What Breed Is My Dog?

It has been estimated that there are over 400 breeds of dogs in the world, this does not include mixed breeds. In the past it has been almost impossible for mixed breed owners to know exactly which breed types make up their dog. This is only possible through DNA analysis as this is where the dog’s genetic information is stored.

What Breed Is My Dog? can now tell mixed breed owners which types of breed make up their canine companion. By knowing this information it will allow the owner to become more familiar with the dog’s genetics and can help owners to understand their behaviour. Breeds can suffer from genetic disorders, knowing the ancestry of the dog could give owners the knowledge to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

See below story from Tracey:
I am delighted to let you know that I have just received Axel’s breed results and while they are surprising, they are so very accurate.

The results state that Axel’s ancestry is primarily Staffordshire Bull Terrier with some Papillion and some Collie.

In fact Axel is a red & white Staffordshire bull terrier with huge erect ears, which is why everyone was so curious. When axel was younger he looked like any other Staffie pup, with perfectly normal ‘rose ears’ but after a couple of months they had grown totally out of proportion. This prompted much hilarity and many comments and arguments as to what secrets his ancestors held. I asked at my vets about DNA and they could not help, so I searched the Internet and found your email.

So now we know, his ears are from his Papillion ancestors. I read the breed descriptions and characteristics and I can see bits of all of them in Axel. He’s a real handful, exactly as his certificate warns; also I am alerted to any problems with his health. I have now added this photo to the certificate and am in the process of getting it framed.

News Story

I found this story and just had to write about it and share. A seven year old cat named Charlie who lives in Falkirk regularly climbs a 13ft wall unassisted!

The building that Charlie regularly climbs up the side of is made of roughcast and he starts by climbing this 13ft wall from the back of the house to get his owners balcony where he is then let in. Charlie’s cat friend on the other hand isn’t as brave and is happy to wait at the top for his over ambitious friend.

It is normal for cats to climb trees and walls but I’m sure you will agree that this cat is truly remarkable for climbing a 13ft wall. Most cats just have to walk up to their cat flaps where the flap reads their tag and lets them in but Charlie would rather have an adventure of his own before going home. Please feel free to share your remarkable cat stories.

Annoyed With Pet Smells In Your Home?

Annoyed With Pet Smells In Your Home?
Pet smells in the home can be a real problem, especially if you are expecting visitors.PetPlanet’s Micro-Airoma Air Freshener can eliminate this problem.

This new innovative product brought to you by PetPlanet is compact and sleek in its design and because the number of refills used per year can be manually programmed, it proves to be very cost effective. The fragrance intensity levels can be programmed to suit the room size and the LCD clock shows when the next spray is due to take place. There are 6 fragrances to choose from at £5.99 each, the starter pack includes the air freshener, 1 fragrance and batteries and is great value for money at just £34.99.

Information for Editors Petplanet.co.uk is the UK’s the most popular online pet store (source Hitwise) receives over 0.5 million visitors every month (source Google Analytics) and offers the widest range of pet products available online in the UK. Please note that high-resolution images of the products listed above are available on request. For Further Information, contact; Lianne Kelly on 01506 605 153 or lianne@petplanet.co.uk. Postal address: Pet Planet, 10 Lindsay Square, Deans Industrial Estate, Livingston, EH54 8RL. If you do not wish to receive press releases from Pet Planet, reply to this email with the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject heading. If you only wish to receive press releases on certain subjects, please respond with a brief description of your interests.

Follow The Bleep!

Follow The Bleep!

My black Labrador named Rebel is an extremely fast dog when he wants to be. There has been a couple of times where someone has came to visit me and he has sneaked out of the door and flew past the visitors before they get the chance to grab him. Most of the time he comes back straight away but there’s always the initial state of panic when you think,“where has he gone?” I used to take him down to the park after work and in the summer time it is perfect but in the winter it is quite dark and sometimes because of the colour of his coat I couldn’t see him.

This winter I am going to be organised and won’t panic as much as I have invested in a gadget called the Loc8tor where you can track your pet up to 400 feet away. This gadget won’t stop him bolting but it will allow me to determine where he is and all I need to do is follow the bleep to find him again. When using the Loc8tor at least I know if I am going in the same direction or not.

I’ve used it a couple of times now and it has worked perfectly for me, I’ve started using it on my car too when I park in a large car park as I had a terrible habit of forgetting where I had parked. I think this gadget is a very good safety measure to invest in.

Essential Information For The Flea & Tic Season

This time of year can be a real pain for our pets as it’s the season for fleas and tics. These creatures are more than just an irritation to pets as these parasites can cause skin allergies and other diseases.

Having the knowledge allows us to make informed choices to control the infestation and keep our pets protected.

There are different stages of the flea cycle, listed below:

1. The adult flea attaches itself to your pet
2. They will then lay eggs
3. As your pet moves around the eggs fall off your pets coat whether it be outside or in your home
4. The eggs hatch within 2-10 days and this is what is called the larval stage, the larvae will grow and moult
5. The final stage is known as the pupae stage, this is where the flea spends around 8-9 days growing inside their cocoon and will emerge when the time is right. This is also known as the indestructible stage where it is very difficult to get rid of them.

3 Simple Essential Steps To Take:

1. Protect your pet
2. Protect Your Home
3. Ensure clearance of any infestation by washing bedding and vacuuming regularly

Shocked By Realising The Importance of Bees

Shocked By Realising The Importance of Bees

After watching BBC Four’s ‘Who Killed The Honey Bee’ programme I was shocked to realise how important bees are to us. This programme was full of interesting facts and figures explaining how the UK Government have announced a £10 million initiative to investigate the decline of the worlds bees, butterflies and other insects. I find it amazing how easily everyone can get involved in saving bees, by planting flowers such as Lavender or Rosemary this can help encourage bees to your garden. Another necessity for bees is housing, you can add a Ceramic Bee Nester to your garden and this will give them a safe and dry place to rest. In the past I have always disliked bees because I was fearful of them but now that I actually know the facts and how we can do our bit to help by changing our behaviours I will indeed be doing my bit to save the bees and hope others will to.

Ensure Your Pets Have a Happy and Healthy Easter

We all know that chocolate isn’t good for pets but do we really appreciate and understand the risks involved?  I used to feed my two dogs chocolate all the time and never really knew the effects it can have up until now.  I’ve just recently found some carob easter eggs at PetPlanet.co.uk that contain no theobromine for dogs, puppies and cats.

                         

Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is poisonous to animals, as they cannot digest this at the same rate as humans can.  The darker the chocolate the more theobromine it contains, if pets consume chocolate the symptoms to look out for are vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and a slower heart rate these symptoms can progress to convulsions at a later stage.

 

It is also important to remember that over indulging pets can lead to obesity that has an impact on pets health causing straining of joints, diabetes, liver disease and heart disease.  Pets can have a happy and healthy Easter.

Can Orthopaedic Dog Beds Assist in Helping Our Pets?

Orthopaedic beds have been used by humans for years and have proven to help people with muscle aches, joint problems and arthritis. I was pleased to discover that now the same support is offered to pets. 

Research carried out at Glasgow’s University showed that 30% of cats over the age of eight could be suffering from arthritis. Previously it had been thought that cats didn’t suffer from this disease as they showed no symptoms but this research shows that it is more prevalent in cats than previously thought. According to Professor Stuart Carmichael of Glasgow University it has been estimated that 20% of all dogs also suffer from Osteoarthritis. In a report entitled ‘The Management Strategy for Osteoarthritis’ published in the April 2007 issue of the Veterinary Record, a special bed purchase was highlighted as a key proposition.

After a few hours of internet browsing I found some orthopaedic memory foam beds at PetPlanet.co.uk at affordable prices, they have been designed to assist pets with mobility problems, I’m hoping these will help pets over the UK including my black labrador Rebel who suffers on a daily basis from arthritis caused by hip dysplasia.

Dog Foods and Hip Dysplasia

I have had Rebel my black labrador since he was a puppy and we knew there was something wrong with his back legs from day one as they seemed to be a little bandy. As time went on he was diagnosed to have hip dysplasia and there was quite a large gap between the top of his leg and the joint, looking at the X ray it looked quite severe.

Rebel has been on glucosamine since he was 1, he is now 5 and I try to keep his weight down but being a labrador, loving his food and him being quite lazy hasn’t made this easy.

I have noticed over the last few months that his movement and energy varies. After observing this over the last few months I beleive that the foods I feed him have a lot to do with how well he can move. I always get my food from PetPlanet.co.uk and after feeding him on Burns Fish and Brown Rice he seemed to be moving around a lot more and have more energy. I have just recently started him on James Wellbeloved Light as I thought it may have been the fish oils in the Burns that has helped so thought if I put him on a fish flavour light food this may also work the same as Burns but also as it’s light keep his weight down. He has since lost weight and seems to be still moving around a bit more.

I know there are a lot of dogs all over with the same problem so thought I’d share some of my thoughts and if anyone there has any other thoughts or ideas please let me know.

Don’t Forget Your Dog This Christmas

I work at PetPlanet.co.uk and have two dogs named Rebel and Chico. I love Christmas as many people do as it’s a time for family and friends but with so much going on sometimes we forget our canine companions who are loyal to us the whole year round. This year I’m making sure I involve Rebel and Chico in the festive celebrations by buying them some interactive toys to help stimulate their minds and make them feel more involved.

Nina Ottosson toys are a great way to keep your dogs entertained and they are fun for both the owner and their dogs. Dogs like humans can sense when there is something going on and having lots of visitors and everyone rushing around can be unsettling for some dogs. I think it’s very important to keep your dog’s normal routine as much as possible during the festive celebrations and not to leave them alone for long periods of time, this way both you and your dog can have a very happy Christmas!