When we first got Cannon from the breeder he came home with a simple grey string around his neck. A simple collar to help differentiate him from his brothers and sisters. Now that he’s all grown up we’ve upgraded from this to an Around the Hounds custom collar, which we’re always getting compliments on.
His collar is a 1 ½ inch wide band of blue and white. The white strip is reflective. This helps with nighttime walks off leash in the backyard and roadside walks after dusk, keeping him clearly visible. Cannon’s got a very durable style collar but you can also find holiday inspired and other beautifully decorative styles.
Alright, even I am beginning to think I am a little paranoid by suggesting all these “safety” products for holiday gifts. But here’s the thing, you and your dog-adoring friends need this stuff and as we all know, sometimes the non-toy gifts end up at the bottom of the list.
So today’s canine holiday gift idea is a first aid kit from Ruff Wear. I have written about this before, but it occurs to me that it makes a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves their dog – which is all of us, right? I am probably going to buy a second one so I can have one for our hiking gear and one for our trial travels – can’t be too safe!
Just because your dog can swim doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t need a float coat to keep safe.
Most dogs who love the water just don’t know when to stop so they can get tired and need a little assistance. Or maybe, like Karma, your dog loves the water but isn’t the best swimmer. Or perhaps you are a boating family and you want to ensure your dog is safe if she jumps out (or falls out) of the boat.
It’s probably no surprise that we would suggest Ruff Wear’s float coats. Their products are durable and reliable and they can help you choose the right vest for your dog’s needs.
Why not give a little piece of summer this winter?
OK, so a trip to the vet is probably not what your dog would request. But it could save your relationship.
I’m talking about micro-chipping your dog. The vet inserts a rice-sized microchip in the area around your dog’s shoulder blades and then the number on the chip is registered to you. Karma has a “Home Again” chip but there are other brands as well. I can update my information in my online account in case I move.
Of course, no one likes to think about something bad happening – especially at the holidays! So I’m not trying to be a downer. But there are lots of ways you could become separated (I won’t list them here) and you should make sure that the odds of getting your best pal back are tipped in your favor!
You also could spring for the micro-chipping of a friend’s dog (or new puppy?) as a thoughtful gift – great stocking stuffer!
If you do a lot of traveling with your four-legged friend then gifting yourself and your dog some travel accessories might be the way for you to go this holiday season. There are a lot of products out there to make sure you pet stays safe while you’re on the road.
Check out drsfostersmith.com for a longer list of items. Following is a sampling of these.
- Travel crate
- Pet barrier
- Rear-seat hammock
- Cargo liner
GPS systems are all the rage for those of us who need a little help getting from place to place and now your pooch can jump on the technology bandwagon. Now your mobile phone can be a tracking device with the service from PAW Spotlight. Your dog wears a small device which attaches to his collar, and if exits one of the zones you have designated, a text message is sent to your phone. Live-updating turn-by-turn directions for finding fido will then be available on your phone. You can also call AKC CAR (American Kennel Club Canine Recovery System), a 24/7 recovery service that has teamed with PAW.
The technology and service aren’t exactly free – a $250 initial cost plus $20/month – but can you put a price on finding your beloved four-legged friend?
This holiday season, in addition to being thankful for my amazing life, I am thankful to my friend and vet, Dr. Kim Danoff of Paws to Heal Veterinary Clinic in Vienna, Virginia. In her newsletter this month she shares some great reminders and I couldn’t have said it better myself! So thanks, Dr. Danoff, for reminding us – and teaching us – about foods that may be toxic to our best friends!
Chocolate
Most of us know that chocolate is bad for our pets. 95% of chocolate ingestion calls to animal poison control are for dogs. Dark chocolate and less sweet chocolate tend to be more toxic because they have higher cocoa contents.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a popular, natural, sugar free sweetener that is often in gum and desserts. Xylitol when ingested by pets very quickly lowers the blood sugar and can cause liver failure with in 24 hours.
Raisins, Grapes and even Currants
Whether they are yogurt covered, in granola, or by themselves raisins, grapes, and currants can be bad news. Raisins, grapes, currants can cause very rapid onset of kidney failure that is often fatal.
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Depending on the formulation, these aerosol sprays contain hydrocarbons, which are volatile substances. Some of the early signs of ingestion in your pet include an upset stomach. A high amount can lead to respiratory tract problems and a condition known as aspiration pneumonia.
Birds are very sensitive to cooking sprays because they have a unique respiratory tract that makes them very susceptible to irritation, so be really careful not only with cooking sprays but anything coming from an aerosol container when around birds.
Yeast Dough
If yeast dough is ingested it can expand, rise in the stomach, and can present a dangerous risk to your pet’s intestinal system, such as an intestinal rupture. Also, alcohol fermentation may take place in your pet’s stomach and if there’s enough ingested it can lead to alcohol poisoning. Any pet is at risk. Keep an eye out for signs of gastrointestinal irritation – vomiting, diarrhea and drooling.
Coffee Grounds
The harmful substances like theobromine and the caffeine found in coffee grounds are very similar to those in chocolate and often produce the same side effects. Look out for vomiting and diarrhea. In addition your pet may experience hyperactivity, increased heart rate, seizures, tremors and possibly even death, depending on the amount ingested.
Macadamia Nuts
We’ve only seen a negative reaction from these nuts in dogs and we don’t know all that much about why they are dangerous, but we would recommend keeping them away from all pets. It’s an interesting phenomenon – if enough are ingested (and as little as a handful can be seen as dangerous), we see weakness in hind legs and can see the gastrointestinal effects – vomiting, diarrhea and drooling. These nuts can also affect the central nervous system and cause depression and muscle tremors. Generally signs resolve in 48 hours with proper care and treatment.
Onions & Onion Powder
Onions, garlic and chives are all part of the allium species. Any of plants can produce similar effects. Look for the common gastrointestinal effects and trouble breathing. In addition, these substances can see significant damage to a pet’s red blood cells. Cats can be particularly sensitive but it is dangerous to cats, dogs and birds.
If you think your pet has ingested a toxic food, please contact a veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435
As the seasons move closer to winter Cannon is spending less and less time laying in the yard soaking up the sun and more time sprinting toward the house when he has done his business. Let’s face it, it’s getting cold! For those of us with short haired dogs, or smaller dogs whose core is closer to the ground we need to begin thinking about their needs during the upcoming winter months.
Just yesterday I received my copy of the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) magazine, familydog. I’d already resolved to sit and write this post and was happy to note that they included an article titled “How to Winterize Your Dog.” If you don’t have access to this magazine then I recommend checking out their guidelines on how to keep your dog both safe and warm. For those of you who work at a veterinary clinic, groomer, pet store or the like, you may also be interested in posting the AKC’s flyer that includes these guidelines.
In any event, some gear may be necessary to keep your dog from turning into a pupsicle. If you’re looking to purchase a coat or turnout (style of coat, originally designed for horses) then I highly recommend Foggy Mountain Dog Coats! I’ve purchased two snuggler (fleece) style coats for Cannon; one when he was a growing pup and another now that he’s full grown. They are durable, washable (bonus!) and come in many different patterns. Blackwatch plaid is my fav. Also notice that they have some breed specific coats as well. Warning: if you get a coat just be careful that you’re not getting too excited to see your dog sport his new fashions and that the weather is truly cool enough to justify wearing it. You don’t want to overheat him.
No matter how much we want to fight it, there are snowflakes in our future. Remember that while we start shivering so will many of our dogs. Get out the shovel and clear those paths for potty walks. Be careful where you sprinkle that rock salt, it can hurt their paws. And, if you have a Berner (like Julie) then let them off the leash and watch them in their element… no coat necessary here!
Do you have other favorite winter gear, such as sweaters and booties? Please share with us; we’d love to learn how you’re keeping your best friends warm this winter.
Got a question about your nearby national park? Good news, The National Park Service has created this great site to provide all kinds of guidance and answers to your questions: Oh Ranger!
The site has videos like “How can I stay safe in bear country,” links to all the national parks, featured parks and pretty much all the answers to your park questions.
I used the search tool and entered my zip code with the parameters of within 25 miles. 100 results showed up – 100! Fantastic! A Google-powered map pops up and it’s easy to see which results are close to home. From either the map or the list below you can click on a park to learn more. Keep in mind that the park service often covers the museums so in the DC area you will see some of those listed as well.
When I searched on a specific park – this time Shenandoah National Park, a favorite of OBH – a ton of information came up. I actually like this site better than the national park service’s site for the same park. The Oh Ranger! site is much more friendly and fun to navigate and has all the same information and more. The best part is, under Shenandoah Regulations link on the left, they specify where pets are and are not allowed in the park! Yay!
So not only do you need to bookmark this site, you also need to watch the bear video – it’s both educational and fun! If you do, the title of this post will make sense!
Whenever you travel with your dog, you need to have water – everyone knows that, right? But when you’re hiking, carrying enough water for both of you can be a challenge. How do you lug it around? How much do you need?
How much you need will depend on many factors – what’s the weather? Does your dog drink a lot? Get hot easily? Will there be safe drinking water available?
Cannon and Karma have very different water needs. Cannon, our Africa dog, requires probably half the water Karma does on a typical summer hike. Katina and I have separately paid attention to how much water our dogs go through and have altered how much water we carry to accommodate our boys.
Karma will easily go through a 32oz Nalgene bottle on a 3-4 hour hike in the summer. To do this I have purchased a CamelBak daypack with a reservoir that holds about 48oz of water. I can also fit a 32oz Nalgene in the pack along with a collapsible water bowl and other necessities.
If you’ve ever used a CamelBak or similar product you know that you must bite the straw-like tube and suck the water out like a straw. It’s a little hard to train a dog to do this – haha. However, if you hold the tube open by squeezing it and then squeeze the reservoir – either by wearing the pack and leaning against a tree or taking the pack off and pushing on it – water will flow out and into the dog bowl.
Honestly, I think it’s easier to pour from a bottle but the CamelBak is a great option and it’s much easier to carry the water in this way.
A note on “safe drinking water:” Just because a trail has water – in the form of a stream or pond or other – does not mean it’s safe to drink! It is so easy for your dog (or you!) to pick up a parasite from a stream that looks perfectly fine. When in doubt, try to keep your dog from drinking water that you don’t know anything about. Also, monitor your dog’s health for a few days (especially his poop) following a slurp from an unknown stream.
I am not a vet nor have I ever played one on TV. This is important because you should always take your vet’s advice over mine. Always. That said, I do have some tips and advice to share about making sure you are prepared when you head out on your next adventure.
One argument for always hiking with a buddy – I actually mean a person, not just your dog – is in case of serious injury to you or your dog, there is someone who can go for help. I am not a paranoid person, but it is possible that someone sustains an injury that keeps him or her from hopping out of the woods on his/her own. Also, I have a big dog and I only outweigh him by (ahem) 20 pounds so carrying him anywhere is out of the question!
So in my day pack at all times is the first aid kit from Ruff Wear. It comes with a first aid booklet and let me say, the first time you read this should NOT be on the trail when you need it! Know what information and materials it contains before you head out – you may even want to add to it.
For instance, recently I had to make a muzzle out of an old T-shirt in order to examine Karma’s foot. It worked great and I learned two things: 1) Karma is more the biting type than the submissive type when he’s hurt and 2) the T-shirt worked great. (I cut a 4” strip off the bottom of a cotton T-shirt in one long strip all the way around. I then applied the center of the strip to the top of Karma’s muzzle, then crossed it under his muzzle then wrapped it up behind his ears where I tied it around the high part of his neck.)
You should also have a little kit of other necessities that are more specific to your dog in a waterproof baggie. Karma’s contains Pepto Bismol, K9 aspirin, a tick remover (or tweezers) and that stretchy & sticky bandage stuff known by a brand name of Vetwrap made by 3M. (Be careful with this wonderful invention as you can easily pull it too tight and cause a different problem than the one you’re tying to solve. Practice on yourself to see how it feels it you’ve never used it!)
I also just read about another 3M product – Pet Care Spray-On Liquid Bandage to use on split or cut paw pads. I am definitely going to pick up a bottle of this.
Dog “booties” are another thing to have on hand. On our last hike, Karma started out great, but by the end of 3+ miles and several rock scrambles, a rear foot was hurting him. Dogs have to build up the toughness on their pads just like we would if we suddenly went from walking on grass and sidewalks to gravel. Be sure you are checking their feet throughout the hike and looking for signs of stress.
Finally, I picked up a great book that also comes with a DVD. Dog First Aid by the American Red Cross is a great reference book and video. This is a great reference for every dog owner and covers topics from giving your dog medications all the way to choking and serious injuries. Within the book it also has little disc icons that refer you to the included DVD for more information.
Got a first aid tip to share? Tell us!
I HATE ticks. They are sneaky, overly-resilient and in this geography you have to fear them all year long. There are big ones and tiny ones and they don’t seem to care if they latch onto deer, dogs or people. They are evil.
Katina regularly picks ticks off of Cannon – in her backyard, on the trail, on walks. During one two-hour hike, she picked 10 off of Cannon and I picked off – and brutally murdered – two off of me. UGH! What I didn’t say is that I picked ticks off of Karma, because I didn’t. I did check carefully but it’s hard to find them through all that hair! Truth is, I have only ever found one (big) tick on him and that’s because it was feasting above his eye [shudder!].
A percentage of ticks carry Lyme disease which can be dangerous for both humans and dogs which is why you have to be vigilant about checking constantly and thoroughly. Humans will usually notice a “bullseye” redness at the site of the bite. If this occurs, you should see a doctor immediately. Symptoms in people vary wildly and can be dangerous so it’s not something to fool with – take it seriously!
According to the great site http://www.dogsandticks.com, “Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by the deer tick (often referred to as the black-legged tick). Signs of Lyme disease in dogs are difficult to detect, and warning signs may not appear until several months after infection. Signs may come and go and can mimic other conditions. Cases vary from mild to severe. In severe cases of Lyme disease, kidney failure can occur.
“Most common signs of Lyme disease:
- Recurrent arthritis/lameness that lasts 3–4 days, sometimes accompanied by loss of appetite and depression
- Reluctance to move or a stiff, painful gait
- Swollen joints that are warm to the touch
- Pain in the legs or throughout the body
- Fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes”
This site also talks about other illnesses your dog can catch as a result of insects so check it out (at the risk of making you even more paranoid!).
So what are you supposed to do?
Check for ticks several times throughout your hike and camping adventure. According to experts, ticks need to be embedded for at least a day before they begin to spread disease so you have some time. If you find one, make sure you remove the entire creature and do so carefully so that you don’t break it apart. Pet stores sell tick removal devices (I bought one and I like it) or a pair of good tweezers work well too.
Topical products are available, as well as collars, sprays and even tags that are attached to the collar. Talk to your vet to determine which product is best for your dog. You may also want to discuss if the Lyme vaccine is an appropriate option.
As for my furry friend, I use K9 Advantix monthly which is touted to repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. I was using a combined heartworm and flea/tick monthly supplement but found that it wasn’t enough when Karma tested positive for Lyme disease.
When Karma went in for his annual check-up at 16 months of age, my vet tested him for Lyme as a normal part of his blood screening routine and the test came back positive. After a detailed discussion, we decided not to treat him since he wasn’t showing symptoms and to change his flea/tick protocol to something stronger. We agreed that because of Karma’s coloring and excessive amounts of hair (just ask my vacuum), it will always be a challenge to find ticks so prevention becomes even more important.
Every vet has their own opinion on how to address ticks and Lyme disease so it’s important to talk to your vet about your specific situation, habits and outdoor adventures!
