Tips Of The Month Archives- 2008
Dec. 08 - A MUST READ- Establishing Yourself as Alpha and Preventing Ice Damage To Paws
Nov. 08 - Food Bowl Aggression- HOW TO PREVENT IT
Oct. 08 - Emergancy Recall
Sept. 08 - If You Ain't Alpha, You Ain't Nothin!
Aug. 08 - To Neuter or Not To Neuter By Age 12 Months
July 08 - Summer Heat Stroke & Flying Insects We Love To Hate
June 08 - Did You Know That Dogs Need A Whole Food In Their Diet?
May 08 - Is Your Pet Constipated?
Apr. 08 - Male or Female? You Decide...
Mar. 08 - Is Your Kitten Anklebiting?
Feb. 08 - Vitamin C For Bladder Infections in your Dog/Cat
Jan. 08 - The Allergy Hit List- Top 9 Culprits
Preventing Ice Damage To Paws
A remedy that sled dog team owners use to prevent ice damage to their teams dogs paws.
Before you go out walking your pooch in this January Frigid weather, vasoline your dogs feet to prevent damage from the ice and frigid cold. This will make your pooch happier and want to play longer in the back yard, and take longer winter walks with you.
For those who cross country ski and who want a new activity with their labs, try skijoring.
Skijoring LinkA MUST READ- Establishing Yourself as Alpha
Food Bowl Aggression- HOW TO PREVENT IT
Any kind of resource guarding stems from insecurity and paranoia. The dog, when standing at his bowl, assumes that someone approaching his food is a major life or death deal. So he begins guarding by growling, or snapping the air, or even biting you.
To prevent food guarding, at mealtime for puppy, stay with puppy and interact, by touching puppy, touching food and feeding out of hand. I like to put my scent all over the food before offering it to puppy. Handle food well in your hands before giving to puppy.
FOR ADULT DOGS ALREADY SHOWING AGGRESSION, growling and biting at food bowl. Before feeding, exercise the dog and wear him out. If you can't walk for long period of time, use backpack, (see previous tip of month). Then we make the dog sit, or do a down to earn his food. Make sure you have touched the food with your hands before he eats it.
I would put a small amount in food dish, and feed rest out of your hands sitting away from the food bowl. By doing this we are refocusing the dog on us as the food giver instead of guarding the bowl. (If you are worried that your dog could attack you while sitting with his food in your hands, do not do this, seek a professional trainer to help you.)
Required reading is "Be a Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan.
FOR PUPPIES ALREADY SHOWING GROWLING: DO THIS EXERCISE-
The best way to go about doing this is to conceal a small treat in one hand as you approach the food bowl during meal-time. Command him to sit. (If he doesn't know this command yet, gently push his head out of the bowl and push on his hindquarters until he sits, while repeating the command.) When he does so, take the food away for a few moments; hand over the treat as you do this and praise him lavishly. Return the food after a few moments and allow him to finish. You should repeat this procedure at least once or twice a week, but never more than once during a meal as he'll just get irritated (which will undermine the whole point of the procedure!)
Emergancy recall is very easily done. It is reinforcing one word at all times. When they say "treat" for a dog to come and get a treat. Try replacing it with your emergancy call word. For example I use the word "chicken". My daughter had our chihuahuas out in the front yard and they decided to head to the woods in a big rip and a tear. We didn't want them to become eagle snacks, so my daughter came through the door saying "I can't get the chihuahuas to come back", and I told her to yell "chicken". After 2 chicken calls, the little ones come tearing in through the door safe and sound.
<>Everytime we hand out a treat to the toy breeds in our home (and this works with any dog) we call every treat chicken. That way they think they are getting a treat and come back on the fly. This is for the dogs own protection and safety in case you need to get their attention in a hurry.
When the chihuahuas returned in that day, I made sure they had a treat to reinforce the emergancy recall. Don't forget that FOOD is the highest motivator!
I'm going to keep it light because I WANT YOU TO READ THE BOOK! If you have a dog that's displaying aggression or fear of strangers, or is just all round hyper and hard to control, then you are NOT pack leader. He won't have the responsibility or the stress of controlling everything. He is going to feel more secure and relaxed, be a more confident dog, worry less about strangers and he is going to be more happy when he is interacting with family and friends. He/she will be more obedient and show little or no aggression, so pat yourself on the back, you are now pack leader. Watch yourself excel at obedience, agility, hunting and all the other fun activities that canine enthusiasts do. People will want to know Your secret! PS- before heading out to the local dog park, Tire out your dog by giving him lots of exercise first so he/she is a good canine citizen. I have been getting a lot of emails on whether to neuter a male dog at 6 months. We have it in our contract that males are to be neutered at 6 months. This is so this male will become the best pet it can be. We do not want to introduce our pet people to sexual aggression or leg-lifing, plus an un-neutered male is not as compatible with other dogs as a neutered male. So I still stand by my contract to neuter your male dogs at 6 months and to clear up the controversy please follow this link and read on the effects of early neutering. Click here
Thanks for your emails on this and I hope this clears up all the concerns. Dogs that are experiencing the onset of heat stroke will usually pace. Signs of Heat Stroke: Include but are not limited to: Body temps of 104-110F degrees, excessive panting, dark or bright red tongue and gums, staggering, stupor, seizures, bloody diarrhea or vomiting, coma, death.
For you joggers, remember that during the summer, unlike you, your dog cannot shed heavier clothing and wear his/her shorts. They are wearing their slightly less than winter coat, and the only way they can cool themselves is sweating through the footpads and by panting, which is not near enough! And your faithful companion will keep running, no matter what, to keep up with you. Change your routines to early morning or late evening jogging to prevent heat stroke.
Ensure that your dog has water and shade at all times. You can always hose down the dog and area to provide an extra bit of cooling, or set a baby pool out full of cool water for the dog to lie in.
If you think your dog has heat stroke, do not delay in seeing your vet! Use cool water, NOT ICE Water. Administer corn syrup to the dog to elevate the electrolytes. (very cold water can constrict the blood vessels and stop the cooling process). If your dogs temperature is over 103F degrees, do not try to aid the cooling process- some animals can go Hypothermic (too cold). Allow the animal to just lick ice cubes. Just because your dog appears "OK" Do not Assume that everything is fine. Internal organs like the kidneys, liver, brain etc are affected by temperature spikes and you will need your vet to run a blood test. There is a second complication to heat stroke in animals, and it can be fatal! DIC (READ MORE HERE)
Play safe not sorry this summer when it comes to your animals!
With the onset of spring and summer, the insects we love to hate are on the hunt for fresh meat, and certain parts of your dogs certainly qualify as tasty treats, around the eyes and ears, belly parts, and tail. Check with your local tack shop for a product called Equinox, used as a spray for horses to control those pesky things. Spray where the dog can't lick. This will help solve that problem.
The best is unpasturized honey or bee pollen. We recommend a teaspoon and a half per 40 lbs of dog of honey or pollen. This will complete a dog's diet by ensuring a natural source of 17 minerals, 18 enzymes and co-enzymes, 18 proteins and amino acids,
16 vitamins and the others up to 28.
You will notice that stools will reduce and you'll be increasing your dogs immune system and click here for downloadable pdf article on ALL the tremendous benefits.
The bee product propolis has amazing quality. It works as an antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal and even has antiviral properties. (See section on Propolis in above article) To find propolis see your local health food store.
Some of the things it is known to help in canines is ear inflammations or infections, canine prostate inflammation.
For Partial analysis of bee pollen contents, Nutrient Profile.
For Cats, a little bit of cows milk goes a long way in giving relief to your cat, but too much will give you the opposite effect.
More information can be had at Pet's Health.
For Dogs, canned pumpkin is a natural way of dealing with it. 1/8th of a tsp is great for toy breeds, for dogs under 50 lbs go 1 tsp, for dogs over 50 lbs, increase slowly by ½ tsp. or consult your vet on how much milk of magnesia milk you could give your dog for their weight. More information. Males don't have to perform this task so they are more dependant. To describe both as adults as an example,if you are in your home office working, a female would come and check on you and may go lie in the other room, whereas a male would be laying by your chair (not that the female wouldn't be in the room, but this more describes her typical nature)
Alphas occur in every litter, but are low in numbers. There are more subordinates born. Alphas come in both males and females, so don't fool yourself in thinking that the female is the better, quieter or friendlier dog. Apptitude testing helps us to determine the right puppy for you.
The ankle biting in a kitten or cat is the prey drive being accelerated. Miss Kitty lies in wait to grab your ankles as you go by. (and oh! Those little needle teeth are ever so sharp!) What she is really telling you is that she needs some active play to burn this energy. So respond to your kitten with a rolled up newspaper (you can hold it place with masking tape) and tickle her belly until she starts attacking the newspaper, and reward her by giving it to her to tear up, and she will be so proud of herself and be content. Kittens/Cats need to release this prey drive. Many simple items you have at home can be turned into intriguing, fun-filled hours of play with your cat. Here are a few suggestions: Always use your homemade cat toys to play with your cat. Never leave them out for your cat to play by herself. String, thread or ribbons can be chewed and if swallowed by your cat can have serious consequences. Rubber bands or lengths of elastic may be fun but are choking hazards that can prove fatal. Always be there to supervise your cat and keep her safe when playing with her toys. Your pharmacist can order you the powdered ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to be given to your pet as a preventative against bladder infection, or as a help in the treatment if they have been diagnosed with bladder infection. The formula is as follows: For Cats: For further information check the following links out for excellent articles. These are things that a dog could be allergic too in
your contents of your dog food or treats. We recommend you check the “EAGLE
PACK” website as they have had good results with their food. The website is http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/EP_PetHealth.html#allergies. Recommended is the Duck Meal w/Oatmeal. This site, http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html, is an excellent source of information on the process of elimination and pinpointing the allergy. If you are going through this with your dog or cat, please ensure that you also read the side effects of the various types of treatment your vet may describe. One of the prescription foods mentioned available from your vet, are Purina Veterinary Diets.
Please note that accumulation over time (if dog is
not showing symptoms) can break the dog down. By the time your dog exhibits the
symptoms, it has built up in their system. We give this book a 5 star rating and a must in the household of dog and cat owners As always, allergies need to be vet-checked, vet- tested.
© Station One Reg'd Kennels & Cattery
Emergancy Recall
If You Ain't Alpha, You Ain't Nothin!
To do this the owner has to become the leader of the pack, mimic the actions and attitude of a leader in order for the dog to recognize and to conform. These have to be played by the owner when the dog is just being a pet, to where the dog sleeps, and to who greets strangers or visitors FIRST. Once the dog feels leadership coming from you, this will be the result.
To Neuter or Not To Neuter By Age 12 Months
Summer Heat Stroke & Flying Insects We Love To Hate
TREATMENT
Flies, Gnats and Other flying, biting Monsters
Did You Know That Dogs Need A Whole Food in Their Diet?
Is Your Pet Constipated?
There are many reasons that our pets get constipated.
Female dogs are independant due to their nature to be able to provide good mothering skills to their puppies. Puppies crawl until 3 weeks of age so mom has to lay down and stat laying down so pups can nurse, so she must be able to remove herself from the goings on around her.
Unlike the Puppy Biting Tips, gagging Kitty is not recommended! *hahaha* (unless you LIKE being bitten!)
1) Take one of your mis-matched socks, (after all the sock monster already ate the other one!), roll it inside out and make a ball. Voila! Instant toy! To make it even more enticing, add a slight sniff of catnip and fill the sock with material to give it bulk and simply tie the end.
2) If you have an empty cylindrical tin or plastic container with a screw down lid, kitty will adore this one. Just fill the container with a few dried pasta shapes, rice or dried peas, roll it across the floor and it's rattling and clattering should have your cat chasing it to investigate(although it may end up driving you crazy!). If the noise does not get kittys attention try filling the tin with something else, (whatever you fill it with make sure that the lid stays on tight, your cat swallowing any of the pieces could be very harmful.) Should the clatter frighten off your cat then reduce the contents or try rolling the empty container. Again Masking tape can be used to further secure your lid.
3) The Fishing Pole: A suitable length of garden cane, or thin but strong stick, with a length of string or twine attached and something interesting on the other end and away you go. What would something interesting be? Well, the homemade sock toy would be a good candidate but if you and your cat prefer something a little easier to flip, shake and wiggle about try a crumpled sheet of paper. Likely it will get shredded in the course of play but it is simple to replace.
By sewing together small strips of material you can make a pompom to tie to the end of the line. The pompom will easily catch your cat's attention and she will be darting and diving to try and catch the dancing, prancing, wiggling, jiggling thing!
For Dogs:
Preventative:
Add 1/16th of a tsp per 10 lbs (4.5kgs) of body weight of powdered ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to your dogs daily food ration.
Aid in Treatment:
If dog has is already suffering from a bladder infection, you give 1/16th of a tsp per 10lbs body weight, twice a day in the food. (Chicken broth is good for them with this).
For an alternative choice :
For dogs that are prone to bladder infections, mix an 1/8 of cup (30mls) of unsweetened cranberry juice per 10 lbs (4.5 kgs ) of body weight with their food ration every day. Alternatively, you can give your pet 1/2 of 400-500mg capsule of powdered cranberry concentrate per 10lbs ( 4.5kg) of body weight every day.
If your dog has been treated with antibiotics, you can get Lactobacillus acidophilus (supplement) to help replenish the beneficial bacteria.
Mix 1/4 capsule of powdered acidophilus per 10 lbs (4.5 kgs) of body weight to the food, once a day for 2 weeks.
Preventative:
Cats require 1/16th tsp TWICE a day to their daily food rations as a preventative.
Aid in Treatment:
Add 1/16th of tsp to their daily food FOUR times a day.
If your cat has been on antibiotics, mix ½ tsp of liquid acidophilus or ¼ of a capsule of powdered acidophilus to the cat's food twice a day for two weeks.
NOTE:It is important to avoid a dry foods diet which contributes to the formation of mineral stones. Instead, provide a high quality diet with plenty of raw foods.
If cysts are a recurring problem, permanently restrict organ meats/fish, which can create the irritating mineral stones.
Bladder Stones in Dogs
Vitamins, Supplements and Ways to Use Them to Support Companion Animal Health
As always, check with your vet, make informed decisions regarding the health of the beloved four footed members of your family.
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The Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs & Cats
Author: Juliette de Bairacli Levy
Paperback: 323 pages
Publisher: Faber & Faber; 1 edition (March 25, 1991)
ISBN-10: 0571161154
ISBN-13: 978-0571161157
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