Posts Tagged ‘dog supplies’
Cool Dogs
We are in the season to make sure that we keep our dogs cool. I have found this Freezable and Reusable teether dog toy! They are called Chilly Bones and they contain a non-toxic 
absorbing sponge that can be frozen over and over. Don’t let the term “teether” fool you. Your adult dog will love the chilly cold sensation any time of the year and they are perfect for teething puppies too!
Special Dog Harness Part 2
As stated in part 1 the specialized dog harness, Bottom’s Up, is a special leash that helps your pet walk when they are having some problems with their joints or have a neurological problem. The Bottom’s Up leash help to support the rear end of your dog by looping straps around their hinds legs so that you can help hold up the rear end. The leash supports your pet but does not hinder their ability to relieve themselves.
I previously stated some medical reasons that you may need this leash. I wanted to continue on with one last one that is extremely important to me.
Degenerative Myelopathy
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 8 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over or drag the feet. This can first occur in one hind limb and then affect the other. As the disease progresses, the limbs become weak and the dog begins to buckle and has difficulty standing. The weakness gets progressively worse until the dog is unable to walk. The clinical course can range from 6 months to 1 year before dogs become paraplegic. If signs progress for a longer period of time, urinary and fecal incontinence may occur and eventually weakness will develop in the front limbs. Another key feature of DM is that it is not a painful disease. It is also usually the last diagnosis after all other tests have been performed.
There is no cure for DM at this time and it is so heartbreaking to see you four-legged family member go through this. But they are not in pain so that can be some consolation.
DM is the reason I began the hunt for specialty items such as the rear harness and dog carts (wheel chairs). I have been through DM with my lovable dog Charlie who developed DM when he was 8 yrs old and progressed over the following year to where he needed assistance walking to go outside. This disease however did not deter him from wanting to chase squirrels! I couldn’t run that fast. Watching him made my heart melt and want to do something to help him. So like I stated, I purchased the rear harness and helped him get where he wanted to go. It was the best purchase I have ever made as it also relieved the pressure on my shoulders and back from trying to hold him up from behind and more convenient than using a towel which didn’t sit in the right places for him to relieve himself.
So if you are ever in doubt check out the rear harnesses to assist your pet through some hard times.
Special Dog Harness Part 1
While nothing will ever replace a dog leash, the dog harness the need has become more prominent in ou
r society to leash our pets. The laws and regulations regarding our pets have been put into place that you need to have a leash to walk your dog. When you have a pet with special needs sometimes the regular leash will not do.
There are a number of different product names and types to choose from depending on what your specific needs are.
Sling type dog harnesses are being used to help animals when they’re having problems walking. The Bottom’s Up Leash, actually supports the rear end of your dog and is one of many types of assisting harnesses for lifting or holding the rear end of your pet up. You can use this to assist your pet getting up the stairs, getting into the car or simply walking around.
Some of the conditions that may warrant a specialized harness
Canine arthritis
Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a progressive, debilitating disorder characterized by a loss of cartilage and the death of cartilage-producing cells. DJD can occur in any joint, but is most often found in the hip. It can lead to permanent loss of function.
In most cases, DJD occurs secondarily to trauma, nutritional disorders or infections. It is prevalent in middle-aged to geriatric dogs. DJD may also occur in young dogs who suffer from canine hip dysplasia, a common developmental disorder of the hip joint found primarily in the larger breeds and breed mixes.
My dog, Baby, is 13 yrs old and is closely getting to the time where she will need a harness as she is getting slower walking up stairs. So I definitely know where to turn from experience.
I wanted to make this a shorter post so I will talk about other conditions that would warrant you to use a Bottoms Up Harness in future posts.
Dog Licking
When I first saw my dog licking the chair she was laying in or the floor or her bed I thought she was going crazy. The I thought maybe she had some kind of compulsive disorder. I figured I had an OCD dog. But the more I read about it the I realized that she wasn’t the only one doing this.
It seems there may be a few different reasons for why this happens
1. Comfort
2. Marking their area with their own saliva (I am happy it is nothing else)
3. Food crumbs
4. Boredom
5. Tactile experience
Regardless of the reason it was very annoying to my husband when he went to sit in the chair and it was all wet.
What I started to do was creating a play time specifically for her. I would sit on the floor with her favorite dog toys. It seems to lessen the the amount of time licking. Plus I have introduced dog toys that have a texture to them and it definately seems to have lessened her urge.
Have you ever had this problem?
Recovering From the Loss of a Pet
Do You Have to Leave Your Pet at Home
1. Please Don’t Go! Coping with Separation Anxiety in Pets
When your dog suffers from separation anxiety, leaving the house can be just as stressful for you as it is for him. No one likes to see a beloved pet upset—plus, any time away from home might be spent worrying what kind of mess awaits your return. Will your pooch tear up the sofa? Chew the walls? Pee on the carpet? Shake, drool and bark for hours?
Overcoming disorders like separation anxiety takes time, patience and consistency, but it can be done! Don’t wait any longer: take control of your dog’s happiness—and your own—just in time for summer travel season. Follow the advice of ASPCA animal behaviorists, and next time you drop off Fido at a friend’s house or the boarding kennel, you’ll feel sweet relief knowing that you miss him more than he misses you.
- Doctor Knows Best
The first step in tackling behavior issues is to rule out any underlying medical problems that might be causing your pet’s behavior. For example, if your pet is urinating in the house, he might be suffering from a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, diabetes or kidney disease. - Keep It Mellow
All greetings—hellos and goodbyes—should be conducted in a very calm manner. When saying goodbye, just give your dog a pat on the head, say goodbye and leave. Similarly, when arriving home, say hello to your dog and then don’t pay any more attention to him until he’s calm and relaxed. - Dogs Need Jobs
Providing lots of physical and mental stimulation is a vital part of treating many behavior problems, especially those involving anxiety. Exercise can enrich your dog’s life, decrease stress and provide appropriate outlets for normal behavior. Plus, a tired dog doesn’t have much excess energy to burn when he’s left alone!
Visit the Dog Care section of our website to read our complete guide to tackling separation anxiety.
Cummuter Dogs
I thought you might enjoy this story. Dogs are allowed on public transport in all of Europe, but generally with their master. This is even more interesting.
Here is a Canine commuter…. A wild dog waits on the platform!!
STRAY dogs are commuting to and from a city centre on underground trains in search of food scraps. The clever canines board the Tube each morning. After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.
Experts studying the dogs say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train…
The dogs choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train. They have also developed tactics to hustle humans into giving them more food on the streets of Moscow.
Scientists believe the phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs. Dr. Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses”.
Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway to get to the centre in the morning, and then back home in the evening, just like people.
Here is an experienced dog enjoying a nap on the underground. Dr. Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed”. They do it for fun. Sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.
This dog is tired … A mutt naps on tube seat in Moscow.
The dogs have learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said Dr. Poiarkov. They use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow. They sneak up behind people eating shawarmas then bark loudly to shock them into dropping their food.
With children, the dogs play cute by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy and scraps. Dr. Poiarkov added: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists”.
The Moscow mutts are not the first animals to use public transport. In 2006 a Jack Russell in Dunnington, North Yorks , began taking the bus to his local pub in search of sausages. Two years ago, passengers in Wolverhampton were stunned when a cat called Macavity started catching the 331 bus to a fish and chip shop.
This article is from http://animalconnectionshow.com/wordpress/pay-it-forward-friday-572010
Talking to your animals?
Do you ever talk to your animals? Oh come on admit it, you do.
I have to say I had the most embarrassing moment the other day. I came home from work and the first thing I do is let the dogs out. Well, I also happened to be on the phone with my husband using my bluetooth and thought I had hung up. Well…I did, but the bluetooth did not. Now my husband works 2nd shift so he has no idea that I talk to them at night (usually in english). Anyway, as I was letting the dogs out one of them decided to bark so I follow along and go woof, woof, woof. Hmmm a smart thing to do? No. Because, as I said, when I thought the phone disconnected it actually didn’t. So my husband heard me barking at the dogs and in turn let his co-worker listen to it. He called me on the landline to let me know what he heard. Laughing is not the word! Hysterical is more like it.
He now thinks I will be snorting with the horses. I’ll never tell and have learned to leave the cell phone behind.
Let me know your funniest moment with your animal.
Animal Acres Help is Needed
Dozens of volunteers are needed to help Animal Acres rescue, transport, and care for over 150 goats, cattle, chickens, pigs and other animals in urgent need of rescue in San Diego County Thursday, April 15 through Sunday, April 18th.
I am reposting this from the urgent action letter sent by Animal Acres. If you have any questions or want to donate time or money, please contact them directly at: info@animalacres.org or call 661-269-5404.
Details about the rescue are as follows:
Right now, these animals are languishing at an abusive hoarder facility for farmed animals. Though the owner called it the “Purple Cow Sanctuary” (PCS), the conditions we witnessed there are worse than many of the “backyard butcher” operations we have seen.
The animals are extremely thin, infested with parasites, and covered in sores and mange. There is no housing or protection for the animals to escape severe weather conditions – only dilapidated pens and awnings that are falling down. The “feed” barn is filled with old containers of oats, and mice-infested bags of pinto beans. The fenced pens are severely overcrowded, and the goats are being bred to produce milk for the owner. To view a short video and for further information on the case, please visit our website: www.animalacres.org
Please be a farmed animal rescuer by joining us this week to bring these animals to safety. You can help by:
1. Helping load animals at PCS in San Diego County (Valley Center) beginning on Thursday, April 15th and the last day of loading (hopefully!) on Sunday, April 18th. The loading will be difficult because of the terrain and we cannot do it without volunteers to hold portable gates and chutes to move the goats and pigs. We will need a large team of rescuers – especially on Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16 to move the goats. You can either meet us at Animal Acres on rescue days at 8:30 a.m. to carpool (directions are on the VISIT section of our website), or meet us off Interstate 15 at 11:30 a.m.
? From Temecula; Drive about 18 miles south on I-15.
? Take the GOPHER CANYON RD/OLD CASTLE RD Exit, Go 0.2 mi. EAST
? FIRST STOPLIGHT there is a parking lot on the right on the corner of Gopher Canyon and Champagne Blvd. — park in here for rescue carpool (if parking lot is full, park just past on side of road.)
If you can help any of these days, please email: info@animalacres.org or call 661-269-5404. Rescue volunteers are encouraged to pack food and beverages as the rescue will take several hours each day.
2. Helping care for the new rescued animals, as well as the current animals at Animal Acres. We have two full time caregivers, and these caregivers are currently needed to provide quality care for the 176 animals currently residing at Animal Acres. We will be DOUBLING our animal population, and at a minimum, it will take two months to rehabilitate the rescued animals (since the animals have mange/parasites) and three to four additional months to place all of the animals into loving forever homes. Once the animals arrive, we will need volunteers every day of the week to help care for the PCS animals and the current animals at Animal Acres.
Animal Caregiver volunteers need to arrive between 10 – 11 a.m. and commit to a three hour animal care job. Volunteers are welcome to bring a vegan picnic lunch to enjoy with the birds in our courtyard!
Thank you for being a farmed animal rescuer, too.
Dogs and New Construction Don’t Mix
I have discovered that going through construction with dogs around is not good.
On every wall that was freshly spackled you can find a tail mark or a nose mark. With Babys’ tail we call it a whip. When she gets excited it just whips back and forth. (sometimes I can see why they crop tails 
, only kidding). Just as the worker put it on the wall so nice and neat, there goes Babys’ tail. Yep, she left a tail mark. hmmm do I say something so its not so hard for him when he sands…Nope.
Marina just loves to be surrounded by things and she is now totally out of her element with nothing in the room but 2 chairs and a couple of lights. So now she has resorted to laying as close to the wall as she can. Hmmmm can you say fur spackle. I think it can be considered a new technique. She especially loves this one corner. I doubt it will ever be right. Her fur is so very long that, every time she gets it in her fur, I have learned to wait until it dries to get it out.
Worse yet I forgot to move their dog beds and they were plopped with spackle too. OF COURSE they have to lay in it too before I get a chance to even notice it much less clean it up.
What is there to do?