Reducing your dog’s environmental paw print

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

- Gandhi

Lots of people are getting onto the environmental bandwagon by reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering, but often don’t think about making environmentally friendly choices for their pets. There are lots of little things that you can do to make a big difference.

When getting a new pet, start the reuse cycle by adopting a shelter or rescue dog.

Buy quality, bulk, minimally packaged food and treats – or make your own using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. In addition to being healthier overall, quality food creates less poo. Recycle pet food cans and plastic packaging.

Speaking of poo, clean up after your dog, using biodegradable bags, and rather than sending your poo to the landfill, set up a backyard compost station.

Support local vendors who produce earth-friendly food and toys. But don’t get green-washed - ask questions to find out how many kilometres their product travels to reach you to move between manufacturer, warehouse, retailer and you. Often there’s a lot of back-tracking, so the product is far less environmentally friendly than you may have thought it to be.

Select long-lasting toys. My dog Daisy goes through stuffed toys way too quickly – but a Kong stuffed with peanut butter or frozen kibble lasts.

Use earth-friendly shampoos and grooming products.

Use natural and safe parasite treatments instead of toxic chemicals. Natural isn’t always safe, so make sure that you understand what you’re putting on your dog. Before you treat with anything, if you don’t understand it, ask your vet about it.

Choose collars, leashes and clothing made with environmentally friendly fabrics like hemp.

Use towels and blankets as bedding from second-hand stores. Get creative by transforming those towels and blankets into artistic, original, hand-made dog beds.

Take long walks. It’s a great way to bond with your dog, while avoiding more environmentally un-friendly entertainment choices. While you’re out, bring a filled and lidded-water bowl so you don’t need to purchase environmentally unfriendly, bottled water.

When packing your dog’s bags when going on vacation, rather than using plastic baggies for their toys, treats and food, use reusable, washable packaging.

When you buy and do anything, rethink it to discover more earth-friendly options.

Bond with your dog using positive training methods

Our first Golden Retriever Gryphon came to live with us in the eighties. We were young. We didn’t know what to do for him. We enrolled him in puppy kindergarten and thoroughly loved the experience. In addition to great early socialization Gryphon learned the basics of sit, stay, come and heel. We liked it so much that we signed up for the next class. What an eye-opener. The instructor told us to stick a dumbbell into his mouth, then pinch his ear until he held the weight. We couldn’t do it. We left and never went back. We couldn’t believe that good dog training included pain.

Years later with Daisy and Buddy we discovered agility. We had fun learning clicker training, playing games and exercising their minds. Then the new instructor yelled at Daisy until she cowered and hid in her crate. Agility was supposed to be a fun, bonding experience, and Daisy obviously wasn’t having fun. We left.

Today, I attended an incredibly wonderful workshop with Sue Ailsby. Working with dogs and llamas, Sue has experience with just about every competition possible. She’s wonderful. She believes that balanced dogs do things because they want to please you – and when you’re pleased, their world is full of good things. Her fundamentals are teach them to learn, reward their good behaviour, and ignore everything else. Within five minutes and without a word being spoken or negative correction applied, we watched Stitches (Sue’s companion show, sport, and service dog) figure out how to weave under a chair, then sit proudly on it.

Training can be a positive bonding experience for you and your dog. To learn about Sue’s BOOK of TRAINING LEVELS, visit her web site at http://bit.ly/g58Vh. When you research your local training options, look for instructors who use positive methods such as clickers, treats and affection, and avoid those who use corrections, choke chains and aggression to dominate their dogs.

Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs: Small doses for small animals

Book Review

In this book, author Don Hamilton, DVM, discusses his transformation from conventional to homeopathic veterinarian. Early in his 20-year practice, he grew increasingly frustrated when dealing with chronic disease, such as ear and skin infections, that would not respond to conventional treatment.

Dr. Hamilton provides his thoughts around the “limitation of conventional medicine”, the theory of health and disease, specific condition treatments, an in-depth discussion about vaccination, and finally, individual medicines (remedies). The forward is written by renowned homeopathic veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn whose endorsement lends credibility.

Reading this book is not a substitute for veterinary care. It should be used to help inform so you can better communicate with your veterinarian. While some people claim to practice homeopathy on animals, it’s important to choose a licensed/regulated veterinarian who understands animal physiology and medicine. To locate a homeopathic veterinarian, visit the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy web site at www.theavh.org.

Feeding dogs bones: the great debate

Williston runs on bones. This little beagle regularly chows down on bones and is pretty happy about life. Now if you want to start a great debate, ask a room full of dog people, including veterinarians, about feeding bones. Controversy ensues, and no one agrees.

Proponents of feeding bones talk about the benefits:

• Healthy teeth – chewing bones scrapes plaque from teeth, keeping gums healthy, which keeps breath fresh and eliminates unhealthy and expensive dental cleanings. (Unhealthy because dogs need to be sedated for most dental procedures.)

• Exercise – eating bones is a full body experience for a dog – they get right into it, holding the bone down with their paws and tugging at it through their back and shoulders with their jaws

• An outlet for chewing – particularly for young dogs who are teething, most will chose to nosh down on a raw bone instead of your favourite piece of furniture

• Nutritious – provides calcium and other nutrients

• Entertainment value– chewing bones is an endurance activity where dogs spend hours at it making their days happily pass by

Opponents talk about the risks of feeding bones:

• Serious health problems – choking or gastrointestinal obstruction (GI) occur when bone splinters or chunks break off and lodge in the dog’s throat restricting breathing, or somewhere in the dog’s intestines causing life-threatening circulatory problems

• Bacteria – ingesting bones brings salmonella and parasites into your home that can infect your dog and family

• Cracked or broken teeth – vigorous bone chewing can break pieces of teeth causing pain and expense

• Digestive problems – dogs vomit or get diarrhoea from eating bones

• Obesity – dogs eat too much, then get fat

• Aggression – by eating raw bones, dogs become aggressive

I'd love to find some science-based information on this heavily debated topic.

In my opinion RAW bones – never cooked or smoked - are good for some, but not all dogs for the reasons stated above. Cooked bones are much more likely to splinter and cause harm and should never be served.

Most dog toys and treats are not government regulated, so many of the negatives that can happen with bones, can happen with other pet-store supplied goods. Really, how healthy is that pig’s ear you just fed your dog?

Bones can cause serious health problems, and so can lots of other things. We know of dogs that have eaten rocks, bath towels, Power Rangers and baby soothers that have gotten lodged in their intestines. All of these needed veterinary care and in some cases painful and expensive and surgery – and in one case, death. There are risks, and those risks are present every day when you live with a dog.

If your dog gets digestive problems, cut back on the amount of bone you’re serving – it’s likely the rich marrow that’s causing the problem.

Obese dogs are given too many calories. Those calories can come from food, treats or bones. It’s up to humans to provide suitable serving sizes.

Aggression and food aggression in particular is not caused by bones. All dogs should be trained to give items, including food and bones, to their people.

If you want to serve bones as part of your dog’s diet:

• Buy raw bones with meat attached. If you’re unsure, go to a specialty pet store and they can guide you in the right direction. Keep the marrow, and remove large chunks of fat. The serving size should be appropriate to your dog’s size.

• To minimize bacteria issues, feed bones, and all meals for that matter, in a place away from people– eg. outside or on a washable mat. In the book Not Fit for a Dog, Veterinarian Michael Fox recommends scalding raw bones to reduce the risk.

• When giving bones or other foods or toys, supervise your dog so you know they’re ingesting properly and not choking.

Do your own research and make choices that are right for you and your dog. If you love heated, controversial debates, next time you’re out with dog people, bring the topic up.

Read more at:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/35/search?sc=Marion+E.+Smart&sf=Author

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/feeding_dogs_bones#ixzz0Su0c9SSg

http://ottawadogblog.ca/2008/04/reader-question-should-you-give-your-dogs-bones/

http://www.drpitcairn.com/nutrition/nutrition_index.html

http://www.professorshouse.com/pets/dogs/feeding-dogs-bones.aspx

http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=CDN201

Identifying when your dog has a serious health problem

Jessie was alert, but seemed lazy. I checked her gums and they went white and stayed white. I rushed her to the vet, who diagnosed her as having a tumour that was blocking her circulation.

Three-year old Zack was unsteady on his feet and lethargic. I checked his gums and they went brick red. I rushed him to the vet, who said he had suffered a stroke.

Your dog’s gums are a window to their health. If you suspect a medical problem, lift your dog’s lip and press the gums just above their teeth. By doing this the blood is forced out of the small capillaries under the skin, and you’re able to see the “capillary refill time”. If the gums stay white or take two seconds or more to return to their normal pink colour, or if the gums are bright, firey red, your dog could be experiencing a serious medical emergency.

If you suspect your dog is ill, check their gums. If they don’t return to their normal colour quickly, get immediate veterinary care.

Human foods poisonous for dogs

Like many dogs, carefree little Kokanee merrily grazes through her home looking for interesting stuff. After sniffing around mom’s purse, she hit the jackpot and snagged a few pieces of tasty xylitol sweetened gum. That was the start of some serious health problems and a lot of trips to the vet. The little gal is fine now, but it was quite a scare.

People typically child and pet-safe their homes by locking up prescription and over-the-counter drugs, alcohol and vitamins, and avoiding poisonous household plants, then accidentally or lovingly treat their furry companions to fatal foods. Here are some non-fido-friendly ingredients to watch for as either whole foods or as ingredients found in processed foods:

1. Products sweetened with xylitol

Danger, danger. If you live with a diabetic or someone on a diet, watch your sweeteners. Even a few sticks of xylitol-sweetened gum or sweetener packages can cause liver damage. Check the ingredients listings – even when a product is sweetened with aspartame, it can also include traces of xylitol.

2. Chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate icings

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound which makes dogs pee a lot and increases or changes their heart-rate. While excessive urination is uncomfortable, the heart rate changes can kill them. While some dogs miraculously eat a box of chocolates and survive, it’s likely that the chocolates were fruit filled with lots of milk and sugar rather than real high-quality chocolate. It’s chocolate purity that counts. One ounce or 28 grams of pure dark chocolate can kill an 11 pound dog.

3. Coffee, coffee beans and coffee grounds

They all have caffeine, and dogs that eat caffeine can suffer from caffeine toxicity. The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of chocolate toxicity, and just as serious, if not more so.

4. Hops

If you’re a home brewer, watch out. Hops can cause malignant hyperthermia, and potentially death. Unbeknownst to most vets, at least eight cases of hop toxicity in dogs have been recorded by the National Animal Poison Control Center at the University of Illinois.

5. Macadamia nuts or macadamia nut butter

The toxic compound is unknown, but the affect causes locomotory difficulties. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

6. Raw, cooked or dehydrated onions, onion powders

Onions contain a substance called thiosulphate which dogs and cats can’t digest. According to veterinarian Dr. Wendy Wallner onion toxicity causes a Heinz body anemia. Heinz bodies are small bubble-like projections which protrude from a red blood cell and can be seen when the cells are stained. This "bubble" is a weak spot in the red blood cell and, the cell has a decreased life-span and ruptures prematurely.

7. Raisins and grapes

Grapes and raisins appear to cause renal failure in dogs. Veterinarians have not determined the toxic component and it’s also not clear if long-term ingestions can lead to the same effects that a large one-time ingestion can.

8. Raw, cooked or powdered garlic

Garlic is also a member of the Allium species, in causing changes in red blood cells in dogs and cats.

NOTE: There’s a lot of controversy around garlic for dogs. Some sources claim that it’s poisonous, while others recommend serving it in small doses for its natural antibiotic properties. Do your own research. Talk with your vet. Then make your own informed decision.

9. Green, unripe potatoes and tomatoes

The green parts are toxic. Potatoes, tomatoes and other Solanum species plants are members of the nightshade family. These plants contain solanine and other toxic alkaloids, which can produce drooling, severe gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, central nervous system depression, confusion, behavioral changes, weakness, dilated pupils and slowed heart rate.

10. Other

• Significant quantities of avocado fruit and branches.
• Fruit pits or seeds, which often contain cyanide, which is poisonous.
• Spices such as tumeric, nutmeg and mustard seed.
• For cats, avoid cleaning and disinfecting products that contain Phenols

Cats are unable to process phenols and so if they ingest any (for example licking their paws after walking across a damp floor) the phenols will build up in their body as well as potentially cause severe burns to the skin. Phenols are found in pine scented products (pine based cat litter has the phenols removed) and in disinfectants that turn water 'milky' or cloudy.

Individual animals also have food allergies, which make them intolerant to specific items. Although problematic, these are not typically fatal. If you think your dog has food allergies, there is no reliable diagnostic test other than a strict food elimination diet. Your veterinarian would likely recommend an extremely limited diet and reintroduce foods until the cause is found.

Similar to humans, fatty foods can be harmful and even lead to pancreatitis, a serious inflammation, which can be fatal. And, large amounts of salt can produce excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning. It’s best to skip feeding fido salty scraps such as meat fat, chips and dips.

If you think your dog has been poisoned, telephone ahead, then bring your pet immediately to your veterinarian. In Regina for after-hour emergencies, contact the 24-Hour Clinic in Regina located at 1846 Victoria Ave East, 761-1449.

For more information, talk with your vet and read other online resources:

• http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe
• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=1030
• http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp
• http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/214013.htm&word=poison
• http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?specie=Dogs&story_no=257#ct-5
• http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/toxic-foods.html
• http://www.cocothebloggingdog.com/2008/11/hops-poisonous-to-dogs.html
• http://www.fallbright.com/PIHopToxicity.htm
• http://www.jlhweb.net/Boxermap/onions.html
• http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-news/2006_11/2006_11-08news002.aspx?cm_sp=InternalClicks-_-RelatedArticles-_-dog-news/2006_11/2006_11-08news002
• http://www.lacetoleather.com/fataltodogs.html

Dog 101: Doing it right

Imagine letting a two year old child run around your home at night. He’d get into trouble, break things, hurt himself – might even poop or pee somewhere he shouldn’t. The next day you would hit him, rub his nose in his poop, then set him free to get into trouble again.

Not!

You would put the little guy into a warm, safe crib with a diaper and try potty training in the morning – maybe even rewarding him with a Smartie if he did his business in the toilet.

Puppies are no different. Put him in a kennel, give him a safe toy, take him out to his pee spot in the morning then give him a biscuit for doing his business.

The sad reality is that many people get a dog, but don’t know what they’re supposed to do. They give the dog free access to the house, expect the dog to read their mind, think that he is doing things to be vengeful, then get frustrated and act out in anger. There are better ways.

Meet Bo. Bo is a four month old Australian Shepherd cross. Darn cute. He’s a very good puppy because his people are doing things right.

Here are some basics for new puppy people:

Picking your dog: This furry little friend will be with you for more than a decade so please think it through rather than acting on impulse. Understand what kind of dog fits your lifestyle – are you active or a couch potato? Do you want to have a wash-and-wear kind of dog, or do you want to spend time and money every six weeks on grooming? Can you afford the food bills for a bigger dog? Research the various breeds and quality breeders, talk with experienced dog people, then make an informed choice that fits your lifestyle.

Healthy Socialization: Get your dog used to everything – old people, young people, men, women, babies, cats, other dogs – you name it. The more exposure they can get, the better. Make sure they’re positive exposures- have your friends hand-feed your pup and give him or her affection. Ask your friends and family to gently handle the dog – doing all-over checks. That way your little pup will be easily handled by vets, groomers and other care providers. Take them to dog places – dog parks, positive-oriented obedience classes, agility, kennels, groomers, vets. The more they get to know other dogs, the better they’ll be at being a dog.

Basic Training: You’ll need to teach it house training, kennel training, leash training and some basic commands to give them manners and keep them safe.

Immediate Identification: Get a license, tattoo and microchip. They're more likely to make it home safely if he or she ever accidentally runs away.

Early Sterilization: Your little guy or gal will be healthier, happier and cleaner and less likely to exhibit aggression if you get her spayed or him neutered when young.

Annual Vaccination: Take your little one to the vet for a check-up and full set of vaccinations. Some people don’t realize that they need a series of shots – typically three vet visits – then an annual revaccination or titer count check thereafter.

Quality Nutrition and supplementation: Feed your dog the right quantity of high-quality foods. If you feed them cheap stuff, you’ll end up scooping most of it up out the back end. Feed them too much and you’ll end up with an unhealthy, obese dog. Giving them more treats doesn’t mean you love them more. Keeping them trim and healthy is a very loving gift. Really.

Regular Dental Care: Keep your dog’s teeth clean. A lot of dogs have really unhealthy mouths that are painful to them and expensive to their owners – teeth cleanings and extractions cost hundreds of dollars. Either give your dog crunchy things to chew on so they wear the plaque off (I give my dogs raw bones – other commercial products are available too), or brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Remember, the alternative is that it could cost you hundreds of dollars…..

Vigorous Exercise: Stimulate your dog’s mind and body. You’ll both enjoy life and each other’s company more that way. Your dog doesn’t want to be a couch potato – they want to run hard and play games with you –a tired dog is a good dog 

Keen Observation: Watch what goes in and out. Do all-over body checks to notice any changes, lumps or bumps. Keep a file to record any changes so you remember to discuss all the little things with your vet at their annual medical check-up.

Words of Caution: Dogs are like gambling addicts. If they get away with something once, they’ll think they can get away with it again. If you don’t want them to mooch food from the table, never feed them at the table. If you don’t want him or her to be on the furniture, never let them on. Letting them do something once lets says it’s fair game. And being inconsistent confuses them. And, particularly for small dog owners – never let your dog do anything that you wouldn’t let a 150 pound dog do. That means no biting, jumping, humping, scratching at your legs, etc. Everyone will be happier in the long-run.

Here are two excellent, more detailed resources to help you do it right:

• http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf
• http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AFTER%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf