Product alert! There are tennis balls made by Tretorn called “Tretorn X” that contain an inert substance which presumably helps with the bounce. However, when the dog pops open the tennis ball while chewing, the substance makes a terrible gooey mess in their mouth and presents an aspiration hazard. I was made aware of this by a client who’s dog had a bad experience with just such a tennis ball. Here is a picture of one exposing the material inside.It seems that the material is non-toxic. However, it still presents a potential injury problem. Make your friends aware!

By: Abbott Valley Veterinary Ctr

Join us this Saturday for our first ever dog park day in Charles County at the Turkey Hill Dog Park at 10am. The dog park is located right off of Route 301 on the left coming from La Plata. Hope to see you there and please tell all of your Charles County dog friends too.

Map

Meet 6/7 month old “Frisky” (on the left), a playful golden girl who is coming to us this Saturday. She does well with cats, other dogs and kids. She has had her initial vet appt where she check out to be healthy. She will need to be spay before she is available for adoption. Susan and Ernesto and their golden Sammi will be fostering Frisky.

Pretty amazing……
Dog at Target

Have you ever had the misfortune of walking into your house to find overturned furniture, inches-deep claw gouges on door frames, blood-stained tooth marks on window sills, and countless messages on your answering machine from neighbors complaining about your dog barking and howling for hours on end in your absence? If so, you’re probably familiar with the term “separation anxiety” – a mild label for a devastating and destructive behavior.

Most separation anxiety behavior happens within 30 minutes of the owner’s departure and within a similar period before the owner’s anticipated return. This is one of the keys to determining whether your dog’s behavior is truly an anxiety reaction or simply a bout of puppy hijinks.

If you can leave and come back in an hour to an unscathed home but four hours puts him over the top, chances are you’re dealing with boredom, excessive energy, or a housetraining issue rather than true separation anxiety. (Some dogs will become destructive in their efforts to go outside to relieve themselves if they are very committed to not soiling the house.)