CONVENIA Pfizer Animal Health

Convenia  from Pfizer is an injectable antibiotic that has a slow release and treat your pet for 14 days

There are a few benefits to this product,

1. Your don't need to medicate (pill) your dog everyday or twice a day for 10 days.
2. Your dog won't spit out the pill when your not looking.
3. If your dog vomits the pill won't be in the vomit.
4. The injectable antibiotic goes straight to the blood stream by passing the stomach so your
dog won't get an upset stomach from being on antibiotics.
5. Kills wide range of bacteria that is causing the infection
6. Is as effective as oral antibiotics

Down side of this product, is its cost, but I guess your paying for the convenience.

Dogs thrive on attention

I think dogs thrive on attention!  We need to give our dogs structure, rules, and boundaries.

We need to mean what we say and we need to teach our dogs what is acceptable and what isn’t.

Newla jumps up on people at the door. 

 It’s okay Newla thinks, because every time she does this, she gets attention.

Even negative attention, we come running and scold her and she jumps more. Now Newla is

taken as soon as a paw leaves the floor and put in her crate. Yes I have been told never use the

crate for punishment.

 

Two things about this, Newla has a bedtime crate in our bedroom that is her bed and

her security if she ever feels she need it .

And secondly she is only put in the crate in the living room near the door for a short time.

She stays in the crate till she settles down. If she barks she is ignored until she is quiet

and then let out. This has been a long process to find the right training method even

though she is a very intelligent dog, we were not always consistent and every member of the

family didn’t always do the same thing. So make it easier for yourself and let the family and the

dog know what is expected so she understands, we really mean what we say!

 

LOOKBACK GOOSE CONTROL

LOOKBACK GOOSE CONTROL
WHAT A GREAT IDEA!

An Ottawa based full service goose control company specializing in Canada geese hazing using fully trained herding dogs.

The Border collie is an extremely intelligent breed that is energetic,and eager to please. Their energy and endurance is endless. Borders are aware of there surroundings, and are able to be trained to a high degree. I would have to say Borders are one of the hardest working breeds thriving on work, play, and praise.,

I think that is why the two owners; Nathalie Labelle, and Pat Nadarajah, both are dedicated dog owners and trainers of LOOKBACK goosecontrol, use Border Collies to control geese.

Border Collies use an intense stare to intimidate things into moving, the dogs are used to chase and herd the geese to another location.

We have a trailer on White Lake and the beach is covered with goose poop, its nasty. I think most golf courses must employ some means of goose control. I couldn't imagine trying to play golf stepping in goose poop or worse it interfering with my already bad handicap.
So check out Lookback goose control, keep the geese away so you will have safe clean beaches, golf courses, and fields where the Canadian geese no longer hang out.

Need more information on their services check out their website www.lookbackgoose.com
 

 

DOG PARK ETIQUETTE

I received this poster the other night at the Ottawa dog walking meeting
from Carol Upton the dog trainer and walker
I thought it should be shared!

For more free educational resources visit www.drsophiayin.com

A Accident waiting to happen, and it did.

Thursday is story time, here is a story which I hope will save another dog, from a painful paw.

Rory our greyhound loved going to the trailer. Unfortunately she wasn't crazy about the two steps up into the trailer or coming out. The steps were a metal grate, with little round circles. Then one day when Rory was taking her time coming down the steps her nail slipped into a circle and she jumped down leaving her entire nail behind. She yelped and had totally de-gloved her nail.

It took a good 10 days of diligent care keeping her paw clean and bandaging daily.

At bedtime all dressing and bandages were off so air could do its heeling magic.

 

 

 

 

We covered the stairs with stick down tile so the metal grate was no longer accessible

Rory my sweet Rory her nail healed but we learned a valuable lesson at her expense.

 

 

 

 

THE DOG HOUSE

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS APRIL 26TH

THE DOG HOUSE PRESENTS:
KNOW THY DOG CANINE CARE SEMINAR

This four hour seminar includes a CPR, AR, and Choking Demo.

Acquire important health information vital for your dog’s continual well-being. Come learn how to be pro-active in your maintaining your dog’s health care. We will teach you how to take your dog’s vitals, how to take a temperature, listen to their hearts beat. Learn relevant facts on Parasites, Arthritis, Bloat and other critical medical conditions. In addition to many general care tips, come be hands on and share with your dog.

WHERE: THE DOG HOUSE 881 BELLVUE AVE.

WEBSITE: http://www.ThedoghouseOttawa.ca/

WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 26, 2014

TIME: 9:30 TO 1:30

COST: $60.00

CONTACT ANNE AT 613-723-9663 OR

JULIA AT 613-697-7966

Co existing with WILD LIFE

Spring is near and so with Spring will come more encounters with wild life.

WILDLIFE PROOF

Keeping your dogs on leash or working constantly on your pets recall is good prevention when dealing with wildlife. If you have a big dog, coyotes tend to keep their distance, but small or medium sized dogs will become prey.

SKUNK ENCOUNTER

Anyone who has had their dog skunked knows how overpowering this smell is.

Trying to remove the odor from your dog, and all he touches and rubs on, feels overwhelming and futile. Our sense of smell is far less acute then our pet's and this smell is overbearing and unbearable to us. Just think how your dog must feel?

Unfortunately for our pets the most common spot to be sprayed is the face. Flushing your dog’s eye is a start. Often your dog’s eyes will be burning, red and irritated.

Next, prepare yourself for the huge challenge of removing the skunk odor.

TREATMENT

Most of us have heard of bathing our dogs in tomato juice, not realizing that the juice needs to dry on the dog to help neutralize the odor. Prepare yourself for a bigger chore than you might have expected - for you will to be bathing your dog two, three or even four times to get results. 

 

Even then, you still may smell skunk for it may take time to wear off. Some dogs will still smell of skunk weeks after the encounter: especially if they get there coats wet.

Other methods: your veterinarian has products like Skunk off; or, he may be able to give you advice on some home remedies. In my research the following was the most common home remedy mixture:

(First, always have mineral oil in your first aid kit. A drop of this in your dog’s eyes will protect them from any soap or other products you are using to bath your dog.)

   1. Mix 4 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide with 4 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon  

 of dishwashing detergent.

    2. Put Cotton balls in dog’s ear canals so the mixture doesn’t get in his ears.

    3. Wear rubber gloves.

    4. Apply the solution, starting on your dogs head and work backwards. Do not let the

        solution get into your dog’s eyes.

    5. Rub the solution into its coat.

    6. Rinse well.

    7. Repeat

 

RECIPE from Source: “ Close Encounters of the Wild Kind” by Jeff Grognet DVM, B. Sc (Agr)

 Dogs in Canada , June 2007

 http://www.petplace.come

 

 

A wonderful sight

http://twentytwowords.com/a-dogs-seeing-eye-dog/

It is always heart warming when we see another animal helping another.
So often we miss out on seeing the bond or the relationship one dog has for another.
The above link shows the ultimate love between these two dogs in just a few pictures.

Understanding your dog's prey drive!

I have had greyhounds and cats for the last 23 years. Even high prey greyhounds which I trained off the cats. The difference now is I own older cats and a young high prey Greyhound and a young Border collie. The border love to chase and herd the cats but our new addition doesn't want to herd he wants to hurt.

He has a strong predatory behaviour forget the stalk and chase for him its about the capture. I don't think I would have to much of a problem redirecting his innate behavior, if it wasn't for his pack member egging him on.  He has a very high food drive which will be a huge advantage training him to leave the cats alone. He has only been with us a short time. The cats and he are separated when we go out other precautions are instilled to make sure everyone is safe and happy.

Over the years herding dogs instinct to kill prey, has been modify to chase and specialize in moving their targets without injury. I know the squirrels in my yard feel otherwise.
Hunting dogs like greyhounds, whippets, beagles, prey drives has been fined tuned and bred into them over generations.

Predatory behaviour can be managed with continual training and redirecting. Really the only times this behaviour is a big problem is if the dog is off leash not responding to his owner and not aware of the surrounding like run across traffic in a chase. Another problem is children many high prey dogs
pose a danger to small children. Movement and high pitched crying or screaming from a baby or young child can trigger prey mode. Always be careful with any dog and children but especially dogs with a higher prey drive.

Dogs that have high prey drive also usually have high energy so involving your dog in lots of energy
burning activities will help.

Modifying high prey is possible but takes time and lots of patience. Avoiding trigger situations, alway use positive training, and never trusting that you have completely modified the behaviour.

GOBBLE STOPPER

Gobble stopper this is a great new product to slow down your dog from gobbling his food. We use a big rock at the bottom of the dogs food bowls to slow the gobbling. There eating by eating is slowed by eating around the rock. Unfortunately a rock can damage teeth. So I found this product called the Gobble stopper its is shaped like a bone and has a large suction cup to fit at the bottle of any bowl.
The dog is forced to eat underneath the bone shape canopy. With the strong suction cup the dog can't take the gobble stopper out of the bowl. It is even dishwasher safe and easily removed by a tab.
This product could save your dog from choking, vomiting and bloating.
Try it, it works!

Gobble stopper

 

ZOONOTIC

Zoonotic diseases, are diseases that can be passed either from us to our dogs or visa versa.
One of theses zoonotic conditions is Ringworm. Ringworm is not actually a worm but a contagious fungal disease, affecting the skin.

Ringworm got is name by the circular raised red rings on the skin looking like a worm. On dogs their is circular hair loss and a dry sometimes itchy skin lesion. This lesion will become inflamed and spread easily if bothered with.
Generally dogs with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to ringworm. So the very young and very old dogs are at risk. Other predisposing factors are stress, poor diet, shelter life, and cancer to name a few.
One the most simple ways to determine if the lesions are indeed ringworm is put a fluorescent light on the area suspected. If the lesions shine fluorescent green the dog or yourself has ringworm. Unfortunately after further research not all species of ringworm fungus shine green.
Your dogs veterinarian will run a culture to determine for sure.

Holistic treatments:
Home remedy dab Apple cider vinegar on affected skin often throughout the day for 1 to 3 days or until the lesions dry up and heal. Tea tree oil is another option of treatment.

Your dog's veterinarian will prescribe a fungal cream and possibly antibiotics for secondary infections in the skin. Remember its contagious to yourself and your pets so handle with care!

 

Story time

I think every Thursday I will write a story about a situation that can be avoided and maybe help save a life.

I use to work at a Oakville Animal Hospital. The receptionist at the time lived close and would go home for lunch and let her little dog out. On this particular day it was beautiful Spring day sun shining and very warm, she and her dog sat out on her back deck having lunch.  Unfortunately the little Schnauzer had a choke collar on.
I can't remember if the tags or the loop of the choke collar slid down the crack of her deck. As the dog tried to get up, he started to struggle Vivien thought he was having a seizure not realizing his collar was stuck. Vivien panicked her dog struggled harder with her panicking. No amount of pulling could get that collar unstuck and the dogs airway was being obstructed. She couldn't cut through the chain. So the boards of the deck had to be smashed to release the dog. She then rushed him to work.
He came in quite blue from lack of oxygen but freed from the deck had an open airway. We gave him oxygen and his colour returned. It was a happy ending he spend an afternoon on her lap with all of the clients cooing over him.

The moral of this story, please never leave choke collars on dogs left unattended. Also if your not walking him why have a choke collar on?

EASY ORAL CARE

https://www3.orapup.com/#.UyWhfXlOU3s worth a look!!!!

(PICTURE OFF ORAPUP WEDSITE)

Crazy Fact

If none are spayed or neutered a female dog her mate and their offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years.

I didn't believe this did the math and its possible.    (Dog Lover 2014 Desk Calendar)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

      

            KNOW THY DOG WISHES YOU A VERY HAPPY

                                     ST. PATRICK'S DAY

FUNNY HERDING commercial

GREAT HERDING BY A BORDER COLLIE

http://twentytwowords.com/sheepdog-herds-men-to-the-pub-in-a-funny-guinness-commercial/

Raynar is Newla's training Buddy

Happy news, the state of Colorado just banned dog racing!

Happy news, the state of Colorado just banned dog racing!
http://www.grey2kusa.org/eNEWS/G2K-031114.html

KNOW THY DOG'S NEXT SCHEDULE CLASS

                 JOIN OUR NEXT CLASS SUNDAY APRIL 13TH, 27TH, AND MAY 4TH
                                                   FROM 10:00 am TO 1:00 pm

This nine hour course will teach you to have confidence, to deal with many Emergency and First Aid
Situation as well as many General care tips.

WOUND CARE

Emma our Greyhound was running around the back yard when she cut her leg. It could be the sharp edge of snow or she may have clipped something as she ran by. Emma has extremely thin skin, and no  hairy coat to protect her. When Emma cuts herself the cut just opens up.

So what we do is clean the cut with antibacterial soap, rinse, flush with a sterile saline solution in case of any debris. We put an antibiotic ointment we use emu oil it a natural antibiotic. Then we place a sterile dressing over the wound then gauze and wrap with vet wrap.  With wet snow Emma will need a plastic bag put on her bandage to keep it dry when she goes outside.

We will leave the wrap on overnight but will remove the bandage and see how it looks. Tonight we will leave the wound to the air so it can heal fast.

                                                           Day two on the mend

WHY DO DOGS CHEW GRASS?

Snow is finally melting, and Spring finally insight grass will be reappearing everywhere.

Many dog owner wonder why their dogs eat or chew grasses.  Dog’s ancestor ate grasses, berries, even

chewed some barks to get some nutrients they may be missing. As a predator wolves, coyotes, foxes

often ate their kill whole ingesting the prey’s stomach content which were grasses or seeds.

Grass is everywhere so it’s very accessible to our dogs if the dog does have an upset tummy they will

look for the closest natural remedy to relieve gases.  So often dogs will chew on grass then vomit, most

Veterinarians will not be concerned if your dog eats grasses and vomits. The Vet may discuss your dogs

diet, and suggest a more quality and balanced diet. If your dog is constantly eating grass and vomiting,

definitely contact your dog’s vet it may be an indication of a underline problem.

 

TEA

 

 

                                                                 Natural healing remedies

As a child, we used steeped teabags cooled in the refrigerator to place on insect bites or for swollen itchy eyes.
I used that same procedure of cold steeped teabags on my dogs eyes the folic acid and vitamin B9 help soothe red itchy irritated eyes. Flavonoids is in many teas and it helps boost the immune system.

Often we forget that our own kitchen cupboards can have a wealth of natural remedies to care for us and our dogs health.

Different teas provide different solutions, Chamomile tea is used to settle upset stomach or calm anxiety. Chamomile has disinfecting effects and can be also used on minor cuts. 
Black and Green teas are used to help prevent cancer and may be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease. Talk to your dog's veterinarian or a Holistic vet to learn more about the many natural remedies we could use to promote a more healthy dog.

Desensitization

Newla is afraid of children, she is extremely sound sensitive, and is fearful of many things, children tops her list, men in sunglasses, women in hats, people that stare at her, her list is lengthy.
I own two Border collies both which are genetically predisposed to fearful behaviour. They have low self confidence and at times are very reactive.

I have talked about their issues in great depth with Trainers, their Vet, and dog behaviourists.
My job is to find out the ingrained behaviour and try to desensitize them.

Newla tries to run away if she is near children even if she hears them. Her fight or flight behaviour takes over. She is on a leash so flight isn't an option. The children are not near enough to fight so that's not an option either.

We continually expose her on her daily walks. We walk by a Daycare and treat her if she can sit quietly without attempting to run. We go to walk around PetSmart but stay for only short visits if she hears a child she becomes to nervous to focus on anything I say.

Trying to desensitize your dog is a long procedure exposing them to their fears and showing them nothing bad is going to happen.
I will never trust New with children, but I hope with constant exposure, we can live more harmoniously.

MIXING BREEDS

Golden Doodles

Mixing breeds Golden Doodles were first bred for a really good reason. To breed Golden Retriever with Standard Poodles, the reasoning was to create not a designer dog, but a non-allergenic guide dog. Man has experimented with breeding different breeds of dogs so they could perform diverse tasks for us. More often than not genetics were compromised.

The experiment wasn’t successful the breeder couldn’t guarantee a non-allergenic dogs.

Coat types were unreliable and varied from puppy to puppy. The two breeds weren’t going to be bred again but somehow websites sang their praises and the Golden Doodle became a popular designer dog.

Whenever you mix two breeds the puppies will come out looking like one of the parents or both. You will just have to wait to see how the coat, colour, temperament, size and health issues play out.

Helping Aging dogs cope!

Helping seniors

5 simple steps to help our senior dogs get along better in their environment.

Night lights are helpful with older dog’s their vision is affected often with cataracts or other age related eye diseases. The little bit of extra light will help them maneuver around the house better.

Ramps are great for getting in the car or on beds or any surface that maybe too high for the older dog to jump up onto.

Lifters help with stairs many arthritic dogs can use a helping hand to go up a few stairs. The lifters just give the dog support so it doesn’t put more pressure on already sore joints.

Heated beds or thick cushions get the dog a warm soft place to sleep. Warm and soft beds are great for sore joints.

Monitor length of exercise if the dog is slow or lagging behind on walks or sitting or lying down during exercise he telling you it is too much for him. Allow to rest and offer plenty of water.

 

                                                                        lift aid giving support

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is the name given to attributing human qualities to that which is not human for

Example, our animals.

There is controversy and debates whether this is a healthy practice.  If we treat dogs like people,

instead of dogs are we placing unrealistic expectations on them. Dogs behave like a dog and we

train behaviours out of our dogs so they will adapt better, have more human like behaviours to live

a more harmonious life with us.

Big problem by treating dogs like humans we fail then to treat them as dogs. The relationship we

have with our dogs and the bond between man and dog is solid. But the down side is training, so

often our dogs don’t understand what we want and the relationship gets frustrating for both parties

if the dog acts like a dog and doesn’t submit to our wishes.

Dogs need to be dogs they need to run and play and chase and dig and bark and roll and we need to

let them. It will give both of our relationships balance.

Newla's winter walk

                                                        She loves it under the snow