Posts from — August 2012

I love the Whole Dog Journal. It’s kind of like Consumer Reports for Dogs with a wholistic approach. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken my copy in to share with a vet or forward to someone whose dog is going through some type of illness that the WDJ just happened to do an article on recently.

This is the journal that first started rating dog foods; and I believe their efforts are what led to the massive growth of the premium dog food industry.

I actually save my back issues of this journal. WDJ usually cost $39 for 12 issues, but it’s on sale for $20 so I thought I’d let everyone know.
Whole Dog Journal

If you are in the Northern Virginia area next weekend this looks like fun! waterpark

If Doug could talk… click the links below to hear what he would say!

YouTube Scene from UP with Dug #1

YouTube Scene from UP with Dug #2

Doug loves everyone. He is playful but also enjoys cuddling time.

watch?v=U1WrT2719yo&feature=share
I have always been afraid that if my dogs developed bloat I would not know it. This video shows a dog that has bloat. Don’t worry, the dog is fine and it is good to see an actual case so we know what to look for in our dogs.

Since many participants’ families are out of town and can’t get to the vet this week, the Canine Biggest Loser contest weigh in results don’t have to be submitted until next Saturday, Sept 8th.

Once you get your results, post here or send to Kim at kimthomas18@yahoo.com.

The winner will receive a toy from each of the participants as their prize.

From Dr. Jon’s Newsletter.

We used these vitamins a lot, and the article is right, my guys think of them as “appetizers” as they get one while they wait for breakfast to be made.

Dogs are living longer than ever thanks to better nutrition and advances in modern veterinary care. But even though they are spending longer here with us, their quality of life changes as they age. No one stays young forever and that includes dogs. As they age they develop diseases similar to those that befall humans, including cancer, memory problems, arthritis and diabetes.

A sure sign of aging is slowing down. As dogs get older, they have less energy and become less active. But many of the symptoms of aging can’t be seen outwardly. For example, your dog’s immune system also changes as he gets older, and it becomes harder for his body to fight infection. It can become difficult to determine the source of a senior dog’s symptoms. Are they sick, or just slowing down? It’s not always easy to tell.

How quickly your dog ages and what changes his body will undergo along the way depend in large part on the individual dog. We can make estimates and best guesses but ultimately aging is determined by a combination of genetics, environmental factors, and plain old chance. However, there are a few things you can do to give your dog the best chance for a long, healthy, active life. The easiest things you can do to keep your senior dog in good health is to make sure they get routine veterinary exams. These allow your vet to catch problems early while they’re easier to treat. But when it comes to your dog’s nutritional needs, doing the right thing isn’t as simple as a checkup once or twice a year. You need to make sure that your pet’s needs are met continuously for the best life. Premium foods can make a real difference in improving your dog’s health at every stage of development. Feeding your dog a good premium food developed for his specific life stage is important. However, this isn’t a failsafe method for making sure your dog gets all the nutrients they need. Here’s why.

All dogs are different; they behave differently, they age differently, and their bodies process food differently. So while you may be feeding your dog a good premium food, that’s only half the equation. If your dog’s body is not able to properly extract nutrients from his food he might not get the same nutritional support from this food that another dog might. You can never be sure.

Feeding a good premium food is the first step to improving your dog’s health and quality of life. But to make sure your dog is really getting all the nutrition he needs from his food, you should also give him a good daily vitamin supplement.

Doing so will help strengthen your dog’s immune system, boost his metabolism, and increase his energy and stamina so he can do the things he loves. As good pet parents, isn’t that what we really want for our dogs?

When you give your dog a daily supplement, you are making sure that he gets the nutritional support his body needs to stay strong and healthy. Like many veterinarians, I recommend Pet-Tabs vitamins. They have been recommended by veterinarians for over 30 years.

The biggest complaint I hear about vitamins is getting your dog to take them. If you’ve ever tried to give your dog a pill, you know it’s not easy. But Pet-Tabs are different. They’re chewable and they’re made with real liver, so they don’t taste like medicine – they taste like a treat – and your dog will think you’re giving him a tasty reward!

We start classes next month so I called and the trainer said no to a harness because it will just make him more comfortable to pull tho the front hook harness may solve that. We had to use a gentle leader on Shelby when she was a young stubborn strong puller. She may have had some husky in her tho too so fighting her instinct. Andy might damage his neck with a gentle leader the way they pull to one side. One flying leap and ouch! He’s too young for it now and he’d probably throw a hissy fit anyway or I’d get The Look.
Andy is doing better. I just take more time during the stretches of street he thinks he is going to pull and praise him like crazy when he walks nice. And because he is braver now, I come and go from different routes as much as possible to a avoid the “almost home” pull though nice thing is is he knows where home generally is and definitely when we are within two blocks. He also knows “leave it” pretty well too so I say that to avoid oh, trash or a dog poo someone didn’t pick up or even a jogger who doesn’t want to be bothered by an adorable Golden puppy. I try to say “leave it” to him before they are in earshot so not to call them an “it” and offend. People are so touchy.
He has gotten extremely sassy when he wakes from naps. I know to run him thru fun commands and oh, another walk or round of fetch to tire him back into obedience.
He is so vocal with his snorts and sighs. I practically get eye rolling from him like a teenager. He is such a stinker. He will belly crawl and inch his way non-chalantly up to the cats just to try to get close to them to lay next to them and maybe get a butt sniff in. It is a riot watching his antics. Cicadas and butterflies are also top on his play toy lists.

We love him to pieces! Cannot imagine life without him.

Has anyone heard how Blaze is doing?? If Andy was the more laid back one….yikes!

This was taken today for sit and down and (oh the meanest) wait practice…. So intense! He’s starting to get lanky.