First Aid

All I could hear was the buzz of a thousand bees as I parted my way through a deep thicket of Heracleum lanatum, a tall, broad-leaved member of the parsley family commonly known as cow parsnip." The big

If your dog has been diagnosed with a joint disease such as arthritis, then youre probably no stranger to the world of joint supplements for dogs. Just visit your local pet store, and you will see that options abound. The choices can be confusing. There are chews, powders, and even diets that claim to improve canine joint disease. But which of these supplements are legitimate, and how can you tell?

As we learned in our independent research and from meeting with multiple veterinary surgeons, the TPLO surgery has become the gold-standard treatment for this kind of knee injury, especially in very large, strong, young, athletic dogs. While waiting for Sirius growth plates to close, we saw firsthand how conservative management worked - and then didnt. We were looking for a treatment option that gave Sirius the best chance at the kind of fun and normal life she deserved, one that would allow her to return to the activities and sports training that she loved.

A dog's minor injuries like small abrasions will heal faster if kept clean. Natural antiseptics can provide a way to keep injuries clean without the pain associated with antiseptics like alcohol.

Summer is a great time to be a dog owner. Long warm days mean plenty of outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, and playing. It’s...

A muscle strain here, a pulled ligament there, a sprain, a bruise pretty soon we're talking about serious problems. Canine sports injuries are increasingly common, but there is much you can do to catch them early, treat them correctly, and reduce the risk of your dog getting badly hurt, needing surgery, or having to retire from competition.

Just like a good skunking doesnt stop most dogs from going after those black-and-white critters again the next time (darn it!), there are many dogs who seem goaded into more intense bee-chasing behavior after an unfortunate encounter of the stinging kind. Conversely, there are also dogs who become literally phobic about all small, flying creatures after a stinging incident. Then there are those who develop an obsessive-compulsive behavior known as fly-snapping.

The esophagus is a muscular, distensible organ that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Megaesophagus is a common disorder in dogs that describes slow motility with resultant dilation of the esophagus. As a result of hypomotility, food will pool in the esophagus and stretch it. The stretching leads to damage to the nerves. This worsens hypomotility - a vicious cycle.

Although neem oil is considered safe for topical applications on most dogs, ingesting neem oil can result in excessive drooling or vomiting. If using neem oil as a pest control measure or a topical treatment it is important to prevent your dog from licking or swallowing it.

Calendula Officinalis (also known as the Marigold plant, but usually called calendula) and hypericum (also known as Saint John's Wort), are very safe, yet incredibly effective at cleaning the site of an injury and encouraging the body to heal. Homeopathic and herbal preparations of calendula and hypericum have proved invaluable in modern-day holistic dog care. In fact, it's difficult to find an herbal wound preparation that does not contain some form of one or both of these potent plants.

Hives, wheals, and welts are a moderate reaction to stings. Just like their human counterparts, dogs who have been stung can break out in unsightly hives. These are usually very itchy and uncomfortable. The first sign often noticed is the dog rubbing along furniture or scratching at the face and eyes. The hives may manifest as bright red streaks or lumps all over the body or be confined to a single place.

Learning your dog’s normal vitals – temperature, pulse, and respiration – is useful for detecting health problems or tracking your dog’s response to medication. It is also good information to provide when calling your veterinarian or an emergency clinic to make an urgent appointment .