Top Q&A for a Senior Dog's Diet

Just like humans, our beloved mutts' bodies and dietary demands change as they age. Their metabolism, activity level, and ability to fight off infections usually decrease. While some of these cannot be avoided, there are still certain body changes that you can manage with a good healthy, senior diet.

When is my dog considered a senior dog?
While size and breed are determining factors of how well your dog ages, below are rough age ranges for your mutt to be considered a senior dog:

• Small and medium dogs less than 50 pounds: 7 years old
• Large dogs up to 90 pounds: 6 years old
• Giant dogs over 90 pounds: 5 years old

What does a senior diet consist of?
Not all senior dog foods are good replacements. Unless recommended otherwise by your trusted vet, you would want to switch your mutt's current diet to a senior diet that has the same amount of (or sufficient) protein and fiber with less calories and fat. The protein will help maintain your mutt's muscles, and the fiber will help with regulating its digestive system and keeping your mutt feeling full. Because of the decrease in metabolism and activity level, less calories and fat equals lower chance of gaining weight which helps prevent other unwanted diseases.

What should I do if my dog doesn't seem to be hungry?
While eating less could be a good way to maintain your mutt's weight, too much weight loss could also be unhealthy. A couple of ways to help increase your dog's caloric intake is (1) mixing some soft canned food to the dog pebbles or (2) adding a little bit of water to the dry food to help soften the pebbles for better chewing.

What other things can I do as a pet owner to help my dog's aging process?
There are many things a dog owner can help ease the aging process for their mutts. The most helpful one is taking your dog into the vet for its regular check ups. Talk to your vet about any suspicious behavioral changes, dietary needs like extra vitamins or supplements, and any other things you can do to help prevent diseases that may be arise.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Tips & Tricks: Building a First Aid Kit for Your Dog

It is always helpful to familiarize yourself with what a first aid kit would look like for your mutts because accidents can happen at anytime. If you are prepared, you can help significantly reduce the severity of an injury and maybe even avoid death. It may also be wise to have multiple kits for emergency use, like a larger kit at home and a smaller kit in the car.

Below are some of the essentials of building your first aid kit for your dogs:

• A clean blanket
• Nail clipper
• Rectal therometer
• Vaseline or KY jelly
• A muzzle
• Tweezers
• Hemostats
• Styptic powder
• Bandaging materials: roll of gauze, first aid tape, non-stick pads at minimum
• Medication: your dogs' regular meds (if any - be sure to follow instructions regarding storing the meds in certain room temperatures), multi-purpose wound care gels/sprays that can help clean/treat/heal wounds, and any other easy & quick products like eye solution to flush out unwanted bodies or cortisol cream for itchy bug bites
• Other items that may come in handy depending on the type of first aid kit you are putting together (i.e. first aid kit for hiking, camping, search & rescue...etc.)

Keep in mind that the purpose of a first aid kit is to try to temporarily stabilize the situation in an event of an injury. Depending on the injury, your best option may still be to visit a vet as soon as possible. For more information on which products and other items to add to your canine first aid kit, consult with your trusted vet.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

3 Steps to Follow When You Find a Stray Dog

One of the worst nightmares for pet owners is realizing that our beloved mutt has gone missing. So if you were to ever encounter a stray, here are three steps that will help you help the dog get back to his/her owner quickly and safely.

1. Observe the dog and its surroundings for safety - The first thing to be aware of when you see a stray dog is to observe the dog's behavior and its surroundings. Do not make sudden movements, whether that's slamming on the brake when you're driving or run excitedly to the mutt. Observe calmly and see if the mutt is in a dangerous situation (like in the middle of traffic) or if the mutt is showing any signs of aggression, nervousness, or rabidness towards you or others. If you don't feel like the stray is approachable, then take note of its location and call animal control. If you can, you may stay with the mutt until help arrives. If you feel like the dog is approachable and friendly, then calmly allow the mutt into your car and drive it to the nearest animal shelter or vet clinic if you see that the mutt is injured. Keep in mind that picking up a mutt may not be the best idea especially if the dog is injured and may react to your touch aggressively when it's in pain.
2. Seek professional help - So you have the dog in your possession; now what? If the dog does not have a tag or any other types of identifier that you can see, then the next best thing is to take it to the nearest animal shelter where they can scan for registered microchips for further investigation. Depending on the situation, the shelter may take the stray in or may release temporary caring rights to you. The shelter usually will take photos of the dog and your contact information in case the owners come looking for their pet. If you decide to temporarily care for the stray, you may want to consider taking the mutt to a trusted vet to make sure it doesn't have any internal injuries, parasites, or diseases. Keep in mind that you may be the one that is financially responsible for these vet bills.
3. Spread the word - Don't assume that all strays were abandoned or left unwanted. Think that if this were your dog that's lost, what would you do to find it? Make a valiant effort to help spread the word about this lost pet through friends, families, church groups, local community news boards, internet, social media...etc. If enough time has passed and there is still no contact from the original owners, you may consider adopting this as your own pet. Your local animal shelter can provide you with the appropriate length of waiting time required by your local authorities before officially letting you adopt the mutt. Just keep in mind that there still may be a chance that the original owners may still find you and wan their pet back. Be prepared to have a realistic plan in mind if and when that happens.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Top Q&A About Heat Stroke in Dogs

Just like humans, dogs can suffer from heat strokes too if they are not taken care of properly. In some circumstances, a dog can be more prone to getting a heat stroke because it relieves most of its body heat and sweat through panting. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers to what a pet owner should know about heat strokes in their mutts.

Under what conditions can my dog get heat stroke?
There are many conditions in which a dog can suffer heat stroke. The most common include exercising your mutts in hot and/or humid weather, not enough access to fresh water, leaving your mutt in a car when it is warm outside (even if you crack your windows!), and/or being left out in the sun with no shade.

What are some symptoms of a heat stroke for dogs?

• Heavy, labored or troubled panting
• Vomitting
• Weakness/collapsing
• Confusion
• Dry, tacky pale gums
• Seizures/coma

How do I prevent my dog from a heat stroke?
There are several ways pet owners can help prevent their mutts from a heat stroke. Many of them are easy to implement such as providing adequate shade and enough fresh water if your mutts are outside; allowing your mutts to access an air-conditioned room periodically; exercising them in the morning or evening when it is not the warmest time of the day, and keeping their fur/hair short during the summer months.

What should I do if my dog does get heat stroke?
The best treatment for heat stroke is to take your mutt to your trusted vet as soon as possible. Depending on the situation, you may have to help your dog cool down first before bringing it to the vet. Gently pouring cool (not ice cold) water over your mutts' body or blowing cool air on your mutts are good ways to help them safely decrease their body temperature. Keep in mind that in some dogs, symptoms of a heat stroke may be delayed. So your best treatment for a heat stroke is prevention!

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Top Q&A for Cherry Eyes in Dogs

What is a cherry eye?

• A prolapse of the third eyelid gland - meaning that the membrane located in the corner of a dog's eye, which houses a tear gland, is inflamed. So a dog that has a cherry eye would have a red or pinkish swollen bump in the inner corners of its eye.

What causes a cherry eye?

•  For reasons that are unclear, the membrane around the tear gland grows weak and starts moving around. The movement usually causes irritation and leads to the swelling of the gland. Cherry eyes are mostly hereditary, so certain breeds like Shih Tzus, Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels, Lhasa Apsos, and other small breeds. It's also thought to be caused by parasites, infections, cancer and/or immune system issues. 

 What are some signs of a cherry eye?

• Eye redness, swelling of the inner corner(s), mucus and/or excess watery discharge, your mutt pawing at its eye or rubbing its face on the ground at the irritation.

 How do you treat a cherry eye?

• The best way to treat a cherry eye is to consult your trusted vet. Many times vets will prescribe an ointment to see if the swelling and irritation will go away first, and if that doesn't work, then usually the second (and only) option is to perform surgery. With surgery, the vet will most likely try to tuck the gland back in (which has a very high success rate). If that doesn't work, then the vet will most likely remove the gland all together.

What are some risks associated with surgery vs. no surgery?

• While surgery is the last resort for cherry eyes, some circumstances many require it. The main risk with removing the tear gland is having a dry eye which may lead to vision damage. If this does happen later on, it can be treated with medication.
• In some pets, the prolapsed gland doesn't cause discomfort or damage to the eye and may come and go on its own. So the main reason for fixing the cherry eye is more for cosmetic purposes. Again, consult with your trusted vet to see what is the best action to take for you and your mutt.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Summer Swimming Safety Tips for Your Dog

Summer is here! As the weather gets warmer and warmer, a lot of our furry little friends like to find places like pools and lakes to cool off in. Pet owners also will often times want our mutts to enjoy the fun summer activities with them. While having a good time outside can be good physical and mental health, there are still several things dog owners need to watch out for when allowing their mutts to take a dip:

• Not all dogs can swim well - while a mutt can pick up swimming techniques faster than a human, some dogs swim because they have to for survival and not because they like to. Mutts like American Bulldogs have big bodies but short legs tend to have a harder time paddling in water compared to others. 
• Wet ears can easily lead to ear infections - keeping your dogs' ears clean and dry after a swim is important so they do not get ear infections. Ocean and lake water usually have many bacteria and bugs that could be a danger to your mutts. Consult with your trusted vet to learn what the best cleaning techniques are for you and your dogs.
• Watch out for other safety hazards at the beach - if you take your dogs to the beach, keep an eye out for other potentially dangers things like broken shells, jellyfish, and big currents. There are also many parasites hiding in the sand, so keep your mutts close and perform a quick physical check up on them after you leave the beach.
• Swimming at night is more dangerous than during the day - as a pet owner, you would have to pay even more attention to your mutts if they are swimming at night. Dogs already have bad vision to begin with and their eye sight decreases drastically when it is dark. So make sure you know where and what your mutts are doing when they are swimming, even if it is just in your backyard pool.
• Know what the temperature of the water is before going in - sometimes the problem with summer is that certain waters can vary in temperature drastically. Make sure you know how warm or cold the water is before allowing your dogs to go in. Dogs can also suffer from hypothermia so just be aware if your dog is shivering or not.
• Teach your dogs to swim one step at a time - throwing your mutts into the pool or lake for fun will only create trauma for them, specially if they haven't really swam before. So make it a game: throw their stick or ball in for them to fetch is a good start and then increase the fetch distance slowly. Also train them so they know where is the best spot to get out if they are swimming in a pool. If your mutts start to panic, the best way is to use a calm voice to tell them to swim back to shore. You might put yourself in danger by jumping in to help a panicking dog (specially if they are big dogs)!

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

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!