The DogChannel Newswire (02-09-10)

Human pacemakers help ailing dogs; vets warn of dogs eating lizards; and other news.

Posted: February 9, 2010, 2 a.m. EST

British Graduates Prefer Cats to Dogs
Smart people in the United Kingdom are more likely to own cats than dogs, a study has revealed. The researchers explained the disparity by suggesting that professionals worked longer hours and had less time to devote to dogs, The Press Association reports.
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Human Pacemakers Offer Help to Ailing Dogs
Pacemakers made for humans are giving older dogs a new lease on life. The medical devices – about the size of a quarter – are often implanted to speed up a slow heart rate in dogs brought on by disorders such as heart block and sick sinus syndrome that, if left untreated, drastically shortens their lives, HealthDay News reports.
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Dead Iguanas May Prove Fatal to Dogs, Vets Warn
To some dogs, discovering a dead lizard in the yard is like finding a slice of bacon on the kitchen floor. It also can be deadly. A month after frigid temperatures killed reptiles all over South Florida, veterinarians are still treating dogs who may have contracted botulism by gnawing iguana carcasses, The Miami Herald reports.
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Everything’s Beachy at Waterfront Dog Park
The popular Davis Islands dog park, Tampa’s first with a beach, soon will undergo improvements. The 1.9-acre fenced site has lost beach sand through the years. The city plans to replenish 200-plus feet of the sandy coastline, but not before erosion safeguards are in place, The Tampa Tribune reports.
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