Listed below are articles on different subjects appertaining to your dog's health.
It is the aim of worldofdogs.cc to bring you as much information as possible to help you to look after your dog to the best of your ability.

Garlic & Brewers Yeast

Every summer dogs die.

They die in cars, they collapse in the street or die later at home.

Elderly and young dogs in particular need watching.

If your dog goes into heat stroke, he will not be able to drink enough water to cool his body down.

His life will be in danger.

You must immediately reduce the body temperature by dousing in cold water.
(You can use a hose pipe, bath, bucket etc.) then cover with a wet sheet and keep the sheet wet, do not let it dry out.

Then contact the nearest Veterinary Surgeon for further advice.

You must NEVER ever leave your dog in a car in hot weather.

It can be still very hot even though the sun isn't shining.

If at all possible, it is best not to leave your dog in the car, only for a very short time which means a matter of minutes with someone in the car with the dog. It is against the law to leave your dog in a car in hot weather.

Heat exhaustion means that the dog cannot cool his body down. Human beings can sweat, but the dog can only pant to bring his body heat down. Panting doesn�t always work. The dog then goes into heat stroke. The dog will show signs of distress and will be panting hard for air. This can happen at any time whether your dog is walking with you or playing ball or just running around with the children. Highly excitable dogs can run themselves to a point of collapse. You can walk your dog into heat stroke, so be vigilant when on holiday as you tend to exercise your dog more than normal and you tend to take him in the car to different venues.

Dogs overheat for various reasons.

One of the main reasons is taking them out in very hot weather.

It doesn't have to be bright sunshine, it is the heat in the atmosphere that causes the problem.

Dogs at risk are the elderly, the very young puppy and the working dog.

The fact is that every pet dog on a hot summers day can be at risk.

One of the modern ideas is the electrolyte drinks.
This was first brought in to help athletes to recover quickly from training or exercise.
This modern product is now being used to help dogs and horses.
It is not well publicised at the moment, but I would say that it is something you need to keep in your doggy box that goes with you when you take your dog out.
It is mixed with water and is easily digested.

HUMAN DRUGS CAN BE FATAL FOR DOGS

Unfortunately, as humans we tend to think that what is good for us is good for our pets.  There can be nothing farther from the truth.  The information below is to help you to understand that certain drugs for people are potentially fatal to a dog or a cat. 

There are a group of drugs called N.S.A.I.D.'s - Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs.  Aspirin is one of these. 
The Veterinary profession still cannot agree whether it is safe or not to give to your dog or cat.  An overdose of aspirin can cause gastric bleeding in dogs as it can in people. 
But it is especially toxic for pets.  Before the modern Veterinary drugs, aspirin was given to elderly dogs for rheumatism, but the dosage was always half to a quarter for small dogs, one to two for very large dogs.

The more modern N.S.A.I.D.'s such as Naproxin, Ibrufen to mention afew, are fine for humans, however, these drugs are known to be very poorly tolerated by dogs.  They can cause ulceration of the bowel lining and death follows slowly in nearly all cases.  

N.S.A.I.D.'s that are safe to use in dogs have been developed and they are frequently used to good effect, but they should only be prescribed by a Veterinary Surgeon and they can only be dispensed by a Veterinary Surgeon.  One or two human strength tablets can be fatal, so always contact your Vet if you are considering giving your dog either aspirin or paracetamol, but certainly no other drugs.

Benylin
With Kennel Cough, Benylin has always been recommended to help to soothe your dog's throat and lungs. 
This is still widely used, but you must check the dose - for a small to medium sized dog a child's dose, for large to extra large an adults dose. 
Do not give the All-In-One Cold & Flu remedies. 
Don't double up on your dog's medication, especially if he is being treated by your Vet for any illness, always check with your Vet first.

Paracetamol. 
This can be used as a temporary pain killer, but temporary only.  Your Veterinary Surgeon is the one to administer pain relief.

PETS ARE GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH

It is a well known fact that pets are good for our health.

It is obvious that we benefit from taking regular exercise when walking our dog, but it is not commonly known that keeping a pet can help to keep us fit and well and can even speed up recovery after a major illness.

A study at Cambridge University found that owning a pet produced improvements in general health in as little as one month. This continued over the 10 month study.

Stroking a pet or simply watching a fish swim in an aquarium helps us to relax. Indeed, the mere presence of a pet seems to have the same effect, reducing heart beat rate and lowering blood pressure.

Research has shown that this effect is particularly marked in people suffering from high blood pressure (hypertension). Heart disease is one of the UK�s biggest killers, yet it is another area where pets can provide health benefits. Studies showed that keeping a pet reduced levels of cholesterol and blood triglyceride.

Pet ownership proved to be one of the best predictors of survival from a heart attack, according to an American study. It showed that those patients who owned a pet had a much better chance of surviving for more than a year after a heart attack - a difference which could not be explained by the extra exercise.

There are also psychological benefits for children who own pets.

• They are usually less self centred than those who do not.
  
  
• Psychiatrically ill people were happier as a result of looking after a pet.
  
  
• Pets can lessen the feelings of isolation and loneliness and provide a sense of purpose for elderly people. Having to make the effort to care for a pet on a regular basis provides a feeling of fulfilment.
  
  
• Studies have shown that people walking a dog have far more positive encounters with others than those out walking alone, with the pet often providing a topic of conversation.
  

As well as having fun owning a pet, they can bring education benefits to young people by teaching them about the responsibilities of life. They need to understand how to feed and exercise a pet and understand daily care of the pet.

Pets provide us with love, loyalty and companionship. The least we can do is to ensure that we keep them in the best of health and to love and take care of them as much as we can.

© Janet Wesley

If you have any problems, email us for advice. Training@worldofdogs.cc