Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Top Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop!


Does your mutts eat their own or some other dog's poop? As disgusting and abnormal as this may sound, dogs sometimes will eat feces for a variety of reasons. Go through the list below and see if you can pin point which reasons may apply to your cute and loving mutt:
  • Malnutrition - A lot of times when dogs are not getting enough nutrients and/or vitamin deficiencies, they resort to eating their poop. Some pups go grow rapidly and their appetites may increase at a fast speed too, so keep an eye out for how much you're suppose to be feeding your mutts.
  • Parasites - If you feel like you're feeding your mutts plenty of healthy foods but they are still behaving this way, you should consider visiting the vet to check for parasites. Parasites can be a cause for possible malnutrition.
  • Health Conditions - Dogs that have health conditions like diabetes or thyroid disease are more prone to eating poop. In this situation, consult your trusted vet on how to properly treat their health conditions to help stop the unwanted behavior.
  • Get Attention - Some mutts will resort to chewing on poop as a way to get attention from you when they are bored or as a way of "acting out" if they were recently punished. In this case, make some more time to walk and play with your dogs so they are not thinking about eating poop.
  • Copy Cats - Mom dogs will a lot of times eat their newborns' poop for nutrients. So another possibility could be that the new pups are just copying their mother's behavior as a way of exploring different things. Proper training would be a way to overcome the poop-eating in this scenario.
Regardless of the what the reasons may be for why your mutts are eating poop, you should still schedule a visit with your trust vet to ensure your pets health.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Hot Summer Safety Tips for Your Dogs



As daily temperatures continue to climb up well into the 80s, 90s, and even over 100 degrees, making sure to adapt your mutts living situations to the heat should be at the top of your priority list. While we may be cooling off inside our air conditioned rooms inside, our little furry friends may be stuck outside in the backyard with no appropriate place to relax.

Below are some safety concerns to keep in mind as summer arrives:
  • A comfortable backyard - be sure to have large, shady spots around the backyard throughout the entire day to give your dogs a place to get out of the sun. Dog houses that are outside are NOT a good option as they can trap heat and make it more miserable for your mutts to lay in. Another idea would be to fill a small, blow-up pool with fresh water so your mutts can jump in and cool off from time to time. 
  • Appropriate times to exercise - during the summer, avoiding activities with your mutts during the hottest time of the day is best for yours and their health. Not only is the heat unbearable in the middle of the day, but also when temperatures become extreme, the roads get over heated and can actually burn your dogs paws. So do your best to reschedule your routines to exercising with your dogs in the mornings or evenings when the heat waves are less intense. 
  • H2O - giving plenty of fresh, cool water for your dogs that are outside is essential to their health during the hot days. So don't forget to double and triple check their bowls more often than usual to help keep them comfortable.
  • Grooming needs - scheduling maybe two or three more than usual haircuts for your dogs can help tremendously with keeping your mutts cool in the summer. Remember, they are the ones with the fur coat covering their entire bodies!
  • No leaving dogs in cars - a closed vehicle (or even a car with windows cracked) can rise to over 100 degrees within minutes of you shutting off the A/C. Many dogs have become extremely sick, or have even died, in cars because of the heat. So just keep in mind, if you can't stand to be in there, they most certainly can't either!
Keep your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!