Chocolate is widely enjoyed and a favorite with almost everyone, regarded as a yummy treat to people of any age. Though it may be a great treat for us, it is a big no-no for your dogs. Chocolate is said to be toxic for your dogs. Chocolates are not toxic for humans because the way we digest theobromine (the chemical component in chocolate) is much better than dogs and the half life of theobromine in a dog is 17.5 hours which is a long period. The toxic compound, theobromine becomes toxic if consumed between 100 to 150 milligrams per kilogram of the body weight. But there are other factors linked to it like the weight of the dog, the chocolate concentration and so on. Milk chocolate contains approximately 44 milligrams of theobromine per oz, semi sweet chocolate contains about 150 milligrams of theobromine per oz, baker’s chocolate contains 390 milligrams per oz and dry cocoa powder with 800 milligrams per oz. If you have to calculate the toxic dose as 100 milligrams per kilogram, for milk chocolate it will be 1 ounce per 1 pound body weight. So in case of semisweet chocolate, it will amount to 1 ounce per 3 pounds of body weight and for baker’s chocolate; it will be 1 ounce per 9 pounds of body weight.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are forms of chocolate that are most toxic as they contain theobromine ten times more than what it is in milk chocolate. The chocolate in milk chocolate is diluted and thus, will take larger amounts of consumption to get toxic for your dog and even if your dog licks a small portion of the icing on a chocolate cake, it can cause him to fall ill. There is no harm in feeding your dog milk chocolate once in a while as a treat, but this is not advisable for the simple reason that it could create a problem if the dog develops a liking towards it as they have a tendancy to get a sweet tooth. It may not always be easy to keep foods away or secure enough to prevent your dog from getting to them and it could move on to eat more concentrated forms of chocolates. Your dog may show signs of nervousness, vomiting, diarrhea, an increased amount of thirst, frequent urination in some cases, muscle spasms or seizures if toxicated by consuming chocolate. Your dog may suffer from diarrhea 12 to 24 hours after eating milk chocolate and steps should be taken to ensure that your dog does not get dehydrated. In case of severe symptoms, rush your pet to the clinic immediately.

Gestation refers to the time when a female dog is pregnant with this period normally lasting for 60 to 64 days which is about nine weeks. The number of days, however, differs from breed to breed. A surprising fact about female dogs is that they have menstrual cycles that continue all their lives because of which they can reproduce their entire lives. Every female dog undergoes the Estrus heat cycle twice in a year where each cycle lasts for 6 months and it is during this period that the dog mates. This cycle consists of four stages, the first one being proestrus cycle which is a period before the onset of the heat cycle which lasts for about 7 to 9 days. The next stage is the estrus stage in which the dogs mate and the stage after this is known as the diestrus stage where the male dog is not interested and the female dog may show signs of getting pregnant. The last stage is the anestrus stage where this situation is consistent until the female dog goes into the stage of heating again.

You might not be able to find out if your dog is pregnant even upto five weeks of gestation as there is no concrete blood test that determines it but you can find out by getting her examined by your veterinarian where their abdomen is felt. Also, an x-ray can be done to determine the same and is very accurate to know the exact number of puppies. Dogs undergo a great deal of physical changes during gestation period and the most common is weight gain where the mammary glands swell up between 35 and 45 days after conceiving.

A pregnant dog diet must be healthy and nutritious so that both the mother and baby are in the best of their health. The diet of your dog should be increased but make sure that it is increased steadily and is not forced upon. For the first few weeks, give your dog protein rich food like eggs, lean muscle meats or liver. However, avoid feeding them pork. Serve them with small quantities throughout the day and these need to be followed especially in the last few weeks. Water intake increases considerably during dog pregnancy period therefore, make sure that you keep fresh water available all the time and that is easily accessible. Also during this period, you can make your dog have small walks and moderate exercises making sure that you do not indulge them in strenuous activities.

You might have certain plants in your house that look great with their color accentuating the beauty of your house. But though these plants look really beautiful and perfect in your house they might be toxic and extremely harmful for your pets causing some serious damage to their life. Even outdoors, there are a number of plants that you need to know and be careful of so that your dogs do not eat them. While your dog is outdoors, he might want to sniff around and eat stuff here and there which is fine but you need to keep a tab on what your dog is eating outdoors. It is said that there are 700 and more plants that produce toxic substances in variable amounts which can have an adverse effect on animals. These in turn cause reactions ranging from mild to severe and can also lead to death.

The bulbs of a hyacinth, daffodil or narcissus are toxic plants for dogs that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even prove fatal if consumed by your dog. If you have any of these as house plants, remove them right away. Lily plants like the Easter lilies, tiger lilies and stargazer lilies are poisonous as they are known to damage the kidney in dogs with symptoms showing up within hours of its consumption. The castor bean plant is highly poisonous as it contains a toxic substance known as ricin. This substance is present in the entire plant but their levels are more concentrated in the bean and thus are very dangerous if consumed by your dog.

The seed of the cycad palms especially the sago palm and false sago palms are toxic as they contain cycasin, a toxin that is present throughout the plant but more in the seed. Convallaria majalis or lily of the valley is a plant that is toxic and it is extremely dangerous as it may result in a sudden death of your dog without showing any prior symptoms. The leaves and branches of the oleander are again very poisonous that affect the heart and can cause a severe upset of the digestive system which might even lead to death. Foxglove is a garden plant, the leaves of which if consumed in large amounts can affect the heart, digestive system and even cause death. Also, the berries of jasmine are extremely harmful plants for dogs as they directly result in death.

Dogs need to be taken care of as there are a number of diseases and illnesses that they are prone to. One such condition is when myoglobin is present in excessive quantities in the blood. Hemoglobin is an essential component in a human’s body as well as in the body of animals as it plays a crucial role of carrying oxygen in the red blood cells and also to the tissues. Myoglobin also performs the same function but is restricted to the muscles where in it stores oxygen in the muscles. The presence of excess amounts of myoglobin can be life threatening as it is an indication that the capacity to carry oxygen is low and the muscles are being broken down which in turn reduces the amount of oxygen that the body can get through blood and the muscles. Such a condition can cause damage of the liver. Furthermore, the damage caused to the muscles can result in blood clotting which can prove fatal.

The cause for myoglobinuria varies and could be as a result of an acute inflammation of the muscle, a crush injury, an infection, a spasm that has been there for a lot of time or due to strenuous exercises. Certain toxins and food like copper, mercury, zinc, menadione and onions can also cause this illness. The primary symptom of myoglobinuria in dogs is blood in urine. Other symptoms include an increase in the heart rate, low energy, feeling lethargic or fever. In case of myoglobinuria in puppies, you need to be very observant and watch out for any of these symptoms.

This condition can be diagnosed with a thorough examination of your dogs’ background and health along with a couple of tests and the future course of action will be determined accordingly. Treatment for myoglobin will depend upon the cause for getting it in the first place. However, it is generally the result of an underlying medical condition. If it is as a result of overexertion then, there would be no need for any treatment as it will recover on its own. However, make sure that your dog drinks a lot of water in order to stay hydrated and to enable the kidneys to function properly. If at all, this condition is genetic, there is not much you can do about it apart from taking certain precautionary measures that will be advised by your doctor.

Ear mites are tiny external parasites. They live on the skin surface of a dog’s ear canal and cause ear problem. They feed themselves by piercing through the skin or by eating debris released from the ear. These tiny parasites cause inflammation and discomfort and if left untreated they might cause external ear infections, which may lead to temporary or permanent hearing loss. Sometimes the mites may migrate to other body parts such as the back, neck, or tail. Dogs are infected with these mites when they come in contact with some other infected dog. Infected dogs will develop itchy spots on their back, neck and tail area.

The ear mites can live their entire life attached with the dog. Their life cycle is three weeks long. Within a week, the eggs develop into mature mites. Ear mite infection is very common in puppies. In older dogs the infection is mostly due to lower immunity. Here are a few symptoms of ear mite infection:

• Constant shaking of your dog’s head and scratching at its ears.
• Irritation.
• The ear becomes red and inflamed.
• Build up of wax within the ear as well as numerous black specks (likely spots of dried blood).
• Your dog frequently goes off balance due to the irritation inside its ear.
• Secondary infection such as bacterial or yeast infection is common in ear mite infections.

The diagnosis becomes difficult in case of secondary infections. However, a simple microscopic examination of the ear or the earwax along with a physical examination can confirm the ear mite infection. Here are some home remedies for ear mite infection in dogs:

• First of all clean the ear of your dog with white vinegar. This helps remove dirt or any debris from your dog’s ear.

• By using an eye dropper or ear syringe put five to six drops of almond, olive, or vegetable oil inside each ear canal. This process will smother the mites and clean the mite dirt.

• By using cotton buds clean the mite dust present inside the ear canal.

• In case of ear irritation, use a natural treatment of psorinum or sulfur. It will greatly reduce the ear irritation.

• You can prepare yellow dock tea by boiling the root extract of yellow dock with water. Cool the tea and keep it in a bottle. Put two drops of tea into each ear twice a day. This is a very good preparation and helps in killing the mites.

• You can make oregano oil preparation by adding oregano with olive oil. Put this oil solution into both ears twice a day.

• You can prepare a mixture of mullein and garlic. Mix this with olive oil and put it into both the ears. Mullein and garlic have antimicrobial properties and can help in killing mites.

Female Dog Menstruating

Bleeding in female dog is known as the heat period or estrous cycle, which is equivalent to the menstrual cycle in a human being. This is the reproductive phase in dogs and if the female dog undergoes intercourse at this time, she could get pregnant. The female dog menstruation period usually starts when she is 5 to 10 months old; however, in some small breeds, it may start at six months. The female dog menstrual cycle lasts for 21 days or three weeks on an average, but it may vary from 8 to 30 days. Most female dog heat cycle is experienced at least twice a year or once every seven months.

The heat cycle or the canine estrous cycle is divided into the four stages mentioned below:

• Pro-estrus: During this phase, the female dog shows symptoms such as the swelling of the vulva and clear discharge sometimes accompanied by blood and frequent urination. Some of the large dog breeds may not show any external signs and symptoms. The phase typically lasts from 8 to 13 days.
• Estrus: During this phase, the bleeding normally stops but there could be swelling at the vulva region. There may be a clear or straw-colored discharge, which could last for 4 to 7 days.
• Metestrus: This phase is known as the false pregnancy phase. Bleeding totally stops at this time.
• Anestrus: This is the last phase of estrus cycle where there is no activity in the female dog’s reproductive tract.

During the estrous cycle a female dog needs a proper care from her owner. Here are some tips on dog care at this stage:

• If dog bleeding is heavy, purchase diapers, pants, or you can put a large man’s underwear on her.
• Keep checking the diaper in case of heavy bleeding and change as required.
• Keep the dog in a restricted area and do not allow anyone to disturb her.
• Put the dog in a crate at night. The floor of the crate will be easy to clean in the morning.
• Always stay close to your dog whenever she is outside during menstruation because male dogs can smell her and might try to have intercourse with her.
• Take your dog outside more frequently while she is menstruating as she will urinate frequently.
• Do not get angry or upset if she accidentally urinates inside the house.
• Mark your calendar the first day you notice your female dog’s menstruation.

This way, you can count six months from that day and be ready for the next season.

Boosting a dog’s immune system is very important for its well being. This vital system continuously protects the body against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Boosting a dog’s immune system helps to kill virus and bacteria and remove toxins from the body. Improper functioning of the immune system in a dog leads to certain problems such as chronic or acute, eczema, yeast infections, demodectic mange, arthritis, food allergies, ear infections, fertility disorders, or slow healing of wounds.

There are many reasons for low immunity in dogs such as stress, inadequate sleep, lack of exercise, auto immune diseases, and most important of all , poor diet. The most prominent reason for immune deficiency is improper nutrition. Research on dogs has proved that nutritional deficiencies in dogs can affect the next generation’s immune system even if the next generation of dogs is well nourished. Here are some tips to boost your dog’s immunity:

• Stabilized levels of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements are necessary to your dog’s immunity to fight parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria.

• A dog’s digestive system is designed for raw food, which enhances the immune system. Avoid commercialized dog food as it decreases the immunity due to its contents of over processed food mixed with chemicals. Prepare food at home containing all the vitamins and minerals.

• To satisfy the total nutrient requirements for your dog, you can use good quality nutrient supplements to your dog’s food such as folic acid, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, magnesium, iodine, potassium and biotin. Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, antiviral, and toxin fighter, is a very important immune booster. Omega fatty acid is another very important nutrient supplement for boosting your dog’s immune system; it makes food digestion more efficient.

• Natural or herbal nutrient supplements are the best immune boosters in dogs; they allow the body to fight against the infections naturally, without any side effects. The important natural or herbal nutrients are astragals, mistletoe, echinacea, Indian ginseng, milk thistle, and cat’s claw.
? Astragalus maintains the blood sugar levels and enhances appetite.
? Mistletoe is used to treat circulatory and respiratory problems.
? Echinacea maintains the blood pressure and boosts immunity.
? Indian ginseng strengthens the immunity.
? Milk thistle is a liver tonic. It cleans the toxicity.
? Neem extracts increase the production of T cells, thereby enhancing immunity levels.

• Give your dog a fresh, clean bowl of filtered water frequently. This helps flush the toxins out from the dog’s body, which is important for the proper functioning of all the organs, including the heart and brain.

• Exercise your dog daily to relieve stress.