Metal Bowls - NO!

Using metal water dishes outside in winter may be a risk, because your pet's tongue could stick to the frozen metal. In the summer medal bowls can get very hot, and burn your dog.

Chocolate Toxicity in Dogs

Contributed by Deb:

Since this info is all over the web, and comes from a book, I consider it public domain. So I will post it here without any concerns:

Chocolate - active ingredient = theobromine: The half life in the dog is 17.5 hours

The Toxic dose in the dog is 100-150 mg/kg.A kilogram (kg) = 2.2 lbs. A milligram(mg) = 1/1000 of a gram

So for a 50 pound dog, a toxic dose would be roughly 2.2 grams (2200 mg) of pure chocolate.

However the concentration of theobromine varies with the formulation of the chocolate so: Milk chocolate has 44mg/oz (154mg/100gm) :toxic dose for 50 lb dog - 50 oz of milk chocolate.

Semisweet chocolate has 150 mg/oz (528mg/100gm) :toxic dose for 50 lb dog - 15 oz of semisweet chocolate

Baking chocolate 390mg/oz (1365 mg/100gm):toxic dose for 50 lb dog - 5 oz of baking chocolate

Thus a dog eating one oz of baking chocolate would have to eat almost 3 oz of semisweet or 10 oz of milk chocolate to get the same dose of theobromine.

The theobromine in candies consisting of chocolate that is coated over some other substance - as in filled candies and chocolate coated dried fruits, etc. will be more dilute than that in pure chocolate bars and solid chocolate candies.

Obviously the chocolate in milk chocolate is quite dilute and this is why many dogs can eat a piece here and there and seem not to show toxic effects, how many dogs would get ahold of 50 oz at a time? This is not true of the more concentrated forms however.

Dr Sue Bank's experience was that she had two dogs, a 95 pound one and a 60 pound one. They got ahold of 2 one pound bags of Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate pieces (a bag each). The 95 pound dog survived but the 60 pound dog ingested a toxic dose.

The problem with feeding a dog milk chocolate as a treat is that it develops a liking for chocolate and since dogs do not seem to be as sensitive to bitter tastes as humans - it may then eat the more concentrated, and thus quite toxic, baker's chocolate if it gets a chance or it will consume a toxic amount of milk or semi-sweet chocolate if it can get into a improperly stored supply.

Treatment which is best administered by someone with medical training follows the same strategy as treatment for caffeine overdose: Support Respiration Support cardiovascular function, control arrhythmia's, control electrolytes and acid-base balance. Control CNS excitation. Emesis Gastric lavage Cathartic Activated charcoal.

Administration of an activated charcoal slurry is a major component of the treatment and needs to be administered by a veterinarian - it is not a home treatment. From Kirk and Bistner's Handbook of Veterinary Procedures and Emergency Treatment 6th edition. ************ *********

Consistency in Dog Training

Consistency is very important during dog obedience behavior training especially when correcting unwanted behaviors. Always use the same "command" for a specific task you require of your dog. Don’t confuse him by using different command for the same task.

Once you’ve establish some house rules such as - keeping the cooking area out of bound to your dog, enforce them constantly. If the dog learns that he can get away with it now and then, your previous efforts will go down the drain. Lastly, make sure everyone in the family accept and enforce your rules consistently.

Runaway Dog

If your dog runs away from you and you finally catch up to it, no matter how angry you are at the dog, do not yell or smack it or your dog will never come to you when called for fear of being punished.

Separation Anxiety

A dog demonstrates separation anxiety in many ways. While you're gone, or preparing to leave, your dog may:

• Destroy things
• Lick himself excessively
• Urinate or deficate inside the house
• Whine or bark continuously
• Hyper-salivate
• Pace obsessively
• Refuse to eat when you're not around
• Greet you excessively when you return home
• Be restless or depressed as you prepare to leave

A dog's level of anxiety can vary. But with Separation Anxiety, his behavior when you're away is consistently different from his behavior when you're around.

Keep him calm and collected. Any dog who demonstrates these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian with a strong background in behavioral medicine. When a diagnosis of Separation Anxiety is confirmed, several treatment strategies may be put in place:

1. Control the dog's environment. A busy dog is a satisfied dog. Give him something to do-such as a fun treat that requires some time to eat-and he may not be as concerned that you're gone.
2. Shift his behavior. Don't punish him for feeling anxious, that may make things worse. Try these suggestions: Avoid playing with him prior to leaving the house. Practice graduated departures. Go through some of the steps associated with you leaving the house several times per day, but don't leave. Practice departure exercises. Go out two times per day for 10-15 minutes each time. He should be taught to sit (or lie down) while you go toward the door, step outside and remain for a short period of time. Increase your time away gradually so he gets used to you going - while feeling reassured that you will return. The goal is to teach him that he can be obedient and relaxed when you're not there. Practice independence training. During day-to-day routines, such as watching television, instruct your Dachshund to stay some distance away instead of allowing him to sit in your lap or be touching you. While you're out, provide soothing music or a television at a low volume. To an anxious dog, silence can be deafening. Make sure not to make a big deal when you leave or come home. Ignore your dog for 10-20 minutes before leaving and after arrival - as difficult as this may be, it works. Don't reward clingy behavior. Ignore your Dachshund if he follows you around or demands attention. And reward him when he lies quietly.
3. Medicate. There are prescriptions that may help ease your dogs anxiety. Consult your vet for full details and options.

When is a puppy first bath?

Puppies generally do not need to get bathed until they are five months old -- they get their vaccinations during these first five months and their bodies are more sensitive to catching a cold.

When you give your puppy his first bath, find a nice warm spot to give the bath and use the appropriate dog shampoo.

Puppies and dogs don't need to get bathed very often in order to stay clean. The most important requirement for their cleanliness is to get groomed and brushed everyday.

If the dog or puppy gets mud on his coat, you can clean it off by using a towel with soap and warm water.

Constantly bathing a puppy and dog is not recommended because shampoo and soap leaches the natural oils of the puppy's skin.

To bathe your puppy you will need to use a washtub appropriate for his size. Put a small anti slip mat underneath the puppy's feet so that he does not slip. Put some cotton balls inside his ears so that no water gets inside of them. Make sure to use good quality dog shampoo (never human shampoo or soap), and apply it rubbing opposite of the way his hair grows. Start by first washing the puppy's body and finish with his head. When rinsing the puppy, make sure you keep his head upward so soapy water does not get into his sensitive eyes.

Generally it's recommended to towel of the excess water and let the puppy dry off on his own. In the cold months, you can use a hairdryer with caution -- make sure it is on the lowest setting and that you constantly move the dryer, so as not to burn the puppy. Also pay special attention to ensure you puppy does not get overheated and never blow air into his eyes.

Bath time can become a relaxing and bonding experience for you and your pooch.

Onion Poisoning

Onions cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate.

Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body.

At first, pets affected by onion poisoning show gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhoea. They will show no interest in food and will be dull and weak. The red pigment from the burst blood cells appears in an affected animal’s urine and it becomes breathless. The breathlessness occurs because the red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body are reduced in number.
The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

Onion poisoning can occur with a single ingestion of large quantities or with repeated meals containing small amounts of onion. A single meal of 600 to 800 grams of raw onion can be dangerous whereas a ten-kilogram dog, fed 150 grams of onion for several days, is also likely to develop anaemia. The condition improves once the dog is prevented from eating any further onion

While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.

What to do if you've lost a pet

Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody, and leave your phone number.

Go to each house in the area where your pet was lost and talk to the residents. Write down a description of your lost pet and your phone number and leave it with them. Leave it attached to their door if they are not home.

Talk to everybody you run across. This includes the postman, paperboy, children, parents waiting at the school bus stop, school crossing guards, neighborhood crime watch groups, garbage pick-up crews, etc. Give them a written description of your pet and your phone number as well.

Read on ...

Grapes and raisons can cause fatal kidney failure in some dogs.

Grapes and raisons can cause fatal kidney failure in some dogs. For some unknown reason, there are dogs that grapes and raisons seem to have no ill effect on while others become very ill after eating only a couple. Although the exact toxin is unknown to date, the first symptom of illness from grapes and raisons is vomiting, followed by fatal kidney failure.

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