Spring Safety Tips for Your Dogs

As spring arrives, our friendly furry companions love to take advantage of the lengthier, warmer days by spending more of their time outdoors. While we love seeing our mutts enjoy their time outside, there are still a few things dog owners need to be aware of when it comes to transitioning from the winter to the spring season.

• Bugs, Bugs, Bugs - Spring is the perfect time for bugs such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas to hatch from their eggs and start being more active. Take some time and make sure that your mutts are current on their heartworm preventative medication. Also start performing your own check ups on your dog's ears, neck, head, chest, and legs to ensure that they haven't picked up any unwanted ticks and fleas.
• Veterinary Check Up - As you do your spring cleaning, put on the list to take your dogs to the vet for a physical exam and to update their vaccinations. Spring will turn into summer quickly and your dogs will most likely have more contact with other animals which increases the chance of catching an infectious disease like the kennel cough.
• Dog Proofing the House - Again, as your mutts are now becoming more active, dog proofing your house inside and out is crucial to avoiding any unwanted accidents or intoxication. Make sure that your yard fertilization, the type of plants you plant, and the chemicals you use to spring clean the house with are all safe for pet owners and are stored away securely. If you have a fenced yard, take some time to make sure that your fence is secure and strong so your dogs can't escape and injury themselves. 

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

How to Workout With Your Dog Safely!

As warm weather approaches, building a workout routine with your mutts can be extremely beneficial. A lot of people find it fun and motivating to workout with your dogs. However, there are certain cautionary steps pet owners should take when exercising with your mutts. Here are some tips:

BEFORE THE WORKOUT

• Evaluate your mutts' physicality - Don't just dive into an intense workout session with your dog; build up to it. Make sure you know what your dog is capable of and consider its breed and age for certain exercises. It would be good to consult your trusted vet before you start a workout regiment with your mutts.
• Environmental Considerations - Running, hiking, biking, or walking in cold or hot weather may not be the best times for you or your mutt. If you're exercising outside during the summer, try to go early or late evening when the pavement is not hot on your mutt's feet. During the cold winter, consider walking or running your dog on a treadmill.
• Prep Yourself with Food & Water - Make sure you bring some food and water for both you and your mutt, especially if you plan on doing a lengthy or intense workout. Dog treats and an energy bar may help boost you and your mutt's energy and water will help prevent heat stroke.

DURING THE WORKOUT

• Train Your Dog - Properly train your mutts to walk or run the same side of you every time to avoid tripping each other. Teach them not to pull on the leash or not to run ahead of you unexpectedly to avoid throwing you off balance. 
• Safety Comes First -Make sure you wear a helmet, knee pads, and other protection when appropriate. Don't tie the leash to your wrist in case your dog pulls and jerks you off balance. Don't push you or your mutt too hard. If either of you are starting to show signs of exhaustion, pain, or trouble breathing, then that's a good indication to stop the workout and rest.
• Again Stay Hydrated - Allow you and your mutt to drink plenty of water throughout the exercise and a little bit of food here and there to boost your energy (but don't exercise on a full stomach either).

 AFTER THE WORKOUT

• Cool Down & Body Check - After your workout, make sure to cool your body down and stretch out your muscles. Also take some time to check your mutt's leg and paws for any cuts, bruises, ticks, and other foreign objects. You may also reward your dog with a treat for working hard.
• Once Again, Hydrate You and Your Dog - Also be sure to allow the proper amount of rest for you and your mutt in between workouts for your bodies to recoup. 

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Top Pet Emergencies for Your Mutt

As a pet owner, how do you know when your mutt's health is a serious issue that requires a veterinarian's care ASAP? Below are a few common health problems that vets see in the ER:

• Urinary Problems - If you notice that your dog is having difficulty peeing, has blood in its pee, or is not producing any urine for an usual long period of time, take your mutt to see your trusted vet as soon as possible. Although rare, urinary blockage does happen and has a high chance of being life-threatening if not quickly treated.
• Difficulty Breathing - Signs of your mutt wheezing, raspy breaths, and choking is when you need to get them to a pet hospital as soon as possible. Your dog may have lodged something in its throat, and if this is the case, do NOT try to extract it yourself. Doing so may result in pushing the object even deeper and clogging the airway completely. 
• Poison or Toxin Exposure - If you suspect your mutt has gotten itself into something poisonous like a bag of fertilizers in the backyard or a bottle of kitchen cleaner,  ASPCA animal poison control at 888-426-4435888-426-4435 for immediate help.You may be asked to take your dog to the vet for further assistance or even induce vomiting for your mutt.
• Neurological Issues - A normal healthy dog is usually alert and bright, so if you notice that your mutt is experiencing neurological issues like unresponsiveness, disorientation, or in a coma, consult your vet right away. Another major issue dog seizures caused by epilepsy. If your dog is shaking uncontrollably or has lost its bowel and urinary control, get them to the vet or pet hospital.
• Dog Trauma - Dog trauma may include various situations like a big fall, getting hit by a car, involved in a dog fight, or having a gunshot wound. For these situations, even if your mutt seems fine on the outside, still take them in to a vet to get checked out. Sometimes there may be internal bleeding, ruptured lung, or a hernia that may need immediate medical attention.

The list above is only a handful of health problems that your mutts might experience. This doesn't mean that other health concerns does not require vet care. The best the to do is when in doubt, consult your trusted vet!

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

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Dog Nutritional Facts You Need to Know!

There are a lot of human foods that can be good for your mutts to eat. However, it is easy for dog owners to start believing in certain myths about what they can and cannot feed their mutts - and more importantly, how much to feed them. Below are some nutritional facts to help dog owners better decide what to and what NOT to feed their pets.

Canned Food vs. Dry Food
Depending on what lifestyle your dog lives, both canned and dry dog food has pros and cons. Canned food usually has more quality-protein, fewer preservatives and calories, and is better tasting. On the other hand, dry dog food is less expensive, cleans your dogs' teeth better, and may satisfy your mutts' urge to nibble and chew on items.

Apples
While apples have great nutrients for both humans and your mutts, the seeds of an apple contains a form of cyanide which cannot be easily filtered through your pets' digestive system. Also be careful of how much apples you feed your mutts - too much of the fruit can lead to diarrhea and weight gain.

Fish
Fish can be extremely beneficial to dogs who have meat allergies. However, some raw-diet enthusiasts may want to be careful feeding too much raw fish meat to your mutts since fish can contain harmful parasites when uncooked. Also whole-bodied fish has many tiny sharp bones that might cause other health issues.

Right Amount to Feed
While there's no absolute answer to how much or how often you should feed your mutts, the rule of thumb is that if your dog is at a healthy, fit weight and size, then they are probably eating the right amount of food. Most veterinarians will recommend a morning meal and an evening meal for adult dogs to help you better manage your mutts' intake and quality of food.

Facts You Should Know About Heartworm in Dogs

Every dog has a risk of getting Heartworm. Although this disease is NOT contagious among dogs directly, Heartworms can easily be transported between mutts through just one single mosquito. When a mosquito bites into the blood stream of an infected dog, the mosquito picks up a tiny larvae called microfilariae. The mosquito then can make its way onto another mutt, transporting the larvae and infecting a different dog.

Over the next several months the heartworm larvae will grow up to a foot in length and spread into the heart and lungs of the dog and produce even more microfilariae in the blood stream. If left untreated, this poor mutt is a perfect reservoir of heartworms ready to infect other animals and also has a high risk of getting heart, lung, liver, and kidney problems that may result in death.

Prevention is the key for mutts when it comes to heartworm disease. Even if you keep your dogs indoors, they are still at risk for getting infected. Heartworm has been reported in all 50 states in the U.S. so visit your trusted veterinarian to ensure your mutt's health today!

Keeping your mutts healthy, happy, and hearty!

Why Switching Up Food Varieties Good for Your Dog

A common belief amongst pet owners is that constantly switching up food brands and food types for your mutts is bad for their health and digestive systems. Recently, however, certified veterinary nutritionists have been challenging this belief and have found that NOT changing your mutts' daily diet on a regular basis can actually cause nutritional deficiencies later on.

When you are feeding your mutts the same chicken, rice, and/or dog food pebbles every day, they are only getting the nutrients offered in those foods instead of a good variety of other vitamins and amino acids in foods like fish, beef, or other fruits and vegetables. So mixing up your mutts' daily diet is a good habit to acquire, but as a responsible pet owner, you still need to handled the change with the right care and precaution.

Below are a few tips as to how to safely and successfully switch your dogs' diet:

1. Decide on different main ingredients - If you've been feeding your mutts chicken and rice, you may look to change to something completely different like beef and vegetables. Just be sure that whatever you're feeding your dogs is safe for them to eat.
2. Switch up dog brands - If you are looking to switch dog food brands, compare the labels on the package and see what good nutrients and new formulas are lacking from your current brand. It's important to stick to the high-quality mixes for optimal nutrition. 
3. Watch the caloric intake - Dogs being overweight is a huge issue and chronic problem that, as a responsible pet owner, you should help your mutts avoid. Make sure that whatever new diet you're feeding your mutts does not exceed the right amount of calories they are supposed to have. 
4. Make the switch slowly - To avoid any digestive problems for your mutts, switch out their diets slowly by increasing the new food and decreasing the old food over a 7-10 day period. In terms of how often to change, you can consider buying a new diet plan for your mutts every time you need to go shopping for their food. 

How to Keep Your Dogs Safe From Bees

For humans (who are not allergic to bee stings), a few pricks of the skin from a small bee is just a little bit of pain and irritation. For mutts, however, multiple bee stings can lead to serious health problems like kidney failure or even death.

A main key to keeping your mutts healthy and happy is to take precautions for your dogs from bees. Below are a few tips on how to keep your mutts safe from troublesome stingers:

• A clean area to play in: Bees are attracted to strong smells and messes like leftover food in the garbage. Maintaining the cleanliness of your backyard, picnic area, and barbequer will help prevent bees from taking over the outside of your house. 
• Flowers & fragrances: It's not a big surprise that bees like flowers. So if you're walking your dogs, it's best to keep them away from big flower bushes to avoid getting stung. At the same time, bees are also attracted to sweet fragrances, so be aware of how much perfume or deodorant you apply - not only for your dogs' safety but also for yours. 
• Right times to go out: Bees tend to have the most activity during the hours of 3 - 6 p.m. So it would probably be best to plan around those times for your outdoor walks and exercises with your mutts.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!