Dog Chow is excited to introduce the Puppyhood program – your one stop shop to help raise your puppy right from the first bite.  With a wide range of educational content as well as interactive tools, Puppyhood is the go-to destination to help guide you and your pup through puppyhood.

 

TIPS AND TRICKS

Whether you’re looking for information about teething or potty training, finding the perfect vet or teaching your pup some basic commands, Puppyhood provides tips and tricks in the form of articles and videos.  With special sections dedicated to “Nutrition”, “Grooming”, “Exercise”, “Health”, “Behavior”, “Training”, and “Puppy Planning”, the Puppyhood has tips and tricks for everything your puppy goes through in the first few years.

 

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS

Joining the Puppyhood not only grants access to some great special offers, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of our exclusive online tools that will help your puppy grow up happy and healthy.  You’ll be able to sign up for video hangouts with our panel of experts, use our “Near You” tool to find puppy destinations around your location, and track every stage of your puppy’s development using our Milestone Tracker.

 

INTERACTIVE DOG WALKS

Part of the Puppyhood program is a great feature called The Dog Walk.  The Dog Walk helps people learn more about puppies through a 360°, interactive puppy world that offers up articles and videos about puppy topics along the way.  It makes learning about your new puppy fun and engaging as your explore!

 

PUPPY PLANNER

One of the truly unique aspects of the Puppyhood program is that it caters to those still considering pet adoption – which we of course love here at Adopt-a-Pet.com!  The Puppy Planning section has everything you need to know before getting a furry friend to ensure you’re ready for your new responsibility.  The breed selector even helps you pick just the right puppy to fit your lifestyle.

Join the Puppyhood today and get customized learning, helpful tools, and exclusive benefits and coupons on your puppy’s journey to doghood.

 

 

Can dogs and cats understand what you say?

Does a puppy or kitten know what you mean when you say “you are so cute”? While we don’t know exactly what goes on in their heads, it is very clear to see that animals, including companion dogs and cats can clearly understand the tone of speech (angry or loving).

Pets can also learn key words or phrases such as “let’s go for a walk” or “dinner time”. Just like people, they learn these words through repetition and association. Talking to your pets doesn’t mean you are crazy, except that you may be crazy about your pets. It is soothing to them, and even therapeutic for you. Check out this article on Petcentric.com: http://www.petcentric.com/article.aspx?C=0&OID=55

Sudden onset shortness of breath, apparent weakness, or a distended abdomen might be signs of heart disease in either your cat or your dog. But all too often, there are no symptoms, so your pet’s best bet is regular visits to the veterinarian.

Jonathan Abbott, a Cardiologist at the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, says there are a number of ways to diagnose heart disease in pets: “x-rays of the chest, electrocardiography and cardiac ultrasound or echocardiography are the tests most commonly used.”

Your veterinarian will also be able to listen for a heart murmur and use a blood test to check for heartworm. Once diagnosed, there are treatment options that will enhance both the quality and length of your pet’s life.

When the family pooch is eating like a racehorse, drinking water like there isn’t enough left on this blue planet, and requiring walk after walk to relieve himself, something is wrong! What’s going on with your friend?

Your dog may have diabetes mellitis, the most common hormonal disorder of dogs. The disease is caused by a lack of insulin, the hormone that regulates how sugar is absorbed and used by cells and tissues in the body. It most often afflicts dogs between the ages of five to seven and female dogs are more susceptible than males. Obesity seems to be a risk factor. So if you notice your pooch displaying signs of extreme hunger, thirst or urination, contact your veterinarian. Diabetes is manageable!

Giardia and cryptosporidium are two pesky parasites that can affect an animal’s small intestine, causing diarrhea and cramping. These nasty organisms are transmitted when a form of the parasite called the cyst is shed in one animal’s stool and consumed by another dog or cat.

Dwight Bowman, a professor of Parasitology at Cornell University, says that when the animal ingests drinking water or puddle water or pond water, or eats something that’s contaminated with the cyst, they can get infected. He says that if your dog has diarrhea, diagnostic tests will help determine the cause.

Fortunately, if giardia is to blame, you don’t need to worry about picking it up from your pet. Bowman says there’s no evidence that the species infecting dogs also infects humans.

Planning for a Lifetime of Mobility

Normal wear and tear on joints occurs daily throughout your dog’s lifetime. Cartilage protects your dog’s bones and joints from the friction caused by everyday movement.

Natural glucosamine, a building block of cartilage tissue, can help maintain cartilage for healthy joints and mobility. That’s why Purina has created adult dog formulas that contain guaranteed levels of natural glucosamine, so you can help your dog stay active and healthy for a long time to come.

CARTILAGE

What is cartilage?

Cartilage is a tissue found at the ends of bones in the joint areas, that acts as a cushion. It is composed of a sponge-like mass of cells, together with proteins, special substances that hold water, and the water itself. Glucosamine serves as a building block to create these special water-holding substances.

What is cartilage?

Cartilage is a tissue found at the ends of bones in the joint areas, that acts as a cushion. It is composed of a sponge-like mass of cells, together with proteins, special substances that hold water, and the water itself. Glucosamine serves as a building block to create these special water-holding substances.

Why is it important?

Healthy cartilage is absolutely essential for proper joint function and overall mobility. Happy, healthy, active dogs need healthy cartilage and a diet that supports overall well-being, including joint health.

Where does glucosamine come from?

Glucosamine occurs naturally in several common dog food ingredients. Purina uses several poultry and meat sources and guarantees the level of glucosamine in several of their adult dog formulas. Glucosamine is also produced in the body itself.

Does natural glucosamine benefit senior dogs only?

No! Wear and tear on cartilage occurs over a lifetime, so glucosamine helps maintain your dog’s joint health throughout life.

How does the body maintain healthy cartilage?

Chondrocytes are cells present in the cartilage of joints. These cells use glucosamine and other compounds supplied by the diet or produced within the body to make and maintain proteins and the water-binding substances in the cartilage. This allows the cartilage to function as a shock absorber.

What role does glucosamine play in joint health?

As a building block of cartilage, glucosamine can help support joint health and mobility.

Just as we care for ourselves differently at different times of the year, we should be sensitive to our dog’s needs during colder and warmer weather conditions.

COLD WEATHER CARE

Well-nourished dogs, are better prepared to withstand the rigors of winter, particularly if housed outdoors. Outdoor dogs normally need more food to generate enough energy to cope with the cold. This is easily accomplished by feeding a high-quality nutritionally complete and balanced dog food. Offer your dog fresh water several times during the day. Electrically-heated water bowls are available, but still should be monitored regularly.

Dogs housed indoors may require less food in order to maintain good body condition. They tend to be less active and expend less energy. Short-haired dogs, geriatric dogs, and dogs with health problems may need the protective warmth of a dog sweater or jacket during outside jaunts.

An outdoor dog’s shelter should be insulated, elevated, protected from prevailing winds, and watertight. Because they use their own body heat to keep warm, the shelter should be small enough to preserve the dog’s body heat.

Remove packed snow or ice from between the toes of your dog’s paw pads and wipe the paws thoroughly. Otherwise, moisture can be trapped and cause sores. Salt and other de-icers spread on sidewalks and roads may also irritate the pads and cause them to bleed.

Because of its sweet taste, dog’s are attracted to antifreeze and lap it up when it is not properly disposed of. Antifreeze is highly toxic to dogs and cats. Store antifreeze where dogs cannot reach it. Antifreeze poisoning requires immediate veterinary treatment.

You may find your indoor dog experiencing dry skin and shedding. This is usually the result of low humidity. Frequent brushing helps remove dead hairs, skin and stimulates oil glands.

Frostbite

If you suspect that your dog has frostbite, do not rub any frozen tissue, which will cause additional tissue damage. Seek veterinary treatment immediately.

WARM WEATHER CARE

As temperatures soar, dogs become more vulnerable to heat stress. Maintaining a comfortable environment for your dog is important. Providing plenty of cool, fresh water will help keep your dog cool throughout the summer.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke develops rapidly and is often associated with exposure to high temperatures, humidity and poor ventilation. Symptoms include panting, a staring or anxious expression, failure to respond to commands, warm, dry skin, extremely high temperature, dehydration, rapid heartbeat and collapse. Puppies and geriatric dogs tend to be more susceptible. Adult dogs more susceptible to heat stress include those who recently moved from cool to warmer climates, those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, or with a history of heat stress. With any form of heat stress, prompt veterinary attention is important to deal with potential complications.

Periods of Confinement

Confinement in a car or any other poorly ventilated enclosure can be fatal to your dog. One study reports that when the outside temperature is 78°F, a closed car will reach 90°F in five minutes, and 110°F in 25 minutes.

Exercise

Avoid excessive exercising of your dog during hot days or warm, humid nights. The best time to exercise is either early in the morning before sunrise or late in the evening after the sun goes down.

Sunburn

Dogs who have recently received short haircuts may become sunburn victims and are as susceptible to heat stress as dogs who haven’t had their haircoat trimmed. In fact, your dog’s haircoat has insulating characteristics to help protect him from the heat.

One of a pet owners greatest fears is getting separated from their pet. Now, many shelters and veterinarians are installing identification chips on pets. It’s a hi-tech way to resolve the separation anxiety of losing a pet.

A microchip implant is a tiny integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog or cat. The chip emits passive radio frequencies that can be identified by a scanner at a shelter where a lost pet is taken. Think of it as an invisible electronic identification tag.

Early compatibility issues between different kinds of scanners and chips have mostly been resolved. There’s now a universal scanner that reads all brands of chips. They’re helping to get missing cats and dogs back in the grateful arms of their owners.