How to Check Your Dog's Lymph Nodes

Lymph Nodes
by Dr. Sarah at Lifes Abundance / February 2012 Newsletter


Did you know that your dog’s lymph nodes play an integral role in his or her immune system?

Fortunately, examining them is easier than you might think.

In this episode of Pet Talk, Dr. Sarah’s joined by her lovable cohort, Alma, to show you exactly where canine lymph nodes are located so you can do a quick exam in your own home.

Our good doctor reviews the normal sizes of these paired nodes, and how to know whether or not they’re inflamed. And, you’ll hear about common causes of inflammation, too.

Most importantly, Dr. Sarah recommends that you make this check-up part of your monthly routine, to track possible changes in your dog’s health.

This episode is jam-packed with information, so be sure to share it with your friends and family!

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Check out Life's Abundance Dog Food and Life's Abundance Puppy Food for Large Breed Puppies.

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Resolutions are for the Dogs -- and Cats
By Dr. Jevon D. Clark, D.V.M, Flathead Living, Winter 2011-12, Volume 4, Issue 4

I resolve to lose a little around the middle this year again.  Holiday, little sun, and cold weather tend to make all of us "blossom" in the winter.  But sorry, blaming the season is foolish.  This is an "us" problem.  Nutritionally unbalanced diets, too many treats, and far too little exercise all conspire to fatten up Garfield and Snoopy (and me!).  Pets no longer work for a living.  The don't spend their days searching for tonight's dinner.  Food arrives in a bowl or worse, come straight from our hands.  As a result, 45% of dogs and 58% of cats are overweight.

"So who cares if 'fluffy' is a little plump?  Well, as a veterinarian, I do.  The increased risks of diabetes, arthritis, and shortened life spans secondary to obesity have been well-documented in dogs and cats for years.  Pets that are the appropriate weight are much healthier throughout their life and they live significantly longer than overweight pets.

It is painfully simple for our pets to lose weight as it is for us.  In order to lose weight the energy used by the body must exceed the energy put into the body; decrease the calories and increase the exercise.  Sound familiar?

One of our favorite sayings in my practice is "Food is not love."  I'll let you in on a little secret.  There is an easy and inexpensive trick that everyone can do that will positively impact your pet's weight.  Don't feed your pet human food.  That's it, period.  Our food is incredibly calorie-dense.  One hot dog to a 20-pound dog is equivalent to a person consuming three entire hamburgers or two whole chocolate bars.  More shocking, one ounce of cheese to a 10-pound cat is equivalent to 3 1/2 hamburgers for a person!  Holy Creme Brule, Batman.  So, think twice next time before giving in to Fido with the one little bite of fillet.

Show me an overweight pet and I'll show you a person who doesn't get enough exercise.  It's no surpirse that your pets want to spend more time with you.  If you are sitting, they'll sit on you.  But, if you are active, they will be, too.  Nothing burns calories faster than spending 30 minutes walking your dog on a cold winter day. 

All right, so walking a cat is not really practical, but you can at least play with him in the house for 30 minutes.  Your pets will absolutely love the attention and you'll feel better, too.

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Todays Article was suggested by Lifes Abundance Weight Loss Food and GoFoods, Foods for Survival and Storage.

If you are looking for a nutritious and wholesome dog or cat food, please check out Life's Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Cat Food

Safe Ways to take Dogs on the Road

Safe Ways to take Pets on the Road
(Article from The Daily Inter Lake, February 18, 2012)

To those who feel a vacation isn’t complete unless the family dot comes along, you’re not alone.  The U.S. Travel Association says that 49 percent of Americans feel the pet is just another member of the family and 18 percent of U.S. travelers plan to take their pets along the next time they travel. 

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have softened laws regarding international travel with a companion animal.  With the Pet Passport Scheme, or PETS, individuals may travel freely with their pets to member countries on approved carriers.  Some procedures include certification of rabies vaccination and the animal’s microchip or tattoo number.

Car trips are common forms of travel with a companion animal in tow. While many pets are easygoing, there are some who are unaccustomed to traveling with their owners and may even balk at riding along.  Acclimating and protecting your pet for travel will require a little patience and some pointers.

Secure the petJust as you would buckle up when entering the car, so should you buckle up a pet.  It is important to ensure the animal is not a moving target around the car should an accident occur.  Not only could you risk injury to the pet, but you also risk injury to yourself if the animal becomes a projectile.  Even if an accident does not occur, a jittery pet, or one who is content to jump from back seat into the front seat, could prove a distraction while driving.  He or she could also bump into the gear shift or get stuck under the gas or brake pedal.  It is much better to keep the pet secured.

Pets may travel in a well-ventilated carrier.  Larger dogs may need to be belted into the car with a special dog harness.  There are also barrier screens and gates that can be installed, typically in SUV’s, to restrict the pet.

Acclimation
Some pets just do not enjoy being placed in a carrier or riding in a car.  They may need some coaxing and practice to become comfortable if a trip is planned.  The ASPCA suggests getting the pet used to a longer trip by taking a series of short trips first over the course of a few days or weeks.  With each trip, gradually increase time spent in the car.  It may help to bring along a pet toy or blanket that is soothing to the animal, so he or she associates the car with a safe place, just like home.  Even after several attempts to acclimate your pet to the idea of a car trip, the animal may still not be happy about the idea.  Talk to a veterinarian about other strategies or whether a mild sedative could make travel easier.

Safety tips
Although many pet owners are aware of certain dos and don’ts when it comes to traveling with a pet, many still engage in behavior that could be dangerous to the animal.  One of the common offenses is letting the pet ride with his or her head outside of the window.  While this may seem like heaven to the dog or cat, this puts the pet at risk of being injured by flying objects, including debris in the eyes.  It can also increase the risk of the animal falling out of the moving vehicle.

Another mistake many people make is leaving the pet inside of a car – even for a short duration of time.  The ASPCA warns that even with the windows open, a parked car can rapidly heat up and heatstroke can occur.  A similar thing takes place in the winter with the car getting much too cold.  If you anticipate having to make stops, be sure to go where you can take the pet out and along with you.
 
Comfort and careAn animal out of his or her environment or element could become skittish.  Try to keep a pet’s feeding schedule as close to normal as possible.  This will minimize the chances of discomfort or even digestive aggravation.  Bring along bottled water or tap water from home because drinking water from an unfamiliar area could result in unwanted digestive distress, which could prove uncomfortable for pet and owner alike.  As an added precaution, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, says the ASPCA.  This helps if the animal gets carsick or has an accident.  Removable seat covers can also prove advantageous for collecting fur and keeping the interior of the car less messy than need be.

IdentificationIt is important to always carry proper identification for your pet, as well as documentation of vaccinations.  For those who have not yet microchipped their companion animal, now may be the time to do so.  The microchip is a very small device implanted under the skin of the pet, usually by the scruff of the neck.  It will transmit contact information when a specialized transmitter is waved over the microchip.

There is also the old-fashioned method of having your dog or cat collared with an ID tag.  Using this in conjunction with a leash and harness will help reduce the chances of losing your pet while on the road.

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Today's pet traveling tips article suggested by Zija and Lifes Abundance Dog Food.  Feed your dog a healthy, nutritious and wholesome food.  Feed Lifes Abundance Dog Food.

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A Life's Abundance Dog Wins Best of Breed at Westminter

(This morning all field reps received an email from the Life's Abundance home office with good news, and I thought that I would share it with you.)

A Life’s Abundance Dog Wins Best of Breed at Westminster!

Dear Field Rep,

Along with people all over the globe, those of us here at Life’s Abundance monitored the Westminster Dog Show with keen interest. In fact, two of our very own Field Reps were affiliated with a dog competing alongside hundreds of others at this parade of canine excellence!

We weren’t disappointed. Tuesday night, the prized Mastiff, Seamus (full name, Beowulfs Bit O'Blarney) beat out 18 other Mastiffs to take a coveted Best of Breed prize. We couldn’t help but share big smiles as he grandly galloped around the show ring at Madison Square Garden … after all, he’s a Life’s Abundance dog! Susann Everett is his proud breeder and Traci A McKeown-Weaver is his thrilled pet parent.

If you missed the coverage on USA Network, don’t worry -- you can watch all of the highlights online. In fact, we’ve included the video link below, capturing Seamus’ big win. As you’ll see, the onlookers erupted in cheers when the judge included him in the top dogs, and then again when he clenched the Best of Breed award. It was a fitting, belated birthday surprise, as he just celebrated his third birthday on January 6th.

One of the oldest breeds and believed to be the father of other working breeds, Mastiffs are known for their protectiveness and gentleness, and Seamus is no exception.

In addition to running her Life’s Abundance business, Susann operates Beowulf Mastiffs Global, a nurturing breeding business. If Susann’s name is familiar to you, it might be because she was featured in January’s Reward & Recognition announcement, when she achieved 9-Star status for her tireless promotion of Life’s Abundance. Traci is in Susann’s downline and she signed up as a Field Rep in October of 2010.

We’re all awfully proud of Susann and Traci’s loveable Mastiff.

Kudos to you all!

The Life’s Abundance Team

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Click one of the following if you would like to know more about Lifes Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Dog Food

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