|
27 Sep
|
Posted by martin
|
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a clinical condition which is the final result of severe heart disease. It is usual that when a dog has heart failure, heart disease is also present in the body. However, it is true that in some cases, heart disease can be present, but never lead to congestive heart disease.
When high diastolic pressures in the heart build up into the veins and capillaries, then congestive heart failure can occur, which in turn causes a leakage of fluid out of those vessels.
Heart failure is the end result of many different cardiac and pericardial diseases. These include:
? Decreased myocardial contractibility. This is a weak heart muscle, which is commonly seen with dilated cardiomyopathy.
? Valvular regurgitation. This is a leak in one of the four heart valves, as seen with mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.
? Increased myocardial stiffness, which impairs the heart’s ability to fill with blood.
In the beginning, the signs of congestive heart failure can be quite mild and difficult to see. However the symptoms can become more severe in a short space of time. Some of the symptoms to look for are:
? Lack of energy – the dog becomes much less active and tires quickly during the later stages of congestive heart failure;
? Poor appetite
? Weight loss
? Heavy breathing – the dog can show signs of difficulty in breathing, panting and coughing whilst resting.
? Coughing
? Swollen abdomen – the dogs’ stomach can enlarge as fluid accumulates in the liver and abdomen and
? Change of mouth color – the color of the membranes of the mouth can be grayish rather than being a healthy pink color.
The first thing that is needs to be done though, is to manage the clinical signs of congestive heart failure by reducing the formation of edema and effusion and to increase the cardiac output, which is the delivery of blood to the tissues.
There are a wide variety of treatments available for Congestive Heart Failure, depending on the severity of the condition.
One of the most popular drugs used for this disease is Digitalis. This is a medication which belongs to a group called positive inotropic agents which help to increase the concentration of calcium in the heart muscle cells.
Diuretics are also another well known drug used for dogs with this condition. These drugs help to remove built up fluids that occur in the lungs and abdomen.
Monitor your dogs attitude and any changes in appearance when you spend time with your friend. It is essential to keep a diary of anything that varies from “the norm” so that you can show it to your vet. Check your dog on a daily basis for:
- breathing, see if it is heavy or labored;
- loss or reduction of appetite;
- restlessness;
- fainting; and
- profound lethargy.
However, it is important to remember, that canine congestive heart failure is a major disease and it is a necessity to have regular visits to your veterinarian to ensure that your dogs’ needs are being met.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
About the Author: Joann Henry operates “Doggie Health Care” http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com, a blog all about our pooches health. Sign up to receive her newsletter, & not only will you get some free tips to keep your dog healthier, but FOR A LIMITED TIME, she’ll give you a FREE ebook. http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com
| Category: Dogs, Pet disease To claim credit or remove article fill this form |
Tag: |
|
27 Sep
|
Posted by martin
|
Ever since man domesticated the first wolf the canine has been serving man in many different functions. Dogs can be found today working as retrievers for hunters, sled pullers for mushers, and drug sniffers for police men and women. Over the past few decades the world has seen the canine take on a new function, that of personal protection dog.
Today there are dozens of companies world wide that offer what they call protection dogs. The purpose of the dog is to be a companion for home, family, and children while also being capable of protecting said home, family, and children. But is there a conspiracy going on with today’s protection dogs? Are they really what they profess to be?
In order to answer that question I need to first give you a brief overview of how a protection dog goes from puppy to trained animal in your home. In Europe there is a long history of sports that use dogs. These sports go by the name of Schutzhund, French Ring, Belgian Ring, KNPV amongst others. All of these sports are different and require different types of dogs. What all of them have in common is that the dogs compete in various phases of training. In all of these sports dogs compete in obedience where they will heel, sit, lie down, stay, come when called and various other exercises both on and off leash. In all of these sports dogs will also compete in various protection exercises. The dogs will bite an arm sleeve or a suit under various scenarios and circumstances.
All over the internet you can find videos of dogs competing in these various sports, looking impressive, and looking like they are capable of protecting both home and family. Is it true? Or is there a scam being purpoted on the unknowing public? The answer is not clear cut.
When you go shopping for a protection dog you will see dogs from various protection dog companies that are apparently capable of just about anything. You will see these dogs barking aggressively at the bad guy and biting fiercely when told. What I want you to do is take a closer look. Notice how the ‘bad guy’ is acting. Do you see him snarling and aggressively approaching the dog? Probably. Do you see him shouting and waving a whip or stick around? Most likely. Why is he doing this? The reason why the ‘bad guy’ does this is because that is how dogs are trained for sport. Dogs trained for sport are basically trained to show aggression when confronted with these wild, outlandish actions. Dogs realize that when they see the sleeve or the bite suit that they are about to begin ‘playing a game’. Is this protection for you and your family? I don’t think so.
When was the last time that a real life bad guy decided to shout angrily and wave a whip before attacking? When was the last time that someone tried to break into your home wearing a sleeve or bite suit? The scenarios shown in these videos are not just silly but irresponsible when the company owners are claiming these to be protection dogs. The reality is that most sport dogs, when confronted with an actual violent situation, will do absolutely nothing about it unless the bad guy happens to be wearing dog training equipment or waving a whip around. The unfortunate reality is that most ‘protection dog’ companies are merely companies that buy dogs from Europe that have sport training and then sell them to unsuspecting clients for thousands more than they paid. Because those clients saw the dogs biting a sleeve or suit they mistakenly believed that the dog is capable of protecting them. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
So what is the average consumer to do? The answer is that you must do your homework. Sport dogs can make excellent protection dogs, but they require lots of training to do so. Real protection dog trainers use advanced techniques that most trainers aren’t familiar with in order to make the dog safe for family but dangerous to intruders. Protection dog trainers should be using things like under cover sleeves, muzzles, and other techniques to make sure that the dog will offer real protection. Under cover sleeves are bite sleeves that are small and can be worn underneath a sweatshirt. In this way the dog doesn’t know that there is training equipment and therefore believes he is biting for real. Muzzles are worn so that the dog can be sent to attack while the bad guy is not wearing any bite training equipment. Other training techniques include such things as civil agitation and defense work to make sure that the dog is willing to defend against a threat that is not wearing any bite equipment.
I recommend that when you are looking to purchase a protection dog that you demand certain proofs from your prospective companies. Ask them for video clips that demonstrate dogs being aggressively ‘turned on’ while the bad guy is not acting like a mad man, screaming and waving a stick or whip. Ask for videos of dogs biting under cover sleeves and performing protection work that isn’t far fetched. Ask to see scenarios that are on par with what could actually happen to you in real life, meaning that a video of a dog in a field biting a guy with a stick just doesn’t cut it. If it doesn’t feel real then ask to see training that could actually benefit you in your everyday life.
Protection dogs cost thousands of dollars. If you are going to make that investment than you need to know that your dog could actually protect you in the event that a dangerous situation ever arose. Your dream dog is out there, just make sure that you do your homework first so as to not be taken in by a scam.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
About the Author: Ty Brown is a leading dog training authority with numerous radio and television appearances to his credit. Visit www.dogbehavioronline.com to view free articles and for more puppy resources and check out his protection dogs for sale.
| Category: Dog Training To claim credit or remove article fill this form |
Tag: |
|
26 Sep
|
Posted by martin
|
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world.
There are seven different genera in the family classified as rabbits, including the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus; 13 species), and the Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi, endangered species on Amami Ōshima, Japan). Nearly half of the world’s rabbit species are in danger of extinction; many are among the most vulnerable of all mammals. All of the teeth grow continuously throughout the rabbit’s life and are kept worn down by the action of chewing and grinding of tooth against tooth. Many rabbits dig burrows, but cottontails and hispid hares do not. When danger is perceived, the general tendency of rabbits is to freeze and hide under cover.
In Europe, where rabbits are farmed on a large scale, they are protected against myxomatosis and calicivirus with a genetically modified virus. If it were to make its way into wild populations in areas such as Australia, it could create a population boom, as those diseases are the most serious threats to rabbit survival. A popular culture manifestation of this tradition can be found in the character title character of Sailor Moon, whose name is Usagi Tsukino, a Japanese pun on the words “rabbit of the moon. This is thought to date back to early times in the quarrying industry, where piles of extracted stone (not fit for sale) were built into tall rough walls (to save space) directly behind the working quarry face; the rabbit’s natural tendency to burrow would weaken these “walls” and cause collapse, often resulting in injuries or even death.
Rabbits have six incisors, or front teeth, four on the top and two on the bottom. Nonburrowing rabbits make surface nests called forms, generally under dense protective cover. While the European rabbit is the best-known species, it is probably also the least typical, as there is considerable variability in the natural history of rabbits. In gardens, they are typically kept in hutches -small, wooden, house-like boxes- that protect the rabbits from the environment and predators. In many regions, rabbits are also bred for meat, a practice called cuniculture.
Rabbits graze heavily and rapidly for roughly the first half hour of a grazing period (usually in the late afternoon), followed by about half an hour of more selective feeding. In rabbits, the cecum is approximately 10 times bigger than the stomach, and it, along with the large intestine, makes up roughly 40% of the rabbit’s digestive tract. Most rabbits are relatively solitary and sometimes territorial, coming together only to breed or occasionally to forage in small groups.
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
About the Author: Kate Riding care for Rabbit Vibrators at her home.
| Category: Rabbits To claim credit or remove article fill this form |
Tag: |
