Archive for the ‘Canine Health’ Category
Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Raw Dog Food
December 10th, 2009
Raw Diets, BARF, All natural dog food – its been debated everywhere on the internet with dog owners. Everyone wants to feed their dog the best food, but how do you know what it is? There are tons of articles debating that point. My personal opinion is that natural has to be the best. After all there are no ovens in the wild right?
I always wanted to feed BARF (Bones and raw food diet) but thought it was too much work. I looked into the patties, but it is very expensive and you have to have the freezer space.
Suddenly I stumbled upon the Honest Kitchen. It is a raw dog food that is actually dehydrated. It has all the important nutrients and is balanced out so you really can’t mess it up. You can even add things to it if you like.
I immediately purchased a bag to try it out. The smell is a bit powerful at first, but boy do my dogs love this food. Here are the benefits that we have seen using The Honest Kitchen raw dog food.
My overweight dog with thyroid problems is much more energetic and has lost weight
My dog with brittle nails has solid hard nails for the first time in his life Their breath is SO much better now
With the latest dog food recalls, we encourage you to try a new dog food that is healthy for your dog or puppy. There are many brands we recommend such as wellness, Innova, California Natural and other high quality dog foods
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All Natural Flea and Tick Control
December 10th, 2009
Well, its flea and tick season. After pulling a ton of ticks off my dog, I thought I would share some new insight I have. Normally we aren’t bothered by flea and tick season, but this year is particularly bad.
I went to the store and bought Hartz. They were out of frontline unfortunately. I will never buy Hartz again. My dogs skin flaked, hair fell out, and there were still a lot of ticks.
I spoke with my vets office and they told me the dangers of using this product. So I waited two weeks and applied frontline. Here are some tips I can provide.
When applying frontline, its important to do so every month over the summer months, and once every three months the rest of the year. If there is a tick on your dog, Grab it with tweezers and gently pull until it backs out. Try to grab it by the head.If the head is embedded, call your vet. Watch your dog for illness over the next few days. Make sure you wash your hands and do not allow your kids to touch your dog after applying this product.
Did you know that frontline has to soak into the dogs skin and spread throughout their body to work? Did you know that its a chemical that is in your dogs system that kills the flea? Did you also know that it is dangerous for you to touch? Right on the package it says so. That made me a little more cautious. Since I recently moved to the south, I asked my new vet what he liked and he suggested Cloud Star products. Its a shampoo, conditioner and spritzer. They actually REPEL the fleas and ticks. I called the company to ask for more information – they were so helpful – and answered all my questions. They said there are no chemicals in the product, only natural things that will repel bugs. If a flea or tick lands, they said it will help to prevent egg laying.
Finally – and this is what sold me – she said it was safe enough to use the spray on my KIDS! Wow! that is safe. If you want to order your own, you can purchase a set of the products for under $20. We actually use the spritzer to avoid mosquitos on the whole family. It works really well!
Dog Exercise Ideas
December 10th, 2009
The average dog needs 30 minutes of exercise daily. Most owners think of exercising their dogs as going for a walk. For a small dog, this is true. For a medium size dog or larger, a walk is simply not enough.
In order for a walk to be effective as an exercise program, the dog needs to keep almost a trot or fast walk up the entire time. A medium size dog is over 25 lbs (in my opinion). Here are a few ideas of things you can do to help your exercise program with your dog.
Hiking with your dog
Many owners love to get out and hike with their dogs. This is a great form of exercise since it usually lasts a while and involves hills and other obstacles. The important thing about hiking is to make sure your pet is in shape for it. They need to be walked daily on concrete to prepare their pads and their muscles. I like to incorporate another exercise program and add in hiking for fun on the weekends. Please make sure you dog has the appropriate gear for the hike, and of course, bring your own water, food and safety kits.
Running with your dog
Running with your dog is a great form of exercise. Keep your dog in shape, watch for heat exhaustion, and go at your pets pace. If you notice too much panting, stop. Keep up your vet visits and watch for any limping. Puppies should NOT be run – it just isn’t good for their joints. Start with a 5 minute run and SLOWLY work your way up to 30 minutes or so.
Biking with your dog
I personally LOVE to bike with my dogs. If you have a puller, this might not be a great option. Your dog NEEDS to have excellent leash manners. If he doesn’t, look into teaching him to pull you on the bike instead – or maybe in a wagon. I use a regular flat buckle collar and teach my dog to heel with the bike. I use commands like left, right and stop. I also try to go early in the morning when nobody is out – its much safer that way. I start out with a slow bike trip to keep my dog at a nice trot.
Retrieving with your dog
Retrieving with your dog is awesome exercise. Though it can be dangerous on their joints. Its important to watch for fatigue and stop when your pet needs to. Also, dont let them jump a lot for the item The best way to retrieve is to have your dog sit at your side and wait to be sent for the item. That will eliminate any unwanted jumping and turning.
Dog Swimming – Teach your dog to swim
December 10th, 2009
We’re going to try to give some advice on dog swimming and some general safety issues. As always check with your vet on any medical questions.
Teaching a dog to swim:
To start a dog swimming the best idea is to go out in a pool or lake where you can enter the water with your dog. Many dogs will be more confident if you are standing with them if they are nervous about venturing out on their own. So by walking out, you can build their confidence before letting them go on their own. Bring a favorite toy with you and encourage them out further by tossing the toy short distances and swimming over to it.
Some tips:
Bring another dog who knows how to swim along to help encourage your pet to try.
Some dogs can be helped by wearing a life vest (dog swimming life jackets). These usually have handles that you can hold onto easily which help in lifting your dog out of the swimming pool or lake.
Water Freaking
Here is a common problem. Your pup goes off and won’t come back. You have two choices, swim out and get them, or wait until they get tired and come back. Never let them off leash and away from you until you know for a fact they will return or start in shallow water where you can go get them should you need to.
I use a two toy approach to retrieving and swimming. I always keep one close by so I can toss it near me. Try to make a lot of noise to get their attention and toss it into the shallow water. Tennis balls are not the best choice as they can get lodged in the throat blocking the airway. I really like kong retrieving toys or retrieving bumpers.
Afterwords, make sure you RINSE your dog with fresh water to get out any bacteria or chemicals. You can also rinse your dog before hand to help the water not absorb into the coat hair. If you follow these general ideas to get your dog swimming, it’ll happen in no time.
Tags: Exercising your dog
April 7th, 2009
Its official. Spring is upon us. I see more people out running with their dogs than at any other time in the year. Whats funny is, people work up to working out or they go on the tread mill. They keep in shape, all year round, or they work up to it.
I remember several years ago my husband wanted to go hiking with my dog. I begged him to condition him first, but no, he said he wouldn’t push him. When they got home from their however many mile hike, poor Dakota couldn’t even lift his leg to pee! His pads were torn,he was a mess!
If you are going to exercise with your dog, treat them like yourself, and work up to it. Personally I walk / run with my dogs when they are full grown. If its hot, we go late at night or early in the morning. If its nice out, I let them take sniff breaks. I bring water when I can and let them have some. Take it slow and pay attention to your dog, they know what they are feeling!