DogWatch of Central Florida

Introduction

Friday, May 28, 2010

Hip Dysplasia

Signs of Hip Dysplasia

Hip dysplasia starts when a dog is young. The condition means that the bones in the hip joint don’t fit quite right and might be misshapen, leading to abnormal movement and wear and tear on the joint.

Young puppies may run with an odd gait, with both hind legs running together. Some run with a “bunny hop.” Others may limp.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Food Allergies and Dogs

Adam’s new Siberian husky puppy had trouble keeping her food down, and when she finally did keep it down, she then had diarrhea.

Food allergies or intolerance to particular elements in dog foods, is the third most common cause of allergies for dogs. Food allergies affect all breeds, both genders, and can even suddenly show up years into a dog’s life.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Understanding Flea & Ticks

Overview
Fleas and ticks may pose a very real threat to the health and comfort of your pet. In addition to extreme discomfort, fleas and ticks can also cause serious health problems in pets and people. Don't compromise your pets health.
 

Fleas & Ticks

FLEAS

Few creatures can inflict more misery, ounce for ounce, than fleas. These tiny, almost-invisible pests can make life miserable and disrupt your household with a vicious cycle of biting and scratching. Fleas may also cause flea allergy dermatitis in some pets and may be carriers of dangerous diseases.

TICKS

Often too tiny to be seen, ticks attach to pets and feed on blood until they are engorged. They thrive in high humidity and moderate temperatures, but can be found all over the country. Ticks may carry and transmit diseases, including Lyme disease, that can cause serious health problems for pets and people.

Where Fleas Hide

While most adult fleas are visible there are plenty of places for them to hide that you may not be aware of. Fleas hide in your carpet, bedding, around baseboards, cracks in floors and in hard to reach areas. The flea can live for about a month without even feeding from your pet. Instead it will feed on dirt, debris and body waste. Fleas will live outside in areas that have a lot of weeds, grass or piled debris. Fleas can also be commonly found in sidewalk cracks. When fleas infest your pet they will hide around your pets ears, between paws, in armpits, skin folds, and at the base of their tail.
Warning Signs

Here are some typical warning signs that you pet may indicate that your pet has fleas

  • Scratching or rubbing excessively against objects to gain relief from the bitten area.
  • Bacterial infections can be developed from flea bites and may need to be treated with antibiotics.
  • Excessive licking to soothe irritated areas where your pet has been bit.
  • Tape worms can be developed from injesting just one single flea.
  • Flea Dirt may be visible on your pet or in their bedding, this is the dried blood excreted from the adult flea.
  • Flea Allergy Dermatitis can be developed in the event that your pet has an allergic reaction to the saliva that goes into your pet’s skin when the flea bites it. You may notice scabs or bumps on your pet’s back or neck.

How to Prevent Flea & Ticks


Applying a once monthly topical or oral flea treatment will not only kill your pet's fleas, it will prevent a possible reinfestation from occurring. Always try and make sure that you keep all areas of your house and yard that you or your pet uses clean. As your pet walks fleas are able to hop on or off and eggs can fall of into grooves in your flooring or onto the carpet. Vacuuming on a regular basis is important as fleas will hide in your carpet while waiting for a pet to feed off of. Try to change your pet’s bedding as frequently as possible as this is a hospitable environment for fleas to live and feed off your pet while they are at rest. If it is machine washable bed, wash it in the hottest water allowable by the manufacturer.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

First Aid: Treating a Dog’s Laceration


As your dog approaches you, you notice that he’s limping and bleeding. You notice an open wound on his leg. Do you know what to do?

A laceration is an open cut wound and dogs can get them from other dogs as bite wounds or from having been hit with something, even hit by a car.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Epilepsy in Dogs

Dogs that suffer from seizures may have a condition called epilepsy. Epilepsy can be inherited or can be caused by outside factors. Idiopathic epilepsy is the condition that is thought to be inherited (genetic), and secondary epilepsy is the condition for which the seizures are caused by something else like an infection or a toxin.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010













Our StoryGolden Doodle PuppiesMeet The ParentsAbout Golden DoodlesVideo PlayerPhoto GalleriesDonate NowContact UsHome

Barnyard Ventures is  breeding Golden Doodles and from each litter a service dog is developed for a needy Veteran and given to him/her as a gift. Their business is set up as a charity, enabling people to give to the cause. The other pets in the litters are available for adoption, and the donation for the pet is tax deductible. Tony is a disabled Marine and uses one of the dogs as his service dog. Please see the video and the website for the most complete understanding of their charity.

For the dogs delivered throughout Central Florida DogWatch of Central Florida, LLC will give the owners a $50 discount off of their fence purchase and will donate $50 to Barnyard Ventures when they have a fence installed

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Animal Rescue Shelter Pet Stamps

Starting April 30th you can buy stamps at the post office that help to buy food for shelter pets. You can pre-order them online. I think this would be a great thing to spread around. Could you please forward to your contacts?

Click here for more information

These Stamps Are Something to Wag At
Photographer Sally Anderson-Bruce found these beautiful, adopted pets in her hometown of New Milford, Connecticut. Each of these animals was given a good home thanks to animal rescue shelters and the families who adopted them.