Did a little surfing on YouTube today, and came up with my picks for the top 10 dog-related videos on their site. Feel free to nominate more!
Tag Archives: dogs
Home Remedies for your Dog
A friend recently sent me a list of several home remedies for various things. The first three had to do with dogs, so I’ve copied them below. I don’t know if any of them work, but if any of you have tried any of these and want to vouch for them, please comment below.
101 Things You Should Know Before Getting a Dog
My new book is published! I put together a book of tips all prospective dog guardians should read before bringing home a new puppy or even a grown dog. Everything from the fact that they pee on or chew up all of your possessions to the fact that some day you will have to put them down. The book features 126 pages and over 100 full-color photographs, and is available only online.
As a doggies.com blog reader, you can purchase this book at a $2 discount by using the discount code HW5UFEP4 at this website.
After you read it, please let me know your opinion!
Happy reading!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog.
TiVo Alert – Oprah
On Friday, Oprah will have a show dedicated to all sorts of animals. The promo shows a house-broken hippo and a dog program at a prison, which will feature Glenn Close. Sounds pretty interesting!
You can see more info here. Don’t forget to look at the links towards the bottom left – it shows some funny animal videos and other goodies!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Hotel for Dogs
We finally bought the movie “Hotel for Dogs” for our kids. It was not at all what I expected it to be, but it turns out to be a pretty good movie. I had no idea it was about foster kids, which as you know is a topic near and dear to my heart. The “hotel” the kids establish is designed to take in the “throwaway” dogs left out on the street, an obvious metaphor for foster kids.
Tuesday’s Top Ten: Dog Sports
We carry a few articles in our doggies den about various sports you can enjoy with your dog, or at least enjoy watching him enjoy them. Here’s my list of the best damn sports period.
Yet another Pit Bull ban
We’ve talked about this before, how people blame the dog for how his owners train him. Now, no less of an authority than the United States Marine Corps has joined the fray.
EPA takes action on counterfeit flea & tick treatments
Thanks to friend-of-the-blog Steve for sending this important information.
What action is EPA announcing?
EPA, in cooperation with its state and regional regulatory partners, is announcing the issuance of stop sale, use, and removal orders to retailers and other distributors of certain counterfeit pesticide products for control of fleas and ticks on dogs and cats. The stop sale, use, and removal orders are intended to disrupt an effort to distribute counterfeit pet pesticides. The counterfeit pesticides appear to have been unlawfully imported and were packaged in cartons designed to look like legitimately registered pesticides available in the U.S. under the trade names “Advantage” and “Frontline.” The orders prohibit retailers and other distributors from distributing or selling the counterfeit pesticide products and require their proper disposal.
Why is EPA taking this action?
EPA is responsible for assuring that all pesticides sold in the United States do not cause adverse effects under EPA-approved label use conditions. The counterfeiters have placed foreign labeled applicator package inserts in counterfeited Advantage and Frontline retail cartons printed to resemble the U.S. -registered products. Frontline products, among other things, may be missing instruction leaflets bearing directions for use required under U.S. law. Further, the Frontline applicators may not be in the required child-resistant packaging. In addition to the inadequate labeling and packaging, consumers cannot be assured that the counterfeiters inserted the appropriate size applicator for the animal pictured or otherwise indicated on the retail carton of either the Advantage or Frontline products. So, use of the counterfeit products may put the treated pet at risk.
Are all of the Frontline and Advantage brands of pesticides counterfeit?
Consumers should be aware that the Frontline and Advantage brands of pesticides are registered by EPA. The manufacturers of these two product lines are not implicated in the enforcement actions EPA is announcing. However, product inventory that may be available at the retail level at this time could include both counterfeit and legitimately registered and marketed pesticides. Therefore, EPA is advising you about this problem and recommending that you determine whether the product you are considering or have purchased appears to be a counterfeit of the EPA-registered pesticides.
What products are affected by this action?
The following are brand names and EPA registration numbers of legitimate products. The counterfeit products may use these same names and numbers.
* Frontline Top Spot for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 65331-2)
* Frontline Top Spot for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 65331-3)
* Frontline Plus for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 65331-4)
* Frontline Plus for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 65331-5)
* Advantage 10 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-117)
* Advantage 20 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-119)
* Advantage 55 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-120)
* Advantage 100 for Dogs (EPA Reg. No. 11556-122)
* Advantage 9 for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 11556-116)
* Advantage 18 for Cats (EPA Reg. No. 11556-118)
Go to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website to learn how to determine if you have purchased legitimate products, who to contact if you didn’t, and how to dispose of counterfeit ones.
Check your boxes!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Helmsley Trust to Benefit Animal Causes??
When Leona Helmsley died several years ago, she left a trust fund of more money that any of us will likely see in a lifetime, with the specification that the money be used for dog-related causes. Apparently, no one considered her wishes all that important. The foundation recently awarded $136 million. Guess how much went to dog causes? A paltry $1 million – less than 1% of the total.
Does Your Dog Get Hot Spots?
I had never heard of hot spots (aka pyotraumatic dermatitis) until I got a Golden Retriever, but I understand other breeds get them, too. Most recently, after my dog’s surgery, her incision became infected and inflamed, developing a hot spot right where the staples were – OUCH! She has also gotten them after being groomed, where she may have been clipped too short, or maybe she jumped and the clippers nicked her skin. They look terribly painful, and she will do just about anything to try to find relief. She scratches at them, tries to lick them if she can reach, rubs on the carpet, etc.
According to canismajor.com, “hot spots are surface skin infections caused when populations of normal skin bacteria grow and overwhelm normal resistance. They are generally circular patches that lose hair, can be swollen, may exude a smelly pus, and can be painfully itchy, causing the dog to scratch, lick, or bite to the point of self-mutilation. Untreated hot spots can spread and provoke a normally even-tempered dog to growl or nip when touched.
These troublesome sores can seem to arise in a matter of hours with no warning, but they do tend to follow a pattern that helps in predicting their occurrence.
Dogs most susceptible to hot spots are those with heavy coats and histories of allergies, ear infections, flea infestations, irritated anal sacs, and grooming problems such as hair tangles and mats, but any dog can develop this infection. Dogs in warm, humid climates may develop hot spots when they shed their undercoats if the dead hair is trapped next to the skin, and dogs with behavior problems may mutilate themselves by licking and thus encourage an infection to become established.”
Our vet generally prescribes an antibiotic spray that must sting, based on Maggie’s reaction. In this case, we had to give oral antibiotics, as well, because it was right at her surgery site.
What about your dogs – have you ever gone through this with them? Any suggestions for prevention and / or treatment?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog