You probably wouldn’t encourage a toddler to smoke, but if you subject your pet to secondhand smoke, you might as well be offering kitty a cigarette. “The correlation is similar to what is seen in children: Smaller lungs have less reserve and are more likely to be affected,” says Laura Sullivan, DVM, of Cascade Hospital for Animals, in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Recent studies confirm Dr. Sullivan’s assertion, warning that secondhand smoke may lead to deadly diseases in your cat. So if personal health risks haven’t compelled you and your houseguests to quit smoking yet, there is a new incentive: the well-being of your cat.

Consider the Dangers
The health risks associated with inhaling secondhand smoke have proved to be just as worrisome for cats as they are for people. But unlike you, your cat doesn’t have the choice to escape the environment to get fresher air, says Shera Dickie, DVM, of St. Julian’s Cat Care, in Dearborn, Mich. What’s more, pollutants from the smoky air collect on your pet’s coat. Since cats are meticulous groomers, they can easily ingest these harmful substances as they lick their fur.

According to a Swedish study cited by Dr. Dickie, “six out of seven cats that lived in a smoking home had pathological changes in their lungs.” These changes foretold the emergence of cancer for the majority of the cats. Here are a few other diseases your cat runs the risk of developing if regularly exposed to secondhand smoke:

• Malignant lymphoma This aggressive type of cancer occurs in the lymph nodes and can be fatal. In fact, “Three out of four cats with this disease are dead within a year of diagnosis,” says Dr. Dickie. Cats living with smokers are twice as likely to get this disease, and the risk elevates with increased exposure.
• Squamous cell carcinoma This type of cancer plagues a cat’s mouth. A study conducted at Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine found there is a higher incidence of this illness among cats living with smokers for more than five years.
• Nicotine poisoning Feline explorers drawn to unknown objects, like a forgotten cigarette butt, are especially threatened by nicotine poisoning. The affliction occurs when a cat ingests tobacco. Cigarette butts contain much harmful nicotine — about 25 percent of the nicotine of a whole cigarette — so even a small cigarette butt can lead to the death of a cat.
• Asthma Cats exposed to secondhand smoke are not only more susceptible to asthma, but they also “tend to heal slower from respiratory diseases, such as viral infections and pneumonia,” notes Dr. Sullivan. Increased coughing and breathing difficulty is a possible sign that your kitty suffers around secondhand smoke.

What Can You Do Now?
Proactive, responsible owners have many options to protect their cat from secondhand smoke. But how do you do that if you can’t quit smoking so easily? Here are four tips to guide even the most addicted smoker:

• Designate smoke-free areas Consider smoking outside, or smoke only in rooms that pets are not allowed in. The less the exposure, the greater the chances your cat will stay healthy.
  
• Use air filters Air filters may help clean the environment, removing harmful chemicals in the air that could block your kitty’s respiratory passage.
• Clean your pet and your house Regular baths, or at the very least wipe-downs with a damp cloth, can help remove smoke residue from cat fur, says Dr. Dickie. Vacuum and keep all cigarette butts, tobacco products and even nicotine patches out of sight to prevent accidental illness, poisoning or even death.
• Look for symptoms Excessive drooling or difficulty eating are symptoms of oral cancer, while labored breathing is a sign of lung cancer. Observe your cat frequently, since catching diseases early on always helps with treatment. If something is out of the ordinary, contact your veterinarian immediately.

The best solution of all? Quitting if you’re a smoker — and encouraging cigarette-carrying visitors to do the same. In the words of Dr. Dickie: “Why expose your beloved furry friend to a potentially preventable disease?”

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated… I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of human kind.

— Gandhi

Malea McGuinness helps to raise money for Animal Charities & foundations through her live performances in communities she performs in.  Malea works with staff of these facilities to keep educating herself on cutting edge methods of providing rehabilitative care for animals who were abandoned or rescued from abusive environments.  In partnership with organizations such as The Wisconsin Humane Society, The Arc of San Juan, and The Kauai Humane Society, Malea helps generate awareness and generate funds for programs that prep animals for adoption and volunteer efforts in support of animal rights.  She works in her free time @ The Amanda Foundation in Beverly Hills where she tries to implement techniques learned in other facilities as well as shares her experiences with fans & animal lovers globally.

Spaying is a procedure few of us question. This year alone, thousands of female dogs will undergo the hysterectomy operation, which removes the ovaries and uterus. Chances are your own pet has already undergone these removals.

A groundbreaking new study, however, may change the way we view this common surgery.

Longevity and Ovaries Linked
Women tend to live longer than men do, but did you know this life span edge holds true for female dogs too? “Like women, female dogs in our study had a distinct survival advantage over males,” according to project leader Dr. David Waters, Ph.D., a veterinarian, director of the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation and associate director of Purdue University’s Center on Aging and the Life Course.

Nevertheless, female dogs do not always reach the same age. That became obvious when Waters and his team studied information on the oldest living pet dogs in the United States. (Data on these canine seniors is tracked by the Center for Exceptional Longevity Studies.) Waters had a nagging suspicion: “We think that ovaries are part of a system that impacts longevity and perhaps the rate of aging.”

To test out the theory, Waters, who is also a professor in the department of veterinary clinical sciences at Purdue, and his team analyzed 119 rottweiler “centenarians,” which were elderly dogs that survived to 13 years. That’s 30 percent longer than the life span of most breed members. “We found that female rottweilers that kept their ovaries for at least six years were four times more likely to reach exceptional longevity compared to females who had the shortest lifetime ovary exposure.”

Yet another study, on more than 29,000 women, came to a similar conclusion. Dr. William Parker of the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., led that research. “For the last 35 years, most doctors have been routinely advising women undergoing hysterectomy to have their ovaries removed to prevent ovarian cancer,” he said. “We believe that such an automatic recommendation is no longer warranted.”

Important to Weigh the Pros and Cons
When it comes to longevity, Waters, Parker and their colleagues believe it’s worth it for a female to keep her ovaries. Women who retain their ovaries for at least 50 years often live longer than women who don’t, according to the new findings. For dogs, the comparable age for keeping the ovaries intact, at least for large breeds like rottweilers, is about 6 or 7 years.

Waters is quick to point out that all women and dog owners should weigh the pros and cons of keeping ovaries and should initiate an informed discussion on the upside and downside with their doctor and their pet’s veterinarian.

The Benefits of Spaying
Linda Lasky, a registered veterinary technician at Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland, Calif., said she is not aware of any veterinary hospital that performs a partial hysterectomy on dogs. Owners must therefore choose between three options:

1.    Do not have the dog spayed.

2.    Spay the dog after she is at least 6 years old.

3.    Spay the dog before she reaches puberty, which is the commonly accepted practice.

Lasky strongly recommends the third option, which she said helps prevent two potentially fatal health problems: mammary tumors and pyometra, a canine uterine infection. Spaying also prevents certain behavioral problems related to dogs going into heat. The most obvious benefit of spaying is that it curbs canine overpopulation.

Other Ways of Extending Your Dog’s Life
Through his Gerontology Training Program for DVMs, Waters works with veterinarians to address the findings about ovaries and other longevity matters. He says participants in the program also “emerge as effective educators of pet owners on issues pertaining to lifestyle choices that promote healthy longevity.”

Lasky agrees that lifestyle choices, such as what owners feed their dogs and how they care for them, can also make a huge difference in the quality and length of their pets’ lives. Over the years, she’s noticed that “companion animals are living longer and longer” due to improved medical help, quality nutrition, and love and care provided by owners. Therefore, while retention of ovaries remains a hotly debated issue, spayed dogs may still have a chance at earning a coveted spot in the oldest canines database at the Center for Exceptional Longevity Studies.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

As a veterinary student in 2006, Brian DiGangi found himself in a setting quite unlike the cozy University of Florida campus he was used to. He was in the town of Tunkas, Mexico, caring for cats and dogs in an open-air, MASH-style clinic. At night, he slept in a hammock.

“It’s always an eye-opening experience to spend a significant amount of time in another country, but this program was my first experience using my veterinary skills in such a setting,” recalls Dr. DiGangi. “We learned how to provide high-quality medical care without all the ‘bells and whistles’ of the university setting. In fact, we usually didn’t even have electricity or running water.”

The Global Factor
DiGangi was participating in Project Yucatan, a student exchange opportunity that’s part of the University of Florida’s certificate program in international veterinary medicine. Started in 2003, the program is part of a growing trend in veterinary medicine to give students a global perspective on their profession.

A paper recently published in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine provides an overview of the relatively new program and its goals, which can be lofty. “Animal medicine is not much different than people medicine,” says Amy Stone, D.V.M., an assistant professor at University of Florida and co-author of the paper. “If the animals in a community are well cared for, it is likely that so are the humans. If we can teach people how to care for animals, their food supplies, homes and workplaces will be safer.” She adds, “If we can fight disease together with the human medical professionals, then we can stop outbreaks, pandemics and possibly bioterrorism. If we go and extend a hand through medicine, it helps our relationships with other cultures.”

Health Benefits for Pets and Vets
The University of Florida program is not just for people who want to do missionary-style work abroad. Dr. Stone was part of a program in Honduras that focused on zoonotic diseases, or diseases that pass from animals to people.

“These folks were getting parasites from their pets and they were at risk of disease,” she says. She believes there are many parts of the U.S. where the education about zoonotic diseases is lacking. Intensive training like she experienced in Honduras can therefore become valuable when dealing with cat and dog owners back home.

Skills Better Learned Abroad
Dr. Stone additionally points out that training in a country where the standard of care is lower can actually give students a unique set of skills they might not get at a university back home. “Not everyone [in the U.S.] has the resources to care for their pets in the way that most veterinarians would advise,” she says. “The no-frills nature of international projects gives the students the opportunity to practice what I call ’street medicine.’ They learn how to prioritize and deal with the situation that they are given.”

Many veterinarians are all too familiar with sad cases where pet owners come in with a troubled cat that they can’t afford to have treated. Having a bag of tricks and quick fixes learned in countries like Mexico or Cuba is better than denying care for lack of funds.

Help for Less Fortunate Felines
Then there are those whose international experiences inspire them to come home and care for the least fortunate of our feline friends. That’s exactly what happened to Dr. DiGangi, now a D.V.M. specializing in shelter medicine as a University of Florida resident. The stray cats he cares for that come in off the streets of Gainesville aren’t all that different from the semi-domesticated cats he tended to in Tunkas.

“All the animals that came through our clinic were brought there by their owners,” he shares. “That said, many of the cats were not as accustomed to handling as pets in the United States, and most of them probably lived exclusively outdoors.” These cats usually require even more care, since outdoor living comes with many perils, including more exposure to pathogens.

Dr. DiGangi believes that receiving training abroad helps veterinarians to focus on working with the underserved animals in our country as well as their caretakers. “My participation in Project Yucatan was one of my first experiences working with such a population and undoubtedly played a role in my current career path,” he says.

Copyright © 2010 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

When your dog is ill, the sooner you intervene, the better. While lethargy and changes in appetite and elimination patterns are easily detectable, other signs of illness may slip under the radar for months on end. Dr. Trisha Joyce, a veterinarian at NYC Veterinary Specialists, offers advice on what you should watch out for to ensure your pet stays healthy.

Gums
When dog owners call Joyce to ask whether or not they should bring their pet to her emergency room, one of the first things she asks about is the color of the animal’s gums. Gums that are lighter or darker than normal can indicate a number of problems requiring medical attention.

In general, a healthy dog has pink gums. “If gums are pale, the cause can be internal bleeding — especially common in older, large-breed dogs — or it can be due to low blood pressure or low body temperature,” explains Joyce. “Bright-red gums can be caused by a fever and an infection.”

Legs and Paws
Your dog should always bear weight equally on all four legs. Both sprains and bone cancer can show up as what Joyce calls “light lameness.” She suggests checking for lumps and bumps, particularly in older large-breed dogs. Asymmetry in the legs can suggest a disease that involves withering of the muscles.

Your dog’s paws are vulnerable to contact dermatitis, and dogs usually lick their paws repeatedly to manage the irritation. Excessive redness between the toes can mean that either a bacterial or yeast infection has set in.

Eyes
When your dog is hale and hearty, its eyes are bright and clear. The whites are white, and there is no discharge. In contrast, less-than-healthy eyes are red and may be a notable source of irritation for your furry friend. Redness can indicate anything from dry eye to glaucoma to an infectious disease. Discharge may be suggestive of an eye ulcer.

Ears
Healthy ears are reasonably clean and don’t smell bad. The floppy part is neither pink nor red. Also, both ears should look the same on the inside. If there’s a difference, the animal may have either a bacterial or a yeast infection.

Abundant earwax can also signify an ear infection. “If your dog is scratching at its ears a lot, check the wax. Normal earwax is pale gray to light brown and is not abundant,” explains Joyce.

Skin and Hair
Ideally, your pup’s skin is pink, without patchy areas of hair loss or irritation. “Your dog should smell like a dog. With some skin diseases, the dog will smell yeasty or stinky,” says Joyce. Excessive skin scratching is another way your dog may alert you to skin issues.

A healthy canine coat has luster. “You can see if a dog’s hair is healthy, just like you can with a person,” says Joyce. Hair should not have a lot of dander and should not feel greasy. Abundant hair loss can indicate anything from anxiety to endocrine disease and nutritional deficits.

Teeth
Dental health is as important in dogs as in people. Good dental hygiene shows up in your pet’s breath as well as its teeth. “Dog owners are surprisingly reluctant to look into their dogs’ mouths,” comments Joyce. However, doing so is important, as dental disease is common — especially in small dogs, which tend to have longer life spans.

“Teeth are a potential source of pain and infection,” notes Joyce. She suggests monitoring your dog’s breath and the amount of tartar on its teeth. When either takes a turn for the worse, it may be time for a cleaning to prevent more serious problems down the road.

“No matter what body part you’re talking about, start off knowing what’s normal for your pet,” sums up Joyce. “Changes in any of the above might be indicative of a problem, at which point it’s time to check with your dog’s veterinarian.”

As far as pets are concerned, there is good news - they are not at risk. The mis-named Swine Flu is an airborne virus that is passed between humans.

Pets have a different biological makeup, and cannot get the virus even if a human in the household has it.

Additionally, pork products are safe to eat for pets and people. You can’t get the virus by eating pork, ham, or bacon.

Service dogs are dogs are specially trained dogs for patients with disabilities. The hearing dog is a special kind of service dog which is trained to help the hearing impaired. They help by alerting their disabled partner when they hear important sounds such as phone rings, doorbells, alarm clocks and smoke alarms. They are of great help not only within the house, but also outdoors. They alert the handler when someone calls out the person’s name, approaching sirens, and vehicles. Hearing dogs can be recognized by the bright orange leash and collar they commonly wear. Sometimes they even wear a jacket or a cape.

Some service dogs are trained as mobility assistance dogs, whose job is to help a person who is physically challenged. They are trained to open and close doors, pick up things, and even turn lights on and off. Large dogs can also be trained to pull patients in wheelchairs with the help ofa special harness.

Some canines are trained as walker dogs, which have been nicknamed “living canes”. They help patients with Parkinson’s disease and other ambulatory disorders. They help by providing balance while walking. If the handler stumbles, the dog helps him to regain position by acting as a brace.

Dogs are also trained for assisting people with Type 1 diabetes. They are trained to smell the odor changes in the body which signal hypoglycemia or low blood glucose. Another type of service dogs is the seizure response dog. They help patients with epilepsy or other seizure disorders. They are trained to seek help in case of emergency and wake up the unconscious patient. They are trained to use a pre-programmed phone to get help quickly. They also provide emotional support, and often carry information about the patient’s medical condition.

There are also service dogs trained to help people with psychiatric or neurological disabilities such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, autism, and post traumatic stress disorder. They remind the handler to take medicines, and can also help people suffering from hallucinations or paranoia. They also act as a brace and help to retrieve objects.

Dogs which help visually impaired people are known as guide dogs. They help the handler to avoid obstacles. Guide horses, which are miniature horses, are also employed to help people who are blind and who do not like dogs. Some people prefer horses because they live longer than dogs. Some are allergic or afraid of dogs. However, dogs have the advantage of being able to come in the house, while horses, even miniature ones, cannot. Additionally, service dogs can accompany their owner on public transportation, and horses of course cannot.

Animals such as dogs and cats commonly chewing loose cords, especially those of the computer. Other things which get chewed are plants, wool strands, plastic bags, shoes, toys, purse straps, vinyl objects, leather objects, baskets, furniture, woodwork, and bed frames. Although preventative measures can be taken, and the house can be made relatively pet proof, still there are chances of accidents. Some animals either pass these objects through stool or vomit it out. Such incidents can happen anytime and the animal cannot be lucky every time. The objects can still remain in the body even after pooping and vomiting. 

Vinyl and leather materials get stuck to the walls of the intestines. This condition is hard to be determined immediately as the animal doesn’t stop breathing or starts feeling dizzy. But by close observation if it is noted that the animal isn’t eating properly as it used to before, doesn’t defecate, and lies dull on the bed whole day long, means something is wrong. Since the animal isn’t in immediate danger, the owners need not panic. An x-ray and a blood test can explain the situation and the veterinarian can get a clear idea of what to do.  If the blood test comes out normal, it indicates that the animal still has time on hand and the foreign object can be removed with the help of some laxative. And if there is an indication of an infection in the blood, a sonogram or a barium x-ray can be done. The very last resort is surgery, and this should be done only when the animal refuses to eat anything. In situations liek this vomiting should not be induced as this could aggravate the condition. If the animal vomits by himself, it is okay. 

Heavy duty materials block the intestine completely. Besides blocking or sticking to the walls of the intestines, some plants can also be toxic to the animal. Pet owners should become familiar with these plants, can refrain from planting such plants in their yard or home garden. Instead, most pets like to play in grass. 

Plastic bags can also pose a big threat to the animal. But the rustling noises can make the plastic more attractive to your pet. Objects made out of plastic should be kept out of reach. Another precaution that can be taken is to treat objects that you don’t want chewed with bitter apple spray. They can be even cleaned with a disinfectant with a strong odor, but be careful of the type of disinfectant you use as some can be poisonous to your pet. 

Since leather items are made from animal hides, they are a favorite for chewing. Shoes can be stored in high shoe racks, drawers, chest or even better, in walk –in closets, along with the purses. 

A pet stands a better chance of recovering from eating something they shouldn’t have if it is attended to promptly. Make sure you post the phone numbers for your veterinarian, and also the emergency animal clinic, near your phone where they are easy to find in an emergency.

Dog experts believe that dogs roll in things like dead fish, road kill, and manure in an attempt to disguise themselves. What nobody know is why they feel the need to camouflage their scent. It could be a throwback to the days when they hunted their dinner, if the prey couldn’t smell them, they stood a better chance of capturing something to eat. Another reason dogs might feel the need to hide their scent is protections. They might be trying to hide from potential predators or other packs of once feral dogs. Maybe stinking like a landfill made it easier to be accepted into another pack. On the other hand its possible that dogs roll in the stinkiest object they can find just because it feels good. Nobody really knows for sure why dogs feel the need to smell.

The quickest, most efficient way to remove odor from your dog’s coat is to wash your dog. Try to use a shampoo that is specifically designed for dogs. Human shampoos can strip the dogs coat of its natural oils, leaving the skin unprotected and open to rashes and infections. Dog shampoos are made to clean the dog’s coat, without stripping it of the natural oils. If the dogs stink is especially strong, like the scent of a skunk, bathing the dog in tomato juice is one of the quickest ways to remove the smell.

If you have dog that consistently rolls in stinky, smelly items, you may want to consider taking him to a professional pet groomer and having his coat clipped. The shorter coat will be more comfortable for the dog during the hot summer months and while the shorter hair wont prevent your dog from rolling in the smelly items, the shorter coat will be easier for you to wash, and will dry faster.

If you have bathed you dog and still notice a strong odor whenever it is in your presence the source of the smell might not be the dog’s coat but a more serious health problem. When they have dental issues they have breath the smells so foul that you can smell it throughout your entire house. Strong breath odor can also indicate more serious diseases such as kidney failure and diabetes. Dog’s are also prone to having anal sacs that become impacted and infected, and therefore extremely stinky. If washing your dog does not seem to take care of the odor you will want to take your dog to your veterinarian and have the stinky problem officially diagnosed so that treatments can begin.