Dog is a Crotch Sniffer – Pet tip 245

Most dog owners are aware that dog noses are extremely sensitive. This is due to the quantity of olfactory or ‘smell’ receptors in a dog’s nose. Whereas humans have around five million olfactory receptors, dogs have two hundred and twenty million. This makes their noses exponentially more sensitive than a human’s. Most times a dog’s sensitive nose works to our benefit. All kinds of dogs are used as service dogs to help humans find missing people, sniff out explosives, drugs etc. They can smell people coming from quite a distance and alert us to their presence. There are some embarrassing occasions however, when a dog’s nose is just too sensitive from our human perspective. Most notably this occurs when dogs try to sniff humans in their private areas.

This behaviour is a common one in dogs and equally common is the fact that it upsets most dog owners. The reason some dogs sniff at a human’s private parts is the same reason they sniff the private parts of other dogs. We know that when they smell other dogs in this way they can tell the sex, rank (is the dog more dominant or submissive) age and other information about the dog.

Homemade Dog Food

Homemade Dog Food

By Stanley Coren

Generally speaking, commercially produced dog foods, especially those that have been certified by national veterinary societies, provide a good, safe and convenient way of feeding your dogs. However, some people find that their dogs …

Megaesophagus in Dogs

‘Mega” means big and esophagus means, well, esophagus. Therefore, megaesophagus is exactly what you think it is; it’s a big esophagus. But if you want to know a little more about megaesophagus and why it is a problem, keep on …

First Aid for Cats and Dogs – Vital Signs

First aid for pets
By Chantale Robinson
Biologist Veterinary Technician

Vital Signs of Cats and Dogs

Recognizing the normal and abnormal vital signs of dogs and cats is the first step in evaluating if an animal is sick and requires …

Entropion in Dogs

Entropion is a condition whereby an animal has eyelids that roll inward excessively. This causes its eyelashes and eyelid skin to brush against its eye, leading to irritation. When this condition has been going on for long periods of time, …

Dog Agility

Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs the dog though an obstacle course. It is an exciting sport that began in England in 1978 and became such a success that it is now gaining worldwide popularity. Dog …

December: 2008

Pets.ca – Monthly pet newsletter – December 2008

Dear Petlover,

Hi there it’s Marko, one of the owners/administrators on Pets.ca and this is our first winter newsletter of 2008. We intend to put out only 1 newsletter every month or …

Elbow Dyslasia in Dogs

You have a perfectly healthy young dog. All of sudden you notice that your dog has started to limp on one of its front legs. You probably think that it was running too hard yesterday or maybe banged its leg …

Cat scans and MRIs

Sometimes it is easy for a veterinarian to figure out what is wrong with your pet by simple observation. Other times blood work is used to pick up problems with the thyroid glands, kidneys, or other organs. Often though, the veterinarian will decide to do further tests such as ultrasound and x-rays to look inside the body. These forms of testing are used very routinely for everything from broken bones to cancer. But what happens if none of these tests result in a diagnosis? The testing we just talked about is used to help us determine what is happening in the body. Sometimes all of the tests are negative or the diagnosis is not specific enough. This is when the veterinarian turns to different options.

The next option might be a CT or MRI scan. Both of these options are only available at specialty practices or veterinary schools. They are very expensive, but on the other hand, they often allow veterinarians to exactly diagnose the problem. In fact, both CT and MRI are so precise that for some problems it is almost as good as looking inside the body! The CT and MRI machines are the same as those used in human hospitals. This article will give you a short introduction to the ideas and science behind these forms of testing. Then we will go through a few situations when CT and MRI are used.

Questions to Ask when Choosing a Breeder

Questions to ask when choosing a breeder.

A personal recommendation from a satisfied owner is an excellent way to find a breeder. Ask any of your dog-owning friends or a veterinarian. They may have a client who breeds and would …