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Cats in Ancient Egypt

Animal worship in ancient Egypt is part of the culture of daily life of Egyptians. Animals of every kind were respected and revered, as they were in close contact with deities and gods that the average Egyptian could not reach.

The cat in ancient Egypt, or miw (to see), was a sacred and respected beast. These small companions fascinated the Egyptians, and were venerated by all. It was in Egypt that the cat was first domesticated 4,000 years ago and where they were held in the most admiration and respect. There is evidence of wild felines around the banks of Egypt, but it was not until around 2000 BCE that the fully domesticated cat was brought into the houses of Egyptians.

The first domesticated Egyptian cats in Egypt were more than likely used for warding off the common asp and other snakes, and the typical chasers of rodents. Slowly though, the cat became more to the Egyptians than just a normal animal, the cat became a god.

Reception Area

Dangerous Food for Your Dog

The foolowing are dangerous foods for your dog to eat:

Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.

Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.

Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes

Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis

Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs. Raw Bone should always be supervised as a piece can always break off and cause problems. Try frozen oxtails or frozen knuckle bones then take the bone away before the dog can swallow a final small piece whole. It's a good natural way to clean teeth too.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomato plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe.

Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.

Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death

Apples, Cherries, Peaches PITS and similar fruit are great for your dog - HOWEVER, the seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them. It can also become lodged in the intestines and kill the dog in 24 hours with no warning.

Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible. BEST to use ORGANIC EGGS if you do raw. Scrambled lightly is best!
Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems.

Mushrooms: Can be deadly- never let your pets chew on mushrooms found in your yard. Only safe "food" mushrooms are shitaki, maitake and reishi.

Xylitol: even a small amount can cause liver failure and death.

Mocha the Dog

Mocha the dog is actually a dog I adopted on July 2010. Its owner had a difficult time controlling him as it tended to bite people. I was able to bring him around through training and constant nurturing. Now Mocha is very much behaved and serves as the clinic's official mascot. We treat him like a member of the family.

Dog Food for Older Dogs

Key Benefits

Recommended For

Patients exhibiting behavioral changes related to brain aging.

Additional Information

Hill's Prescription Diet® b/d® Canine is a complete and balanced food that provides all the nutrition dogs need. Please consult your veterinarian for further information on how our Prescription Diet® foods can help your dog to continue to enjoy a happy and active life.

Key Benefits Table

Prescription Diet® b/d® is formulated with the following benefits:

• Help improve cognitive functions such as social interaction, sleep or activity changes, confusion and house-soiling accidents
• Added antioxidants to promote a healthy immune system and to help protect brain cells
• High levels of L-carnitine to help improve energy
• High in Omega-3 fatty acids to promote cell membrane health
• Reduced level of protein, phosphorus and sodium to help maintain heart and kidney health
• Contains fruits and vegetables with naturally occurring vitamins and antioxidants

Benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs with arthritis

Schaumburg, IL

— A series of studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) offers new insights into the possible benefits derived from feeding foods containing high omega-3 fatty acid concentrations to dogs with osteoarthritis.

The results of the three studies, according to contributing author Dr. Kevin Hahn, director of research and chief medical officer at Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc., show that the dogs that were fed the foods experienced less pain associated with the disease and greater mobility.

"Many of us write off mobility problems in dogs as a part of the aging process," Hahn said. "These studies demonstrate that feeding a food containing omega-3 fatty acids to a dog with osteoarthritis significantly improves mobility and quality of life. All three studies showed significant mobility improvement as assessed by either pet owners, veterinarians, or both."

The studies, published in the January 1, 2010, and March 1, 2010, issues of JAVMA, included 274 dogs with osteoarthritis that took part in clinical studies at dozens of privately owned veterinary clinics and two university veterinary clinics. The researchers focused on three areas: the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on clinical signs of osteoarthritis in dogs; the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs with the disease; and the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) dosage in dogs with osteoarthritis.

In the first study, dogs with chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis showed improvements in their ability to play and rise from rest at six weeks after being switched to a diet containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. The second study showed that limb strength in dogs improved with omega-3 dietary intervention, Hahn said.

In the third study, veterinarians were able to reduce the dosage of carprofen, a common NSAID used for pain relief in dogs with osteoarthritis, while still providing pain relief to dogs that were fed food supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids.

These studies show that omega-3 fatty acids provide pain relief and improve mobility in dogs with osteoarthritis. They also indicate that proper use of a food containing a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids may result in a lower dosage of medication required to manage joint pain and improve mobility in a dog with osteoarthritis. This finding is especially important because it allows veterinarians to better understand that complications that may arise from pain relief medications could be reduced when the medications are used in combination with proper nutrition.

"First and foremost, dog owners should always rely on their veterinarian when making decisions regarding their pet's health," Hahn said. "But it's also very important for dog owners to know that osteoarthritis can be a silent and unrecognized problem that affects both the pet's and the owner's quality of life. With proper nutritional intervention, we can enrich and lengthen that special relationship between people and their pets."

Life Cycle of a Flea

The dog flea (Ctenocephalides canis) is a species of flea (Siphonaptera) that dwells primarily on the blood of dogs. The dog flea is troublesome because it can spread Dipylidium caninum. They are commonly found in Europe. Although they feed on the blood of dogs and cats, they sometimes bite humans. They can live without food for several months, but females must have a blood meal before they can produce eggs. They can deliver about 4000 eggs on the host's fur. The eggs go through four lifecycle stages: embryo, larva, pupa, and imago (adult). This whole life cycle from egg to adult takes from two to three weeks, although this depends on the temperature. It may take longer in cool conditions.

What is Neutering?

Neutering is a procedure used to "de-sex" an animal. This procedure has been used to control animal population growth, reduce unwanted sexual behavior in pets, and decrease or eliminate the possibility of certain disease conditions later in life (such as pyometra or infection in the uterus). Castration is a term used to describe the removal of the gonads (testicles) in male animals. Spaying is a term used to describe the sterilization procedure of females. The procedure of spaying most often consists of ovariohysterectomy (removal of both the ovaries and uterus). Both procedures are performed under general anesthesia and both involve a surgical incision. Neutering is done most commonly at or around six months of age. However, many veterinarians perform this procedure earlier - as early as 8 - 10 weeks in some situations. Early neutering can be done safely, and has a number of advantages, especially in cases of pet adoption.

Optimum Rice and Lamb Meal

High-quality lamb meal offers optimal digestibility and provides protein your dog needs for strong muscles, healthy organs and vitality.

Male Cat for Neutering

A Healthy Dog is a Happy Dog

A Healthy Dog is a Happy Dog

I've often heard the alarming phrase: "My dog doesn't need a check-up, he's always been healthy". Didn't you know that an annual veterinary exam is the key to a long-lived, healthy pet?

The annual exam is much more than just a cursory check-up. It is most often during these exams that a veterinarian can pick up the early warning signs of a serious problem that will affect the dog in the future. Serious problems can often be corrected or at least slowed in progress when they are detected early.

The Nose to Tail Exam
Just like it sounds, the vet will start at the nose, and work all the way down to the tail.

The Nose
The first stop is, of course, the nose. Checking your dog's nose for nasal discharge, your vet is looking for more than just a cold. Rhinitis is a symptom of many possible diseases, Canine Distemper or a respiratory infection are just two of many possible causes.

The Eyes
Checking your dog's eyes are a vital part of the exam,. A dog with dull, lifeless eyes is giving off warning signals of internal parasites, stress, or something even more serious. Dull eyes can indicate that a pet has a serious illness. Whoever said that eyes are windows to the soul was absolutely correct. If your pet's soul is dull, your pet needs help.

The eyes should also be clear of debris and discharge. Eye infections often start as just a little bit of ooze coming from the corners of the eyes. Eye infections are contagious to other pets as well as humans. It is important to catch these and clear them up early.

The Mouth
The dog's mouth is inspected for lumps, cuts, scrapes and the condition of his teeth. A mouthful of healthy teeth should look clean, and white, and your vet can indicate if your dog is in need of a scaling. A scaling is when the dog has his teeth scraped free of cavity-causing tartar. Lumps on the outside of your dog's jaws can indicate swelling from an abcessed tooth, oral tumours, or an allergic reaction to a bug bite. Lack of healthy in the gums would alert your vet to anemia.

The Ears
Ears are notorious for harbouring bacterias that cause foul odours, and ear infections. A clean ear is a good ear, and it is a very good idea to keep alert for ear mites, a pesky inhabitant of ears that are highly contagious to other pets in the household.

Moving onward from the head, the next stop on the Nose to Tail exam is the chest.

The Lungs
Using a stethoscope, a vet will check your dog's lungs for any sounds of congestion, cough, or abnormal breathing patterns. This is extremely important, as a congested chest can lead to many health hazards. Bordatella, Distemper, or even Heartworm are just a few of the problems that can cause congestion.

The Heart
Listening to your dog's heart is an important step in the exam. A dog's normal heart rate is 100 to 130 beats per minute. Any abnormality is cause for concern. Early detection of heart disease can help your dog live a longer, more comfortable life.

The Skin and Coat
The largest organ of the body, the skin can tell you many things about your pet's health. Your vet will check for fleas, ticks, and other external parasites, as well as swelling, cuts, scrapes, lumps, and condition of the coat. A dull coat on the outside means an ill pet on the inside.

Abdomen
Source of many woes, the abdomen is next. By palpating your dog's stomach and groin area, a vet will feel for any lumps, abnormal distending, and possible infections. She is also watching for signs of pain from your dog, indicating further problems.

Back and Tail
A trip down your dog's spine and tail tells if their are any spinal problems that may need correcting.

The last stop is the paws, as your vet looks for cuts or swelling, and muscle damage along your dog's legs.

There is quite a bit more to an annual exam than most people think. Without regular check-ups, some dogs will not display any symptoms, and owners will oftimes find themselves with an extremely sick dog on their hands, and sometimes it is too late to save them. Please make sure YOUR pet gets in to see a vet at least once a year, even if she always been healthy, after all, prevention is so much better than cure.