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Chew On This...
Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet and not by panting
Contrary to popular belief, dogs sweat through the pads of their feet! This is because their sweat glands are actually located in the pads of their feat. So why do they pant when their hot? Well, when dogs pant that’s usually a sign that they’re hot and so this is one of their techniques to release heat from their body. So all this time you thought your dog was giving you sweaty kisses!
Yup, that’s right; the Irish Wolfhounds have been accepted as the ‘tallest’ breed of dogs in the world. Great Danes and Mastiff are very close in height, sometimes even taller and often weighting more than Irish Wolfhounds but in terms of generally being the tallest breed of dogs in the world this one tops it. More info:
This might come as a relief to some. The Basenji is the only known breed of dogs that just don’t bark! I know what you’re thinking… my dog doesn’t bark, or I know a dog that doesn’t bark. That may be true but the Basenji, however, is quite simply an entire breed of dogs that just don’t bark. They may make other sounds & could be trained to bark but it doesn’t come naturally for the breed. The Basenji originating from Africa and has a long ancient history in Egypt. If you want to learn more about this ancient breed check out the link below or you can pick-up a book on the breed written by Mary Lou Kanworthy (Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Inc., Publish Date: Feb 2006). More info:
It’s all about locating genes that cause diseases in our pets. Similar to the human genome project where scientist are trying to find links that cause many of the known human diseases, scientists at Berkeley University in California and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Oregon are doing the same thing for dogs. This project is designed to map & identify inherited diseases that ail our pets the same way they do to humans. Once linked this in turn may eventually help researchers learn more ways to improve the health and future for our pets. An interesting part of their research discusses the genetic disease of cancer and explains what happens to the cancer cells in our pets. Their goal is to be able to detect these cancer genes and possibly even prevent cancer from happening in the future. To learn more check out the link below. Oh and in case you’re wondering no harm is ever done to the animals in the name of science. All research is conducted on donated samples of saliva and small vials of blood. More info:
Most of us know that chocolate is toxic for our pets but don’t know why that is. Well we got the skinny why chocolate should never be given to your pets. In an article by the ASPCA, chocolate contains an ingredient called theobromine. An ingredient found in the same family as ‘methylxanthine’ (more commonly known as caffeine). In sufficient quantities that ingredient alone can be dangerous enough, even deadly to our precious dogs and cats. It is believed that as little as 1 oz/kg of chocolate is enough to cause a toxic reaction. Symptoms can vary dramatically from indicators such as weakness, vomiting and seizures. To see the complete list of possible symptoms or to learn more, please visit the ASPCA or contact your veterinarian. So always keep chocolate well out of reach from your pets. And, just when you think they can’t possibly reach it, hide it again - they have amazing senses of smell! Oh and should your pet manage to get their choppers on it please contact your vet immediately to determine the best course of action. More info:
Hearing a lot about organics lately but not completely certain what all the hype is about? Check out our quick facts about organics – an insight into the remarkable world of organics for both human grade and pet products. So now you too can feel better in knowing what everyone is talking about and maybe the next time you go shopping you may consider purchasing a product that is organic for both you and your pet. Read more about Organics
If you’re already recycling products within your own home why not consider buying eco-friendly products too? It’s another great way to help out the environment! Because every time you purchase a recycled product that’s one less item going into landfills. It’s as easy as that and it does the world of difference! So in theory, as more people purchase eco-friendly products, so does the demand for recycled products. This in turn gives you, the consumer more choices about the products you can purchase. Even if you just buy products that have some content that is recycled you are helping the process. Let’s face it we live in a disposable world but we can make a difference in the things we buy which really does help the environment - one person can make a difference, even you! Consider this… many of the products you already buy such as pencils, shoes, jackets, toys, beds, paper and so much more are already made from recycled material. Quality is never compromised with recycled products and the prices are becoming even more affordable than ever before. So why not buy eco-friendly, get the quality, the savings and help the environment too. Want to learn more about being Eco-friendly
Why is Ontario one of the few provinces left to institute a provincial law to persecute any individual causing or even allowing any type of distress happen to an animal? I’m sure you’ve already heard the story about AK, a sweet six-month-old dog whose ears were cruelly cut off by his owner in order to make him appear tougher. Just like so many other people I was completely outraged and saddened to hear of this abuse. Why and how can anyone be so cruel? No one should ever treat any living being this way, yet it continues to happen. Amazingly, however, AK's spirit and demeanor is a strong and determined one. Now with his scars healing he is in the process of being adopted into a new loving home. But AK’s story doesn’t end here. We can make a difference by trying to prevent abuse such as this from happening again! We need to start enforcing tougher laws to help protect animals from such abuse, and you can help. A campaign with the OSPCA, titled “AK’s Law: Justice for Animal Victims of Abuse” is currently under way. In this effort they hope to make it an offense under the OSPCA Act for “for any person to cause or permit distress in an animal.” For some reason Ontario is one of the few provinces without a provincial offense in the SPCA Act. Shortly after this incident a private members bill was introduced to the Ontario Legislature to amend the Act but was unfortunately not completed in time before the government recessed for the summer. We can’t let them forget about this and so the SPCA has started this campaign so that we can start acting now. Please consider contacting your MPP to help get this amendment made to the OSPCA Act. Visit www.gov.on.ca and click on contacts to find a contact for your MPP. You may also visit SPCA for more information on this campaign. More info:
Yes, pets can have allergies too! Surprisingly allergies in pets are just as complex and difficult to diagnose and prevent as they are for humans. In one article by T.J. Dunn, Jr. DVM, if your dog is scratching and licking excessively they may have an allergic reaction called a dermatitis condition. If you think your pet may be having an allergic reaction it might be a good idea to have your pet checked by your veterinarian to determine the cause and solution to their allergic reaction. The specific source of the allergy may not always be determined right away (if at all) but it would be wise to get your pet checked out to rule out any parasites or other health problems. If you would like to get more in-depth information on the different types of dermatitis conditions check out Dr. Dunn’s article the ‘Itch’at:
Yup that's right, this is not a typo. Plastic bags really can take over 300 years to decompose! Along with so much other waste, millions of plastic bags go to landfills everyday. Right now in our Pacific Ocean floating around is a massive blob of non-biodegradable petrochemical material that’s twice the size of Texas. Where did it come from? It all started from the grocery/shopping plastic bags we took home, used to pick up poo or whatever and then threw away. Let's face it, our pets poop a lot. As responsible pet owners and people who care about the environment making one small decision of just using biodegradable bags alone can eliminate what we dish out to our environment. Consider this; if you own 1 pet, you alone can eliminate over 700 harmful plastic bags a year. Now that's something to brag about. Who knew poop scooping would do the world so much good. At Simply 4 Paws, we only carry biodegradable bags. Check out our selection and see for yourself. For more information on plastic bags check out our article The reality of plastic bags Article
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