Come To The Zoo Before The Zoo Comes To You

Here's a marketing strategy that will appeal to some people but no doubt some dog fans will find distasteful:

http://www.spinwall.com/funny/croceatdog.html

Beauty and The Beast

An Average Dog's Lifespan Should Be 25-30 Years Mostly Disease-Free, Here's How

* Editor Pat: This is very good info. Dogs should eat the way he recommends here. I have taken my dog to a "holistic" vet for years and he recommends the same diet.. Dogs should be living into their 20's if they eat right and get out and exercise regularly.

An Average Dog's Lifespan Should Be 25-30 Years Mostly Disease-Free, Here's How
By Rick London

By now, many of you who have followed my writings know that I am The Dog Man Of Hot Springs (I also love cats), but I tend to adopt stray dogs. I would adopt the cats but most are feral and remain untouchable so I leave food out for them.

You may (or may not) have heard about my twenty year old dog “Thor” and how he became to stay so healthy so long. If not, I will not go into detail here as I don't want to be repetitive, but will simply say he nearly died several times along the way, I now know after talking to numerous holistic vets, due to processed dog food. This was many years before “the scare”.

For the past eight years he has been on the b.a.r.f diet (bones and raw foods) and again, I won't go into the details of that diet (except that it is all raw human-grade meat, bones fruits and veggies (and herbal tinctures). For more information on it, simply google the b.a.r.f diet. It works great for dogs and cats as well. Thor, is finally reaching the age where he is experiencing a few health issues (at an age when most dogs do who eat processed foods at about age six-to-ten.

I am angry that more nutrition is not taught in vet schools. But I have read from several vet journals and was not surprised to see, for instance, that there is no minimal nutritional requirements for grains of any kinds for dogs or cats. But look at the processed foods. It is loaded with them; even the more “socially acceptable expensive quality foods” even if meat or meat by-products are the main staple.

One vet told me, “But dogs will choke on the bones...some dogs have died.”

That is true.

But hundreds of thousands of less dogs (even given percentages of which dog is fed what) have died from choking on raw bones than processed kibble. Never give a dog a cooked bone, not chicken, not beef, not ribs. Cooking changes the molecular structure making the bones brittle. Thor has eaten raw bones of all types from chicken to rabbit for ten years without one problem.

Let's face it. Seventy years ago, there was no such thing as “dog food”. People fed their pets what was left from the table, raw foods from the gardens, etc. The catastrophic diseases we see today, began at the same time processed dog food was introduced to the market.

A few months ago I was flying to Charlotte, N.C on business and to see friends. I was talking to a young woman before takeoff, sitting next to me who had two yellow labs. They were both constantly sick. I told her about the b.a.r.f diet and how most vets don't know about it, because they are educated by the dog food industry salespersons.

A woman in front of us turned around abruptly and said, “Sorry to interrupt. I am a vet in Sterling, Va, an alopathic one. But I know as much as anyone about the b.a.r.f diet and I would never recommend feeding a dog or cat processed food.”

I was in shock. I asked, “How do you make a living, then with so few sick animals?” She said she works on word of mouth, volume patients. They usually only come in every few years and that is mainly for accidents. I smiled and was instantly educated. There are some very good honest vets out there who really do care about their patients, I thought to myself.

Rick London is a writer, cartoonist, e-entrepreneur and pet lover in the Ouchata Mountains of Arkansas. He was the founder of Londons Times Cartoons in 1997 which remains one of the most visited sites on the Internet. Recently he launched Londons Times Tees http://www.londonstimestees.com which features a section of hilarious cartoon tees, totes, aprons, coasters, etc with dog and cat cartoons. His main website has received about 7 million visitors since 2005 http://www.londonstimes.us

I recommend Dr. Ian Billinghurst's “Give Your Dog A Bone” book and for a great website resource, Shirley's Wellness Cafe.

The Dangers of Summer Heat and Your Dog!

Do You Have a Cool Dog or a Hot Dog? The Dangers of the Summer Sun
By Rose Smith

Summer is usually a time of rest, relaxation, vacations and fun activities for the whole family - which often includes the family dog as well. However, just like any other season, summer has its own hazards which you need to look out for such as sunburn, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. These are specific hazards that can threaten not only humans, but animals as well.

Unfortunately, many dogs are exposed to these serious dangers all too often. Dogs often get locked up in cars while their owner just "runs into the store for a minute". That "minute" (which is usually more like 10 to 20 minutes) can mean the difference between life and death for your pooch.

Don’t be regretful after something horrible happens. Take some simple precautions and actions to prevent these hazards from happening to your pet.

• Never leave your dog in the car without an air conditioner on. On a sunny day with an outside temperature of 77F (25C), the interior vehicle temperature can reach 96F (35.6C) within ten minutes. It’s the same even if you’ve parked your car in the shade with the windows cracked open. In twenty minutes it will reach a temperature of 106F (41.1c) and 110F (43.3C) within half an hour. No matter how good your intentions, most errands often take at least 10 minutes. While you're in a cool, air-conditioned environment, your dog could be dying of heat stroke. Leave your pet at home or leave the car running with the air conditioner turned on. (Carry an extra set of keys with you).



• At home, make sure your dog has a shaded area to lie in outside. If you're using a dog house, make sure it is also shaded and well ventilated. Any dog house will become extremely hot inside within a short period of time if the sun is beating directly upon it.



• Keep your dog in the house during the hottest part of the day.



• Make sure your dog has access to cool, clean drinking water during the day. Place the water dish in the shade, not in direct sunlight. Change the water often as you don't want it to become stagnant.



• When traveling, even for short distances, bring a dish and some fresh bottled water to give to your dog as needed.



• If you tend to leave your dog outside most of the time, then provide a small child's wading pool filled with water. Place it in the shade as well. In this way, your pet can jump in and cool off as needed.



• When taking your dog for a walk, keep him on grassy areas. If you stop for any reason, make sure your dog stays on a grassy surface. Surfaces such as sidewalks, paved roads, rocky areas, and beach sand become extremely hot under the direct intense heat of the sun. You know how much these surfaces can burn your own feet. They can also burn your dog's pads as well!



• Don't travel with your dog in the back of an open truck. The surface is often metal and can seriously burn your dog's feet. On top of that, the metal gives off additional heat making it very hard for your dog to cool down. With the sun beating down on him severe sunburn can result, along with heat stroke. Put your dog in the cab of the truck or leave him at home.

Signs of Heat Stroke And What To Do About It

Taking these simple, common sense measures can make a huge difference for your dog. If your pet reaches a body temperature of between 105 to 100 degrees F you will most likely see signs of potential heat stroke. Here's what to watch out for:

Extreme panting

Labored breathing

Gums or eye membranes become a bright red

Highly fatigued

Possible collapse and unconsciousness

Potential seizures

If your dog displays any of these symptoms, get him out of the heat immediately and into the shade. Use cool wet towels to bring down his temperature. If possible, place him in a tub of cool (NOT COLD) water. Do not use very cold water or ice as these will constrict the blood vessels and won't allow your dog's body to release the heat. Take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Heat stroke is very serious and should be considered an emergency situation.

(c) 2007, Rose Smith. Explore the benefits of natural dog health care. Find information on topics such as: dog nutrition, dog health problems and solutions, grooming, behaviour training and more. Be sure to visit us today at http://www.caringforcanines.com