A Sad Day For Companion Animals.

The congressional process failed to protect companion animals from being sold illegally for research. The Pet Safety and Protection (PSP) Act,which was designed to ensure that animals used in research are obtained legally, was placed into the House and Senate Farm Bills and passed both chambers in 2007. However, the Farm Bill entered the conference process and, this month, the conference committee removed the PSP Act language due to influence from opponents! Unfortunately, politics worked against our nation's companion animals.

Your voice is needed to express disappointment to your congressional member(s) who served on the conference committee to ensure that such unfair actions stop.The PSP Act language would have protected pets from unscrupulous dealers who often obtain animals from animal shelters, by exploiting"free to good home" ads or through illegal means for a quick profit. The bill would have restricted the use of stray animals and animals from shelters in experiments and would have imposed fines against violators.

Walk And Wag - A Great Way To Help The Homeless Animals.

Chance says, "Get your head out of that bag, and come join us!"

source: Herald Dispatch and Little Victories website.

With the warm weather comes some great events. On June 7, 2008, from 8am till noon, Little Victories and Help For Animals will be holding the 5th annual "Walk and Wag." You can pre-register so that you don't have to wait in line to get signed up. Send your check, made out to Little Victories, to: Little Victories, POB 247, Barboursville, WV 25504, or you can register at the event. Adults are $15.00, and children under 8, are $12.00. Come out, bring your 4 legged best friend and your 2-legged ones, too!!! This is a great way to help the animals, and your health. If you need more info - call 304-743-5802 or 304-736-8555.

Here is a little taste of what will be going on Sat. the 7th. There will be contests for the best dressed, best kisser, tail wagger, and much more. The children will enjoy the face painting and the clown that will be there, too. And, I think this is cool, they will have a continental breakfast for the walkers. Plus, plenty of cold water for both 2-legged and 4-legged walkers.

If you want to form a "pack," like with people from your workplace, school, or church, you will need to notify Little Victories by email at jmhrth@gmail.com to register in advance. You can give your "pack" a cool name, too! The "pack" that raises the most money will win a trophy for their office, school or church. And, members of your pack are still eligible for individual trophy's as well.

Farm Bill Victories.

source: www.hsus.org

Puppy Imports – The Farm Bill includes provisions — championed by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) with key support by Reps. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), and Terry Everett (R-Ala.) — to curb the import of puppies for commercial sale from foreign puppy mills. A growing number of breeders in Eastern European countries, Mexico, China, and other foreign countries see the U.S. as a potential market, even though there is a strong domestic dog and cat breeding industry here and there are millions of pets available from U.S. breeders and animal shelters.

The provisions require that any dog imported into the U.S. for commercial sale be at least 6-months old, to ensure that young, unweaned and unvaccinated puppies are not forced to suffer from harsh, long-distance transport. They also ensure that any dog entering the U.S. be deemed healthy prior to entry. Exceptions are provided so as not to interfere with shelter and rescue work, veterinary treatment, or research purposes. Thanks to Sen. Durbin's extraordinary and unflagging leadership, similar language was first incorporated into the Senate Farm Bill in December.

Animal Fighting – The Farm Bill contains provisions — sought by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Reps. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio), Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) — to strengthen federal animal fighting law by making it a crime to knowingly possess or train animals for fighting, enhancing the penalty for animal fighting offenses from a potential three-year prison sentence to a maximum five-year prison sentence, and making any animal fighting affecting interstate or foreign commerce a federal crime.

The Senate Farm Bill contained many similar provisions in a dogfighting amendment successfully offered by Sen. Kerry, and the conference report language is even stronger, as it also applies to cockfighting.

Groomer Has It - A Fun Show.

Like a lot of you, I have a favorite reality show. It is on Animal Planet and is called, "Groomer Has It." It is coming to the end, and has been quite interesting. The man that thought this up, is the founder and president of the grooming academy I went to in Lexington, KY called Nash Academy of Animal Arts. His name is John Nash. He and his wife, world renowned groomer, Vivian Nash, work from their home in Lexington, while their daughter, Tayna, runs the school. They also have a school in NJ.

The prize for the winner is $50,000.00 cash, a mobile grooming van (worth at least 50,000.00) and the title of Groomer of the Year. The mobile grooming van is really a great prize. You can go straight to a clients house, hook up to their outside water hose, and groom the client's dog right in front of their house. It is a really big thing out in CA.

It comes on Sat. at 9pm on Animal Planet. Check it out. It is really interesting.

A Fun Way To Help The Animals.

Chance says, "Little Victories is the bomb!"

source: Herald Dispatch

If you like Longaberger purses or Boyds Bears, Little Victories has just the event for you. On May 30, 2008 at 7pm, Little Victories is having their Basket Bear Bingo. It is going to be at the YMCA at 617 5th Ave. Don't worry about parking, as you can park on the street on in the back. The money collected will go toward the continuing medical care of the dogs at the new shelter on Wire Branch Rd., Ona, WV.

For more info, email Sue Brown @ sbrown7987@aol.com or call 304-523-1666.

Good Job, Hogs!

source: Herald Dispatch

Chance and I just wanted to say "Thanks!" to the Hogs for Dogs motorcycle run that raised over $600.00 to help with building the new Putnam County Animal Relief Center.

To make a donation by post - First State Bank, 1101 Hospital Dr., Hurricance, WV 25526, and make your check payable to PARCF. (Putnam Animal Relief Center Fund)

One Loyal Little Dog.

Today, May 20th, I took Chance for a ride around 10am because I had a funeral to go to, and I wanted him to get a little "car" time before I went. As we crossed the tracks to cross over to Old Rt. 2, I noticed this little bedraggled white dog. He looked to be about 10 lbs. with Maltese type hair and a terrier head and body. He was sitting on the other side of the road, off to the side of the intersection.

When I came back toward home, he was still sitting there. So, I took Chance back, put him in the yard and went back to try to get this little guy. When I got up to the road, I almost had a heart attack....he was standing in the middle of Rt. 2. One car had stopped, and two more were coming up the road from Huntington. I got him over to the other side of the road, but he wouldn't come to me. He was scared. Well, when I went to the funeral, he was still sitting in the same spot.

When I got back, I didn't see him. So, I came home and changed and went back, treats in hand, to do my rescue. Well, I didn't see him, so I looked down this long driveway, and there he was. I pulled up to the house and asked the man there if he was the owner. He wasn't, but his brother was. Seems his brother, who lives out in the country, broke his arm a couple of days ago, but wouldn't go to the hospital. The little dog, the man said, kept licking his arm. He (dog) knew he was hurt., but his master wouldn't go to the hospital.

The reason he was sitting at the road is, he was waiting for him (owner) to come back from the hospital, because family talked him into going, finally. Evidently, the two are inseparable. That just shows how loyal a dog can be.

Homemade Dog Treats.

I submitted this comment on the Herald Dispatch's Dog Blog - 6/19/07.


I feed BilJac dry kibble and brown rice every feeding. Brown rice has more fiber than white. You can also add a bouillon cube for flavor. Remember, feeding only rice with nothing hard, like dry dog food, will cause your dog's stool to be loose. Boiling the chicken is the best way to fix it. You are boiling off all toxins that may be on the raw chicken. You can also add cooked carrots and a small amt. of green beans or peas. But always make sure you have some dry kibble. For the geriatric dogs that can not chew, the brown rice will fulfill most of the fiber requirements. Most importantly, rinse all vegetables before cooking or feeding raw. ***"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."***


Cheesy Dog Cookies.

2 cups All-Purpose flour -- un-sifted
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded
2 cloves Garlic -- finely chopped
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
4 tablespoons Water -- (4 to 5)

Combine everything except water. Whisk in food processor until consistency of cornmeal. Then add water until mixture forms a ball. Roll it into 1/2" thickness and cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets about 10 min. (depending on size of shapes) at 400. Cool and store in refrigerator.


Biscuits For Dogs.

1 cup oatmeal -- uncooked
1/3 cup margarine
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
5 1/2 cups hot water
3/4 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup cornmeal
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 whole egg -- beaten

Pour hot water over oatmeal, margarine, and bouillon; let stand for 6 min. Stir in milk, cornmeal, and egg. Add flour, 1/2 c. at a time; mix well after each addition. Knead 3 - 4 min., adding more flour it necessary to make a very STIFF dough. Roll or pat dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut into dog bone shapes with cookie cutter. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 min. on baking parchment Allow to cool and dry out until hard. Store in container.

Allergies To Pets And How To Deal With It.

Tolerance - that is the key when a pet owner is dealing with the allergies to their pets. They bring us such joy, but also require a lot of maintenance. i.e. vet care, grooming(if required), bathing(smooth coats), ears cleaned out, attention, exercise, and the most important of all - "TIME."

I found out that 15% of our population is allergic to dogs or cats. And, surprisingly, it is estimated 1/3 of Americans that are allergic to cats, have at least one in the household anyway. It just goes to show just how much some people love their pets. I found another study of 341 adults, allergic to cats or dogs, advised by their personal physicians to get rid of their pets, only 1 out of 5 did. And, another shocking fact: 122 of the people got another pet after a previous pet had died.

Pet companionship, as far as I am concerned, far outweighs the drawbacks of pet allergies for quite a few pet owners. I call those people that are willing to be uncomfortable and take medicine for their allergies, and keep their pets, true animal lovers. They put the animal before themselves to give an animal a safe home and love. Contrary to popular belief, there are no "non-allergenic" breed of dog or cat. Shockingly, even the hairless breeds of both species can be highly allergenic.

Chain-Off 2008.

In 2003, one woman started something wonderful. She chained herself to a doghouse for 33 hours to raise awareness of the misery of chained and penned dogs. In 2007, it had grown to 108 people in 36 states and Canada chaining themselves to doghouses.

The organization, Dogs Deserve Better, is the sponsor of this. This organization is solely devoted to helping get chained and penned dogs back into the house and educating the public on the dangers of chained and penned dogs. The week of June 27th till July 7th, they (DDB) hope to have over 200 people chain themselves to a dog house to bring the plight of chained and penned dogs to the public.

Go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/ and click on latest news up at the top of the page. It has information on how you can participate or make a donation. If my health is good enough, I plan to participate.

Types Of Mange In Dogs.

When I take my drives up on the ridge with Chance, I pass this one trailer that has a female dog that has had puppies. The puppies have mange and are starving. I passed by there today and they were in the garage trying to find something to eat. The health department has been up there twice, but we can't seem to get the animal shelter to respond to calls to go up there.

So, I am going to tell you about the the kinds of mange out there. The first one is demodectic mange. This milder rash mostly attacks puppies, as their developing immune system can't handle the same mites as their mother. The symptoms, like most types of mange, are itchiness and patches of bare skin. The majority of puppies grow out of demodicosis as they reach adolescence. Sometimes, demodectic mange will develop into a more serious problem. Increased symptoms will be crusty and scaly skin, frenetic scratching, and overall weakness in the dog as the mites settle in hair follicles. This cannot spread to humans, but it may be an indication that your dog suffers from a weakened immune system due to cancer or other health condition.


The second kind is called sarcoptic mange or scabies, is resilient, long lasting, and contagious. The mites need to burrow underneath the top layers of skin in order to lay their eggs. The eggs develop, hatch, and the new mites only exacerbate the problem. This disturbance creates swelling, redness, thick or discolored skin, hair loss, insistent scratching, and seepage of pus.
Scabies can be passed between dogs, cats, and even onto humans. Since humans aren't good at incubating the scabies eggs, we can't be seriously infested. However, dogs can succumb to scabies and develop bacterial infections in their oozing skin. Scabies is a good candidate among the different types of mange to be cured by multiple treatments from the veterinarian.

A lesser type of mange is cheyletiella. Cheyletiella is better known as "walking dandruff," because tiny white flakes resembling dandruff scatter across a dog's back and neck. Red mites, or fur mites, cause the mild itching of walking dandruff. It will not get too severe, but neither will it clear up on its own. There are insecticide shampoos to treat this type of mange.

Finally, a specific ear mite that lives off the moisture and discharge from an animal's ears causes ear mange. The ear mite burrows into the outer ear canal, and a black gummy substance will start to ooze from the opening. Ear mange can usually be treated at home with cotton swabs and ear drops, yet severe cases could lead to hearing loss. It is contagious between animals, but not to humans.

Take your dog to the vet if you think your pet has been exposed to another dog that has mange. Also, if purchasing a puppy, look at the puppies and observe any bald spots on them or the parents. This is a good indication that mange is present.

A Poem About Being Prepared

source: 2006 American Veterinary Medical Association. Prepared by Cindy S. Lovern, DVM, MSGraphic Design by Cheryl Atkins and Sarah Jurecka

I found this poem about remembering your pets if faced with a natural disaster or some other catastrophe. In my area of rural Cabell County, WV, we have a lot of flash floods and flooding because of our proximity to the Ohio River. I have a sticker on my front door that tells emergency workers what type of animals are in the house and the number. You can get it from this website: www.hsus.org.

As the winds blow on, And the waters rise deep, You can hear their cries. You can hear them weep. Those you have brought into your home, Those who are loyal, caring and warm. You feed them each day, and tell them to stay, And now when they need you, don't turn them away. When you vowed to love, when you vowed to care, You vowed to sacrifice, and vowed to prepare. So now in times of trouble and strife, You are responsible for more than one life. You need to plan, think, and prepare, For all those who need you. Those who depend on your care.— Cindy Swancott Lovern

Tips On How To Report Internet Animal Abuse.

It is hard to believe that people are stupid enough to video themselves doing something illegal, but harming a living being, both human and animal, is ludicrous. There are ways you can report this abuse and remain anonymous. Why is it so important to report this type of crime? You may save an animal's life, and possibly, a humans life, if the abuser doesn't just abuse the animals. There is a huge correlation between the two. I had a guest column in the Herald Dispatch about it.

If you see animal cruelty on the Internet, contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). This is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center at:
http://www.ic3.gov/

Remember, this website handles ALL Internet crimes! Have detailed information to give them when you contact them. This makes their job easier and they can get the bad people quickly. You can also notify the Internet Service Provider, and they may pull the website. To determine who hosts the site, go to: http://www.domaintools.com/ and enter the website URL in the "Whois Lookup"search box and click search.. Scroll down until you find the numerical Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to that website.

Then go to: http://arin.net/ (American Registry for Internet Numbers), enter the IP address in the "Search WHOIS box and click search., you will then find the info about the ISP that hosts the website. If you do not get this, type: http://search.org/programs/hightech/isp .

Currently only a few federal laws address the issue directly. They are the Crush Act: Penalizes the acts of cruelty and sexual abuse of animals that is intended for interstate commerce. The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act: Basically imposing federal charges on animal fighters. And, last but not least, Internet hunting: A pending federal bill called the Computer Assisted Remote Hunting Act. It seeks to prohibit knowingly making available a "computer-assisted remote hunt," (means using a computer or other device, equipment or software to control the aiming and discharge of a weapon to hunt)

What Is "Old Age" For Dogs?

source: about.com/veterinary medicine

The old classic "one human year equals seven dog years" is an easy way to calculate and relate to your dog's age, but isn't the most accurate. Large breed dogs (i.e. Great Danes) are considered a senior at 6 or 7 years of age, whereas small breeds (i.e. toy poodle), aren't considered a senior until their teen years. I personally have seen more than one poodle and several mix-breeds in the 18 to 20 year range.

As a general rule of thumb, a dog who is 7 years or older should be considered middle to senior aged, and a consultation with your vet is in order to determine the best health care maintenance program for your dog as s/he ages. For smaller breed dogs, your vet (in consultation with you) may elect to wait a couple of years before doing any geriatric monitoring.

What things should you expect as your dog ages? Each dog, like each human, is different. Here are some general things to watch for as a pet ages.

Slowing down - You may notice that you dog slows down some with aging. This isn't always the case, but look for subtle changes in how s/he gets up, lays down, and uses stairs. Is there any hesitation or stiffness? Does a change in the weather (rainy, cold) make it worse? Arthritis is common in dogs as they age, particularly large breeds. Arthritis can occur in any joint, most commonly the legs and back (spine). There are many different medications available to help ease the discomfort of arthritis -- see your vet if you notice any signs of slowing down in your dog. Another potential cause of slowing down is hypothyroidism, an endocrine disorder common in dogs. This condition is easily diagnosed and treated with proper veterinary care.

Graying around the face, muzzle - One of my dogs went prematurely gray at two years of age, but most dogs commonly show a bit of gray starting at middle age (5-6 years).
Reduced hearing - Is your dog hard to wake up after sleeping or does s/he become startled easily if you approach from behind? Hearing loss or deafness may be a reason for this. There isn't a lot that can be done for age-related hearing loss, but a vet exam should be done first to rule out other medical problems, such as an infection, growth, or foreign body in the ear. If your dog does experience hearing loss, take care to protect him/her from hazards, such as cars and kids that s/he may not hear (or see). Dogs do learn and adapt well using hand signals to come, stay, sit, and so on. It is a good idea to "cross train" your dog early in life to recognize basic hand signals.

Cloudy or "bluish" eyes - As they age, dog's eyes often show a bluish transparent "haze" in the pupil area. This is a normal effect of aging, and the medical term for this is lenticular sclerosis. Vision does not appear to be affected. This is NOT the same as cataracts. Cataracts are white and opaque. Vision can be affected by cataracts, and your vet needs to be consulted (see "when is it time to see the vet?" below).

Muscle atrophy - Mild loss of muscle mass, especially the hind legs, may be seen with old age. Some muscle atrophy, notably on the head and the belly muscles, can signify diseases such as masticatory myositis and Cushing's Disease. Be sure to have your vet check this out if any muscle loss is noted.

Questions To Ask When Looking For A Breeder.

source: yahoo answers

If you can't find the dog you want at your local shelter or breed rescue, then here are some questions you can use to determine if a breeder is truly responsible:

1. Is he/she an AKC registered breeder of good standing and an active member of his/her breed Parent Club?

2. Are there AKC Champions listed on the pedigree, showing that the breeder spends her time & money to prove the quality of his/her breeding stock through competition?

3. Are all the animals kept in clean, comfortable, healthy, loving circumstances?

4. Did the breeder conduct extensive interviews with you and every member of your family?

5. Have the sire & dam received all available health clearances, (eg. OFA Hip & Eye, Thyroid testing, THESE VARY FOR EACH BREED)

6. Is he/she willing to honestly discuss any possible genetic defects that may exist in her line?

7. Does he/she have a Sales Contract?

8. Does the contract contain a clause stipulating that you spay or neuter the puppy before it reaches a certain age?

9. Does the contract contain a clause stating that if at any time in the puppy's life, you can no longer care for it, it must be returned to the breeder? (This ensures that no animal bred by this breeder will ever end up in a shelter).

10. Will the breeder maintain contact with you for the life of the puppy to answer questions and help in general?

These are questions that are very important. I have stated over and over in posts on this blog about the importance of researching a breeder before buying. Remember, no responsible breeder sells to a pet store, flea market, Internet or classifieds.

Be Kind To Animals Week.

This week is a special week. It is Be Kind To Animals Week. The American Humane is promoting this to help educate children about animals and why we need to help them and be kind to all animals, not just our companion animals.

Yesterday, I stopped and moved 2 turtles from the middle of the road up on Fairview Ridge. One was a Snapping Turtle. The other was just a box or "painted" turtle. I had my big, brave Chance dog with me, and you would have thought that Godzilla had come to life. He absolutely is terrified of turtles. We walk in the Powell Wetlands alot in the spring and summer and if he comes across a turtle, he will tuck his tail and run behind me and peep around my leg at it.

One day, I was walking him up there and I saw this big rock, or so I thought. As Chance and I got closer, this "rock" rose up on four legs and started to walk! It was a huge Snapping Turtle. Just as I got Chance's attention, he spotted it out of the corner of his eye. He actually squalled out and ran around me and tried to stick his head between my legs to peep at the turtle. Oh yeah, big, brave yellow Lab! Ha, Ha......

Just remember to be nice to everyone and everything and then you have nothing to worry about. Now, if we could just get the rest of the world to follow suit.

Little Victories As Seen With My Own Eyes.

pup with hair

sibling pupJust a tummy scratch is all this little guy wants.

This is just one of the houses in "PuppyTown." See how relaxed the dogs are! They are all that way. Happy and secure.

Today, 5/3/08, I went to Wire Branch Rd. off Rt. 60 in Ona WV, to visit a no-kill shelter called Little Victories that has been the subject of controversy by the residents living on this road. The founder and president, Sue Brown, gave me permission to take pictures while I was there, and I did. What I found were extremely healthy, happy and in all but one case, animals that felt secure. This one animal had been so horribly abused, he just couldn't trust anyone. But, it seems that since the new caretakers took over, he will now sniff the hand of the lady caretaker. That is reassuring.

As I drove down the road to get to the shelter, I passed sign after sign in people's yards that were all against this shelter being built on their road. When the caretaker, Twana, (I am sorry if I misspelled her name) showed me the property line I was amazed. Where the property owned by Little Victories starts, it is over 2 football fields from the nearest house. And, as I cruised down this road, I had my radio off and my windows both down. I heard absolutely nothing until I was abreast with the play area for the shelter dogs. One little fella was in there getting his daily romp, and he alerted I was there. And naturally, the other dogs followed suit, but only for a very short time. The caretaker, Twana, seems to really calm them. I was impressed by this.

The letter from the lady in the Voice of the People of this newspaper, saying that the dogs were dirty and no-one was there is what prompted me to call Sue and get permission to take pictures to show the public that, well, I just don't know what that lady is talking about. The pictures I have on this blog show that they have actual houses, called PuppyTown. Kudos, by the way to the Eagle Scout Troop that built it for the shelter. And, the dogs they have in lots have the entire top of the lot covered, and good houses to get into. All the dogs were clean and their areas are cleaned twice a day. With help, this can be a fabulous place for dogs to get a second chance, and the ones that can't be adopted, will have a place to live out their lives peacefully and securely.

Normally, my personal business is just that, but I am going to put Little Victories in my will. I have the library, too, because of an extensive book collection. But, after seeing what this organization is trying to do, makes me start to believe that there really is some good left in the world. What impressed me the most about the lady that took me around, was the attitude of all, and I mean all the dogs when she approached. They were so happy to see her and they just licked her hands. Even the one dog that is not approachable, he will sniff her hand. Gentle way about her. I liked her. I didn't get a chance to meet her husband.

She told me a story of this blue merle dog that she showed me. She went to bed one evening, and the next morning when her husband got up at 6am to start feeding and cleaning, he came back in and asked her who put the dog in the pen with the little fella already in there? She said there is no "other dog". Sure enough, someone came up there through the early morning hours and put her over the fence and into the pen. They(caretakers) said she was rail thin, but the bizarre thing was, the people left a garbage bag full of treats and food and toys. But the dog was so malnourished she almost died. But now, she is beautiful. And, if you go to the website: http://www.littlevictories.org and look at the 2 puppies they found that didn't have any hair, well I saw them today, and their coats are fabulous. They are pictured up on the left top. Both have full coats. Good work Little Victories!

They are working to get enough money to build an indoor kennel. Chad Pennington gave a donation specifically to be used in the building of the kennel. (The dog blog has a small story about his donation) The lady caretaker was very excited about it. Go see for yourself. I went up without calling the shelter. I had talked to Sue last week and got her permission, but didn't tell her when I would be going. So, no one knew I was coming. What I am relaying to you, comes first hand. With my own eyes.

A Fun Photo Contest.

I tolerate a lot, you guys!

My vet, Dr. Wayne Maass, owner of Guyan Animal Hospital on Rt. 60 near Barboursville, sends out this great magazine called Healthy Pet. It also has on it your pet's reminder for annual shots and heartworm testing. It is really informative.

They are having a dog and cat photo contest with the chance to win a camera worth $1000.00. All you do is send a high quality photo of your pet to this address: cutepets@healthypetmagazine.com . Or you can mail it to: Healthy Pet Magazine, Attn: Cute Pet Photo Contest, 7777 Center Avenue, Suite 35o, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. Check it out and good luck!!!

Hook, Round and Tape Worms.

It is common sense to think that as the number of pets increase, so does the likelihood that both the pets and their owners will be exposed to parasites. The prevalence of major parasites in both cats and dogs remains quite high. The three most common are the hookworm, roundworm and the tapeworm. I will describe each briefly.

Roundworms: Both dogs and cats. A large worm that lives as an adult in the small intestine. Begins as larvae work their way through the liver and lungs before they mature in the small intestine. Time: 2 to 5 weeks. Egg production: 85,000 a day, yes a day! Both humans and pets can get these worms. It is called Zoonotic Diseases. Symptoms: lethargy, diarrhea, weight loss in dogs. In people: the larvae can cause what they call larva migrans in people. When a person ingests a roundworm eggs, the migration of larvae and the resulting damage to internal organs, and that is referred to as visceral larva migrams (VLM. VLM occurs most often in younger kids.

Hookworms: Both dogs and cats. These worms are not especially nice to look at. They are white and reddish-brown with a hook at one end. They live as adults in the small intestine of dogs and cats. They (larva) either enter through the skin or are swallowed. Production: 20,000 per day.

Tapeworms: I always referred to tapeworms as looking like a kernel of rice. If they segment, that is what they look like. They will be stuck to your dogs tail. Usually stuck to the hair closest to the anal region. Sometimes, if the infestation is really bad, you will see live ones at the anal opening. Both dogs and cats. Tapeworms come from dogs and cats ingesting fleas. Fleas are the carriers of tapeworm eggs. Weird, I know.

Human infections usually happens when a young child ingests a flea, inadvertently. Best way is just pure cleanliness. Keep your pet flea free by using the topical (between) the shoulder flea applications and if you have an infestation, clear that area, all dog beds, blankets, etc...and wash the dog in a plain dog shampoo and then put on the flea application between the shoulders.

And, last but not least, a recent article from the CDC (Contagious Disease Center) indicates that 14% of the US population has been infected with roundworms contracted from dogs and cats.
source of last paragraph: Healthy Pet Magazine, mailed from Guyan Animal Hospital to remind it is time for Chance's annual shots and heartworm test....even though he has taken the medication all year, I still have him tested.

***WARNING: DO NOT USE A FLEA SHAMPOO AND THEN PUT ON THE FLEA TREATMENT. YOU WILL KILL YOUR DOG. IT WILL PUT TOO MUCH TOXINS INTO YOUR PET'S BODY AND YOUR PET WILL GO INTO SHOCK, SEIZURES AND THEN DEATH.***

A Very Disturbing Investigation Of The Iams Pet Food Company.

My own words:

Back in 2002 and 2003, PETA went undercover into a contract laboratory employed by the pet food manufacturer Iams. What they found was sickening. For the nearly 10 months the investigator had to endure this to get the footage needed to expose this, the investigator found dogs who had literally gone crazy from intense confinement in barren, steel cages and cement cells. They were left there to see the result of solitary confinement on a dog.

Another sick thing they found were dogs who had been left on a filthy floor after chunks of muscle had been hacked from their thighs, and the ever so "popular" debarked dogs. And, then there were the horribly sick dogs and cats who were just laying in cages, neglected and dying slowly and painfully, alone. They were given no veterinary care at all.

source: www.iamscruelty.com

Even Iams own Executive criticizes the Company's Cruel Caging Policy. Her name is Diane Hirakawa, Sr. Vice Pres. of Iams Research and Development.

Here is the list of violations documented by government inspectors.

Failure to provide pain relief to sheep used in experiments that cause pain/distress.
Failure to ensure that personnel were trained to perform experiments on animals.
Failure to provide veterinary care and to observe animals daily.
Failure to properly ventilate housing facilities for dogs and cats.
Failure to house cats with adequate number of litter boxes and resting surfaces.
Failure to keep animal-housing facilities clean and in good order/resulting in injuries.
Failure to maintain comfortable temperatures in animal-housing facilities.
Failure to provide animals with sufficient space.

If you feed this food, you might want to go to the website I listed above and read about what you are feeding your dog and what the dogs have to go through in order for you to feed it. I feed BilJac.

Do You Own A Senior Pet?

If you are one of the "pet boomers", meaning you have a pet 7 yrs. old or above, here is some vital information on how to care for your aging pet. This video is very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/v/zU5KBaTgiL0&hl=en