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Microchipping Your Dog - What's the Risk?

Posted by Clare Bristow | 15 Comments

This week has seen a number of news articles reporting that your dog has an increased risk of cancer if he is microchipped. According to the articles, sarcomas - malignant tumors - can develop at the site where the chips are implanted.

Some of the articles have been sensational in nature, and there are reports of dog owners taking their dogs to the vet demanding to have microchips removed purely on the basis of what they've read in the press.

As responsible dog owners, we need to know all the available information so we can make an informed decision on whether or not to have our dogs microchipped, or if they are already microchipped, to have the chips removed.

Here are the facts as I understand them:

Click to Continue Reading —>

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Amber Necklace Repels Ticks

Posted by Clare Bristow | Leave a Comment

A German company has come up with a novel way of tick prevention - selling unpolished amber necklaces for dogs.

According to Amberdog, amber causes a static charge to build up in your dog's fur. Whilst the electric charge isn't strong enough for your dog to notice, it's sufficient to knock a tick off his coat.

The amber necklace should be worn continuously and the rubbing of the amber against your dog's fur produces a resinous smell which repels ticks. The longer your dog wears his necklace the more time this resinous odor has to spread through his coat thereby improving his immunity to tick bites.

Amberdog has successfully tested the necklaces over a 12 week period on 'Lady' a dog who lives in a tick infested part of Germany - only one tick bite was recorded, and this was at the start of the test.

As an alternative to using chemical products for tick prevention this has to be a far more attractive option - and the necklaces look rather nice too.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Posted by Clare Bristow | 8 Comments

Flea allergy dermatitis is the name given to a dog's allergic reaction to flea saliva.

Flea saliva contains over 15 different bacteria and viruses (called antigens), each of which is capable of causing an allergic reaction in your dog.

When a flea bites your dog's skin to feed, the antigens in it's saliva will be repelled by your dog's antibodies. However, in sensitive dogs the antibodies aren't successful, and a reaction to the antigens can show up as an incredibly itchy patch of skin for your dog.

Flea allergy dermatitis is characterized by Click to Continue Reading —>

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