Humans for Dogs

Smokers would quit for their dog's health

"Smokers are more likely to quit smoking for the sake of their pets' health than they are for their own." says an article on Lab Spaces.

Nearly one in three of the smokers (28.4%) said that knowing that smoking was bad for their pets' health would spur them to give it up.

I had the opportunity to see a pair of dog lungs that came from a smoking family and they were black and riddled with holes like a heavy smokers. Smoking affects your kids and your pets!

Photo by psk2006.

Best collar for dogs after surgery: not plastic cones!

Beat up plastic cone

After surgery, your vet will usually give you (or sell you) a large plastic cone to put around your dog's neck. This is to keep them from chewing on their stitches or scratching them in the case of head injuries. Our dogs never quite seem to get used to them. One of them tries to go through the doggie door with it on, the other actually moves furniture around with the cone! He walks by the table, the table leg catches on the plastic cone, and he just keeps going! Next thing you know the table is being pushed across the floor. (One time he actually jumped the fence and when running down the street ... with a plastic cone on his head and 30+ staples in his stomach!) Two potential solutions come to mind.

1. You can trim the cone. For most dogs, the cone doesn't actually need to go much beyond your dog's nose. This works really well for head injuries where you are just trying to keep the dog from scratching their ear, nose or face. Just take the scissors and trim around.
2. Get a soft collar before your dog comes home. Not only are these soft and more flexible but they have the added benefit of being washable and more durable. (We never get more than one use out of the plastic cones from the vet.)

Any other solutions you know of?

How to tell if your dog is fat

You can tell if your dog is overweight by looking at him or her.  You should be able:

• to feel the ribs,
• see a waist from above and
• their tummy should tuck - be higher than their ribs - when viewed from the side.

If your dog has no waist when viewed from above and the side and you can't feel the ribs, then your dog is likely overweight.

Talk to your vet, feed your dog a quality dog food in measured amounts and take your dog for lots of walks.  It's good for both of you!

The Secret to Keeping Snow Off Your Dogs Paws

I've written about keeping dogs warm in the winter and about buying a sweater for your dog, but I haven't written about one of the most important things, keeping your dogs paws warm and snow free when walking in the snow.  Here are some things to consider:

• Dog booties.  We have tried a lot of different types and a lot of different brands.  The ones that stay on the best are ones we bought were flourescent orange hunting ones we bought at Cabelas.  (We used them not just for hiking in the snow but for also covering injured paws that we didn't want the dog to chew on.  That worked until Chase chewed through one ...)  Some booties are just for warmth and some also have traction.  The higher up on the leg they come, the more likely they will stay on.
• Medical tape.  This is my favorite. I just wrap medical tape around their paws.  This works really well when it's not too cold but you have a dog with long hair that is always catching snow and forming icicles between her toes.
• Trim the hair.  You can trim the hair between the main center pad and the toes, but not between the toes.  This will help cut down on icicles.  If your dog does get snow balls, let them melt, don't try to pull them off or cut them off.  (I ended up cutting my dog trying to do that on one snowshoeing trip.)
• Vaseline can help sooth paws already irritated by the snow and it can also help prevent snow build up if you put it on before you go out.

Any other tips to share with us?

Photo by nuanc.

Keeping Warm by Sitting on Your Shoes

This kitten is sitting on the slipper to stay warm - the floor is cold.  The picture reminded me of snowshoeing with my dog Teddy.  Whenever we stop for a break she sits on the back of my snowshoes to get off the snow.

Picture by Farl.

The Secret to Losing Weight is to Work Like a Sled Dog

The secret to losing weight is to work like a sled dog.  According to Wired Magazine sled dogs burn 10,000 calories a day!  Since there's 3500 calories to a pound, that means they would lose three pounds a day if they didn't eat lots.  So, work as hard as a sled dog running and pulling a sled all day and you too could lose three pounds a day! (Check with your doctor first!)

Photo by Ranger Gord.

FDA approves motion sickness drug for dogs

The FDA has approved Cerenia to prevent vomiting caused by motion sickness in dogs.  Cerenia is an injection that must be prescribed by a vet.  (Although this is the first time I had heard of the FDA approving medication for dogs, it is a standard procedure for them.)

Photo by laughingmonk.

How Much Chocolate Can Your Dog Eat?

My dog once ate an entire platter - a double batch - of chocolate fudge.  You couldn't even tell that there had been any fudge on the platter, it was that clean!  She didn't die but she did vomit quite a bit.  Here's what you need to know:

• It's theobromine, not caffeine, that dogs doesn't sit well with dogs.
• It causes vomiting, diahrrea, then an increase in heart rate, muscle tremors and eventually seizures. 
• Baking chocolate has six times more theobromine than milk chocolate.
• How much chocolate your dog can eat depends on his/her size.  Four ounces of milk chocolate may be too much for a small dog.  My 70 pound lab/retreiver mix had about eight ounces of baking chocolate.
• Call your vet if your dog ingests a lot of chocolate.  They can tell you, based on the dog's size and the amount of chocolate, whether you should bring your dog in.  My vet told me to run around with my dog to help her start vomiting but said that she'd be fine.

So your dog can eat chocolate ... it's just not a very good idea.

Photo by Farl.

Dogs are Good for Babies' Health

Infants Wheeze Less in Homes with Multiple Dogs.  If that's true, then Caleb is set.   He's got two big furry companions who shed everywhere and follow us around everywhere - including the middle of the night feeding.

No artificial sweetners for your dog!

Be careful not to give your dog artificial sweetners.  One of them, Xylitol, is toxic to them.  It's used in sugar free gum and some baked goods.

Xylitol enters the cells without insulin which can cause your dog to become hypoglycemic, i.e. have low blood sugar.  If left untreated, it can affect the liver.  Treatment includes an IV to reestablish glucose levels in the blood and watching the liver enzymes to ensure the liver has not been affected.

So if you notice your dog becoming very lethargic a few hours after eating baked sweets, check the label to see if this might be the problem.