WINTER HAS ARRIVED in Western Pennsylvania with a vengence. Make sure you put a coat on your dog to protect his organs from the cold and wind. Protect their paws from the salt of the road by putting on those fashionable dog boots.

SUMMER IS HOT for our Scotland bred double coated Westies. Keep plenty of cool water available for him to drink at all times. If it is too hot for you to be outside, then it is definately to hot for the westie to be left out for prolonged periods of time.

A healthy Westie is an active Westie.  Keeping your Westie physically active is the key to a happy Westie, as well.  Westies are not lap dogs, they were bred to be hunters.  Therefore, they need a job to do every day. Without this job, they get bored and can become destructive around the house. We highly recommend that you take your Westie for a brisk walk everyday at a 20 minute minumum.

Does your Westie have an Hour-Glass shape?

Weight Management

Q&A with Chow Hounds author, D. Eli Elias

Is your dog a Chow Hound?

How often do you hear pet food companies saying, "feed less"?
We’ll say it, and we hope you share it with your friends. The fact is, many pets in America are gorged instead of walked, and showered with treats instead of a pat on the back. Just how big of a problem is pet obesity? About half the dogs in the US are overweight or obese; that’s about 35 million dogs.

What are some of the causes of pet obesity?
Most pet treats are pumped full of fat and sugar, making them highly desirable but extremely unhealthy. Try offering healthy vegetable snacks such as baby carrots, steamed broccoli, or sliced cucumbers, tomatoes.

How does obesity affect a pet’s health? It’s life span?
An overweight dog is unlikely to reach its optimal life expectancy. In addition, weight-related disorders not only cause needless suffering, they also cost pet owners tens of millions of dollars each year. Here are the top risks associated with pet obesity:

    • Osteoarthritis – arthritis secondary to excess weight can occur on both cats and dogs. This is due to increased risk of joint injury.
    • Diabetes and Insulin Resistance – overweight dogs often develop problems with blood sugar regulation.
    • High Blood Pressure – excess fat tissue secretes hormones that cause the heart to pump faster and blood vessels to constrict, resulting in high blood pressure.
    • Breathing Problems – many overweight dogs, especially the short-faced breeds, will develop serious breathing problems if they become obese.
    • Cancer – every year new research connects excess weight to cancer in humans; the same conclusions between obesity and cancer are now being made in pets.

Do you think pet owners know their dogs are overweight?
People’s perception about excess weight must shift from simply viewing love handles as unattractive to recognizing that their flabby waist is a noose choking their health.

How can pet owners keep their pets fit? The simplest way to keep your dog fit is to walk it daily for a total of 30 minutes. Strive for a 15 to 18 minute per mile pace to get your dog into its fat-burning zone. Cut the treat intake in half  and reduce the food from 1 cup to 7/8 cup per day. Is he still hungry? Give him a couple of frozen green beans right from the freezer.

 
Holiday Decorations That Pose Dangers to Your Dogs

Tis’ the season to deck the halls and trim the tree, but the American Kennel Club® warns pet owners of the dangers that lurk among many of the season’s shiny ornaments and festive decorations. To keep your holidays free from emergency visits to the vet, the AKC offers the following tips to dog-proof your home from potential hazards.

Avoid using food, such as popcorn or cranberry strands, as decorations. When eaten, these tasty trimmings can cause blockages, which often require surgery to remove.

Stay away from shiny ornaments, such as tinsel and glass bulbs. Use plastic ties instead of wire hooks to attach ornaments and place items that sparkle, or could be swallowed or broken high up on your tree. Larger, less intriguing ornaments can go near the bottom.

When decorating with holiday lights, remember that exposed indoor or outdoor wires could electrocute a curious canine that chews on them. Tape wires to the wall or sides of the house.

Real Christmas trees pose numerous threats to dogs, so consider an artificial tree. If you do buy a natural tree, make sure your pup doesn’t swallow the pine needles. Dogs also find the tree water tempting, so be sure to use pet-friendly preservatives in the water.

Plants such as poinsettias, holly and mistletoe can be poisonous to pets and should be kept out of reach.

Dispose of all wrapping paper, bows and ribbons as soon as presents are opened. If played with and swallowed, yarn, ribbon or string on gifts can cause intestinal obstruction that often requires surgery.

Additional tips on how to keep your dog safe during the holidays can be found on the AKC Website at www.akc.org.

© American Kennel Club, Inc.

~~~A Healthy Heart~~~
   Even though our animal companions are not at risk from heart attacks like people, heart disease, heart weakness or enlargement, or congestive heart failure and other circulatory problems are common in aging cats and dogs and can gradually worsen over time. The heart is actually a muscle, which is made up of four chambers and a series of valves. The role of the heart muscle is to relax and contract, and pump blood through the circulatory system to the lungs (via arteries) throughout the body and back through the heart again, via the veins. Certain breeds are more predisposed to heart disease than others, and the problem occurs when certain parts of the heart stop functioning correctly. The rest of the organ then tries to compensate for this improper function.
   The general symptoms of heart disease vary from one individual dog to the next but can include fatigue or weakness, increased panting, reduced stamina or willingness to exercise, lethargy and increased time spent sleeping during the day. Reduced appetite and weight loss as well as a gray tinge to the gums and a distended abdomen are also warning signs that there is a problem with the heart. A physical exam or diagnostics such as x-ray, ultrasound or more commonly and echocardiogram (ECG) may be used to make a diagnosis of heart disease and to determine exactly what is affecting the heart and circulatory system. There are a number of things that animal guardians can do as part of a holistic approach, to help to support the long-term heart health of their pets. An appropriate exercise regime is one of the most important factors to address. Lean, active animals are at a generally reduced risk of heart disease than those who are inactive and obese.
 Exercise
   The heart muscle can atrophy without adequate exercise every day. If your pet is already overweight or not sufficiently active, exercise should be built up very gradually over a period of several months, to avoid injury from over-exertion before an adequate level of fitness has been attained. Begin with short (10 minutes or so) walks once or twice a day and slowly increase the distance you cover as well as the speed and terrain – steeper inclines can be introduced to increase the intensity of each session. Brisk walking or jogging of at least twenty minutes’ duration, twice every day is a good maintenance level of exercise to work towards. Many dogs need much more of a workout than this to maintain peak physiological health; this depends on your dog’s age, breed and other factors. Discuss an appropriate regime with your vet.
Read more about nutrition, homeopathy and herbs to support heart health! - http://bit.ly/bt1iq3

The AKC Newsletter is packed with information about health and welfare of our dogs. Here are several links to their site of knowledge.

Your Dog's Health from DoggedHealth.com
Health and Behavior Myths, Tail Problems, & More

Which dog breeds are hypoallergenic? Are designer dogs healthier than other dogs? If Fido sleeps on the bed will he become dominant? Read the latest installation of dog health and behavior myths.
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=49&m=3033418&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTE2Mjc2NDUS1&mt=1&rt=0

That wagging tail? Did you know it's basically a continuation of your dog's spine? Learn all about your dog's tail and the common injuries and conditions associated with this important body part.
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=22&m=3033418&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTE2Mjc2NDUS1&mt=1&rt=0

From a runny tummy to mysterious lumps and bumps, need help understanding your dog's symptoms? Visit with the Diagnostic Dog, the interactive symptom guide.  
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=14&m=3033418&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTE2Mjc2NDUS1&mt=1&rt=0

Learn more about a specific disease or condition impacting your dog.
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=18&m=3033418&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTE2Mjc2NDUS1&mt=1&rt=0

Have a dog health question? Ask The Vet at DoggedHealth.com.
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=9&m=3033418&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTE2Mjc2NDUS1&mt=1&rt=0


Canine Safety Tips for Kids

Children and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly. Children's best friends are often their family pets, and their first confidants and playmates may have four legs. Since dogs are an important aspect of children's lives, the American Kennel Club believes every child should be taught how to behave safely around dogs.

All dog owners should properly obedience train and socialize their dogs. From an early age, dogs should be well-socialized with other dogs and with a variety of people, including children.
Trained, obedient, socialized dogs are less likely to growl, bite, or become threatened around small children.

Read more.
From parking lots to pet stores and even backyards, dog thefts are on the rise. Thefts range from tiny puppies   being stuffed into purses at pet stores to, most recently, purebred pets being   snatched from cars in parking lots and shelters. The AKC offers the following advice to prevent your best friend from being a target of a crime.

Read more.
http://links.mkt2242.com/ctt?kn=5&m=3121946&r=MTQwNDE2OTY0ODIS1&b=2&j=OTYxNjQ0NzUS1&mt=1&rt=0              

THE SENIOR DOG

SIGNS OF AGING Neural cells cannot divide or replicate, therefore the neural cells a puppy is born with are the same ones that it later dies with minus the ones lost along the way through trauma and normal aging processes. The nervous system performs three general functions: motor activity (muscle activation, glandular secretion), sensory functions (conscious and unconscious) and association functions (neural activity within the brain). Problems with Sensory Perception. The loss of sensory function, as the brain ages, correlates directly with the loss of neural cells. As age reduces the brain's effectiveness, reduced sensory perception is inevitable. Sight, smell, hearing and taste fades. Not only does the interpretive ability of the nervous system decrease, but the sensory organs, themselves, become less capable. With aging comes a loss of elasticity in the lens of the eye causing an inability to focus on nearby objects. The pupil is unable to expand and contract to the same degree as in youth, with the result that old dogs do not see as well in the dark and have a similar problem with very bright light. Ultraviolet light is damaging to lenses and, over time, may result in cloudiness. During aging, calcium deposits may form on the small bones of the inner ear resulting in conduction deafness. Since the inner ear provides the brain with sensory signals responsible for our sense of balance, the calcium deposits can be disruptive of an aging dog’s balance. With age, the eardrum loses its ability to respond quickly to vibrations resulting in the common hearing loss experienced in older dogs. Because the dog’s sense of smell is so acute, it is not understood just how strong their ability to taste is, or if taste relies on smell. With age the olfactory area of the brain atrophies and taste buds are lost, which reduces perception of palatability/attractiveness of foods to the senior dog. The brain runs on glucose for fuel. A study of aging Beagles showed that the frontal area of the cerebral cortex utilization rate for glucose declines by 50% from three years of age to fourteen years of age. Therefore, older dogs face the prospect of senile dementia (senility) the same as humans. Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a progressive, age-related disease. CDS may be caused by the genetically pre-programmed death of neurons, or by metabolic and neuro toxins. Altered sleep cycles, panic attacks and trembling are clinical signs of impaired mental function or "senility."
BONES, JOINTS, MUSCLES With old age comes a wearing out of the joints and the muscles and bone. Muscle fibers cannot reproduce; therefore, the dog cannot replace those that are lost. This explains the characteristic loss of muscle mass and strength as the dog ages. Hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis are the most common of all joint diseases, and often a way of life for the aging dog. Statistically, 20% of adult dogs and nearly 100% of old dogs are arthritic.
ARTHRITIS & SUPPLEMENTS If any joint in the dog's body (and this is true in humans as well) has significant structural changes from normal, no amount of consumed nutrients in any form will correct that structural damage. If there are calcium deposits, scar tissue, cartilage tears and dissolution, contour changes to the bones at the joint surfaces from long term abnormal forces being applied... these abnormalities will remain present and will continue to affect the animal regardless of nutritional intake. Supplements to the dog's diet such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate, Omega Fatty Acids, Vitamin E, Selenium, and MSM all assist in decreasing inflammation and improving the body's ability to repair and strengthen tissues. Supplements will not reverse structural changes in a joint such as torn cartilage, calcium deposits and advanced scar tissue. The best you can expect from an arthritic joint when providing supplements such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin is a decrease in pain sensation, an improved resistance to additional joint tissue breakdown, and rejuvenation (improved health) of some soft tissues. A problem with Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements is knowing the quality of the brand you are buying. Companies can buy bulk chondroitin that ranges from 5-95% purity. If a company makes a capsule with 400 mg of 5% chondroitin, you're only getting 20 mg per capsule. An independent laboratory tested 25 various brands. To pass the test, a product had to meet or exceed its claimed weight for the appropriate form of glucosamine, chondroitin, or both within a five percent margin of error; nearly half the products failed the test. If results are not satisfactory with one type of Glucosamine supplement you are using, then try another that may turn out to be of higher quality. Supplementing with Vitamin E is also generally recommended.
DIET & NUTRITION Keeping the dog lean is of course one secret to longevity. Consensus is to avoid obesity and feed only the amount of food needed to maintain weight. Snacks and treats should not make up more than 10% of daily diet. Commercially prepared Senior Diet Foods reduce protein level as well as fat percentage; ask your vet if the reduced protein is enough to sustain your elderly dog. To supplement protein or increase bulk in a senior dog’s diet use chicken or eggs; using cottage cheese can increase sodium levels more than desired. Below is a brief reference chart for protein, fat and sodium. NCRAOA Education is the Key.
KIDNEYS Some studies put kidney failure as the second most common non-accidental death in dogs. As the kidney ages, its weight and volume decrease with resultant loss in capacity to concentrate or dilute urine as appropriate; there may also be higher levels of wastes in the blood. In older dogs with clotting disorders, such as von Willebrand's Disease, minor injuries can become major problems. For over forty years, dietary protein restriction has been the accepted form of nutritional management for dogs with reduced kidney function. Newer research has shown that reduced protein can cause decreased immune competence and increased susceptibility to stresses such as infection and injury. In recent years, ten experimental studies using dogs have been published that failed to provide any evidence that reducing dietary protein had any beneficial influence on the course of renal failure. Today, even people on dialysis are encouraged to eat as much high-quality protein as they can to promote greater resistance to infection, keep muscle and help repair tissue. High-quality proteins from meat, fish, poultry, and eggs produce less waste (urea) in the blood for the kidneys to filter. With age, the geriatric canine is less able to maintain sufficient protein synthesis, and protein turnover also declines, so to preserve adequate protein reserves the older dog actually requires about 50 percent more protein than the young adult dog.
TEETH Studies show that by age three, 80 percent of dogs exhibit signs of gum disease. Symptoms include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along the gumline, red inflamed gums and persistent bad breath. If dental care is not continuous throughout the life of the dog, by the time a dog is geriatric the effects of dental neglect will be evident and potentially life-shortening. Decaying teeth can cause gum and mouth infections, and these infections can migrate to the vital organs and cause serious damage. Gum (periodontal) disease is extremely common in older dogs, and one of the more serious health problems that occurs. Basically it is the overwhelming presence of bacteria in the plaque that adheres to a dog's teeth. After cleaning or brushing, a chlorhexidine rinse (CHX, Nolvadent, Hexarinse) should be used to kill remaining bacteria and inhibit plaque growth.
NURTURING Dogs that receive improved medical care, nutrition, and veterinary medical guidance increasingly are living to an advanced age. Caring for an elderly dog can be both emotional and physically demanding. Some tips for helping your geriatric dog: To help assure comfort for arthritic dogs: provide elevated food and water bowls; padded steps or ramps; heavy padding for beds; heating pads in winter when floors are cold; Astroturf on outdoor runs; elbow pads to cushion joints while the dog is lying down or sleeping. For mobility assistance: use booties with non-skid bottoms; or tacky-feet to the paws. Use plastic mats and sheets to deal with urine leakage in dog beds; enzymatic cleaners for clean up; install doggy doors for the dog to let itself outside. A quick and easy way to dispense medication is to give pills in canned pumpkin or peanut butter. Remember ~ older dogs tend to sleep longer and more soundly. It is necessary to check more frequently for skin abrasions and ulcers created by lying in one position for so long a time.
North Carolina Responsible Animal Owners Alliance, Inc. (NCRAOA) is a statewide organization of animal owners and professionals dedicated to animal welfare, responsible animal ownership, and maintaining the rights of responsible citizens to breed and own animals. NCRAOA, a 501(c)3 organization, provides education and information to the public and supports reasonable and humane animal welfare laws. Permission granted to copy and distribute NCRAOA News and Views in its entirety as is. Protecting your right to responsibly own and breed animals. For more information on animal health, training, reports on pet issues, animal sheltering, or to learn the difference between animal welfare and animal rights – visit our website at www.ncraoa.com


 

Mineral Madness


Check your dog food to make sure these minerals have been added. Do not overfeed your dog.
Minerals are some of the most important of all nutrients, and are needed to help maintain the correct composition of body fluids, proper formation of blood and bones, a healthy nervous system.  

Macro minerals (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur and chloride) are those that are required in fairly high concentrations and are usually expressed as a % of the total diet. Micro minerals (iron, manganese, zinc, copper, cobalt, iodine and selenium) are required in lesser dietary amounts and are usually expressed as ppm or mg/kg in a nutrient profile.

Here’s an overview of some of the most important minerals that we and our animals need, and what their specific functions are within the body.

Calcium: Essential for life, most of the body’s calcium reserves are found in the bones and teeth. Calcium also plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous system, the contraction and relaxation of muscles, blood and hormones. This mineral also plays a role as a ‘coenzyme’ for a number of chemical processes in the body. If calcium intake in the diet is insufficient, calcium is removed form the bone, to maintain proper blood calcium concentrations. Long term calcium deficiencies can result in skeletal problems and thyroid disorders.

Copper: This is a micro-mineral which works with iron and helps with the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Copper also plays an important role in collagen formation, cartilage, pigmentation in the hair, immunity and reproduction.  

Iron: Vital for hemoglobin formation, iron combines with oxygen to give blood its bright red coloration.  Iron is also an essential component of myoglobin, whose role is to supply oxygen to the muscles. . Animals have a limited ability to excrete excess iron. Excess iron in the diet is extremely rare may reduce serum phosphorus levels and also decrease bone mineralization. A shortage of dietary iron can result in anemia.

Iodine: This mineral is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiencies can result in reproductive and developmental problems as well as thyroid imbalances. 
 
Magnesium: This mineral plays an important role in metabolism as well as nervous system and muscle function.  Most of the body’s calcium is stored in the skeletal system and teeth. Magnesium excesses are unlikely but a deficiency of magnesium can cause skeletal deformities.

Manganese: Important for the proper development of connective tissue and bone, as well as aiding in the function of many enzymes.  Growth and development problems can result from a deficiency but an excess is rare.

Phosphorus: This macro-mineral has a close relationship with Calcium; the two are required in balance with one another because one cannot function without the other. The ideal range for the calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1:1 to 2:1 parts calcium to phosphorus. A deficiency of phosphorus can cause thyroid problems. An excess can lead to calcium deficiencies.

Selenium: Strictly an antioxidant, this mineral works with fatty acids and is important for immune system and reproductive function. The correct balance of selenium is very important; an excess can cause toxicity which affect the heart, liver and kidneys. Deficiencies may cause bone and heart abnormalities.

Zinc: a very important mineral that is vital for healthy skin, hair pigmentation and proper growth and development. Zinc is also as a co-enzyme for many enzymes involved in the digestive process. Zinc aids in wound healing and immunity. An excess of zinc can result in copper and calcium deficiencies.