Signs that Your Dog Has Allergies

Does your dog have some symptoms that makes her itch constantly? Are you at your wits end with itchy problems, watery eyes, dull coat and dandruff? Here are a list of items that usually are caused by environmental and food allergies!

1. Dandruff

Usually a good indicator that your dog has little to no essential fatty acids in their diet, dandruff is an indicator that they need some omega-3 and omega-6 support. Often it can be all over the body, but more concentrated in one area. Look for near the tail dandruff to be a sign of mites or mange to develop.

2. Body Odor

Does your dog smell like bacon? Sausage? Or other meat treats that you feed your dog? Often when you treat with chemically laden treats, the taste they are tasting is more for you, as they add bacon odors to the treats so you feel like you are treating bacon. It is really bad for your dog to treat any treat that smells offensive or strong. Beware of bacon or sausage treats that are flavored, as they are going to increase allergy reaction in your dog.

3. Sore Spots

Do you find your dog limping, or sensitive in joint areas on the skin? Maybe you can see raw or open ulcers where your dog rests, and there could be even some infection on these spots. Often, a trip to the vet is necessary in this case, and antibiotics will be prescribed. Be sure to check with your vet if you see any open or sore spots on your dog.

4. Lumps or bumps

Often dogs who are fed incorrect nutrition develop what is called fatty tumors, and will suffer from any activity that stretches muscles over this area. Often benign in nature, they can be a cyst or a fatty lump that forms from over active cells in a fat cellular area. This can develop into cancer in some breeds, so be sure to check with your vet if you notice a lump or bump.

5. Skin Irritations

Sometimes the irritations can be surrounding the mouth, eyes, ears and throat, and are close to the head. These can be insect bites or spider bites, due to the pests looking for the warmest part of your dog. Even some dogs develop back and groin itchiness, near and around their tails. If your dog is scooting occasionally, a vet visit will clear up whether it is a anal gland that is impacted, or a yeast infection on or near the dog's urethra. If you have any skin irritations that continue to fester and do not disappear, it is important to verify this with your vet.

As we have spoken about in this blog, it is really important for you to constantly feed your dog the most nutritious and healthy food you can afford. Dogs love a healthy diet, and will be less likely to have any symptoms that can result in serious conditions. A clean and healthy diet, free of chemicals and preservatives is the way to go in any lifestyle.

Dog Food Standards

If you continue to feed very inexpensive, corn filled, and by-product dog food, you are going to be continuing a standard of care that is very antiquated. There is no reason for a dog owner to put up with the past standards of what could and should not be sold at dog food, or pet food stores in the past.

New food standards need to be installed, but first, you as a pet owner should be one to start the trend. In the commercial world, if you do not insist on proper nutrition, you are not going to find it. It is important that you as a good dog owner, always vote with your pocket book.

By this, I mean, be sure to buy good nutrition. Be sure to start only a trend with yourself, that you buy only healthy dog food. No corn, no by-products, and no chemicals or preservatives. Do not be fooled by healthy claims until you read the labels. Be a cautious buyer, and let me know what you think. I am happy to help your decision for the right food for your dog.

Pink Eye for Dogs

Yes, little kids are not the only ones that suffer from pink eye or conjuctivitis. It is fairly common in dogs, and usually happens to dogs who have visited a dog play area, park, or other area frequented by other dogs. The dog who suffers from this ailment, usually has an itch, watery eye, redness, and a discharge around the tear duct.

A visit to the vet is in order, so a general diagnosis can be performed, and medicine can be prescribed. The disorder will often get worse before it gets better, so prompt attention is a good idea.

If the redness occurs in only one eye, it could be dry eye, where the tear duct is not producing enough tears. The humidity in the home can be increased, and a gentle salt bath or homeopathic eye solution used. The best ones are ones that are non-toxic and do not provide any chemical interactions.

A great product line, called Halo, makes a good eye rinse for your dog. It will take you through a 2 week treatment easily, and is a great product if your dog suffers from eye discharge.

Do not let brown streaks or itch remain with your dog's day to day life. It is not a normal symptom.

Happy Dogs are Itch Free!

Lose the crazy cheap dog food, and you will be on your way to a itch free dog! There are some dogs who have had crappy food for years, and have some toxic reactions to the chemicals and by-products of no real nutrition. The reason the dog food that you buy stays fresh on the shelf for years, is because it is not really food. It is some kind of filler, protein that is something you would never eat, and the chemicals that keep it all from going bad.

Keep your dog fed this way, and you will watch a series of vet visits develop, with the word allergy come up, here and there. No reason to get the dog tested, just stop feeding the cheap and poor nutrition, and you will see a change.

Initially, they may feel worse when you switch to the new, better food. This is perplexing, and sometimes it results in a switch back to the corn and grain food. Stop, and think! The reason the dog is feeling worse, is because all the toxins and chemicals have been released by the dog's body, into the blood. The liver is just having a hard time processing all these new chemicals that were stored. It takes time for the new nutrition to give way, and get the upper hand. Often, there is a back load of chemicals and toxins that need to evacuate from your dog's fatty tissues.

Your dog's body was just holding onto all of these chemicals, until you had a better option. Once the nutrition was actually offered, the body then realized it would be ok to let go of all that fat. That is the bad reaction you are seeing.

Patience, my doggy friend. The process is not quick. It is however, forever! It will work, and you will be amazed at the changes. Do not be fooled by dog food that seems nutritional, that is really poor grain, corn, or by-products. A good offering is something that you can really understand, and one that has an expiration date that is in weeks or months, not years.

Addiction Dry Dog La Porchetta 20 lbs

Great Dog Food Starts With You

Your puppy may look so healthy, and you are deciding on food choices for your new dog. It can be a daunting task, and often, we buy a food, that seems good on the pocket book, at a grocery store, or a big box store, and we end up feeding that, and think it is healthy and wise choice.

Surely, if you take some time to read the ingredients, you will not recognize any of the items on that list. It is really important to stay away from this type of food, as it usually develops other problems.

Food Allergies
Joint Problems
Skin Allergies
Bad Breath
Bad Behavior resulting from Digestive Problems

More vet visits will be in store for you, as Ear Infections often occur with dogs that eat a lot of the wrong food. You may have a healthy dog now, but keep feeding the food that is years old, full of preservatives, by-products, and chemicals, and you will spend more at the vet.

A healthy dog food, with ingredients you understand, is the best dog medical insurance policy!

Dogs and Dog Booties

Your dog boots are really just slipper shoes for your dog's feet. They need some kind of coverage for their paws, especially in the very deep snow, and the cold. If you are considering dog boots, we use these boots, and they work well for dog booties. They will keep your dog's feet warm, even in very cold weather.

Healthy Food Does Help!

If you have found a great food for your dog, and you are now feeding this food, you may want to know when are the ear infections going to cure themselves? When will the skin problems disappear? How about the mange and fleas that your dogs suffer with? These are all clues of auto-immunity gone wild. The body is removing toxins and chemicals faster than it can take in the vitamins and minerals.

The plan will take some time. It will produce results, you need to stay dedicated until it does. One thing you can do is add some sweet potatoes, pumpkin or some baby food that is organic and a mixture of these two items. The power pack of minerals and vitamins, fiber and great amino acids will really boost your dog's digestive system, and allow a great transition.

Be kind to yourself, know you are doing the right thing, and treat the symptoms with vet care when you need to. The mere fact that you are adding great food, will bring a good from of care for long term, life long great health.

Sometimes when you feed the best the worst happens

You might see a downturn in your dog when you change their food. Do not give up your holistic eating plan! This is not a quick fix, and when we made the change with our girls, they took a downturn at the beginning. It was very frustrating, until I learned one important fact: Sometimes you get sicker when you eat better! This goes for people and for animals too. Here's why!

It has to do with your liver, and how your digestive process works. When you are eating crappy food and drinking chemical laden drinks, your body can not remove all the chemicals and toxins. Some of them end up as stored toxins in your fat cells. And, when you eat better, your body is rejoicing with happy news, and says, release the hounds, so to say! The fat, toxins and chemicals that were stored, are suddenly released, and in a binge release into the blood. This, creates a toxic event, where the liver is overwhelmed, and it takes some time for the after effects of years of stored junk to be sent out to pasture. So, this can take some time!

Imagine you eat for 5 years fast food only. It takes some time before you actually taste real food, and enjoy it. It takes some time for your body to flush and clean itself. And, when the process is done, you have a really amazing powerful machine. This can take up to a year sometimes.

If you are experiencing bad breath, fat, poor dental hygiene, allergies, lethargy, and depression or sadness in your dog during this transition, do not give up your plan. I would appreciate your comments on any questions you may have while you go through this purging period.

Happy barks!

Fillers and Corn

What is a filler? Have you ever wanted to know, what they are talking about when you hear the term filler? Here is a list of what most fillers are:

Corn
Wheat
Rice
White Potatoes

This looks like it would be OK, right? When you look at the list, it looks better than the by-products, but really, it is a very unhealthy option for your dogs. You need to ensure these items are never in your dog's food, and here is why!

Your dog has a very small digestive system, and the fillers above are very hard on your dog's liver and kidneys. The toxic fillers above will not only make your dog sluggish and fat, but it will eventually lead to kidney issues.

Many animals die of kidney, pancreatic, stomach, and liver problems in their elderly days. Not to mention, heart disease. It is a clear choice, filler or no filler, you decide!

By-Products in Dog Food

Your dog is your best friend, so why are you feeding him or her the worst kind of things, like by-products? What are by-products? The most easy way to understand what they are, is what they are not. They are not human grade meat products, they are the things you and I would never eat. The list is disgusting, and includes hair,hooves,eyeballs, some organs like a lung, or a anal canal. This is a way for the meat processing companies to make a fortune, as all of the by-products, or sickening extras, go to dog and cat food companies, and the pet owner, sees by-product or meat meal on the label.

Do not feed your dog meat meal, by-product. It has little nutrition, and to enhance the nutrition, they add some fillers and chemicals to complete this disaster. The most horrific thing about this, is your dog ends up sick and overweight. The same things that happen to people, when they eat food with little nutrition, happen to our best friends.

Dogs love a Good Brushing

If you have a regular brushing with your groomer scheduled, and you take them to the groomer on a regular basis, you should still try to brush your dog. It is a trust relationship kind of thing, and it will improve your relationship with your dog. They often live to do things with you, and if you continue to improve this relationship, you will find them less busy with naughty or bad behavior.

I recommend a good brush, and a great one is made by christensen's in texas, and a great size is the #27 wire brush. It fits in your hand so nice, and it is a really fine wire, so that it does not hurt the dog's skin. We have invested in a dog grooming table, that folds flat for storage, and this has been a good thing, because whenever I get it out, the dogs know it is time to relax, and take it easy.

We used to have a time with brushing, but since we brush more often, and just a little each day, it has been a joy and less of a chore for the dogs.

Dog Basic Training

Puppies know from a few weeks old, how to sit, lie down, and walk with you. They can follow almost immediately. The problems come about when they get some conflicting information from leadership. Just like in any business, when management is having trouble communicating with the team, there are going to be some rogue leaders and some very stressed followers.

It is imperative that you, as the human, regain your pack leadership position. Your dog is looking to you for leadership! They communicate by being naughty, tearing up the house, barking and just plain being a nuisance. If you have a dog that is acting out, chances are you are not leading, but are following your dog.

During Dog training, a dog will ask you for leadership. If you work towards being able to effectively communicate with your dog, you will be able to lead them forward. The best way to do this, is to remember, your dog watches every move you make. They smell your anxiety, they hear your restlessness, and all of these emotions are seen as a compromised leader. They will want to assume leadership in this case.

Be sure to go to Dog Obedience, not for your Dog initially, but for you. You are the part of this group that needs to be trained. Your dog will do what comes naturally, follow when it feels right.

Dogs and Cats

You can have a great relationship with both your cat and your dog. The old myth that dogs and cats do not get along, is simply silly. Sometimes, when you bring a cat or a dog into a home, and the existing dog or cat is not used to the other species, there can be some tension. It is merely a matter of time before they are both having a great time playing and having some real fun.

You just need to keep the two separated, while they get used to each other. Let the cat make the first move, as it is usually the one that will "allow" the other animal to be in its presence. There just needs to be a time of adjustment.

We always jump to conclusions too quickly these days. There is so much hurry and rush, that sometimes, just making time to walk through the steps, you can find that the friendship will blossom.

Dogs are happy to go out!

Lately, our girls are kind of snow bound, just like us! We had a dump of snow on November 13th, and another big storm on December 11th. The cats and dogs have been crazy since then, being very cabin feverish.

You can avoid some bad behavior by taking your dog to training, or a certified doggy day care to avoid any of the cabin fevers I have described above. And, bring your dog when you visit friends with pet friendly homes, to let them have a nice break from the mundane.

The emotional day to day of a winter can be hard on people and dogs, and a break is the best way to make some great happy memories! Be sure to take some time to bring your dog into a new place here and there!

Dogs and the Holidays!

Are you going on a holiday trip, and not spending your holiday with your best friend? Have you decided to fly home to see your family or friends? Do not feel bad about dropping your dog off at a pet spa or hotel. They will love it!

Imaging, the hotel will be busy with lots of new dog friends, and people as the place will be packed with new friends to meet. There will be lots of chances for walks, a session of grooming, and maybe you can even arrange a vet visit or an acupuncture therapy for your best friend.

Pet hotels can be exciting and fun for dogs. They just need to be at the right kind of hotel. If your dog is a happy go lucky playful dog, find an exciting dog spa that has lots of activities.

If your dog is quiet and reserved, find a serene spot that can coddle your best friend with peace and quiet.

Do the right thing, and let your dog enjoy the holidays, and you will be happy too!

Barking Dogs can Be Helped!

Your Dog Needs a Tooth Brushing!

If you have not had some time to brush your dog's teeth lately, what are you waiting for? It will save you a lot of money, as the vet will want to put her to sleep to clean her teeth. I enjoy spending time with my dogs, and always give them my best attention when it comes to their mouths.

You can do some great easy teeth cleaning, and they will love you for these suggestions:

Buy some raw bones, and sit and watch them chew them clean. The raw marrow bone should be very fresh from the butcher, and they need you to watch them, so they do not hurt themselves. I have given them bones, and they got a bit too rambunctious with them, and I had to tear them away from their prized bone, before they ate it!

It is important to be there to supervise. And, if you can find chicken wings that are frozen, one a piece will do great things for teeth and happy dogs. The raw chicken wing that is frozen is a great treat! It is safe and should be watched carefully as they are consumed.

I also brush with an electric toothbrush, and we take care of any icky residue along the gum line that way. My girls have very happy teeth!

Corn Advertising

If you are hearing a lot of news of corn being an OK ingredient, and healthy and OK for people, you may be inclined to believe this message. After all, wouldn't it be easier for all of us to eat our fill of corn and high fructose corn syrup? We have it everywhere! It is the number one ingredient in our grocery stores. Many people are employed by corn and corn based food production. Our economy partially runs on corn.

I wish I could make all of this true. I really do. But the fact is, our pancreas, our liver and our organs do not process corn or its sugars effectively, and it ends up being stored as fat. Simple facts are hard to dispute, despite all the talk.

This is the same fact for our dogs. They can not eat corn and live in a healthy manner. It just does not happen. If you are looking for a reason, blame it on how the corn sugar is not absorbed, and how their is really no nutrition in this kernel.

Dogs need minerals and vitamins from meat, vegetables and from nothing else. It is part of their makeup in the wild to hunt and kill a rabbit, a small animal and eat it raw. They will eat roots, and other berries when they find them. They would never be able to process corn, it is just not a food that they would be able to eat and find nutrition.

Even with added minerals and vitamins, this is not going to provide their skin, their organs or their bones the valuable nutrition they need. Stay as far as you can from corn, and any corn based foods. You have the power to vote with your purchases and will bring great health and life your dog.

Dogs Like Treats!

If you are feeding your dog treats, you need to ensure you are not feeding too many treats. They can get really fat! One reason is there is a constant want for a high calorie treat versus their dog food. If you find you have given your dog lots of treats on a day, be sure to reduce their dog food, to make the day more level.

Treats are now so complicated at the pet store! There are a huge variety of chewy treats, dental sticks, and green in color treats. I find all of these bones, chewy treats and "natural" treats are not all that valid for your dog. You need to ensure that they keep their nutrition, and do not get any bad chemicals and preservatives.

A dog's liver can be very easily corrupted by chemicals and preservatives. If you are adding these treats into your dog's diet, and she is getting fat, chances are the treats are the culprit.

Be sure to look for healthy treat options. And, try a day without treats. Do your dog a great favor and keep them healthy and happy!

Dogs Hate Windy Days

If you had a night like we had last night, you had some restless dogs at your house! The wind was kicking up, our neighbors lost a tree, and there are power outages all over the city. Luckily, we had no damage, but for some dead tree branches crashing down, and some garbage cans being pushed over.

Your dog has very keen hearing. They hear other dogs warning of the issues they are facing. If you are in a neighborhood, your dog is in a large pack of dogs, all of which either live life inside or outside depending on the status of their owners. They all listen to the sounds of dogs.

If your dog seems distant when you look at her, well, she is. She is listening for the howl of not just the wind, but of the other dogs in her pack. Even though your dog may not be physically apart of this pack, they share information, and it is a bark or howl when things seem like they warrant one.

If you live in a condo, chances are you live with little barking dogs. They are all talking to each other! If they get time to visit with each other, even in an indirect way through a walk, they will be less barky, as they have the information they need, and have already expressed it with their scent glands through their urine marks. It is important for your dog to pick up her mail on her walk, and to leave some behind.

So, if the wind picks up, this can be a real block for sounds and noise distribution in the pack. Realizing the effect can be a really great way to better understand your dog, and what she needs each day. Let her stew when a storm comes through, but do not comfort her, as you are only reinforcing the fact that when she acts scared or upset, you like that act.

Only give positive emotion and comfort when she is calm, and you will let your dog know, this is the correct behavior for her. I find that during the storm, if I let my dogs pant and run around, they eventually calm down, and then, and only then, do we cuddle together. Sometimes it takes awhile. But, the results are well worth it!