You are viewing all 'Health & Wellness entries.
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Like dogs of any age, senior dogs need physical exercise tailored to their needs, as well as mental stimulation in the form of training, play, and interactive games. The oldest dog I’ve ever trained was 17 and deaf when we began working together!
Your dog’s advanced age may present new challenges. You may need to train your dog to accept a sling around his rear for assistance up the stairs, or to learn new boundaries as he loses his vision.
A qualified trainer will help you train your dog useful and adorable new behaviors, regardless of your pup’s age!
Casey Lomonaco owns Rewarding Behaviors Dog Training in Binghamton, NY. |
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Fall allergies to grasses, dust, and late-season pollen can encourage hot spots on dogs’ skin. Hot spots, or pyotraumatic dermatitis, are bacterial infections that develop when your dog licks, chews, or scratches at the irritation.
A hot spot is red and often damp and smells yeasty. Your dog’s fur can fall out around it, exposing the area to further contact infection. If you see your allergic dog frequently scratching or licking a specific area, seek veterinary attention before a hot spot makes the problem much harder to treat systemically.
Helen Fazio and her dog, Raja, are world travelers. Visit their blog and follow them on Twitter.
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Chemical weedkillers can be dangerous to your dog and the environment. Some have even been linked to reproductive problems and neurological diseases in children — so you can imagine the effect they may be having on your pet. So how do you keep a healthy, safe, organic lawn for you and your dog to enjoy, year after year?
Make weeding fun with handy tools like Grampa’s Weeder, Garden Weasel Weed Popper, Hound Dog Weed Hound, or the Fiskars Weed Puller. We love that they let you pull weeds from the root while you are standing; they are easy on the back and easy on the knees. After a good rain, the ground around the weed roots will be soft, so get out there and pull ‘em!
Leslie May and Johann (the dog) are the founders of Raise a Green Dog, an online portal for all things green and healthy for your dog.
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A dog with an upset stomach is certainly no treat, whether it is Halloween or any other time of the year. Interestingly, the most common decoration of the season can have a positive effect on queasy canines.
Pumpkin is known to ease discomfort for nauseated pooches, and many dog lovers can attest to the help it provides for a carsick dog. It’s a good idea to feed it to your pet before a car ride as a sort of round, orange preventive medicine. Simply mix several spoonfuls of canned pumpkin (not the sweetened pie filling kind) with your dog’s regular food. Of course, it’s no substitute for a trip to the vet if your dog’s digestive problems continue.
D.P. Hesano is co-founder of the online doggy lifestyle shop FidoDogTreats.com.
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Here’s a great tip to get rid of pesky grass and weeds that grow along your fence line or between patio bricks in a healthy and environmentally safe way. Spray full-strength basic household white vinegar on very young weeds and grass. For more mature weeds and grass, use an organic product like BurnOut, which contains a highly concentrated form of vinegar, clove, and citrus oils.
White vinegar and BurnOut are broad-spectrum herbicides, meaning they will kill everything and anything they touch, so only use in areas where you don’t want any growth. They work best if used on a warmer, dryer fall day. Best of all, they’re completely safe for pets — so your dog can go out and enjoy the yard just a few minutes after the solution has dried!
Leslie May and Johann (the dog) are the founders of Raise a Green Dog, an online portal for all things green and healthy for your dog.
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With nearly 78 million dogs throughout the U.S., you can bet your pups are leaving their pawprints on the environment. So what can you do? Help your dog go green!
By purchasing environmentally responsible pup products, using environmentally healthy and safe household and lawn products, and by taking other sustainable measures, you can have a healthier and happier dog — and help the environment at the same time.
We’ll be bringing you more tips this week to help your dog be more green. Stay tuned!
Leslie May and Johann (the dog) are the founders of Raise a Green Dog, an online portal for all things green and healthy for your dog.
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Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is a common but not necessarily fatal condition in older dogs. Its symptoms of hair loss, weight gain, frequent urination, and lethargy are often mistaken for simple aging.
Left untreated, secondary symptoms include an increasingly bony and angular shape to the head and crusty bumps on the skin, so act fast if you see early warning signs.
Depending on the cause, treatment can include medication and/or surgery that will restore a better quality of life for your pet. Please have sudden, severe signs of aging checked out.
Helen Fazio and her dog, Raja, are world travelers. Click here to visit their blog, and click here to follow them on Twitter.
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Cold weather kills adult fleas, but not their eggs or larvae. After a week of a hard nighttime frost, fleas won’t be hopping as usual, but the eggs and larvae can go dormant and survive the winter months. That’s good news for you and your dog.
Nonetheless, if you have been avoiding the countryside to save your dog from the blood-sucking parasites, after the first week of frosty nights, you can reclaim the great outdoors for your pup!
Helen Fazio and her dog, Raja, are world travelers. Click here to visit their blog, and click here to follow them on Twitter.
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When adult dogs suddenly lose fur, muscle mass, and appetite and seem to stop playing and participating, it may be the onset of Addison’s Disease. This imbalance of the adrenal glands is very treatable. Nonetheless, owners often make the mistake of thinking the new behavior is early aging or simple laziness.
The disease is far more common in female dogs, so if your girl suddenly declines in energy and appearance, request that your vet does an ACTH Challenge Test. A correct diagnosis and a prescription for hormone pills will put her back on the right track fast!
Helen Fazio and her dog, Raja, are world travelers. Click here to visit their blog, and click here to follow them on Twitter.
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Today’s “superfood” can become tomorrow’s health risk, but antioxidants seem to have stood the test of time. Antioxidants can counter the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissue. Although their health benefits are still subject to debate, it is believed that they can help to prevent many common canine ailments including arthritis, digestive discomfort, and cataracts.
Antioxidants are found in high concentrations in various berries. Organic pet food company Cranimals has combined berry extracts into nutritional supplements that can be mixed in with your dog’s food. Each variety is formulated to counteract the effects of — and possibly prevent — dental, heart, and kidney disease.
Lauren Hope leads the customer care team at FidoDogTreats.com.
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