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Heartworm Disease – What You Need To Know To Keep Your Dog Safe This Summer

Although dogs can develop heartworm disease at any time throughout the year, the prevalence of mosquitoes in the spring and summer make education about the disease especially relevant this time of year. There is a wealth of information available online and through your veterinarian – I’ll just go over the basics here.

What is heartworm?

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis and is spread through mosquito bites. The worms live inside the mosquito for a short period while they become infective (able to cause the disease). The worms mature into adults, mate, and produce offspring while living inside a dog. The name of the worms comes from the place they live inside a dog – the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

 

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Talk to your vet about heartworm disease prevention.

 

What are the symptoms?

Severity of heartworm disease can vary depending on the number of worms living inside the dog, how long the dog has been infected, and how active the dog is. Recently infected dogs will show fewer symptoms, as will dogs with fewer worms or dogs that are not very active. Some dogs will not show any symptoms until later stages of infection.

Symptoms can include:

      • labored breathing

      • coughing

      • vomiting

      • weight loss

      • listlessness

      • fatigue after only moderate exercise.

If you think your dog may have heartworm disease, make an appointment with your vet right away. Heartworm disease can be diagnosed by a veterinarian’s examination, x-rays or ultrasound, or a blood test. All dogs should be routinely screened with a blood test for heartworm either annually in spring or before being placed on a new prescription for a heartworm preventive.

 

How is heartworm disease treated?

The most common course of treatment is a series of injections into the dog’s muscle. While this treatment has a high rate of success in treating the disease, all treatments also require a period of exercise restriction. This is a disease that is much easier and better to prevent than it is to treat. After treatment, your dog should be placed on a preventative medication to reduce the risk of becoming infected again.

 

How is heartworm disease prevented?

There are a couple of easy-to-administer options to prevent heartworm disease. A common method of prevention is a monthly chewable tablet – flavored so that most dogs think they’re getting a treat! There is also an injectable heartworm preventative that can be administered by a veterinarian every six months, although this carries some additional risks not associated with monthly tablets. Your veterinarian can help you decide what’s right for your dog.

While heartworm is a severe and potentially fatal disease, it is easily prevented. Keep your pups safe and happy with consistent heartworm preventative and regular veterinary care!
 Jackie D. is a dog walker for Running The Pack, a certified Vet Tech, and a graduate of the Veterinary Technology degree program at North Shore Community College.
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Posted in Animal Safety, Health

Natick & Somerville Scoop Alert: THIS WEEKEND!

That’s right, we’ve dusted off our trusty Running The Pack Fro-Yo cart, filled it with delicious handmade puppy frozen yogurt, and are ready to welcome the warm weather!

 

Our first post-winter weekend is a doozy with events in both Natick AND Somerville. Details below:

 

Satisfied customers enjoying a cool treat. Photo by Seanna Lee Whittaker

Satisfied customers enjoying a cool treat. Photo by Seanna Lee Whittaker

Saturday: We’ll be at Elm Bank Reservation on the Wellesley/Natick line for the Petco Unleashed Doggie 5k
https://unleashedby.petco.com/petcancer5K

Sunday: We’ll be scooping up a storm in Somerville at the Somdog Spring Fling
https://www.somdog.org

 

Check our Facebook Page for this weekend’s flavor.

 

Hope to see you and your pups this weekend!

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Posted in Animal Events, Dog Friendly Places, Rex in The City

We’re Hiring!

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Want to spend your day playing with dogs?

 

Running the Pack, a Dog Walking, Running and Pet Sitting Service is looking for a few reliable, responsible and caring individuals to join our walking/running/pet sitting team. 


Currently looking to fill routes in: 

Jamaica Plain 
(Walking/Running M-F 10:00-3:00) 

Watertown 
(Walking/Running M-F 10:00-3:00) 

Requirements: 
Click Here to apply 


Must be 21 or over. 
Available M-F 10-3 for full time walkers is a must. 

People with limited availability may apply as sub walkers and pet sitters 

Car, e-mail, and cell-phone

Must love animals and the outdoors, we walk rain or shine, cold or hot!

Prior animal experience strongly preferred but we will training the right applicant


To Apply 
Check out our web site to learn more about our company at http://www.runningthepack.com 
Interested in joining the team? 


Click Here to apply 



Posted in Staff

Mothers’ Day Gifts For The Dog Mom In Your Life

Taking care of a dog (Or two… or three) is hard work! Show the dog mom in your life how much you appreciate her this Mothers’ Day with some special treats.

1. Love And A Dog Mug, Shutterfly.com

Personalize with pictures of your pup!

Personalize with pictures of your pup!

 

2. Custom Dog Portrait Pillow By ShebboDesign

Dog moms on-the-go can snuggle with their pooch even when they can't be home.

Dog moms on-the-go can snuggle with their pooch even when they can’t be home.

 

3. ‘Rescue Mom’ Hand-Stamped Charm necklace

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For the mom proud of her rescue pup.

 

4. A Bottle of Real Dogs Wine from A Dogs’ Life

Customize the bottle with  your own photo and caption.

Customize the bottle with your own photo and caption.

 

5. Custom Cookie Cutter From Name That Cookie

That treat's got your dog's name on it - literally! Choose from several different breed shapes.

That treat’s got your dog’s name on it – literally! Choose from several different breed shapes.

 

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Posted in Cute Stuff

Healthy Puppy Faces – Dental Health

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Just like in humans, a dog’s dental health can greatly affect their overall health. Here are some ways to keep your pup’s teeth and mouth clean and healthy.

1. Smell that puppy breath!

While dog mouths don’t usually smell like roses, if your pup’s breath is particularly gross, it could be a sign of a problem. If bad breath is accompanied by a loss in appetite or excessive drooling, a trip to your vet is a good idea.

2. Take a look!

Just a regular visual inspection of your dog’s teeth and gums at home can help you to catch problems early on. Look for red or inflamed gums, loose teeth, and any masses on the gums or under the tongue.

3. Brush those teeth!

Brushing your dog’s teeth may sound difficult, but with the right tools and some practice it can be an effective way to keep her mouth clean. You can get a toothbrush made especially for dogs from your vet, or just wrap a piece of clean, soft gauze around your finger to do the brushing. Use either a toothpaste made for dogs or a paste made of baking soda and water – never use human toothpaste, as it can irritate your pup’s stomach.

First time brushing canine chompers? Here’s what to do to make tooth brushing a low-stress activity for you and your pup:

  • First, get your dog used to having your fingers near her mouth – start by massaging her lips with your finger in a circular motion for 30 to 60 seconds every day for a few weeks.
  • Next move on to massaging her teeth and gums without toothpaste, and finally put a bit of dog-formulated toothpaste on her lips to let her get used to the taste.
  • After you’ve taken these steps, give brushing a try. Clean the teeth with small, circular motions, using either a brush or your gauze-wrapped finger. The side of the tooth that touches the gum accumulates the most tartar – if she will only let you brush for a short time, concentrate on these surfaces.

Do this two or three times a week to keep your pup’s teeth clean and her breath fresh.

4. A little more info to chew on!

Chew toys are great for lots of reasons, and a big one is dental health. Gnawing on a chew toy can help to strengthen teeth, massage gums, and scrape away soft tartar from the teeth.

These are only a few tips to help keep your dog’s mouth healthy – there is plenty more that can be said about dental care and teeth cleaning in dogs that couldn’t fit into this post. The most important thing you can do for your dog’s oral health is to look in their mouth. If you can catch a problem early on, you may prevent future disease and a lot of discomfort for your pup. As always, if you have questions or concerns, ask your vet!

Jackie D. is a dog walker for Running The Pack, a certified Vet Tech, and a graduate of the Veterinary Technology degree program at North Shore Community College.
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Posted in Health

Meet The Pack: Erin B.

Erin & a satisfied customer enjoying a hike in the woods.

Erin & a satisfied customer enjoying a hike in the woods.

Name: Erin B.

With Running The Pack Since: Spring 2008

Current Position At Running The Pack: Dog Walker

Before I Joined The Pack, I… Went to school for graphic art and worked at Petco.

You Can Find Me… Hiking with dogs in Callahan state park in Framingham.

The Best Part Of Working With Dogs Is… Being able to be outdoors all day and always being greeted with a happy face. There is never a bad day or dull moment walking dogs.

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Posted in Staff

Introducing… Metropets Pet Boutique!

We are proud to announce the opening of RTP founder Jill’s newest venture, Metropets! Located at 2 West Central Street in Natick, MA, Metropets is your community pet boutique providing a fun, family-friendly environment – learn from trained staff and discover cool toys and activities!

The Metropets Super Snack Bar is always fully stocked.

The Metropets Super Snack Bar is always fully stocked.

In addition to toys and treats for both dogs and cats, Metropets also offers top-of-the-line pet food from Weruva and Fromm, collars from Paco Collars, Hogan Custom Leather, and Cody’s Creations, travel & training accessories, a self-wash tub and more! Visit metropetsnatick.com for more info.

 

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Posted in Dog Friendly Places

Reporting Animal Cruelty? There’s An App For That

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Awareness Month. The ARL recommends contacting your local or regional authorities immediately if you suspect animal cruelty, but what if you don’t know the phone number for the animal control department? Or what if you’re not sure who’s jurisdiction you’re under? Well, there’s an app for that. Two, actually.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund launched the LiveSafe app last fall. The app marks your audio, video, or text tip with a GPS location, then channels the info you reported to a call center where it is forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

In 2014, The Humane Society of The United States partnered with the National Sheriff’s Association on ICE Black Box, an app with similar functionality.

Hopefully, these apps and others like them will help to bring us one step closer to ending cruelty to animals. And of course, you can always call your local animal control officer or police non-emergency number. Remember: If you see something, say something.

Click HERE for instructions on how to use LiveSafe to report animal cruelty.

Find out more about the ICE Black Box app HERE.

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Posted in Animal Issues, Animal Safety

Healthy Puppy Faces – Ears

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Your dog’s ears will hopefully not need a lot of maintenance to stay clean and healthy, but sometimes problems like infections and parasites can occur. Here’s some info on routine ear cleaning, the reasons why dogs can be prone to ear issues, and some signs that you should talk to your vet.

1. Routine care

If your dog’s ears appear dirty, you can clean them with a cotton ball dampened with mineral oil, hydrogen peroxide, or a solution formulated especially for ear cleaning. The skin inside a dog’s ears is delicate – take care not to cause irritation by cleaning them too frequently. Also, never insert anything into your dog’s ear canal – this can cause damage to the inner structures of the ear.

2. Anatomy

Dogs have ear anatomy that’s different from ours – their ear canal has a vertical section leading to the outside, making it easy for parasites, bacteria, and yeast to hide and thrive deeper in their ears. Dogs with floppy ears, like cocker spaniels, basset hounds, and poodles are especially vulnerable to infections. Their ears can trap excess moisture inside the ear canal, creating an ideal environment for unwelcome guests to take up residence.

3. Signs and symptoms

Signs of ear problems in dogs can include a bad odor, discharge in the ears, and redness or swelling. If your dog’s ears are uncomfortable, she might shake her head or tilt it to one side, or rub/scratch one or both ears. If she is particularly uncomfortable, she may shy away when you try to touch her ears. If you notice any of these signs, a visit to the vet is in order – ear infections can be very painful for dogs, and early detection can keep them from getting worse.

Ear problems are common in dogs, but with some vigilance you can catch small problems before they get out of control. If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask your vet!

Jackie D. is a dog walker for Running The Pack, a certified Veterinary Technician, and a graduate of the Veterinary Technology degree program at North Shore Community College.
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Posted in Health

Meet The Pack: Sara H.

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Sara and a happy client strike a pose.

Name: Sara H.

With Running The Pack Since: January 2013

Current Position At Running The Pack: Dog Walker, Pet Sitter

Before I Joined The Pack, I… Worked in print music sales for a mom and pop in Northern California (where I am from). After moving to Boston to find work in 2012 and failing to fall in love with corporate retail selling shoes, a friend suggested I join the team at Running the Pack. I’ve been hooked ever since!

You Can Find Me… On the Somerville/Cambridge line around Davis Square, though I help out in Cambridge from time to time.

The Best Part Of Working With Dogs Is… Their everyday reminder to live in the moment and find joy in even the smallest things. Sometimes dogs take issue with a particular moment, but they are right back to a “glass half full” attitude once the next moment rolls around! Even the yuckiest things can sometimes bring them great excitement and that can sometimes be the reason we are needed to help out with a client: their joie de vivre is just too much! Their lack of conversation can sometimes be trying for a talker like myself, but there’s no denying their enthusiasm for life and it’s catching! The client pictured with me here, Sandy, is one of my most joyful clients who bounces through every walk as though we’d never walked there before.

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Posted in Staff
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Dog Running

Running The Pack offers a variety of services for animals of all ages and abilities. A Maximum of two dogs will be run at one time.

Dog Walking

Your dog's not able to run or just needs extra walking services? Running The Pack's staff are also available as dog walkers.

Pet Sitting

While you are away, Running The Pack offers pet sitting services so that you can feel safe & secure that your beloved pet is with a pet professional.

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Testimonials

Running the Pack is absolutely wonderful.  When I first got my puppy, Jill walked me through what the best walking schedule would best, as well as passed along some advice about how to make sure the walks that he was on with me were encouraging him to be the best little doggy-citizen he could be….I love how committed and caring Jill and all her staff are.