#dog psa

[canidcrazy]

Merle patterning and its associated health issues

alright, let's start with a quick definition

“also know as dapple, merle is characterized by irregular blotches of fur set on a lighter background of the same pigment, such as solid black on gray (called blue merle) or solid brown on tan (red merle).” -American Kennel Club

Merle is a dominant color gene meaning it (almost) always presents itself phenotypically when apart of the dogs genotype even when it is a heterozygous gene. merle is a very popular and desirable color and because of this is often sold by breeders for a higher price, though an ethical breeder shouldn't be charging more for a certain color.

if a merle (Mm) and a non merle (mm) are bred together there is a 50% chance each pup will be merle. if you breed two merle's (Mm) together that chance raises to 75% but, you run the risk of producing a double merle (MM) which have a heightened chance of health issues

The most common health risk with merle dogs is deafness, even single merles (Mm) have an increased likelihood of these issues. Double merles (MM) are at a even higher risk for deafness, one study finding 85% of MM dogs were bilaterally deaf.

On top of the deafness MM dogs often have very small and often non-functional eyes (microphthalmia).

double merle's can occur for a few different reasons

1. in feral/stray populations dogs will be breeding and obviously they don't understand that how genetics works so two merle's can mate producing a double merle. though it's unlikely and deaf and blind dog will survive long without human intervention

2. similar to option one is ignorance on the owners part! it may be an uneducated breeder or an oops-litter but an owner who doesn't understand or know about the dangers of double merle's make accidentally create one.

3. greed! though many double merle's are born infertile if you were to get a double merle bitch (MM) who is able to produce pups and bred her to a regular sire (mm) you would have a litter of all single merle puppies (Mm) which as previously mentioned can be sold for more.

over all, merle dogs are very pretty but you should be aware of the risks this coloring can have especially in double merle's.

thank you for coming to my autism rant, have a good day

[kcvulpinestudios]

I made this PSA due to the amount of fireworks going off by now. As a dog owner, I’m concern with it due to how stressful it could be for my dog. So this is the appropriate message to share at this time of the year.

[mandana-the-service-pup]

Damn the fine print.

I think I’m going to cancel her MRI appointment. As much as I would like to get answers, I can’t run the risk with how our pet insurance is set up.

1. There is an exception for intervertebral disc “conditions” (Not just IVDD. They could mean any number of problems) It’s not covered if it occurred at any point prior to starting the insurance. Unfortunately, the nature of those conditions means they can argue it is almost always preexisting.

2. If she’s deemed “healthy” by the MRI then we might fall into another trap which says testing done on healthy dogs isn’t covered.

3. The way this (and most other) pet insurance works is if a claim is denied then any future claims connected to it are also denied. I was going into this hopeful that the back pain has already been approved so the MRI should be included in that BUT if we get the MRI results and the claim is denied then all things back-related and potentially even things like future arthritis, etc will forever be denied (they like to say things are “side effects” of the denied condition)

So as of now she has been checked by a Neurologist & Orthopedic Surgeon and they both agree she is fine. The Neurologist would like to rule out things that could be causing back pain but Librela is managing her pain so well and costs $100-$200/month. I can’t risk the MRI being denied AND ruining our ability to manage pain & future issues.

[canidcrazy]

this is called cobbing‼️

dogs and wolves will use their little front teeth to groom one another. this is believed to be something done mutually instead of a way to assert dominance

biting your forehead friday

[spicymancer]

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Dog Girl

[jenny-jinya]

TW: Animal Death / Death

Senior pets have a hard time getting adopted. The likelihood of adoption is only 25% compared to 60% for a younger dog. Unfortunately, this is often due to prejudice. I want to raise awareness with this comic (and also get back to my roots, which I haven't really managed to do yet). But I want to start uploading more regularly again. Thank you for your patience so far.

[sableeira]

And Dazai is like: omg how did he figure it out?!?!?!?

[mandana-the-service-pup]

Highly recommend having your dog on a tick preventative pill PLUS using a spray like Wondercide when you go out. The pill will kill the ticks when they feed but by that time they have already been brought into your car and house. We haven’t had any problems with ticks since keeping a bottle of Wondercide in the car and spraying us both down before going on walks.

I'm trying to write a post about tick safety and avoiding tick bites, but a lot of the info on websites is like "Avoid going in the woods, in plants, and where there are wild animals" and "Activities like hiking and gardening can put you at risk" and I'm like thanks! This is worthless!

As ticks and tick borne illnesses are expanding their range, I think it's important for people to be educated about these things, and I think it's especially important to give people actual advice on how to protect themselves instead of telling them to just...avoid the natural world

Rough draft version of Tick Advice:

Ticks don't jump down on you from trees, they get on you when you brush against grass, brush, bushes etc.

Ticks get brought to an area when they get done feeding from an animal and fall off them. In the USA, the main tick-bringing animal is deer, but I've seen plenty ticks on feral cats and songbirds.

Ticks get killed when they dry out so drier areas with more sunlight are less favorable to ticks.

The above is useful for figuring out whether an area is likely to have lots of ticks, and how vigilant you have to be in that area.

Wear light-colored, long pants outside. Tuck your pants into your socks, and tuck your shirt into the waist of your pants. Invest in light, breathable fabrics idc

IMMEDIATELY change out of your outside clothes when you come back from a tick-prone area, wash them, and dry them on high heat to kill any ticks that might be stuck on.

Shower and check yourself for ticks after coming inside. Hair, armpits, and nether regions in particular. You can use a handheld mirror or rely on touch; an attached tick will feel like a bump kinda like a scab

While you're outside, you can just periodically check for ticks by running your hands down your legs and checking visually to see if anything is crawling on your clothes. Light colors make them easy to spot, and they don't move fast.

Combing through each others' hair to check for creepy crawly critters is a time-honored primate ritual and is not weird. When hiking, bring a friend who will have your back when you feel something on your neck and need to know if it's sweat or a tick

If you're careful, you can usually catch ticks before they bite you, but if one does bite you, it's not the end of the world. Since tickborne diseases are different regionally i suspect this advice will differ based on where you are, but the important thing is remove the tick with tweezers (DON'T use butter, a lit match, or anything that kills the tick while it's still attached, please) and contact a doctor to see what to watch for. Most illnesses you can catch from ticks are easily treatable if you recognize them when symptoms first appear

[great-and-small]

This is going to sound like common sense to a lot of people but I’m still going to say it because I meet plenty of folks that don’t know- there is a wrong way to pick up your dog. People who don’t have much experience around dogs tend to want to pick them up under the arms like you would a baby, like this

But we humans are primates, with well developed and flexible shoulders built for swinging through trees. Our arms have remarkable range of motion. Dogs are not built the same way, and lifting them this way under the forelimbs (by the “armpits”) is really uncomfortable for them. But you see it all the time! Just looking up “person holding dog” will bring up tons of photos of people using the inappropriate hold

I had a dog owner bring her newly adopted dog in for yelping whenever he was picked up, and when she showed me that was how she was lifting him, it was clear it was just hurting his shoulders by being picked up this way.

When picking up a dog from the ground, it is much better to support them under the chest and lift them from underneath. A proper hold will distribute the dog’s weight, instead of putting pressure on the shoulders.

[marlynnofmany]

If you're beating yourself up about not being as productive as you used to be, it might help to know that burnout is brain damage that needs to heal.

This isn't a moral failing on your part. This is an injury, caused by prolonged stress.

Or course you can't run as fast on a fractured ankle. Take a rest; rent a scooter if you have to. But don't hurt yourself worse.

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

since new year is around the corner, here’s a very important reminder to be mindful and considerate when it comes to fireworks because hundreds of animals, especially strays, sadly lose their lives every year due to the fear and anxiety they endure. hundreds of pets got so terrified they ran away from homes.

please make sure your pets are safe. please make sure to think about stray animals who don’t have homes to take shelter.

please think about them too.

*I’m obviously not saying you can’t celebrate new years or that fireworks should be banned. I’m only asking for all of us to be considerate of animals who experience fear so intense their hearts literally stop; a celebration should not cause innocent animals’ lives, fireworks are not worth the lives of innocent animals. so please be considerate and think about them too.

[greenevergreens]

I agree 100% but for a very different reason (not that I necessarily disagree with your reasoning, just that my reason for agreeing is different than the one you give), dogs that aren't service dogs often put service dogs (and either directly or indirectly, their owner/handler) at risk. If a non-service dog (which includes emotional support dogs, your dog isn't special because you fell for a scam) decides to jump at, bark at, or try to distract a service dog, it can literally cause a serious health episode if not death, if the dog isn't paying attention to alert their handler of an upcoming health event.

That's not even mentioning if the non-service dog attacks a service dog, it's not uncommon to have to retire that service dog. Meaning that now, while that service dog may still be able to alert and help at home, it can't often be taken out and about because any run in with another dog, will or can cause it to be unable to focus on it's job as a service dog.

So now this disabled person is once again house-bound, they have to spend the YEAR/S to train their service dog to their specific needs, the hundreds to THOUSANDS of dollars to get a service dog, all while being stuck at home, or risking their heath by going without a proper service dog.

Unless a dog is an actual service dog, for the health and safety of everyone, and ESPECIALLY disabled people, keep your dog inside or in specific spaces meant for dogs.

Also people with allergies to dogs exist, they should be able to exist in public without having to deal with allergies all because you couldn't handle leaving Fido alone for a few hours.

Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, I have a dog myself, but my love for dogs doesn't supersede my love & compassion for other people who are just trying to go about their day.

I hate hate hate hate how dog friendly everything is in the city now. Barring medical necessity, there is no reason to bring your dog to a restaurant, there is no reason to bring your dog to the grocery store, there is no reason to bring your dog to the nail salon. Dogs do not need to go everywhere you go why am I being forced to be around dogs all the time

[ireadwithmyears]

Going up to a guide dog user and saying, to their dog, something along the lines of “your mommy doesn’t let me pet you. I know, it’s so unfair,” in a baby voice is first of all counterproductive, because that’s just as distracting for the dog as petting them would be, and second of all, is actually really casually guilt trippy and I don’t like it

[mandana-the-service-pup]

🐾 🏖️ Sunday Swim 🏖️🐾

Ball Safety: When dogs pant their throats visibly expand (pictured above). Balls that normally wouldn’t be an issue can get lodged when panting. Mandana found this ball and we allowed her to play with it a little but when she started to pant harder we exchanged it for our Ruffwear Gnawt-A-Stick. There is a technique for removing balls from a dogs throat that everyone should learn but it isn’t a guarantee. This kind of accident is mostly preventable so choose your toys wisely & monitor play time 😊

[satanfemme]

nothing makes me as irrationally angry as seeing Incorrect dog opinions online 🙃

ur reactionary thought processes & poor understanding of animal behavior are showing

[booksandbrainsandsoftthings]

A fresh new infomercial brought to you by a raging Chad at my State Fair this afternoon!

1) In the US, service animals may legally be worked off leash if the leash interferes with the dog's tasks, or the handlers disability. The dog must remain under complete handler control

2) The only people legally allowed to question the legitimacy of service dogs are employees/staff/owners of businesses/venues/events. They may ask and expect answers to the 2 ADA questions. Random other patrons are not owed answers by handlers.

3) There is no specific gear required to determine the legitimacy of a SD team. Amazon vests, leash wraps, fully custom gear, vest provided by organizations, and unlabeled service dogs can all be legitimate teams under US law.

4) Accusing a service dog team you've never seen before of being fake is incredibly insulting and rude. Do not do this. People who do this are assholes.

5) If you are not familiar with service dog laws, do more research before you speak to teams about legalities and their legitimacy in public. Ada.gov is free and has an FAQ section that answers a LOT of the basic SD inquiries.