Is you dog getting enough exercise?

Today I was filling in for one of my team members and had the pleasure of walking some of the dogs she normally walks. As I walked I got to thinking about the actual walk and if the dog is allowed to stop many (many, many times) is the exercise really there??? First stop of the day was to 2 older Shih Tzu's. These two walk nicely and don't pull, but they consistently try to stop and mark things and sniff around. I'm a bit torn, should I be allowing them to stop, sniff around and have their fun or an I doing them a disservice by not keeping them at a good pace? Next stop was a beagle and a rat terrier. This owner only has retractable leashes and harnesses. These dogs have no leash manners and pull, stop and try to drag me to whatever smell they want to check out. Instead of giving in I decided that since its a quiet neighborhood, I would walk them in the middle of the street. You should have seen the beagles face. She seemed quite upset that I had taken away the circus of smells. I really think these two dogs will be happier in the house the rest of the day if they are tired from a good long walk. Then it was on to 2 French bull dogs that NEVER get to go for a walk. This just brings up a multitude of questions. Are they ever walked? Why doesn't the owner want them out of the yard? Are they good on a leash? okay, so you get my point. Here I am "walking" dogs but no one seems to want to walk. They all want to take a leisurely stroll and not exert themselves. Does your dog do this to you? Do you want it to stop and actually exercise with your best friend? I know that a tired dog is a happy dog and I think we need to do something about this, so I did some research. Here is an article I found from the Today show. Great advice. Let me know if you try the advice and how it worked out Make walking by your side a positive experience. Screaming “heel” or “no pull” at your dog does not work and is certainly not fun. Instead, randomly reward your dog with a yummie treat when he’s by your side as you reinforce his behavior with the word “close.” Don’t use the phrase “good dog” — because your dog has no idea what he did that was good, so how can he repeat it? Instead, acknowledge the behavior by naming and rewarding it. Once your dog is consistently walking close to you, you can begin to give him “jackpots” — where you randomly reward him with a quick series of 5-6-7 treats, one after the other. He can always have “dinner on the go,” with you feeding him his treats along the way for walking correctly. You can also bring his favorite toy along and walk to the dog park: His reward for walking correctly, once you arrive, is that he gets to play with it and you! Keep the same length of leash at all times. To keep your dog from pulling on his leash, you must teach him that he only has a certain length of leash available and that you’re in control of it. It’s a mistake to use a retractable leash in the teaching phase, giving him a longer leash anytime he wants it. Save the retractable leash for the everyday phase of walking, once he has learned how to walk correctly by your side and not pull you down the street. When you hold the leash with your hand, it’s easy for your dog to pull away by forcing you to extend your arm. It’s also important that both your hands are free, assisting you in planting your body when he’s pulling. So wear a sturdy belt, slip the loop end of the leash around it, and fasten it snugly around your waist. As your dog walks correctly down the street with you, remember to repeat the word “walk,” reinforcing his behavior. Hold your ground when your dog pulls on the leash. When your dog begins to pull on her leash, stop, plant your feet, lower your center of gravity and hold your ground like a sumo wrestler. She must learn that the walk (what she wants) will only continue (her reward) if she is not pulling on her leash and on you. If your dog is a serious puller, start walking by a railing or fence that you can grab onto as you stop. Resume walking only after your dog stops pulling on the leash. As soon as she backs up — even a little bit — creating some slack on the leash, resume the walk with the phrase “let’s walk.” The minute she starts to pull on the leash again, you must hold your ground as before, continuing only once she backs up and creates slack on the leash. Constantly talk to and praise your dog along the way. This is a great way to keep him in tune with you and your pace. Just like a child, if you don’t pay attention to your dog, the message you give him is that he’s on his own and can do whatever he pleases. And when you ignore your dog as he’s walking correctly, and only give him attention when he’s walking incorrectly, he’ll be more prone to continue the unwanted behavior just so you’ll notice him! So stay focused on your dog during the walk and make calls on your cell phone at another time. Most dogs respond very quickly to this method, and you will find that if you and everyone that walks your dog (don’t forget about the other family members and the dog walker) are consistent, you’ll soon look forward to the fun you’ll have on your walks together.

Great commercial from the AKC

Check out this commercial from the AKC. http://www.akc.org/press_center/Promise60.html Over the weekend, I caught this Public Service Announcement from the AKC. As a company that does a lot of dog walking, this commercial really hits home. One of the main scared we have when walking a dog is when a child, we do not know runs up and try to pet the dog we are walking. Since we are not owners of this dog, we can't be 100% sure this dog will tolerate a child petting it. As a company policy, we do not let anyone interact with the dog while we are out walking it. Parents, its really important to teaching your kids to never approach a strange dog and always ask if its okay to pet the dog before the try touching it. In the past couple months I have heard of several kids bit by dogs. As a victim of a dog bite, I want to do everything I can to prevent another kid from being bit. Teach your kids to never "hug" a dog. Instead have the child hold out his hand, let the dog sniff it and if the dog doesn't back away, then the child should pet under the chin first. If the dog doesn't back away from that then gently petting on the back or head should be okay. But, its important that you ALWAYS get permission from the owner before petting a dog.

Crazy cat toy

Attention all cat owners. Is your cat a couch potato? Is he not as active as he used to be? Looking for a toy that you cat will actually play with? After I saw this video, I was laughing and wondering if it really is as fun as it looks. Anyone out there have one of there fling-ama-string??? If so I want to hear if your at likes it. Even better, I would love to see a video of how the cat plays with. I don't have any affiliation with this company and I don't get any kicks back. If you are interested in a pretty fun toy for your cat check out their website @ www.moodypet.com

What happens at a cat sitting visit?

After we get the mail, paper, any deliveries, we clean the litter box. The we refresh their water dish, feed them, and do any special requests the owner has asked for. Those special requests range from watering the plants to giving medication to the cat to filling the outside bird feeders. Once the "chores" of the visit is done we spend some time with the cat(s). In the attached video, if you listen closely you can hear Joey purr and me laugh as rubs on my phone. I don't think you will see a more content cat, and sweet Joey. Enjoy!

Can a cat & a horse be best friends?

Does your Pet's Food Make the Grade?

Start with a grade of 100: •For every listing of “by-product”, subtract 10 points •For every non-specific animal source (”meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or fat reference, subtract 10 points •If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points •For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points •If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewers rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain), subtract 5 points •If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points •If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points •If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points •If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points •If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points •If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points •If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points •If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points •If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point •If it contains salt, subtract 1 point Extra Credit: •If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points •If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points •If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points •If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points •If the food contains fruit, add 3 points •If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points •If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points •If the food contains barley, add 2 points •If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points •If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point •If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point •For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “beef meal” as 2 different sources), add 1 point •If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point •If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point Score: 94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = FAIL A sample of "popular" store brands scored: Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 F Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F Purina Beneful / Score 17 F Purina Dog / Score 62 F Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F The sickening truth about pet food is that most pet food companies spend more money on advertising than creating a healthy food with quality ingredients. More than 95% of pets derive their nutritional needs from a single source, processed pet foods. When people think of pet food many envision whole chicken meat, choice cuts of beef, fresh grains and all the nutrition that their dog or cat would ever need, images that pet food manufacturers promote in their advertisements and print on their food bags. What these companies do not reveal is that instead of wholesome chicken meat, they have substituted chicken heads, feet, feathers and intestines. Those choice cuts of beef are really cow brains, tongues, esophagi, fetal tissue dangerously high in hormones and even diseased and cancerous meat. Those whole grains have had the starch removed for corn starch powder and the oil extracted for corn oil or they are just hulls and other remnants from the milling process. Grains used that are truly whole have usually been deemed unfit for human consumption because of mold, contaminants, poor quality or poor handling practices, which is obvious by the fact that most pet food recalls are the result of toxic grain products such as Corn or Wheat. Pet food is one of worlds most synthetic edible products, containing virtually no whole ingredients. The pet food industry is an 11 billion dollar a year, unregulated operation that feeds on the garbage that otherwise would and should end up in a landfill. Pet food manufacturers have become masters at getting pets to eat things they would normally turn their nose up at. Think about all those commercials showing happy, healthy pets eating pet food from brightly colored bags while their "owners" gloat over only feeding the best. Pet food companies have found in very profitable to use cheap fillers in their pet food. The amount of grain products, especially corn, used in pet food has risen sharply over the last decade to where it is usually one or two of the top three ingredients. For instance one Purina brand lists ground yellow corn, poultry by-products and corn gluten meal as its top three ingredients. Notice that two of the three ingredients are corn based products from the same source. This is an industry practice know as splitting. When components of the same ingredient are listed separately (ground yellow corn and corn gluten meal) it appears that there is less corn then poultry-by products, when it truth the corn ingredients when added together may weigh more then the chicken by-products. This is all very overwhelming, and you are probably thinking "Where do I start?" If yuo truly want to give your pet better nutrition, send us an email and we can recommend some great pet food manufactorers and even let you know where you can buy them locally. They are much better options out there than the grocery store brands. If your pet food is one that advertses on prime time TV, its time to make the switch. We are more than happy to help you and your pets.

If your dog had heat stroke, would you know what to do?

Avoiding Heat Related Injuries in Dogs (written by Nate Baxter DVM) The first thing that needs to be understood is that dogs and people are different enough that most of the info cannot cross lines. I do not profess to know what the appropriate procedures for people other than what I learned in first aid. Dogs do not lose enough electrolytes thru exercise to make a difference, but if the dog gets truly into heat stroke the physiology changes will make them necessary. BUT oral replacement at that point is futile, they need intravenous fluids and electrolytes and lots of it. Cooling: Evaporative cooling is the most efficient mean of cooling. However, in a muggy environment, the moisture will not evaporate so cooling does not happen well. I cool with the coldest water I can find and will use ice depending on the situation. The best way is to run water over the dog, so there is always fresh water in contact with the skin. When you immerse a dog in a tub, the water trapped in the hair coat will get warm next to the dog, and act as an insulator against the cool water and cooling stops. If you can run water over the dog and place it in front of a fan that is the best. Misting the dog with water will only help if you are in a dry environment or in front of a fan. Just getting the dog wet is not the point, you want the water to be cool itself, or to evaporate. For MOST situations all you will need to do is get the dog in a cooler environment, ie shade, or in the cab of the truck with the air conditioning on (driving around so the truck does not overheat and the AC is more efficient). Up to a couple of years ago, I was very concerned about my dogs getting too hot in the back of my black pickup with a black cap. New white truck fixed a lot of that problem. When I had one dog I just pulled the wire crate out of the car and put it in some shade and hopefully a breeze. But having 2 dogs and running from one stake to another, that was not feasible. So I built a platform to put the wire crates on, this raises the dog up in the truck box where the air flow is better. Then I placed a 3 speed box fan in front blowing on the dogs with a foot of space to allow better airflow. I purchased a power inverter that connects to the battery and allows the 3 speed fan to run from the truck power. It has an automatic feature that prevents it from draining the battery. When I turned that fan on medium I would find that the dogs where asleep, breathing slowly and appeared very relaxed and comfortable in a matter of 20 minutes or less, even on very hot muggy days. Alcohol: I do carry it for emergiencies. It is very effective at cooling due to the rapid evaporation. It should be used when other methods are not working. You should be on your way to the veterinarian before you get to this point. We recommend using rubbing alcohol, which is propylene alcohol, not ethyl, for those of you not aware. So do not try to drink it. Alcohol should be used on the pads and lower feet area where there is little more than skin and blood vessels over the bones. Use a little bit and let it evaporate, you can use too much as some is absorbed through the skin. There are concerns about toxicity, but you have to get the temperature down. I purchased those cooling pads that you soak in cold water, but found that the dogs would not lay on them. I would hold them on the back of a dog that just worked to get a quick cool, but have not use them for years. I also bought a pair of battery operated fans but found them pretty useless. Spend your money on the power inverter and get a real fan. Watching temperature: If you feel your dog is in danger of heat injury, check its temp and write it down. Keep checking the temp every 3 minutes. I recommend to get a "rectal glass thermometer. The digital ones for the drug store I have found to be very unreliable, Don't forget to shake it down completely each time, sounds silly, but when are worried about your companion, things tend to get mixed up. This is VERY IMPORTANT**once the temp STARTS to drop, STOP ALL COOLING EFFORTS. The cooling process will continue even though you have stopped. If the temp starts at 106.5, and then next time it drops to 105.5, stop cooling the dog, dry it off, and continue monitoring. You will be amazed how it continues to go down. If you do not stop until the temp is 102, the temp will drop way too low. I cannot emphasis this point enough. When the dog is so heated that it is panting severely, only let it have a few laps of water. Water in the stomach does not cool the dog, you just need to keep the mouth wet so the panting is more effective. Do not worry about hydration until the temp has started down. A dog panting heavily taking in large amounts of water is a risk of bloat. Due to the heavy panting they will swallow air, mixed with a large amount of water they can bloat. Once the temp is going down and panting has slowed to more normal panting then allow water. The dog will rehydrate it self after temp is normal. If the dog has a serious problem and even though you have gotten the temp normal, get the dog to a vet, as it can still need IV fluids and some medication. Also, a case of heat stroke can induce a case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (not parvo), with a ton of very bloody diarrhea and a lot of fluid and electrolyte loss. These cases need aggressive treatment. The best method of treatment is prevention. Learn to watch your dog, and see the changes in the size of the tongue, and how quickly it goes down. Learn your dogs response to the different environments, and be careful when you head south for an early season hunt test or trial. I have been to Nashville at the end of May, only 5 hours away, but the difference in temp and humidity did effect the dogs as they were used to more spring weather in Ohio. Try different things in training to help the dog cool and learn what works better. Another very important point=> Do not swim your hot dog to cool it then put in put in a box/ tight crate. Remember, evaporation can not take place in a tight space, and the box will turn into a sauna and you will cook your dog. Carry a stake out chain, and let the dog cool and dry before putting it up. I demonstrated this lesson this spring with my 10 monthold pup. After doing a 15 minute session in yard drill on a warm 70+ degree day, she was panting pretty hard and was pretty hot. She was OK but it was time to stop. Just for the heck of it I took her temp. She was 103.6, above normal but too bad for a dog that had just finished working. In my back yard I have a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub filled with water. I took her to it and she jumped in and out 3-4 times. She appeared totally improved, tongue was much smaller, and eyes brighter and her full spring was back into her step. So I re-took her temp and it was 104.2, so even though she looked better she was hotter. This is a perfect lesson to show not get a hot dog wet and then put them in a box. The water on her skin caused the blood vessels to constrict, decreasing blood flow to the skin. Therefore the hot blood was shunted back to the dog's core and retianed the heat. You may have felt the same thing, after exercising but still being very warm, take a shower and get cooled off but as soon as you turn the shower off you start sweating again. I know this is s bit long, but hopefully this is easy to understand and helps provide some useful information. Remember: Prevention, learn your dog. It is worth the time and effort.

Evangers Pet Food

FDA Suspends Temporary Emergency Permit of Pet Food Maker June 12, 2009 (www.FDA.gov) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today it was suspending the temporary Emergency Permit issued to Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Co., Inc. Evanger's, operating in Wheeling, Illinois, deviated from the prescribed process, equipment, product shipment, and recordkeeping requirements in the production of the company's thermally processed low acid canned food (LACF) products. The deviations in their processes and documentation could result in under-processed pet foods, which can allow the survival and growth of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), a bacterium that causes botulism in some animals as well as in humans. In April 2008, Evanger’s was issued an “Order of Need for Emergency Permit” after the agency determined that the company had failed to meet the regulatory requirements to process a product that does not present a health risk. In June, 2008, FDA issued Evanger’s a temporary Emergency Permit. During inspections conducted between March 2009 and April 2009, FDA determined Evanger’s was not operating in compliance with the mandatory requirements and conditions of the Temporary Emergency Permit. “The FDA is stopping Evanger's ability to ship pet food in interstate commerce,” said Dr. Bernadette Dunham. “Today’s enforcement action sends a strong message to manufacturers of pet food that we will take whatever action necessary to keep unsafe products from reaching consumers.” In order for Evanger's to resume shipping in interstate commerce, the company must document that corrective actions and processing procedures have been implemented to ensure that the finished product will not present a health hazard. Botulism is a powerful toxin that affects the nervous system and can be fatal. The disease has been documented in dogs and cats. Signs of botulism in animals are progressive muscle paralysis, disturbed vision, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and progressive weakness to the body. Death is usually due to paralysis of the heart or the muscles used in breathing. While FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is responsible for regulating all human and animal LACF processing, FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine has authority over animal feed and foods. The two centers are collaborating on this enforcement action.

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