After recent dog food recalls, pet owners wonder what is in their pets’ food. Is it safe? People wonder if the food they feed their dog may actually harm them instead of providing them nutrition.

If you have been buying cheaper dog food, commercial dog food, you may wonder if it is worth the money to buy premium dog food. What, if any, is the difference, and is the difference worth the money?

Obviously, for some dogs, the only choice is premium dog food. Depending on a dog’s age and specific health problems, they may require prescription dog food. Your veterinarian will recommend a brand, which you can probably purchase from their office.

If your dog is healthy and has not been prescribed a diet, then are you safe buying commercial dog food? While your pet is not likely to eat food that contains anything poisonous to them, it is true that cheaper dog food contains a lot of fillers. It is much like the processed food many humans consume every day. It may taste great to your dog, but it is not likely to be the best thing for their health.

The good thing about premium dog food is that is contains ingredients that are natural. Fillers, which are not nutritionally sound, are not included in premium food. Therefore, every bite your pet eats not only tastes good, but improves their health.

Ultimately, the decision is up to you. It is true that you may save a lot of money by purchasing commercial dog food. However, you may save on vet bills by buying premium dog food. Your pet is likely to have fewer health problems and a longer life if they are well-fed. If it is possible for you financially, it is a great choice to purchase premium dog food for your beloved dog!

If you are a registered boxer dog breeder in Canada and do not see your contact information on this list please send your details to info (at) boxerhub.com

BoxerHub will not add emails or websites directing people to Puppy mills, back yard breeders (BYB’s) or pet stores.

What Is von Willebrand Disease?

Von Willebrands disease (VWD) is an inherited disorder that is common in many different dog breeds including Doberman Pinschers, Welsh corgis, German shepherds, and Scottish terriers

The hemophilia-like disorder affects the blood clotting ability of the dog’s blood. This is due to a deficiency in the VWD factor, a necessary component in blood clotting. Unlike hemophilia that is inherited by the male descendants, von Willebrands can be found in both male and female dogs. A dog suffering from VWD requires special handling and care; it is therefore advantageous to test dogs for VWD before breeding them effectively discontinuing the defective bloodline.

Symptoms Of Von Willebrand Disease

Symptoms of VWD are excessive bleeding or hemorrhaging following surgery or even after a simple toe nail clip. Other symptoms include nosebleeds, excessive and multiple bruising, and blood in feces or urine. These symptoms mostly show up as the dog ages.

VWD is divided into three types to help veterinarians treat the sick dogs. The first (Type I) which is commonly found can be seen in mild to severe forms. Type I breeds include Doberman Pinschers, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Poodles and Shetland Sheepdogs. Type II is less common causes severe bleeding and is found mostly in German Pointers. The third type (Type III) is the most uncommon type with afflicted animals suffering severe hemorrhaging because of the complete lack of the clotting factor. Dogs affected by this type VWD include breeds such as the Scottish Terriers, Shetland Sheepdogs and the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

Testing For Von Willebrand Disease

Testing for the condition involves a simple blood test called the VWD factor Antigen Test which measures the clotting ability of the dog’s blood. If testing is for breeding purposes it is better to use the more reliable DNA testing.

Treatment Von Willebrand Disease

Treatment for the VWD is usually directed to stopping the bleeding episodes. Preventing bleeding should also be taken into account. In an emergency situation a dog may be given a blood transfusion. Besides blood transfusion a medication known as -Deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) which increases the ability of the dogs blood to clot.

What Is Heartworm?

Heartworm is a parasite that lives in the arteries, lungs and heart of dogs and other animals. It is passed through the bite of an infected mosquito and impossible to prevent with any outward prevention. It takes months for heartworm to build up in the system but if left untreated the heartworm grows to wind its way around the interior of the heart and lungs to the point of suffocation.

Signs And Sympotoms

Heartworm is a serious disease that if left untreated will prove deadly for your dog. Unfortunately there are no outward signs in the beginning stages of heartworm and every dog is at risk for this disease. Advanced stages of the disease may exhibit coughing, fatigue and loss of appetite. Once symptoms become apparent it is much more difficult to treat and should always be prevented or caught as early as possible through regular testing. It doesn’t matter if your dog lives indoors or out, if you take excellent care of them or even bathe them regularly there is no prevention for heartworm other than yearly testing by your veterinarian and diligent dosing with a heartworm preventative.

How To Diagnose Heartworm

There are no at home test kits for heartworm. The tests must be performed by a qualified veterinarian and all heartworm medications are available by prescription only because giving your dog a heartworm pill in any form if they are infected with heartworm can cause serious damage to the animal and even death.

Heartworm tests are easy and quick. Your veterinarian will pull a blood sample and send it to a lab, or perform the test themselves at their own facility. Heartworm is definitely a disease that adheres to the adage that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ as being up-to-date on testing and giving regular heartworm medications during the heartworm season is much easier on your dog’s system than going through a heartworm eradication program. If heartworm is detected xrays and ultrasound can be used to determine the degree of damage to the internal organs. Once a dog has developed heartworm it is not guaranteed that a treatment program will work and it is a painful and drawn out process for your dog and expensive for you.

What Is The Treatment For Heartworm?

After you have had your dog tested and obtained a negative result your veterinarian will prescribe heartworm medication that must be given exactly as suggested. Missing doses can leave your dog exposed. Some people feel that if they give their pets the heartworm medication through the mosquito season they do not need to retest the following spring but it is always best to test before beginning a regimen unless you continue heartworm prevention medication all year round. In some areas year round medication may be necessary due to prolonged mosquito seasons where areas that freeze during certain times of the year often can discontinue medications during that time. Choosing to continue the medications even during cold months can remove the need for re-testing if you are sure no doses have been missed.

When diarrhea afflicts man’s best friend the first step is to isolate what may have triggered the intestinal distress. Diarrhea commonly presents with loose, watery stools, but it can also manifest as slimy stools or insufficient or discolored stools. Such occurrences almost always result from the ingestion of something inappropriate. Spoiled food, sticks, rocks, dead bugs and wildlife, toxic house or yard plants, cooked animal bones, pet food additives, household and garden chemicals, parasites, worms, drugs and certain dog-deadly human foods are just some of the culprits responsible for canine diarrhea. Observing consumption provides the best clue for resolving the problem.

Diarrhea is the body’s natural way of washing away the damage caused by harmful influence in the digestive system. Allow this instinctive defense do its job but support your dog during the process. Provide fresh filtered water to prevent dehydration. Offer digestible, dog-appropriate natural foods to assist the dog in rebuilding his immune response. Clean up any defecation quickly to prevent a cycle of contamination.

If you’ve improved the diet and abolished recognized toxins from the dog’s environment and still the diarrhea persists, or becomes bloody, or if your pet exhibits signs of lethargy, distress or pain, then seek professional help. Chronic diarrhea may be viral, parasitical, or may indicate an underlying infection or other health adversity that requires prompt intervention. A holistic vet’s treatment protocol will vary from a conventional vet’s course of action. Educate yourself on the differences and decide which path is right for you and your dog.

Acute diarrhea usually requires minimal intervention and resolves itself as the body ejects whatever disagreed with it.

Chronic diarrhea, persisting for more than a couple of days, is dangerous. It robs the body of necessary nutrients, debilitates the immune system and compounds the initial problem into a more complex affliction, not the least of which is the deadly consequence of dehydration.

The best treatment for diarrhea is prevention. Education empowers you to make healthy choices for your dog that will ensure him a long and happy life.

Healthy dogs with strong immune systems rarely suffer diarrhea.

Ulcerative colitis occurs in dogs in pretty much the same manner that we get Crohn’s disease. Inflammation of the large intestine in dogs is known as colitis. Ulcerative colitis is associated with IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. An immunity defect results in the infiltration of inflammatory cells (histiocytes) into the intestinal wall of the large bowels. This results in chronic diarrhea in your pet dog.

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis in Dogs

You will see that ulcerative colitis primarily occurs in breeds like the boxer or the French bulldog. Puppies that are younger than 1 year of age have more chances of getting ulcerative colitis. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are –

• Frequency of passing stool increases, however, the volume of stool passed remains pretty much normal
• Defecation requires a lot of strain and is not done easily
• Drop of blood and mucus are visible in the stool
• Dog displays great urgency to pass stool so he might become more accident prone
• Frequent vomiting
• A sense of lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Some weight loss

Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in Dogs

Ulcerative colitis in dogs is usually difficult to keep in check and is usually empiric. Treatment of consists of the following measures –

• Strict diet management. Diet should -
• Be free of preservatives and additives
• Contain high amounts of protein
• Be supplemented with fiber
• Ideally, be recommend by a vet
• Consist of homemade ingredients
• Anti-inflammatory drugs which helps control the intestinal inflammation like sulfasalazine and corticosteroids
• Immunosuppressive drugs can also be used symptomatically

Prevention of Ulcerative Colitis in Dogs

Proper nutrition is critical but there is no single type of diet that works for every dog. Raw, or diet, or canned food suits different dogs so keep experimenting and see what works well with your dog. Meal times should be regular and structured and bottled water might also help prevent ulcerative colitis in some dogs. It also helps eliminate toxins from your house so don’t use air fresheners, cheap low quality plastic bowls, cheap painted dog toys, shampoos with too many chemicals and so on.

On the far right column is the name of the state the boxer breeder/kennel is located

E= Email

W= Website

If you are a registered boxer breeder in the United States and do not see your email or website address on this list please send your details to info (at) boxerhub.com

BoxerHub will not add emails or websites directing people to Puppymills, back yard breeders (BYB’s) or Pet stores.