.
I kind of wonder if I have an obsession about this, because it's not the first time I've been visiting someone and watched how the dogs of the house were doing in terms of diet and exercise. So far, so good.
Image via WikipediaI got an e-mail from the ASPCA yesterday reminding me that April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and it seemed like a good time to take note of a bunch of messages I've gotten the past couple of weeks. For some reason, the ASPCA is still carrying me as a member even though I can't afford to donate anything right now (thanks, guys). This is their 145th year, and, as they do every year, they are asking people to "Go orange for animals," and selling a number of orange garments and other products on their website. They're also running a photo contest.
I'm sorry to say that most of the mail I've been getting lately involves animal cruelty. For example, DogTimes has an item that was pretty horrifying about a dog who was hit by a car six weeks ago and only got medical care last week!
Healthy Dog News (from WebMD) has less distressing material in their most recent issue. The cover story is about whether or not pets should be shaved for the summer (most shouldn't, some can be), but the article that drew my attention was on feeding dogs table scraps. I'll acknowledge that table scraps were probably the main food supplied by owners before the development of commercial dog food, and that most dogs did okay on them, but I firmly believe that the potential for overfeeding and other problems is great enough to avoid giving your dog "people food" (one thing the article mentions is that dogs' "saliva isn’t designed to break down carbohydrates," while ours is, which is something I didn't know). As you know, I'm not all that big a fan of commercial dog food, but at least you won't have a situation where everyone in the house is opening a can and slipping some to Rover on the side.
It looks like my in-box has more stuff than I thought. I'll get to the rest of it next time, but meanwhile, you can do something to help some of the victims of animal cruelty right now, and it won't cost you a cent. Go to the Animal Rescue Site button that's off to the right, click on it, then click on the box that comes up. Your click means that advertisers will have to pay the site, and that money goes to help feed shelter animals.
Image via WikipediaNo, I don't really have advice on this, but WebMD does. I was surprised to learn that it covers animals as well as humans, so I signed up for their email newsletter, and the one I just received has a good article about what you should ask when you take your friend to the vet. This hit home for me, because on my first visit I forgot to ask about emergency care and after hours problems. Of course, I needed to know that a couple of weeks after the visit. Check it out.
Image via WikipediaAfter my last post, I decided to do some research on dog food labels, and I found some interesting info. First, WebMd has an article on deciphering the labels at http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/how-to-read-a-dog-food-label, and you can also sign up for their pet health newsletter to receive the latest on new studies. As far as I can see, the information on the labels may be fine for a healthy dog (although they should list sugars separately even then), but they're inadequate for dogs with health issues like diabetes.
Another site with a surprising amount of information is that of the Food and Drug Administration. They have a full (maybe too full) explanation of the current labels. Within the FDA, pet food issues are handled by the Center for Veterinary Medicine, whose director is Bernadette M. Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D. Now that I've got that name, at least I have someone to direct my inquiries to. I'll let you know how that turns out.
Image via WikipediaI just got an email from Purina's PetCentric website, telling me that February 23 is International Dog Biscuit Day. Wow. Those of us who have (or have had) diabetic dogs know that it's important to put some thought into the kinds and amounts of treats we give our dogs. However, although the website recommends Purina treats, there are no links to the main Purina website so that you can check out what goes into them. At the Purina website, which is actually pretty good in terms of content, there are links to the webpages for the individual products. I discovered that Beggin' Strips contain sugar (real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup), but there was no indication of how much. Why don't pet foods have the kind of nutrition labels we see on people food? Maybe I'll start a campaign.
Would I give a diabetic dog a Beggin' Strip? I might, but I would probably not give him the entire strip, which brings me to my next point: treats count as food! For some reason, a lot of people think that treats exist in some alternate dimension where only food consumed at mealtime affects blood sugar. If you are one of them, get over it. Most commercial dog treats are basically carbs and fat, with flavorings, and they should be used only as treats, meaning that you give one as a reward for good behavior. I am pointing this out because I recently saw someone (I name no names) give his overweight dog at least a quarter of a box of LivaSnaps. Luckily, his dog is not diabetic --so far -- but he is arthritic, and the weight isn't helping.
So, on February 23rd, use your commonsense and treat your dog rationally.
Image via WikipediaYou'd be surprised. You might also be surprised that many of the names people find too silly or stupid are actually BAD for the dog (I'm not talking about names like Lucky, which seems to be cursed): there's a scientific explanation, which you can read about at WebMD's pet pages. It turns out that consonants count, according to Roxanne Hawn, because "Certain consonants (k, p, d) create broadband sounds with more energy across sound frequencies that get a pet’s attention. These sounds activate more audio receptors in the brain." How about that? 
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