Blogging Paws – Pet Health Blog & Lifestyle Information sponsored by CanaCreek.com Canadian Pet Medication

The story of a Most Faithful Friend

Hachiko was an Akita dog born in Japan in 1923. An agricultural professor named Hidesaburo Ueno brought the puppy from the countryside to be his pet in Tokyo. Every morning, Hachiko would accompany his master to the train station where the professor would commute to the University of Tokyo. Every evening, Hachiko would wait at the station to greet his master when his train arrived. Hachiko did this everyday until May 1925, when the professor did not return on his usual train one evening. Despite this, Hachiko, continued to go to the train station the everyday at the same time in anticipation of his master’s return, but everyday he would not see his beloved friend. It turned out that the professor had suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage while giving a lecture at the University. He would never return again.

Every evening Hachiko would show up just when the professor’s train was due to arrive. Hachiko continued his routine to look for his owner from among the crowd at the train station for nine more years, eagerly waiting for his master until Hachiko’s own death in 1935. Hachiko’s faithfulness has inspired generations of Japanese people, and he is a national symbol of loyalty.

When Hachiko died on March 8th 1935, his body was found near the train station. A post mortem was conducted and they found that dirofilaria worms had infected his heart, Hachiko had suffered and died from heartworm. (more…)

From the Pet Clinic

Today we begin what I hope to be a series of articles on pet health. My associates and I consult for Canacreek.com and periodically review client cases as part of our normal duties. I would like to share the following, an actual case which we came across recently. Note: Names have been changed for privacy.

A client of ours called in to say she suspected her dog of having heartworm. Mrs. Jane spent her winters in Georgia with her dog Benny and uses Valuheart ^TM as her primary prophylactic against Dirofilaria immitis (canine heartworm). Mrs. Jane loves her pet Benny, and brings him everywhere with her.As soon as the weather hits 65F, she starts administering Valuheart ^TM monthly in an effort to protect him from infected mosquitoes that could potentially pass on the heartworm larvae. Mrs. Jane is careful to continue the meds through the summer until temperatures fall below 65F. So how did Benny contract Heartworm?

It turns out that Mrs. Jane had made a very common mistake. Fact is mosquitoes are active year-round in Georgia, and the South Eastern United States. Though there are less of them, they never the less remain active below temperatures of 65F. In (more…)

Veterinarians are taking their message to your television set: prevention is cheaper and better for your pet.

On a recent segment on the CBS Early Show, Dr. Sheldon Rubin, president of the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, emphasized the importance of preventative care in a down economy. He pointed out that the diseases and pests you keep your pet from catching mean much lower vet bills in future. But people tend to put off preventative care when the economy goes south, as shown in a decline int he number of vet visits in the United States, he said.

“for the cost of a weekly visit to Starbucks, you can provide flea, tick and heart worm protection for your pet. If you let that go, it can cost you thousands in the future,” Rubin said.