Pacemakers for Dogs? More Common Than You Think

Here's a very interesting article about dogs receiving pacemakers. Some dogs as they get older may inexplicably slow down or have sinus related problems. In some of these cases the condition is known as "Heart Block."

Heart Block can cause sudden death in dogs. A possible way to treat it is by a vet that specializes in canine cardiology implanting a pacemaker. Little known, dogs have been receiving pacemakers since 1967! Very few people are aware of this but it's more common than we think for a dog to receive a pacemaker.

If you have an older dog that seems to be seriously slowing down for no apparent reason you might get the dog checked for these conditions. In the case featured in this article, the cost of implanting a pacemaker was over $5K so it's not a quick, easy cheap procedure.

Read more about dogs receiving pacemakers here at BusinessWeek.

Debark Your Dog?

We all know of dogs who can't stop barking. I used to have one, a terrier mix who saw every stranger or other dog as a threat. He would bark constantly to warn and ward them off. There are pros who teach owners how to deal with dogs who bark too much.

But, some owners choose to take the drastic route of having their dog's vocal cords cut to cut out the barking. I would never do such a thing and would discourage anyone else from doing it. Some owners choose to do this as opposed to moving to a new location or investigating how to deal with the problem.

Article on dog owners who have had their dogs "Debarked." at the New York Times.

Annual Westminster Dog Show

The annual Westminster Dog Show, the largest dog show in the U.S. will be taking place on February 15th and 16th this year. All dog fans love this show-it's the academy awards for dogs!

All dog lovers have their fav breeds and groups and they're all on parade at the AKC sponsored show that takes place in NYC's Madison Square Garden.

There are 3 new breeds included in the line up this year:

* The Irish Red and White Setter-a beautiful dog!

* The Norwegian Buhund-Vikings will love this breed.

* The Pyrenean Shepard.-A French Herding dog.

Catch this show and enjoy two nights of the prettiest dogs in the world.

Visit the Westminster 2010 Dog Show Site Here.

Man vs Dog Walking Companions-Dogs Win!

An interesting study done at an assisted living home shows the people who walked with dogs had a 28% increase in speed compared to just 4% when walking with other people. When walking with human companions, the participants would look for reasons to stop the walks. The people who walked dogs were much more likely to continue the walks. They reported feeling more physically fit also.

More on this study here at the New York Times.

FDA-Throw Away Merrick Beef Filet Squares!

The FDA is telling dog owners who have brought "Merrick Beef Filet Squares for dogs distributed by Merrick Pet Care with a package date of "Best By 111911" to throw them away as they may contain Salmonella.


More here at USAToday.

Autistic Boy Helped by Service Dog

Interesting story about how dogs have helped an autistic boy in Oregon become a little more stable. Educators say not every autistic child will respond positively to dogs but many will.

Read more about it here at Oregon Live.

New Poll Asks Americans-Dogs or Cats?

A new poll of Americans found that 74% liked dogs a lot and only 41% like cats a lot. Where's the surprise? Show me a service cat, a police cat or a war cat. Dogs are man's best friend for a reason. Not saying there aren't nice friendly lovable cats but sorry it's not even a competition!


Dogs VS Cats? The answer is obvious at The L.A. Times.

Dog App for iPhone: Touch Pets Dogs

For those of you who work all day and don't have time to take care of a dog yet really like dogs might consider taking care of a "Virtual Dog" on a new iPhone application called "Touch Pets Dogs."

You can take care of the dog, teach it tricks, pick out a new puppy, make it fetch, etc.

Well look at it this way, its free and No need to pick up hair and yard gifts!

Read about the iPhone app for dog lovers here at Wired.

Two-Legged Dog Inspires Handicapped Soldiers

Here's a great uplifting story of a dog who has to walk upright as a result being born without it's two front legs. This dog is a hero and a comfort to disabled soldiers.


Read the great story of the two-legged dog here at Yahoo News.

Photo by Anthony M. Tortoriello.

Chicago Residents Can Keep Their Dogs.....

Residents can have at least a 3-Dog-Night in Chicago now, for the time being. A rule that proposed a 5 dog limit isn't popular with residents or veterinarians. It would've forced dog owners to choose which dog(s) to get rid of! Yikes!

Story here at Ohmidog!