Archive for September, 2008

Thing to Know About Dog Poisonings

Canine PoisonI thought that I would write another article regarding poison and your dogs and pets. Remember reading the internet after you suspect your dog has been poisoned is the wrong thing to do. If you feel your dog has been poisoned then you should get to a vet asap. By the time you read through possible symptoms and signs it may be too late.

Instead, as a pet owner you should familiarize yourself with possible signs and symptoms of poisoning so if something arises you are ready to take action. Signs that your dog may be poisoned are alot like ours and may include vomiting, diarrhea, redness of the eyes, skin or ears, drooling or foaming, swelling, bleeding and disorientation.

When faced with a potential pet poisoning many people may think that it has occured on purpose but truthfully there are many things that are harmful to our pets that we would not even think about like tylenol is bad but perhaps not all pills. The FDA has recently approved diet pills for dogs which is insane but who am I to judge. Take a search through the blog I have posted a great list in the past which contains some of the more harmful products that you may be unaware of. This list contained such things a grapes, chocolate, tylenol and peach pits. There is also a good list posted in the forums under the FAQ section of the health forums.

So now you know what signs and symptoms to look for if suspect your dog has been poisoned and you also know what items adversely affect your dogs health. If you think that your pet has been poisoned call and get to a vet asap.

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Pay Attention to Me

I just realized that there are hundreds of great photos like this one at the Labrador Retriever Forums. This one entitled Pay Attention to Me was just posted last week. Hopefully in the future I can find some time and feature some other photos that have been posted. If you haven't joined the board yet please have a look. You can share your photos, enter the monthly contest and so much more. We have a great chat forums board with much more besides great labrador retriever chat.

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Finally Have a Camera

So my other half has had my digital camera for work for the past year anyways. Well her company finally sprung a couple bucks to get their employees real cameras to use so my has come home. I hadn't seen it in so long I barely recognized it. I guess I can start taking some snaps of Cooper in action which these days entails a lot of sleeping around on the couch, getting up at 5:00 am for some reason and then going back to bed. I will have to do some checking but I think I will need to upgrade the camera, I could really use a new compact flash or memory card. Right now I can't take too many quality photos until I get that done.

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Xylitol Dangerous to Dogs

Poison to DogsThere was an interesting post at the labrador retriever chatboard last week about items that are poisonous to dogs. What I didn't know was that a product in sugar free gum is very dangerous to dogs. It's called Xylitol and from what I read only a few grams of this substance can kill a 65 lb dog. I have no idea how much is in a pack of gum but I have read a few stories on the net about dog owners whos pets have become very ill from eating a pack.

There was an email story floating around about it but you never know if it's true or not. Snopes however confirms that this product is dangerous to dogs.

It is a sugar alcohol used in candy and chewing gum. It is also found in some pharmaceuticals and oral health products such as chewable vitamins and throat lozenges. It can also be used in home baking. While Xylitol is safe for humans, it can be harmful to dogs. The compound doesn't affect glucose levels in people, but when ingested by dogs it can cause a dangerous surge of insulin. At high doses, Xylitol is believed toxic to the canine liver.

Just three grams of Xylitol can kill a 65-pound dog. Because the amount of sweetener used in sugar-free chewing gums varies by manufacturer and product, the number of sticks of gum that would prove fatal to a pooch of that size can't be stated with precision. As a general rule of thumb, between eight and ten pieces of gum might be deadly to a 65-pound canine, but a smaller dog could easily die after ingesting far less (perhaps as few as two sticks of gum).

Source

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Walking the Dog

Are people respectful when you are out walking your dog? Like today there were some kids playing around with their car and they were reving it pretty good as we walked by. It sounded like they had a turbocharger hooked into it or some kind of alteration to the engine. I am no car expert but they could have been playing around with a power steering rack too. I thought is was kind of rude but no big deal I guess.

It also got me to thinking, am I respectful when walking the dog? Being mindful of non-dog people can go a long way too when out for a walk. Remember, not all people are dog people. If we are passing or coming near people I will tighten the leash up so he doesn't have much room to act up or go near them. If the sidewalk is full or kids are coming I will stand off to the side and make Cooper sit until the go by. There's no point in giving us dog people a bad name.

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Sadie the Arson Dog

The rescued Labrador retriever Phoenix fire investigators transformed into a chemical-sniffing arson dog received her recertification earlier this summer from a Maine-based training group.

Sadie, the dog Phoenix Fire uses to uncover traces of gasoline and other accelerants at the scene of suspected arsons, was given a stamp of approval by trainers who certify more than 200 arson dogs throughout the U.S.

Capt. Fred Andes, who directs Sadie at the scene of many Phoenix Fire investigations and at the regular request of other Valley agencies, said this summer marks the first recertification process for the dog. The duo traveled to Maine in August to test Sadie's acute sense of smell.

Maine Specialty Dogs trains dogs like Sadie, who was found tied to a barn in Illinois, through a national program funded by State Farm Insurance Co. The program originated through a partnership with the Maine State Police.

Sadie began investigating Phoenix fires more than a year ago. Her first recertification test included challenges like identifying traces of accelerants hidden in one of many canisters filled with a mix of burned paper and other debris.

"It just goes to show how sensitive their nose is, that it can pick up the material in this container that had been sitting for a month," said Andes, one of nearly a dozen Phoenix Fire arson investigators.

Labrador retriever is the breed of choice for its high energy, tracking ability and ability to learn new skills.

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Retriever’s Nose Acts Faster Than Smoke Alarm

 By Pamela Constable

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 2, 2008; Page B08

A Labrador retriever with a sharp nose helped his owners safely escape their burning home in Potomac early yesterday morning when his frantic barking awakened them minutes before smoke alarms went off.

The quick reaction by Jet, an adult black Lab who normally slept on a pillow in the kitchen near his basket of dog treats, also helped shave minutes off the response time for firefighters, allowing them to isolate the blaze in the garage and save most of the home, according to Montgomery County fire officials.

The owners, which county records identify as Steven and Lisa Kelber, could not be reached to comment yesterday. Part of their spacious red brick house in the 11600 block of Lake Potomac Drive was destroyed by the fire, which officials said caused about $1.2 million in damage. More than 75 firefighters battled the two-alarm blaze, containing it within half an hour.

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Las Vegas Vacations

There are several members of the labrador retriever chat board forums from Las Vegas. Last week on the chat board a member as looking for some suggestions on things to do with their upcoming trip. Vegas vacations offer so much to do you couldn’t see everything in a week. One of the members of the chat board suggested to visit places like Red Rock Canyon, the fountains at Bellagio at night, the dolphin habitat at the Mirage and the Stratosphere. Whatever your plans are Vegas offers some of the best excitement you will ever see.

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