Category : Dog Health

The Top 7 Reasons I recommend Adopting an Adult Dog

This is a culmination of several articles and information and advice that has been given out by me and many others on several subjects.  Adopting a Shelter Dog   The Working Man’s (or Woman’s) Conundrum in Today’s Dog Ownership   and Why Rescues Make one of the Best Resources When Looking for a New Furry Companion.

All these comments got me to thinking “What is the Best Dog”?  Of course there are too many individualities to know what is best for everyone, but personally when talking to most people, my clients, and even my family; adult dogs usually make the best fit.

I am a puppy lover too Lab puppies, German Shepherd puppies, Boxer puppies and Golden puppies just to name a few, and some day I might write an article about why puppies rock!  But there are so many valid reasons for adding an adult dog to most homes. Read the rest of this entry »

Free Feeding vs. Meal Feeding the Age Old Debate

This is a seriously heated debate in the dog world!  People get emotional about WHY they think their way is better than the other and I must confess there are good reasons for both.

As devil’s advocate and to make sure I cover both sides before I give my opinion I will cover both ways J

Free Feeding

Pros

• Dogs don’t feel pressure to eat, they know there food will always be there.
• Some dogs (not most) will eat only as much as they need more if they are hungry less when they are not.
• Some say this lessens food aggression (although I am not convinced). Read the rest of this entry »

How to Give a Dog a Pill

The Importance of Canine Dental Care for the Longevity of Your Best Friend

One of the most important and most preventable diseases for your dog is dental disease.  Periodontal or gum disease has become the number one health problem for both dogs and cats.   It is estimated that by the age of 3 80% of dogs will show significant signs of oral disease.

Dental disease is very painful!!  This pain can even lead to a change in behavior and increase the likelihood of bites and aggression.

Common Signs of Dental Disease

• Bad breath
• Build up of yellow deposits on the teeth by the gums
• Red swollen or bleeding gums
• Trouble eating and obvious pain when chewing hard objects
• Increased salivation

However, oral disease is almost completely preventable and avoidable!

Dental disease can lead to heart, liver and kidney disease.   The infection from your dog’s mouth courses through his veins and can set up shop in the valves of the heart and in other organs of his body.

There was a veterinary study done on Labrador Retrievers that found with regular brushing a dog’s life could be extended by up to 3 years!  3 YEARS can you imagine that?  I would do anything to get an extra 3 years of life with my dogs! Read the rest of this entry »

The 7 Deadly Sins of Dog Ownership

There are some things I have seen in veterinary medicine and also as a professional dog trainer that are recipes for disaster and sometimes death.   Although none is a definite death sentence because some people experience extreme luck in very dangerous situations, I believe it is best to arm yourself with the knowledge to keep your dog safe!

#7: Living within the Bounds of a Safe Enclosure

Although some dogs chose and prefer to stay within the realms of their home territory, most dogs like to wander.  Wandering from home to home or across the street to chase cats and squirrels is tantalizing for most dogs.  If you add to this scenario an unneutered male, chances are almost nonexistent that your dog will choose to stay home when he gets a whiff on a female in heat.

Secure fencing is essential for good safe pet ownership.

Thousands of dogs are killed when hit by cars each year.  Several are killed by other dogs and wild animals when they leave the safety of their yard.

If you are on the side of luck and your dog doesn’t die from being hit by a car, or attacked by another dog the trauma of these experiences can affect them for a lifetime!

Make sure your fence is escape-proof.  If you use invisible fencing be sure to check it regularly to ensure it is working properly.

If you cannot provide a safe secure fenced area, walk your dog on a leash for his exercise and elimination requirements.

#6: Not Providing Preventative Medicine

Preventative medicine, means providing your dog with vaccinations, medications, and other veterinary tests in order to prevent disease and problems.  Regular quality veterinary care prevents diseases and tribulations as your dog ages.

Providing your dog with vaccinations and medications like Heartworm Prevention can keep your dog safe and alive!  Waiting to see the signs of disease for heartworm, or distemper may prove to be too late to save the life of your dog!

Recently I spent time with the friend of a friend who’s dog had NEVER been to a vet.  No puppy vaccines, no medications of any kind had ever been given.  The dog was 10 and only recently began suffering from obesity and arthritis.  I was amazed at her luck!

However, no matter how lucky she was…I would never risk my pet’s health.  I am happy to submit to annual and 3 year vaccines, yearly heartworm tests, monthly prevention pills, 2 or more exams per year with blood work and urinalysis as my dogs age.

My theory is if my vet recommends it, it makes sense, and it could potentially extend my dog’s life DO IT!  I will do whatever I can within my power to make sure I provide the best care available to me! Read the rest of this entry »

Pet Insurance, Should You Jump on the Bandwagon?

Did you know that hip replacement for a dog is upwards of $5,000?  A canine MRI can run $2,000.  ACL surgery can run from $2,000 to over $5,000.  And doggy cancer treatment and the possible surgery that goes with it could be around $10,000. Help yourself prepare for the worst case scenario, before you are in need.  I promise 10 years from now when you are faced with cancer treatment, your heart will want to make the investment, when your finances may not be capable!

I have a love hate relationship with the idea of insurance, both for pets, stuff (cars etc.) and human.  I like the security of knowing I am insured, but I hate the idea of gambling against myself.  And, it is nice when I am in need of insurance, but what happens to all that monthly money when I DON’T need it?  That is what makes insurance companies successful, the simple fact that most people don’t need to call in their insurance card very often.

There are nice things about pet insurance, although there is no $5 deductible to have your pet seen like in some human insurances; you also don’t have to deal with the bureaucracy of managed care and insurance companies choosing your veterinarian or denying your pet care.  There aren’t HMOs or PPOs in veterinary care and that can be a good thing because you can go to any emergency care, specialist or any veterinarian and still be reimbursed.

What is most important when looking into insurance for you and your dog is finding the right policy for both of you.  The right policy for me and the right policy for you might be different.  For me I want to consider and compare any and all out of pocket expenses compared with the insurance costs over all. Read the rest of this entry »

What a Couple Baby Raccoons Taught Me about Dog Training and Happiness

I have two new family members, at least for right now.  These two are more like guests that say they are looking for a new “place” but will end up crashing on my sofa for a lot longer than expected.  I have two baby raccoons growing up at my house.

Their mother was killed on the highway and the babies were sitting on the white line just covering their little eyes with their miniature little hands.  It was as if, if they couldn’t see it, it didn’t exist or wasn’t dangerous.

They were much too little and immature to survive on their own, so to make a long story short; they came to live with me.  I have done wildlife rehabilitation and release before and I had a good idea how much work they would be and what they needed to be successful in life.

I have gone from nursing the babies every few hours, to guarding my eyeballs from flying inquisitive baby raccoons. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dog Training Secret’s New Video Vault

I love to read!  When I was a baby I got a vaccination that almost took my life.  I am sure my mother was terrified.  I have some memories of lying on the couch very sick.  My mother would read to me for hours, and at that time (before DVDs or VHS…ahhh I hate aging myself) Disney movies came on record.

I would sit and listen to a movie over and over until I had basically memorized it. In some ways I am grateful for all of my experiences they have shaped me and who I am as an adult.  Because of that one shot, my immune system was never quite able to fight off infection and I did get and still get every flu bug that goes around. I grew up loving reading.   Reading was my way to escape into another world and to learn about…well, anything I was interested in at the time.  My mother did not allow video games, and TV was restricted

This love of reading followed me to college when I double majored one being in English.  I still love English Literature (I know I am a nerd).  But, in many ways these are all the reasons you are reading this article right now.  If I grew up playing video games, I probably wouldn’t be writing or reading to entertain myself.

I am able to learn by reading, and I have hundreds of books lining a book shelf to prove it.  I enjoy reading and breaking things down; highlighting important points for further study.

Part of the beginning of my successful dog training career came from reading just about every dog training book I could get my hands on.  Almost 20 years ago it was difficult to find any kind of dog training on VHS or to see anything visually that wasn’t learned at a class or a seminar.

Much of my learning took place at night reading one book and then another. Read the rest of this entry »

Veterinary Diagnostics, and The Importance for You and Your Dog

For those of you that regularly read my articles and keep up with me on Twitter or Facebook you know that I have many years of veterinary technician in my background and that I love the world of veterinary medicine.  I should have gone to vet school!

AND for those of you who keep up with me, you know that my main squeeze “NIX” my 11 year old Malinois started having seizures about a month ago.  I have admittedly been devastated.  11 year old dogs typically don’t develop epilepsy or seizure disorders.

He is also having focal seizures and that is typically a sign that something is wrong with a certain part of the brain.  In short, it is most common for dogs of this age to be suffering from a brain tumor if they start having seizures.

Being a tech or a former tech is a double edged sword, you know more information and information is power…but you also know when something really bad happens or something is a really dire sign.  And, it is easier to give someone else the information in such cases than it is to deal with it in your own dog.

When it comes to my own dogs, sometimes all sense of normalcy and the ability to rationalize or interpret information.  I am good in an emergency because that comes down to my hard wiring, but I completely lose it all afterward.

After his first seizure and my panicked visit to the vet early the next morning, I was trying to plot my next move and determining if he needed an MRI or what could come next.

I was assured by my vet that jumping into an MRI after one seizure might be jumping the gun.  “He may never have another seizure again” he said.  But in my gut, I knew I probably wouldn’t be that lucky.

So after his 3^rd seizure in 3 weeks I was forced to make some hard decisions.

How much is too much to spend on your dog for diagnosis and what can you expect?

There is no right or wrong answer to this one, unless I suppose you have all the money in the world but you decide your dog isn’t worth it…and let’s face it, those people aren’t reading this article!

People’s finances are as different as people themselves.  I grew up basically living from paycheck to paycheck and not always having money for food.  We shopped in the black and white “generic isle” when I was a kid.  My father worked in the coal business and often lost his job.  And, I must admit that things are pretty much the same, financially strained, right now.

MRI’s I found out ran about $2,000 not to mention the many hour drive to get to a facility that could do the test on a dog his size.  On top of that they would probably have to do a spinal tap, and a CT scan.

I like black and white information; I detest shades of grey especially in medicine.  This is silly, because I know how medicine works AND I am a fan of watching “House”.  Black and white rarely exists in medicine, especially veterinary medicine.

Fortunately I still have a best friend that is a vet and so I always know I can call on her and at least get appropriate information.  She wont lie to me, sugar coat anything, or press me to make a decision she thinks I should.  She only supplies me with good information and allows me to choose what road I want to take.

I tried to get her to convince me it was a tumor, but diagnostically we both knew an MRI was the next option.  I tried to get her to tell me how much brain tumor surgery would cost, but she accurately reminded me that it would depend on the location of the tumor, if there was a tumor.  See, I knew that information deep down, but I can’t think clearly when it comes to my animals!

I knew there was no true definitive answer until I took the next step, as much as I wanted to make my investment count.

Because of a secret stash, I did have the ability to take him for his test although my transmission went out the same week.  I weighed my options and deciding to spend that kind of money was difficult.  I decided that I needed to do what I could for my best friend for the last 11 years; I would walk everywhere else if I had to!

He wouldn’t hesitate to invest his money (or dog bones) on me if put in the same situation.  I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I hadn’t made the choice to at least see what my next options would become.  I would take one step at a time.

So I scheduled the MRI and prepared to hear the worst news possible.  I even begged my husband to drive me after a nights work, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to drive home after the visit.

Turns out despite my “half empty” attitude (I was just readying for the storm), he didn’t have a brain tumor.  He actually has autoimmune meningitis.  Meningitis can be lethal, but with treatment the swelling on his brain can probably be controlled and with anticonvulsive we can probably alleviate his seizures.

The treatment isn’t necessarily pretty; the steroids have already made him urinate on himself and my new bed and the Phenobarbital leaves him stumbling around like a drunk.  But, when asked if I was happy with my decision, I couldn’t be more adamant or more emphatically shout YES!  Because of the advances in veterinary medicine I should be able to spend hopefully a few more years with my very best friend and furry soul mate!  I am blessed that we had the ability both financially and geographically to have these tests done!

Keeping Your Dog Young

Did you know that dogs can suffer from dementia commonly called canine cognitive dysfunction and other mental signs of aging just like people can?  Knowing is only half of the battle, the other half is doing everything in your power to keep your dog young, mentally and physically for as long as possible!

Understanding Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Like Alzheimer’s the causes of CCD are unknown, but physical evidence shows degenerative brain lesions and plaque in the brain. Dogs suffering from this disorder usually suffer from confusion and disorientation.  They might:

• Get lost in a familiar place like the hallway, behind a door, outside, or other places in their regular environment.
• Lose their house training skills
• Vocalize, cry, whine and/or bark excessively and inappropriately
• Pace and show other signs of restlessness
• Engage in repetitive or obsessive behaviors
• Stare blankly
• Seemingly forget friends and family and stop seeking attention or affection Read the rest of this entry »