Showing 5 posts from July 2009
via UPI.com
A weekly movie night event in Cincinnati had shaggier guests than usual as dogs were given a one-time free pass to the event, dog owners say. Jessica Sargent of Milford, Ohio, said her shepherd/Rhodesian ridgeback mix Tod was among the canine guests to the Procter & Gamble Movie Night on Saturday, the Cincinnati Enquirer said. Typically dogs are not welcome at the weekly outdoor events.
The Enquirer said specialty dog biscuits were up for sale at the outdoor screening thanks to the restaurant Bouchard's Anything's Pastable.
Starting tomorrow, Tuesday July 28 Best Friend NYC natural dog grooming products will be available at Henri Bendel in New York during their special annual event “Dog Days of Summer”. Since 1895, Henri Bendel white and brown striped shopping bags have been spotted swinging from the arms of stylish young women around the world.
This exciting shopping event will begin at 10 am continue for a week through August 4, 2009 on the main Atrium level of the famed Henri Bendel flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Known as a mecca for high- fashion, Henri Bendel will turn its main level into a “doggie playground” and will present a handful of new upscale pet manufacturers. “Dogs Days of Summer” will feature a dog photo contest, complimentary treats and makeovers for Henri Bendel patrons and their canine companions.
During the event Best Friend NYC will showcase their natural dog grooming products, canine aromatherapy candles, and organic dog treats, along with few surprises unveiled at the event.
Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy said Thursday that it would launch a talking version of its Bowlingual gadget that can "translate" dog barks into the human language.
The new model analyses six emotions, including joy, sadness and frustration, and speaks phrases such as "Play with me!" - an improvement on the original which just showed them on a screen.
"Dog owners can enjoy the toy at a dog run and a park," said Tomy spokeswoman Chie Yamada.
The original version of the toy, which has a handset and a microphone attached to a dog collar, won the Ig Nobel Prize in 2002. The awards, a parody of the Nobel Prizes, celebrate achievements that make people laugh and think.
The new Bowlingual Voice, priced at 19,950 yen (212 dollars), will be launched in Japan next month, Yamada said. It will be only available in Japanese at present. The original non-speaking version is also available in English and Korean.
via Australian
The evolutionary secret of how the dachshund got its short legs has been uncovered. Dachshunds, corgis, basset hounds and Pekingese are among the common breeds that owe their short legs to the mutation of a single gene that occurred several thousand years ago. The discovery offers insight into the way genetic mutations drive evolution and may have implications for understanding dwarfism in humans.
A team from the American National Human Genome Research Institute, in Maryland, examined DNA samples from 835 dogs from 76 breeds, including 95 animals with short legs. The scientists found that dogs from all the short-legged breeds had an extra copy of a gene that produces a growth protein called FGF4, which is known to be implicated in dwarfism in humans. The extra gene is a mutant of a type known as a retrogene, which lacks parts of the normal DNA code.
The extra retrogene leads to an overproduction of the FGF4 protein, which appears to alter the times at which bones grow in embryonic development. This, the scientists believe, causes the legs of small dogs to remain short and out of proportion to their bodies. The findings are published in the journal Science. As the same gene is shared between all the short-legged breeds of dog studied, the mutation is likely to have emerged early in the evolution of dogs.
Fossil evidence suggests dogs were first domesticated from wolves at least 14,000 years ago, and genetic evidence suggests the evolutionary split may have happened earlier than that. Eric Green, scientific director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, said the research shows how genetic information can help us to understand the course of evolution.
by Maureen Finn
Ear care is important year round, but with warm weather and water fun on the agenda for the next few months, it’s a good idea to check your canine pal’s ears regularly and be sure to keep up with routine ear cleaning to avoid ear infections. A good ear cleaning can save problems, and money at the vet, and should be part of your dog’s grooming routine.
Of course drop-eared dogs are at higher risk for ear problems due to the “closed” environment, with the ear flap covering the ear canal for a nice warm little breeding ground for moisture loving bacteria. And those with hairy ears (inside), like Poodles and spaniels, are at even greater risk. Keeping the inside of the ears groomed (hair trimmed on the inside of the ear flap, and plucked out of the canal) will help in keeping the ears dry and clean.
Ear cleaning is relatively straightforward, if not easy. Have a supply of cotton balls on hand, and a few paper towels, too. Squirt a small amount of the ear cleaning fluid into the ear canal and massage into the lower ear, then gently swab clean with the cotton ball as far as your finger can reach. Your pet will shake his head vigorously after a cleaning (it’s a good idea to do the cleaning outdoors), which will help to flush the dirt from the ears and expel the excess cleaning fluid from the ear canal. Swab it again with the cotton ball. If you still see a lot of dirt on the cotton ball, repeat the treatment until you feel it’s mostly clean. Once or twice a month cleaning is usually adequate for most animals, but be sure and check in the ears weekly to be sure they're normal--free of any abnormal discharge or strong odor.
After a cleaning, massage in a few drops of mullein flower infused oil into each ear canal. Mullein is a common roadside plant whose flowers have antimicrobial properties and which works especially well with the ears and skin. An oil infusion is the best way to use the flowers, and a few drops will help keep the ears protected against infection and parasites like ear mites.
Even with regular ear care, an ear infection is possible. Some dogs are prone to them due to allergies, poor diet, thyroid problems, or lifestyle (frequent swimming in ponds or slow moving water). It’s important that you get on top of this as soon as possible—ear infections left untreated can cause chronic, ongoing ear problems, including deafness, as well as increasing the possibility of an ear hematoma, where the constant headshaking causes broken blood vessels in the ear and the ear flap swells up like a little pillow due to the trauma.
