Hub of dog information guidelines for dog lovers and friends with paws !!

Breed Quiz !

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:55:00 +0000

Lets have a Breed Quiz on Dailybarks !

I'll be asking some questions on Dog breeds and lets see who gets the answers quickest. Post a comment with your answers. You can also tweet your answers to @dailybarks

What is the fastest dog breed?
A. Whippet
B. Greyhound
C. Golden Retreiver
D. Any type of Lab

Where did Pugs originate?
A. Holland
B. Germany
C. China
D. England

What Breed is this?

A. Boston Terrier
B. Cocker Spaniel
C. Labrador
D. German Shepherd

Name this breed.

A. Beagle
B. Basset Hound
C. Chesapeake
D. Boston Terrier

Pets are your kids.. Take care

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:50:00 +0000

The great man of India, Mahatma Gandhi once said - “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” We must know that, by just having a pet at home doesn't really make us pet lovers. They should be treated as we treat our children. Make your dog love you and not be scared of you.

Make sure that you do not use choke collars or prong collars to discipline your dogs. They can be only used by experienced dog-training professionals and if not used properly then they may cause considerable harm to a dog's health. The fact is that, in most situations you do not need to discipline your dogs in an aggressive way. If you yell or smack your dogs to make them obedient you are actually losing their loyalty and their friendship. These causes a lot of stress to your dogs and make it fearful and weary of you. That is not the ideal way you want your pet to be. Keeping a pet is a responsibility that most of us are not aware of. The best part is that, if a dog is trained without force and with a lot of love an affection then they have a better chance to learn the tricks that are taught and be obedient to their owners. So, please take very good care of your dogs and do not let them go away from you emotionally.

Adopt-A-Dog Month !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:17:00 +0000

I was so excited to know about the "Adopt-A-Dog Month" that's being celebrated by the American Humane Association. The recession has taken its toll on pet parentage and the shelter kennels are flowing with orphaned pets. Companionship, better physical and emotional health, social interaction and devoted love are just a few of the big benefits of having a dog. Dogs encourage people to exercise, enhance family and social relationships, promote laughter and act as a nonjudgmental audience and sounding board.

But adopting a dog shouldn't be a hasty decision. A dog can live 15 years or longer. So one should calculate their age 15 years hence and be sure that they yearn for their pets that long. One should also think about the finances since adopting a dog will incur new costs. Ask yourself these questions and make sure that you are very sure about adopting a fur kid.

New Breed of Rescue Dogs !

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:11:00 +0000

The monopoly of German Shepherds have been breached finally. They were and still are the best breed of dogs to help in a search operation. But because of their intimidating size they often scare off the vulnerable people who need help. So, they had to make way to the more gentle looking yet equally effective breed of new rescue dogs, Springer Spaniels.

The police force in Devon and Cornwall has trained 3 Springer Spaniels to aid in search and rescue operations. They got the dogs as puppies from local breeders and trained them to recognize human scent. From July onwards the dogs have already taken part in a number of rescues, including that of a young man found in open countryside at night after he ran away from home.

The inspectors in the police force say that these spaniels are trained to bark when they find someone; they run backwards and forwards between the person and their handler, eventually leading the handler to their find.

Tips on crate training...

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Not all dogs are amenable to the idea of a crate. But if you can instill in them a love for this, it will save you from many unwanted hassles.

Check out tips on crate training:

Initially give him a feeling that he can any time escape from the crate by keeping the door always opened. He should not get an impression that it is a confinement or an enclosure. Also keep giving him delicious treats from time to time. Chew toys can also do wonders. Some dogs will not be eager to go inside the crate in the beginning. So, for them you can keep the treats just outside the crate. When he goes in don’t close the door. Rather make him accustomed to some cue words so that when he hears it the next time he darts into the crate involuntarily.
When he steps into the crate in search of delectables, close the door for only a few seconds. Make it a point to open the door before he begins to get restless.
Increase the duration slowly. If he starts crying and yelling don’t open the door immediately for your pet will start assuming that he can induce you into opening the door by whining. Instead try to calm your pet down. When he does let him out. But if he continues to be unruly and restless distract him with toys or with some welcome noise like a clap of hands or a tap on the wall. Once he stops whining open the door and let him out.

The number of days he’ll take to get crate trained actually depends upon the dog itself. Some take hardly 2-3 days while others may take longer. So, the best solution is to stay cool and focused.

One more Doggy Gag !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:48:00 +0000

One more Gag video. I just loved it. I got just 3 videos folks !! Aren't you guys eager to share your dog's video with us. Now, cmmon and hurry up.. Pour in the links so that we can post them here :-)

Send me Dog Gag videos !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:21:00 +0000

Dogs are hot favorites for gag videos. Please send me a funny gag video of your dog so that I can out it up on my blog. mail me: dogloversroom@gmail.com

The best video owner every week, would get a free help from me for their web efforts.

Enjoy this video...

Best Breeds !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 08:27:00 +0000

It could be a great idea to bring home a new friend this winter to make your prolonged indoor stays fun and interesting. Get help from the list below to chose your breed. The list figures the brightest breeds of dogs according to their rank of obedience. The Rank Matrix :

Ranks	Understanding New Commands	Obey First Command
1-10	Less than 5 repetitions	95% or better
11-26	5 to 15 repetitions	85% or better
27-39	15 to 25 repetitions	70% or better
40-54	25 to 40 repetitions	50% or better
55-69	40 to 80 repetitions	30% or better
70-79	80 to 100 repetitions	25% or worse

Border Collie
Poodle
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Doberman Pinscher
Shetland Sheepdog
Labrador Retriever
Papillon
Rottweiler
Australian Cattle Dog
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Miniature Schnauzer
English Springer Spaniel
Belgian Tervuren
Schipperke, Belgian Sheepdog
Collie, Keeshond
German Shorthaired Pointer
Flat-Coated Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel, Standard Schnauzer
Brittany
Cocker Spaniel
Weimaraner
Belgian Malinois, Bernese Mountain Dog
Pomeranian
Irish Water Spaniel
Vizsla
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Puli, Yorkshire Terrier
Giant Schnauzer
Airedale Terrier, Bouvier Des Flandres
Border Terrier, Briard
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Manchester Terrier
Samoyed
Field Spaniel, Newfoundland, Australian Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Gordon Setter, Bearded Collie
Cairn Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Irish Setter
Norwegian Elkhound
Affenpincher, Silky Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, English Setter, Pharaoh Hound, Clumber Spaniel
Norwich Terrier
Dalmatian
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Smooth Fox Terrier
Curly-Coated Retriever, Irish Wolfhound
Kuvasz, Australian Shepherd
Saluki, Finnish Spitz, Pointer
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, German Wirehaired Pointer, Black & Tan Coonhound, American Water Spaniel
Siberian Husky, Bichon Frise, English Toy Spaniel
Tibetan Spaniel, English Foxhound, Otterhound, American Foxhound, Greyhound, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
West Highland White Terrier, Scottish Deerhound
Boxer, Great Dane
Dachshund, Stafforshire Bull Terrier
Alaskan Malamute
Whippet, Chinese Shar-pei, Wire Fox Terrier
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Ibizan Hound, Welsh Terrier, Irish Terrier
Boston Terrier, Akita
Skye Terrier
Norfolk Terrier, Sealyham Terrier
Pug
French Bulldog
Brussels Griffon, Maltese
Italian Greyhound
Chinese Crested
Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Tibetan Terrier, Japanese Chin, Lakeland Terrier
Old English Sheepdog
Great Pyrenees
Scottish Terrier, Saint Bernard
Bull Terrier
Chihuahua
Lhasa Apso
Bullmastiff
Shih Tzu
Basset Hound
Mastiff, Beagle
Pekingese
Bloodhound
Borzoi
Chow Chow
Bulldog
Basenji
Afghan Hound

Mathametician Doggy !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Another in the series of amazing doggy videos. Check this one out. Your doggy is your calculator. Now, see this to believe this.. Pass on the link if you like it, and I bet you would ;-)

A Handy Checklist for Welcoming Puppies !

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:44:00 +0000

With all the talk about puppies in the last few posts. I thought of penning a quick checklist for a newborn puppy.

A crate for your little puppy would be like welcoming them home.
A crate pad or soft bedding would ensure that the puppies have a sound sleep all throughout their initial 3-4 weeks before they gain their vision.
Stainless steel water and food bowls. These cannot be chewed !
Light and thin nylon Collars and Leads suitable for a puppy should be kept handy. Puppies should get used to these right from their young age.
You will need to teach your puppy that its toys are the best things to chew on, not the sofa or your furniture! So keeo handy some puppy toys, tennis balls and other fun but safe toys.
Talk with your breeder to get the right food for your puppy and slowly change to your choice of food after the 4th week.
A good quality brush to groom your puppy.
Poop Scooper and bags. Ahh !! Very very important.
Its good to start with a toothbrush early so he accepts it as normal.
You all have the luxury now to use Wee Wee Pads to absorb the odd little toilet accident your puppy may have.
And a camera. All those cute shots are waiting for your click !

Hand-Rearing a Puppy

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:59:00 +0000

Whatever the reason, hand-rearing a puppy is an intensive endeavour, but it can be very rewarding. To be successful, it is important to know a little about what constitutes normal nutrition for newborn puppies.

The first nutrition all puppies require at birth is colostrum, the specialized milk produced by the bitch the first one to two days after whelping. Colostrum provides the puppy with protective antibodies, and it is extremely high in calories, protein and vitamins. Therefore, it is critical that a puppy nurse within the first 12 to 24 hours to obtain the important benefits of colostrum. After the short period of colostrum production, the puppy's caloric, protein, fat, vitamin, mineral and water requirements must be met by a steady supply of nutritionally balanced milk. Under normal circumstances, the puppy's requirements for all these nutrients are matched perfectly by the nutritional content of bitch's milk.

Sometimes hand-rearing will be complicated by problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, bloating or aspiration of food. If any of these occur, examine the following aspects of your feeding methods:

Feeding position. The puppy should not overextend its head during feeding. This increases the risk of aspiration.
Temperature of the food. Make sure that food is at body temperature when feeding. Cold food can cause vomiting, but food that is too hot can burn the puppy's mouth.
Speed. Watch out for feeding too quickly. Rapid feeding by tube can cause vomiting or bloating. Infuse the milk over one to two minutes.
Mixing the milk replacer. If the milk replacer is not mixed according to directions, it may be too concentrated (which can lead to vomiting, bloating and diarrhea), or too diluted (which means you will have to feed more to supply more calories).
Total amount. Overfeeding can also cause problems. If there is resistance during tube-feeding, this usually means the stomach is full. Avoid overfeeding, especially at the beginning. If the puppy is not gaining adequate weight, you can always increase the amount you are feeding. This is easier than dealing with the consequences of overfeeding, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or aspiration. On the other hand, to avoid underfeeding you must make sure the puppy is gaining weight adequately, as discussed above.
Hygiene. In order to prevent infections that can cause vomiting or diarrhoea, it is especially important for puppies to have a clean environment. Be sure to carefully wash all feeding equipment, mixing only enough replacer to last for 24 hours and refrigerating any unused quantities.
Underlying problems. If you have double-checked all of the above, consider taking the puppy to your veterinarian to make sure there is not an underlying problem.

Pet sitter- a loving angel for your dog!!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:15:00 +0000

We are proud whilst saying that our pets are our children. But do we really provide them ALL that we festoon our children with? For instance, can you ever imagine leaving your child alone at home while you are away? But we never think twice about leaving your doggie at home while we are away. It is sad that we end up making these mistakes though we are not aware of it.

But thankfully, there are many families who don’t believe in following such double standards. They simply opt for pet sitters. Just as you would find a good number of people offering baby sitting services, a pet sitter is an individual with sufficient degree and skills on pet sitting. Mind you a pet sitter is not just a person who would provide water and food to your dog; he is a professional who rightly knows what your dog needs. It is best recommended to hire a pet sitter upon recommendation of your veterinarian. You can also browse across the "Pet sitting" section of yellow pages yourself. Before you hire a pet sitter it is important to go through the following checklist of criteria that you should consider.

He should have professional qualification on pet sitting service.
He should possess adequate skills with regard to pet grooming, dog walking and playing with dogs.
Make sure that your dog actually likes him and is comfortable in his company.
He should be equipped with a commercial liability insurance that would cover up accidents, negligence, and mistakes committed on his part during service.
In case he is absent or on leave, he should be able to provide a back up support by referring another pet sitter who could be substituted for the day.
He should provide a written service contract that would clearly outline his service and compensation.
Last but never the least; ask the phone numbers of clients he had previously worked for checking references.

Train your Pup and your Doggy is trained !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Keeping with training of dogs, lets take a back step and talk about training puppies. Yes, the newly borns are the ones who need training right from their young age so that they became finely trained grown up dogs of the future.

To train a puppy, never let him have the opportunity to toilet indoors. If you can achieve this for just a few weeks, and couple it with taking your pup outside every hour and after all meals, walks, training sessions, play sessions and sleep periods, rewarding extremely well when he toilets outside, you will quickly have a dog who is reliably and solidly housetrained. Punishing a dog for going in the house is an ineffective method of training this, they will learn any number of messages, but these are never 'do not toilet in the house', they are "do not toilet in front of me for I will punish you" which can lead to dogs running away and hiding to toilet, and "if I find a mess I will punish you" which generally causes dogs to cover up mess with household objects, eat mess and can also make any separation anxiety issues far far worse.

Basic commands such as sit, leave, down, etc can be taught using food rewards and hand signals, introducing the command when the dog understands the signal. It's very easy and avoids confusion. Simply lure the position you want (for sit, show the dog a small treat and then move your hand and the treat back over the dogs head so he has to sit to keep looking at it, immediately give the treat, as he gets the idea, introduce the word 'sit'), and then reward and then introduce the command. Another great method is clicker training where a click sound marks the exact behaviour you wanted, and tells the dog "yes, that's correct and you will get a treat". This is great in a number of ways, one is that the click always sounds the same, unlike your voice which will give away tiredness, anger, frustration etc, the other is that its much much faster to click and then give a treat later, than it is to try and give the dog the treat the very instant it performs the behaviour.

Another important aspect of raising a pup is to flood them with toys. Select toys your puppy will like, regardless of how they appeal to you. Varying textures within the same toy are often liked, toys that are designed to be pulled apart or stuffed with food go down a storm too. Avoid toys that can cause harm such as sticks that splinter, cooked bones that can splinter or cause impactions in the gut.

More on puppies in my later posts.

Eric Letendre : Good doggy man to follow !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:27:00 +0000

With the burdens of recession we have been losing time with our family. Our pets, who enjoyed a lot of leisure time with us before are now at their own leisure and with such laze its always a challenge to make your dog follow your command. I came across this website http://www.amazingdogtrainingman.com/ and was very impressed with the kind of knowledge that Eric Letendre has and imparts on the subject. His variety and interactivity makes this website a treasure for pet owners and amateur dog trainers. I would like to follow his work more closely and would recommend all to check out his website.

Check out this particular video on training your dog to pee and poop on command.

Help 'em see better

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:35:00 +0000

Eye diseases in Dogs are a major cause of concern. Its not only a very common disease but also on most occasions are hereditary. So. proper breeding is requiered for healthy dogs with proper vision. There are a variety of inherited diseases of the eye that can be serious to your dog’s health and can even lead to blindness. Fortunately, the Canine Eye Registry CERF has a registry for dogs that will be used for breeding. Buyers of pure-bred puppies should ask to see this certification. Any dog that you plan to breed should have its eyes examined by veterinary ophthalmologist, and then be registered with CERF.

Cataracts are a common problem with dogs which result from a hardening of the lens that causes it to become cloudy and block light from reaching the retina. The usual cause is old age and/or diabetes but juvenile cataracts are almost always hereditary. In severe cases the veterinarian can remove the lens to somewhat improve eyesight. This disease can affect all breeds and a large number of breeds are subject to juvenile cataracts.

Collie eye anomaly (CEA) is a problem with the blood supply to the retina that can result in a detached retina. Retinal detachment usually occurs before two years of age and will cause blindness in the affected eye. This disease can affect all collie breeds, including the Border collie, Rough and Smooth Collie, and the Shetland sheepdog.

Ectropion is an inherited disease where the lower eyelid sags, droops and rolls out exposing the interior of the eyeball. This exposure can lead to inflammation and conjunctivitis Mild cases can be treated with drops and ointments, while severe cases should be surgically corrected. This disease can be found in the American Cocker Spaniel, Basset hound, Bloodhound, Boxer, Bulldog, Bull terrier, Clumber spaniel, English cocker spaniel, English Springer spaniel, Gordon setter, Labrador retriever, and Shih Tzu. Although less common, ectropion can be found in giant breeds such as the Great Dane, Mastiff, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees.

Entropion is a condition where the eyelid, usually the lower, rolls or turns inward. This results in the eyelashes and fur irritating the cornea and can eventually cause vision problems. The problem is usually obvious by the time the dog reaches its first birthday and if it is severe should be surgically corrected. The problem is very common in the Chow chow, Bullmastiff, Mastiff and Shar-Pei. Entropion is also seen in the giant breeds such as the Bernese mountain dog, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland and Saint Bernard. The condition is also seen in a wide range of hounds, spaniels, toys, sporting and working breeds that are too numerous to list.

Glaucoma is an enlargement of the eye caused by a defect in the eye’s drainage capability which allows pressure to build up and impair vision. Treatment of glaucoma must be started as soon as it is detected in order to save the eye. Mild cases can be treated by medications but severe cases are painful and will require the removal of an eye. Dogs can adapt quite well to living with one eye or even without eyes. Primary glaucoma is usually inherited and is common in the: Alaskan malamute, American cocker spaniel, Basset hound, Beagle, Boston terrier, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Great Dane, Fox terrier (wire and smooth), Poodle (toy, miniature and standard), Samoyed, Siberian husky, and Welsh Springer spaniel.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is a hereditary disease which kills off the pigment cells in the center of the retina. Both eyes are affected and initially the dog cannot perceive stationary objects. As the disease progresses, the dog will experience night blindness and will not want to go outside at night and will start bumping into fixed objects. After a year or two the condition progresses until there is a complete loss of vision. There are two types of PRA – early onset which starts a few weeks after birth and later onset which starts after the dog’s first birthday.

I hope all this information will help you all to be more aware of your beloved pet. Ill be glad to help if you have any queries about your dog's health. Always, stay a healthy family.

Just Born !!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Our newly borns need and seek more care to help them grow strong and healthy. So, the pups too needs to be taken care of right after their birth. I am trying to put up as much information possible about raising puppies properly.

Puppies are born helpless. They are blind and can not stand. They sleep for ninety percent of the day and the other ten percent is spent nursing. Their eyes open about 13 to 15 days after birth and between 4 to 10 weeks the puppies become attached to their mother and siblings. Puppies should not be separated from their mothers until they are eight weeks old.

Once the puupies are 8 weeks old they should be taken to a veterinarian for a physical examination and to be given vaccinations. These include immunizations for:

distemper - viral disease that damages the liver

leptospirosis - bacterial disease that damages the liver

hepatitis - viral disease that damages the liver

parvovirus - harms the intestinal tract

parainfluenza - causes respiratory

rabies - attacks the nervous system

Lyme disease - bacterial infection that is transmitted by parasitic deer ticks

kennel cough - respiratory disease

coronavirus - targets the intestinal tract

roundworms - intestinal parasites

heartworm - damages heart tissue

Puppies should be feed three times a day and they should have plenty of fresh drinking water. When a puppy is six months old it should be spayed or neutered if it is a non breeding dog. Puppies need a clean sleeping box. This can be made with blankets or shredded paper. If your dog is an outside pet, he will need a warm doghouse with a dry, warm floor. The floor may be covered with cedar shavings, sawdust, or blankets. Outdoor dogs need shelter from the cold, rain, and sun. Indoor dogs must be taken outside regularly for elimination.

Stay out of Giardia...

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:51:00 +0000

Pets are next to our own children, albeit they are our children. Just as you would devote hours to festoon your child a healthy living environment, it is equally important to reserve the same treatment for your pets.

Off late Giardia happens to be one of the most deadly diseases affecting dogs as well as humans. The disease, better known as beaver fever stems out of "Giardia" parasites which brood over pond, puddles and unclean water bodies. It is believed that the parasite develops from feces of infected animals and drinking water from such infected ponds makes your dog succumb to the pitfalls of the diseases. The parasite is mainly found in ponds and other municipal water bodies and also in household water stored over a longer period. Dogs may develop the diseases even by licking the paws if they had a walk around the contaminated areas.

It is not really possible to keep dogs out of drinking zones; therefore it does make sense to go for a stool so as to detect if he had been affected by the parasite. Off late researchers and veterinarians have come up with Giardia vaccines that prevent pets from getting affected. It is better to consult your veterinarian to vaccinate your dog prior to development of the symptoms...as a little prevention is always better than cure.

Can your dog count?

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:53:00 +0000

Sometimes we are left absolutely spellbound by the extraordinary acts of our canine friends. We find it really hard to understand the logic behind this. But the 117th annual convention of American Psychological Association held in Toronto on Saturday provided a wonderful insight into the world of canine intelligence.

I was totally amazed to hear that dogs have the intelligence of a 2.5 years old human toddler. Stanley Coren, the researcher from the University of British Columbia in Canada has found that our paw pals have the ability to count up to 5, understand signals and also find errors in elementary arithmetic. Can you believe this? You would be even more stupefied to learn that dogs can also understand up to 165 words and also operate simple machines, he said.

But this is not enough. He believes it is the same intelligence that helps him to deceive humans during play games However, not all dogs are as intelligent as their counterparts. Coren has attributed this to the various factors like their breed, the environment in which they grow up, the kind of people they interact with and also the type of training they receive. Coren has ranked dogs according to their intelligence like Border Collies, Poodles, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Doberman, Shetland Sheepdogs and Labrador Retrievers respectively.

This is also the reason why dogs have such a powerful capability to sniff things out. This not only helps them in locating food, it also empowers them with the weapon to find out routes, explained Coren.

I must laud Stanley Coren for this insightful research. He has compiled his findings in a book called ‘How Dogs Think’. This is a book that opens up many unknown facets about our paw pals. So I think it is a must read for all dog lovers.

(Picture Source: Google)

Canine research gets new boost!!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:17:00 +0000

Whenever I read about cancer, I always try to look up google for the latest treatment innovations. But every time I have to be contented with the fact that though potential research is on track, something substantial and qualitative is yet to be unearthed.

But the other day when I came across the news of Batman my joy knew no bounds. He is a 13-year old German shepherd mix, who has been cured of ‘glioma’, a deadly brain tumor.

This is actually part of a clinical trial pioneered by the College of Veterinary Medicine in collaboration with Masonic Cancer Center. After the success story of Batman, they have enrolled quite a few canine patients all suffering from brain tumors. They would be treated free of cost.

Batman was diagnosed with the tumor about a year ago and underwent surgery. Wednesday was his final visit to Dr G. Elizabeth Pluhar, the leading veterinary surgeon at the hospital for a brain scan. One year after the surgery, he is free of the disease and no reports of recurrence have been found.

This is indeed miraculous since dogs diagnosed with gliomas don’t live beyond a month, confessed the doctor. After the surgery, Batman was treated with gene therapy and anti-cancer vaccine.

This is a new vaccine which has been developed by the leading researcher at the University of Minnesota, John Olfest. It has been made from the dead tumor cells of Batman. The custom made vaccine is expected to enhance immune response in the patient.

Further investigations are on and this is expected to throw light in the sphere of academic/clinical human oncology.

Share a smile..

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:17:00 +0000

A few days back I was a little messed up with my daily tidbits. My sweet lil' pug had developed "Panosteitis" that had him limping for a while. As I was browsing across the net to get some more info. 'bout pug care, I just stumbled upon this video in Youtube. Its just one of its kind... just thought of sharing it here with you all...

In search of a home..

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:47:00 +0000

There is some hope for 'ET', the world's ugliest dog at last. Relief Management Stations in Britain have published advertisements in the media inviting people or organizations to come forward and adopt 'ET'. It is one of the 27 Mexican hairless dogs in Britain.

'ET' has a striking resemblance to the character from Spielberg's world-renowned movie "Extra Terrestrial" and hence the name. The dog has the head of a dwarf mongoose and the body like that of a pig. Despite its celebrity status, no body was willing to adopt it.

Let's pray to God that 'ET' finds a shelter for himself.

Do the knee joints bother your dog?

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Over a span of few decades Arthritis has been reported as one of the most common join dysfunction affecting humans. It is strange enough that Arthritis is not only dominant in humans but also among animate beings. Dogs too are reported to have been affected with degenerative knee joints which in every way retards its healthy living.

If we take a closer look at the possible causes that might trigger Osteoarthritis in dogs, the answer is Obesity. It places additional stress on joints which leads to joint degeneration at very early stages of their lives. It is excessive stress of the joints that cause inflammation and further accelerates the joint degeneration process. One of the beat ways to ensure better health of your dog is to ensure that he gets adequate amount of rest. This helps in decreasing inflammation and strengthens the joint structure. However, it should be borne in mind that excessive rest results in dogs becoming obese and makes the legs literally dysfunctional. It is better to consult a veterinarian to assess the exact amount of rest your dog may be in need of. The veterinarian may also prescribe certain medicinal drugs that would provide him some amount of relief from the pain.

In case the above techniques do not bear fruit, you may have to opt for a surgery procedure to restore the joint functionality. This may involve insertion of prosthetic device or even removal of joint debris. However the surgery procedure is complicated and is never recommended to treat arthritis at its initial stages.

Funny Dogs!!

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:04:00 +0000

Check this out..

Three best flea fighting ideas..

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:06:00 +0000

A few days back I noticed Fido behaving in a little strange way. He seemed exasperated; it felt that there was some kind of issue bugging him deep down that he was not able to explain. I just thought it was time to make an appointment with the vet.

To my utter disbelief, the doctor said that it was flees! Just imagine my disgust! However, he assured me saying that before I resort to any kind of medication it is better trying out some handy methods that may bear fruits. I just thought of summarizing the point and posting them here…

1. Firstly, you may wash your doggie with a dishwashing liquid. Once you’ve applied it over his body, keep it for five minutes and then rinse thoroughly. It does not put any harsh chemical and is clinically safe. Ideally this would benefit him a lot. But make sure that you repeat the process after every three days because the fleas hatch pretty soon.

2. Do not forget to clean the accessories. Even the carpets, bed covers and the door mat should be cleaned all over again.

3. Some medication techniques advise on using insect growth regulator which arrests the growth of larvae and it does not let develop into an adult.

And finally if none of those techniques give you result, go for some advanced medication after consulting with the Veterinarian.

Healthy oral habits..

noreply@blogger.com (doglover) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:33:00 +0000

They say cleanliness leads to godliness. This not only applies to you but to your pets as well. Maintaining a good oral health is very essential for your pet’s overall well being. So here is a quick checklist for you.

Things to practice:

1. Give him plenty of chewies. It will help break up the plaque and keep his teeth strong and also prevent bacterial infections.

2. Give him dry, crunchy and nutritionally balanced meals.

Things to avoid:

1. Never give him bones and joints. It might be a good way to keep his teeth clean, but your friend runs a risk of sustaining injuries of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract from bone splinters. Sometimes bits of bone can also get stuck in his windpipe causing extreme respiratory distress.

2. Avoid soft foods because they can lead to mouth decay and tooth infections as early as 4 years of age.

So, keeping their teeth clean is our foremost responsibility because healthy teeth and gum are the key to a sound body and mind.