Dog Life

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    Dog Vasectomy and Ovary-Sparing Spay Study

    With increasing interest in the benefits of dogs’ longer exposure to gonadal hormones and demand for options other than traditional spay/neuter, a study published in early 2023 caught my attention. It compares health and behavior outcomes for dog vasectomy and ovary-sparing spay patients with both sexually intact dogs and those with gonads surgically removed as is the current standard practice. It’s a small sample for dogs who’ve had those surgeries, but the results look interesting. I tried to include most of the important points. The full list of health conditions compared is long, but researchers grouped them as follows:

    – Orthopedic problems, including blown knees
    – Cancer
    – Obesity
    – Endocrine disorders (thyroid disease, diabetes)
    – Reproductive disorders
    – Other health problems (dental, heart, kidney, and eye diseases and disorders)
    – Problematic behaviors (aggression, anxiety)
    – Nuisance behaviors (mounting, marking)

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    Itchy Dog Relief Guidelines

    With a major veterinary magazine deadline looming, I spent time reading in full the latest thinking about itchy dog relief from the new 2023 AAHA Management of Allergic Skin Diseases in Dogs and Cats Guidelines. A few things jumped out at me, including how apparently cranky and impatient we are as veterinary clients when dogs develop symptoms of allergic skin diseases.

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    New Dog Anxiety Supplement

    hanks to our longtime leadership in the dog media world, I get to be one of the first to tell you about a dog anxiety supplement with new-to-market active ingredients from Brave Paws. Plus, for a limited time, fans and friends of Champion of My Heart are the ONLY ONES getting access to $10 off with an exclusive coupon code (HOLIDAY10), just for us. I look forward to trying Brave Paws for Tori’s stress and sickness in the car. I hope you’ll keep reading to learn more possible uses for separation anxiety, veterinary visits, thunderstorms, fireworks, car trips, or other ongoing dog stress concerns. Just in time for preventing holiday worries in dogs.

  • Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC)

    For now, I’m not going to attempt to write extensively about the weird (and maybe new / maybe not new) Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) cases all over the news that result in sometimes quick and dangerous pneumonia. Sure, it’s in my wheelhouse, but it’s also an fluid situation. I really do not want to add to the hype and drama. Instead, here are some recommendations on reputable places to get updated and accurate information, specifically for your community.

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    Pet Loss Guided Meditation for the Holidays

    Wow! The holidays pose extra hardships on grieving hearts. I decided to create a pet loss guided meditation to help those hurting this time of year due to the loss of their beloved pets. It’s less than 10 minutes long, and I hope it helps ease the heartbreak. I plan to create more of these in the future, but this is a start. This post explains the structure of the meditation. Scroll to the bottom for the video / audio you can use to ground yourself in love.

  • Can I Give My Dog Dramamine?

    Thanks to access to better tools that analyze big data I now know that people ask questions like this: Can I Give My Dog Dramamine: Is It Safe? So, let’s take a look. Remember, we went through a LOT of options for Tori’s epic car sickness. We have a solution that sort of works, but she still struggles. In some cases, dramamine is NOT safe for certain dogs.