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From MTV:
MTV's award-winning documentary series True Life is looking to tell the stories of young pet owners whose lives are being disrupted due to a certain pet that they love. Is the problem with the animal… or the human? Who is being affected? What needs to happen moving forward? If you appear to be 15-28 years old and have an issue with the pet in your home, MTV wants to hear your story!!! Please email us at pet@mtvn.com and include your name, phone number, location, a recent photo and a brief explanation about how your pet is affecting your life and those around you in a negative manner.
4 Most Dangerous (And Possibly Lethal) Human Foods You Can Feed Your Dog
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
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You may be the type of dog owner who loves to spoil their furry friend with table scraps and other human snacks. But while dogs are typically more appreciative of human food—after all, dried dog food can’t compare to your famous pot roast—you should really be careful about what human foods you feed your pet: some are toxic and can even be fatal if consumed in large dosages. That said, below are some of the more common foods you should never feed your pet no matter what.
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| Photo Credit: foodsubs.com |
Onion
You may not voluntarily feed your dog huge chunks of raw onion (why would you?) but dog’s can get sick no matter how it’s prepared—sautéed, grilled, minced, or even in powder form. This is because onions contain a special enzyme that destroys your dog’s red blood cells, causing Heinz-body anemia. Thus it’s important that you learn how to carefully read food labels. Even some meat based baby foods, which some owners like to give to their aging dogs that have a hard time eating, contain onion powder for flavor. So be cautious of this common vegetable. You also want to make sure that it’s properly stored and tossed away, so your dog can’t get a hold of it.
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| Photo credit: tofufortwo.net |
Chocolate and Coffee
You may think that dogs don’t have a sweet tooth, but the sugar found in chocolate does attract some curious dogs, especially puppies. But it’s not the sugar that is toxic to your dog. It’s the cacao, which contains caffeine and theobrime—two ingredients that are extremely poisonous to dogs. Thus naturally coffee beans and coffee grounds can be just as lethal. So make sure that your dog can’t get into the trash and accidently consume anything with caffeine, including most sodas.
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| Photo credit: muffintinmania.com |
Avocados
Avocados are a controversial fruit because while most experts claim that it is hazardous to dogs, some pet food brands like to add avocado in their dog food to promote a healthy skin and a shinier coat. Makers like to argue that since persin—the fatty acid that can cause severe gastrointestinal issues in dogs—is only found in the leaves, skin, and the meat closest to the pit, their dog food is safe to eat. But I personally wouldn’t risk feeding my pet avocados, guacamole, or dried dog food that uses avocado as an ingredient. You just can never be too safe!
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| Photo credit: yaymicro.com |
Grapes/Raisins
If pets could talk, they’d tell you that they don’t like traveling on planes very much at all. The noise and vibration of the plane scares them, and when their ears pop on the flight, it’s quite uncomfortable. Many airline companies require that pets fly in the cargo section, which definitely isn’t the most pleasant place to take at trip in the air. With all this in mind, you may be wondering how to make your pet feel more comfortable and less frightened on a plane trip. Here are some suggestions:
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| Photo Credit: thepetscentral.com |
Avoid having your pet ride in the cargo area at all costs
Ask your pet’s vet for advice
Make your pet’s crate as comfortable and comforting as possible
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| Photo credit: travelandleisure.com |
Follow the airline company’s rules and regulations carefully.
Logan is a guest post writer on the subjects of traveling with pets, taking care of pets, and private jet charter companies that are kind to pets.
Here at Mad About Pets we always try to promote patronizing local pet supply stores whenever possible. We all know, though, that sometimes we can find a great deal online that we just can't pass up. Thanks to Coupon Craze, here are a few online coupon deals that might just help you snag a great online pet supply deal:
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| A dog with "Red Mange". Photo Credit: The Paw Blog |
This article will provide more detailed information that about mange of the demodectic variety.
What is demodectic mange, exactly?
Demodectic mange, known otherwise as follicular mange or red mange, is a medical condition that irritates the skin of a dog, causing it to become inflamed.
The main characteristics of demodectic mange include a development of scaly textures on the skin, as well as hair loss and inflamed skin. In more advanced conditions, oozing pus can also be found on the skin, which will harden and eventually produce a crusty texture. The problem areas are usually not itchy, however.
Demodectic mange typically appears in dogs that do not have a fully functioning immune system, such as puppies, dogs of old ages and dogs that have had their immune systems weakened in some form.
What causes demodectic mange?
This skin condition can usually be blamed on the presence of the demodex mite. These little bugs can’t usually be seen with the naked eye, but they strongly resemble tiny cigars with legs when viewed under the microscope.
The demodex mite can be found in virtually every dog in existence. The only reason why they have not caused a ‘mange epidemic’ yet is that these mites aren’t actually very tough; they are easily beaten by the immune systems present in the bodies they live in. As a result, demodex mites only exist in a tiny amount, and are too weak to cause any serious damage.
However, as you may have guessed, that is not true for puppies, old dogs and dogs that are ill. Their immune systems aren’t working at their usual capacity, which gives the demodex mites a foot in the door – so to speak – thereby causing all sorts of skin problems.
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| This nasty little bugger is a Demodex Mite. Photo Credit: Wikipedia |
How do demodex mites harm dogs?
The demodex mites make their home in the hair follicles of dogs (thus giving it the alternative name of ‘follicle mange’). The problem starts when the rapid reproduction of mites causes the follicles to be inflamed, thereby causing the hair to fall off. This is why one of the most obvious symptoms of demodectic mange is a drastic loss of fur.
However, hair loss and inflamed skin are not the only things that demodex mites can cause. If you will recall the part about rare fatal cases briefly discussed above, it shows that the mites are also capable of disrupting the immune system of the dog entirely. When that happens, the dog will be vulnerable to a host of other diseases unrelated to mange, which will complicate things a lot more.
Demodectic mange also causes your dog to become unsightly, something that will surely cause any dog owner to be distressed.
Here’s a bit of good news: Demodex mites are not contagious at all. It’s very uncommon for a dog to get it by interactions with other dogs. It’s also impossible for humans to be affected by any interaction with a dog that has demodectic mange, so don’t worry about getting any of those while treating them.
But of course, you may be wondering, "How do dogs get this problem, then?"
The real answer is that their own mothers were the initial source of the demodex mites, while they were still puppies.
It’s very possible that when the puppies were very young, perhaps even when they were just out of the womb, some of the mites would already have turned to them as their host of choice. The lack of a functioning immune system in the very early days of a dog’s life may well be the window of opportunity the mites needed to increase their population exponentially.
If you think about it for a while, this is actually in line with the fact that older dogs and sick dogs are prone to demodectic mange as well, because their immune systems were also malfunctioning.
Conclusion
Demodectic mange seems to be a rather benign problem; they don’t affect the average adult dog, they get killed by immune systems that work correctly, and they aren’t contagious at all. While it is true that they don’t cause much harm to most dogs, it still doesn’t mean that you should treat demodectic mange lightly. For one thing, a severe case of demodectic mange usually means that another health problem is threatening your dog. Apart from that, they can also cause a lot of trouble with the fur and skin. This can mean a source of misery for you in regards to your dog’s appearance as well as health, if it somehow manages to become a major problem.
Simon Tong is the owner of a Miniature Schnauzer, as well as http://dogskintreatments.com, a website devoted to educating visitors on dog skin problems. For more information, visit this page to learn more about demodectic mange.
