Big love for little dogs

Big love for little dogs

Please Spay and Neuter you pets for their health!

Posted By: Tracey Carr

From: Compassionate Pug Rescue

Pyometra is deadly if left untreated! We want to make everyone aware of a disease that can be easy to cure and even easier to prevent! We received a late night e-mail from a man saying his pug was dying and he did not think it would live through the night. He said she would vomit when she tried to eat and had vaginal bleeding. She was 8 years old and had not been spayed. He said she had lost 30% of her body weight from not eating. This had been going on for days. He never took her to the vet. By the time he emailed us, it was 10pm on Friday night. The pug had kept them awake the night before crying in pain. They finally decided they had to do something. The problem was- it was too late, they had waited too long! One of our volunteers met him at the emergency pet hospital at midnight. The pug was weak, her hind end covered in blood and she was crying in pain. The uterus had ruptured and this poor pug was literally oozing pus from a major infection known as Pyometra. (see disease info below) We are heartbroken and at the same time angry that this happened. If he had contacted us even a day earlier, she may have had a chance. This is such a senseless tragedy- so easily avoidable. They watched this poor pug suffer and did not seek help until it was too late! We are a rescue. We are here to help the pugs in need. We help them, regardless of their condition but it is cruel to bring us a pug that is within hours of death when you didn't seek help sooner. Now we all mourn the loss of this pug. You know your pets, you know if their behavior has changed. They rely on you to keep them safe and healthy! Don't let them down. Pyometra is a disease of the uterus in female dogs . Pyometra is an important disease to be aware of for any dog owner because of the sudden nature of the disease and the deadly consequences if left untreated. It has been compared to acute appendicitis in humans, because both are essentially empyemas within an abdominal organ. Pyometra is a result of hormonal and structural changes in the uterus lining. This can happen at any age, whether she has bred or not, and whether it is her 1st or 10th heat (although it becomes more common as the dog gets older). The most obvious symptom of open pyometra is a discharge of pus from the vulva. Symptoms include vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, and increased drinking and urinating. Closed pyometra is a more serious condition than open pyometra not only because there is no outlet for the infection but also because a diagnosis of closed pyometra can easily be missed due to its insidious nature. Bloodwork may show dehydration, increased white blood cell count, and increased alkaline phosphatase. X-rays will show an enlarged uterus, and ultrasound will confirm the presence of a fluid filled uterus. The most important aspect of treatment of pyometra is quick action. Female dogs are often septic and in shock. Intravenous fluids and antibiotics should be given immediately. The treatment of choice is an emergency spay, to remove the infected organ. Please Spay and Neuter you pets for their health!

Pawhaus Pet Boutique Pet Fashion Show

On April 24 and 25, 2010 the Pawhaus Pet Boutique participated in a Pet Fashion Show at the Calgary Woman's Show! Here is a video of one of the days - it was so much fun!!

SleepyPod

Check out how the SleepyPod would work for your cat and/or dog:

Earth Friendly Products

As gardening season is upon us...

Please share this with all the pet owners you know and ask them to do the same - the information you take a few minutes to share might prevent the senseless loss of other pets.

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do. Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Target, Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'.

It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site,  this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it." 

*Snopes site gives the following information:  http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp *

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

**PLEASE PASS THIS ON**

Kids' toys are not for doggies!

Posted on the Bow Wow Haus Blog

This came to our attention today via Zen Dog Training and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Relief & Rescue Group, and we wanted to share with everyone. Please let other dog-lovers in your life know -

"Last night at agility class, a vet, who is a fellow agility student was telling us about a case she had this week. The dog ate a child's teddy bear and was very sick. When she opened the dog up to remove what she thought was an intestinal obstruction she found a huge gelatin type mess inside and the dogs intestines were black and the tissue dead. The dog will die no surgery can fix him up there was no living intestine left from stomach to colon.

This was not an obstruction. .... so she called the manufacturer of the Teddy Bear on a quest to find out what the gel was and what killed the dog. Turns out the stuffing in children's toys contains ingredients for flame retardants and mite control! It is designed to be come a gel. It is highly toxic. Now you would think a child's toy would be safe because it is for children, but they don't expect a child to eat the stuffing of the toys... huummmm that seems a bit scary too. But we all know dogs demolish stuffed toys.

So do not give or buy your dog any children's stuffed animals... some people get them at goodwill etc. The vet will be posting a warning and story and I will send any other facts as needed and as I learn more. Maybe some children's toys do not have this ingredient, but better to be safe than sorry. So meanwhile, make sure all your dog toys are for dogs. Please pass this on... it is a horrible death she described and one that can be avoided."