I've been too busy to post for a while, but I felt I had to mention a report I received from Dogtime.com about puppy mills operating over the 'net.
These puppy e-mills are becoming a serious problem, and although all of the issues they raise are disturbing, my concern here has to do with health. According to the report, "The Internet also happens to make a great dumping ground for dogs. In fact when breeders are left with "reject" puppies that mass brokers or pet stores won't buy, usually due to health or form problems, the dogs are sold online."
The best long-term solution to the puppy mill problem is for people to stop buying from them, but until people are aware of the problem, it will just go on and on. For now, the American Humane Society has several campaigns going, and their website has advice on how to shop for a puppy to avoid getting a puppy-mill pet. If it's too late for you and you already have a sick puppy, you should contact them.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Got a new dog?
Image by kalavinka via FlickrWell, you probably know what I'm going to say first: get health insurance for your new dogs ASAP, since their health needs don't end with shots and spaying. Next, you might want to check out DogChannel's New Dog page, which is organized into categories that are actually relevant and helpful, unlike some other sites I could mention. Additionally, they have downloads for new dog owners, like a shopping list (helpful, since you're going to want to buy everything you see, and you might miss a few important necessities), plus an "ask an expert" feature where you can get advice from a vet, a trainer, a groomer, etc.I zeroed in on the Guide to Feeding Your Pets download, since I had so many different -- and difficult -- experiences while I was dealing with Tony's diabetes and his later bout with lymphoma. It has material on food recalls, people food that is toxic for pets, the wet vs. dry debate, raw diets, and so on. Overall, it's a good basic discussion of the topic, but I was disappointed that they didn't warn about the use of sweeteners (including HFCS) in the semi-moist foods. I remain convinced that this was what led to Tony's weight gain and his subsequent diabetes.
In any event, here are a few interesting articles:
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Blood Sugar Monitoring
Image via WikipediaAt any rate, if it had been necessary to test Tony's sugar, I would have found a method of getting the blood, and it would have become routine in a hurry-- that's just the way it is. If your vet tells you to do this, DO IT. Like giving the insulin injections, you'll get better with practice over time, and you'll definitely get better control over your dog's diabetes. There's a veterinarian's discussion of this at Pet Place; it's a basic explanation that should give you enough information to ask your vet the right questions.
Incidentally, there's something new and exciting in the monitoring pipeline for humans, which should eventually work itself into veterinary applications. See the article below.
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