The Dangers of Bird Seed to Dogs (if they consume it)

Above photo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/ExtremeChineseCrested

 Many dog owners find out their dog just loves to eat. They all love to get things in their mouth, see what it tastes like and swallow it down is possible. If you are allow your dog outside a lot and you also feed the birds or are places where other people feed the birds be careful about your dog eating the bird seeds. Bird seeds are definitely not a nutritious food for dogs to eat. They actually might find the bird seed tasty, but nonetheless, don't allow this. Don't be alarmed if you catch them in the act and they swallow a few seeds freshly thrown down by the birds before you are able to stop them, however if your dog gets into old bird seeds you could have a real problem. Here is why:

Damp, old bird seeds might be molded and contain high levels of aflatoxins that can cause severe illness and even death in dogs.

Symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning include:

• sluggishness
• loss of appetite
• vomiting
• jaundice (a yellowish tint to the eyes or gums)
• diarrhea

Science tells us the liver is the primary organ affected by aflatoxin poisoning.

If you have a bird feeder or have your dog around someone else's bird feeder, you will most likely find bird seed underneath the feeder. The dog is also likely to be eating bird feces in the area underneath a bird feeder. Even if the seeds alone to do harm your dog, bird feces contains a variety of bacteria and parasites that can be passed onto the dog resulting in salmonella according to animal scientists. The salmonella infections can cause minor or very serious attacks of diarrhea and vomiting.

If you like to feed the birds here are some tips of how you can keep your dog safer:

1. Always use fresh seed and read the ingredients to be sure there is nothing harmful to a dog in the mix.
2. Wash and sanitize your bird feeders often at least every 2 weeks and more often during heavy use or wet weather.
3. Clean up the bird seed birds scatter out on the ground regularly.
4. There are screw-on trays to place under the feeders keeping the seeds from ever hitting the ground in the first place.
5. Teach your dog the command "leave it" in the hopes that if you catch him you can immediately shout the command "leave it" and keep he or she safe.

I hope this article about dogs and bird seeds is helpful to you as you enjoy your dog or dogs outdoors.

Causes and Treatment of Dog Diarrhea

Above photo courtesy of Laurie Extreme Chinese Crested Puppies

A very common affliction in the canine world is "diarrhea." If you have lived with dogs any length of time in your life you will come across this affliction.

Some of the causes of dog diarrhea include:

• Eating too much, eating garbage or spoiled food
• Change in dog food
• Intolerant of food you are feeding
• Allergies
• Parasites
• Poisonous substances such as poison plants
• Bacteria infections
• An underlying illness such as kidney or liver disease
• Medications you are giving
• Stress and/or emotional upset (simple changes in environment can trigger an episode of stomach upset and diarrhea

Many dog diarrhea episodes are mild and can be treated with home remedies. Some of these home remedies include:

• A simple fast. Withhold food for 12 to 24 hours, providing water in small amounts. Introduce food slowly after a fast and start with binders such as rice and water. Boil a high-quality rice in a lot of water, remove the grains and feed your dog the creamy white soup that is leftover. Try putting in a little broth or baby food to make it tastier.
• This may sound odd but even plain canned pumpkin (not prepared pie filing) is effective to feed a dog with diarrhea.
• Yogurt with beneficial bacteria can help dogs who can tolerate milk and milk products.
• Boiled potatoes without the skin
• Cottage cheese

Not all methods work for all dogs. Once you find a method that works for your dog, stick with it. Slowly increase the portions over a period of a few days and then start to add small amounts of y our dog's regular food to get him or her back on track.

If your home remedies fail you should consult a vet and consult a vet if:

• other physical symptoms like lethargy, fever, vomiting, dry or pale gums and/or weakness.
• diarrhea that does not stop despite the same home remedies that worked for you in the past
• dehydration
• diarrhea lasting a long time like more than just a few days
• if your dog is on special medications
• if your dog is elderly, or has diabetes, Cushing's, cancer or any other medical issue

Reasons Why Your Dog Limps

Above photo courtesy of Cathy Tucker KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

Dogs are no different than humans about limping around. The only difference is that dogs can't verbally tell the vet or us why they need to limp. We humans have to speak for them after we figure out why they are limping. Your vet is your most valuable resource. Guessing the reason yourself is not the answer. 

At little common sense goes a long way. Be able to tell your vet about the dog's symptoms. Was it a gradual or sudden onset of limping. Gradual limps happen slowly, for example, he or she might limp today and not tomorrow. A sudden limp usually occurs after injury or trauma and of course you will notice your dog was not limping, but now suddenly he or she limps. Gradual limps meaning limps today and not tomorrow, but limps again next week and so on probably indicates a chronic underlying and degenerative condition like osteoarthritis or dysplasia. Only your vet can determine the exact cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Don't be alarmed just because your dog gradually limps. However, you should make a vet appointment if you notice it happening even if just on occasion. As with humans most dog conditions can be treated more successfully when caught early. Other reasons your dog might limp could be due to cancer or hip dysplasia. Generally speaking it is better to schedule a vet appointment for a limp that lasts more than a few minutes. 

How do you determine whether this is an emergency or something that can wait until a scheduled vet appointment? If you notice a gradual limp or even a sudden limp that does not seem to be bothering your dog a whole lot, you can usually wait a few hours and watch your dog closely to see what occurs next. The limp may resolve or heal on its own. Of course broken bones or dislocated joints require immediate care. Here are some emergency symptoms to look out for that require a trip to the vet as soon as possible or even to the vet emergency room: 

• Any limb that seems dislocated from the body, such as a dangling limb
• Swelling
• A hot limb
• An obvious break or your dog holding a limb at an angle

Wait for about 15 minutes if your dog or puppy becomes acutely lame; they are likely to cry or yell. You might see them perfectly normal after that time and save yourself a trip to the vet. This is especially true of puppies. If after 15 minutes they are still lame or cannot bear weight on a limb, you should see a vet.

Some of the reasons why your dog limps include:

1. Injury or sudden trauma
2. Bone disease
3. Cancer
4. Osteoarthritis
5. Hip dysplasia
6. Elbow dysplasia
7. Lyme Disease

Learn About Mange in Dogs

 Above photo courtesy of Cathy Tucker: KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

An extreme case of mange is horrific to look at and horrific for a dog to experience. Mange can be prevented and treated effectively. 

Mange is a common skin disease found more common in stray dogs, neglected or abused dogs. It is a sad sight to see. Skin is covered in sores or with thickened, hard, crusty patches over a hairless body. Mange is caused by mites.

The first signs of mange infection will be on the margins of the ears, chest, elbows, hocks and belly. Symptoms include: extreme itchiness, redness and rash, thick yellow crusts, hair loss, bacteria and yeast infections, thickening of the skin in advanced cases.

Treatment includes clipping the hair or shaving the dog down, dipping to cleanse and heal skin using medicated shampoos on a weekly basis. Betadine baths are helpful. Getting rid of the mites and then controlling mites. A drop or two of Ivomec in the ears monthly usually is sufficient for getting rid of and controlling mites. There are other topical applications you can use from your vet such as selamectin and imidacloprid-moxidectin. Ivomec is usually not recommended by vets for this use, however, it does work for dogs as I have used these method for years. Ivomec also helps control fleas. I have also used Betadine baths for dogs who seem to itch a lot.

You can purchase Ivomec and Betadine from just about any pet supply company. Vets also have oral treatments and other topical treatments you can use.

Controlling mites and curing mange is actually pretty easy, depending on the severity of your problems. Best practice is to prevent it. Mange makes a dog absolutely miserable.

Tips to Help Control Barking

Above photo courtesy of Cocoa Bella Havanese

No doubt about we all know dogs bark. It is their way of "talking,"  or a natural reaction much like in humans we talk as reactions to things in our environment. Dogs barking can be much more annoying than a person constantly talking. Yelling, rewarding bad habits and inconsistent disciplining is not the way to go for solving this problem.

You first want to try and figure out the source of your dog's barking if you want a permanent solution. Maybe the dog barks due to being bored. If so, provide your dog with interesting and/or fun things to do and you solve your problem. If separation anxiety is the reason your dog barks you will need to try a completely different approach. If you have several dogs, they may even dog with each other as a way of "arguing" or determining ranking order.

In this article, I will give you a few tips I have learned are recommendations trainers and dog behaviorists offer the most for dealing with  your dog's barking.

Providing enough exercise always seems to top the list. Try this one first. Giving your dog adequate amounts of physical and mental exercise before you leave them or every day for that matter could possibly help them to rest more when you are not home or rest more in general. A daily walk is great if you have time to walk your dog. If not, then think about hiring a dog walker.

Many dogs bark at people or other dogs in their territory. Socializing your dog well can help solve this problem. If a dog has many positive experiences with all ages and types of people such as people on bikes, the mailman, people in wheelchairs and children, the dog is less likely to protest and bark at them. If your dog is a mailman barker, ask the mailman to give your dog a cookie, for example, to try and ease the tension between them.

Interactive dog toys and puzzles help to stimulate the dog's mind and hopefully provide them with less desire to bark for an activity. Place treats inside a dog puzzle toy and the dog to work at getting the treats off to take his mind off barking at outside noises.

Another common suggestion I see and hear a lot from dog trainers for dogs who bark a lot when their owner is gone is to leave the dog with some familiar sounds such as a radio or television. Oddly enough my dogs seem to calm down to "Popeye Cartoons."

Close the blinds when you leave home to help remove the dog's opportunity to see things within their territory.

Teach a "be quiet" command of your choice or use a silent foghorn device, silent to you, but very loud to the dog's ears. If you use a foghorn, press the button at the moment the dog barks, then release it when the dog stops barking. Some dogs will learn this is their command to stop barking. And all dog trainers always advise to give treats for obedient behaviors to whatever you choose as your quiet commands.

If you have read many articles or seen many videos about training dogs, you probably have read or heard these tips before. Never hurts to be reminded of them again. I hope you find one of these tips to be helpful in training your dog or dogs NOT to bark excessively. They have the right to talk in dog language, just not to the extreme!

Dog Grooming Tips for the Summer

Above photo courtesy of Beautiful Bologonese

Summertime will be upon us before we know it. Time passes so quick. Be prepared for summer grooming as it usually means spending more time outdoors with your dog. The goal here is to make your dog feel cool and comfortable. A bonus with grooming your dog at home is it enhances the relationship you have with your dog. Dogs appreciate beauty salon treatments from their owners and will repay you with a closer bond to you. Grooming shows your dog you love him or her. Even if you have professional grooming intervals, grooming at home is an excellent way to tell your dog, "you are special to me," and "I love you."

Brushing your dog regularly provides many benefits that range from reduced shedding to a cleaner coat all the time. Brushing your dog daily is also an excellent way of keeping your dog cool in the summertime as it also helps you spot anything going wrong with your dog's skin such as infections, allergies or even fleas and ticks that are extra summertime problems for you and your dog. Brush regular to get out the mats that may develop in your dog's coat. Mats are extra bothersome in the summer months as they trap moisture from humidity and irritate your dog's skin. Brush regular to remove the dead hair. Brush regular to help circulation on the outer layer of skin.

Don't bath your dog too often. This is often a mistake people make in summer months thinking it helps the dog be more comfortable. If you brush every day, this will keep the coat clean. Every few weeks or once a month is usually enough depending on your dog breed. In between baths, you can use leave on sprays that condition and clean. You can also use a damp towel to wipe off dirt and help keep the dog clean in between baths.

Consider a summer haircut or shave down in summer months to help keep your dog cooler and more comfortable. Dogs don't sweat like people do. Their body heat needs some external help from you to get out. A summer time hair cut is especially necessary for dogs with longer or thicker hair.

Consider summer time pools especially for your pooch to splash around in, to jump into and cool off. 

Grooming safety is always a priority for grooming at home and professional grooming. 

Interesting Facts About American Eskimo Dog Breed

Above photo courtesy of American Eskimos in Tri State Area 

Judging from the name of this dog breed you might assume they originated from America. They are actually a German dog breed descending from the German Spitz who came to the United States with their German immigrant owners. The name "Eskimo" makes you think they might be sled dogs in Alaska, but this is not the case either. They were never bred to be genuine sled dogs, however, they excel at agility competitions. If you are looking for a good breed for agility competitions, look no further than the American Eskimos.

Beautiful German Spitz snow white dogs were originally used as herder dogs, livestock guards and hunting dogs. It was only when they were brought to the United States they became quite popular as family pets.

Another interesting fact about the American Eskimo dog is that in the late 19th century, they became popular with the traveling circuses. Since they are so easy to train they were capable of performing many kinds of entertaining agility stunts. Just imagine how stunning their bright white coats looked under the spotlight of a circus show. You can see why they then became popular as family pets. Many families gathered to see their acts and fell in love with this dog so much they wanted one at home for a family pet.

I bet you never imagined the American Eskimo Dog was the first at becoming an acrobat and walking a tightrope. That being said, you most likely could train this dog to do a variety of tricks to put on amazing performances, for example, at children's birthday parties and more. Just think how much kids would enjoy seeing these beautiful dogs perform tricks for them at their friend's or neighborhood child's birthday party.

The American Eskimo Dog is like the Poodle in that they come in three sizes: The standard usually weighs no more than about 35 pounds; the miniature size and a toy size.

Okay, so I lied! They don't only come in white. You can also find them in a biscuit color. They are either completely white or white with biscuit cream around the edges.

The American Eskimo Dog is a stunner both in the show ring and at home.