Categories
Food

DOGSBUTTER – The Perfect Treat For Any Dog

Have you ever known any dog that doesn’t go crazy over peanut butter? Just a little bit on a spoon or a cracker satisfies even the pickiest eater. The fresh, nutty smell alone can bring dogs running for a taste.

With DOGSBUTTER Skin and Coat, you’ll be able to treat your pooch to an all-natural peanut butter specially formulated to help prevent dry, itchy skin and add to moisture and shine to your dog’s coat. Made with organic peanuts, golden flaxseed, palm fruit oil, and coconut, DOGSBUTTER contains no added salt, sugar, or hydrogenated oils.

Additionally, the Vitamin E and fatty acids in DOGSBUTTERare known to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-oxidizing properties to keep your pet healthy inside and out.

How will eating peanut butter benefit my dog?

Organic peanut butter is full of the B Vitamins and minerals that can contribute to your dog’s health. Some of those nutrients include:

– Niacin (Vitamin B3) – Converts food to energy and benefits your dog’s skin, digestive system, and nervous system.

– Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) – Helps in the production and maintenance of new cells and, according to various studies, may help prevent heart disease

-Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) – Critical for metabolism and the synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in food.

-Thiamin (Vitamin B1) – Converts carbs into energy and is essential for the proper functioning of the heart, nervous system, and muscles.

-Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) – Serves a key role in metabolizing fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

-Choline – Critical for the maintenance and function of healthy body cells and is needed for the development of lung and brain tissue in puppies.

– Vitamin B6 – Involved in protein and red blood cell metabolism and has a role in the nervous and immune systems. Studies show an increased intake of B6 may be beneficial to dogs with heart disease.

-Vitamin E – An antioxidant, Vitamin E has been shown to effectively increase the immune system and works to speed up the healing process on a cellular level. Additionally, Vitamin E maintains the integrity of skin cells by protecting them from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

-Magnesium – Maintains normal muscle and nerve function thereby keeping the heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, promotes normal blood pressure, keeps bones strong, and helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

-Phosphorus – Functions in the formation of bones and teeth. It also helps synthesize protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues.

-Potassium – Critical to maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. It is important to brain and nerve function and is necessary for normal growth and muscle development.

-Zinc — Supports your dog’s immune system, helps in wound healing, and is involved in building proteins. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during puppyhood.

-Iron – Iron is involved in transporting oxygen throughout the body via the circulatory system and helps regulate cell growth and differentiation.

-Copper – Plays a role in the production of key proteins in your pet’s body such as collagen and hemoglobin, which helps to transport oxygen.

-Manganese – Works to promote enzyme production in the body.

-Selenium – An antioxidant, selenium helps to prevent cellular damage from free radicals. It regulates thyroid function and plays a role in the immune system.

-Oleic Acid – A fatty acid, oleic acid lowers LDL, or “bad cholesterol,” and increases HDL, or “good cholesterol,” in the blood that can help prevent canine heart disease.

What are some of the ways I can use peanut butter?

Hide the bitter taste of your pet’s medications in a spoonful of DOGSBUTTER. Tuck a pill down into a mound of the tasty stuff and your dog is compelled to eat it all without even thinking about that nasty medicine.

Keep your pooch occupied with hours of concentrated fun by placing a spoonful of peanut butter into the deep recesses of her Kong toy or into any other hollow chew toy.

Cool your dog down with peanut butter popsicles. Mix water and small spoonfuls of peanut butter in the pockets of an ice tray and freeze them. Keep a bag of these peanut butter popsicles indefinitely in your freezer for those extra hot summer days.

Bake DOGSBUTTER in your homemade doggy treats. Substitute DOGSBUTTER for the peanut butter in these treat recipes and your dog will love them.

From the kitchen of Paula Deen: Bodeen’s Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Servings: varies

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

· ¾ cup nonfat Milk

· 1 Egg

· 1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth

· 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

· 1 tablespoon Baking Powder

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and peanut butter.

3. Add in the flour and baking powder to make a very stiff dough, using your hands to work in the last of the flour if necessary.

4. Flour a work surface and roll out dough to a 1/4” thickness.

5. Cut into desired sizes depending on the size of your dog.

6. Bake on a parchment lined baking tray for approximately 20 minutes.

7. Turn biscuits over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

9. Bodeen’s Dog Biscuits can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

(Paula’s note: as a general rule, most homemade dog biscuits do well with 1 part liquid to 3 parts dry. You can customize the recipe by adding and subtracting ingredients your dog likes.)

From the pages of Modern Dog Magazine: Peanut Butter and Banana Oat Drops

Ingredients

· 4 cups rolled oats

· 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed

· 2 medium very ripe bananas

· 1/2 cup natural (no sugar or shortening added) peanut butter

· 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix together oats, flax seed, bananas, and peanut butter in an electric mixer.

3. Add water and mix well.

4. Drop 1/2 teaspoon-sized drops onto greased cookie sheet or roll out and cut with a cookie cutter (let dough stand for a few minutes before rolling; it’s sticky initially).

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

6. The drops last longer and are delightfully crunchy if they are placed in a dehydrator for several hours after baking to remove all moisture. This can also be done in a low temperature (170 degrees) oven.

What about peanut allergies?

Dogs, like humans, can be allergic to peanuts and the symptoms are similar. You’ll see the signs of an allergy immediately after ingestion – skin irritation, scratching and biting that can lead to hair loss, and, occasionally, mouth and lip inflammation. Long-term after effects include chronic ear and skin infections. If you notice the symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. Typically, you’ll be prescribed anti-inflammatory medications to administer to your pet.

Categories
Grooming Itchy Skin & Allergies

Dogs and Frequent Bathing- Tips on Dealing With an Allergic Pooch

If you have an itchy, allergic dog, you know that with spring already here and warm weather about to hit, the pollens in the plants and grasses around your home are going to exacerbate your pup’s skin issues. Other than putting your dog on veterinary corticosteroids to quell the skin inflammation inherent in allergies, there are several things you can do at home to lessen the problem.

Frequent Bathing

To remove allergens from your dog’s coat and skin, try bathing your pet once or twice a week.

Because in canines, allergens primarily assert their effect through contact with the animal’s skin, frequent bathing may relieve the allergic inflammation that leads to constant scratching and skin infections. Additionally, bathing eliminates dander, bacteria, yeast, and loose hair that can contribute to infections and skin issues. It also promotes healing by getting rid of dead skin cells and encouraging new cell growth.

If you choose to bathe your dog at 3 to 4 day intervals, you’ll need to ensure that you’re not removing necessary moisture and oils from his skin and hair. You could try using an all-natural, organic shampoo made with colloidal oatmeal that not only promotes healing and reduces inflammation, but also moisturizes dry skin and hair.

Dogs with very flaky skin and dry, damaged hair are best served when their pet parents use an ultra-rich, colloidal oatmeal conditioner after bathing. By massaging the conditioner into your dog’s wet skin and hair before drying him, you’re putting a protective barrier of natural ingredients including shea butter, comfrey, callundula and aloe vera between his skin and allergens. You’re also adding natural moisturizers to your pet’s dry skin and coat.

Another way to avoid removing those necessary skin oils is to simply rinse your dog’s skin and hair under warm, clear water several times a week. By massaging water through the hair down to the skin, you’re still removing allergens and dead cells, but leaving behind the natural moisturizers that chemical canine shampoos take away. Rub most of the water away with a clean, dry towel and allow your pet to air-dry if the weather permits. You’ll be able to get rid of some of the dander and loose cells on the top layer of skin and eliminate dead hair by running a brush or comb through the coats of both short- and long-haired dogs.

If you decide to rinse with clear water instead of bathing, you may want to use an all-natural waterless shampoo and dry bath to help eliminate any of those nasty doggy smells. A dry shampoo is also a great alternative cleaner to keep by the door to clean paws, bellies, and mouths of any plant pollens tracked in from the outside.

Staying a pro-active pet parent often means planning before your furry companion starts his annual itch-fest. By changing your dog’s diet now, adding supplements, and bathing early – and frequently – you can help your pooch be less itchy during warm weather than in previous years, and keep him happy year round.

Categories
Arthritis & Hip Dysplasia

Stem Cell Therapy- New Treatment For Injured & Arthritic Dogs

by Cate Burnette, RVT

With all the new advances in veterinary medicine, many dog owners are turning to stem-cell therapy to relieve their animals of the pain and inflammation associated with such ailments as arthritis, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and many tendon and ligament injuries.

Vet-Stem out of San Diego, California is the first company in the U.S. to use stem cells processed from your dog’s fatty tissues in regenerative medicine.

The way the process works is three-fold:

First, your veterinarian collects cells from the fatty areas of your dog’s body, usually the stomach or rump.

Second, that sample is shipped to Vet-Stem where it is processed, and the stem cells in the tissue are concentrated into a number of injections.

Third, your veterinarian then injects these stem cells back into the affected area where they begin working and building new tissue to replace injured or torn bone, tendon, ligament, and muscle.

According to statistics provided by Vet-Stem, over 80 percent of older and younger dogs with severe arthritic pain showed major improvements in their quality of life, and over 34 percent were able to be completely removed from treatment with pain medications.

A June, 2008 article in Time Magazine reports that, in one particular case, a 3½-year-old German Shepherd diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia was noticeably showing improvement only 36 hours after treatment and was considered totally cured a year later.

While the treatments do not come cheap, running up to $5000 for fat extraction, injections, and follow-ups, they can be less expensive than hip replacement surgery and the recovery time is much faster and appears to be showing better results.

For those pet owners reluctant to try what is still considered experimental surgery by some in the veterinary community, or those pet parents where the cost is prohibitive, there are other, less expensive, alternatives.

Over-the-counter glucosamine chondroitin found at your local drugstore can help restore needed joint fluids to arthritic dogs. Most dogs can take up to 1000 mgs. daily without any problems, but you’ll want to check with your veterinarian before starting this medication.

All-natural, collagen-based Happy Tails’ Joint Resolution is a liquid compound containing both Collagen Type 2, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid that promotes the growth of new cartilage and reduces further injury to already-damaged joints. A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacological and Therapeutics showed that Collagen Type 2 “reduced pain and lameness in arthritic dogs and improved their overall activity.”

“We have a 4 year old English bulldog named Gus who loves to chase and tug and jump,” says Anna Buck of Houston, TX. “He was diagnosed with hip dysplasia a year ago. At that time, he had started limping and really slowing down. We discovered Joint Resolution about 6 months later and after only one month, we noticed that Gus completely stopped limping. He started playing more and jumping higher than he ever had. This product has been amazing! Even though it is not a cure for his condition, it has given us a way to manage his condition and give Gus a less painful, better quality of life.”

As part of any alternative medical plan for your aging or injured dog, all-natural medications with ingredients like collagen, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, and herbs like devils claw root, licorice, dandelion and boswellia, as well as new innovations like stem-cell therapy might just be what your pet needs to be off steroids and pain-free.

Categories
Itchy Skin & Allergies

9 Household Chemicals That Can Irritate Your Dog’s Skin

If you have an allergic, itchy dog, then you know that with the weather warming up and pollen in the air, your pet’s skin problems are likely to get worse. Did you know that chemicals found in household commodities could exacerbate your pet’s itchy skin issues?

Listed below are 9 everyday products that can be causing irritation and damage to your dog’s sensitive skin.

  • Flea control products – Some dogs have been shown to be allergic to the chemicals in particular flea control products. Flea sprays and dips containing limonene (derived from citrus oils), pyrethrin, and pyrethroids (synthetic derivatives of pyrethrin) can cause both skin and respiratory allergic reactions.

  • Bleach – Household bleach is made with sodium hypochlorite, a chemical that can damage and irritate your dog’s paws and skin. Make sure to keep it away from your pets, and, if you use it to clean your countertops or floors, that areas are rinsed thoroughly with clean water before your animals are allowed to walk on them.

  • Drain cleaners – Most drain cleaners contain sulfuric acid and lye (sodium hydroxide). These chemicals can cause severe skin burns and blindness if they splash on your dog’s skin or eyes.

  • Motor oil – Once used as a “cure” for mange, we now know motor oil contains carcinogens that bleed through a dog’s skin and cause cancers, nervous system damage, and other organ system illnesses.

  • Lawn fertilizers – Your dogs run, lie, and roll in grass covered in lawn fertilizers that can be potentially toxic to their skin and organ systems. Many lawn fertilizers are combined with herbicides, the so-called “weed ‘n’ feed” products. Not only can these combined products irritate your dog’s skin, paws, and nose, they have been shown to increase the risks of your dog contracting lymphoma, in a 1991 study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

  • De-icing salts – Even though spring is here, parts of the world are still covered in snow and ice, and de-icings salts on sidewalks and roadways can burn, crack, and irritate the skin on your dogs’ paws. Additionally, if they lick their feet after coming in from the outside, the sodium chloride found in most de-icing salts, along with other minerals such as potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium carbonate or calcium magnesium acetate, can cause internal electrolyte problems that can lead to illness.

  • Oven cleaner – Some oven cleaners are made with strong corrosive bases. Both sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide can cause serious chemical burns if they accidentally contact your pet’s skin.

  • Windshield wiper fluid – Wiper fluid is toxic to the touch because some of its poisonous chemicals are absorbed through your dog’s skin. Methanol and isopropyl alcohol damage organ systems, cause blindness, and can potentially lead to death.

  • Laundry detergent and softeners – Just like humans, some dogs are allergic to the dyes and chemicals in the laundry detergent used to wash their bedding and towels. The artificial fragrances found in liquid softeners and dryer softening sheets can also irritate a sensitive dog’s nose and skin.

What are some solutions?

If chemical flea repellents bother your dog, try purchasing inexpensive electric flea traps for your home and use all-natural, diatomaceous earth in your yard and gardens. You can also use diatomaceous earth around the baseboards of your house as a flea repellent.

Instead of chemical lawn fertilizers, spread corn gluten on your lawn and garden. Corn gluten is an organic fertilizer and weed killer that has become popular for use in residential lawns as well as school fields and golf courses. Additionally, corn gluten is safe for pets.

When your dogs are out on icy streets and sidewalks risking exposure to de-icing salts make sure they wear protective, waterproof “pet boots” to save their paws. You can try sand, kitty litter, or crushed cinder on icy walkways to keep from slipping, although those products won’t melt the ice. Remember to wipe your pet’s paws with an aloe vera-based baby wipe when coming in from the cold.

Keep all household cleaners and detergents locked away where your dogs can’t get to them. Rinse all bedding and areas where the products are used for cleaning thoroughly with clear water. If possible, purchase all-natural, organic products labeled “Safe For Pets.”

When you start noticing your dog beginning to scratch red, irritated skin, try an all-natural, oatmeal based canine shampoo to relieve the inflammation and itchiness associated with allergies. The colloidal oatmeal in the shampoo is one of the few organic products approved by the FDA to relieve itching caused by allergies and insect bites and also helps moisturize dry skin.

For immediate spot itch relief, spray an all natural anti-itch spray directly onto the irritated areas of your dog’s skin. By getting the spray through the fur and directly on inflamed skin, an all-natural anti-itch spray uses organic products such as oat extract, aloe, and litchi to soothe the itch. Other organics including boswellia serrate, calendula, and grapefruit see extract reduce inflammation and prevent infections.

Categories
Grooming

How Does A Shampoo’s pH Balance Affect My Dog’s Skin?

Keeping our dogs clean and smelling nice can be a huge problem if your pet has itchy, flaky skin or is sensitive to the chemicals in human shampoos. Finding a canine shampoo that matches your dog’s skin type is often a matter of testing different products to see what works best for your dog. When you maintain the proper pH balance in your dog’s skin, you can prevent a lot of issues that lead to itching, scratching, and a dull hair coat.

What is the normal pH balance of a dog’s skin and how is it different than human skin?

All mammals have what is called an “acid mantle” – a thin layer of acidic oil that covers the top layer of skin and protects it from bacteria, viruses, and other harmful elements. When humans bathe, we wash away that protective mantle. Human shampoos and soaps are typically formulated with oils and moisturizers that replace that acidic layer until the body is able to rejuvenate it on it’s own…usually within 12 hours. If that acid mantle is not replaced, we see irritated, dry, flaky skin, or even a bumpy rash.

That acidic layer is what determines the relative pH of both human and canine skin. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with levels more than 6.4 considered high alkalinity, and with levels less than 6.4 considered high acidity. Human skin falls into a pH range of 5.2 to 6.2, fairly acidic, and human shampoos and soaps are made to maintain that balance.

Canine skin, on the other hand, can range from 5.5 to 7.5, moving into more of an alkaline range depending on the breed, sex, and size of the dog. The climate of where the dog lives also factors into skin balance.

Pet parents can make the mistake of using human shampoo on their dogs, and totally remove that acidic mantle without the dog’s body being able to replenish the needed oils back to its normal range. When that happens, you’ll see a dog with dry, itchy skin that can lead to scratching sores and bacterial infections.

What do I look for in doggy shampoos?

Read the labels on canine shampoos. Look for all-natural, organic ingredients, fragrances, moisturizers.

Shampoos containing natural, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, and tea tree oils will replace your dog’s natural skin balance more quickly than shampoos made with chemical components. Shampoos and rich conditioners with natural fragrances such as lavender, peppermint oil, or eucalyptus not only replenish skin oils and keep your pet smelling nice, they can also work as insect repellents.

Contrary to popular belief, you can wash your dog every week to every month (depending on the breed). Keeping your dog clean means washing away allergens that can make her itchy. And if you (the human) have allergies you really want to keep your dog allergen free. Buying a good quality, all-natural doggy shampoo and conditioner may mean digging a little deeper into your pockets than it does when you purchase your own shampoos and soaps – but one bottle can last 6 months and can save your dog from the incessant itching and scratching that comes from using a cheaper, human product. Click here to learn more about how washing your dog can help eliminate itchiness.

Categories
Dental Hygeine

Water Additives: Are They REALLY As Effective As Brushing?

by Cate Burnette, RVT

With Pet Dental Health Month just ending, many pet owners are probably wondering just what exactly they need to do to keep their dog’s teeth and gums healthy from one yearly veterinary cleaning to the next. Traditionally, vets have suggested regular, at-home brushing to help prevent plaque and calculus, reduce the chance of infection, and keep your pooch’s breath fresh. With the advent of new water additives and at-home oral rinses in the pet marketplace, we wanted to take a look at some of those products and see what ingredients are in them, and if they are as effective as the friction caused brushing.

What are water additives and how do they work?

Water additives and at-home dental rinses are a relatively new development in pet dental health. Marketed to veterinarians and pet parents as a tool to prevent dental problems in dogs, the additives are supposed to be dropped into your dog’s drinking water on a daily basis and are billed as a safe, healthy alternative to regular tooth brushing. Dental rinses are essentially the same product formulated into a liquid gel that can be squirted on the teeth after meal times.

Several of the additives say that the chemical ingredients used to manufacture them break down the carbohydrate molecules that help to form the plaque on your dog’s teeth. Other additives claim they use particular chemicals and natural ingredients to reduce bad breath, kill microbes, and prevent calculus. However, using a water additive is similar to us using a mouth wash. It’s a nice addition to our dental routine, but we certainly wouldn’t replace brushing with mouth wash. The same goes for our canine companions. Nothing is going to be as efficient as the friction on the tooth from the brush.

What are some of the ingredients in water additives?

Ingredients in water additives include such organics as a mixture of mutanase and dextranase enzymes to break down filmy plaque on teeth, zinc gluconate, a mineral zinc salt used as an anti-bacterial agent, cetylpyridinium chloride, a chemical antiseptic found in some pesticides, and chlorhexidine gluconate, another chemical antiseptic.

The use of chlorhexidine gluconate in at-home dental rinses is particularly troubling to some veterinarians because the chemical is contraindicated for use near the eyes, ears, and mouth of animal patients, yet the manufacturers of products containing this chemical offer it as an alternative to regular in-home brushing. The most common side effects associated with chlorhexidine gluconate oral rinses include an actual increase in calculus formation, stomatitis (an inflammation of the mucosal lining of the mouth and gums), and an inflammation of the salivary glands.

Additionally, products containing chlorhexidine have been associated with a high incidence of deafness in cats and thus are not recommended for felines or internal use in humans.

Some products also contain xylitol, a canine antibiotic known to cause stomach upset in some dogs.

Does home brushing still work?

Most veterinarians still recommend daily tooth brushing to help prevent dental disease in your pet, even if you choose to use a water additive or oral rinse. Even the manufacturers of these products suggest that daily brushing is essential for good oral hygiene and that their additives and rinses be used in conjunction with regular vet checkups and at-home brushing.

For those pet parents that want that something extra to help keep doggy breath fresh and teeth clean and white, there are all-natural, organic dental wipes and probiotic sprays on the market that reduce plaque and tartar, freshen breath, and use human grade ingredients safe for people, puppies, and other pets. Additionally, all-natural toothpastes combined with a special doggy brush allow you to reach all the surfaces of your dog’s teeth while disinfecting the whole mouth. These toothpastes are also formulated with human grade ingredients making them safe for your dog’s digestive system.

For those pet parents wanting to keep chemicals and additives away from their sensitive pups, brushing with a naturalc paste still seems the best way to prevent canine dental disease.

Categories
Grooming

Cold Weather Bathing- Solutions for Keeping Your Dog Clean During the Winter Months

If you’re like me and have dogs that literally hate getting in the bathtub for a regular cleaning, you tend to wait until the weather is warm enough so that you can use the garden hose outside to wash and rinse. Not only does it keep doggy hair from clogging up my drain, my four dogs can then air dry in the warmth of the sun without totally stressing out. But what do you do before the spring weather heats up the water outside and your bathtub-aphobic pooch really needs a good “de-stinkifying” scrub down?

Try a dry shampoo. Typically manufactured in a spray formula, a good, organic dry shampoo can kill that “dirty dog” smell without water or rinsing. This can help between regular baths and is great for cleaning dirty dog paws and muddy bellies.

Take your dog to a self-washing facility. Most towns and cities in this country now have at least one business that allows you to bring your dog in and bathe, rinse, and dry her using all of their equipment including standing tubs and hair dryers. You will be expected to bring your own shampoo and rinse, your own towels, and your dog’s brushes. If nail clipping is needed, that chore is on you also.

Bathing at home in cold weather requires certain allowances to keep your dog warm and happy. Make sure your bathroom and your whole house are nice and toasty warm. You don’t want your dog climbing out of a warm water bath and taking a chill.

Buy some protective eye gel or ophthalmic ointment from your veterinarian to squirt in your dog’s eyes prior to getting in the tub. This keeps irritating soap bubbles out of the eyes during bath time.

To save on time in the water and reduce the chances of getting cold, use an all-natural, organic shampoo and conditioner combo. By not having to rinse out the conditioner, you’re automatically reducing your water usage and giving your pooch extra time to get warm.

Keeping those ears clean, infection-free, and smelling nice is easily accomplished by using ear wipes containing colloidal silver. The colloidal silver is an all-natural ingredient that suppresses bacteria that causes ear disease and that musty smell.

Because colder weather often brings on incidences of dry skin, you may want to try an oatmeal shampoo to help combat the flakiness. The colloidal oatmeal in this type of shampoo is a proven remedy for the itchy skin that can lead to scratching, sores, and skin infections.

Allow your dog to shake off in the tub, and have several towels heating up in the clothes dryer to help soak up the water in her coat. Warm towels will automatically help stave off the cold until you’re able to dry the hair completely, and are a necessity if you have a short-coated pet.

For dogs with longer hair that need the use of a hair dryer, keep the air away from ears and eyes to lessen irritation and place the dryer on its low setting at least 12-inches away from the hair to keep from burning your dog’s skin.

And finally, if you have a space heater, move it to the bathroom and turn it on while your dog is in the bath, so your dog isn’t so cold when she gets out of the tub.

Categories
Uncategorized

Home Dental Care: Your Solution to the General Anesthetic Dilemma

February is the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Pet Dental Health Month – the time of year when pet parents are urged to take their dogs and cats into their local vet clinic for a dental check-up and annual cleaning. Periodontal disease – an infection of the teeth and gums – is the most common clinical condition diagnosed in domestic pets…and it’s also completely preventable with regular vet exams and daily at-home care.

Many caregivers dismiss a veterinary dental cleaning because of the risks involved with general anesthesia, either through personal fear, or because of some prior health issues that would increase the risk of surgical complications for their animal.

To avoid both the risk and the expense of general anesthesia, as conscientious pet parents, we can perform regular dental brushing at home to stop the disease before it takes hold in our dogs’ mouth and gums.

What is periodontal disease and what does it look like?

Periodontal disease occurs when the bacterium in your dog’s mouth breaks down the food particles left behind after eating into a sticky, yellowish plaque that begins adhering to the outer surfaces of the animal’s teeth. Minerals in canine saliva cause the plague to harden to a substance called tartar that resembles gray or brown concrete around each tooth.

Once subgingival tartar begins to form under the gumline, your dog’s gums typically become red and inflamed, and begin to recess from the tooth surface. The teeth loosen and bone loss around the tooth root routinely follows. Untreated periodontal disease can result in bone infections and jaw fractures.

Not only does your dog’s breath smell from the accumulation of bacteria and infection, but untreated animals often suffer from cardiac disease and kidney problems caused by the oral bacteria travelling through the bloodstream and infecting various body organs and systems.

What are the risks of anesthesia for my dog?

During a routine veterinary dental cleaning, dogs are anesthetized to allow the veterinarian to probe under the gumline for tartar and any abscesses or infections. For most animals, the risks of anesthesia are minimal. For other dogs, however, age, illness, and prior bad experiences with anesthesia can deter a veterinarian from recommending a dental cleaning…even when the procedure is considered necessary for the animal’s health.

Because of various disease processes, and changes in their cardiovascular systems and respiratory functions, older dogs are often vulnerable to complications under general anesthesia. Conversely, very young puppies can be at increased risk for hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and slower-than-normal drug metabolism.

Some breeds are also prone to anesthesia complications. Greyhounds typically have longer sleep times than other dogs, and the brachycephalic breeds with their pushed in snouts (Boston terriers, pugs, English bulldogs, etc.) are more disposed to upper airway obstructions.

Temperament also plays a role in anesthesia issues. Excitable, aggressive dogs often require a higher dose of pre-anesthetic drugs that can lead to longer down times. On the other hand, quiet or depressed animals may require less sedation or anesthesia, necessitating a higher level of electronic monitoring while asleep.

What can I do to prevent periodontal disease and keep my pet from undue anesthetic procedures?

If you know general anesthesia can be problematic for your dog for any reason, taking care of your dog’s teeth at home on a regular basis can save you the expense and worry of that annual dental cleaning by prolonging the time in between procedures.

Most holistic veterinarians recommend daily dental brushing with a natural doggy toothpaste containing organic ingredients such as tea tree oil, with its fresh smell, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties, and potassium phosphate that reduces tartar build-up.

During the times you can’t brush, you can run gentle, alcohol-free dental wipes over your pet’s teeth and gums to get rid of bacteria and food particles and freshen the breath. Sodium bicarbonate and pomegranate extract in the wipes work to clean the teeth and reduce plaque and gum disease, while organic peppermint serves as an astringent.

Further treatment can include a regular dose of all-natural pro-biotic anti-plaque spray to reduce the oral bacteria causing your dog’s plaque and bad breath. Free from any flourides, added detergents, or synthetic colors or flavors, a spray of this type used on a regular basis can stop tartar build-up before it starts by killing off the bad disease-causing bacteria with added pro-biotics. In addition, fruit concentrates high in antioxidants in the spray reduce inflammation and promote healthy gums.

Remember…if you have one of those dogs at risk for anesthetic complications, regular at-home teeth cleaning can help your pooch enjoy a long, healthy life without submitting to a veterinary cleaning every year…and it saves you money.

Categories
Activities & Fun

Top 10 Reasons Why Your Dog is a Better Companion than your Partner

1. You were sober when you picked out your dog (no beer goggles)

2. Your dog doesn’t argue about what movie to see

3. Your dog isn’t looking at other humans wishing she was theirs

4. Your dog likes all the food you cook and always comes back for seconds

5. Your dog is always happy to see you, even if you look like crap

6. If you dog could speak he would say “of course I love to cuddle”

7. When you ask your dog “Do these pants make my butt look big?” he’s smart enough not to tell you the truth

8. Your dog doesn’t hold grudges

9. Your dog will listen to you for hours without interrupting

10. No matter what, your dog is always up for a little heavy petting

11. Speaking of heavy petting, how’s your dog’s breath? If it smells like fish slobber, spray in some Dog Smog Remedy. This super-strength breath freshener also helps to eliminate those gaseous emissions coming out of the other end too!

Categories
Dental Hygeine

Top excuses for not brushing your dog’s teeth

February is Pet Dental Health Month and since my vet was offering a 10% discount on dental services i FINALLY decided to take in my 9 year old Maltese who was in desperate need of having one of her pre molars pulled.  Since I was apprehensive of having her put under anesthesia I had put this procedure off for years. The result was absolutely disgusting fish breath and a tooth that looked like a prehistoric fossil!

Luckily, the procedure went well and they cleaned the other teeth which were all in relatively good condition. The best part is that now my dog’s breath is odor-free!

$500  later, I have now added a new New Year’s Resolution to my list– Brush my dog’s teeth at least three times per week.

Here was my list of reasons for NOT brushing her teeth. If any of these sound familiar, save yourself the $500– and go out and spend $12 on a brush and paste and get brushing!!!

Excuses Excuses

1. “I only give her dry dog food so I don’t need to brush her teeth“: Unfortunately most dry dog foods have high starch content. Sugar and starches combine with the bacteria in the mouth and produce acids. These acids can eat away at the enamel on the tooth in addition to causing plaque build-up.

2. “My dog doesn’t like it”: When I was a kid, I didn’t like brushing my teeth, but it wasn’t a choice. It is part of a healthy lifestyle. If you let your dog make all the decisions in your house, it would be a disaster!

3. “I don’t need to”: I give them bones and chew toys: This is an equivalent approach to only chewing gum for your personal dental hygiene. You won’t find a dentist that recommends that approach! It is a nice addition but can’t do the job alone.

4. “I just put an additive in the water”: This is an equivalent approach to only using a mouth rinse for your own personal hygiene, except not even as good because your dog isn’t gargling and rinsing. Again, a nice addition but not sufficient by itself.

5. “My dog’s mouth is too small for a brush“– Guess what? There are really small brushes out there. And if you can’t find one, use Dental Wipes instead. While not quite as effective as brushing, textured dental wipes still offers the abrasion necessary to keep plaque and tartar at bayy