It’s that time of year! The tree’s up, lights are out and the eggnog is being poured. Here are some tips about decorations, plants, and foods that can be harmful to dogs during the holidays.
Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners.
Comments Off on Traveling with Your Dog Infographic
Here at DogGeek we love to travel with our pack! As you most likely know, getting ready for a long trip with your best friend takes a little bit of extra planning. You have to think about potty breaks, not just for your dog but for you since you can’t leave them in the car in the heat. Where to eat, water, etc… Below are a list of items for you to remember.
Thank to HerePup for creating the infographic below.
Comments Off on Exercise With Your Dog Through Indoor Play While Self-Quarantined
So you’re self-quarantined, you’re out of Netflix shows you “want” to watch, you don’t want to go to the dog park, your dog has the zoomies and they have destroyed all the new toys… what to do? Here’s some games you can play with your best friend to get off the couch and get some of that great puppy bonding time!
Hide and Seek This game may start with teaching your dog how to sit and stay. Start by having him sit and stay while you place a favorite toy (squeaky ones are a favorite in our house) where he can see it, but away from him (like across the room). Use your release word (ours is “OK”) and let him go fetch the toy, making sure to allow enough time to celebrate the reward of waiting patiently, by dancing around with his toy in his mouth. You can make this game more and more complicated, incrementally, by moving further and further away with the toy, around a corner, to another room, up a flight of stairs and eventually by hiding the toy in places where your dog could eventually find it. When hiding the toy, think about a child’s Easter egg hunt. Don’t make it too hard, you do want your dog to be successful, eventually!
Keep Away There are many variations on this game. With two people, you can simply toss a toy or ball back and forth to each other, letting your dog chase it in each direction. We’ve even gone as far as to use tennis rackets and a tennis ball in the garage, for greater distance. Be sure to “accidentally” drop the ball once in a while, to keep your dog a part of the game.
Agility Training You can get very creative at home with simple props, like a hula hoop. Start by using a piece of kibble to coax your dog to walk through the hoop, as it rests on the floor. Once your dog is used to walking through the hoop on ground level, lift it off the ground one inch at time. By the end of a very rainy week, you might have your pal leaping through the hoop a couple of feet off the ground!
Puzzles and Toys There are many treat-dispensing and puzzle toys on the market for dogs now. These toys are mentally challenging, requiring your dogs to ‘figure out’ how to get the treat out from it’s hiding spot. Look for sturdy toys that will withstand heavy chewing.
Fetch A hallway with doors closed makes for a perfect runway for a game of fetch. A straight stairwell does, too. Use a plush ball or toy to avoid the ball going in all directions and to get the most distance out of running to fetch.
Mental and physical exercise are both an important part of your’s and your dog’s health. It’s fun, relieves boredom, and can be extremely bonding for the both of you!
Comments Off on Why Does Your Dog Have an Upset Stomach?
A DogGeek.com exclusive
Dog vomiting is a common daily occurrence for many dogs because of the very fast consumption of food by your pooch or may be because he ate something he shouldn’t have. But in some dogs, it may be an indication of any serious hidden illness.
Changing the meal schedule of your dog can be an easy fix to the problem if it isn’t anything serious. But in case this didn’t seem to work, be sure to get your dog good medical attention without any delay as he might have a serious underlying illness.
Frequent vomiting of your dog can lead to intestinal problems, extreme dehydration, and in worse cases, organ failure. It is essential that you do not ignore the vomiting of your dog if it exceeds the frequency of twice per hour, and take him to the vet immediately.
Reasons for Frequent Dog Vomiting
Intestinal parasites – These can lead to both diarrhea and vomiting in adult dogs and puppies. Dogs with illnesses, like flue are also known to have minor vomiting.
Higher stomach acid – If your dog vomits soon after his meals and the vomiting is yellow in color, it can suggest overproduction of acids and bile in your dog. Feeding small, frequent meals to your dog can help you correct this problem.
Food intolerance – At times, change in dog food can also lead to diarrhea and vomiting as your dog might be intolerant to certain ingredients of this new food. Beef, pork, fish, wheat, and salt are the common foods that can cause food intolerance.
Eating Grass – Although it is normal for dogs to eat grass but if your canine friend has eaten too much of grass, it may lead to vomiting.
Consuming Non-Food Items – It is natural for dogs to hog upon almost anything that they come across, including garbage, dead animals, plants, and others. Some of these items can be very dangerous when consumed by your dog. To eliminate this habit in dogs, you may want to buy dog supplies or toys to keep them occupied with harmless stuff.
Eating Human Food – Human foods that have a higher content of salt, sugar, and fat, should be given very sparingly to dogs. Frequent consumption of these foods can not only cause vomiting but also lead to chronic illnesses, like diabetes.
Hurried or Excessive Drinking or Eating – Drinking or eating hurriedly or in excessive quantities can cause your pooch to vomit soon after the meal. This is especially common among small breeds and puppies.
Illnesses – Diseases like cancers, canine parvo, and pancreatitis can also be the reasons for vomiting. Bacterial infections, ear infections, and tumors are also cited as one of the many reasons that can cause vomiting. For better diagnosis, it is essential that you observe the secondary symptoms and any change in behavior of your pooch, apart from vomiting.
What to Do When Your Dog is Vomiting Frequently?
If you suspect any illness, you should call your vet immediately. If your pooch has eaten any dead or spoiled animal by any chance, your vet will prescribe the necessary antibiotics. In some extreme cases, your pooch might need to be provided with an IV drip overnight to avoid any dehydration.
In mind vomiting cases, Pepto Bismol or Tylenol may be recommended by your vet. But it is important that you must NEVER give these to your furry friend, unless your vet consents for it first.
Any food should be kept away from your dog if he vomits frequently all through the day. Provide your dog with ice chips to make up for his hydration but don’t give him any fluids if your dog keeps vomiting or has diarrhea. After you’ve not given him water for 12 hours, begin introducing bland meals to him. This includes rice, boiled hamburger, or plain oatmeal. If your pooch stops vomiting in the next few days, you can re-introduce his normal dog food.
Comments Off on How to Keep Your Canine Cool in the Summer
Dogs don’t sweat like us which makes them prone for heat strokes. See the infographic below from TheUncommonDog.com to help with tips on how to keep your dog cool during the summer hear.
Comments Off on 6 Reasons To Spay or Neuter Your Dog
A DogGeek.com exclusive by Teresa Barker
Spaying or neutering your newly adopted dog is one of the first steps in helping them live a long and healthy life. It’s a minimally invasive day surgery that benefits their health, your home life, and the community at large. Here’s a few of the reasons why:
It reduces the risk of uterine infection and cancer (Breast cancer in female dogs and Testicular cancer in male dogs).
It reduces the risk of straying from home in search of a mate, where running in the street and getting hit are a high risk.
It reduces aggressive and territorial behavior, as well as annoying mating rituals such as spraying and trying to escape out the door every time it opens. Also, dominance behaviors with family members will be minimized with sterilization.
It doesn’t hurt them, physically or emotionally. The surgery is done under general anaesthetic and is painless. The recovery consists of keeping them away from the stitches and from jumping or running (again to avoid disrupting the stitches). The only post-surgery requirements are to keep an eye on the stitches and monitor your dog’s activity level. As far as emotional “loss” of reproductive capability, these feelings are complete projections made by humans. When you bring a dog into your family, spaying or neutering allows them to focus on being a part of your established pack, instead of being driven by the urge to reproduce.
It’s one way to help the pet overpopulation epidemic. It’s a fact that millions of dogs, of all ages and breeds, are euthanized every year due to pet overpopulation. Unplanned litters and unsterilized strays perpetuate the cycle that can be prevented by one simple medical procedure.
The cost to spay or neuter is minimal and can even be free. Most cities offer low-cost spay/neuter programs and most shelters sterilize before they allow adoption, so the cost of adoption includes it. Also, it is much cheaper than medical bills related to straying from home, dominant behavior, injuries, or birthing a litter.
Your decision to spay or neuter your new canine family member is one of the best things that you can do for his/her life, as well as, the lives of thousands of other dogs who don’t get adopted. If you are still undecided or need financial help, call your local vet for free advice.
