November Marks 6th Annual National Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Dog News, Dogs & Puppies, Health & Wellness No Responses »
Nov 042010

Nation’s Largest Pet Insurer Teams With Animal Cancer Foundation in Fight Against One of the Most Common and Costly Pet Health Conditions

BREA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2010 (via PRNewswire) — Every year in the United States, millions of pets are diagnosed with and treated for cancer. For the sixth year in a row, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, seeks to increase awareness about the prevalence, detection, and treatment of pet cancer by designating November as Pet Cancer Awareness Month. To raise funds for pet cancer research, VPI has once again partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF) and organized the Long Beach K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010.

VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 because cancer diagnoses often catch pet owners by surprise. Many do not know their pets can develop cancer, and others simply underestimate the cost of treating cancer in their pet. Below are the 10 most common pet cancers by claims received at VPI between 2003 and 2009:

Lymphosarcoma

34,457

Mast Cell Tumor

19,249

Bone Cancer

10,120

Cancer of the Eyelid

7,696

Cancer of the Spleen

7,283

Liver Cancer

6,198

Fibrosarcoma (which stem from connective tissues)

5,542

Cancer of the Thorax

5,289

Oral Cancer

4,362

Hemangiopericytoma (a tumor generally arising on a limb)

4,351

Treating these pet cancers can be a heavy burden. Between 2003 and 2009, VPI policyholders spent more than $51.2 million treating just these 10 most common cancerous conditions. The most expensive form of cancer, bone cancer, cost policyholders an average of $2,304 per claim. To ensure that VPI policyholders are able to pursue optimal cancer treatment, VPI’s medical policies include benefits for the diagnosis and treatment of cancerous conditions, including chemotherapy and radiation treatment, if required.

To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet’s appetite or weight, unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise. Further detection tips and information on Pet Cancer Awareness Month as well as registration information for the Long Beach K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk can be found by visiting www.petinsurance.com/cancer. For more information on the Animal Cancer Foundation, please visit www.acfoundation.org.

Note to editors: VPI can provide state-specific cancer data and arrange interviews with pet owners whose pets have survived cancer or are currently receiving treatment for cancer.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

With more than 485,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet CareGuard® for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit www.petinsurance.com.

SOURCE Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.

Posted by DogToys.com at 9:11 am Tagged with: ,

Provincetown, MA Is America's Most Dog Friendly City

Dog News, Dogs & Puppies No Responses »
Nov 032010

IRVINE, Calif., July 12 (via PRNewswire) — Dog Fancy, the world’s most widely read dog magazine, has named Provincetown, Mass., the winner of the 2010 DogTown USA competition, saluting it as America’s most dog-friendly city.

This year’s contest, sponsored by WAHL® Clipper Corp., named the Top 40 dog-friendly cities across the U.S. in honor of Dog Fancy’s 40th anniversary celebration. The criteria used to select the winning city include plenty of dog-friendly open spaces and dog parks, events celebrating dogs and their owners, ample veterinary care, abundant pet supply and other services, and municipal laws that support and protect all pets.

“All dog owners know of a few local shops or restaurants that allow dogs, but it is remarkable to have an entire town where virtually every establishment opens its doors to dogs – even the bank,” says Ernie Slone, Dog Fancy editor. “Where else can you take your dog along for a whale-watching or sunset cruise, walk miles of off-leash scenic beaches year-round and enjoy one of the nation’s finest dog parks? Provincetown nearly swept our major awards this year, with its Pilgrim Bark Park finishing at No. 2 in our national ratings of dog parks.”

Rounding out the top 10 cities are:

  • Carmel, Calif.
  • Madison, Wis.
  • Benicia, Calif.
  • Fort Bragg, Calif.
  • Lincoln City, Ore.
  • San Diego, Calif.
  • Virginia Beach, Va.
  • Sioux Falls, S.D.
  • Salem, Ore.
Posted by DogToys.com at 1:11 pm Tagged with: , ,

Happy Halloween

Dog News, Dogs & Puppies, Health & Wellness No Responses »
Oct 292010

Happy Halloween everybody! We hope you and your pets have a wonderful and safe Halloween weekend.

Here are a few safety tips to make your weekend safe:

Not all dogs like costumes. Don’t force your pet to wear one if you see them starting to stress over getting dressed up. (Some dogs put up with them long enough for photos like our friend Buttons.)

Keep the candy out of reach. Sweets are for people not pets. Chocolate or sugar-free candies could kill a dog.

Watch out for pranksters and trouble makers. Animals are often their targets.

Keep those doors closed and ID tags on your dog at all times. Better safe then sorry!

For more helpful tips (& from a dogs point of view) check out PrestonSpeaks.com.

Posted by DogToys.com at 12:44 pm Tagged with: , , ,

National Pet Fire Safety Day

Dog News No Responses »
Jul 152010

Today is National Pet Fire Safety Day. Started by the AKC and ADT Security Systems to make people aware that nearly 500,000 pets are affected by fires every year. That is a staggering number.

Here comes the truly amazing number, nearly 1000 fires are accidentally start by the family pet! There are plenty of things you can do to pet proof your home fire accidents. Check out the AKC’s website for their checklist. The one thing that really struck us was the glass water bowls on the decks and how they can act just like a magnifying glass starting a fire with the sun’s rays.

Most importantly on this fire safety day we want everyone to know that rescue workers will search for your pets if you have a Pet Alert on your windows, but you have to keep them up to date so they know what type and how many pets they are rescuing in the event on a fire. Also should you no longer have a pet you always want to remove the decals from your windows so you don’t waste their time either.

Additional Reading

Posted by DogToys.com at 9:23 am Tagged with: , ,

Our Brownie Girl is Gone

Dog News, Dogs & Puppies, Site News 150 Responses »
Jul 142010

Words can not express how thankful I am that God created this little gift – just for me. ~ Jill Gizzio

Posted by DogToys.com at 12:16 pm Tagged with: ,

Toy Donations

Dog News, Dogs & Puppies, Site News No Responses »
Jun 142010

This month we sent out a bunch of toys to many well deserving dogs in shelters and rescues across the country.

Please help save lives and adopt your next dog.

Our Toys for Pets recipients were:

 

Posted by DogToys.com at 10:35 am Tagged with: , ,

As American As Apple Pie

Dog News, Dog Toys, Favorite Things, Seasonal 1 Response »
Oct 072009

Baseball is American as apple pie.  As the playoffs are now underway, celebrate America’s favorite pastime at www.DogToys.com with your pooch!  Get the glove out and have a catch with Fido with a Planet Dog Baseball It’s durable, bouncy, bouyant and minty. Made in the U.S.A. Recyclable, non-toxic and rinses clean. 3.25″ diameter Planet Dog’s Baseball is rated 5 out of 5 chompers.  And while the game is on, twist off the cap of Fido’s own beer.  Bowsers Beer is hops and alcohol free and is made with 100% American-made beef broth (made from real beef, not out of a can) and malt barley (good for their coats), and glucosamine for healthy joints.

Posted by DogToys.com at 3:37 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Sugar Free Gum and Snacks can be Dangerous for Pets

Dog News, Health & Wellness 2 Responses »
Sep 222009

Most pet owners know that chocolate is a big no-no for dogs. But here’s something to chew on: a common ingredient in sugarless gum and snacks can cause a canine catastrophe.

The culprit is a sweetener called xylitol. While you may never have heard of it, there’s a good chance you have it in your house. Xylitol is common in sugarless gum and in sugar-free snacks, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Cases of xylitol poisoning in dogs have increased in recent years as the sweetener has been added to lots of new foods, Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, vice president of the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, told Paw Nation. “There definitely has been an increase in the exposures of dogs to xylitol over the last several years, simply because there’s more xylitol out there.”

The chemical is completely safe for humans and most other animals, but in dogs, xylitol causes blood sugar levels to plummet. When blood sugar drops, Gwaltney-Brant says, “the brain isn’t getting enough energy to do its job.” After swallowing xylitol, dogs may vomit and become lethargic and disoriented. “If blood sugar drops low enough, they can have seizures,” Gwaltney-Brant says. Without treatment, dogs can die.

That’s not all. Dogs that eat a lot of xylitol can also suffer from liver damage. Researchers aren’t sure what causes the liver problems, Gwaltney-Brant says, but the results can be grave.

A little xylitol goes a long way. Just two sticks of sugarless gum can be fatal for a 20-pound dog, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune, and a single sugar-free pudding cup can spell trouble for a 90-pound pooch. But those numbers can be misleading, Gwaltney-Brant cautions. Some brands of gum or candy contain no xylitol, while others contain relatively large amounts. Even within a single brand, the level of xylitol can vary from flavor to flavor and batch to batch, she says.

If you know or suspect your dog has gotten into foods that might contain xylitol, take him to the vet immediately, Gwaltney-Brant says. Problems from blood sugar levels dropping can occur quickly — “often within 30 minutes to an hour,” she notes. Vets can monitor blood sugar levels and start treatment to get blood sugar back up to safe levels.

If you’re a fan of sugar-free products, check the labels to see whether they contain xylitol. And it should go without saying that you should do your best to keep Fido away from your gum. He can’t blow bubbles anyway.

Source

Posted by DogToys.com at 10:16 am Tagged with: ,

National Dog Day Tweet to Win

Contests, Dog News No Responses »
Aug 262009

Today is National Dog Day and we are celebrating it by offering up some healthy, tasty treats for your dogs.

We are giving a bag of Whole Life Freeze Dried Chicken to two lucky winners!

How do you enter? It is easy. First, follow @DogToyscom on Twitter (if you don’t have an account sign up for a free account today at Twitter.com). Once you are following us tweet or retweet (RT) the following:

Enter to win Whole Life Dog Treats from @DogToyscom! http://tweet2win.notlong.com #dtnomnoms – Just follow & RT

Contest ends 8/31/09 at 12:01 am. All valid tweets/re-tweets are eligable as entries into the random drawing to be held on or about noon on 8/31/09. Two (2) winners will be drawn at random from all entries. Each winner will receive one bag of Whole Life Chicken Dog Treats(nom nom nom). Winners will be contacted via Twitter @replies and/or DM (direct messages). If winner(s) does not contact us within 48 hours their prize is forfeit. Contest for North American Twitters only.

Good Luck and have fun!

Posted by DogToys.com at 5:01 pm Tagged with: , ,

Going for the World Record

Contests, Dog News, Dogs & Puppies No Responses »
Aug 202009

The folks at Fido Festival USA are going for a world record attempt for the most canine couples in a wedding ceremony next weekend during the Tropical Pooch Paradise at the Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, NJ. The dates of the festival are August 28-30, but the world record setting pooch wedding ceremony is being held Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 2 pm.

Should your dog be single they have a website where you can find your best friend the perfect mate. Check out Pooch Partners for more information or to find a match for your single canine so they can join in on the fun. There will even be a celebrity canine couple tying the knot.

Besides hopefully breaking a world’s record you and your pup can win some nice prizes. Each wedding participant’s owner will be entered to win great prizes like these:

Harrah’s Entertainment will provide two (2) nights accommodation at one of their Atlantic City properties and dinner for two (2) at one of their gourmet restaurants.

A honeymoon package for a lucky dog and his owner. Vacation with Canine Club Getaway in the Catskill Mountains’ Acra, NY Manor Resort from September 10-13, 2009. Certificate can be used for 2010 Canine Club Getaway if unavailable to travel on the 2009 date. Two drawings will be awarded.

A wedding dog photography package that includes photo shoot with family and a photographic book with pictures. Two drawings will be awarded.

So if you want to be a part of something really big head on out to the fairgrounds with your dog and get him hitched.

There are plenty of other contests and fun things to do with your dog at the festival and DogToys.com is proud to be a sponsor of such a fun event like this. You can even enter to win gift certificates from DogToys.com so go have some fun!

Posted by DogToys.com at 3:05 pm Tagged with: , , , ,
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