Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Probiotics For animals

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This video explains how many common dog and cat health problems occur and solutions for those occurrences. It explains your dog and cat's most important immune organ, it's digestive system, and also how to ensure that it gets the required nutrients from their food. Many pets are malnourished and you may not even be aware of it.

The video also explains which supplements will do the most for your dog and cat's health including the right blend and type of probiotics as well as enzymes.

The best probiotics for dogs and cats include soil and yeast based organisms. Ever wonder why an animal scratches at the ground and eats grass when they're not feeling well? They're trying to get the natural, soil based organisms from the ground.

What about ear infections and skin rashes? Many are caused as a result of bad yeast build up in your pet's system. A yeast based probiotic counteracts and kills off the bad yeast making those problems go away.

Unfortunately even the most expensive pet foods don't provide the necessary enzymes that animals got when they lived in the wild. The right type and quantity of enzymes replicate what they used to get in the wild and help get the most out of their food.

Akita Inu Dog Breed

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The noble Akita Inu is an impressive dog. These large, dignified animals are so revered in their native Japan that they are considered national monuments, and owning one is said to bring good luck.

Originating in the rugged Akita Prefecture for which it is named, this was originally a hunting dog. Akita were used to track large game, like wild boar and the dangerous, grizzly-like Yezo bear.

The Akita Inu was first introduced to the United States in 1937, when two of the dogs were presented to Helen Keller as a gift. The Akita Club of America was founded in 1956, and the breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1973.

These formidable dogs can stand as tall as 27 inches at the withers and weigh anything up to 125 pounds. They have a dense coat that can be brindle, red, fawn. sesame or white. They shed heavily twice a year, but other than that, are medium shedders.

Other defining features are a large head with fox-like features, and a thick, plumed tail that sweeps over the back.

The Akita has few health problems, and a life expectancy that ranges from 10-14 years. They are prone to Hypothyroid disease, but this can be easily treated with hormone therapy. Other health problems include impaired night vision, and progressive retinal atrophy. Hip and kidney problems may occur in older dogs.

Owning an Akita can be either a joy or a challenge. They are extremely loyal and protective dogs who form strong bonds with their family and are generally gentle with children and with other pets. They are known to become very excited when the see their owners, squirming around and making happy little grunting sounds.

These intelligent dogs are easy to train, but can be hard headed at times. If you want to succeed in this you will have to gain their trust and respect, otherwise they’ll simply ignore your commands.

The Akita is a dignified, self assured breed of dog that will seldom demand attention. However, you will have to exercise your dog daily, if your want to keep him trim and in good health.

Their high intelligence does mean that they bore easily. This can become a problem if they are not given regular physical and mental activity. They can become destructive and aggressive if they are bored, so training, early socialization, and a regular exercise regime are a must with this breed.

Don’t let that deter you from considering an Akita as a family pet though, because they are truly wonderful dogs.

Good names for a Akita Inu can be hard to find. The best advice is to search one of the online puppy names, sites, and my personal favorite is Puppy Names HQ. This site has thousands of excellent dog names, including a mega-database of cool dog names to pick from.

Glucosamine For Dogs That Are Arthritic

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A specific branch of veterinary medicine is specialized in treating dog health problems according to degrees of severity. And some of those health problems can be cured with Glucosamine For Dogs. Infectious diseases are the major threat, and some of these can be kept under control only by regular vaccines. Rabies is the best example here. There are also numerous genetic dog health problems generally due to over-breeding or to the attempt of maintaining breed purity.

Mixed breeds are much healthier. Nevertheless, they are not safe from viruses, obesity, diabetes and other nutrition-related ailments. Milk Thistle for Dogs is very good for liver problems. It is interesting to mention the fact that such dog health problems overlap with those of humans, because the diseases affect people and animals alike. Other dangerous diseases are tick-borne and highly dangerous for both dogs and humans. The same holds true for leptospirosis, a disease cause by a bacteria with which you or the animal can get infected through water, urine, food or soil contamination.

The number of dog health problems is much longer and complex, than this, but the above mentioned examples are illustrative for how serious things can get. Nevertheless, the list is extremely long and the topic would take thousands of pages to exhaust. What you should keep in mind is that PREVENTION of disease with the help of fish oil for dogs for example, is what matters most. Follow the recommendations below to preserve your dog’s health.

Take the dog to periodical health check-ups and make all the vaccines.

Periodically eliminate parasites: worms, ticks and flees. With a single product you can get rid of all three health risks.

Regularly wash and groom your dog!

Pay attention to nutrition. Don’t give your dog sweets! Use organic food! Respect the dog’s preferences and the specificity of age and breed.

Keep your dog fit and active.

Make sure the dog does not come in contact with hazardous substances such as cleaners, bleaching agents and other toxic chemicals.

Routine prevention is possible if you do a bit of reading on your dog’s immediate needs. Negligence and lack of responsibility towards your pet is a crime and some people have ended up in jailed because of mistreating their pets. Ultimately, a dog’s well being also depends on the owner’s attitude. Give love and attention to your pet and you’ll build a strong relationship together.

Reasons to Buy a Dog Training Collar

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Is your dog barking too much? If so, then you should definitely consider a Dog Training Collar. There are various types of anti barking devices or methods available, but these training collars are the most effective.
Here are some of the drawbacks of other types of anti-barking tools, and why an anti-barking collar has an edge over them:.

1. Other tools are not safe for the dog

It is sadly, but there are anti barking devices that are not safe to use for your dog.
They could cause an array of health problems, which is definitely a situation that you want to avoid. On the other hand, anti-barking collars provide a stimulus that’s just strong enough to get your dog’s attention. If you have your dog wearing such a collar you don’t need to worry about injuries or other health problems.
You are concerned for your dog’s safety all day long, including the times when you are training it.
No dog was injured until present because it was wearing a Dog Training Collar.

2. Not all products are as effective

There are many ineffective products or methods on the dog training market.
Getting the expected results is what really matters for any training method or equipment.
On the other hand, studies show that an anti-barking collar can be one of the most effective tools for reducing your dog’s excessive barking. How effective are these collars?

There are models of dog training collars that have proven to eliminate almost 90% of the excessive barking.
This is quite an impressive success rate for any type of behavior alteration product.

3. They’re unaffordable.
If you don’t mind spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, then options such as an obedience training school could be a viable option. On the other hand, you should also consider that the success rate of such schools could be substantially lower than for anti-barking collars. In the same time, a dog owner can easily find a low price anti bark collar, and depending on the type, it may cost less than $100.
The best choice is the training collar if one considers both the effectiveness and the price of the product.

4. They may be considered cruel

It’s important to note that while certain anti-barking techniques are effective, they’re also inhumane. Most of dog owners love their pets and don’t want to make them suffer any pain or discomfort while undergoing anti-barking training. The training collars are equipped to deliver the dog quite slight aversive stimuli.
After the warning beeps, they can deliver ultrasounds pulses or citronella oil.
All dog owners can be 100% sure such types of collars humane and effective.

5. They’re complex.

Regular dog owners want to easy understand the functioning and use of the anti barking devices or methods they buy.
Otherwise, it could be a hassle to use. In their contrast, you can easy understand how a training collar works.
It typically includes a microphone for detecting your dog’s barking, and a battery. When detecting the barking, a warning beep and a simple stimulus are delivered.
These simple training tools are really diminishing the excess of barking of the dog. That’s the mission that you want to accomplish.

Understanding The Various Health Complications Of Tick Bites

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Dogs are man’s favorite pet. Some are even raised and adopted to be part of the family. Pet owners nourish and care about their pets just as a parent to a young kid. Pet dogs are lucky because they are fed, groomed and well taken care of. When a dog is queasy, it is brought to a veterinarian who specially cares for animals. One of the most conventional health problems of dogs is tick invasion.

Ticks are blood sucking pests. They belong to the family of spiders and mites. They are not insects, but rather arachnids. Ticks are perilous because they carry certain diseases. As formerly mentioned, they fed on their hosts by sucking on its blood. By sucking, they get to transmit diseases from one host to another.

Ordinarily, when a dog is affected by ticks, the most common symptoms distinguishable are fever, sudden loss of appetite, irritation, swelling in the area, lethargy and depression. For proper prognosis and treatment, pet owners should report these symptoms rightaway to their vet.

If tick bites are ignored, it can advance and become serious. Complications from tick bites often have general symptoms. It is consequential to know the various complications of tick bites in order to arrest the condition as soon as possible. Cited below are some of them:

Ehrlichiosis
This disease is passed on via brown dog tick bites and lone star tick bites. The causative agent is rickettsia organism. It is bacteria. But some say that it is a virus because it produces flu-like symptoms. The common symptoms of this disease range from loss of appetite to fever, joint discomfort, anemia and bruising. Other possible symptoms are eye swelling and decrease levels of all types of blood cells. This disease is treated by antibiotic therapy like doxycycline or tetrachycline.

Anaplasmosis
Anasplasmosis is often mistaken as Ehrlichiosis because they have almost the same symptoms. Pets that are anguished from Anasplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis can exhibit signs of fever, headache, muscle discomfort, chils, queasiness and fatigue. On the other hand, they have different causative factors. If Anasplasmosis is caused by rickettsial parasite of ruminants. Same management with Ehrlichiosis, antibiotic therapy is the best management for Anaplasmosis.

Tick Bite Paralysis
This particular disease is very rare in dogs. It occurs when a poison is released by the female wood or mountain ticks. This poison blocks the signal between the nervous system and the muscles. Paralysis is the usual effect when the nerve function is stopped. Watch out for signs of weakness, difficulty of breathing and walking. The best management for tick bite paralysis is elimination of ticks. As soon as the tick is removed, the pet is on its way to recovery. Nevertheless, full recuperation is achieved in twenty four to seventy two hours. If symptoms on the other hand become critical or if the paralysis has progressed intravenous fluid may be given or the pet may need a ventilator to assist in breathing.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
This is a dangerous complication and most of the time fatal. Some countries call this disease as tick typhus and Tobia fever. The disease is transmitted by the bite of the Rocky Mountain wood tick or the American dog tick. Rickettsia then enters the dog in the tick spit. The most common signs and symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are hyperthermia, nausea and vomiting, decrease in appetite, muscle pain and headache. Late signs of the disease are Petechial and maculopapular rash, abdominal and joint pain. Doxycycline is the drug of choice for the management of this disease.

Tick bites must be solved rightaway. It can cause complications and the symptoms are very disheartening. Prevention is still best key to manage tick invasion. So be sure to maintain a tick free home surroundings!

Treat fleas and ticks and use Frontline for dogs. Frontline flea and tick is effective in killing all stages of fleas and ticks.

Use Dog Training Collar to Reduce Excessive Barking

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Some dogs either bark too often, or too loud, when boring or when you want to sleep.
If so, then you should definitely consider a dog training collar. You also have other anti barking methods or devices at your choice, but this is one of the most effective.
While you can say the following are the drawbacks of other types of anti-barking tools, they are also reasons to choose an anti-barking collar.

1. Some health problems may occur

People think that some of the tools and methods used to modify this behavior are not safe to use with their dogs.
Various health issues may occur while using them, and this is not acceptable.
On the other hand, anti-barking collars provide a stimulus that’s just strong enough to get your dog’s attention. So you won’t have to worry about your dog becoming ill or injured when wearing the collar. Your dog’s safety is likely one of your top priorities, and that includes when you’re training it. During the use of a dog training collar the health of your dog has no reason to alter.

2. They’re ineffective.

Many anti-barking methods on the market simply aren’t effective. When you buy these products you expect effects. Scientific studies have been performed to compare the effectiveness of different tools designed to reduce excessive barking. These studies show what are the most effective anti barking tools.
Some Dog Training Collar types abolish almost 90% of the inappropriate barking of the dog. That figure’s quite amazing when you consider that few behavior modification products have a 90% success rate.

3. They’re unaffordable.

An obedience training school for pets can cost up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially when they guarantee a high rate of success. On the other hand, you should also consider that the success rate of such schools could be substantially lower than for anti-barking collars. You only need to dispose of about $100 to get a simple anti barking collar. You cannot find a less costly offer on the dog training market today.

4. They may be considered inhumane

It’s important to note that while certain anti-barking techniques are effective, they’re also inhumane. Owners who love their dog pets won’t allow the use of harming or discomforting methods or device during the anti-barking training of their dogs. When you use anti-barking collars, the stimulus is subtle. Incentives like ultrasounds or the citronella oil are employed by such collars.
There is no doubt that these types of Dog Training Collar are humane and efficient.

5. They are not so simple

Few people would prefer a complicated mechanism to an undemanding one to do quite the same thing. You may mistake while using a complicated device or method.
The dog training collar is an easy to use simple device.

The microphone incorporated detects your dog’s barking and the battery powers the system.
According to your settings, the device will issue warning beeps or aversive stimuli if the dog barks too much, often, loud or when not allowed. These collars are quite simple mechanisms, but very effective in reducing dog excessive barking.
They really do the job you paid for.

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