Found Objects Nest Wreath
Materials:
- Grape vine wreath
- Ribbon, enough to wrap your wreath
- Small gauge wire
- Eggs. We used large brown chicken, blue bantam chicken, and white goose eggs on ours.
- Acrylic paint in robbin’s egg blue, white, and black
- Assorted feathers
- Assorted flowers
- Paint brush
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Poke holes in the top and bottom of your egg and blow out contents (save for a scrambled egg breakfast).
- Using about 8” of wire, thread it through the two holes in your eggs and twist together under the eggs.
- Paint your eggs. We painted some of the chicken eggs teal and left the other eggs natural.
- Splatter paint your eggs. We used black spatters on the goose eggs and white splatters on the brown chicken eggs.
- Wrap wreath with ribbon.
- Attach eggs to wreath with free ends of wire.
- Tuck feathers and flowers around the wreath.
Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Burrs
Burrs are seed pods covered with spines, often with tiny hooks.... Just like velcro (which was actually inspired by burrs) it catches and sticks in anything fuzzy ---for instance, a passing animal's coat, allowing it to hitch a ride and spread its seeds. It's a very successful strategy, and as a result, there are quite a number of burr plants across the world; here's a link to a list of the more common varieties:
Burr (fruit) from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I had a very long-haired Newfoundland when I was in college at Cornell in upstate NY, and when he stumbled into a patch of burrs ---oh boy! Hours of grooming. Here in California, we don't have as many burr plants, and the most common one is a plant called Burr Clover (Medicago polymorpha) that produces small, disk-shaped burrs that just love to wedge themselves into dogs' footpads, where they tangle in the fur and can be hard to remove. If your dog abruptly becomes lame, always check carefully between your their toes, both on top and on the bottom of the foot. I've stepped on clover burrs while barefoot myself; they are quite spiky!
The plant looks a lot like clover, and is easy to overlook, but if you know what to look for, there's still time to get it out of your yard before it sets its innumerable burrs. Here are some pictures I took on a recent walk:
There are small yellow flowers at this time of year, and immature burrs forming (pic. 1). Notice that while the leaves look like clover, they branch off from a common stalk, and the stalks can be traced back to a rosette springing from a central root (pic. 2). The stalks often snake through neighboring grass, and if you detangle them and trace them back to their root, you can often pull up large masses of the plant fairly easily. Left to its own devices, these plants can become quite large; here's a pic of a massive clump we passed recently: (pic. 3)
So now that you know what to look for, keep an eye out, and pull these pests up before they scatter lots of burrs!
View the previous post in this series:
- Plants To Avoid On Your Walks
- View the next posts in this series:
- Plants To Avoid On Your Walks: Foxtails
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Plants To Avoid On Your Walks
View the next posts in this series:
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Glen Pet Placemat
Give your dog or cat a taste of the great outdoors with every meal when they eat on our Glen Placemat! The wildflowers of this glen will brighten your home spring, summer, fall and winter.
Placemat features a bright floral pattern on one side and reverses to a faux bois print with floral paw print appliqué. Ties have been added to one side, so this mat may be rolled for easy storage and transport.
Approx. 21” x 13.5”
Handmade in Northern California, USA
The Hebivore Feeding Project
We currently share our home with three herbivores: Peter- an 8 year old black and white rabbit, Flopsy- a young lop eared bunny that we recently rescued, and Sherman- a 70+ lb. Sulcata Tortoise (also a rescue). We also plan on adding chickens to the menagerie soon, but more on that later...
Peter
Flopsy
Sherman
Sherman’s only food source is our lawn, so in the dry California summers we have to water it, which is not very earth friendly and can be expensive. The rabbits eat only fresh organic greens, which is earth friendly, but also expensive. The drought this year has finally given us the motivation to come up with a new system.
We are planning to build several very shallow vegetable beds on long 30” legs. The beds will only be about 2”-3” deep, because we plan to grow mixed greens with very shallow root systems for the rabbits. The beds will be on the long legs for two reasons: One, we want Sherman to be able to walk under the beds instead of plowing over the top of them, and two (this is the earth friendly part), we are making the bottom of the beds out of mesh screen. As we water the greens, any excess water will drip down onto the lawn below, watering that as well. We also plan to put wheels on two of the bed’s legs, like a wheelbarrow, so that we can move it around to different areas of the yard throughout the summer.
We’ll post our plans, pictures of the project as it comes along, and let you know if this system actually meets all of our goals.
View the next posts in this series:
Why you should be a Pet Detective: reason #5
Don’t Support the Wild Bird Trade
Thousands of parrots are taken from the wild each year to be sold as “pets” in Asia, Europe, and even the United States. The initial shock of losing their freedom and being confined to a cage can kill 10-20% of wild-caught birds. Of those who survive capture, half will die of starvation, dehydration, suffocation, or disease before reaching their final destination. Researchers in Nicaragua estimate that, to compensate for mortalities, up to four times as many parrots are captured than make it to market. In fact, recognition of the unacceptably high rate of mortality among imported birds helped prompt the U.S. Congress to pass the Wild Bird Conservation Act in 1992. Though the Act effectively reduced the United States from the largest importer of wild-caught birds to one of the smallest, up to 150,000 parrots are illegally smuggled into the U.S. across the Mexican border each year.
Chocolate Box Dog Collars
These charming collars are delectable enough to have been crafted by a chocolatier! The marriage of creamy colors and rich chocolate will leave your dog begging for more.
At 3/4” wide our Chocolate Box Dog Collars are just right for mid-sized dogs.
Handmade in Northern California, USA.
Grassfed for fluffy and fido?
The next time you reach into a bag of pet food to get dinner for your beloved pet, pause for a moment and read a few of the ingredients that appear on the side of the bag. What exactly is “chicken by-product meal”? What is meant by “thickened fat preserved with mixed tocopherols”? What is “monosodium phosphate”? We know that for people, a good diet requires a variety of healthy, clean, fresh foods, yet why do we assume that a daily regimen of highly processed food from questionable sources is acceptable for our furry family members?
....
One of the best sources for many of your pets’ nutritional needs is your local farmer. Although you may not want to purchase an expensive rack of lamb or beef tenderloin for Fido’s supper, there are some inexpensive, wholesome options that ensure good nutrition for your pet. Farmers periodically have to cull, or remove, old animals from their herds. These animals are often sold at auctions for very low prices. Given a choice, many of these farmers would happily sell you these animals, which can be ground up for clean, nutritious pet food, Processing livestock also generates a surplus of bones that make for nutritious and inexpensive snacks (provided you do not cook them first), as well as organ meats. Consider asking your farmer to sell you a few of these items. I guarantee your pet will reward you with a kiss on the nose or a purr of thanks
Brighter Planet
Who is Brighter Planet?
Brighter Planet helps people measure, reduce and offset their carbon footprints. They are committed to demonstrating that small, day-to-day actions can make a huge difference for the environment.
Why carbon offsets?
Carbon offsets play a crucial role in building a sustainable society. Many renewable energy projects are well suited to produce energy and meet stringent standards, but lack sufficient financing. Carbon offsets fill that void by investing in these projects.
Who is paying for these offsets?
Brighter Planet purchases and donates the 350 pounds of offsets for every participant in the 350 Challenge. They feel that's a small price to pay to help generate awareness for the fight against climate change.
How Could You?
How Could You?
By Jim Willis, 2001
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend.
Whenever I was “bad,” you’d shake your finger at me and ask “How could you?” — but then you’d relent and roll me over for a belly rub.
My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.
We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because “ice cream is bad for dogs” you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.
She, now your wife, is not a “dog person” — still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.
Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a prisoner of love.”
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch — because your touch was now so infrequent — and I would’ve defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.
There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered “yes” and changed the subject. I had gone from being “your dog” to “just a dog,” and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You’ve made the right decision for your “family,” but there was a time when I was your only family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said “I know you will find a good home for her.” They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with “papers.”
You had to pry your son’s fingers loose from my collar as he screamed, “No, Daddy! Please don’t let them take my dog!” And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.
You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked “How could you?”
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago.
At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind — that this was all a bad dream… or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.
When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room.
She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.
As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.
She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago.
She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured “How could you?”
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said “I’m so sorry.” She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn’t be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself –a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.
And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my “How could you?” was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
A Note from the Author:
If “How Could You?” brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly “owned” pets who die each year in American and Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious. Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay and neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals.
~Jim Willis
Ask The Vet: Overeating and obesity in dogs
Hi, I have a question about my new dog's eating habits. We have a 6 year old Chihuahua and an 8 year old Labrador Retriever. Last year I found a mixed breed dog and since I couldn't find the owners, I decided to keep her. She weighed 22 pounds when I found her a year ago. She now weighs 30! I'm not sure if she was underweight because of neglect when I found her, or if she's become overweight since she began living with us? The Lab and the Chihuahua have always been allowed to free feed. We leave their food and water out all the time and just refill it when it gets low. Neither of them have ever had a weight problem. I don't really want to disrupt the Lab and Chihuahua's eating habits on account of the new dog but I'm not what to do, since the only solution I can think of would be to give each dog their own serving of food once/twice a day in separate bowls. We thought that the new dog would eventually catch on to the fact that she doesn't have to worry about having enough food any more. But it's been a year and she still seems to worry about being fed/getting enough food.Like I said before, I don't want to mess up the other dogs but I don't want the new dog to become unhealthy and overweight. Please help me decide what to do so I can make sure my three pups stay healthy and happy.
Answer:
Well, we have a couple of things to talk about here.
First, how can we tell if your dog is overweight? My general rule of thumb is that I want to be able to feel their ribs when I rub their side, feel their back-bones when I rub their back, and feel their hip-bones when I rub their hindquarters. If I can't feel the ribs under there, no matter how hard I rub, we've got too much padding! In general, it is better to have your dogs a little on the skinny side ---thin dogs live longer, are healthier, and have fewer joint problems.
I'm going to guess that your rescue might be overcompensating a bit for previous missed meals, since she's added over 25% of her body weight since you found her. But, remember, muscle weighs a lot more than fat ---moving in with 2 active dogs could have her running around a lot more, and she may have gained a bit of that weight in muscle, not fat! Even so, you should still be able to feel those ribs.
All right, so let's say your dog is overweight, no ribs to be found. It may not be from overeating! Some animals do have hormonal problems that can lead to weight gain. An underactive thyroid gland, which regulates the body's metabolic rate, is the most common endocrine disorder in dogs ---but it's also the most overdiagnosed endocrine disorder in dogs, so make sure you have the proper tests done before accepting that diagnosis. Hypothyroid dogs tend to be sluggish, overweight despite having a mediocre appetite, cold all the time, and often develop skin problems. If this sounds like your dog, a simple blood test called a "free t4" will accurately tell you whether or not she might benefit from a thyroid supplement (a screening test, called just the "T4," often gives false positives, leading to the overdiagnosis issue). You say that your dog seems worried about getting enough food ---so I suspect that hypothyroidism is not the problem here.
More often, just as with people, you can distill the basic cause of obesity down to too much food and not enough exercise. Some dogs just love to eat ---we've all heard the phrase "chow-hound!"
Dogs eat for a variety of reasons, not all of which have to do with hunger. The relative size of a dog's stomach, compared to its body, is much larger than our own; evolutionarily, this extra capacity allowed dogs to consume several days worth of food when it was available. Of course, in our pampered pets' world today, food can be too available ---so filling up that big stomach every day can really pack on the pounds in a hurry!
When you have multiple dogs in a household, pack dynamics often come into play. In a pack, dominant (alpha) animals control the food ---they eat first, and then the lower ranked (beta) animals get the leftovers. Some dogs, trying to show off how dominant they are, do their best to eat all the food first, to tell the others "I'm number one here!" Sometimes you'll see this in action when a dog comes by to visit, the arrival stimulating the resident dog to jump up and scarf down a bowl of food that they had been ignoring for hours. Other times, a beta dog overeats out of concern that it may not get any the next time food is divvied up ---even if that missed meal never happens, the instinct to eat more 'just in case' can be strong. And certainly, some dogs who spent too much time hungry on the street overeat because of "emotional issues."
All well and good, but more important, what can you do to help your dogs maintain a healthy weight? There are a number of strategies, some more successful than others; which approach will work best for you depends on your dogs and your own lifestyle.
It may be that your rescue dog is simply temperamentally unable to leave a food bowl full, and you are absolutely right that the simplest solution would be to feed each dog separate and defined meals, once or twice a day. That, combined with more exercise, could go a long way towards a slimmer, healthier rescue dog. The good news is that your other dogs will most likely adapt quickly to the new reality of 'eat now, or wait until tomorrow.' How much to feed each dog depends on a number of factors (see my previous post); generally, if feeding conventional dog food, I start with around 80% or what the label suggests.
But there are a few more things that you could try as well....
As a veterinarian who believes that proper nutrition is the cornerstone of health, one of the first things I look at is the food itself. Obesity is, after all, a result of "malnutrition." All foods marketed in the US as pet "food" carry a label that proclaims they are complete and balanced foods, formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) for the species and life-stage listed (unlike "treats," which have no nutritional requirements). Unfortunately, this is a very low bar, and while foods formulated to the AAFCO standards are assuredly "adequate nutrition," in my opinion, many fall far short of being "optimal nutrition." After all, people can survive eating ramen noodles, pizza, and donuts (as amply demonstrated by college students across the country) ---an adequate, but far from optimal, diet! Sometimes, dogs eating a conventional dry dog food overeat because their body is craving more of some nutrient than they are getting from their highly processed food. I like to at least add a good balanced multivitamin supplement (especially one that includes minimally processed glandular extracts, like Standard Process's canine formulas). High nutritional value meat-based treats, like grass-fed bison liver, are also great supplements, and far better than nutritionally void, empty-calorie treats like flour-based biscuits.
Unlike many vets, one thing I do not usually recommend to combat obesity is a conventional low-fat "diet" dog food. Appetite is actually turned off by fat consumption ---for example, you can eat fat-free rice cakes until they're coming out of your ears and still feel hungry, whereas a really rich, high-fat french cream sauce will make you feel full before you've eaten half your meal. If your dog eats twice as much of a low-fat food that has a third less calories, she's going to gain weight, not lose it! You can restrict the amount of food given, but dogs eating low-fat foods tend to act hungry all the time, and are more likely to scavenge wherever and whenever they can. Also, I have found that animals eating low-fat foods tend to have dry skin and many more skin issues. In fact, I have had far more luck getting dogs to lose weight by putting them on higher fat, higher protein diets, or even just by adding a splash of olive oil to their food so that they're more satisfied with less food (not too much or you'll give them the runs!).
Fortunately, higher quality foods have become much more widely available, and there are even certified organic and unprocessed whole-food options (freeze dried or frozen) for people who want to go beyond the realm of cans and kibble. I'll try to go into more detail about foods in a future post.
Hope this information helps!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Free ways to donate to animal charity
Search & Rescue
Search the Web with Dogpile.com and they will donate a portion of revenue generated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®).
GoodSearch is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. There are several animal charities to choose from including: A Cause 4 Paws, .American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, A Chance at Life Animal Rescue Thrift Store
Each click on the purple "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button at The Animal Rescue Site provides food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary.
Eco Cat Collection
Your furry feline can now go green too! Check out these fabulous earth friendly finds:
Our favorites (starting at top left):
- Eco Nap by West Paw Designs
- Organic Hemp Woodland Friends by The Modern Pet
- Organic Catnip by West Paw Designs
- Organic Free & Clear Bar Pet Shampoo by The Modern Pet
- Fresh Forage Carnivore Treats in wild-caught Alaskan Salmon by The Modern Pet
- Biodegradable cat pan liners by BioBag
- Eco Flower by West Paw Designs
- Natural Flea Powder by The Modern Pet
- Organic Cotton Bumper Bed by West Paw Designs
Ask The Vet: Long Term Limp
My mom has a pitbull that is 11 years old. 3 weeks ago he started limping and trying to avoid walking on his right front paw. When he is standing still, he curls the toes under instead of standing normally on the pads. When he pushes down, while walking that is when the limp occurs. The vet gave him anti inflammatory pills which he takes every other day. The vet really doesnt want to deal with him, cause he hates being touched and inspected he completely freaks out. I wrapped the wrist in a ace bandage two days ago and within three hours the entire paw swelled up. He now has been walking mainly on three paws. What are the options for injury? Sprain wrist, displaced wrist, can toes of a dog break. I cant find a specific area of swelling, I searched throughtout the paw and I dont see any infection like something got stuck in the paw? The vet doesnt want to deal with x rays. Can you lead me in some directions of what the injury may be, or what we should really do.
Answer:
Sounds like a problem! First, don't wrap the leg ---it is very common for owner-applied (and sometimes vet-applied) bandages to compromise the circulation and cause a swollen foot. Plus you don't know whether there is an injury, much less where it is, so where's the right place to wrap? Dogs have 4 legs, they only really need 3 to walk around (somehow we make do with 2, to their constant amazement). If the leg bugs him enough he'd just stop using it.
The first question is whether the problem is musculoskeletal or neurologic. Standing knuckled over like that can be a sign of neurologic disfunction, which could be from a peripheral nerve injury or a spinal injury (like a bulging disc above the 3rd thoracic, though usually it would affect both legs). If it isn't neurologic, it could be a pulled muscle or a tendon injury, less likely ligamentous in the front leg, or possibly an injured joint (shoulder, elbow, wrist, foot, toes).
Also, given the age of the dog, it could also be some sort of tumor affecting the nerves or muscles in the leg or, less likely, in the spinal cord.
I'm pretty limited in distance-diagnosis, so I can't do much more than tell you all the assorted things it might be. If it's just musculoskeletal, he'd be painful somewhere, and if he's better with you or your mom than he is with the vet, you can try working his assorted joints each through their normal range of motion (one joint at a time without moving the other joints); if you find an injured one he should resist and tell you if it hurts. Try it out on the uninjured leg first.
I don't know what kind of anti-inflammatories your vet gave you ---NSAIDs, like rimadyl, etogesic, metacam, deramaxx, aspirin... or corticosteroids, like prednisone, prednisolone, or dexamethasone. NSAIDs have anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects, while corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory but have no pain reduction effects, and can temporarily reduce the size of tumors as well. Musculoskeletal issues generally improve with NSAIDs and a bit of tincture of time, but neurologic and cancer related issues wouldn't really respond. If he's on corticosteroids and improves, we don't know if it's inflammatory, cancer, or neurologic (problems with slipped discs and "pinched" spinal nerves have an inflammatory component, and can respond to corticosteroid treatment).
3 weeks is time enough for a muscular injury to be improving, assuming you've been keeping him from running around and reinjuring himself. It's also enough time that a foreign body would have created an obvious infection, in the absence of antibiotic treatment. A fracture somewhere would be still causing problems, but fractures are pretty painful, and a dog doesn't tend to knuckle over with a fracture, they usually try to pick up the foot and keep it off the ground. So if things aren't getting better, given the length of time this has been going on and the age of the dog, I think it would be a good idea to get a bit more aggressive about finding a diagnosis. The dog will have to be sedated, probably anesthetized for the exam, and it would probably be a good idea to do radiographs, but if we can't isolate an area of sensitivity, that's a bunch of films to look at the whole leg and the neck/upper thorax. But sometimes once the dog is down, we can find out a lot just by palpating. If there's a lump somewhere, get at least a fine needle aspirate, or better still, a biopsy (FNAs don't always give an answer, and biopsies generally do... since it's so hard to examine the dog, don't mess around, make sure you get enough the first time to get an answer.).
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Blueberry Truffle Dog Collars
Always in season, our Blueberry Truffle dog collars are a fresh take on polka dots. Cute and contrasting, the blue and brown duo really "pops" on any color pup.
Handmade in Northern California.
How to choose a puppy (Part 2): the Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
If you have your heart set on a purebred, do some research ---find out what the breed was created to do, and think about how that will fit in with the lifestyle you want to lead. Do you have or want other pets, or children? Are you active, or do you want a pet content to putter around the house with you? How much space do you have ---a studio apartment, or 100 acres of rural property? All these things are important variables that will profoundly influence what breed of dog is right for you ---and what breed is wrong wrong wrong!
Sometimes the answers to these sorts of questions will help you figure out which dogs to steer clear of. If you have a pet rabbit, you would do well to avoid dogs that were bred for hunting small game or 'vermin,' like most terriers. If you want a dog to go on 15 mile hikes with you, well, that cute dachshund is just not going to be able to keep up. On the other hand, those gorgeous huskies were bred to run all day long in a blizzard ---don't expect them to be happy sitting in the house or in a hot yard all day! That border collie is an amazingly intelligent working dog, capable of learning enormously complicated tasks and of working tirelessly herding livestock or doing obedience and agility trials ---just don't ask him to sit in your city apartment day after day, waiting for you to come home from work to take him on a half hour walk, because he'll go absolutely stir crazy and become horribly neurotic.
If you think you've found the breed that's right for you, talk to as many people who own that breed as you can ---and ask them what they don't like about their pet. Most responsible breed advocates try very hard to make sure people understand all the potential downsides to the breed, because they never want to see one of their beloved dogs go into an inappropriate home.
View the next posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
- How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
How to choose a puppy (Part 1)
Everyone who gets a dog envisions all the fun and frolic their new pet will bring to their lives, but too often, the pup comes with a few drawbacks they didn't anticipate. The sad truth is that the leading cause of death in dogs is actually not a disease ---it's euthanasia in shelters, and most dogs end up in shelters because of behavior problems. Even if you would never abandon a pet to a shelter, nobody wants to live with a dog who causes headaches ---a pet should be a source of joy, not hassles!
The most powerful way to avoid problems with a new dog is also one of the least utilized methods ---and that is simply this: Choose the right dog!
What does that mean? Well, dogs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and coat varieties, long hair, short hair, even no hair at all. It is easy to fall in love with the look of a particular breed. But what a lot of people forget is that most dog breeds were not created to look a certain way, but rather to act in a certain way ---our dog breeds were bred to serve specific functions, and to do certain jobs. Even though you may look at a dog as simply a companion, your fabulous furry friend's genes will strongly influence how they behave.
I find that most people already have an idea of what kind of dog they think they want. But it is important to spend some time thinking about what kind of dog you don't want!
Look for our next post in this series “The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle”.
View the next posts in this series:
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 2): The Right Breed For Your Lifestyle
- How To Choose a Puppy (Part 3): Well, Maybe Not Quite A Puppy
- How to choose a puppy (Part 4): Shelter Dogs
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Grassfed bison benefits animals and the environment!
Nutritional studies show that grassfed and grass-finished meat contains more beta-carotine, more omega 3s, more CLA’s and more natural Vitamin E. Grassfed meat has less fat and cholesterol than its feedlot counterpart. Because bison carry most of their fat in their hump, they are especially low in fat.
The USDA has calculated the following values for various meats. Per 100 grams of cooked lean meat
Meat Fat Calories Cholesterol Iron Skinless chicken 7.41 grams 190 89 mg 1.21 Pork 10.5 grams 190 92 mg 1.1 Beef 9.3 grams 211 86 mg 2.99 Bison 2.42 grams 143 82 mg 3.42
Grassfed bison promotes humane treatment of animals:
Grassfed and finished animals remain on pasture their entire life and forage on a variety of grasses. Grain is not a natural food for ruminants; it is documented that ruminants cannot tolerate the high acid content of grain much more than 60-90 days, at which time the liver begins to fail. The liver, which cannot pass inspection, is rejected for human consumption, one of the reasons liver is rarely for sale in supermarkets (but is often made into pet treats).
Grassfed bison is good for the environment.
Bison were a keystone species, whose grazing habits profoundly shaped the ecology of the Great Plains. Grass seeds caught up in the winter fur of bison would be distributed when the fur was shed in the spring. Also, seeds ingested by grazing bison were later passed intact to germinate in their droppings. Their grazing kept the grasses short, allowing the other grassland plants to grow and thrive, plants which without bison would be choked out.
Studies indicate that bison and other native herbivores like to eat many nonnative, exotic plants, which helps suppress the invasions that plague grasslands.
Grassfed Bison Pet Treats
Make your own dog tags
Materials:
- Lucky Dog Tag PFD in either small or large.
- Shrink plastic, available from your local craft store or online here. If you have an inkjet printer, make sure you purchase compatible plastic.
- Small split ring, for attaching to collar.
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Oven
Instructions:
- Choose the appropriate size tag.
- Download PDF file and print onto shrink plastic.
- Cut out image.
- Punch hole in top of tag.
- Write pet name and phone number (remember these will shrink, so write very big).
- Shrink the plastic, following manufacturers instructions.
- Attach split ring and put on collar.
PLEASE NOTE: PDF FILES ARE INTENTIONALLY LIGHTENED. THEY WILL DARKEN ONCE SHRUNK.
Ask The Vet: Switching to a Raw Diet
I have a somewhat overweight Corgi that I am trying to switch from a high protein kibble to diet of mostly meat. How many ounces of meat should she get in a day, and what else does she need to round out her diet?
Answer:
I wish I had a simple answer to this question, but the truth is ---it depends.
There are a number of factors that influence how much food you should offer your dog. First, it is important to remember that every animal is unique, and their nutritional needs will vary depending on their activity levels, environment, and metabolic rate. If we fed the exact same amount of the exact same food to a dozen 25 pound dogs, it is likely that some would gain weight, some would lose weight, and some would remain the same. Also, different foods have varying amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates; even "meat" spans a wide range ---for example, from chicken to lamb to beef. The cut of meat will make a difference too ---a chuck roast has much more fat, and therefore calories, than a cut like a bottom round. In fact, even the same cut of beef can have very different nutritional values, depending on what it is fed ----grain fed beef has 10 times the amount of saturated fat as grass fed beef, which means that grain-fed beef has a lot more calories per pound than grass-fed (not to mention radically different amounts of critically important omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids! ---We'll talk more about that in another post).
So there is no hard and fast rule about the appropriate amount of food to feed a dog.
That said, when shifting a dog from a processed food to a home-prepared diet, I usually aim for about 1/4 pound of fatty muscle meat (I like grass-fed chuck roast) per 25 pounds of dog per day. If you are using leaner meat, feed a bit more ---but the fat is an important nutrient, so don't avoid it unless your pet has a history of medical issues digesting fat. When changing a dog's diet, I recommend introducing the new food gradually: start by just mixing a little of the new food in with the old food, and slowly increase the portion of the new food while decreasing the amount of the old food, over about 7-10 days.
When other foods such as eggs and organ meats are added to the diet (and they should be!), I reduce the muscle meat a bit to compensate. It is extremely important to make sure you are feeding a properly formulated, complete diet ---for example, dogs have much higher calcium requirements than we do, so it is very easy to short-change them on this crucial nutrient, unless you are regularly feeding raw knuckle bones or an adequate amount of a good, raw ground bone calcium supplement (feel free to contact me directly for a list of recommended supplements to balance the basic meat/eggs/organs diet). Bone content is also important for stool quality. I applaud those who are willing to go to the effort and expense of preparing "real food" for their pets; just remember, it is important to make sure you are following a veterinarian-approved recipe to avoid deficiencies.
All right, back to the "how much?" question. After a few weeks of feeding a consistent diet, evaluate your dog's condition. Is she gaining weight? You're feeding too much! Is she losing weight? In that case, the amount you are feeding isn't keeping pace with your dog's energy expenditures. Since you said she is overweight, that is what you want ---but remember, you may need to increase the ration a little once she comes down to her target weight.
I often find that as we improve their diet, pets become much more energetic ---more energy means more exercise, and more exercise helps burn off that excess fat!
Good luck!
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of House Call Of The Wild.
Pet Spotlight: Bodhi
Nickname: Bat Man
Age: Around a year.
How long have you been together?
We just adopted Bodhi a little less than a month ago.
How did you find eachother?
I had seen a very cute Schnoodle up for adoption on a rescue organization’s website. I went to go meet her, but she was being adopted out just as I arrived. The rescue group said they thought they had another Miniature Schnauzer/Poodle mix, but he was so scruffy it was hard to tell. I met him and he was wonderful.
What makes your pet so special?
Bodhi is such an easy dog to share a home with. He seems to have an on/off switch. When we are busy, sleeping, or if company comes over, he just goes over to his bed and chews on his toys. In his mellow moods he does wonderfully hanging out with our rabbits. They will sit together and the rabbits will chew on their cardboard while Bodhi chews on his bone. When we are active, he loves to play fetch, tear around the dog park and go for long walks.
Bodhi is also incredibly intelligent and always eager to please. We have been taking him to puppy school and he is getting straight A’s ;) He is learning to lift up his paws so that we can wipe them off when he comes inside.
Bodhi in his adoption website photo.
Bodhi after his new home and first bath.
Would you like us to spotlight your pet? Just fill out the Pet Spotlight Form to the left. If your pet is chosen they will receive a special gift from The Modern Pet.
Plastic Toxins in the News
Have a question for the Veterinarian? Use our Ask The Vet Form here.
This post was generously contributed by Dr. Stanley of Housecall Of The Wild.
Eco Toy Giveaway
This giveaway has ended.
Our first giveaway! In honor of our Safe Pet Product blog post, we are giving away a wonderful Eco Bone dog toy.
The winner of this contest will be announced April 1st. (no we’re not foolin’) and will have the choice of either a 7” or 10” eco bone in color oatmeal/bear.
To enter, just leave a comment below article.
These Eco Friendly toys are made out of recycled soda pop bottles. Both the fabric and stuffing are recycled - so from the mouth of the consumer to the mouth of the dog - these toys live on.
Created from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, IntelliLoft is safe, re-engineered fibers that diverts unnecessary waste from going to your landfill and takes six times less energy than producing fabric from virgin fibers. Safe, soft, smart.
Made in Montana, USA.
ECO PET PRODUCTS ARE SAFE FOR MORE THAN JUST MOTHER EARTH, THEY ARE SAFE FOR YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!
“The Öko-Tex Standard 100 Certification is an important component of our total ecological commitment,” says Spencer Williams, President of West Paw Design. “We strive to design and produce our products in ways that do not harm the Earth. Our Öko-Tex certification adds the reassurance that our products are also safe for the home environment and the people and animals who live there.”
West Paw Design's Öko-Tex certified Eco line includes Eco Slumber™ Beds , Eco Nap® mats, and Eco Toys for dogs and cats. Products in the eco line have fabric covers and filling made with IntelliLoft™, eco-fibers that are produced from recycled plastic. The eco line products are incredibly soft, machine washable, and come in an assortment of modern designs and colors for pets who want it all—environmentally-friendly, certified safe, and stylishly comfortable.