Bloat | AniEd Ireland

More woofing to make up for the lack of Woofs last week!

The fantastic Jessie is still looking for her forever home!

Detail of an amazing piece of work, run by Morris Animal Foundation since last year, involving 3000 Golden Retrievers and their owners hoping to shed more and more light on genetic disease, particularly related to cancers in these dogs, all dogs and people too: San Jose dogs, owners join DNA studies to help find cures

Bloat or GDV, is a scary and often fatal condition particularly affecting large dogs (especially Great Danes) and one long surrounded in mystery. Works commissioned in the last few years is progressing to provide more information on the possible genetic basis of this and related conditions; a summary of this fascinating and not yet published work here.
Never heard of bloat or not sure what it looks like? Check out this piece on identifying the signs of bloat.

Hopefully we haven’t scared you too much about bloat, but here are 8 ways your pet can help relive your stress
And certainly the pet-person relationship can be beneficial for all-round health; read this heartwarming story about a 90 year old woman (who) declines chemotherapy, chooses to spend her final days travelling with her dog. Both Ringo & Norma are lucky to have one another, for however long.

Teaching your dog to settle on a mat is a vital skill; here’s a great starter clip:

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Here a couple of ideas for YUMMY homemade treats: Easy-peasy 4 ingredient dog treats and Homemade frozen peanut butter banana dog treats

Dogs who are trained for the highly stressful and difficult job of being an assistance dog are very carefully selected, produced, reared and trained – this is not a job that any or every dog can do; read the ups and downs of such a journey here.

Losing a beloved pet is never easy (in fact, it downright sucks!) and grieving is an important part of the process: After pets pass and What you need to know about grief & losing a pet
And if you have to make that awful, hard decision here are 5 tips for preparation.

When we keep dogs as pets they are living in a foreign land; take some time to learn a little about their communication behaviour (I am sure that you have noticed that they can read humans pretty well!):

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And for a more indepth covering try here and here.

Despite our shaky grasp of DOG, your dog thinks you’re perfect just the way you are!

Some pretty neat ideas for puzzle feeders for cats in here, and they may be suitable for some dogs too!

The Subaru ads never disappoint dog lovers: Dog Tested and Do more of the good stuff (search their channels for more!)

I really hope that this is true and KLM really do this..!

Apparently today (4/4) is World Rat Day – check out these fabulously trained pet rats!

And your daily d’awwwww:

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Have a great week!

Our first WWW this week was overflowing so here’s more good stuff, we just couldn’t leave behind!

Each of us has that point at which we become overwhelmed, and our dogs are no different. Here’s a great piece looking at what’s happening your dog when they get to that point and things that you can do to help – Thresholds: when dogs reach their emotional edge

More news of just how awesome dogs are and how much they can and do help us: Largest dog genetic study informs human diseases, Tracing the roots of OCD in pets and people and ASU Lab training bomb-sniffing dogs to detect IEDs.

Why?
– do dogs turn in circles before lying down?
– does my dog cock her head?
– do dogs make a mess when they drink?
– do dogs like to shred tissues?

How?

– to live with a high energy dog without losing your mind
– to crate a dog (!)
– to completely pet-proof your home

Puzzles and brain teasers are essential for ALL dogs but they can really help boost the confidence of shy or fearful dogs: teaching your fearful dog to use puzzle toys.
The weather is pretty nasty right now so have lots of fun indoors with these 7 rainy day games to play with your dog.
And of course entertainment and enrichment is not just for pet dogs: 15 easy ways to enrich your indoor cat’s life and environmental enrichment for cats (we are not big fans of laser-chasing for pets, so please take care with that suggestion).

Today we hear the very sad news of a newborn baby killed by the family dogs, while the new mother fell asleep beside baby. Please check out and share this video-presentation: 5 types of supervision

Why not really pamper your dog and make him some homemade yummies?! Try some black pudding & potato bites or some low-cal snacks!
Please be careful any time your dog might be exposed to ‘human’ food and check for components that may be dangerous to them, such as xylitol.
Most people are aware of the dangers associated with your pet eating chocolate, but few are aware of much more serious and sinister dangers such as grapes/raisins and xylitol products.

Just as in humans, recent work has suggested that dogs also have ‘general intelligence’ that can be measured in a canine ‘IQ’ test: Mensa Mutts? and Canine IQ test developed. Why not try some ‘intelligence’ tests with your dog, just for fun: Dog IQ test.

As we learn more about human and canine sports medicine, canine conditioning and physical therapy is becoming more popular: Physical Therapy of the 4 legged variety and Doggy Yoga – and it’s no joke! for more on what this area is all about,
But as we learn more, we must take extra care not to cause our dogs more harm than good: Extreme Canine Conditioning Exercises – they may be possible but are they safe?
Here Duffy shows you some fitness tricks!

And all this developing knowledge is great for helping dogs shed those extra pounds, that will improve both the quality and quantity of their lives: Pet Fit Club – check out some of those amazing transformations!

Canine Bloat or GDV is a serious, life-threatening condition that all pet owners must be aware of: Everything you need to know about canine bloat.