Posts Tagged ‘dogs’

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Winter Paw Care: How To Protect Your Dog’s Feet

Monday, January 16th, 2012
Dog Paws Winter Care

"Give me five!" Make sure to keep those paws happy and healthy!

Results from a recently released study conducted by Japanese scientists at Tokyo’s Yamazaki Gakuen University suggest that dogs have special blood vessels in their feet that actually help protect them from the effects of snow and ice. The researchers propose a mechanism that they’ve termed a “counter-current heat exchange:” when a paw is cooled by contact with frozen ground, warmth from the arteries in the paw is transferred to the vessels in the paws which helps to keep the paw at a tolerable temperature. Of course, pads contain a lot of fatty tissue, which doesn’t freeze as easily as other kinds of tissue. In addition, the special blood vessels in the pads warm the blood before it flows back to the body – thus helping keep the dog’s body temperature from falling uncomfortably low.

Even though systems like this are seen in other animals, including penguins and foxes, many earthbath fans vehemently disagree with the thought that all dogs are cold-weather proof:

“Apparently, my pugs are lacking these vessels- one sniff of the cold air and they about face into the house. Then once outside they continually pick up alternate feet to avoid the frozen feet feeling.”

“Many short-haired dogs will not last more than 10 minutes in -35C before they start crying in pain and hopping about from foot to foot or leaving bits of skin frozen to the sidewalk.”

…and we too, have seen many dogs unhappily affected by the cold. Which brings us to our main point: take care of those little puppy paws in the winter months! We’ve got some easy tips for you to ensure that everyone is comfortable, even when the snow is blowing and the wind chill is dropping.

  • Trim the hair between the pads and around the feet to minimize the clinging of ice balls, salt crystals and de-icing chemicals that can dry on the skin.  Find a video on how to trim your dog’s paw hair at the bottom of this post.
  • After walks, use a basin of warm water and earthbath wipes to clean off stinging, irritated paws. After each walk, ensuring that your pet’s feet are washed and dried to remove ice, salt and chemicals will help make sure they stay comfortable and dry.
  • Check for cracks in paw pads or redness between the toes, and if you see signs of irritation or dryness, massage in a little SheaPet Aloe and Shea Butter Treatment Balm to soothe those toes. Just as with human skin, moisturizing after a walk through the ice and snow will always help prevent chapped paws. Best not to use petroleum jelly or other potentially toxic-when-ingested lubricating agents, as dogs like to lick their paws!
  • Booties help minimize contact with painful salt crystals, poisonous anti-freeze and chemical ice-melting agents. They can also help prevent sand and salt from getting lodged in between bare toes and pads, causing irritation.
  • Make sure to use pet-friendly ice melts whenever possible, even though you can’t control what your neighbors or your city uses on sidewalks and streets.
  • And remember, if the weather’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your dog. Animal companions should remain indoors as much as possible during the winter months.

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Posted in Dogs, earthbath, Grooming, Pet News, Pet Owners, Pet Safety | No Comments »

The importance of winter grooming: follow our four tips!

Friday, January 6th, 2012
a happy winter dog is a healthy groomed winter dog

Raindrops on roses and snowflakes on noses... keep your dog happily groomed this winter!

There’s a common misconception that dogs don’t need to be groomed, or only groomed minimally, over the winter months. The (erroneous) belief is that a dog’s winter coat comes in and should be allowed to grow long to protect and warm the dog. In addition, because dogs, like humans, often follow a more sedentary and inside routine in the winter, many people feel that their dogs aren’t getting dirty enough to warrant bathing. But this is simply not true. In fact, in many ways, grooming over the winter months becomes even more important to the health of your dog than at any other time of the year. Long, wet, matted hair easily makes a cold, wet, and infection-susceptible dog.

While it’s true that double-coated breeds and others with thick, long fur are more winter-ready than short-haired dogs, the “blessing” of these thick coats in winter can turn quickly into a curse if the fur isn’t maintained in a healthy condition. Fur that’s matted doesn’t insulate or provide warmth; instead, it provides discomfort, pain, and hot spots. Matting can even lead to infections below the skin, so when considering the effects of letting the grooming go, consider how your dog’s health may in fact suffer as a result. Grooming isn’t just for a beautiful dog (though this is obviously one noticeable effect), it’s also crucial for your dog’s good health.

Winter pitfalls to your dog’s coat and skin include:

  • Dry forced-air heat
  • Bitter, cold temperatures
  • Wind
  • Snow and ice
  • Dampness
  • Salt and sand used on streets and sidewalks

Simply follow these four grooming rituals through the winter to combat these winter blahs, and ensure that your dog stays comfortable, dry, and healthy!

  • Regular rub-downs: Any time your dog is wet, whether it’s from playing in the snow, running in the rain, or just following a bath, make sure to dry him thoroughly. In the winter this becomes especially important because your dog is just as susceptible to chills as you are. Think about being outside in freezing temperatures with a head full of wet hair: then consider that your dog doesn’t have the benefit of indoor plumbing and don’t subject him to this discomfort! In addition, your dog’s skin can become very dry and itchy when its fur isn’t dried fully combined with the excessively dry air created from indoor electric heaters.
  • Getting 100 strokes in: The most important grooming procedure at any time of year is to brush your dog’s coat regularly. Brushing helps to keep away mats and tangles, which only get worse the longer they’re allowed to stick around.  Mats and tangles prevent the distribution of the oils that naturally occur in the skin that help to condition and stimulate the skin and coat. This means an increase in dry skin, dull coat, and worse: infected hot spots. During the winter months, mats are the worst enemy to a properly maintained coat’s natural insulating qualities. A beautiful, mat-free coat helps to insulate body heat and radiates this heat back into the body, keeping a protective barrier between the dog and external cold air. Mats have a tendency to hold moisture against the skin, attracting more snow and debris, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacterial growth and infection.  As you can imagine, with the increase in damp, wet conditions in winter, it becomes even more important to police mats and eradicate them at the first opportunity. Brushing your dogs daily, even for just a few minutes, is critical in the winter.  If mats get out of control, it becomes too painful for the dog and too time-consuming for you to attempt to brush them all out, in which case, the easiest thing is to cut the entire coat short before skin and health problems develop.
  • Pooch pedicures:   Keeping your dogs’ feet in tip-top shape is very important in the winter. Throughout the year your dog’s nails naturally wear down from regular walks outside on concrete and asphalt, but in winter, most humans and dogs reduce their outdoor activities. And even if you’re still diligent about taking your dog for walks in the winter, they are probably shorter in duration, and over more snow- and ice-covered areas, so the nails will not wear down as much as they normally would. It’s very important to keep the nails trim, because if the nails grow long such that you hear “click click click” on the floor when they walk across it, this makes it difficult for them to keep their balance on ice and snow. Dogs can fall on the ice too, and we wouldn’t want that!
    It’s also important to trim your dog’s fur around their paw-pads as excess fur attracts snow and iceballs to form, creating severe discomfort and pain to your dog. Hair that accumulates in the pads can become matted, and hold moisture from rain and snow, and even pick up rock salt and ice. Which is sort of like waking around with rocks in wet shoes? Sounds awful, doesn’t it? If your dog tolerates it, dog-sized boots are a great option to keep out the snow, ice, salt, and sand: all harsh enemies of little puppy paws. But if your dog refuses to wear booties, the next best thing is to keep a bowl of warm water by the door and give each paw a little soak and dry after returning from any outdoor activities: the warm water easily melts away the ice and snow and any loose dirt and debris is shaken loose before it can burrow deeper.
  • Moisturizing earthbaths!: Bathing your dog regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your dog in the winter, as a clean dog is a happy, healthy dog. During the cold winter months, many of us suffer with dry, chafed, and scaly skin due to the combination of cold air, wind, and interior dry air from our forced-air heaters. Even though they’re covered with a layer of fur, our dogs also feel the drying effects of winter, so it’s even more important to use a non-drying, highly moisturizing, gentle shampoo and conditioner. The dry heat found in many homes throughout the winter season can be tough on our skin and hair, so we apply lotions and conditioners to ease the scratchiness and irritation. Your dog doesn’t need lotion, but if his little pads and nose seem irritated or cracked, SheaPet Shea Butter and Aloe Treatment Balm stops itching and soothes dry, irritated skin fast.

 

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Gift ideas for a pampered pet this holiday season

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
dog gets christmas gift

What are you gifting your pets with this holiday season?

As Andy Rooney famously said, “There’s no doubt about it. Dogs are nicer than people.” This means that the dogs (and cats) in your life  should have a place firmly on Santa’s “nice” list. And what does this mean for you, dear pet parent? Well, it means this is the time of year for showing your pets your love and gratitude for their unconditional companionship and love. If you’re considering shopping for your pets this holiday season, then you’d be in the more than 80% of pet owners who are planning to buy their pets a little something special this holiday season.

You might be thinking along the lines of a new toy, a yummy chewie, or special holiday-themed pet sweater but if you’re the type to really go over the top with spoiling your pets this holiday season, we’ve pulled together this selection of the most stylish, beautiful, and, frankly, outrageous we’ve seen (among some feasible and fun items too)!

Are your pets opening presents this Christmas? Let us know what they’re getting in the comments below!

dog toy

Fisher-Price® See 'n Bark Spinner™ $13.00

dog toy

Fisher-Price® Pets Ruff-A-Stack™ $12.00

For pooch-friendly variations on your favorite childhood toys, try Fisher-Price’s new line of pet toys including a “Xylobone,” “Ring Stack” and even a “See ‘n’ Bark Spinner,” a play on the old laugh-n-learn farmyard spinner. Frankly, the designs of these clever nostalgia-inducers from Fisher Price are probably more entertaining for you, but they’re bound to entertain your pets as well!

 

 

cat scratch post

Modern Critter Bent Plywood Cat Scratcher $285.00

cat scratch post

Yes, that's the cat scratch post, hung on the wall: minimalist and clean; dare we say it, that's a beautiful piece of cat furniture!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re tired of feeling as though you’re living amongst shredded cardboard boxes and fraying cat scratch posts, constantly catering to the scratching whims of your cats, consider an upgrade to the Modern Art Cat Scratcher, which looks more like a piece of abstract art than cat furniture. Of course it doesn’t come cheap: you’ll shell out $285.00 for one of these, but consider it serving another purpose in addition to your cat’s scratching needs: it’s your new conversation piece of art!

 

 

rodeo dog bed

Rodeo Dog Bed from Chiasso ($348.00)

Is the master of your [modern] house turning his nose up at his “regular” dog bed for lack of style? Then look no further than the ultra-hip Le Corbusier-inspired Rodeo Dog Bed from Chiasso ($348.00). If your dog has a taste for super-luxe mid-century modern furniture, you’ll find yourself eyeing the Rodeo bed, because neither of you would choose anything less… fetching.  And of course, now all you need to do is shell out a few grand for the actual Le Corbusier LC3 living room set, to match your dog’s new bed!

dog crate dog house

The "BowHaus" from DenHaus ($599.99)

 

Maybe designer knock-offs aren’t necessarily your style, but you still love the look of unidentifiable dog furniture. DenHaus has you covered with their ultra-deluxe Dog “Hauses,” which will set you back anywhere from $449.99 to $599.99, depending on the style you choose, ranging from a Craftman-style wood “TownHaus” to the Jetson-esque metallic “BowHaus”. Whether or not your dog will appreciate his new stylish digs is yet to be determined. But, hey, a dog crate that doubles as a stylish end table where your martini looks perfectly at home on? How very Bond (if James Bond had a dog, that is).

dog toy

Give your dog his own "old shoe" to chew on to save yours! (CB2: $9.95)

 

 

Sick of your dog eating your shoes? Fake out Fido by giving him his very own old shoe to chew on from CB2 ($9.95). This clever cotton canvas dog toy filled with dog-safe cotton and a squeaker has a convincing screen print of a worn brown leather oxford on the front. It begs to be chewed, but don’t blame us if it works in an unintended way and starts a bad habit…!

 

 

 

 

dog treats

Bake and shape your own dog cookies for the holidays! That's love!

And if shelling out hundreds of dollars to spoil your pets isn’t up your alley (or your cat’s), you can always spend nothing but your love and your time, and peruse a number of recipes to make your own dog treats courtesy of Dog Treat Kitchen. After all, baking ‘em yourself is the only way you can control what goes into (and stays out of) your dogs’ treats! We love the idea, especially for dogs with food allergies, weight management issues, or other special needs. And dog treats can get pricey: making your own is a sure way to reduce this unnecessary cost, and even increase the quality of your dog’s nibbles!

earthbath wipes come in six varieties: try them all!

 

 

Finally, don’t forget the stocking stuffers for a happy, clean, and fresh-smelling brood: earthbath wipes, in both 100-count pop-up boxes ($14.99) and 28-count travel packs ($5.49): You and your dogs will love ‘em over the winter: put a pack in each car, keep a box by the door, and wipe those paws down after every walk!

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Four reasons why puppies make bad presents

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
puppies make bad presents

This adorable bundle of Christmas love is also a living being with HUGE needs! Are you ready for it?

Considering a warm bundle of joy waiting under the tree this Christmas? Reconsider, fast.

When envisioning winter puppies, we all think of adorable scenes including puppies entranced by the sight of snow, frolicking in powder and chasing snowflakes, but the reality is more like stepping into a fresh puddle on the rug, again, then struggling into a heavy winter coat and boots yet another time, trudging outside, and huddling against the driving wind and sleet while waiting for your little furball to do her business.

As with all puppy training, you’ll be making many more trips outside than you will at any future time in her life, because delaying potty trips outside will just prolong the whole training process, not to mention increase the amount of indoor cleanup required. And considering the time of year as well as who this fun responsibility will fall to MUST be carefully planned before you decide to acquire a winter puppy.

And this is just one of the reasons that a puppy as holiday present is one of the worst ideas ever. Here are three more reasons NOT to gift a puppy this holiday season:

1) The puppy will start his life out seriously stressed. Would you like to be cooped up inside a box only to have it ripped open to be confronted by shrieks and overwhelmed by hordes of new people? Didn’t think so. Neither would anyone. Consider that one of the most crucial stages of a puppy’s life is the stage characterized by “fear/avoidance,” which happens between seven to 12 weeks. In an interesting conundrum of nature, this is also the best time for new bonding with his new humans and new family. Just as in babies from about 12 to 18 months old, who experience separation anxiety and fear of strangers, puppies go through a period of feeling very fearful. This paradoxically can increase the bond between the little one and its new humans, however, if trust is established, and fearful stimuli are systematically desensitized. The puppy can learn to expect regularity, routine, and calm assurance in the face of new noises, people, and events.

But if a puppy’s first experience with his new humans is itself characterized by extreme stress, including the chaos of Christmas morning, the normal neglect caused by a house full of visitors and relatives, and loud hubbub fueled by hyper children, he may never recover from the trauma. According to PetRescue.com, “It is extremely important not to over-stress or unduly frighten your puppy during this vulnerable time. Fears learned during this first fear/avoidance period can be very difficult to overcome later, even with the best training or behavior modification techniques. In other words, traumatic experiences at this point can have a permanent impact on your puppy’s personality as an adult dog.” So unless you want to spend the next 10-15 years trying to correct his fear of all things holiday, don’t have your puppy’s first day home be Christmas morning.

2) One cute photo-perfect moment under the tree comes with a lifetime of responsibility. “Christmas puppies are often impulse gifts, purchased in the spirit of love and generosity that goes with the season, but without the hard self-assessment that goes into asking oneself if one has the time, energy and inclination to give the necessary commitment to raising, socializing and educating a puppy,” says PetRescue.com. Puppies, and the dogs they grow into, are basically babies that develop into small children. They’ll be dependent on you from the moment they arrive into your life until they depart it. Consider the considerable expense and time involved in caring for, training, and keeping a dog. Your puppy will need annual vet visits and the required vaccinations, medications, normal check-ups, dental cleanings, and other medical care and surgeries as needed. This can run anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year.

Puppies, like kids, eat a lot. In fact, some people feel their dog eats them out of house and home in a way they didn’t prepare for. Add on several hundred dollars a year for good food, not to mention treats, toys, beds, crates, grooming tools, accessories like leashes, collars, poop bags, and clothes, and other necessities like travel crates, dog walkers, doggy daycare, and boarding facilities or pet sitters for the times you travel without your pet.

As for time required from you, in the beginning, puppies, just like babies, need constant attention. Potty training is a once-every-hour trip outside, with extra trips after meals and playing, and other kinds of training, including commands, socialization, and walking on lead all take additional patience and time. And to prevent boredom and destructive behavior, even adult dogs need regular exercise and play time periodically through the day.  Is the recipient of the puppy (or the giver) ready to take on all of this responsibility and devote this time to the new dog for the next 10-15 years?

Raising a well-adjusted dog requires a lifestyle change.  And too many times, puppies as gifts are impulsively given to someone who does not, or simply cannot, make the significant financial, time, and emotional commitment that comes along with having a dog. For the dog’s well-being, as well as the gift recipient’s, spending some serious time evaluating the costs involved in raising a dog before you ever bring a dog home is crucial.

3) Sadly, most “gift-wrapped” puppies end up at the shelter, or worse. Because most people overlook the serious responsibility that comes with a puppy when faced with those adorable puppy-dog eyes, when the newness of the puppy wears off and indoor accidents mount, while other needs can’t be ignored, many people decide they can’t deal with the commitment of caring for another living being. Unfortunately, most end up bringing the puppy to a shelter where it will most likely die. A lot of folks believe that they’re doing the best thing for their dog by abandoning it at a shelter, thinking that it will be quickly adopted by someone with more time or capacity for commitment. But even though the puppy may still be young, adorably cute, purebred and/or well behaved, because of the glut of puppies that arrive at shelters, especially after holidays, more than 90% of shelter pets are eventually euthanized.

How About a Gift Certificate Instead?

If you’ve got a dog-lover in your life who is clamoring for a Christmas puppy, unless you and your family has done the hard time considering and committing to the real truths behind the lifestyle change your whole family will have to undertake, consider a gift certificate to a local shelter. Most shelters would be more than happy to sell you a gift certificate instead of sending you off with a puppy that will be back in a short time. And this way the entire family can pay the shelter a visit at some point after the holidays, when life has calmed down a bit, and select the new family member together. And adopting a “holiday puppy” from a shelter is also a wonderful way to rescue one of these unfortunately-gifted and unwanted animals.

Also, you could give the dog lover in your life a starter kit packed with a leash, toys, treats, a gift certificate for puppy training classes and a first vet visit. That way, when they take it upon themselves to adopt their new puppy, at a time that is most appropriate for their life, they’ve already got a great head start.

 

 

 

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Follow our guide to keep your pets safe and warm this winter!

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
Winter Pet Preparation Tips

Don't let old man winter freeze out your dogs!

Old Man Winter is knocking on the door, or in some parts of the country, blowing it down!, and that means taking extra precautions to keep you and your family safe, dry, and warm – inside and out, driving and at home. Along with weather-proofing your pipes, cleaning your gutters, and firing up your home fires, your pets also need some extra-special attention to ensure they are comfortable and safe throughout the harsh winter ahead.

To be sure that your pets will ride out the winter warmly and safely, follow the winter weather pet prep tips we’ve compiled below!

Minimize outdoor time. Many people mistakenly believe that dogs are “fine” if left outside, and do so for hours at a time, even as weather conditions deteriorate into bone-chilling temperatures, freezing winds, and blowing snow. Even though dogs have fur, they are still uncomfortable and possibly in great danger in these conditions. All pets need shelter from the elements and insulation against cold weather and no animal should be left outside for long periods in freezing or inclement weather – just like humans, they can suffer from hypothermia and frostbite.  Consider animals in the wild: all of them, even strong animals like bears with heavy double coats, burrow and bed down in dens and shelters they make, in which they can take refuge from inclement conditions. Dogs aren’t prepared to ride out winter conditions outside, and rely upon your help, as their caregiver, to keep them warm and protected.  If you can’t keep your dog inside the house for some reason, then ensure your dog has its own shelter like a dog house or protected enclosure in an area protected from wind, rain, and snow with plenty of insulating materials like blankets, towels, and straw to help them maintain body heat.

Protect those paws! You wouldn’t want to walk miles through ice and snow without boots… and even though your dog’s paws are a bit tougher than the soles of your feet, dogs can get large ice balls between their pads, causing pain and limping. Make sure you examine their paws and remove ice from the fur between their pads. It can be hard to remove these ice balls, so for dogs that have a lot of hair that grows between the pads, keeping it clipped shorter will help curb the formation of ice balls.  Also, salt and chemical de-icers on sidewalks are hugely irritating to paws. They can cause dry, chapped, and  painful feet, not to mention stomach upset when your pet tries to lick the irritant off.  Keep this in mind when you walk your dog on sidewalks that have been salted or de-iced and make sure to clean his paws with a warm washcloth – or, even better - earthbath wipes - when you come inside. If your dog will tolerate foot gear, dog boots are the best foot protection (as well as a floor-saver) in cold or rainy weather.

Cushion joints and ligaments! Just like their human companions, pets too can slip and fall on icy sidewalks and streets. Even if they don’t fall, dogs are prone to injuries such as sprains or tears in the cruciate ligament, behind the knee, if they “skate” and do the icy slip-and-slide! And just as in humans, arthritis and joint pain gets worse during cold and damp weather. Handle your pet gently, try to prevent your senior cat from jumping up to and down from high places, provide soft (and possibly heated) bedding, and consult your veterinarian if your pet seems like he is in pain or is moving with less agility.

Keep your dog on a short leash in the winter: Rather, ensure you keep a close eye on your pup if you let her off leash to frolic in the snow, or else never let her off leash if you can help it, unless she’s in the safety of your fenced-in yard. Dogs lose their sense of smell  in extremely cold weather and can become lost. Unfortunately, winter is the season for most lost dogs!

Fresh water is a must at all times, even in snowy or rainy conditions! Pets are not able to get enough water from licking ice or eating snow, and it’s always best for your pets to drink clean, fresh (not puddle) water. Keep in mind that pets kept predominantly outside require additional food for energy and maintaining body heat during the winter, in harsh climates.

Remember to keep all poisons away from your dog, especially antifreeze. Antifreeze is fatally toxic to dogs – and apparently, delicious. Lock up any antifreeze containers and clean up spills immediately. Don’t let your dogs anywhere near antifreeze – in your house or parking lots. Be especially cautious when walking your dogs if they stop to lick anything on the street or in any driveways: just a few licks of antifreeze can be fatal.


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