Overall Dog Info

When humans feel the onset of allergies, they do everything they can to eliminate pollen, mold, and dust from the area. Dogs are equally susceptible to common allergens, but they lack the communication skills required to make a change. It’s therefore up to a pet owner or a veterinarian to supply the diagnosis. Common symptoms of dog allergies include excessive scratching and biting at the feet and flanks, and tell-tale redness in the ear flaps.

If you can effectively control your dog’s environment – keeping him indoors when pollen begins to spread, for instance – it’s enough to minimize allergic reactions in some cases. Otherwise, talk to your vet about medical options. Dog allergy shots have proven to be safe, but they aren’t always fast-acting. Demonstrate patience in the weeks following allergy treatment because your dog will almost certainly experience relief in the long run.

Make sure your pet is always properly hydrated with the Drinkwell Original Pet Fountain and get it for only $29.46 an exceptional value.  Drinking plenty of water is as essential for your pet’s health as it is for your own.  By providing a constant 5-inch stream of falling water, the innovative Original Pet Fountain makes drinking more attractive and fun for your pet, as well as more convenient for you. No longer will your pet have to slurp stagnant water from a traditional bowl. A large charcoal filter removes bad tastes and odors. The simple, safe Original Pet Fountain holds more than 50 fluid ounces of water (or more than 1 gallon with the use of an optional reservoir, which is sold separately).  In case you have cats, keeping them off your kitchen and bathroom counters and out of your sinks and toilets, is a definite plus.   A recipient of Cat Fancy’s Best New Cat Product award, it has been designed, approved, and recommended by veterinarians. Making sure your pet is properly hydrated also wards off urinary tract infections and kidney disorders. The Original Pet Fountain sets up easily in just a few minutes. Covered by a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.

To view the complete line of dog food and watering products click here.

Product Features

* Innovative watering system features patented 5-inch free-falling water stream

* Holds more than 50 fluid ounces of water

* Keeps your pet off counters and out of sinks and toilets

* Sets up quickly and easily

* 1-year manufacturer’s warranty

Product Details

* Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.1 x 7 inches ; 2.7 pounds

* Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds

* Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.

Drinkwell Original Pet Fountain - TO ORDER THIS FOUNTAIN CLICK HERE

Accessories
Drinkwell Original 2-Chamber Replacement Filter, 3-per Package, $5.99

It’s time to get our dogs groomed and looking good!  If your dog clippers are old, inefficient or lack enough power to get the job done, here’s your chance to get a great rotary dog clipper for a GREAT price!  It’s on sale from June 1 through June 2! So now’s the time to buy.

Price: $164.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.

Features:

• AGC Professional Animal Clipper with size 40 detachable blade

• Professional rotary motor clipper with detachable blade

• Locking switch button ensures that clipper will not accidentally shut off

• Shatter-proof housing and 14″ heavy duty cord

• All Andis Ultraedge and Ceramicedge blades will fit this clipper

Product Description:

The 22345 professional animal clipper by Andis helps keep pets well groomed. The professional rotary motor clipper with detachable blades runs cool, so fans and air vents that can become clogged with hair are not needed. The Andis dog clippers are equipped with a 4×4 blade drive which increases blade torque by 25%. The locking switch button ensures that the clippers will not accidentally shut off. The clippers offer long-term durability with the shatter-proof housing and 14-foot heavy-duty cord, so that you can use them for years to come. No oiling or greasing of the internal parts is needed so that you can enjoy maintenance-free use. All Andis UltraEdge, CeramicEdge, and Oster model A-5 blades will fit the 22345 clippers.

There are many opinions among dog trainers as to the best way to get your dog to walk on a dog leash without pulling.  So many in fact, that it’s difficult to sort out which is best. But when I came across this video, I believe I found a better technique than some others and better than what I was told by a dog trainer, which was to administer short snaps of the leash every time my dog would walk ahead of me. With my dog, he always wanted to walk ahead of me, so I was constantly tugging on the leash. My dog was receiving negative feedback from me all the time. It was rare that he walked beside me long enough for me to give him positive feedback.

In the beginning, when using the technique shown in the video, I would suggest using dog treats as an incentive when your dog walks at your side.  I like the way the dog trainer shows and explains, that by using this technique, your dog doesn’t view you as the one tugging on his neck.  Training your dog to walk by your side and not pull is a must, if you want to enjoy the walks with your dog.   Now, you may look a little silly at first, when you only take a few steps, then your dog pulls ahead of you and you turn and go the opposite direction, take a few more steps and turn again.  But, don’t worry, you will only look silly for a short time before your dog catches on.

Take a look and see if you don’t agree.

An important step, before the actual bathing of your dog, is the combing and dematting your dog’s fur.  It is necessary that the dog be thoroughly brushed, removing all tangles and mats before bathing your dog.  There are many types of dog combs and brushes available that are developed specifically for dogs with thick undercoats, short sleek coats and the long flowing fur.  If your dog’s fur tangles and matts easily then brushing at regular intervals such as weekly, or every other day, to daily is recommended.  You don’t generally want to wait until it is bath time to be the only time they get brushed, waiting that long only makes the job more time consuming and at times, painful for the dog when dealing with those nasty, down-to-skin matts.

If you bathe your dog and have not removed the matts, the water only seems to cement the matt together making it even harder to comb out when dry.  And when the matts are right next to the skin it’s very difficult to thoroughly clean the skin that lies under the matted area and it’s diffcult for the shampoo to penetrate the matt so the fur in the matt is still dirty, oil coated and clogged with pet dander and dirt.

Keep your dog grooming brushes handy so that you can give your dog a good brushing, preferably at least once a week, removing those matts and tangles.  The brushing time is also a good time to check your dog for fleas or ticks, it’s better to find them before your dog is completely infested.

So remember, before bathing your dog be sure all the matts and tangles are removed.

I want to give my readers an update on a post published on March 22, 2009 regarding the Schnauzer crud and whether it can be treated by changing your dog’s nutritional diet.  Two to three weeks prior to that post I had changed my Schnauzer’s  diet to Wysong Dog Food, a natural dog food, and so far it has been a wise decision.  I want to update you on the results I have had and the overall condition of my dog.

I was feeding him a food from the health food store and thought he was getting a balanced diet and he was probably getting far more nutrition than what most of the products on the market provide, but it apparently was still lacking some vital nutrients.  Even with this food, I was supplementing with Omega 3 fatty acids and a powdered vitamin supplement, and he didn’t thrive then as he is now.    He, first of all, has not developed any more ingrown hairs that have festered with puss.  He no longer has dry scaly skin that flakes on his rump.  His teeth and gums are really healthy.  The tarter he had is more than 50% gone from his back teeth, and I haven’t been brushing his teeth as much.  I have been using Wysong’s DentaTreat that is sprinkled over his food, which is a dentifrice that removes tarter and I’m extremely impressed with it.  His breath isn’t as bad.  He no longer has flatulence (gas), which used to run us out of the room!  And, even within just a couple of days, I noticed he no longer had that somewhat bloated look in the belly.

I have to give this food and the company several thumbs up!  I have followed Wysong’s advice and use a number of different products to give my dog a variety of flavors.  Not only does the variety of flavors spice up meal time for him but they provide a variety of nutrients based on the food that is in that particular meal.  We would literally die if we ate the same food every meal every day of our lives, which I think would be short lived because we would not be getting the whole gamut of nutrients that our bodies need.  I do believe this also applies to our dogs.

He is revisiting his youth, he has so much energy now, I can hardly keep up with him.  I have carefully watched him and this energy is not the hyper type of energy, you can just tell he feels good, wants to play more and is more alert.

I know that the food is on the expensive side, but in my book, well worth every penny!  I still use the kibble from the health food store that I had a huge bag of and wasn’t going to throw it out.  So, I split his meal with half of Wysong’s Archetype Raw Dog Food, Archetype Buffet or the UnCanny variety pack with half the kibble.  And with only half of his ration of daily food being Wysong I have witnessed the above changes.

Wysong also has all natural dog treats, which are made with whole foods without the additives or sugars.  Yummy treats for him and I can give him all the treats I want without feeling guilty about what he is eating or afraid he will gain weight.

While not a predictable trait of a breed, some dogs have sensitive skin or skin allergies.  For dogs that do have skin issues, it’s important to be aware of what products are okay and what products to avoid.  Dogs with skin issues often require special dog food.  The ingredients in regular dog food can cause skin irritation including flaking, redness, and itching.  For the most part, organic food is a safe bet, but it’s best to consult a veterinarian beforehand on which foods are okay to purchase.  When it comes to baths, dogs with sensitive skin also need special dog shampoo.  There are numerous dog shampoos that contain fewer harsh chemicals and cleansing agents, and also contain moisturizers to enrich the skin.  There are several dog shampoo products that feature actual labels stating “for dogs with sensitive skin” so choosing the right dog shampoo is a cinch.

Dogs with sensitive skin should also avoid extensive exposure to the water, and should be washed off after swimming.  If the dog starts biting or scratching at the sensitive area of the skin often, consult a veterinarian.

I love this time of year when everything is sprouting, growing and blooming.  Unfortunately, the fleas and ticks are doing the same!  They are just waiting for the right time to emerge, grow and invade every unsuspecting animal that comes their way.  And everyone of those fleas and ticks is looking for food.  Don’t let your dog be their next meal!  These nasty critters not only feed on our pets and leave sores they also deposit diseases as they feed.  The infected ticks can transfer Lyme Disease to our dogs when they attach and feed on them.

To protect your dog there are a variety of  products on the market such as: dog flea and tick collars, flea and tick shampoos, flea and tick powders and probably the most popular is the dog flea and tick drops that are placed between the shoulders of the dog.  This is a personal preference of mine because of the ease of application, the lasting protection it provides and it is waterproof.  The dog flea collars and powders are good, but I would consider another method if you have children.  Especially, if you have very young children, with the flea collar and the powders the chemical that kills the fleas can transfer to their hands when handling the dog.  And they don’t know not to rub their faces, eyes, nose or mouth before washing their hands.  The flea and tick shampoo also works good, but it lacks the long term protection.  If your dog is infested with these pests your dog has already been bitten many times over before they are bathed with the shampoo to kill them.  So, unless you shampoo them all the time the flea infestation can occur again and your dog is at risk of being bitten by infected ticks.

The flea drops is very easy to use, a once a month application will protect against flea and tick infestation for the month and  the product is waterproof, so no need to re-apply after grooming.   With this method your dog is protected before the pests can begin to feed, and thus it prevents the transfer of  Lyme Disease and prevents the infestation of fleas on your dog and in your home.

When I travel with my dog the one thing I do is to make sure my dog is either restrained or contained in a safe area.  If I  am traveling in our SUV, I make sure that I have our dog car barrier in place.  That way she has plenty of room to freely move around the back storage area of the car.  The car barrier keeps her from jumping around in the car, distracting me when I should be paying attention to my driving and keeping my eyes on the road and not on what she is doing.  I really love the car barrier, it is easy to install and it doesn’t interfere with my vision when looking in the rear view mirror.

It is comforting to know that my dog is safe and it makes traveling with her a real treat.  There are many styles to choose from and they come in all sizes to fit every car.  It’s a great investment in safe traveling for both you and your dog.

The “crud” is particular to the Schnauzer breed, although other dogs may have the same thing, I don’t think it is as prevalent in other breeds as it is with the Schnauzer.  The reason I mention this is because my veterinarian explained that the bumps were infected ingrown hairs.

I have discovered that the dog’s diet plays a significant role in the decreased amount of infected ingrown hairs  on my dog’s back.  I know that good nutrition plays a significant role in how I feel so I know for my dog to be his healthiest he also needs all the vital nutrients.  I have always felt that our canine friends could live longer healthier lives if they received the proper nutrition.

I was feeding my dog, at least what I thought was good food.  It was derived from whole foods.  This food decreased the severity of the bumps but he usually had  three or four of them at any given time.

I went on a search for a really good, healthy dog food other than making it from scratch, which of course, is the ultimate source of nutrition, but time consuming.  I wanted the next best thing I could find.  My search ended with Wysong Dog Food.  They know that popular dog food processing kills the vital nutrients in the food.  They have developed a state-of-the-art processing that retains the nutrients that our pets need to live long and healthy lives.  So, I decided to try Wysong dog food.  The point of telling you this is to tell you about my results.

The “crud” is going away and so is the dry scales on his rump!  He had a couple of bumps that were there before changing his diet and those are decreasing in size but the most important thing is, he hasn’t developed any more.  At any given time, he has always had a couple of these ingrown hair bumps and scaly dry skin on his rump.  It was a continuous cycle of some disappearing and more appearing.   Another important note:  my dog’s breath isn’t as bad as it used to be.  Since he was young I’ve brushed his teeth to keep the tarter removed, but it was also to help his breath.  The last couple of weeks, I’ve been very busy and haven’t brushed his teeth and the other day I noticed that his breath wasn’t as bad as normal, even without the brushing.

I found this rather odd as the other dog food was very expensive and the best I though I could find.  The only difference I see is in how the food is processed.  Even if only the highest quality food products go into the food but they use extreme temperatures and other processes that kill the nutrients, then all that nutrition has gone to waste.

My dog has always loved his food but, he goes absolutely wild when it’s meal time now.  There’s one that he really, really likes and that’s the Chicken and yogurt.  Try it, your best friend will thank you over and over for the rest of their life.

If your dog has a dull brittle coat, skin problems, poor gums and teeth, dull eyes, and they lack energy and vitality, you may want to consider that the current dog food isn’t providing the essential nutrients your pet needs.