Pet Care Tips to Improve Pet Health and Quality of Life

I hope people don't mind me sharing this information with every one?

The person that wrote this about animals and experiments on them needlessly sounds like he may know what he is talking about. I give him thumbs up for his courage and integrity as well as knowledge.

http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-ifyou.html

White vinegar is excellent to clean our tile floors, we just got a puppy a few weeks ago, and with house training him he of course had accidents inside, we went to pet store to buy some stuff with enzymes to use on the urine spots, and the lady at the store said that vinegar is a great way to get rid of the scent and clean the floor. She said to avoid most all commercial cleaners, esp. anything with ammonia because a dog will be attracted to that and will be able to smell where it urinated before, and thinks it is ok to keep going there.

The best way to house train your puppies is to take them outside after they have had a meal. Use specific words when they do whatever they do. Our words are "make piss" and "make landmines". They will soon associate the words with the deeds, especially if you tell them how clever they are and fuss over them when they have done their "duty".

If you catch them in the act of soiling the house, pick them up and run outside with them. It helps if you have a big plastic bowl to hold under them when transporting them in this way.

For overall health, we put 1. 5ml of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide in 5 litres of water and give two buckets, one with the mix and the other with plain water. The peroxide mix is usually finished before the plain water goes down by 1/8th.

We also feed our dogs animal fat at the rate of 1/2 cup per day each, melted in boiled water, poured over their formula and left to cool. Every morning they are given 10ml of coconut oil each.

We have two Bullmastiff X St. Bernard crosses, littermates and brothers, who will be 8 years old in February 2013. They have NEVER been to a vet, have never been ill and still act as though they are 8 MONTHS old! Namaste.

Hardwood floors can be very difficult for aging dogs due to their slippery surfaces. As your dog approaches the end of his/her life, the hardwood floor issue becomes especially pronounced. Some dogs may find it impossible to stand up on hardwood floors, especially large breeds. An easy fix is to simply cover the area where he or she walks with throw rugs and runners.

Lawn Tip - Brown Spots?

Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do concerning brown spots from pets' urine? I thought I read a while back that there is something I can add to the dog's food or water, but I just can't remember what it is. Any help would be appreciated!

Buy cheap tomato juice and pour 1/2 cup onto your dogs food at each meal. This worked great for my female lab and she loved it.

Microchipping is a wonderful way to ensure you will always find your pet if he/she gets lost but double check on the materials that are used as some chips may cause cancer.

Microchipping doesnt help you recover a dog that has been stolen. It is not a GPS device. It must be scanned by a special microchip scanner. Only if someone takes the pet to a shelter does it do any good.

And then, it does a LOT of good.

Wrong, I was at the Animal Welfare facility where a very, very happy man was reunited with his boxer after being stolen 8 years ago. Eventually they have to go to the vet. Dog and man were in heaven.

I'll second that tip of not leaving a pet anywhere where it can be seen from a road, or outside alone with no one around when you are not home. I know of some people who came from Nevada to New York with two really nice dogs that they didn't leave with when they left NY and I know they didn't have the money to buy them. At the time, I called the police and they said there was nothing they could do. To this day one of these persons still has one of the dogs (she is light brown color, longish hair) and I know someone out there somewhere is grieving the loss of this dog. If I have another dog, I will never leave him/her outdoors alone again.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE when you share a remedy for pets INCLUDE MEASUREMENTS. It is vital as they cannot speak and rely on us not to unintentionally use incorrect doseages. even natural remedies can be harsh if not administered properly. THANKS.

In addition to Kelly from Cincy, OH... Really great suggestion. For the people treatments as well. But, also, please include your pets weight or perhaps the breed if you do not know (at least small, medium, large, extra large). Weight is so important. A 10 lb. chijuajua is going to require a lot less than a bull mastif.

vasectomy for male dogs!!! If your only goal is to prevent your male dog from fathering puppies, please consider this as an alternative to castration.

Yes, castration reduces "issues" related to having testosterone (roaming, having a sex drive, possible prostate cancer, etc).

But at least he would be intact and still able to have sex. Sex is very healthy (and enjoyable!!:-) )for humans - so why not for dogs?

Shop around for vets who are willing to do it. I'm not sure if I can put this website address - but for more info go to

http://www.dolittler.com/2008/2/25/pet.vet.dog.cat.neuter.castration.vasectomy.veterinary.html

The vet from this website states:

"Sure, neutering will typically rid you of the roaming, the pee-peeing over any available surface, freaky behavior around bitches in heat, and the triple terror of testicular tumors, perineal hernias and prostatic enlargement. Yet sometimes owners want just the reproductive issue addressed, thank you very much.

But the jury has spoken-for now, anyway. The veterinary establishment is loath to relinquish its recommendation that full castration (neutering) is the end all and be all when it comes to canine sterilization.

Indeed, vasectomies are so rare that I recall being laughed at by my professor in my Principles of Surgery lecture when I asked whether anyone was performing this technique in lieu of castration. That was fourteen years ago when I was still stupid enough to slink back into my seat and make myself invisible after such an oratory "fiasco."

Now that I've wisely shed such inhibitions, I can proudly proclaim: Vasectomies are surgical procedures, too! They have a place in vet medicine along with the unrecommended (but still sometimes necessary) anal gland-ectomy and feline thyroidectomy. Yes, sometimes they are indicated.

Given the new wave of discussions on the potentially dubious medical benefits of castration, it seems reasonable to look to vasectomies as a sound solution for those in doubt as to whether a normal neuter is best for their dog.

Today's patient was a perfect example: A young, fit Frisbee dog, this Border mix was all muscle. His owner wanted to ensure his "safety" around her friends' breeding bitches for a couple more years of competition on full testosterone overdrive. She'd read about vasectomies online and immediately knew "Rolf" needed one.

It just made sense. "No problem-I'll do it." (Though I've never had cause to do one before.)Afterwards, I had to wonder: Why haven't I ever been asked about this before now?

Though it's an easy surgery (far less painful than a routine castration, with fewer complications, to boot), it's clear that we vets have serious power over what procedures become accepted as the norm. Yet as science advances, as it inexorably does, what was laughed at by a gray-haired professor over a decade ago may just be the most responsible thing I might advocate ten years from now. "

Think about it.....would you want your man castrated just so that he would not roam??? Not me.

Ummm, that's a very strange way of thinking. But did you know that humans & dolphins are the only animals that have sex for pleasure???
So regardless of desexing or giving your dog a vasectomy unless he can smell a bitch on heat he isnt going to have the urge. That's kind of how it works. But thanks for the amusing post :)

I actually believe that we have a lot of balls to be altering animals unanimously, based on the assumption that they do experience sexual pleasure?! I choose not to do so, and to be a responsible guardian. So there, you who are being amused. if we must, vasectomies are much easier to perform and better for our pets.

I had to neuter my 3 male dogs to keep them from trying to kill each other. They were so territorial that I was taking care of their wounds they inflicted on each other every day. There is definitely a time when neutering is the best and only solution. They are all three best of friends now. No more aggressive behavior.

does anybody know of a natural remedy to get rid of odor in carpet? I have cleaned and cleaned the carpet where my Lab urinated, but the smell remains....uhg.

I have always used enzyme cleaner to get the odor of dog out of my carpet. Usually, you can find it at janitorial supply stores in your area.

i have found that Borax (a natural enzyme) works quite well. mix an appropriate amount with hot water and our on carpet...then if the smell is really strong sprinkle some extra borax right on the stain. allow to sit for some time and ten blot dry with paper towel. it can be found at any grocery store.

This is what I call my "puppy buster" formula when I was training our dogs. Mix equal parts of white vinegar, alcohol, and water in a spray bottle. Spray on the "accident" and blot up. Vinegar takes care of the odor - alcohol takes care of the stain. Works great!!!

when my dog was on steroids she pee'd a lot, she couldnt help it but if u take some biological washing powder and a little water and once you have taken up as much of the wet as u can rub in your washing powder leave for a minute or two then with a wash machine soak that up as well till dry, leaves the floor smelling great.

A friend of mine told me of an easy method to get my dog to swallow pills and capsules. Her method is to wrap the pill or capsule in cream cheese. I tried this by first giving my pets a small wad of cream cheese with no pill inside it. They loved it and stood there waiting for more. When I wrapped a pill inside, they took it the same way - EVERY TIME!!! And it never gets stuck in their mouth like the peanut butter. I have three dogs - a tiny toy poodle, a pug/chihuahua mix, and a border collie/lab mix - and it works for all three of them.

IF your doggie doesn't like cream cheese; Take a slice of bread. Spread some peanut butter on it. Put the pill on top and fold the bread in half. This will leave the pill encompassed in peanut butter and bread.

Tear off pieces of this "pill sandwich" and feed your eager poochie. He (she) won't even realize that he has taken a pill! I've used this technique for 35 years on several dogs and it has never failed.

Good suggestions... However, If your dog is allergic to dairy, tree nuts, wheat, corn, and soy. Don't laugh, I have this special dog. :) You can use mashed potato.... or some other mashed-up vegetable (carots, sweet potato, spinach, green beens). If they aren't going for the bait, add a little sea salt or honey to the outside of the vege ball. Then dab the seasoned portion to their lips and they will lick it. Once they get the taste on their tongue, it usually isn't a problem. Most dogs have a thing for either sweets or salts. The more it sticks to the pill the better. They can't separate it from the pill and naturally just swallow it down.

A very sick dog won't eat and is not motivated by food at all. This is a problem. So, I usually take a small amount of honey or a popsicle... you cant usually use a solid pill for this method. But, it works with crushed pills. Dogs like sweets... even when they are sick! I've even made popsicles in an ice tray to get some fluids and nutrients into a sick dog before. They make them for kids... why not dogs? :)

If you're not sqeemish about RAW meat... any ground meat works very well! If that doesn't work for you, perhaps some nice gooey canned food in a spoon. The key here is to hide the pill good, make sure the food comes off the spoon easily and small enough for them to swallow... If they need to chew it. They will most certainly discover the pill.

This maybe a stretch for others. Because my dog isn't the norm. But, I'll put it out there just in-case it helps someone. I recently found out my dog has a fetish for coconut oil... I mean he goes crazy as soon as he smells it or even sees the jar come out of the cabinet. If I place a pill in a spoon full of oil and he licks it all up... pill in all. He wouldn't dare let a little pill come become between him and his oil. BTW: I believe this oil has also helped with his allergies, skin infection, itching, and he seems like he has more energy now. But, not sure if it was the oil or one of his other 5 supplements/remedies that are finally starting to work coincidentally at the same time. Anyway, 1 Tsp. per meal and a little dab as a treat at night before bed (he weighs about 65 lbs).

We also started feeding the RAW/BARF diet... and nothing is easier than placing a pill in the middle of a peice of raw meat about 1" square. For a medium size dog, it's too small for them to chew and just big enough to hide any size pill. And a dog that is on this diet for awhile who has an apetite... isn't going to pass up a nice peice of meat. It won't take them long on this diet before they have an appetite!

Thank you for sharing. So often we don't ask those important questions. I wonder - would they have let you take the dog home if you insisted? I think vets are out to make money, no doubt about it. I love the vets that I have gone to over the years in different cities, but they always ALWAYS tried to get me to agree to more procedures or supplements or treatments than what my dogs were there to be treated for. I think they are under pressure to make money from the owners. That's my impression.

Hey I completely agree had the same thing happen but worse they needed to send him "out" because he needed more urgent care and 24' monitoring.???what was he getting and I had to pay before I had to pick him up and bring him to another vet and hospital which was sooooo wonderful. 24/7 open can go visit any time day/night don't have to call we usually did to talk to doc and because he was having alot of tests. It's really important and I didn't know this place was in the next town just 10min away. The end wasn't good but they all new him by name and treated him like he alway went there. I knew he was in good hands. I now have my new baby going there and am completely satisfied w/ the care and cost. I loved my old vet but was ignorant to what really goes on there.

Recently I took my dog to the vet with a dislocated shoulder (don't ask) and they wanted to keep her overnight, in a cage, no one there, lights blaring, cats in the same room - without even fixing the shoulder till the next day! (surgery hours). I stood my ground. I took her home on painkillers and mild sedative, made a cubby enclosure, slept on the floor with her so she wouldn't move, and took her back in the morning. I absolutely stand by this decision, even if I had to argue with the vet to achieve it. She would have done herself physical and psychological damage in that cage.

If you have transport and are willing to take care and responsibility, take them home!

Long Hair Shedding dogs that knows no boundary: Thanks for your time I am eager for your response! I have two labs retrievers which never fail to share their shedding hair leaving gobs of deposits all over the house. I learned to brush them and manage their shedding hair several times a week but was never able to manage my anxiety of shedding hair on the carpet. I have one rug in the house that they insist on using at will, after always leaving a healthy deposit of hair behind them. So i bought them their own rugs in addition to their own beds to no avail. Is there a harmless substance or remedy that I can apply to my carpet that will discourage them from using it. Thanks again!
W-

Fix for lawn spots from dog urine:

We were going to be hosting an event at our home in about a month and wanted the yard to look good. Since we adopted a female Boxer (we had a male already) I noticed many yellow patches in the lawn.

My ex-husband told me that he gave his dogs one hotdog (the cheap kind) each day and had no problems with his yard. I am an organic, natural foods type person, so I dismissed this. However, I was getting desperate because no matter how fast I patched the lawn, new spots would appear.

I bought the cheapest hotdogs at the store and the dogs loved them! After one week, there were no more spots!! I kept it up until the event was over and then quit giving them hotdogs. The dogs were disappointed, but I don't think hotdogs are good for them (I would never eat them). But it did work!

We had a golden retriever and everytime she peed on the lawn we ended up with yellow spots. A friend told us to pour some tomato juice on her food at each feeding, so we did. She loved it, and no more yellow spots!

I put baking soda in a container and punch holes in the lid, so I can shake onto the carpet. I add drops of essential oils in then mix with a fork. You can use what oil you prefer, I use Eucalyptis becasue it repels dust mites. I am highly allergic to dust mites, lucky me. I also like lavender, those two are standard in my carpet mix. The container is reusable, I also sprinkle pet bedding with it. I love em but they can be stinkers.

RE: Holding down a cat:
An easy, friendly way to hold a cat so that you don't get shredded during care is to toss a quillt over their back, as they are unsuspecting, then wrap them up in your arms and hold them like a baby. you can hold them with one hand and give care with the other. Have all your supplies on a table beforehand, so you can easily grab them with your one hand. Eventually your cat will know that when you do this he/she does not need to be scared. My cat no longer needs to be wrapped up when I cut her nails. She growls quietly, but is never violent.

I wrote back in January about taking my new rescue, a bordie collie/chow mix to the dog park. I was inspired to update my post after going to the dog park this afternoon and talking to a woman there who had put her 10 year chow mix to sleep not long ago because she had gotten too aggressive at the dog park (i.e., attacking other dogs). I think it is such a shame that people put their troubled dogs to sleep without exhausting all options first. Well, I too had to stop taking my rescue to the dog park because he too started attacking other dogs - I guess it's the chow in him? In case you were wondering, spraying him with a water bottle stopped working -- he just ran away from me whenever he saw it coming and continued to pounce on other dogs coming through the gate. I tried to put a muzzle on him but he started hyperventilating after about 5 minutes from not being able to hang his mouth open and pant. So I exhausted all my options for dog park, short of electric collar shock, which I refuse to do.

I decided to get him on the treadmill, after watching it on the Dog Whisperer time and time again. For those of you who are thinking about exercising your dogs this way, it's a great idea! I got a used treadmill on Craig's list for $125. Be careful that you do your research about name brands before you buy a used one... a guy on Craig's list tried to sell me a cheapo treadmill for $450 (bought new for the same price) but backed off when I asked him to send me the exact model #.

Anyway, this is how I trained my dog on the treadmill:

I first got him up on the treadmill and rewarded him with a super yummy cookie. I let him do this a few times before actually turning on the machine, that way he associates the treadmill with delicious food. Then I stood above him, with a short leash hooked into his collar and put the machine on the lowest setting. He slid backwards after first, but I pulled him forward by grabbing behind his front legs. I basically guarded him carefully but I didn't want to pull on his neck too much -- I think that's a bad idea overall (to yank on his neck, that is). Slowly I notched up the speed. I gave him a little piece of jerk turkey treat every 2-3 minutes. He got up to a fast trot within the first 3 sessions.

After 3 weeks of me standing over him, guarding him so that he wouldn't slip backwards, I decided that off leash was the way to go. So then I stood in front of the machine with my hand on the dial in case he started going off the back end. He jumped off at first, but got back on at my urging. It took approx 10 minutes to get him trained to trot off leash, much to my amazement. I now do about 10-20 minutes with him every day or two, but I have to watch because if he's on it too long, one of his pads gets raw. If that happens, I give him a day of rest and cut back on the time the next session. I still give him pieces of cookie every few minutes. That's a must!

It's been remarkable because even though he goes on walks every day (2-3 miles), it still wasn't enough exercise. Now he is soooooo much calmer. Had I decided not to keep him and sent him to city shelter, I do think they would have put him to sleep, considering him to be too much of a high maintenance dog for most people. He has turned into the most amazing dog and I am very blessed to have him.

As a final note of warning. I do NOT think it is a good idea to tie your dog up by his neck on the treadmill and leave the room. I also think the strain on their necks from the collar/leash when they get tired and start lagging on the treadmill is a very bad thing. I wish the Dog Whisperer show would really drive this home. We should monitor our dogs on the treadmill every second that they are on it.

My two cents. Hope it's helpful!

Hi! Update to my post about putting my dog on the treadmill. The treadmill works phenomenally well when I need to burn off his excessive energy, however, one caveat that I need to mention again. I have noticed that if he stays on the treadmill longer than say, 10 minutes, he starts chewing the bottom of his front paws incessantly. Not the pads, but the spaces in between the pads (sorry, don't know dog anatomy) and usually one side more than another. I figured out after a month of this that the grooves in the material on the treadmill must be irritating the skin. Too bad they don't design electric treadmills with carpeting for dogs (anyone an entrepreneur out there???!!!)! At one point he was chewing so much on his paws that they were bloody. So for all those who are using the treadmill to exercise their dogs, watch for irritation! I also noticed that if I take him on a super long walk (more than an hour).. he gets home and starts chewing on the paws. Half hour walks are okay though.

I see some posts on this site about dogs chewing their paws and wonder now if irritation from grass or twigs may be one of the causes. It certainly is for my woofie. Hope this helps someone. Thanks for reading.

Jonnna, Border Collies need to be socialized early if not they become skittish and fearful. I believe you mentioned somewhere you got your dog later in life so this can be a problem. They are by nature not protectors even though they were crossbred with the wolf.

Our girl had Parvo when we got her and caused a fear of humans (vets/IV's/death doorstep). We took her to the Zoom Room to get rid of that energy and then tried her with one of their classes (the dogs have rules, 6ft apart) she did ok, not great and also had a barking bout but what we learned was valuable. It really helped a lot. We stayed away from the dog parks (the herding instinct kicks in).

What worked for us was the command "touch it". We practiced by showing her the back of our hand (as if she was going to smell it) and praised her when she touched with her nose. We got stick um's and put one on my leg, gave the command and she would touch it (treat), then gave her other things to "touch it". While walking when passing people we gave the command showing the back of the hand and treat. This kept her attention away from people walking past. She got used to them being there and then were able to take her to more crowded places. At any time we were aware of overwhelm and would quickly divert her attention and lead her to a quiet place for a few minutes then resume back to what we were doing.

Getting off the energy first is the key, then keeping their attention fixed on you with a bag of treats in your pocket but a couple in your hand for an immediate response. After you get her socialized, can do basic commands I suggest taking her for a sheep herding test. It works wonders for them. There are a few places in the LA area.

I noticed as my dog has aged (he's now 14) that he gets cold quite easily. That said, I never bath him in the winter months because he has a hard time warming up afterwards and shivers for hours. This winter I realized that a good way to guage his body temperature was by feeling the tips of his ears. When he's internally cold, his ear tips are cold. He will start to shiver if I don't warm them (the ears) up. I can also warm him considerably simply by massaging along his spine, up and down. I also give him a good scratch over his entire body since that too warms him up. His ears get nice and toasty by the time I am finished and he has a satisfied glow!

Jonna;It might be good to order a few videos from Cesar Milan or watch his show on TV the history ch. I believe. I trust in his training 199% He also come on Friday eves. which is a special, I have never heard a bad review yet. Please don't give up on your dog, these animals all depend on us. I'm quite sure the dog is willing to learn we all just need the right techniques. We need the training first then the dog. :o() good luck

Dogs Sad after Owner Passes are CURED!!! Well for 8 solid months Ive been taking care of 2 older dogs who are deaply saddend by the passing of there owner and very good friend of mine. These 2 did nothing but mope around depressed! They needed something soon before they would die of depression. I found out the Healing power that mollasses has given me and thought ..maybe it could help these 2 dogs.???So, I poured some on there dog food ,and,was amazed they ate it. In less than 1 day these dogs turned had turned completely around!!!They started playing & barking and to this day (2 months later)they are high spirited and ALIVE !!! Im only a Maytag Repairman & I came up with there cure of dog sadness.

I liked your suggestion. It makes sense to me. Could you tell me how often and how much Molasses had you fed your dogs? Thank you.

My dog is nearing 14, and at times he likes to get up, stretch and turn around, but he started wandering if he did that during the night. When I'd turn a light on, he'd come right back and lie down next to the bed or crawl in with me again depending on his mood. I wondered if it was the dark so left a night light on, and yep, that did it for us, too. As our dogs live longer, they will have more cognitive issues just like old humans.

Hi. We are definitely on the same page re:Canine walks. I have 8 dogs and I hike with them every day. It really is the best part of my day and they are happy, healthy, well-behaved companions to be with because they get this exercise. Another tip I would contribute is feeding your pets as close to what they would eat in the wild as possible. They need all the digestive enzymes and nutrients in raw foods and , and I'm sorry, I do not care what kind of dog food it is, it is just not the same. Have you ever heard of a coyote with cancer or hip dysplasia? My dogs love salads, raw chicken livers, beef marrow bones, etc. My third tip is to learn how to live in the now from your animals. Makes life so much more fun!