Many puppies already have worms when they are born. These are parasites that they got from their mother.  The American Association of Veterinary Parasit0logists says the process of de- worming for roundworms and hookworms should begin when puppies are two weeks old and be repeated every two weeks until they’re eight weeks old. If a puppy that has worms has not be de-wormed, his body will not respond to vaccinations as it should. He may not grow and develop normally.  You and your kids may be at risk as well as roundworms and hookworms can be transmitted to humans.  You probably won’t see the worms in your puppy’s stool unless the infestation is severe. So when you get a new puppy, make sure that it’s de-wormed. As your vet for the best pet medication to use.

Remember, pets are family!

Playing your favorite oldies 24 hours a day! Edgewater Gold Radio!  Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

The following was published by Hepper.com and is a comprehensive analysis on the reasons why a dog may abandon her puppies. This article gives our readers detailed reasons why this situation may occur.

The 3 Ways to Respond to a Mother Dog Rejecting Puppies:

1. Understand the Reasons

There are a few different reasons that a mother dog might leave her puppies and show no interest in caring for them. The first reason is simply stress and discomfort. Giving birth is stressful for the mom, which can affect her ability to care about anything else but her stress, especially if she is a first-time mother.

Another reason that a mother dog might ignore or leave her puppies is that her hormones are out of balance and her maternal instincts are not kicking in as effectively as they should. This could lead to a lack of interest in grooming or even feeding their pups.

Mother dogs may also “abandon” their babies if they seem too ill or weak to survive. She herself might be feeling unwell and simply unable to take care of her puppies. Whatever the reason, it is possible to get to the bottom of the problem if you know what signs to look for.

2. Understand the Signs

There are signs to look for that will let you know whether you can count on your mommy dog to take care of her puppies. The first thing that your dog should do when a puppy is born is to lick them to rid them of the sack that they are born in and to stimulate them so they start breathing on their own. If she does not lick her babies, she probably won’t do anything else to care for them either.

Even if a mother dog does lick her babies when they are born, she may back off and not take any further steps to care for them. If a mother dog does not lay out to allow her babies to nurse of her own free will, she is likely turning her back on them for some reason. The final sign to look for is a mother dog paying no attention to their puppies once they are born, not even looking at them.

3. Understand How to Handle the Situation

Once you understand why a mommy dog might abandon her puppies and you know the signs of an abandonment situation, you should understand how to handle it so the puppies can thrive and the mom dog can connect with them. With any luck, you will not need any outside help to get the job done.

If you notice that your mother dog is not taking care of her puppies, the first thing that you should do is assess her whelping box and surroundings. Your dog might need extra privacy if their box is in an active part of the home where the mom and pups cannot get any quiet. If the whelping box is in the living room, try moving it to a bedroom or even to the laundry room, where there are not so many prying eyes and active conversations going on.

On the other hand, a mother dog might feel lonely if they are attached to you and their whelping box is too far away from where you are spending your time. Your presence may help ease your dog’s stress enough for them to relax and focus their attention on their new puppies. So, try moving the whelping box to the room that you spend most of your time in.

If moving or adjusting the whelping box does not do the trick, you may have to step in and take over for your mother dog, at least temporarily.

If the puppies do not get licked when they are born, you should use a clean, lightly damp towel to clean them off and gently rub them until they are properly breathing on their own. You will also have to stimulate their genitals to get them to use the bathroom, like their mother is supposed to do. This entails simply wiping the puppy’s genitals with a soft cloth regularly so they can relieve themselves.

You may even have to bottle feed the puppies if you cannot get your mother dog to nurse them. However, it is best to try and get your dog to nurse her puppies before you attempt to bottle feed them. You can do this by laying your dog down and comforting her with petting and rubbing. While using one hand to comfort your dog, use the other hand to move the puppies toward the mother dog’s nipples. If possible, help them latch on.

Hopefully, your dog will allow nursing to happen, and when it does, the interaction should help her hormones balance out and her maternal instincts to kick in. If she still does not allow her puppies to nurse, it is time to call a veterinarian for a visit to make sure that the mom and her pups are all healthy and to figure out how to successfully address the abandonment problem.

In Conclusion

Hopefully, these steps will help you address the situation if your mother dog decides to leave her puppies or turn her back on them for some reason. Stay calm, be patient, and do not be afraid to contact your veterinarian if you feel that the situation is out of your control or even if you have a simple question, no matter how trivial you think it might be. The focus should be on the health and development of the new puppies and their mother. Leave a comment to let us know what your game plan is for the upcoming birth of new puppies in your home.

Remember, pets are family.

Keep the oldies playing all day on our oldies station, Edgewater Gold Radio. Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Happy Easter! As a kid, I always remembered waking up to an big Easter Basket filled with a big solid chocolate bunny and lots of chocolate goodies inside. Chocolate, a favorite among adults and children alike, could be deadly to our pets. Pet Education.com has published an explanation as to why this favorite adult treat could really do harm to pets.

Some cats tolerate chocolate better than others. Although the toxic dosage varies from animal to animal, everyone agrees that chocolate contains a lethal ingredient, a methylxanthine called theobromine, and that baking chocolate contains 10 times more of this lethal ingredient than milk chocolate.

Theobromine acts on four areas of your cat’s body:

It increases the rate and force of contractions of the heart.
It acts as a diuretic, causing your pet to lose body fluids.
It affects the gastrointestinal system, causing vomiting and diarrhea and it may cause stomach ulcers.
It acts on the nervous system, causing convulsions, seizures and sometimes, death.

Get out those dog toys and take your dog outside for some exercise and keep those dog treats and cat treats on hand. Your best friends will be too full and pooped out to scout out any chocolate left around the house. Seriously, keep all chocolate away from your pet.

Remember, pets are family!

Happy Easter –enjoy your day with great oldies on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website, Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

There are particular vital signs to look for if you suspect that your dog is sick. Make sure that you write these things down so that you can show them to your vet.

Temperature –  A normal temperature for a dog is between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t check his temperature right after exercise or right after he wakes up. Results will not be accurate.

Gums – Gums should be pink in color and moist and slick to the touch. There’s a problem if they are pale, sticky or dry.

Heart Rate –Young puppies and small toy dogs will have a fast heart rate, averaging around 180 beats per minute. Medium and large dogs will have a heart rate – between 60-160 beats per minute. The larger the dog, the slower the normal heart rate.

Pulse – Take the pulse in the extremities. A dog’s pulse should be slightly slower that his heart rate. 60 beats per minute for a large dog and 120 bears per minute for a small dog.

Respiration – Small dogs will have a faster respiration rate around 30 breaths per minute and larger dogs will have a slower rate of respiration around 10 breaths per minute.

Dehyration –  If the dog bowl remains full, your dog may not be drinking enough .Check a dog for dehydration by pinching the skin at the dog’s scruff. Pull the skin upwards into a “tent” and then release. In a dehydrated dog, the skin will take several seconds to return to normal. The longer it takes the dog’s skin to return to normal, the more dehydrated the dog is. Dry gums are also a sign of dehydration.

If your dog stops eating is dog food and is not drinking,and  is spending an abnormal amount of time sleeping in his dog bed, these can be  signs that your dog is not well and must be seen by a vet as soon as possible.

Remember, pets are family!

Enjoy great oldies all the time on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our webiste; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Tooth resorption is a dental condition in which an animal develops a lesion around the root of a tooth. It can appear to be a tooth fracture, or be hidden beneath the gum line. Tooth resorption occurs commonly in cats, about one in two cats have it. Feline dentists check for the condition routinely. Dogs can acquire the problem as well, but rarely do. If you notice a change in your pets eating habits and increased salivation, consider taking your pet to the veterinarian. He or she will take x rays to determine the affected teeth and stage of disease. Treatment may involve tooth extraction. To find out more, talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary dental specialist.

Remember, your pets count!

Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to keep the oldies playing all the time on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website, Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Does your dog love to ride in the car? His head is stuck out the window and he loves the breeze and all of the things that he smells. What could be the harm in this?  Eye injuries that’s what so many vets hate to see.  Think of all of the things that go splat on your window and you can imagine how many potentially harmful things could get into your dog’s eyes.  There is a compromise. Roll down your window just enough for the dog’s nose. Those great smells will still be there. All that’s missing is the risk to your dog’s vision.  Don’t forget to buckle  your dog up. A properly fitted seat belt harness will keep your dog in place and from harm when you make that sharp turn.

Remember, your pets count!

Enjoy the great weather and great oldies on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

It never fails, you take your dog out for a calm walk around the neighborhood and you wind up on your butt as he drags you toward a bicycle, jogger, squirrel, or anything that is moving.  How do we calm him down so you and he can enjoy a peaceful walk?  There is something that you may want to try. You have to desensitize him to the presence of bikers and joggers. Try getting a friend to bike or jog by over and over. (Hopefully, he is a good friend who can deal with your dog chasing after him!)  Start at a distance where your dog barely notices and gradually have your friend get closer and closer. Feed your dog treats the whole time that your friend is in view. Mix up the areas as well as the helpers. (hopefully you have lots of friends) Keep feeding him treats but not if he barks and runs toward the biker or jogger. Eventually, your dog will see a jogger, or biker and look immediately at you for a treat.  There will be no more lunging and barking and dragging you on your butt. A good trainer or behaviorist can help you with your timing. Good luck with this one!

Remember, your pets count!

Enjoy the greatest oldies of all time on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Happy Easter. It’s a time that the sale of chocolate goes through the roof. While chocolate is good for us in moderation, it is deadly to your cat! What are some of the reasons that chocolate can be deadly to both dogs and cats. First of all, chocolate contains caffeine, which is poisonous to pets and can result in serious health problems, including death.

Secondly, a compound in chocolate known as theobromine is also dangerous to cats. It’s known to stimulate the nervous system  and the cardiovascular system and this increases blood pressure.  This can result in serious health problems including death.  Chocolate also acts as a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration. It should be noted that baking chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate.

Some cats and dogs can tolerate more chocolate than others but don’t let them digest any chocolate. Don’t leave chocolate around the house. Keep it in the refrigerator or in closed drawers that’s out of reach to your pets.

Be on the safe side and have a Happy Easter!

Enjoy the greatest oldies of all time on Edgewater Gold Radio! Just ask ALEXA to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website, Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Your dog knows the basics. He’ll sit on command, hold his paw out when you say “shake,” and lie down when you tell him to. Now, you need him to get to the next level. Teaching a dog tricks could be a fun way to bond. So if you want to go beyond the basic commands with your dog, Try teaching him to stand on two legs or bow. Start by giving your dog a verbal cue then reward him with a dog treat when he actually performs the action. For example, dogs often bow when they want to play or when they wake up from a nap. Then, using the dog treat and a verbal command, guide the dog to perform the action again. Remember, keep practicing, be patient and use positive reinforcement. Before long you and your dog will be able to impress all of your friends! Now it’s time to teach him some tricks with a flying disc dog toy!

Remember, pets are family!

Enjoy your oldies all day on Edgewater Gold Radio! Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio” or listen from our website, Edgewater Gold Radio.com.

Your dog is part of your family but dogs have an interesting past. Here are some fun historical facts about man’s best friend.

1. The first living creature sent into space was a female dog named Laika launched by the former USSR on November 3, 1957.
   
2. The heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds.
3. The oldest dog ever died at age 29.
4. The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
5. Mosaics meaning “Beware the Dog” would be found on doorsteps in ancient Roman cities.
6. People in ancient China stayed warm by carrying toy breeds in their sleeves.
7. The smallest mature dog was a Yorkshire Terrier that was 2 1/2 inches high at its shoulder.
8. The tallest dog ever was a Great Dane who stood 41 inches high.

Remember, pets are family!

Keep your oldies playing all day today! Edgewater Gold Radio! It’s a classic oldies weekend. Ask Alexa to “play Edgewater Gold Radio or listen from our website; Edgewater Gold Radio.com.