Medications You Should Never Give Your Dog.

I would estimate that 10% of all pets are on some sort of medication - and I don't mean pets that are taking heartworm prevention or flea control medications. Without including those two very common types of medicine, about 1 in 10 companion animals take medicine such as antibiotics, medications to control seizures, pills to treat heart disease, allergy medications or meds to treat various other medical problems.

In some cases, certain medications work well for both humans and animals. However, there are some medications you should never give to your dog no matter what. See the list by going to: Medications You Should Never Give Your Dog.

It's one thing to know the names of medications your dog is on but it's another to really understand what they are and how they work. At first glance many of them are very confusing but I want to help you learn how to keep your dog safe.

On PetPlace.com, we have a very good section with an alphabetical list of common drugs that are prescribed for pets like yours. Each name links to more information so you can better understand the medications your dog is taking. To see the whole article, go to our Alphabetical List of Drugs.

I hope this information helps answer some common questions you may have. If you have more questions, please call your veterinarian and ask. Remember that this information is no substitute for your vet's advice.

P.S.: Do you know any good ways to give your dog a pill? We have some tips and tricks that can help. If you want, print out this article and keep it handy. It will really help you in a pinch. Go to: Giving Pills to Dogs.

FEATURED ARTICLE 3 Medications You Should Never Give Your Dog

Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks?

This Topic Hits Home for Champ and Myself. During Champs Puppy stage from about 8 months to he was about 2 we had to have our Vet remove Rocks from his belly and Intestine 5 Times! Our Vet suggested we have a Zipper installed on his belly to make removal easier. Champ is our 10 Thousand Dollar dog since each operation ran about $2,000.00.
Champs' behavior was out of Boredom and a need for Attention. At the time Jean and I were still working and he would roamed the backyard seeing what he could get into. He had three female dogs to play with but he was a little to rough with them and they tended to Shy away from him.
Even to this day if Champ doesn't get his way he will bring a rock in his mouth and demand a treat for it. We have just Spoiled him to death!

Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks?

Dogs

• Written by: Alex Lieber
• Edited by: Dr. Nicholas

Dogs eat a lot of questionable things that, from our point of view, make no sense, such as their own or another animal's stool. Although unpleasant to contemplate, it's relatively normal behavior, especially for young dogs.

But dogs sometimes try to eat inorganic matter that has no digestive upside at all. Rocks provide an example of one of the more common non-food objects dogs chew on. This behavior is sometimes called pica, the term used to describe the craving and ingesting of nonfood items.

Chewing rocks can be dangerous to more than your dog's teeth or soft mouth tissues. It can lead to intestinal blockage, vomiting, diarrhea, or even choking, if the rock is large enough to block your dog's throat.

What causes this bizarre behavior? There are a number of possibilities that range from medical to behavioral. Chewing rocks may be one way for an attention-starved dog to get noticed. In this instance, the dog may even be acting out of boredom, anxiety or frustration.

There may also be medical reasons behind the behavior. Disorders of the intestinal tract, deficiency of some vital nutrient, such as iron, or diabetes mellitus (as well as other illnesses) may underlie indiscriminate eating behavior. It's important to rule out a medical cause for pica by visiting your veterinarian. If the pica is subsequently deemed to be a purely behavioral problem, you and your vet can devise a strategy to overcome it.

Pica, by the way, is not limited to rocks. It includes any non-digestible item, such as rubber bands, carpet, string, wood, etc. Stopping this behavior is difficult, and usually cannot be done just by scolding. Scolding may even "reward" the behavior if it's an attempt to gain attention. Furthermore, to scold your dog after the fact is useless; he or she won't connect the "correction" with the behavior.

Finding and Treating the Cause

Pica may be nothing more than an outlet for chewing. One strategy is to keep a good number of chew toys on hand, and rotating them every several days. For instance, put three chew toys out for your dog to play with, and keep three hidden. After several days, bring out the three hidden toys and remove the other three, so they always appear to be "new."

If you catch your dog eating rocks, you may want to startle him out of the behavior with a loud noise or spray gun – but try not to let him see you doing it, or he may associate your presence with the noise or water. Praise him when he leaves items alone.

Look at your own schedule: is your dog left alone most of the time? In that case, spending more time with your dog will probably help. Better yet, aerobic play may leave him too tired and happy to want to chew rocks. A final strategy involves dietary and feeding changes. Ad libitum feeding of a high fiber weight reducing diet provides your dogs with a constant option, rocks or kibble. Many choose kibble! It's best to check with your vet before switching your dog to a different diet if problems are to be avoided.

Your veterinarian may prescribe a behavioral drug to help defeat the pica. He or she may also refer you to an animal behaviorist, if necessary. Always keep your dog leashed when walking to stop him from eating inappropriate or dangerous items. If your dog runs in your backyard, clear out rocks and other dangerous items or keep him with you under supervision. (In other words, don't just tie your dog up to restrict his movement and then leave him.)

If you and your dog look forward to running free in an off-leash doggie park, you may have to curtail these outings until the pica disorder is under control. For more information, see the article on pica.

How Much Do I Feed My "Fat and Hungry" Dog? How Much?

How Much Do I Feed My "Fat and Hungry" Dog?

Dogs

·         Written by: Dr. Patricia Khuly

·         Edited by: Dr. Debra Primovic - DVM

·         Published: May 21, 2015

·         Last Modified: May 21, 2015

I had to put Champ on a diet since he has become less active with age, the Vet suggested he lose 15lbs. which would get him down to 100lbs. 

I switched his Dry Kibble to : 

Life's Abundance Weight Loss for Dogs. Click on Image for more info.

In American pet care, obesity is the most common nutrition-related health condition in dogs. The sad fact is that studies suggest a dog who lives his life at an ideal weight can live 2 years longer than a dog who is obese. 

·         Got a fat dog? If so, chances are, he's also what you might consider a "hungry" dog. No matter how much you feed him, he always seems to want more.

Which should come as no surprise. After all, our dogs seem to be well aware that squeaky wheels get greased. And since "food is love" in so many U.S. households, the trend towards feeding dogs as much as they're keen to consume shows no signs of abating. ("But she's hungry!")

But here's the thing: She isn't actually hungry. She simply enjoys her food and would happily eat as much as you're willing to shovel into her bowl. It's a common problem which begs the question: If a dog isn't capable of self-regulating the amount of food she takes in, how are you supposed to know how much to feed?

This is a tough question... a really tough one for most of my clients who claim to keep bottomless pits for dogs. But it's really not rocket science.

Tips to Deal with a Fat and Hungry Dog

So here's my simple prescription for owners of young, healthy animals who face this frustrating dilemma:

1.      If your dog is overweight, reduce the amount you feed her by a teensy bit every week until you can see the pounds start coming off. There's no need to switch diets or add in any fancy supplements. All you have to do is start feeding a set portion of food and reduce the amount just a bit at a time.

2.      Once you start to see the weight come off, maintain this food volume until she's reached the weight your veterinarian has recommended as her target. Once there, you might find that giving a little more is perfectly fine. With just a little trial and error, you've got yourself a bona fide vet-approved weight loss plan.

3.      Now all you have to do is add in the exercise. Which is pretty easy for most dogs. Some dogs require more exercise, some less. Some demand extra attention to detail as some enjoy exercise or play more than others. But all healthy dogs -without exception - have the capacity to attain normal weights on this simple calorie-restricted regimen.

But She's So Hungry!

Makes sense, right? And yet it's not so intuitive. Why? Because nothing rational stands up to this common utterance: "But she's so hungry!"

At this point, it's my role to calmly explain that the notion of “hunger” is something they should probably re-examine. After all, being “hungry” is a very different thing from wanting food.

We can all glean these basics from our own personal experience: Food tastes good, so we eat more. And we "overdo it" a lot (take, for example, Thanksgiving). We even experience severe, life-threatening effects related to our overindulgence. Yet, we continue to eat more.

From the medical point of view, we've also come to the understanding that a barrage of hormones are released when we're hungry, when we smell food, and then when we eat it - all of which affects our total caloric intake. But, if we eat too fast, our hormones don't get the chance to deliver the memo in time. So we keep eating. And it seems that the memo can be similarly delayed when we consume certain kinds of food. So we keep eating… until the message gets through.

In the absence of clear directives, I'll admit it can all be a bit confusing. Yet the upshot should be obvious: As a culture, we Americans are a whole lot less “hungry” than we think we are - which really should help inform how we treat our dogs. And yet, we clearly share a collective interpretation of our dogs' hunger.

Otherwise they wouldn't be tipping the scales as they are at increasingly alarming rates.

I hope these tips help you deal with your "hungry" and overweight dog. 

Which Dog is Better - Male or Female?

Which Dog is Better - Male or Female?

I hear a lot of frequently asked questions. When I find a good answer to them, I like to pass them along; chances are that if a client is asking me, our readers probably wonder the same thing too. Today's question is a very popular one, especially during puppy season: do male or female dogs make better pets? What do you think? Take our poll and let me know.   Do you have a preference? Many people do. A lot of owners swear that one or the other makes a much better pet. Clients have told me that they think male dogs are better "guard dogs" or that female dogs are "gentler." Some of these reasons are really interesting and I want to know what you think.  Read about the pros and cons of keeping both at Male or Female Dog - Which is Best? In one poll I read, more people preferred male dogs to female dogs. Let's see how you vote. I’m really curious to read these results.

Why Do Dogs Snore?

Why Do Dogs Snore?

During the course of exams I love to chat with clients about their pets. Sometimes it even leads them to come up with a joke or two that makes me laugh, as was the case a few days ago. This patient in particular was a chubby little Beagle who apparently had quite the snoring habit. His owner put it a little more creatively though -"We call him 'our little lumberjack' because his snoring sounds just like a chainsaw!"

Well, what's going on there? Why DO dogs snore, and what can be done about it?

In the most basic terms, the snoring sound itself occurs when there is some type of blockage in the upper respiratory tract. This blockage can be anywhere along the respiratory path from the nose to the trachea (the tube that takes air to the lungs). As air is forced through these passages, it moves unevenly past the blockage and creates the groaning, creaking noise we recognize as snoring.
There are several factors that can make your dog snore including abnormal confirmation and structure of the face, obesity, nasal congestion, infections, polyps, allergies, medications and sometimes even the sleeping position.

Take a look at these common causes for snoring and see if any sounds like something your dog might experience:

Flat Faces – Dog breeds with flat faces (brachycephalic breeds) or pushed-in noses often have several structural abnormalities that affect their noses and airways. Their cute squished up faces typically mean that the same number of body structures must fit into a much smaller space. The nasal cavity, already quite small in dogs, is even smaller in these dogs but must hold similar tissue and structures. Redundant skin folds (like the wrinkles in a Pug's face) often result in blocked passages and snoring. Breeds which are commonly affected include Boxers, Pugs, Pekingese, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers and Bulldogs. Some of these breeds require surgery to remove excess tissue and relieve the blockage.

Soft Palate Disorders - Soft palate disorders are usually congenital defects of the fleshy tissue at the back of the throat (soft palate and epiglottis) these normally separates the oral and nasal cavities. The most common disorders are a defect or "cleft" in the palate or an elongation of the palate. This overlapping causes an obstruction of the airway during breathing. The sound the pet makes (stridor) worsens during exercise. Treatment of an elongated soft palate is surgical. This condition is seen also in the brachycephalic breeds group.

Obesity – A chubby dog isn't always a happy dog. A few extra pounds can cause a lot of extra pressure on a dog's respiratory system and chest cavity. Excess weight can even result in brief interruptions in breathing during sleep, a condition commonly known as sleep apnea in humans. Thankfully, weight loss typically eliminates snoring in these cases.

Nasal Congestion – Just like humans, dogs are more likely to snore when their noses are clogged. Nasal congestion can result from allergies, nasal infections or even nasal tumors. Allergies can be caused by dust, house dust mites, mildew, mold, and smoke.

Medications – Some medications such as muscle relaxants or those used to treat pain can lower respiratory rate or even constrict air passages.

Weather – Dry air can cause nasal tissues to stick together, resulting in snoring from dogs who are typically silent sleepers. In some individuals, changes in altitude due to travel or even varying air pressure can increase snoring.

Sleep Positions – Some people tend to snore more when they sleep on their backs and less when they sleep on their sides. Dogs also can snore more or less based on their sleep positions. Dogs who sleep on their back and stomach typically place more pressure on their respiratory tracts, while those who sleep on their sides usually experience less.

For the most part, snoring in dogs is not a problem as long as they are getting plenty of good sleep and they continue to breathe normally while awake. Snoring becomes a problem if it interrupts or prevents normal sleep patterns or causes difficulty breathing during exercise.

If you are worried about your dog's snoring or see a behavior change, nasal discharge, sneezing or a bloody nose, please see your veterinarian for an examination. Ensure that there is no medical reason for the symptoms.

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Is Your Dog Kissing or Licking?

Is your dog kissing you when he slurps your face like a lollipop? Although we may never know, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, not all of which are mutually exclusive. The motivation for face licking appears to vary for different dogs and different circumstances.

Background

Dogs lick for a number of reasons, some of which are purely biological:

Bitches lick their newborn pups to arouse them from their postpartum daze. In this situation, licking serves to remove clingy membranes from the pup, freeing him up to move and stimulating him to breathe.

Once the birthing and clean-up processes are over, the mom dog's licking her pups stimulates them to eliminate both urine and feces. It is a couple of weeks before pups will eliminate spontaneously.

Licking also serves another more romantic role in the sense that it is a comfort behavior that assists with pups' bonding to their mom and spurs on their mental development.

From about six weeks of age, some pups lick their mom's lips when they want her to regurgitate food for them. They lick; she vomits; they eat it. This behavior is a vestige of their wild ancestry and was designed to ensure that they profited from the spoils of the hunt.

Licking can also be a signal of submission and so is part of dog's body language communication system.

Pups and adults lick and groom themselves. It is part of normal survival-oriented behavior. Licking their own lips, limbs, and trunk removes traces of the last meal that would otherwise begin to decompose and smell. Quite apart from the hygienic aspects of this behavior, it also serves to keep dogs relatively odor free and thus olfactorily invisible to their prey. Domestic dogs retain these instincts even though they are not vital today.

Psychology

Dogs, like people, engage in a number of "displacement behaviors" when nervous or stressed, and many of these behaviors involve self-grooming. You only have to glance to the side the next time you are stuck at a red light to see what I mean. The driver next to you will likely be stroking his hair, looking in the mirror, or trying to pick something out from between his teeth.

Dogs do not experience the stop-go conflict of the traffic lights but they do have their own share of dilemmas. Take going to the vet's office, for example. We vets expect our more anxious patients to begin nervously licking their own lips as they enter the clinic. They may even lick or nibble their feet or flank.

There is no doubt that some dogs lick as a gesture of appeasement and goodwill. They may lick their own lips or may lick a person to whom they wish to signal deference. If the recipient of the licking interprets this behavior as "make-up kisses," that's just fine. Perhaps the behavior is analogous to some forms of human kissing and thus their interpretation may be close to the truth.

However, not all dogs seem penitent when they slurp the faces of people they meet. For some dogs, it seems that they engage in face licking because they can get away with it and because it gets a rise out of the person. When licking is performed for such a reason, it may be component of the "center stage," attention-demanding behavior of dominant dogs. No lick! is a good command to have working for these guys.

Psychopathology

Some sensitive dogs in stressful environments compulsively groom themselves to the point of self-injury. Licking of this type leads to acral lick dermatitis (a.k.a. lick granuloma). Compulsive licking by dogs is not always self-directed. Some dogs take to licking floors, walls, or furniture. Whatever the outward expression of compulsive licking, the mechanics underlying the disorder are the same. In treatment of this condition, first the underlying anxiety must be addressed though, in some cases, it is also necessary to employ anti-compulsive medication to help break the cycle.

Lovey Dovey?

I don't believe dogs express their sometimes quite profound feelings for their owners by licking or "kissing." In fact, I don't believe dogs really "kiss" at all. Perhaps some dogs are so awed by their owners that they feel the need to signal their ongoing deference by face licking. Call it love, if you will.

One other thing we should always bear in mind is that any behavior can be enhanced learning. Psychologist BF Skinner immortalized the concept that reward increases the likelihood of a response. So it is with licking. If a dog licks his owner's face – perhaps as a vestige of maternal lip licking, perhaps out of anxiety, or just because his owner's face tastes salty – and his behavior is greeted with attention, hugs and (human) kisses, he will likely repeat the behavior in future. In such cases the dog learns just how to push he owners buttons and the owner becomes analogous to a vending machine.

So while face licking may not represent true romantic love, it nevertheless can sometimes be interpreted as some token of a dog's affection or respect ... and that's nothing to sniff at.  

How to Protect Your Pet from the Cold

Cold weather has set in for a while across the country, and we’re sure your families are bundling up quite well already. You’ve got the warm drinks, warm fireplaces, warm sweaters…and fortunately your pets come with built-in sweaters as well! Yet it’s important to keep their health in mind during those colder months and know what steps you can take to keep them safe and sprightly. This is especially important for dogs who spend more time outdoors, needing exercise or to use the bathroom. Cats tend to seek warm shelter inside when the temperatures drop, but those who prowl outdoors might also apply here.

So what can you do to help your dogs enjoy the winter weather and stay physically active without being threatened by the chilly season?

First, consider taking them in for a vet checkup once or twice during the winter. Some illnesses or joint conditions in particular can be made worse by regular exposure to the cold. Even if you get a regular annual checkup, it may help them stay more comfortable and active if you know the winter is a time to pay particular attention to their condition.

Second, know your pets individual limits. Every dog is going to react to winter times differently, even if they’re perfectly healthy otherwise. This will have to do with their overall size, body fat levels, the thickness of their fur, and more. If you have smaller dogs, they may be able to run around more indoors, limiting their need to go outside at all. Even for larger dogs, though, you might shorten the length of their walks or times at the dog park just so they don’t develop a sensitivity.

Third, outdoors time should be limited overall. Many people have bought into the idea that dog and cats are more resistant to colder weather than people–that their coats and padded paws shield them from the main negative effects. However, dogs and cats are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia. Certain breed have certainly developed the ability to withstand the cold, but even they will suffer from it if left outdoors too long.

Lastly, whenever your pet does spend any time outdoors in the winter, whether on a walk or tromping through the snowy yard, be sure to inspect them when they come back indoors. Wipe down their paws to remove snow and ice and inspect the pads for potential damage. Not only does this help reduce injury, but people use more chemicals such as antifreeze and other toxic substances in the winter that can be spread along snowy paths and icy roads.

Does your dog or cat enjoy getting out in the snow or do they prefer to spend most winter days curled up by the fireplace? What do you do to help them stay active during cold months…while also staying safe from the chill?