Do not confuse these two distinct breeds with their latter name "Retriever." Golden Retriever or Labrador, both are the most loved dog breeds throughout the US.

The basic difference between the two dogs lies in their temperament, skin coat, fur, life-span, and epidemiology.

Golden Retriever Or Labrador

Appearance

• Labradors have a sturdy built and well-defined body cuts.
• Golden Retriever looks more of the goofy kind. They are bigger than labs most of the time and their body is longer than a lab.

Coat

• Labs are double coated just as the Golden, but they have shorter fur (Hardly an inch long).
• Goldens have longer, lot more fur and a super fluffy tail.

Temperament

• Goldens are known to be eager to please their owner when compared to Labs who are mostly food/treat driven. They are very obedient and one of the easiest dogs to train.
• Labs are mostly couch potatoes - most of the time, all they worry or think of is food and treats.

Zoonoses or Zoonotic disease can be caused by a range of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Of 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans, 61% are zoonotic in nature.

Did You Know? Urban slums have the highest cases of zoonotic infection.

In the direct zoonosis, the disease is directly transmitted from animals to humans through media such as air (influenza) or through bites and saliva (rabies).

Prevention from Zoonosis

• Properly wash hands after tending to the cattle, pets, or other animals
• Properly wash fruits and vegetables before consuming.
• Prevent contamination of water sources
• Proper Pet vaccinations
• Avoid contact with the wild animal

Bulldog, also known as the British Bulldog or English Bulldog, is a medium-sized breed of dog. It is a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose. 

Here is an infographic highlighting the major health issues faced by Bulldogs.

April 6 is celebrated as the National Siamese Cat Day throughout the USA. Everyone loves Siamese Cats, and April is marked as a month to celebrate their existence in our life.

DID YOU KNOW? – Siamese Cats are the oldest domestic felines.

Although known for their pleasing look and class, Siamese cats make a great pet. They are one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat that became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19^th Century.

Few Facts about Siamese Cats

Origin

Siamese Cats originated in Thailand, then known as Siam. They were also described as being held in high esteem by royal families. It was believed that after death the soul of a family member enters the body of a Siamese.

700-year-old breed

There are depictions of Siamese cats in Thailand dating to the 14th and 18th centuries. They were favored as royal pets.

Presidential pets

A Thai diplomat gave President Rutherford B. Hayes's wife Lucy a Siamese cat named Siam in the late 1870s. Since then, cats have started occupying the White House.

They had crossed eyes and kinked tails

Siamese cats originally had crossed eyes and kinked tails, though these traits were eventually bred out of the breed.

According to one legend, a group of Siamese cats was tasked with guarding a golden, royal goblet. Performing their duties, the cats stared at the goblet with such intensity that their eyes crossed. And because they wrapped their tails around the goblet for extra security, their tails became permanently bent.

15-pound fat cats

The average male Siamese weighs in between 11 and 15 pounds, and the average female weighs in between 8 and 12 pounds.

They're movie stars

They are movie stars too. Siamese cats have appeared in films including "The Incredible Journey" and "Lady and the Tramp"

Intelligent and Outgoing

Siamese cats are known to be very intelligent, talkative, and affectionate. The Siamese is not an aloof breed, but one that demands its owner attention and affection.

March 23 is celebrated as the National Puppy Day through the U.S. Puppies are probably the most adorable animals on Earth. Thanks to their undying charm, innocent eyes, and timid limbs, they manage to capture our affection.

National Puppy Day is all about raising adoption awareness. Tons of homeless puppies land in the shelter every year. They are basically stuck in the rescue center throughout their life until they are adopted or euthanized.

National Puppy Day was founded in 2006 by Celebrity Pet & Home Lifestyle Expert and Author, Colleen Paige, who is also the founder of National Dog Day and National Cat Day (among many others).

The benefits of adopting a Puppy

a. Cheaper to Adopt

It's cheaper to adopt a pet than to buy one. Almost 6.5 million pets enter animal shelters every year. Each year 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized, simply because there isn’t enough space for new pets that land up in the shelter.

It costs lesser to adopt a pet than buying a new one from the pet-farm or Puppy mills. Adopt a pet from your local shelter or rescue. There are more than just dogs and cats that need homes, pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, and farm animals need homes too.

b. Prevent Puppy Mill

It helps to prevent puppy mills from producing pets meant for commercial selling. Pet farms are the breeding center of pets that put profit above the welfare of dogs. The pets in farms are generally poorly housed and ill-fed. Most animals from puppy mill land up in the shelter when they aren’t brought by anyone.

c. Awareness about Animal Rights

Adopting a pet raises the concern for shelter animals. People who aren’t aware of shelter animal will learn about them. Those who are unaware about the ill-treatment of animals will learn about the issues faced by innocent animals. This helps to place a new law or legislation for animal rights.

d. Happy Time

You get to spend lots of time playing and cuddling with a puppy. The recent scientific study revealed that spending time with your favorite pet helps to reduce stress and depression. Most old-age homes have started adopting pets to spend time with their elder members.

How to Celebrate National Puppy Day?

• Adopt a puppy from your local shelter, rescue or pure breed rescue organization.
• Are you prepared for puppy parenting? Start off on the right paw! Hire a professional that can help you.
• Donate money, food, and toys to your local shelter.
• Organize a peaceful demonstration in front of your community pet store that sells puppies.
• Write your Congressman and ask that he/she support the ban of Puppy Mills in your state.
• Assist an ill or elderly neighbor by walking their puppy.
• Have a puppy party and invite all your friends and their puppies!
• Join a fun, dog-friendly community online and post pics of your puppy for the world to ooh and ahh over!
• Host a community event to raise money for your local animal shelter.
• Volunteer at your local shelter and offer to walk a puppy or play with a puppy, clean cages or anything else they need help with.
• Have a portrait painted of your puppy to suspend the fleeting magic of puppydom.
• Buy your puppy a fun, new puppy toy.
• Give your puppy some fun exercise by taking him or her to puppy daycare.
• Brush your puppy to eliminate excess fur.
• Give your puppy a massage or holistic spa treatment.
• Get your puppy some leash training lessons.
• Buy your puppy a cute new outfit or fashionable collar and leash.
• Have a tee shirt made with your puppy's photo on it.
• Take your puppy to the beach.

It’s hard to believe but you have to believe it anyway. March 3rd is celebrated as "If Pets Had Thumbs Day."

The thumb in humans and apes serve a great function. It rotates at the carpometacarpal joint, and it is, therefore, opposable to the other fingers and may be used in combination with them to pick up small objects. It helps in stronger grip and precision grip which is practically impossible for other animals.

Many of our pets manage to get into all kinds of trouble without a thumb, so we’d like to imagine what could happen if pets had a thumb. Maybe they would rule over the world.

Things Pets could do with Thumbs

Hitchhike

Imagine your pets standing at the side of the road with their hands stretched and thumbs up in the air stopping the car. This can be possible if they had a thumb. Pets can be very mischief at times, hence, hitchhiking to their favorite spot won’t be impossible.

Give a Thumbs up

What if your pet could approve you all the time? That can be possible if they had a thumb, It would be nice if they could give a little back. How great would it be if they could give us positive affirmations? Somehow, the idea of your pet giving you a "thumbs up" seems really awesome.

Thumb wrestle

How great is the idea to thumb-wrestle with your favorite pal at home? Kids love thumb-wrestling. The only thing preventing pets from thumb-wresting is that they don’t have a thumb. If they had one, it would be awesome to thumb-wrestle with them all the time.

Open the Fish Can

Cats love eating fish. They can devour the entire can of sardine or tuna if they find an open can. Imagine if they had a thumb, wouldn’t they just open their favorite can of food and finish it all up before their human companion showed up?

Texting

Texting is our favorite time-pass activity. Would your cat or dog just love to text their mates whenever they are sitting idle? Although having thumbs sounds like an exaggerated idea, it would be cool for pets to pick up the phone and text. Do you think your pet would text you all the time?

Open the Refrigerator

Speaking of food, why limit the choices to canned food only? Your pet would always want to open up the refrigerator and munch on their favorite meals all the time. Kitties would be screwing off the lid to the milk jug and your dog will be feasting on the steak almost all the time!

It’s quite common for animals to ingest chemicals sprayed all over the fields. Most fertilizers contain varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (potash) as indicated by the three numbers on the packaging (i.e., 30-10-10 or 10:0:40).

Homeowners often use fertilizers during spring and fall to sprawl up their lawn. The fertilizer comes in two types; granular and water-based. These are sprayed over the plants. The chemical residue on plant’s leaves and hangs and soil can remain active for a while.

As a responsible homeowner, you should prevent your pets from wandering around the lawn for 72 hours or 3 days before the chemicals subside.

Most fertilizers contain insecticide used specifically to kill germs, insects, and pests.

Signs of Fertilizer Poisoning

• Drooling
• Nausea
• Vomiting (acute or delayed onset)
• Diarrhea
• Abnormal posture due to abdominal pain
• “Muddy” colored gums
• Severe lethargy/collapse
• Excessive tearing
• Urination
• Abnormal heart rates
• Difficulty breathing (due to bronchoconstriction)
• Tremors
• Seizures
• Death

How to Prevent Pet Poisoning

Keep Fertilizer Bags out of reach

An open bag of fertilizer will warmly welcome pets to nibble or taste. The direct consumption of fertilizer can cause seizure, trauma, or even death. As a responsible homeowner, you should keep the harmful substance from out of the reach of your pets. The safety of their life can only be ensured by you.

Do not allow pets into the lawn

After spraying the fertilizer into your lawn, leave it for rest for at least 72 hours before you allow pets and family member to step into the lawn. The leaves and soil still consist of the chemical residue which can be harmful if ingested by pets or children. Although mild, the effects of the chemical can be troublesome.

Properly wash your hand before touching your pet

It’s important that you properly wash your hand before touching or grooming your pet after dealing with fertilizer. Most foreign agents or enzymes enter your pet’s skin through touch. Your pets may easily inhale or lick the chemical residue off your hand.

Use hazard-free fertilizer

There are much bio-degradable and non-hazard fertilizer available for sprawling the lawn. Care to buy the bag with least hazard. This can be beneficial for your health, your pet’s health, the quality of soil, and the surrounding environment.

Remove debris and dead pests

After spraying the fertilizer, you should check if there are any dead pests, chemical residue, or debris left open. These are mostly digestible and your pet may find it fascinating enough to nibble or eat altogether.

Heartworm is one of the common heart diseases among most dogs. Known as Dirofilaria Immitis, the heartworm or dog heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that looks like a small threadlike creature.

It spreads from the bite of an infected mosquito. There is no simple way to tell if the mosquito is infected, hence, every dog must be prevented from heartworm.

American Heartworm Society (AHS) reported that the case of heartworm in Dogs has increased by 21 percent in recent years. Almost 200 dogs get infected each year.

Stage of Metamorphosis

It generally takes about seven months for larvae, once it is inside a host, to mature into adult heartworm. They then lodge themselves into the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels and begin reproducing. Adult heartworms can grow up to 12 inches in length and can live 5-7 years. A dog can be infected with as many as 250 worms in its system.

Although it affects the heart, the adult parasites often reside in the pulmonary arterial system (lung arteries).

7 Symptoms of Heartworm in Dogs

Some of the common symptoms of heartworm disease are as follows;

• A soft and dry cough
• Inactivity or lethargy
• Weight loss or anorexia
• Rapid or difficult breathing
• Bulging chest
• Allergic reaction
• Collapse

The best thing is that it can be treated successfully with safe treatments available in most veterinary centers and pet hospitals.

How to Prevent Heartworm Disease in Dogs

The heartworm in Dogs can be prevented with monthly chewable tablets. The drugs approved for use in the US are Ivermectin (sold under the brand names Heartgard, Iverhart, and several other generic versions), Milbemycin (Interceptor Flavor Tabs and Sentinel Flavor Tabs), and Moxidectin (ProHeart) administered as pills or chewable tablets.

The preventive measures are recommended year-around in the regions with higher temperature. Annual heartworm testing is highly recommended for pet owners who choose to use minimal dosing schedules.

Spring and Summer are probably the best seasons for any pet to go outdoors and play. Hiding inside the bush, rolling on the grass, and trotting along the park are few of the popular activities of dogs. Although, the seasons are popular for their hue and beauty, they also serve as the beginning of the arrival of many unwanted guests –Flea & Tick.

The soft, warm fur of your pets provide the safest environment for fleas and ticks to breed. These parasites feed on your pet’s blood and can cause health problems ranging from allergic reactions to serious tick-borne illnesses.

Female fleas can lay 40 to 50 eggs a day. That can lead to an infestation in days.

Fleas and ticks are more common during the warmer months that may last until the winter. The infected pets can spread illness to their human counterparts as well.

Signs of Flea & Ticks Infestation

• Flea droppings, which look like dark specks, in the fur
• Flea eggs, which look like white specks, in the fur
• Excessive licking or scratching
• Scabs or hot spots on the skin

Flea & Ticks Complications

• Flea or Ticks infection can lead to significant blood loss or anemia over time.
• The lack of red blood cells can be life-threatening for young dogs and cats.
• Ticks also carry diseases, such as Lyme disease (a bacterial infection).

How to Remove Fleas & Ticks

• Use gloves or tissue to cover your hands.
• Grasp the tick with tweezers from the side, by its head, close to the skin.
• Pull straight up. Don't twist.
• Don't squeeze (or pop!) the bloated belly.

Flea & Tick Prevention

Flea & Tick Shampoo

Flea and tick shampoo is mainly useful for killing the parasites present on your pets. It doesn’t work as well to prevent fleas and ticks. You can buy the shampoo without a prescription, but follow the directions carefully. While applying the shampoo, you need to cover the animal’s entire body and wait 10 minutes before rinsing.

Collars

Flea collars can be useful to ward off fleas and ticks, however, puppies and kittens may need flea collars with a lower dose of chemicals. Wash your hands with soap and water after you handle it.

Tablets

Some oral tablets can be useful to prevent flea and tick infection. One type is a quick fix that kills adult fleas within 30 minutes. You can consider giving it to your pet daily. Other medications can keep flea eggs from hatching. Some flea medications need a prescription. Also, there are dogs-only oral products that kills fleas and ticks. Check with your vet to see which treatment is right for your pet.

Skin Treatments

Most skin treatments consist of creams that can be applied on pet’s skin. You put these treatments on your dog or cat’s back. They work well for a month. Some kill fleas and ticks as well.

Be careful and take precaution while taking your pets out of the house.

Making your home hygienic and safe is critical to avoiding pet poisoning because more than 90% of poisonings occur at home. Pets have a habit of nibbling on leftover, scavenging the dust bin, and ingesting pills on the floor.

Basic Food that causes Pet Poisoning

Many foods commonly found in the kitchen are toxic to our pets. Avoid giving your pets a taste of the following:

• Chocolate
• Xylitol (sugar-free gum/peanut butter)
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Alcohol
• Yeast dough
• Caffeine
• Onions
• Macadamias
• Mushrooms

43% of pet-poison call was made for dogs that ingested over-the-counter-drugs, and 16% of calls were for dogs that helped themselves to foods that are safe for humans, but poisonous for dogs.

The overdose of dietary supplement and vitamins were another cause for pet poisoning.

Although it’s hard to determine the poisoning, you must look out for these signs to provide immediate medical treatment.

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Lethargy
• Drooling
• Twitching
• Tremors
• Seizure

Some of the other major pet poisoning problems are;

a. Irregular Heartbeats from Dog Poisoning

Ingestion of items such as jimson weed, kalanchoe, milkweed, mountain laurel, and oleander can cause an irregular heartbeat.

b. Kidney Failure from Poisoning

Antifreeze poisoning can cause your dog kidney failure and the inability to produce urine. Plants can also cause kidney damage. House plants such as dieffenbachia, Easter lily, caladium, pigweed, and philodendron can cause antifreeze poisoning that can lead to pet’s kidney damage.

c. Liver Damage from Dog Poisoning

Eating medications like acetaminophen and plants such as tansy ragwort or rattlebox can cause liver damage in pets.

d. Loss of Blood from Dog Poisoning

Ingesting rat or mouse poison can cause loss of blood from the stool. Eating onion, garlic, sweet clover, or bracken fern could also lead to anemia.

e. Neurological Symptoms from Dog Poisoning

Accidentally eating antidepressants, alcohol, aspirin, drain cleaners, dishwasher soap, gasoline, marijuana, flea repellents, tobacco, furniture polish, and strychnine can lead to severe neurological ailments in pets. The seizure is a common problem created by poisoning. Bite from breeds of snakes, spiders, toads, and frogs can cause the seizure.

How to Prevent Pet Poisoning

1. Keep Cabinets and Doors Locked

You must consider keeping your kitchen and bathroom cabinets closed all the time. The shelf which are in pets reach should be locked, so they can’t open it. Do not throw unused or expired medications in the garbage can.

2. Be Aware of Poisonous Household Products

Most household products such as lotions, creams, perfume, and house plants can cause fatal poisoning in pets. You should determine what things can be poisonous to your pets and consider keeping them away.

3. Stay Informed

Be mindful of the types of products, food, and plants you bring into your home. Also, keep the number of emergency services and veterinary care in reach. It is essential to have the local poison control phone number accessible and added to your mobile phone’s contact list. Better yet, download an app!

Always be careful when it comes to the life of your pet! Keeping in mind the safety first is important to ensure their health and wellness.