Doggie Dragon Breath? The Best Way to Brush Teeth

Do people run when your dog gets close? Do you wrinkle your nose when you get a dog kiss? Do you apologize for your dogs bad breath even though you spend a fortune on those greenie things?

Doggie dragon breath can be caused by a number of factors.The most obvious of course is YOU DON"T CLEAN HIS TEETH! I know how expensive teeth cleaning can be and you also have to worry about the safety of the anesthesia on top of the expense. If you brushed your dogs teeth regularly you might never have to have a professional cleaning done. A lot of it depends on the dogs jaw and teeth structure. Some breeds like Pekes harbor more food particles lodged between their teeth than a longer muzzled breed like a Siberian Husky. But all dogs can benefit from good dental care. I was amazed this week when I went to the pet store and saw how many products there are to help you brush your dogs teeth.You don't need all that stuff!

The best way to brush teeth is to take some loosely woven gauze, either a 2x2 or 4x4 square or even a bit of gauze bandage and wrap it around your finger. If you have a small dog you may have to wrap your pinky. Dampen the gauze with a bit of water and then gently lift the side of your dogs' lip (called the flew) and begin to rub. It will take a little getting used to but in no time you will be able to rub the gauze all over the teeth (and of course you will be praising your dog while you do this). The back molars are the worst culprits for developing tartar so be sure and get that area really well.

If your dogs teeth are already funky, sorry, you will have to have a dental cleaning done.But afterwards you can start brushing so that you won't have to have another for a very long time.

Some people have asked if I am against using a toothbrush and I am not, but I find a lot of dogs prefer the gauze method and it is so easy because you can literally feel what part of the teeth you are reaching.I use this method on my cat too. He is 17 yrs old and has not one bit of tartar on his teeth.

If your dog has pearly whites and still he has bad breath there are a lot of causes. Worms are a common one. Those nasty parasites produce toxins in the intestinal tract and the odor can back up through the gastric system.

A diet that doesn't suit your dog is another...even if you feed the most expensive, highly rated dog food in the world, it still may contain ingredients that don't agree with your pal. I find foods that contain peanuts,corn or soybean hulls to be particularly suspect. Some of the so-called top packaged foods contain these ingredients, but it could be a number of ingredients or even the preservatives or pesticide residue on the grains.My point is, change the diet and see if there is a change in the bad breath....

Some dogs just need some extra digestive enzymes added to their diet like Missing Link or Prozyme, or lactobaccilus.

Another very common cause of bad breath is sinus drainage(again, a stomach issue). I honestly don't have a remedy for that other than add some slippery elm tree bark flour to the diet as it helps get the mucous out of the system. You can't give your dog Claritin...

....but you can make sure he has proper bones to chew on.Large baked beef bones that won't splinter will help clean teeth and develop strong jaws that in turn help prevent tooth loss. I have noticed that dogs who have a lot of sinus problems seem to lose their teeth earlier than those who don't.

Oh and one last thing.You don't have to brush your dogs teeth after every meal... but every day would be a good idea.

Happy Tails!

How You Walk Your Dog Can Affect His Health

How you walk your dog can affect his or her health.Excessive pulling contributes to spinal compression.Spinal compression is exactly what it sounds like and a compressed spine can lead to pain and vet bills that could have been avoided.Not only that but excessive pulling can contribute to scar tissue building up along the trachea,how many dogs have you seen pulling on the leash and they are coughing and gagging?That is because the windpipe is being pressed on.Now imagine this happening a lot over a period of time....
This is my mom's Saluki companion, Jazz,photographed on a walk at the lake.Jazz is wearing a hound collar. Note that it is wider in front than in the back where the leash attaches.This design has been in style since the ancient Egyptians first took their Salukis into the desert to hunt. They knew that pulling on the leash would cut off the air supply and damage the hounds trachea. By widening the collar in the front they redistribute the pressure on the trachea by spreading it over a wider area, eliminating the coughing and gagging reflex.The wider collar also helps the spine because when a narrow collar is pulled on the dog flexes his neck and bows the spine into a less natural position.
Obedience exhibitors use these when excercising their dogs because it also helps the dog retain sensitvity to a regular training collar and a much lighter touch can be used in training.
If your dog pulls a lot go for a wider hound collar than Jazz is wearing.You can find all sizes, even toy dog sizes at dog shows and on eBay.
Of course your dog should be trained to walk quietly by your side but these days with leash laws in most citys, some dogs are never off the leash and they often are given free rein to excercise while on a leash.Having a dog walk in perfect heel each and every time you walk was great in the 1960's but these days it isn't always so practical in everyday life. If you use a flexi-lead then you need a martingale hound collar to prevent choking.I noticed recently that our local greyhound people use the martingale but dont use the hound (wide in front) martingale.By not doing so they are doing a disservice to their wonderful dogs. The best hound collars are padded like the one Jazz is wearing.Some even have sheepskin lining.They come in plain leather, tooled leather and cotton webbing, plain nylon and nylon or cotton webbing decorated with rich brocades.Some are so beautiful they are even showing up in the dog show ring.I watched a Chinese Crested class where every entry was wearing lovely decorated hound collars.
Till next post Happy Easter and don't let the dog catch any chocolate bunnies...

Can't Afford a Purebred? Think Again!

Two weeks ago, I was trolling the local shelters to check for breeds I help to rescue and noticed a Scottie had been picked up by our local dog catcher that afternoon.Later that weekend I saw a post on Craigslist looking for a Scottie to adopt.I emailed Jasmine the woman hoping to find a Scottie, and as luck would have it she was very interested in rescuing the Scottie at the pound.
Jasmine drove from out of state to see her.The dog greeted her like an old friend and Jasmine knew they were meant for each other.She had owned Scotties for years.But she was told she would have to wait before the dog was available for adoption.Susie, the Scottie was young and thin but apparently no worse for wear.However she failed her temperment test. Because of liability issues the dogs being adopted must pass the temperment test or they will be put down.
The pound called Jasmine and told her the bad news...Jasmine insisted she must adopt Susie and he said come back in a week and they will evaluate her again. Jasmine went back to the pound in all the bad weather and they brought Susie out for her to see.They brought her out of the EUTHANASIA ROOM! Jasmine was almost too late!
The head honcho of Animal Control observed them together and agreed to let her adopt Susie.
Because she was going to be euthanized and not adopted they had not spayed her so Jasmine then had to wait all day for the spay and drive her home still under the effects of anesthesia in bad weather.TALK ABOUT PERSEVERANCE!
Kudos to Jasmine for saving Susie's life.She says Susie is doing great and even gets along with her Saddlebreds and the mule on her farm.
If you think you can't afford a purebred, think again.They end up at the shelter too.You can see from the photo Susie is a top quality Scottie.
Go to petharbor.com and put in your zip code to search for dogs at shelters near you.
Happy tails!

Snowballs in the Pads

It finally snowed. We don't get much snow here so the 4-6 inches we got last nite was a real treat for everyone, including canines.Puff has very hairy feet that quickly pick up little snowballs between the pads that become like marbles in their feet.I use those wet type wipes on his feet after he comes in. The alcohol instantly melts the snowballs and the aloe and lanolin helps soothe the pads that have been exposed to such extreme cold.If you do this be sure you use ones that are safe for facial use so there is nothing toxic in them-we know how dogs like to lick their feet! If you don't remove those little snowballs your dog will be chewing and pulling at them.
One irony about our unusual snowfall is local guy, Rodney Whaley who is currently running his team of mixed-breeds in the Iditarod this week had to practice with a sled outfitted with wheels because this is the South.Now that Rodney is in Alaska, we get snow-go figure...
Good Luck Rodney!
Mush!

Save a Schipperke

Earlier today I was walking across the parking lot of my local grocery store when I noticed an attractive older woman with beautiful long silver hair walking her Schipperke on a flexi-lead.For a brief moment I thought it was Emmylou Harris who lives near me and is an avid dog rescuer. Emmylou turned her backyard into a dog rescue(view her rescue efforts,Bonaparte's Retreat, at http://www.emmylou.net/br.html )
But then I remembered she was doing a dog rescue event at the local pound today.And this woman (as I got closer) was much, much older.
I watched as the woman wrapped the flexi-lead around a nearby pole and left the dog to go inside the grocery store. She was in front of me in the self serve checkout and I kept noticing how her lovely silver hair had not been brushed properly and her expensive Patagonian organic capris had not seen an iron or maybe even a washing machine in awhile.I got a bad feeling in my stomach about the dog...
After I checked out I walked outside and the dog was still there.The woman had left the store before I did...
I ran over to a young employee racking up shopping carts and asked if he had seen the woman.He hadn't... The manager came out and I told him and described the woman.Several people began to stand around the dog who was looking very anxious.Could she have deliberately left him here we surmised, or perhaps she had Alzheimers? I suddenly started to go towards where she had been parked when I saw her getting out of her car. I knew then and there she had been watching the commotion over the dog.She looked at the ground and walked up and unwrapped her dog from the pole.We all told her we were concerned about the dog.She said everything was fine as she took him to the car. None of us thought things were fine...we all think she was dumping a beloved dog.She probably has trouble taking care of herself or is in financial distress.It broke my heart. That Schipperke was at least 13 years old.
Then I got home and had Dogster mail and saw this notice about winning a computer and helping Schipperke Rescue...how ironic.
The Midwest Schipperke Rescue has given permission to cross post so if you know anyone who would like a chance at a new computer pass it on;
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Win a laptop computer, wireless router, webcam and wireless printer for a $5 ticket!! Know any college students who need a computer? Always wanted a laptop? Buy a raffle ticket now and get a computer package worth over $1000 for $5.00!

Midwest Schipperke Rescue and SchipperkeRescue.net have combined to offer a laptop computer package in a raffle to benefit schipperkes all over the US and Canada. Please click this link below for details. PayPal accepted.
http://schipperkerescue.net/


We hope this will be a huge fundraiser for our two groups, we are getting more and more schipperkes surrendered each year so the money is needed more than ever. Even if you don’t win the computer, your donation will go directly to help rescued schipperkes to pay for veterinary services and care. Thank you in advance for any help given in the name of rescued schipperkes.

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The photo is of my friend Robert, Borzoi owner, lurecoursing enthusiast,and dog lover extrordinaire.The woman in the photo is of course the incomparable Emmylou Harris who uses her fame to make life better for our canine companions by rescuing dogs who are scheduled to be euthanized by the city and finding them homes.

Till next post, Happy Tails everyone and Happy Birthday to my dog Puff!