Meat byproducts – When livestock are slaughtered, the lean muscle is removed to be used for human consumption. What isn’t fit for human consumption is used in pet food. This includes the bones, intestines, blood, pus, tumors, etc. Almost nothing is left behind, and we mean NOTHING. All this is performed at a rendering plant.

Unwanted Pets – Protein can be found in ALL sorts of ‘meat’, which is not limited to the sources that we usually associate with food. Rendering plants take the carcasses of animals and turn them into a powder that is used as a protein supplement in animal feed such as dog and cat food. What’s disturbing that is that rendering facilities aren’t usually so picky about where this ‘meat’ comes from, and in some cases this meat comes from animals that have been euthanized, such as unwanted pets. Indeed it would seem that your dog’s food is made not only for dogs, but WITH dogs as well! Yummy.

Flea Collars – You would think people would go to the trouble of removing id tags and flea collars before throwing a dead animal into the pit in a rendering plant, but unfortunately that is not the case. While these items are broken down and may not be visually identifiable in the end product, the chemicals found in these items are without a doubt present, and as such will find their way into your pet’s food.

Euthanasia Drugs – So, about those euthanized pets we mentioned above; what were these animals killed with? Usually, when a dog or cat is put down it is by way of an injection that causes both respiratory and cardiac arrest in the animal. From there, the bodies can be disposed of by any means that the shelter in question sees fit, and we now know what this means (ie: rendering plants). Besides the disturbing fact that your pets could be eating other pets, it has been documented that the end product from rendering facilities still contains measurable amounts of the euthanasia drugs used.

Roadkill – When animals, wild or not, get run over, it is usually up to the local municipality to clean up the mess left behind. No matter what species it may belong to, one thing is clear, it is likely a source of protein and should the animal not be a pet with id tags, there is a good chance it will be sent to a rendering plant.

These are just a few examples of the items you may not expect to find in your dog’ food. Rendering plants do offer an essential service, but lack a good amount of regulation. If you think the items above are an exaggeration you are invited to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. Be warned, however, that the items listed above are but the tip of the iceberg, and you may not like what you find out.

For more information, visit our Articles section.

Question – How do dogs get heartworms?
Answer – Dogs get infected through mosquitos, more precisely through female mosquito bites. During the summer or the humid season, mosquitoes are an annoying problem and it is fairly difficult to prevent them from entering the house.

Question – Are some dogs more likely to get heartworms than other?
Answer – No. All types of dogs can get infected, however depending on where you live, the chances of getting heartworms can be increase or reduced. But in every region, mosquitoes can be infected and infect your dog.

Question – What are the signs of heartworms in dogs
Answer – Symptoms can take as long as 7 months do show. However, you dog might start coughing at 4 months. Other signs your dog is infected are lack of energy, weight loss and breathing problems. If you have any suspicions, talk to your vet who can perform a blood test on your pet.

Question – When shoud I have heartworm tests done on my dog?
Answer – Whenever you think your dog may have heartworms, usually during mosquito season or shortly after.

Question – How about prevention?
Answer -  Talk to your vet about prevention methods. There are several prevention methods available. For example, some prevention meds are taken like little treats, which an easy way to administer the medication since the dog simply love them.

Every year, with summer comes back dogs heartworm season. Dirofilaria immitis, better known as heartworms, is a long and thin worm that can grow as long as 30cm long. Once it reaches its adulthood, the worm can hide in the heart of the host as well as in other large heart vessels.

Dogs get infected through mosquito bites. Each year, adult heartworms who live in the heart of infected dogs or canines lay thousands of microfilaria that will go down the bloodstream of the animal. When a mosquito bites the infected animal, it sucks in the microfilaria as well. Then starts a 15 days cycle where the microfilaria will develop into a larvae. After the 15 days cycle, the larvae is transmitted to a new host through another mosquito bite.

Protect your pet against heartworms

As you probably guessed, those worms can heart the good bloodflow to and from the heart and cause serious heart injuries. Symptoms of heartworm disease can include : fatigue, cough, unable to exercise, weight loss and even death of the animal. It is possible to treat an infected animal, but they are expensive and there are lots of side effects. This is because this disease can be serious, even deadly to the animal that it is important to prevent heartworm medicine.

To learn more about and preventative heartworms medicine, please log in to Heartworm Medicine now.

First off, heartworms live just about all over North America, so if you and your pet live, or visit North America, there is a chance your pet could contract heartworm disease. In the past, the disease was confined only to the southern most parts of the United States of America. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case as the disease as rapidly spread across the entire continent and even into the southern parts of Canada. Heartworm is transmitted via mosquitoes, so this parasite can travel rapidly and easily across large stretches of land. It’s even gaining a foothold in South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. So even if there isn’t a high incidence of heartworm disease in your country yet, because of the nature of technology and travel today you could be seeing the disease in your area very soon. So you might want to speak to a vet soon about getting your dog heartworm medicine, because the disease is so prevalent across the globe.

Let’s say you haven’t given your dog heartworm medicine, is he in danger of contracting the disease? Anywhere there are mosquitoes, there is the potential for this parasite to spread. If your dog gets bitten by a mosquito carrying heartworm disease, the larvae are transferred into your pet’s bloodstream where they begin to incubate. At this point, it’s difficult to tell if a dog has been infected with heartworm disease, as symptoms don’t become visible for at least 6-7 months (this is known as the “prepatent period”). Once the disease has firmly gained a foothold into your pet’s body, your doggy’s health is now in danger. That’s why it’s important to prevent the disease, rather than treat it, and giving your dog heartworm medicine is the best way to prevent this deadly disease.

If your dog is diagnosed with the disease, your vet will most likely indicate that treatment is needed. If the disease has been allowed to progress to this point, there may be heart, liver, or kidney damage and your vet will have to evaluate their health to see if there are any risks to treating the disease at this point. After your dog has been treated, the worms will be dead but still present in your pet’s heart. Your dog will need to rest for several weeks, because the worms could potentially break loose if your dog is physically active. This can be extremely dangerous, especially if the worm travels to a critical part of their body (such as the lungs).

This disease is so difficult to detect because of the 6 month long prepatent period while the worms mature. Speak to your vet about giving your dog heartworm medicine, because the risks are so great. A little bit of preventative medicine could save you thousands of dollars in vet bills treating the disease, or even worse, your pet could die.

Linda is an experienced veterinarian who recommends that every owner give their dog Heartworm Medicine.

Allergies are caused by allergens, which are substances of all nature found in our environment. These allergens will, for some reasons, cause our immune system to act up, as if they were toxic to the body. This reaction leads to the release of histamine, which cause the allergic symptoms.

Runny nose and itchy eyes, most people have experienced allergies in their lives, whether it is to pollen, house dust mites or cat hair. But did you know that, just like you, your dog can also suffer from allergies? As a matter of fact, dogs can even have similar allergies to humans, called canine allergies.

Symptoms of canine allergies

Canine allergies will mostly make your dog is scratching like crazy, leading to open sores. If the allergy stays and the dog keeps scratching, those open sores can become infected, causing bad odors and lots of pain. Allergy symptoms also include vomiting, diarrhea and ear infections. While some breeds are more prone to developing allergies, all dogs are susceptible and it is important to look out for allergy symptoms before they develop into infections.

There are several allergens that can cause canine allergies, which include fleas, pollen, dust mites and even dog food.

CANINE ALLERGIES TO FLEAS

One of the most common cause of canine allergies is flea allergy dermatitis, where the dog becomes allergic to the saliva of the flea. When the dog has flea allergies, it takes as little as one flea bite to send to the dog to a sudden burst of itchiness, and the dog starts frantically scratching and chewing its skin. This scratching and chewing can lead to open sores and more severe skin infections.

If you suspect your dog of having flea allergy, take some steps to determine and make sure that it is canine allergies to fleas. Look for fleas, severe itching symptoms, biting or chewing around the tail, the legs and the rump and oozing skin sores caused by scratching, biting and chewing.

Of course, preventive care is the best way to prevent canine allergies to fleas. But if your dog has fleas, you will need to treat your dog for fleas, using either flea collars, pills, vaccines, shampoos, sprays and a wide range of other products your vet can tell you about. Remember that the war to fleas also extends to the dog’s environment, including where your dog sleeps, any cracks in floors, the car seats, etc.

Then if the scratching and biting have caused open lesions, you will need to treat the secondary skin infections, using products such as antibiotics or antifungals as determined by the gravity of the open sores and infections.

Then, you need to stop the itching. You can use topical steroidal creams to help reduce or stop the itching, and give time to the skin to heal.

DOG FOOD ALLERGIES

Unlike canine allergies to fleas, dog allergies to food is not as common and can start at any age. Canine allergies to food are more difficult to ascertain and it is believed that food allergies can happen with a brand or type of food the dog has been fed for a long time. Beef, chicken, eggs, fish and milk are the most common causes of food allergy in dogs.

If you suspect your dog of having food allergies, look out for symptoms such as foul skin odors, lots of scratching around the face, ears infections, open lesions caused by severe scratching, biting the chewing, and, sometimes, onsets of diarrhea or vomiting.

To treat canine allergies to food, give your dog special diets low in allergens, or diets free of the ingredients your dog is intolerant to. Similarly to other allergies, you will need to treat your dog for skin infections as needed, using antibiotics or antifungals.

While some brands have specialized hypoallergenic food for dogs having canine allergies, with ingredients such as lamb, rice, fish, potatoes or venison, many veterinarians simply recommend to home cooked food diets. Finding a diet or a new type of brand your dog will not be allergic to can be difficult. It often consists of tries and errors, by giving the dog new food until all the symptoms disappear, which mean you found the perfect diet. Unfortunately, nothing can assure you that, after another few years, the dog will not develop another allergy to the new diet.

ATOPY ALLERGIES

Atopy allergies are also known as canine allergies to inhalants, which are substances found in the air and that the dog inhale everyday. These irritants can be seasonal, such as pollen or ragweed, or all year-round, such as house dust mites. Unlike humans, dogs allergy atopic symptoms manifest through itchy skin, frantic scratching, chewing and biting, which can quickly lead to oozing skin infections.

There are no cure to canine allergies to inhalants, but, fortunately, there are several products available to help relieve some the allergy symptoms. Antihistamines are good to treat atopy symptoms, but the best solution remains avoiding the allergens (vacuum the house more often, get rid of the carpets, shorten the walks when it is pollen season). Bathing your dog with shampoo containing aloe vera is a healthy option an a good option to help reduce the itchiness until the allergy discomfort diminishes. If you wish to learn more about treatments, read our post Dog Flea Treatment.

For more information, visit Heartworm Medicine and learn more about dog diseases, canine allergies and their treatments.

If your dog has fleas, it’s very important for their health (and your home!) to get rid of them. First off, they tend to be incredibly annoying for both your dog, and for the people around them. They can cause severe skin itching and infections, especially from scratching at them. Lastly, they can transmit diseases and tapeworms. It’s incredibly important that, once you’ve established your pup is infested, that you find an effective dog flea treatment before the situation gets out of control.

picture credit musicienne

How do I tell they have fleas?

First sign would be if your dog is scratching and biting itself, especially around their head and tail. They may develop bald spots in their fur due to scratching, as well as their skin getting irritated from the bites. You aren’t immune either, the fleas may spread to the furniture, your clothes, and you. Flea bites often show up as small bumps and an itching rash.

Some Effective Dog Flea Treatment Methods

As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Keep a close eye on your canine, especially during the summer and early fall, this is flea season. Give your pet a bath on a regular basis, at least once every week to 2 weeks. This should help to wash away any fleas that have gained a foothold and laid eggs.

Consider getting a dog flea treatment such as a flea collar as well, they’re one of the oldest, most effective ways to prevent fleas. Additionally, they’re available at just about any pet store. Just be sure to pick the right one for your dog by reading the instructions carefully.

Chemical Dog Flea Treatment

There are a wide range of chemical dog flea treatment options available, which include anything from topical medications, drops and sprays, and creams, to oral medications. Ask your veterinarian about some of the most common brands, such as Frontline, Advantage, and Sentinel. They are all highly effective treatment methods.

Once you begin treating your pet for fleas, remember that the fleas aren’t just hiding on your pet. They’re hiding all around you, in your carpeting, your furniture, your bedding, and your clothes. Effective treatment includes treating all these high rish areas to be sure that you don’t get a resurgence.

Don’t attempt to purchase these dog flea treatments on your own, instead be sure to consult a veterinarian. They will inform you of the different options in treatment available, and make a safe choice based on your dog’s weight, age, and history.

Herbal Dog Flea Treatment

One of the oldest and most effective “natural” ways to prevent fleas  is to add a bit of garlic to your pet’s meals. This is a time tested means. A little sulphur, or black walnut hulls (available in many health food stores) will not only help with fleas, but other pests such as ticks and mosquito. These are all slow acting solutions that can take a month or 2 to notice any effect. You can also read our post about natural flea repellent to find more information about natural ways to fight fleas.

To learn more about dog flea treatment tips and other infestations in dogs, visit Heartworm Medicine.

1. Make sure that your dog fur is groomed accordingly to the time of the year. During cold seasons, winter and fall, let the hair grow long, but as soon as warmer seasons arrive, bring your dog to the groomer to trim their fur. Would you like to wear a winter coat all summer long? So doesn’t your dog!

2. Provide your pet with a comfy environment in the house. The dog’s room should not be higher than 77-80 F. If it is too hot for you, then it is too hot for you puppy as well! If it is a very hot summer day, put a little fan near the dog’s sleeping area. You can even use a cool wet cloth in front of the fan to cool down the area by a few degrees.

3. If your dog is spending some day outside on a hot day, make sure that there are cool shaded areas for the dog to rest. Also make to have on hand some cool water for the dog to avoid dehydration.

4. Check you dog’s water bowl. Make sure the bowl is at least half full at all time. Even in the shade, the water in the bowl can become warm, so check the temperature of the water every few hours.

5. Even on hot day, you will still need to give you dog its exercise. However, avoid long walks, exercicing and playing at the park with other dogs in the middle of the day. Opt for early hours, when the temperatures are cooler and the sun less strong. Bring a cool bottle of water and a bowl so the dog can drink after playing.

6. Summer is bugs season. Protect your dog against fleas, ticks and worms by vaccinating them or using specialized anti-bugs products. Remember that fleas and worm infestation can be dangerous for your dog, but the worms or the disease they carry can often also be transmissible to their owner. Heartworm disease is also a pest that affects canines. It is spread through mosquito bites and can be prevented using preventive medication.

7. We will never say it often enough. Do not leave your dog in the car on a hot day during long period of times. If you have to run a quick 5 minutes errand at the pharmacy, make sure to leave the window slightly open and to park the car in a shaded area.

8. Do not attach your dog to a pole, with no or insufficient protection against the sun. If you are going to have lunch or a coffee, make sure that the dog will have a shaded area where to hide from the sun. And remember that sun will move in the sky, so a shaded area could potentially become a dangerously exposed area in the hot summer sun.

Dogs, just like humans, can suffer from heat exhaustion and heat strokes. So take the all the necessary protection for your dogs during summer.

For more information, visit Heartworm Medicine.

When you dog has fleas, it is pointless to treat your dog without treating your house as well. Remember that the dog’s environment can become a big reservoir of fleas if not treated. For each parasite you find, there are probably 9 other ones hiding in your dog’s hair or in the house! Knowing that each female flea lay up to 30 eggs per day, that will hatch and reproduce within 3 weeks, needless to say that a good house and dog treatment is essential to avoid recurrence of the flea problem. Here are some house natural flea repellent and control tips to help you and your pet stay away from the fleas for good.

Natural Flea Repellent and Control Tips that Work

First, make sure to wash puppy’s blanket every week and to keep it’s immediate environment clean. Avoid using a reed basket or a thick cloth mattress that can’t be easily washed. Just like rugs and carpets, they are cozy little nests for bugs, and nightmares for the owners and their little companion.

Second, when “fleas hunting”, make sure to put a lot of emphasis of the carpets, the cracks in the floor, the bottom of the curtains, the covering of fabric couches and the bottom of furniture, which are all favorite fleas hiding spots. During spring or summer time, steam clean your carpeting to kill and destroy any hidden parasites.

Third, use special products to treat your dog’s environment. We suggest you can make you own natural flea repellent mixture with 15 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of lavandin super oil, 5 drops of cannelier de Ceylan oil, 10 drops of vervain oil, and spray it in the dog’s basket, on the ground, where the dog likes to lie down, on cushions and on the bottom of curtains.

Other natural flea repellent tips

Moreover, you can also use some natural flea repellent such as lavender or cedar potpourri near the dog’s bedding, or under the dog’s blanket. This will keep the bugs away and smell good! You can also use add some neem oil in the dog’s shampoo to kill the fleas.

Fleas also enjoy a nice garden or big yard with grass. If you have a garden, make sure to keep the grass short and to trip the bushes as often as possible. This will allow the sun to burn off the flea larvae. Keep your garden clean as heaps of grass, dead leafs and branches can also attract ticks.

In case of a flea problem, ants in your garden can be an asset. Those ants will feed on the flea larvea and eggs. Where you dog likes to lie down, clean off the dead branches and leafs, and put a dark plastic cover. The heat will kill off any flea larvea. You can also spread some diatomaceous earth, also known as diatomite or kieselgur a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be used as natural flea repellent.

Other readings: Effective flea and tick control for dogs, Choosing a dog flea treatment

Heartworm Medicine provides plenty of information about dog diseases and infections, as well as great recipes for natural flea repellents.

With global warming, winters are shorter and warmer, there has been a proliferation of wild animals, which has led to an increase of ticks and fleas on dogs (and cats) due to the fact that they have a greater chance to come in contact with those wild animals. Also, with warmer temperatures, the reproductive cycle of ticks and fleas has become faster, worsening the number of infected animals. This necessitates an effective method of flea and tick control for dogs and other pets in your household.

While high season used to happen in summer, this is now a recurrent problem for most of the year, making flea and tick control for dogs more difficult.

Some Effective Flea and Tick Control for Dogs

Fleas
It is very important to treat your dog if he has fleas. Untreated dogs can suffer from dermatological problems linked to flea bites and allergies to the saliva of the fleas, causing the dog to scratch, and even, in bad cases, infected injuries in weaker animals. Also, some dog worms can be transmitted through flea bites. This is why it is best to also use an anti-worm treatment when your dog is infested with fleas.

But getting rid of the fleas on your dog alone does always solve the overall flea problem. Not only treating your dog is essential, but it is also important to treat the dog’s environment as well, including the house, the dog’s bed, the garage, the cars. Bear in mind that fleas can lay up to 25 eggs, and that the offspring will start laying eggs within 20 days. Moreover, some stages of the flea reproductive cycle can survive many years in a non treated house.

When treating your animal against fleas, give them and the house a first full anti-fleas treatment. To avoid recurrence, it would be wise to treat your dog every month for a full year.

Ticks
Ticks pose a threat to both dogs and humans. Usually found in the forests, ticks can be dangerous because they can transmit Lyme disease, a disease which can infect both humans and dogs. Fortunately, Lyme disease is a very uncommon disease.

Prevention is the key – choose the right flea and tick control for dogs

An effective and popular flea and tick control for dogs is usually external, such as sprays or spot-on. More and more, people opt to use spot-on because they are easy to use and some products can be used against a wider range of parasites, such as mosquitoes. Those spot-on are effective and non messy, making them a number choice among many dog owners. However, if you dog has long hair, a spot-on may fully protect the dog and it is then recommended to also use sprays.

Vaccination is also a good way to protect you dog against piroplasmosis and Lyme disease. If you decide to venture in the woods with your dog, use insects repellers.

Remember the importance of protection your dog against bugs and diseases, and to use a good flea and tick control for dogs. By doing so, you will keep your dog healthier, cut back on vet bills and of course, add a few more precious year to its life.

Other reading: Homemade and Totally Natural Flea Repellent

Heartworm Medicine provides information about dog diseases and Flea and Tick control for dogs.

Pets are often considered as a member of the family. A dog or a cat can bring a lot of joy in anyone’s life. And as for any member of our family, we wish to keep out pets healthy and away from fleas, ticks, hookworms and roundworms and of course, heartworms.

Heartworms are worms that mostly infect dogs and, at a lesser extent, cats. Heartworm larvae is spread through mosquito bites, from dogs to dogs. The symptoms of heartworms on your dog can vary a lot between dogs. While some dogs will show no symptoms, other dogs will show significant health deterioration, that can lead to heart failure due to to a large number heartworms in the heart and arteries of the dog. Number of veterinary drugs can prevent heartworm infection.

How can heartworm medicine help

Heartworm medicine such as ivermectin are extremely effective and when regularly administered, they will protect more than 99 percent of dogs and cats from heartworm. You can talk to your veterinarian to learn more about heartworms.

Keep your dog healthy, prevent fleas, roundworms, hookworms, dog ticks and heartworms in dogs using heartworm medicine.