The vitamins and minerals a dog needs are necessary for many complex chemical processes in the body. They deliver nutrition from food, regulate and affect many of the thousands of nervous system processes. AAFCO-approved dog foods are formulated to contain all the right vitamins in the proper amount for your dog. Each vitamin plays many roles in maintaining healthy function. A few are listed her:

Biotin: Aids in enzymatic processes

Choline: Helps maintain the nervous system

Folic acid: Works with vitamin B12 and helps form red blood cells.

Vitamin A: Helps maintain vision, bone growth, tissue and reproductive processes

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Aids in normal growth, appetite and energy production

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Aids in growth

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Helps produce energy and metabolize protein

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Helps metabolize protein and form red blood cells

Vitamin B12: Helps synthesize DNA and aids intestinal function

Vitamin C: Helps form tissue, heal skin and maintain bones and teeth; may help support healthy joint function as well as immune function

Vitamin D: Helps use calcium and phosphorous to maintain bone and cartilage

Vitamin E: Important for muscle function and normal reproduction; protects muscle cells from damage due to oxidation in the body

Vitamin K: Facilitates proper blood clotting

Dogs also require some of the same minerals humans require. The following are the most important of these minerals:

Calcium

Magnesium

Phosphorous

Sulfur

Calcium and phosphorous work together to strengthen bone. Magnesium helps with cell action and nutrient metabolism. Sulfur helps the body synthesize protein and protects joints.

Dogs don’t just need these minerals, but in the correct amounts. For example, insufficient calcium can result in muscle, nerve, bone and blood problems, but excessive calcium can cause bones to grow too quickly and lead to future orthopedic disorders such as hip dysplasia.

Dogs also need trace minerals, such as:

Iron

Zinc

Copper

Cobalt

Selenium

Manganese

Iodine

Cobalt

Mineral requirements differ slightly for different dog breeds. Check with your veterinarian to be sure the food you have chosen has the correct nutritional profile for your individual dog.

Like the winners of the Miss America contest or the Nobel Prize, the pageantries and celebrations of the World’s Ugliest Dog did not end when he stepped off the stage.

The two-year-old Chihuahua-Shih Tzu mix named Peanut won the big trophy and the admiration of his peers at the Marin-Sonoma Fair in Petaluma, CA last week, but that was only the beginning of his journey.

Last night, Peanut and his owner Holly Chandler were guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel, who was familiar with the tough road that Peanut, a rescue dog and burn victim has traveled, wanted to make sure he could give the little dog an experience that he would not soon forget: a makeover.

Kimmel’s initial take on Peanut was that “he’s either the World’s Ugliest Dog or the World’s Prettiest Rat.”

In the montage, Peanut is put through all the essentials of a makeover: grooming, accessories and wardrobe. When Kimmel finally brings him on stage, dressed in a multicolored polka dot bowtie and his hair expertly combed, Peanut looks like a star.

Benjamin Franklin said it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This sentiment is especially relevant right now, as March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month. If you haven’t already, now is the time to review the potential poisons and toxins in your home, and make sure they are safely out of reach of your pets.

1. Food for Thought

Dogs can’t always dine on the same things people do. Make sure you keep the following foods away from your dog, as even the smallest taste might be dangerous:

Alcoholic beverages

Avocado

Chocolate

Coffee

Macadamia nuts

Onions

Raisins and grapes

Xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in sugarless gum)

Yeast

2. Prevent a Kitchen Nightmare

There are other things to consider keeping away from your pet besides food. Dish soap, degreasing products, dishwasher tablets and steel-wool cleaning pads can all pose a health risk to a nosy pup. Consider using cabinet locks to keep your clean-up supplies away from curious canines, or store them out of the kitchen in a place where you can keep them up and out of reach.

3. The Rx for Safety

Keep your medication in its original, safety top containers, and store it high out of reach of your pet — preferably in child- or pet-proofed cabinets. With regard to flea medication prescriptions: Don’t give your dog flea medication prescribed for a cat, as these meds are not interchangeable among species. Cat-specific medications may contain additives that can harm your dog. Check with your veterinarian about flea medications that can accommodate both cats and dogs.

4. Washing Woes

Similar to the kitchen, you’ll want to have a place to store your laundry supplies where they’ll be safely out of reach of your pet. Detergent, dryer sheets and stain removers are all potential poisons if your dog eats them.

5. The Sweet Scent of Safety

Fresh flowers can make your home look and smell beautiful, but sometimes, dogs just can’t help themselves to a nibble or two … or twelve. Lilies, poinsettias, oleander and daffodils are all potentially poisonous if ingested, so keep temptation at bay by nixing the table floral decorations.

6. Yard Matters

Poison safety doesn’t end once you step outside the house!

Landscape chemicals: Keep lawn and garden chemicals, such as fertilizer and weed killer, stored in a secure bin with a lid when you’re finished using them.

Garage chemicals: Bug spray, lighter fluid, gasoline, charcoal — if it’s in the garage or shed, it’s probably not suitable for your dog. The sweet smell and taste of anti-freeze is often enticing to most pets, but it can be fatal if ingested. Make it a habit to put all chemicals away before you leave the garage (in an out-of-the-way cabinet, if possible).

Trash: Invest in a tamper-proof garbage can that your pet can’t open. Trash bins are treasure (read: poison) troves for curious dogs. The potential for your dog to find and eat something he shouldn’t is too great with an unattended trash can.

Kimmel gave Peanut some sound advice: “I hope this doesn’t change who you are…it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

He looks beautiful, doesn’t he?

There isn’t much you can change about Peanut to make him into a different dog. A bowtie and combing doesn’t change much about the pain and suffering this friendly dog went through to get to where he is.

A makeover is a nice gift, but truthfully Peanut should be proud to be who he is. You do you, Peanut. We love you just the way you are.

Peanut and his human live in Greenville, South Carolina. They entered Peanut in the contest in order to raise awareness around the subject of animal abuse.

Early German breeders developed the German Shepherd Dog from herding and farm dogs. Today’s German Shepherd Dog embodies the versatility needed to excel at various careers like policing, tracking, drug sniffing, search and rescue, and assisting.

The GSD’s history traces to the 1890s, when German calvary officer Capt. Max von Stephanitz sought to perfect a superior herding dog from his native country. He admired intelligent, strong dogs and saw many superior traits in native herding breeds. Despite his search, however, he didn’t find one that embodied his ideals until he attended a dog show with a friend in 1899.

Known as the father of the breed, von Stephanitz spied a dog named Hektor Linksrhein who impressed him so much that he purchased him on the spot and formed Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV), of Society for the German Shepherd Dog, later that year. This milestone in the GSD’s history marked its entry into the purebred-dog arena.

Von Stephanitz renamed the dog Horand von Grafeth, and his seed became the genetic starting point for the breed we know today. Horand’s most celebrated son was Hektor v. Shwaben, who in turn sired Heinz v. Starkenburg and his little brothers Beowolf and Pilot. Each of these dogs produced offspring who became pillars in the development of the German Shepherd Dog. As president of the SV, von Stephanitz guided the German Shepherd breeding programs. He followed the credo that the GSD should be bred for utility and intelligence above all else.

The German Shepherd Dog breed made its debut in the United States in the early 1900s and got its biggest boost in popularity after World War I when GSDs served as messenger, rescue, sentry and personal guard dogs alongside servicemen. Big-screen superstars Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart also helped promote the breed as loyal family dogs and home guardians.

The American Kennel Club recognized the German Shepherd Dog in 1908 as part of the registry’s Herding Group. Though the dogs retain their shepherding heritage, German Shepherds are now predominantly used as service animals and family companions. GSDs consistently remain near the top of the AKC’s most-registered breeds, securing their spot as one of the country’s most admired dogs.

Dog neutering is a very popular practice in the United States. In doing so, people hope to avoid overpopulation or various unwanted behaviors. But is it a good choice for dogs, health-wise?

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine conducted a study with hopes of determining whether or not neutering is detrimental to canine health, and chose Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers as their subjects. The two breeds, which have been accepted worldwide as exemplary family pets and service dogs, are very similar in behavioral disposition, body size, and conformation, and were labeled as conducive to a comparative study.

Upon finishing data collection, which spanned 13 years of veterinary records, researchers made some somber conclusions:

“…The incidence rates of both joint disorders and cancers at various neuter ages were much more pronounced in Golden Retrievers than in Labrador Retrievers,” notes Benjamin Hart, DVM, Ph.D., a distinguished professor emeritus in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

The long-term effects mentioned included joint disorders like hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears, and cancers deemed “devastating”.

A connection was also found between early sterilization—before the animal is 6 months old—and the appearance of joint disorders. About 5 percent of intact Golden and Labrador Retrievers of both genders suffer from a joint disorder, the researchers determined. The rate in dogs sterilized before 6 months old jumped to 10 percent of Labs and 20 to 25 percent of Goldens.

The removal of hormone-producing organs during the first year of a dog’s life leaves the animals vulnerable to the delayed closure of long-bone growth plates, explains lead investigator Dr. Hart.

“We found in both breeds that neutering before the age of 6 months, which is common practice in the United States, significantly increased the occurrence of joint disorders, especially in the golden retrievers,” says Dr. Hart.

While neutering doubled joint disorders in Labradors, neutered Golden Retrievers saw their rate of joint disorder jump to four or five times that of Goldens that had not been neutered. Golden retrievers also saw a similar discrepancy in cancer rates, but with only female Goldens significantly affected. The study found that female Goldens that had been neutered had their risk of cancer rise three to four times that of non-neutered females.

The researchers did not take a stand on spaying and neutering, which is done to an estimated 83 percent of all U.S. dogs to control the pet population and prevent unwanted behaviors. Instead, they stated that the study served to measure the long-term health effects of sterilization and to educate breeders and dog owners who are deciding when, and if, to spay or neuter their animals.

Once a dog reaches the age of 10, he’s got an approximately 50 percent chance of developing some type of cancer. That’s not necessarily a death sentence, as certain cancers are more treatable or slower-growing than others. Breeds at high risk of cancer usually are vulnerable to different types of the disease.Have a question? Get an answer from a Vet now!

High-Risk Breeds

Approximately 60 percent of golden retrievers eventually succumb to cancer, according to the Wall Street Journal. Other breeds with high cancer risks include the boxer, rottweiler and the Bernese mountain dog. The latter breed runs a 50 percent risk of dying from histiocytosis, a type of cancer for which these big dogs are genetically predisposed. The flat-coated retriever, a close relative of the golden retriever, is another susceptible breed, as are cocker spaniels, English bulldogs and Boston terriers.

Medium-Risk Breeds

Many breeds have only a moderate risk of developing cancer, often of a specific type particular to that breed. Medium-risk breeds include the standard and miniature poodle, the standard and miniature schnauzer, the dachshund, the Brittany, the Jack Russell terrier, the Alaskan malamute, the bichon frise, the Pekingese, the shih tzu and the Weimaraner.

Low-Risk Breeds

In some breeds, cancer is a relative rarity. That doesn’t mean other potentially fatal diseases or conditions don’t affect them, but there is less likelihood of malignancy. These “lucky dogs” include the border collie, the Australian shepherd, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, the greyhound, the Havanese, the Maltese, the miniature pinscher and the Welsh corgi.

Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, often affects large breeds, although any dog can come down with the disease. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this rapidly spreading cancer usually isn’t good. Breeds most likely to develop bone cancer include the Saint Bernard, the Doberman pinscher, the Great Dane, the German shepherd, the Irish setter — and the golden retriever.

Risk Reduction

While it’s not possible to completely prevent cancer in your dog, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk. Spaying or neutering your dog eliminates or significantly reduces the likelihood of your pet developing mammary, uterine or testicular cancer. Check your dog for lumps on a weekly basis. Since oral carcinomas are common, inspect his mouth frequently for any lesions or bumps. If you find a lump or growth on your dog, schedule an appointment with your vet to have it checked out. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a difference in your dog’s longevity.

You see them everywhere: the “lost dog” signs stapled to telephone polls, the “missing pet” ads in the daily newspaper. The fact is, losing a pet — even just for a short period — happens to even the best of owners.

According to numbers from the ASPCA, approximately 36 percent of the 3.9 million dogs that enter animal care shelters in the United States enter as strays that were separated from their owners. That’s a lot of lost dogs!

Fortunately, technology exists to help you find your pet in the event that he ever becomes lost. Microchipping your dog, along with outfitting him with a collar and up-to-date ID tags, will go a very long way toward helping you reunite with your beloved pet.

Because microchipping is new to some people, and the technology hasn’t caught on everywhere, many people have questions when it comes to this topic. Here are some answers to the questions dog owners might have about microchipping.

1. What is a microchip?

A microchip is a small electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder — so tiny that it’s about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is inserted under your dog’s skin via a hypodermic needle and is activated by a scanner that is passed over the microchip. Once it’s activated, the microchip emits a radio frequency and displays information that can help recover your dog in the event that he becomes lost, including a registration number and the phone number for the registry of the particular brand of microchip.

2. Will a microchip hurt my dog or get lost in his body?

Getting a microchip inserted via a hypodermic needle feels pretty similar to any kind of injection — a quick pinch and it’s done. The microchip is inserted beneath the skin and begins to bond to the surrounding tissue within 24 hours, preventing it from moving, according to the Humane Society of the United States. There’s a small chance that the microchip can move slightly, but it won’t get lost in your dog’s body.

3. What kind of information does a microchip hold?

Microchips only contain identification numbers that are generated by the registry of the particular brand of chip.

4. Can a microchip replace a collar and ID tags?

No! Think of microchipping your dog as added protection. A collar and up-to-date ID tags are still a great bet for recovering your dog if your average person finds him wandering around, especially if that person doesn’t have access to or doesn’t know about microchips. Plus, like most technology, microchips aren’t foolproof. According to the HSUS, universal scanners can detect the presence of a microchip, but might not be able to read the information on it. And if an animal shelter volunteer or vet clinic staff doesn’t use the scanner properly, it might not detect the microchip.

5. Is there a central database that registers microchip information?

Not really. Each brand of microchip maintains its own database. Fortunately, though, microchip scanners display the name of the microchip’s manufacturer when the microchip is read.

To help users find out microchip information more easily, the American Animal Hospital Association launched the Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool in 2009. entering the microchip ID into the search bar, users can find out which manufacturer is associated with the ID, and can then contact the manufacturer to find out owner information. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the likelihood that an pet can’t be identified from his microchip is very low.

6. What happens to the information on my dog’s microchip if I move?

If you change addresses, you must contact the company that registers your dog’s microchip and update your information.

7. Where can I get my dog microchipped?

Most veterinary clinics provide microchipping services. Some pet-supply stores and animal shelters also provide microchipping events.

8. Are there any health concerns associated with microchips?

Some news reports have linked microchips with cancer; however, the AVMA states that the chance of a pet developing cancer because of a microchip is “very, very low.”

9. Will a microchip really help to recover my dog if he gets lost?

Yes! According to the AVMA, a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at shelters showed that dogs with microchips were returned to their owners over 52 percent of the time; dogs without microchips were only returned to their owners 21 percent of the time. Of the dogs that weren’t returned, most of the time it was because the owner information in the registry database was incorrect, or the chip was never registered. So if your dog is microchipped, be sure to register his information, and keep it current!

When you think about grooming a dog, you probably consider bathing him, brushing his coat, even cleaning those floppy ears, but its a good idea to give dogs a pedicure every few weeks as well. If youve never trimmed a dogs nails, ask for some help from a more experienced person, and keep these instructions nearby.

1: Stay Sharp

ThinkstockA few different tools are available to help you trim a dogs nails, including those that resemble miniature pliers and those with replaceable sliding guillotine blades. Use whichever model makes you and the animal most comfortable, but be sure to replace the blade frequently to make the job easier and prevent the dog from feeling any discomfort.

2: Pull Their Legs

Dogs are often pretty cooperative when it comes to having their nails trimmed, and those who were handled often as puppies are even more likely to comply. Still, you may need to work a little to keep the animal still. If youre working alone, have the dog sit or lie down on the floor or examining table, then trim the nails, one paw at a time.

3: Pull Their Legs, Part II

If youre grooming a larger dog or if the animal is apprehensive, have someone sit him down and hold out his paw, then get to work with the clippers. Have your helper scratch behind the dogs ears to reassure the animal and help move things along a little more quickly.

4: Take the Edge Off

Remember that you should only remove the very end of the dogs nails. You may be tempted to trim off all of the excess, but that would be a mistake. In dogs, the quickthe nerve endings and blood vessels inside the nailcontinue to grow as the nail grows. That means long nails must be trimmed bit by bit, over weeks or months, until the quick gradually recedes. Because its so difficult to see the quick in dogs with dark nails, youll need to look at the nail straight on (see diagram below)and keep trimming until you see a small dark circle. If you accidentally clip too far and the nail begins to bleed, apply pressure to the tip of the nail or dip the nail in a bit of styptic powder, then make sure the animal is kept inactive for a short time.

5: Thank Them Very Much

Give the dog a treat or a pat on the tummy to thank him for his cooperation, and things should go at least as well the next time around.