“He smells like a dog”, the client says. Being as he is a dog, this doesn’t seem to me to be a problem, technically. If, being a dog, he smelled like, say, a camel — now that would be a problem. Of course, this is not the truly stinky dog. Every dog has a tendency to smell a little strong when wet. If you can love your dog when he’s wet, then you really love your dog. Something about being wet, or even just a really humid day, brings out that “doggy” odor. That’s not too bad, though. Nothing a little bath or a little deodorant (like Elimin-Odor, or Fresh-n-Clean) won’t fix. In fact, some clients complain about the dog smelling “doggy” when I personally cannot even detect an odor. Admittedly, my nose is not sensitive at this point, so I do ask the staff to come in and give their viewpoint (smellpoint?).

Then there is the ever popular, “let’s find something dead and roll in it”. It’s a taste treat, a fashion accessory and a designer fragrance. Again, nothing a bath (or two) won’t cure.

Some dogs, however, are truly stinky. A small minority of stinky dogs have an odor that arises from an internal illness. Dogs with chronic and advanced kidney failure can have so much waste accumulating in their bloodstream that it makes their breath smell like ammonia (or urine). Some seriously unregulated diabetics have so many ketones (fat break-down products) in their blood that their breath smells like acetone (the stuff in nail-polish remover). These are not going to be long-term stinky dogs. In fact, without some intensive care they are not going to be long-term alive dogs.

Long-term stinky dogs tend to either have personal hygiene problems, anal sac problems, mouth problems, skin problems, or ear problems (often extensions of skin problems, and I will discuss ear problems in more detail in a future post).

The personal hygiene problems are worst for long-haired pets. If you have lots of fringe around your mouth, food and saliva can lodge there and cause odor problems. Long hair around your hiney needs to be kept trimmed. Otherwise, the first soft stool hangs up and starts a “snowballing” effect. It’s hard to stay clean if you go to the bathroom with your pants on. Dogs with deep skin folds also have odor problems with yeast and bacteria growing in the valleys. This would include the English Bulldogs, the Chinese Shar-Pei, any “smashed face” bug-eyed dog, and some obese dogs. Spaniels sometimes have folds in their lower lips that catch food and saliva. You need to keep the folds clean. In some extreme cases, plastic surgery may be needed to eliminate the offending creases. (more…)

Arthritis is an affliction that many dogs suffer from, especially as they get older. According to a study sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, as many as 20% of adult dogs may suffer from arthritis. Just as with humans, the causes for canine arthritis are spread over a wide array of factors including genetics, previous injuries or accidents, infection, immune system problems, and excessive strain through repeated activities and exercises. If your dog does have arthritis, then canine obesity plays a significant role in the amount of pain your dog feels from. The reason for this is simple: obesity places undue stress and pressure on your dog’s joints, and can therefore accelerate the degeneration of joints and aggravate the symptoms of arthritis.

Basically, there are three general types of arthritis: Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Infectious Arthritis (Septic Arthritis). Hip Dysplasia, although not a type of arthritis is a degenerative joint disease similar to arthritis and, depending on the severity of the condition, may have similar treatment options. Osteoarthritis is commonly found to have a genetic link and usually progresses with age. The effect that osteoarthritis has on your dog can include deterioration to cartilage and bone, as well as inflammation in and around the joint. In response to this, the body produces bone spurs (a bony remodeling) around the joint structure. Treatment for this form of arthritis is usually pain medication and/or anti-inflammatory medication.

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is characterized by pits in the cartilage and can be treated with steroids. In rheumatoid arthritis, the dog’s immune system produces antibodies against the body’s own protein resulting in severe inflammation that damages the cartilage and surrounding tissues. Finally, Septic arthritis (infectious arthritis) is distinguished by an infection in the joint and can be treated with antibiotics. In this case, the arthritis is being caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection in the dog’s joints. Any infection on your dog should be immediately checked by your veterinarian, because the dog’s bloodstream can carry an infecting organism to the joint (causing septic arthritis) from another part of the body where the infection is occurring. (more…)

Man, am I sick of this stuff.  News reports tell us that dog biscuits made by Sunshine Mills and marketed under many names, including Ol’ Roy, are recalled.  No reports of illness yet, but they bought their wheat gluten from one of the sources labelled as suspected of contamination.  Throw out the rest of the bag, even if your dog has eaten half of it already.  What a mess.  As usual, I’ve updated the KVC webpage with the links.

My friend was grief stricken. Her body heaved with sobs, and in between she kept repeating: “He was so young. I never thought I’d lose him so soon.” No, she hadn’t lost a son or brother, but she had lost a friend. “It’s like losing a member of your family,” she cried. She was referring to the death of Jack, her beloved Golden Retriever puppy, who had contracted a condition known as Juvenile Renal Disease.

Regrettably, this and other kidney conditions are common threats to your dog’s health, and as we’ve seen, the effects can be devastating. The good news, however, is that with the correct type of dog care, much can be done to prevent and even cure kidney disease.

So what exactly do the kidneys do, and what causes them to become infected?

First things first!

The job of the kidneys is two-fold: they balance a whole variety of chemicals in your dog’s blood AND they filter out waste material through the urine.

When there are just too many toxic substances in the body, the dog’s kidneys can become infected. (We can define a toxin as a substance which is in the wrong place, or which is performing the wrong function.)

Common symptoms of kidney infection are drinking copious amounts of water, and frequent passing of dilute urine (that is, clear urine with no smell). This can lead to vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss and a wasting of the muscles.

Many toxic substances are to be found in the plastics that dogs love to chew on, in unclean water and even in certain chemicals that are used in the processing of dog food. The resulting kidney disease can be debilitating at best and fatal at worst. (more…)

If you need to contact us please try one of the following methods:

SeniorPetProducts.com
5301 Beethoven Street, #208
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Ph: 310-827-4160
Fax: 310-827-4164

Email: csupport@seniorpetproducts.com

We look forward to hearing what you have to say.