PurinaCare Pet Insurance Blog

Teaching Your Dog to Come When Called

One of the most important parts of being a good dog parent is teaching your dog to come when called. I say this from experience. My first two dogs came whenever I called no matter what. I had spent weeks training them the basics: to come when called, to sit on command, to lie down, give me their paw, and to stay in place.

Carmie, my dear beloved puppy who is no longer with us (pictured here - I use her pic as my placeholder now), rarely came when she was called. This caused unending amounts of stress in our household. The reason she never obeyed this command (altho she was quite good with all the others) is because I don't think we taught her to come, when she was a puppy. She was my son's dog - and he was too young and too uninterested in actually training her, back when she was a puppy. Her training was all hit and miss. As this article says, "An untrained dog is an insecure dog that does not know what is expected of it."

What Will Happen To Your Pets if You... Disappear?

As a member of the baby boomer generation, I'm pitched daily on life insurance, funeral services, vitamins, and notices from AARP. The only one I pay any attention to is AARP - because it's a familiar name and I'm thinking maybe I should break down and join.

Recently there was a campaign on Twitter to help find a home for a wonderful German Shepard named Darby. Darby, who is about seven, I think, was left homeless when her beloved own went on vacation ... and passed away while he was gone. There were no plans made for Darby's care, other than the plans he'd put together for care during his vacation.

Celebrating the 4th with your pets

Personally, the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. The other is Thanksgiving. Both involve family, food, and lots of fun. This year we're not doing so much...yardwork and housework are the tasks of the day, but in the past, this long weekend has always involved picnics, the beach, and, of course, fireworks.

No doubt you've been instructed by many other pet bloggers and even veterinarians on how to handle the issue of fireworks and pets. Most pets don't like the noise (and, neither do little kids and babies, many times). So, the best bet is to leave your pet home, if you're going downtown or to the Town Hall for the fireworks. But, pay heed to this story from the HSUS about a dog that got loose while the family was gone and...tragedy resulted. IF fireworks are being set off close to home, confine your pet in a seculed room they are comfortable in, and reassure them now and then that all is ok.

New Vaccine for Canine Flu

Some of you may have never heard of canine influenza. It is a relatively new disease having been identified just a few years ago in 2005. You may recall some mysterious deaths of Greyhounds at a Florida race track back in 2004. It was a real mystery for a while with over thirty dogs dying of a strange new respiratory disease.

It turns out that this virus mutated from the Equine influenza virus that has been a problem in horses for decades. The mutation allowed this virus to be able to cause disease in dogs.

 

It is mainly a problem in closely confined dogs like those at the race track. It is spread via contact with infected nasal secretions. Dogs can spread it among themselves merely by close contact and it can also be spread by people moving between infected dogs and by contaminated objects. The virus is not capable of causing disease in people though.

Why Does My Dog Shed so Much?

If there is one thing that irritates dog owners more than anything else, it's probably shedding. Finding clumps of dog hair in the corners with the dust bunnies or stuck all over the couch, car, carpet or bed is a constant source of complaint. Even short-haired dogs seem to shed enormous amounts of hair. Comet, my sister-in-law Kari's Pug, sheds like a champ.

The bad news is that all dogs shed. Some shed more than others but only the American Hairless Terrier or the Chinese Crested don't shed. 

 

The good news is that there are many things you can do to keep the unwanted hair around the house to a minimum. You can get one of the breeds that sheds less than others. President Obama's dog, Bo is a good example.

 

He's a Portuguese Water Dog and like Poodles, Bishons, and some Terriers, he'll leave less hair around the house. You may need to take these types of dogs to the groomer every once in a while, but they have the hair type that is less likely to end up on your sweater than other dogs. You also have to be on the lookout for mats with these types of dogs.

Our Pampered Pets

My wife, Chris, and I are on our way north to rendezvous with some Montana friends in Glacier National Park. We spent a nigh on the Navajo reservation in Chinle Arizona outside of Canyon De Chelly National Monument. It's a weird place, part ancient history of the Southwest, part dismal life on a contemporary reservation.

We were struck by the contrast and dismayed by the condition of all the dogs and cats we saw. We just aren't used to seeing pets in these conditions. We are used to dealing with excess in most places in the US. If I see a really skinny dog, I immediately think: disease. A pancreatic enzyme deficiency or some chronic infiltrative intestinal disease that prevents the absorption of nutrients would lead to a skinny dog. But what if all the dogs were skinny? 

Adoption Time at the local Humane Society

  Here in Rochester, NY our local Humane Society is called "Lollypop Farm." I have to investigate to find out the history behind that name, but for now, I wanted to mention that this month (June) at Lollypop Farm  - for local readers - the organization is celebrating its annual Adopt-a-Cat event. And, to be really friendly about it, they're offering lots of goodies to go along with the adoptions.

For instance - until June 30th, if you adopt a cat at the Lollypop Farm facility, or at The Mall at GreeceRidge, or at PetSmart in Henrietta, here's what you get with your new kitty:

• Spaying or neutering
• Feline leukemia testing
• Vaccinations and deworming
• Certificate for a free health exam
• Microchipping

...and that's not all...

Friday's Feature: Basenji, the Barkless Dog

From the Pet Health Library Reference Desk -

I may be hooked on the Breeds section! As with the cat breeds, you can separately view the list of dog breeds with photos.

This week I want to introduce you to the Basenji, a truly ancient breed of dogs said to have originated 6,000 years ago!

The Basenji personality description includes,

"Loves to play and will entice you to join by rubbing a paw over its ear and down its face like a cat."

If that's not unusual enough, these dogs can't bark, but they do make noises ... find out more in the Pet Health Library article!

Talking Dogs

We just saw the movie "UP" by Disney/ Pixar, in 3D. Great movie for families! In the movie, an "adventurer" goes off in pursuit of a giant bird, and is followed by an old man with a dream. To make the movie really fun, a young boy, a wilderness explorer (think Boy Scout) hitches a ride with the old man. I'm sure you've seen the trailor where the old man sets his house afloat into the ozone with hundreds of helium filled balloons.

Well, when the old man and the boy get to the mysterious land the old adventurer talked about years before, they encounter not only the mysterious big bird (don't think Sesame Street), they also encounter a talking dog. That's right...a talking dog.

PurinaCare® Podcasts: From the Claims Files Kidney Disease in Cats

In this episode, Dr. Bill and Dr. Larry talk some more about the value of pet health insurance when your pet suffers from a chronic condition that requires life-long monitoring and treatment. The example here is from a claim for a 13 year old cat diagnosed with kidney disease.

Dr. Bill gives another example from his personal experience with his own cat that lived with chronic kidney disease from age 15 to 20 years!