The Yellow Dog Project

The Yellow Dog Project was created to bring awareness to dogs who need space while training, recovering from surgery, or being rehabilitated. Please visit, The Yellow Dog Project to learn more.

Caring for Your Senior Dog

I read this post on LinkedIn today and wanted to share it here as it provides excellent advice when caring for a senior dog.

Don't make the mistake I did. Protect your senior dog.

My thirteen going on fourteen year old lab mix was really doing pretty good except for arthritis. I took her to our life-long vet for an assessment and he suggested “vetprofen.” We started her on it with no lab work. He did tell me that periodic lab work should be done to see if her liver was OK from the drug. I trusted him and I didn’t know better. He called on the tenth day to see how it was working out and I have to admit, she had a new spring in her step. On the 18th day, my sweet Kola, threw up and started bleeding out, slowly at first. I wondered if at first if she developed a bladder infection. Within 2 hours she was bleeding heavily and was lost a lot of blood. It was a Sunday, and I took her to an emergency facility where she died. Since, I’ve learned how important an initial lab test is before starting the drug. It can cause kidney failure. At age 14, I didn’t expect her to last years but I never expected that Kola and I would have to go through such trauma because I didn’t know or ask about lab work. Even if it's a doctor you have known a long time..........ask more questions.

 

************** Before giving your dog ANY medications, please make sure the necessary blood work is done. Also consider Holistic options!**********

Please - never surender your dog or cat to a shelter or return them

You have other options available - identify a reputable rescue group -- Please shelters fill up fast and your pet may only have 72 hours or less to live.Do the human thing and seek out a rescure group in your area. Face Book is a great tool to find rescue groups. Search using the words, "pet rescue" and your state or you can search by breed: beagle and state.

When you understand what "owner surrender" is all about you will think twice. This includes giving the pet back to the shelter.

Thank you!

Dog Food Advisor

Dog Food Advisor saves dogs from bad food and is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Feel free to sign up for his free Bad Dog Food alerts . . . click here to be taken to the Dog Food Advisor Web site.

Meet the man behind Dog Food  Advisor: Dr. Mike Sagman. (The following is from his Web site.)

The The Dog Food Advisor is a website designed to help you make a more informed decision when shopping for dog food.

Welcome! My name is Mike Sagman. And as the editor and creator of this community, I believe it’s important for you to know a little about my background.

I’m a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia with a doctoral degree in dental surgery.

In addition, my college training includes a major in chemistry and a minor in biology.

Yet none of my education or my 30+ years in the practice of dental medicine should be considered a pre-condition for publishing The Dog Food Advisor.

That’s because after writing and publishing more than 700 dog food reviews representing some 3,200 commercial products, I’m considered an authority on reading and interpreting pet food labels.

Nestle Purina PetCare is taking Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats off the market

I just read this news headline and wanted to share . . . this is why I won't buy products from China - until China cleans up their manufacturing, I just say "NO." Also, it would be wonderful if they treated employees better!

The article starts off with . . . .Nestle Purina PetCare is taking Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats off the market because the products may contain trace amounts of a poultry antibiotic that isn't approved in the U.S.

The chicken jerky products, which are made in China, may contain minute amounts of antibiotic residue, Purina said Wednesday. The antibiotic has been approved by Chinese and European Union regulators, but not in the U.S.

To read the entire article, click here.

FDA Investigates Animal Illnesses Linked to Jerky Pet Treats

Since 2007, the FDA has become aware of increasing numbers of illnesses and deaths in pets associated with the consumption of jerky pet treats.

To read the information provided by the FDA (FDA Investigates Animal Illnesses Linked to Jerky Pet Treats), click here.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm319463.htm

Dangers of Thin Ice

Dangers of Thin Ice for Your Beagle -- Please use extra care when walking around rivers, pounds, and lakes as they may prove to be deadly. It's easy to fall through thin ice and it can prove to be deadly. Be smart and stay clear of these areas till Spring!

Click here to read safety advice around thin ice from MN Department of Natural Resources. And here's a video from them, click here to view the video. Here's another video that shows dogs stepping on thin ice, click here to view this video.

Remember NO Ice is Never 100% Safe! My advice - simply avoid lakes, ponds, and rivers when ice is around. This way your dog won't be tempted to walk on the ice and possibly fall in. Once in the freezing-cold water, the chances of him/her being saved are slim!!!!!

This is a serious situation all dog owners should pay attention to . . . keep your dog safe! Always think dog safety around thin ice. It can happen to you and your dog. I cry every time I watch a news video story about a dog falling through thin ice!

Dognapping is on the Rise . . . Please Protect Your Pet!

Please Microchip Your Beagle

I love beagles, we all do . . . as wonderful as they are, they really lack the ability to find their way home should they go off-lease. That's why beagle experts suggest that you do not take your beagle pet off leash. But things happen, they jump the fence, they dig under the fence, their collar breaks, the leash breaks, etc, etc . . . so be smart and have your veterinarian microchip your beagle (any dog or cat). It's easy and painless for the dog and it may just save his/her life. When you microchip your pet, you increase the odds of them being returned should they ever get lost.