Dogs with Different Eye Color
Huskies, Akita's, Great Danes, Australian Shepard's, Dalmatians and Malamutes commonly have one dark eye and one blue eye among st other breeds. Even some cats, people and horses have two different colored eyes. "Heterochromia" is the term used to describe the multi colored iris. Heterochromia is not considered a medical problem but rather a normal variation in eye color. Some dogs are more prone to Heterochromia than others, it all depends upon the genes.
Senior Wellness
If your like most pet parents, you would do anything you could to keep your canine campanion healthy as he ages. With a few simple recommendations, you can do just that-and perhaps even add a few years to her life in the process.
START YOUNG
Have your veterinarian perform a baseline exame. This exam typically includes a thorough assessment of body condition score, blood work, urinalysis, and a fecal exam. Baseline exams are important for your pet-by having one you can tell if something changes in the future. A baseline axam should be performed at 2 years of age, for most older pets 6 years of age is the ideal time for a senior baseline.
SCHEDULE EXAMS TWICE A YEAR
Because our pets age at a faster rate than people (roughly 5-7 human years for each pet year), they can often encounter health changes much more quickly than we do. Blood tests every 6 months can often pick up disease before symptoms are evident. In fact 22% of dogs older than 7 years of age harbor disease that is only detectable through an advanced diagnostic workup.
PROVIDE PROPER NUTRITION
"We are what we eat" is even more essential as our dogs and cats age. Older pets have different dietary needs than young or middle aged pets. As they grow older they risk becoming overweight or obese. Their activity level decreases, so their diet should be adjusted accordingly. Senior diet formulas are usually lower in protein and fat, and higher in fiber and vitamins, which is beneficial to limiting the workload on the aging liver and kidneys.
Poison Ivy & Dogs
Poison Ivy - Poison Ivy is rare in dogs because their coats protect their skin, but it can cause blisters on the abdomen, where the hair is sparse. A bigger concern is your dog getting the oil from poison ivy or oak on her fur and passing it to you. If you suspect that one of you has been exposed, wash well with soap to minimize the reaction.
Fleas & Ticks
Fleas & Ticks Fleas have 6 life stages: egg,three larval stages, the pupal stage, and the adult stage. With near perfect conditions (no treatment/preventative) the larvae can hatch and reach adult in just over a week. A female flea can produce up to 50 eggs: these fall of the fur or hair to the ground, typically where the pet rests. The large number of eggs produced by a female is the reason that flea numbers can become massive. Ten female fleas can produce 3,500 eggs in a week.
Fleas can cause great damage to a pet's skin because of the irritation that results from repeated feeding and the potential for allergic reactions.
The flea associated disease that is most commonly transmitted from cat to a person is cat-scratch disease. Found in cat's blood, the organism that causes cat scratch disease can be transmitted to fleas when they feed and is present in tried fleas feces. Unfortunately, cats' claws my be contaminated with fleas feces. If a cat with contaminated claws scratches a person, it can cause a bacterial infection at the site of the scratch.
Ticks have 4 stages: egg, larvae, nymph, and adult. After a female tick finishes feeding on a host, she drops off and lays her eggs (hundreds-thousands) in the environment.
Ticks can transmit various disease that can make pets ill and, in the worst cases, can be fatal. The brown dog tick tends to transmit canine-specific diseases (such as anaplasmosis and canine babeiosis) between dogs. Ticks can also transmit diseases that can be acquired by people, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
