What you can do for your senior pets to keep them happy and healthy
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Polite Puppies!
The first Polite Puppy class was this past Sunday at Happy Paws and I feel that it was a big success. There was an environment of controlled chaos as puppies leaped and twirled at the end of their leashes trying to play with each other. Once everyone settled down we started by discussing behavior modification (my favorite topic) and that for everything a dog wants in life they must sit and wait for you to offer it to them. We went over how to teach sit, stay and look at me, these are the essential commands that every dog should know. I also encouraged owners to practice restraining their puppies at home which will make the puppy's trip to the hospital much more enjoyable. 
After covering behavior we moved on to my recommendations for how to keep your dog happy and healthy. I demonstrated the appropriate use of Gentle Leader Head Collars and the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness for those puppies that drag their owners around. One of my goals with this class is to banish Prong collars which cause me to wince every time I see one on a dog. In my opinion these horrible contraptions are cruel, painful and ineffective. Without appropriate training most dogs eventually get used to the sensation of metal spikes poking into their necks and continue to drag their owners down the street.
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 them
Finally 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
The weather has been amazing lately and I have seen more and more people out jogging with their dogs. I understand that this seems to be a wonderful way to exercise and spend time with your dog. But before you decide to start jogging with your furry pal, please consider the following information.
Finally, what is most important to your dog is that she spends time with you and gets mental stimulation as well as physical activity. This doesn’t have to be accomplished through running long distances to tire her out. Your dog would equally enjoy a walk around the neighborhood or hiking in the woods. You could also try teaching her obedience tricks or agility to further your bond.
The joints of large to medium-sized dogs do not finish developing until the animal is nearly two years old. Frequent pounding and excessive wear on immature joints can cause malformations leading to abnormal movement. Abnormal movement in a joint is what causes arthritis--which is something we like to avoid in our pets!
Even if your dog is fully-grown, running on pavement will still apply unhealthy force on the joints. Just as most of us would not go out for a jog barefoot, why should we expect our dogs to run without their own Nikes on? Joints only have so many miles in them before the cartilage starts wearing down and degenerative joint disease takes over, creating arthritis. When you make a habit of running long distances with your dog, this wear and tear occurs much earlier in life than it would normally, resulting in chronic pain for your pup.
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.
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!
Fox 5 was kind enough to have me on this morning to discuss allergies in pets which can be a frustrating problem for both pets and their owners. Dogs and cats are affected by the same allergens that plague humans. The difference is in how allergies are manifested in our pets. While we can see red, water eyes, sneezing and coughing more commonly skin issues are the problem. 
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
Fashion for Paws was this past weekend and I am excited to report Sparkle was a star on the runway, dressed in a very chic red patent leather raincoat. Sparkle was all set to perform the runway twirl that we had been practicing but I chickened out at the last moment and skipped her impressive trick. The Italian Embassy was packed with animal lovers anxious to see everyone all dressed up and parading down the "dogwalk". In it's fourth year now the event superseded previous years by raising over $335,000 which will benefit the animals and programs of the Washington Humane Society.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!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Friendship Tails the Show - episode 2
Here is the second installment of Friendship Tails the Show - enjoy!
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