I yanked hard at Chipper’s leash as he grabbed a mouthful of something. “Drop it,” I commanded as he tried to swallow the big solid piece. Grabbing his collar, I put my gloved hand into his mouth and pulled it out–something sausage-like, dark brown and smelly. You guessed it a poopsicle—a frozen dog turd.
Helpful Hints for Dogs
Dog Paw Wax
You look out the window of your back door through the crust of ice forming around the edges. It’s snowing, blowing hard, and well below freezing outside, but you need to walk your dog. Some people just open the door and tell them to ‘go potty’. Not me. If they have to suffer, so do I. I also want to make sure they cleaned themselves out.
So how can you make your best friend enjoy the winter more? Layering—the same as for us. My rule of thumb is as follows:
Ear Infections – Yuk!
On a Sunday morning in early August, I sat on the kitchen floor with a brush, comb, toothbrush, poultry flavored toothpaste, eye drops, ear cleaner and cotton balls in a pile next to me, while I called Buffy to come to me; a typical grooming session for both cocker spaniels. Sundays and Wednesdays were ear-cleaning days, while tooth brushing, combing, and eye drops were included every morning. Chipper’s ears were normal, a little bit of brownish wax, but Buffy had one clean ear and one ear with thick brown gook on the cotton ball that I had rubbed inside her ear. Yuk – probably an ear infection.
Fleas – Ugh! Why You Should Use a Flea Preventative
I rolled Buffy onto her back and saw a tiny flea run across her belly. I ran for the flea comb, telling her to ‘stay’. Of course she didn’t, and I had to flip her on her back while I searched through her shaved fur to find the little bugger.
Be Careful Feeding your Dogs Bones
Not all bones are safe for your pet and certainly not the Real Ham Bone made by Dynamic Pet Products. My dog Cassie had loved them, chewing on them for hours. But once larger pieces started breaking off – I took it away. More than once I’ve had her poop hard bone fragments, so I tried to restrict her to only getting the meat and marrow and prevent her from eating too much bone.
Leaving your dog behind
What should you do with your four-legged friend when you go on vacation? For most pet owner’s it’s a trip to the boarder, but is that the best option for your dog, or just the best (and cheapest) option for you?
Keep Your Dog Cool
Hot weather always bothered Cassie, causing her to pant loudly, and search for sources of water to lie in. And of course, she wanted to go with us everywhere. So what did I do?
Doggie Diapers
At first, Cassie seemed embarrassed when I strapped her diapers on at work, but she was a good dog and tolerated clothes, so she didn’t try to pull them off. Actually I think she preferred them to the alternative, having wet, stinky fur on her back legs as she leaked while she slept.
Fireworks, Thunder, Loud Noises – Oh My!
It’s starting again – firecracker season – is your dog ready? Are you? The fourth of July is just around the corner.
Two years ago, Chipper’s anxiety caused him to hide under my mom’s bed, cringing and shaking for the month-long celebration of the holiday that occurred in his old neighborhood.
