What? Another dog blog? Haven't we all had enough of those "pomeranian secrets", "shih-tzu secrets", "pouchy-poo misteries unveiled", and you name it? This is just about my experience in raising a happy and healthy airedale terrier puppy (who also happens

to be incredibly smart) and dogs in general.

By all accounts, housetraining seems to be the most difficult thing, but it can be accomplished in as little time as four weeks if you are watchful and quick on your feet. You will definitely need a crate, a good urine odor remover and LOTS of patience.

First, you need to clean very thoroughly all places in your house that your dog considers as his toilet. This is very important, so you need to use the most effective, pet-safe carpet cleansers.



From my personal experience the best thing that really worked for our dog is to catch him "on the crime scene", scold him and make a big fuss about "the crime." Then take him immediately outside and let him finish there. Praise the puppy lavishly and give him a treat ON THE SPOT. Use a specific praise word, like "good potty" and only use it for this occasion.

In a couple of times your dog will start associating soiling the house as "bad thing" and going outside as "good thing"!

Watch him closely and every time he approaches the door, scratches it or barks or wines at the door, take him out. Only give him a treat if he goes potty outside, do not give him any treats inside the house for the whole period of housetraining. This worked perfectly with a 10 weeks old airedale puppy and he was fully housetrained using this method within 5 weeks.

Housetraining can be complicated by your dog's or puppy's history and age, but this method really works.

I've heard some people complaining that they have trouble giving their pets medication. In fact, it's very easy. This is how I give my dog his monthly heartworm pill: I put my left hand atop the dog's head while holding the pill in my right hand. Then I tilt the dog's head straight back until his nose is sticking up into the air. Then I press my left hand's fingers on the corner's of his mouth. This helps to make his mouth open. Then I try and drop the pill as far back as I can into his mouth, then close his mouth and massage his throat for a few seconds. This always make him swallow. Voila! If it seems too tricky, you can always buy a "pill gun" at a pet store that will shoot the pill far back into the dog's throat and you don't have to use your hand to make his mouth open wide.

What can be more devastating for pet owners than a sudden death of their dog or cat? I've heard horror storis about dogs who died during a walk, at a groomer's, or were found dead by their owners when they came home from work. In most of those cases, a heart disease called cardiomyopathy was the cause of the tragedy. Cardiomyopathy refers to disease of the heart muscle (the myocardium) without malformation of the heart or its valves. There is a breed predisposition to dilated cardiomyopathy in giant breeds, as well as in Doberman pinschers and boxers. Cardiomyopathy can also develop as a result of some toxins, infections or taurine deficiency.



There are several types of cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a thickening of the heart muscles causing a decrease in the size of the chambers of the heart. The Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is commonly believed to be inheritable and usually occurs in Rottweiler and Dalmatian breeds, but can affect dogs of a wide range of ages and breeds. The majority of dogs do not show clinical signs of heart disease or have a history of exercise intolerance. In some dogs sudden death will be the only sign of disease. (Sudden cardiac death associated with occult hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a dog under anesthesia by Daniel Pang, Yves Rondenay, Pierre Hélie, Sophie G. Cuvelliez, and Eric Troncy).



Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common acquired heart diseases in the dog. The dogs diagnosed of DCM suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) and sudden death is common.



DCM occurs in dogs of all ages, but the risk increases substantially with advancing age. The majority of dogs with DCM are between 4 and 10 years old. In most breeds, males may be affected at an earlier age.



Sudden death can also be caused by Aortic Stenosis - a narrowing of the outflow channel between the left ventricle and the main artery of the body, the aorta. The cause of Aortic Stenosis is believed to be genetically inherited. Symptoms can vary from no signs at all to sudden death. Dogs with mild stenosis will generally show no clinical effects and have a normal life expectancy.



In the case of heartworm infections, there may be no signs of the disease at all but sudden death.



Older small breed dogs may suffer from a heart valve disease called "Mitral Valve Regurgitation." This condition causes a malfunction in the valve on the left side of the heart. Because of the leaky valve, the heart is less efficient at pumping blood to the body. This disease is a leading cause of heart failure in small dogs but it usually doesn't become a problem until the dog is about 6 years old. (more here: http://www.gopetsamerica.com/pets/pekingese-sudden-death.aspx)





Some dogs are born with an inherited predisposition to sudden death caused by arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), including the wildly racing heart beats called tachycardia. The dogs run, jump and fetch with the best of them. Only when they lie down and go into REM (rapid eye movement) sleep do the potentially fatal arrhythmias begin. Some arrhythmia-affected dogs "outgrow" the problem.



Recent studies show that these potentially fatal irregular heartbeats are caused by deficiency of vital fatty acids, especially n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) -- found in fish oil and known also as omega-3 fatty acids. Alexander Leaf, M.D., professor of clinical medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, suggests that adding n-3 PUFA to an already healthy diet, while reducing n-6 PUFA (which are abundant in plant seed cooking oils -- i.e. corn, safflower, sunflower seed oils), improved the ratios of the two types of fatty acids, therefore, decreasing the risk of sudden death in people.



Many holistic doctors add omega-3 fatty acids to the diets of many pets with heart disease. Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids can prevent ventricular arrhythmias. (Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats by Shawn Messonnier).

After using the Perfect Coat Shampoo & Conditioner for about 4 weeks, I noticed that my Airedale terrier puppy started scratching more often than usual. The label on the shampoo states that it is "specially formulated to fortify and protect coat". OK, let's take a closer look at the ingredients section. As you can see, several ingredients may cause skin problems including itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering:



1. Contains COCAMIDE DEA - ingredient in chemical group called amines, that can form carcinogenic nitrosamine compounds, on the skin or in the body after absorption, if mixed with nitrosating agents.



2. Contains COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE - ingredient that may contain harmful by-products causing cancer and other serious diseases.



3. Contains METHYLPARABEN - ingredient that may increase risks of breast cancer and other cancers, infertility, itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin. This ingredient is officially classified as toxic.



4. Contains PROPYLPARABEN - ingredient that may increase risks of breast cancer, infertility, itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin. This ingredient is officially classified as toxic.



5. Contains PROPYLENE GLYCOL - ingredient that can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin; alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin, increasing the amounts of other chemicals that reach the bloodstream.



6. Contains DIAZOLIDINYL UREA - ingredient that may increase risks of certain cancers, itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin. This ingredient is officially classified as toxic to gastrointestinal tract, liver and nervous system.



7. Contains FD&C YELLOW 5 - ingredient that has been linked to birth defects. Not assessed for safety.



8. Contains FD&C YELLOW 6 - ingredient that has been classifed as toxic to gastrointestinal tract and liver if used in food (recent FDA data); unsafe for use in cosmetics.



9. Contains SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE - ingredient that has been classifed as toxic to gastrointestinal tract and liver if used in food (recent FDA data); unsafe for use in cosmetics.



10. Contains FRAGRANCE - ingredients not disclosed on label. This unspecified mixture of chemicals have been linked to potential for immune and nervous system toxicity.



These ingredients are also widely used in baby care products. I hope my findings will help you make informative decisions while buying your pet care stuff.

So, what about veterinary formulated pet care products? You might rightfully expect that they should not contain any of the bad stuff that I mentioned in my previous post. Here is the list of ingredients for the Deodorizing Dog Shampoo: "Deionized Water, Anionic, Nonionic, and Amphoteric Surfactants, Benzoic Acid, Lactic Acid, Neutroleum Gamma, DMDM Hydantoin, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzethonium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Green #3, Citric Acid". The following list is for AromaCare Pet Shampoo and Spray: "Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Lauramide DEA, Hydrolyzed Collagen Protein, Glycerin, Oleth-10, Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Oil of Fir Needle, Aloe Vera Extract, Chamomile, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, D&C Red No. 33, FD&C Yellow No. 5."

Both products can be purchased on Drs Foster & Smith web site. Lets take a closer look at some of the ingredients.



1. Benzoic Acid: neurotoxin, respiratory toxicant, skin or sense organ toxicant



2. Lactic Acid: photosensitizer, with potential to increase risk of sunburn and skin cancer by intensifying UV exposures in deep skin layers; skin sensitizer - can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin; skin or sense organ toxicant; penetration enhancer:alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin, increasing the amounts of other chemicals that reach the bloodstream



3. Neutroleum Gamma fragrance: an industrial fragrance that is used to mask odors from municipal and industrial treatment plants, waste treatment lagoons, sludge drying beds, industrial plants, landfills, farms (barns, manure piles), food product wastes, and garbage containers



4. DMDM Hydantoin: may contain by-products linked to cancer or other serious health problems; can cause itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin (skin sensitizer)



5. Benzyl Alcohol: skin sensitizer, gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, neurotoxin, skin or sense organ toxicant, classified as toxic classified as toxic in one or more government assessments, wildlife and environmental toxicant



6. Benzethonium Chloride: may cause infertility, increase risks for certain cancers, skin or sense organ toxicant



7. FD&C Green #3: carcinogen: thought to possibly cause cancer in humans, based on limited data



8. FD&C YELLOW 5 - ingredient that has been linked to birth defects, not assessed for safety



9. Lauramide DEAe: may increase risks of certain cancers



10. Methylchloroisothiazolinone: skin sensitizer, lung sensitizer (can cause asthma attacks or other problems with the lungs and airways), immune system toxin



11. Methylisothiazolinone: skin sensitizer, lung sensitizer (can cause asthma attacks or other problems with the lungs and airways), immune system toxin



12. D&C Red 33: color additive - not approved for use around eyes, in products intended for eyes.



No wonder our pets have so many eye problems, if even veterinary formulated pet care products contain ingredients that have been officially classified as unsafe for use around eyes, or used to mask odors from landfills, or can increase risk of sunburn or dermatitis.

It was on Wed, Dec 12 and I decided to call our vet to ask about our 8 1/2 year old dog and a mild coughing that started 3 weeks ago, would come and go it seemed but earlier this week my son and I noticed he was breathing a little harder when laying with us, so the vet tech said to bring him in and it may be his heart.

I let him out before leaving and he ran a little around a tree he liked to try to catch squirrels and when I went to bring him inside he got up but he walked inside wobbly and not straight and I helped him, laid him down and he went into outer space and died right there.

It is terrible. I just don't know what could have been going on, I am feeling so bad not taking him when the coughing started, I had no idea it could be heart related in dogs. I watched him die, called my husband out of class teaching to come home, my son out of high school and they said goodbye and took him away --it's the saddest time my gut aches because 2 weeks ago my older son in college told me to take him in and get him checked and he would even pay for it, but I didn't feel like he was bad sick because he was eating, sleeping, playing, barking, everything a dog would do.

So I know from these blogs how others feel and that there are others out there that have gone thru this same ordeal. I am researching on line for answers and it seems it was sudden death, cardiomyopathy stuff, etc.

Any help, thoughts I would appreciate. I know it takes time to move on and heal.

A week ago on Sunday January 6, 2008, I lost my precious golden retriever, Rue. He was about 10 years and perfectly healthy. He was always happy, never growled or anything. He was the best dog. He was always playing with his best friend, Nello, an Italian Spinone.



On that Sunday, he woke up and was perfectly fine. He ate breakfast and played with Nello. At around 2:45 I heard him fall, but I figured he just slipped, like he always did on the hardwood floor, or he was just laying down. This was a typical sound so I didnt turn around and several mintues later I heard a really loud howling noice. It was like nothing I had ever heard. I turned around saw you Rue laying there. I walked over to him and said his name several times and he didnt move. I called my parents and we all yelled his name, but he never moved. He was gone.



My parents and brother picked him up and put him on a blanket and quickly rushed him to the vet. But he was gone long before we got there.



The vet said he died of natural causes and there was nothing they could do.



My grandma keeps telling me that he didn't suffer and died before he hit the ground.



I'm still in total shock and can't believe he's gone. I had had him since I was 7 and he was 6 weeks old when I got him. He will truly be missed.



I love you and miss you Rue

A week ago on Sunday January 6, 2008, I lost my precious golden retriever, Rue. He was about 10 years and perfectly healthy. He was always happy, never growled or anything. He was the best dog. He was always playing with his best friend, Nello, an Italian Spinone.







On that Sunday, he woke up and was perfectly fine. He ate breakfast and played with Nello. At around 2:45 I heard him fall, but I figured he just slipped, like he always did on the hardwood floor, or he was just laying down. This was a typical sound so I didnt turn around and several mintues later I heard a really loud howling noice. It was like nothing I had ever heard. I turned around saw you Rue laying there. I walked over to him and said his name several times and he didnt move. I called my parents and we all yelled his name, but he never moved. He was gone.







My parents and brother picked him up and put him on a blanket and quickly rushed him to the vet. But he was gone long before we got there.







The vet said he died of natural causes and there was nothing they could do.







My grandma keeps telling me that he didn't suffer and died before he hit the ground.







I'm still in total shock and can't believe he's gone. I had had him since I was 7 and he was 6 weeks old when I got him. He will truly be missed.







I love you and miss you Rue

I miss my friend,Dozer,i nick-named him Did-it cause he was always doing something.It's been 9 days now.And i can now hold back the tears.But everything feels empty.I come home from work and just wish that once more i could see his face.I know dogs are known for their devotion,but our devotion to each other seemed special.I don't think i'll be getting another dog for awhile.If anyone can suggest a way to feel better email me at agcanallo@yahoo.com,thanks you and feel better.

My husband let our dog out about 5 a.m. We got up about 6:30 a.m. and found him dead in the back yard. He was a happy and healthy dog the day before and died suddenly. We are so devastated and we cannot express in words the pain we are going through. He is one lovable pet and best friend. We truly love our Texas Boy, Tex.

Last night our 10 year old mix breed Max was sleeping on his bed and just got up walk over towards the back door to go out and by the time I got to the door he was gone. He was perfectly normal up until that moment. We adopted him as a puppy and were never really sure what breeds he was but he was the sweetest animal I ever knew always gentle and happy. We have five other dogs, but the house still seems a little empty today,and to all the other families that lost their beloved friend we all send our deepest sympathy and love.

My beagle/lab, Penny, my happy face, passed away on March 17. She was 8 years old, extremely active, and had never been sick. In fact, she had an active day of chasing squirrels. Not even an hour later, I noticed she was standing with a funny look on her face. She went to lay down, and didn't want to get up. However, she was alert and did not appear to be in pain. She started panting, so I gave her water, and she threw it up. She then got up, walked just fine to the other side of the room, and threw up some treats I had given her a few hours ago. I figured she had an upset stomach, so I decided to stay awake and keep an eye on her. She looked somewhat uncomfortable, started panting again, threw up just a little bit, passed gas, and stopped panting. I figured she felt better after this, but I called the emergency vet anyway, checked her gums, and they were pink. I decided to take her to the vet, though, mainly because of the troubled look on her face. When I returned to the room after getting my coat, she was dead. I rushed her to emergency, but there was nothing they could do. This all happened in a three hour period. I have had dogs all my life, and dogs and humans all throw up sometimes. Since her throw up was not significant, I thought I'd see if she just had an upset stomach and give it a little time. So we are heartbroken and, of course, I blamed myself for not acting faster and making a bad decision. The point I want to make is that I have come to terms with my guilt. I am not a trained veterinarian, my dogs get excellent medical care, and I made the best decision I could at the time. The vet suspects that she had a condition called "bloat". I had never heard of this. Basically, it is a gas buildup that can cause the intestines to twist. This leads to a series of failures internally and can cause death. It is a very serious condition that I was not aware of. I suggest that if you have a large dog with a wide chest cavity, that you do a web search on bloat in dogs and become familiar with this. I am going to get another dog from animal control tomorrow. I still love and will never forget my girl, but I have enough love in my heart to give another dog a home. I know the happiness will overshadow the grief. I wish you the best. Beckie

I had a 2 + min-pin named Zoe that was full of life and was perfectly fine when we went to bed. I awoke to her lathargic, cold and very slow breathing. I have two min-pins and watch them very closely and my backyard is fenced in. I need some help in figuring out what happened to her. They treated it like a un-known toxin poisoning, but I can't find anything she would have gotten in to. I am so worried about my other dog that I don't let him out of my sight. He wants to go out all the time, but I won't let him. I just needs some answers to get over the guilt that I feel.

my kids were devasted Monday with the sudden death of their dog Masey. She was showing some signs of decreased appetite and not as active last Friday. We waited till Saturday morning to see how she was doing. In the morning she was still a bit slower, but her tail was again wagging, and her nose was moist again. You could tell she wanted to play but still felt a bit sick. Sunday she continued to feel better, her tail wagging even more when the kids went out to play, and even running around for short periods with them. She went to rest frequently but she ate some, she did throw up a twice, but we chalked it up to her just still feeling a bit sick. Monday morning the kids saw her before school and she was still slower than usual, but tail wagging, nose moist. In the afternoon, she greeted the kids, but went to lay down. By the evening before the kids went to bed, my son went to feed her, he came running back screaming that she was breathing funny. Before this point she had no indications of any respiratory issues. By the time my husband went out to see her, she had expired, he checked for a pulse for awhile and could not find one, he waited several minutes, unwilling to have to come and face our children waiting inside hysterically, (instinctly they knew something had happened). We all have been guilt ridden over her sudden death. The kids are still very upset over this and ask lots of questions. She had always been a very healthy little dog. This is the first time she had been sick. The weather had been alternating from cold near freezing nights to warmer days. But we are at a loss as to why she would die. If any one has any thoughts or ideas as to the reason, this may help bring some closure to my grieveing family.

I lost my Pom of 8 years yesterday (She was a rescue possibly 10-12 years). Came home from work and there she was, just laying there in my grandaugher's room. NO reason, no pre-warning. When I left for work she was fine!



As I read through the blogs here and the pain associated with each of our losses, it is comforting to know someone else "knows" this empty feeling and loss of control. Despite the rationale that this just happens, it doesn't make it any better or easier to understand and accept.



What I try to continually remind myself is that when I got Princess, she had lived mostly a kennel life (a small kennel; which I got as well and put away). And over the last 8 years watched her come out of her seclusion to be a normal part of the family (with my other pom and chihuahua's). She had grown from an inward, scared little dog to a courageous and quite vocal little giant. She very quickly captured our hearts with her "smile" and frisky personality. So I KNOW that she was a happy dog and that her life was full in every aspect. We were able to give her a good home and made her years good ones. She was our Princess and she was very much loved. So when you grieve, please keep in mind all the pets out there that our outcast, left in the streets, maybe even euthenized in a shelter and KNOW that you loved your pet and gave them your best. A dog will love you regardless, but when you have given them a good life, you have done them right. So try, as hard as it is, to remember the good things and keep in mind that they loved you and you made them happy and fulfilled. They would never blame you for the loss of their life, so don't blame yourself (altho' I know it's hard to not look for "if I had..."). Be at peace with the wonderful life you gave to your pet while he was here. Not all are so fortunate. Know that your love was the absolute best you have to give to them and in return they gave you, albeit maybe a short time; a wonderful, unconditional love.



I also belief that if there is a Heaven, then our pets are there waiting for us. It's not over, it's just a few sleeps away.



I am sorry for all your losses!

Yesterday morning, I got up, and Emma (my German Shepherd) was spunky and acting normal. All of a sudden, she started breathing strange, like she couldn't get her breath, and her eyes were fixed. I called the Vet right away, and asked me to bring her in, but, before I knew it, she had lied down and died within minutes. I miss her so much. She was 9 years old, and I have a big question mark in my head. What did she die of? Was it a heart attack? She had Epilepsy, but she didn't have a seizure. So, what was it? I sure would like to know!

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

I lost my dog of 9 years yesterday suddenly and without warning. My husband and I are devasted and heartbroken, so it was comforting to read others posts because it happened so fast. Norman was a 9 year old male chocolate lab with no real heatlh problems. He had played with me outside in the hose, gone and layed down in the shady grass, and so I left him for about an hour to get my oil changed. When I came home he looked as if he was sleeping in the grass, but as I got closer to him he was barely moving and breathing, his tounge was gray and his lips cold. I put him in the car and rushed him to our vet, and by the time we arrived he didn't have a heartbeat and had died on the way over. My vet had no answers except what this site has listed. Possibly his heart or a tumor? We will never know, but thank you for sharing your stories because it does provide some comfort in this lonely time. Our house is so quiet and we miss him terribly

I came home from work Tuesday evening, June 24th, to find my 8 year old beautiful boy Yellow Lab Dakota dead in the backyard. I was in total shock. Although he had some muscular/skeletal problems that were congenital, I'd had him to the vet just days prior, and the vet said his heart sounded good and his bloodwork a few months earlier all came back fine. The vet said it was either an arrhythmia or a seizure. He said that an autopsy would tell nothing definite, so advised me against putting my baby's remains through all that for a "maybe" answer. Needless to say, I am devastated and have no idea how to even begin processing this shock and grief. I had this happen once before, also to a beloved yellow lab, and I can't believe I am reliving this hell all over again.

I am trying to find out how Jack passed away! I may never know. I gave him a bath and was horrified to see how skinny he was! He was a german shephard - terrier mix, so he looked heavier when he was dry, with all his fur. I had planned to take him to the vet when I saw how thin he was, but he died before I had the chance. I also noticed a growth on his hip, but it was brownish and dry, like those rough patches they get on their elbows, so I didn't think much of it. In retrospect, could it have been a tumor? Also, we had been having a heat wave, but he had plenty of shade and water and he had been indoors most of the day. The skinniness bothers me. He was only 9 years old. I was devastated. He was a very kind dog. And he loved his family very much. So, perhaps I will never know?