Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friendship Tails the Show - Episode 3
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Polite Puppies!
I touched on nutrition and the importance of feeding one's dog a high quality food appropriate for their dog's lifestyle. What owners need to be aware of is that many of the boutique brands of dog food are formulated to be "all life stage diets" which essentially means it is puppy food. Many people feed these high calorie diets to their couch potato dogs and are confused when they start to gain weight. We also discussed the pros and cons of raw diets and the health risks associated with themFinally I went over toys I like such as the Kong and how chewing on a tennis ball will ruin your dogs teeth. The puppies were definitely exhausted when they left and I hope the owners took away some helpful tips on keeping their new family members happy and healthy. The next Polite Puppy Class will be Sunday, May 23rd.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Running with your dog
Heat stroke is another concern. It is extremely easy for a dog to overheat, which can quickly become fatal, even with aggressive treatment. Dogs have only two ways to cool down: by panting and through their paw pads. Hot, humid weather makes panting more difficult for your dog, thus limiting heat loss. Warm pavement keeps your dog’s paws hot, so they are less able to perform their cooling function.
Still, the combination of splendid weather and an energetic canine can make it awfully tempting to hit the road running. If you absolutely can’t resist taking your dog for a jog, here are some tips for minimizing damage and keeping things as safe as possible for your pet:
• Wait until your dog’s joints are fully developed. This means two years or older in a larger breed dog.
• When you do start jogging together, keep the distances short and try to stay on grass or dirt paths to decrease the amount of force applied to the joints.
• Consider starting your dog on supplements to help protect her joints. I strongly recommend Dasuquin, a veterinary glucosamine and chondroitin supplement with avocado extract that has been clinically proven to maintain cartilage heath. Also the miraculous omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil capsules will help repair damaged tissue and decrease inflammation.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Allergies affect your pets too!
If your dog or cat is itchy you can try giving an omega-3 fatty acid or using a soothing shampoo, if the itching continues make an appointment to speak with your veterinarian about a treatment plan.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Fashion for Paws
I want to thank everyone who supported me as I was very proud to contribute $8,600 through my fundraising campaign. The raffle at Friendship raised $870 and would not have been possible without Hill's Science Diet, Happy Paws, Nutramax, Butler-Schein, PetMac and Friendship donating wonderful prizes. Especially heartwarming is how Izzie the dog's mom who won a six month supply of Science Diet food offered to give her prize to the shelter animals of WHS. The event has become such a success that next year Fashion for Paws is planning on taking over a new, larger venue so even more WHS supporters can be a part of the excitement. Sparkle is already working on her runway walk and planning her outfit!