Dog Guidance Blog

I always knew that commercial dog food was not the best food for dogs, but after watching a dog food video that a friend of mine referred me to, I was shocked to learn that it was much worse than what I had imagined.  I am sure that you will be shocked too. I thoroughly suggest that you have a view of this video too. It could make you dog live a much longer life. You can find it here

Labrador Retrievers have short and smooth shedding coats that sre water resistant and  relatively easy to care for.  This breed needs to be bathed every three or four months.  The coat should be brushed regularly to help keep it clean and shiny.  The ears should be cleaned weekly and the nails should be checked monthly to see if they need clipping.

The equipment needed for grooming Labrador Retrievers is the shedding blade, stiff bristle brush, steel comb, nail clipper, ear powder, scissors, and Lanolin coat conditioner.

1. Brush the coat thoroughly with a stiff bristle brush and then comb through to remove any dead hair.  A shedding blade may also be used in removing large amounts of shedding hair.
2. Clean the ears by dusting the inside with medicated ear powder.
3. Trim the nails with a heavy-duty, pliers-type nail clipper, to prevent the nails from splitting.  Make sure to only remove the tips of the nails to prevent cutting the quick.
4. Bathe and cage dry.
5. Scissor the whiskers on the muzzle as well as any long hair over the eyes and on the face.
6. Apply a lanolin coat conditioner by first putting a small amount on your hands and then rubbing it onto the coat.

Ticks are creepy little insects that cause irritation and disease to both humans and animals.  To prevent ticks from becoming a problem, tick repellents are widely available and very effective.  In locations where ticks are abundant, see your vet and ask for recommendations on a good insecticidal bathing or dipping.

The chances of acquiring Lyme disease depends on the length of time the tick is attached to your flesh.  The best way of minimizing the risk of infection is to take it immediately.  

This type of tick looks very similar to a mole or a blood blister.  Ticks are black and some female ticks are dark red, and all ticks turn gray and blow up when filled with blood.

To remove a tick, grab the exposed part of its body near the dog’s skin with tweezers or forceps.  Very gently, pull it with a smooth, steady pressure.  Try not to pull the tick with your fingers because it could be carrying a disease that is toxic to you.  

Do not be concerned if the tick’s mouth parts or head get stuck in the dog’s skin.  Leftover parts will not poison your dog, although it may cause a temporary and minor irritation.  Rubbing antiseptic on the bitten area after removing the tick will help prevent the inflammation.  Avoid contact with the tick. 

Best Selling Flea & Tick Products

It is a good idea to give your dog a bone about twice a week as a special treat.  Dogs love large beef bones, raw chicken necks, and the tips off chicken wings.  If you are not sure how long they have been in the supermarket case, douse them with boiling water to kill any bacteria before feeding.

The benefit of feeding bones is that they give your dog beautiful, pearly white teeth that do not need to be cleaned.  However, feeding too many bones will give your dog constipation and hard, chalky stools.  Also, be careful to give your dog only large bones that cannot splinter.

Leave your dog alone after giving it a bone.  Dogs get possessive about their bones.  They are one of the few items that may cause dogs to growl at you if you try to take one away from them.  Bones are a very special treat, and dogs want to be in a place to relax and enjoy them.  Let your dog go to its crate, which is the perfect place for it to enjoy its bone in peace.  Give your dog a few hours to indulge itself.  After a few days of chewing a fresh bone, it loses its magic, and most dogs will allow you to pick them up or handle them.

See nutrition for dog for more information.

When grooming your dog, it is important for you to be firm but gentle at the same time. Being firm with your dog does not mean being harsh, but to let the dog know who the leader of the pack is. Most dogs respond to simple commands such as sit and stay. 

In addition, dogs respond to firm commands that are given in a gentle voice. In this way the dog knows that you are in control and that he will be treated kindly, which is the important part in grooming.  Once the dog has been frightened by shouting and harsh treatment, it is very difficult to reassure him that he is not going to be frightened again.

If a dog becomes a real problem and does not respond to the handling of a groomer or his owner, he should be taken to an obedience trainer for further instruction. There will always be some dogs that you will be difficult to groom for disciplinary reasons.  If a dog is a ”biter,” he should be groomed by a vet who can administer a sedative.  Dogs should be started on a regular grooming routine from puppy hood so that he can become accustomed to the process.

DOGS at the Animal Welfare League are running out of toys.

The League is appealing to the public to donate hard rubber dog toys and durable ropes to entertain the dogs.Spokeswoman Donna Sullivan said toys were vital for dogs’ mental well-being.

“Every dog needs an adequate backyard and long daily walks to keep their minds stimulated,” she said.

But as the League cares for hundreds of dogs every day, it can not take them all for long walks.

“Toys are what we can provide for the dogs to entertain them and keep their minds happy and healthy,” she said.

The League gets close to 10,000 lost and abandoned dogs a year.

“Each year around Christmas time we receive large donations of toys but it is around this time of year that the dogs have managed to tear them apart,” Ms Sullivan said.

Anything with stuffing is not considered suitable as it presents a choking hazard. Dog toys can be donated at either of the League’s shelters at Wingfield and Elizabeth West.

Source Advertiser

Although tiny dogs have been around for hundreds of years, only comparatively recently have breeders developed a “true-to type” Toy Poodle, one who will faithfully pass on his desirable characteristics from generation to generation. In America, Toy Poodles were treated as a separate breed until 1943. At that time, the AKC gave in and agreed they were just like the other Poodles, only smaller.

Toy Poodles are excellent pets for apartments and for elderly people, since they require little exercise. A mature Toy Poodle will weigh between 6 and 12 pounds, and will get along perfectly well with half an hour of outdoor exercise a day. Of course, they may race around the apartment like mad.

Toy Poodles are easy to pick up and carry from one place to another, and as long as they are trained properly, they are as compliant as the other sizes. Small children, however, must be constantly supervised around a Toy, as they might inadvertently hurt him. In such cases, a more substantial Poodle variety is a better choice.

The following is a list of 6 hand signals that are commonly used in dog obedience training.

1. “Come”: A movement across the body from the side toward the opposite shoulder.

2. “Down”: Can be done in two ways. The first way is with the arm raised to shoulder height in a striking motion if the owner is facing the dog. The second way to carry out the “Down” signal is to with the left arm down with elbow straight, wrist bent, and palm and fingers parallel to the floor if the dog is at heel position.

3. “Heel”: A forward motion of the left hand parallel to the floor to make the dog start walking at heel. It is also a swinging motion of the left hand from in front of the owner to his side to make the dog go to heel.

4. “Sit”: While facing the dog with either hand extended and palm faced upward, flip up the fingers with a quick wrist motion.

5. “Stay”: Can be done by having the arm extended downward, palm back, and held momentarily in front of the dog’s muzzle.

6. “Stand – Stay”: This is done by using the signal similar to “Stay.”

My groomer has been working overtime this month. Unfortunately, it’s not just haircuts and nail trims he’s been in demand for.

Lately he’s been pulling ticks off dogs and cats like never before. Every year I hear him say, “The ticks are getting worse!” This year is certainly proving to be no exception.

I just hate ticks. They give me the creeps. Like little vampires, ticks live by feeding off human and animal blood, all the while spreading dangerous diseases.

They harbor specialized bacteria that they pass with their mouth parts to their victims during a bite. Ticks have big appetites, too.

A female tick can consume enough blood to swell to 1,000 times her original weight; so obscenely large that she falls off her victim and can no longer crawl. Even more insidiously, a tick can live without feeding for a year or more and still remain ready to latch on and take a fresh blood meal when an unsuspecting victim comes along.

There are many species of ticks and they can be found most places in the United States. Unfortunately for us they are particularly concentrated along the east coast.

If you have a dog or a cat, you need to protect it from disease-carrying ticks and their nasty bites. Here are some of the more common diseases that ticks can spread.

– Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii. Both dogs and humans are susceptible.

Symptoms of infection include fever, depression, rash, anorexia, painful joints, and sometimes death.

– Ehrlichia is a family of specialized bacteria that attack white blood cells and cause immune suppression. Symptoms of infection include fever, enlarged lymph nodes, depression, weight loss and anorexia.

Not all exposed animals will become sick but many will. Both humans and their pets are susceptible.

– Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Both people and dogs (rarely cats) are susceptible to infection. Symptoms of infection include fever, anorexia, painful joints, and swollen lymph nodes.

– A danger to cats only, Cytauxzoonosis is a tiny protozoan (a microscopic single-celled organism) spread by the bite of a tick. This is a particularly deadly disease in which there is no readily effective treatment. Many cats infected by Cytauxzoonosis will sadly die.

– Babesia is a family of protozoans that live inside its victim’s red blood cells. Both humans and pets are susceptible to infection.

Babesia infections can cause anemia, anorexia, and a high fever. Some animals may remain asymptomatic but others can become sick enough to die.

Protect your dogs and cats

To keep your dog and cat protected from disease-carrying ticks, use a veterinary-approved topical flea and tick product such as Frontline Plus (dogs and cats) or K-9 Advantix (dogs only) every 30 days. 

Avoid over-the-counter products that are far less effective and can sometimes even be dangerous. No product is 100-percent effective, so you should still check your pets for ticks daily.

Remove any ticks you find using a pair of clean tweezers. Wash the bite area with warm soap and water and wash your hands after handling a tick.

If the tick is attached tightly to your pet, increasing the risk of disease transmission, call your vet’s office for advice about what to do next. Your veterinarian may ask to see the tick for identification purposes as different species of ticks carry different diseases.
If she does, drop it into a jar of rubbing alcohol for sanitary transport.

Dr. Melissa Wheeler DVM owns Central Carolina Veterinary Hospital and 24 Hour Animal Emergency in Burlington. For more information call 229-0060.

Source Burlington Times

Guide dogs from seven states will be showing off today at Maxwell Park in Normal as part of a convention of Pilot Dog owners. 

Angie Carnell uses her pilot dog to help her navigate State Farm Corporate South where she’s a project manager. She says her dog Kendall gives her the life she wants.

Carnell will join other pilot dog owners for obstacle and obedience competitions starting at 9:30 and going until one this afternoon. After that, visitors can listen to information about pilot dogs and stick around for Q and A with dog handlers. The group will also have raffles and prizes as it raises money for scholarships to breed, raise, train, and match the dogs with handlers.