All Dog Info

Building the Good Dog Blog Database of Experts!

Because of all our amazing readers and their experience with our favorite four-legged friends, the GDB is going to build a referral system for trainers, behaviorists, vets, groomers, shelters, kennels and who knows what else! What I want is your stories, referrals, situations and information about experts you have had experience with and found them to be professional, helpful and knowledgeable. We are going to start small at first – send me the location, the name and contact info of the person, a brief explanation of why you recommend this professional and any other bits someone may need to know about them. Eventually, we will turn this into a database of some sort where everyone can go to hire a doggy professional with confidence that this person is recommended by one of our amazing readers!

Are you the professional? Send me your info please! Although you will not come with a recommendation from one of our readers, I am happy to forward your information to readers in your area location looking for your particular expertise.

So please, send me your story and your doggy pro’s information to ann@ohmydogsupplies.com – the more professionals on the list the better and we want them from all parts of the continent! Even if you live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, if you think your trainer or your veterinarian is the tops, I want to know about it!

Thank you for your time and hopefully we can make this into a real useful tool for all dog owners!

Ann

Why would anyone actually feed their dog a fruit pit? I have no idea but I guess if this is a common enough toxin that it is on the Animal Poison Control list, then we should talk about it here!

Cherry, peach, plums and apricot pits as well as apple seeds and pear pips all contain cyanide – eek! How many apple seeds or cherry pits have we all eaten by accident through the years? Thankfully, there is not much cyanide in apple seeds but a half dozen peach pits contain enough to cause a small dog to suffer minor symptoms for a day. The lethal quantity for a human is 50 peach pits and symptoms include spasms, gasping, coma and eventual respiratory failure.

Treatment is much the same for any food toxin, meaning if you suspect that your dog has ingested enough of these pits, take him to the vet who will induce vomiting. If you are a few hours away from a vet, dose the dog with a few ounces of hydrogen peroxide to make him vomit and if that does not work, try a few ounces of mustard.

My bigger fear would be dogs cracking their teeth on the hard outside cover of peach pit or suffering a blockage from swallowing one whole. I have also heard of a dog choking to death on an avocado pit when the owner was using it as a ball. These are rare instances of course but keep pits away from dogs – they do not always know that these things that smell like food are potentially deadly to them.

Question:

We have a 1 year old shihTzu that we have had since she was 6 weeks old. She has been so good and we have her trained to go outside. All of a sudden she has started to pee on our bed sometime during the day. We took her to the vet and she had a UT infection, we got that cleared up and took her back to make sure it was cleared up. She is still peeing on the bed. We have never had a dog to do this before and are at out wits end. We have started closing the door to the bedroom but really would like to make her not do this. Help please! Any suggestions?

Jan

ANSWER:

Hi Jan,

Question:

Hello,

ANSWER:

Tracey, thanks for this question, this is a great topic.  In nearly all cases I see humans deal with their dog’s fear in such a way that the fear worsens and deepens.

Control and fear are opposites, they don’t get along well.  When you allow fear to take over the control goes out the window.  If you can control the situation through obedience that leaves very little space if any for fear to reside.  Increase his level of control through obedience and you will be able to help him overcome his fear issues.

Ty Brown is an expert dog trainer, author, and speaker who specializes in obedience training, behavior modification, protection dog training, and narcotics dogs. To learn more about Ty and the dog training services he offers, visit www.dogbehavioronline.com

Question:

My GS farm dog kills cats. He is wonderful with the cats in the house and the outdoor cats while we are around but kills all of them if he can get them in the evenings. I know he is protecting the yard and I know he knows it’s bad. He barries them in the garden. What can I do? We need the cats for the mice on the farm and we need him to patrol the yard at dark to keep the skunks and coyotes away. Is their a win solution at all?

Roseann

ANSWER:

Hello Roseann,

I am not sure if there is a win-win solution here. My first inclination would be to put a bell around his neck so that the cats know he is coming. However, if he is in stealthy hunter mode, the bell would not work. I would think it would work half the time, which is better then none of the time, but it is not a solution.

I wonder if there is some way to rig the Invisible Fencing system into a solution. Do the cats stay in a specific area? Could you fence that part of with Invisible Fencing so that your dog cannot access those areas? If the cats went to another part of the yard then they would be fair game for the GSD but it may cut down on a few of the deaths.

My other idea would be to build ‘safe’ areas around the yard so the cats would have a chance to get away from him. I am thinking making cat-sized doggy doors in the barns and outbuildings so that if the dog is near, they have a place to go and hide. Or, since a cat’s natural instinct is to climb a tree, either plant a few trees or build some cool cat safe sculptures around the yard. Take some 4×4” posts covered with something easy for their claws to get into such as carpet with a house or platform on the top so the cat can be comfortable for a few hours or until the dog loses interest. Giant cat scratching posts throughout the yard….good grief…you folks are going to think I have been smoking something awfully funny while writing this post…!

The other option would be to rent or purchase an electric collar and use aversion training on the dog. Since he leaves the cats alone when you are around, you would have to hide where you can see him but he cannot see you. Then, when he gets near a cat, you give him a shock. Eventually, he will learn that cats cause discomfort and it is best to avoid them. This could take quite a few nights as he has already learned the instant gratification of killing the cats. He may just learn that when he is wearing that collar, do not touch the cats. Solution wise, it is not a bad one but it will take a lot of time and energy on your part as well as the necessity of using an E collar.

Does anyone have a solution for Roseann? One of our readers must have had a similar situation and come up with something better then a yard full of giant cat posts or shocking the heck out of her poor dog? Let’s figure out a way to help these poor cats!

Ann

How many of us have fed our dog grapes or raisins at some point thinking they were harmless? Most of us probably. In fact, I remember watching my German Shepherd eating grapes off the vine in my parent’s backyard and never thinking twice about it and it never seemed to bother.

Then in April 2003, a twelve-month study conducted by the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) of the 140 presented cases. Out of the 140 cases, fifty developed symptoms and of those, seven died.

Raisins and grapes cause dogs to develop acute renal failure with anuria or lack of ability to produce urine.

Not all dogs develop renal failure after eating grapes or raisins and at this time, no one knows what substance is in the grapes that is the toxic culprit. Both seedless and seeded grapes can cause the problem. It is believed that mycotoxin plays a role but it is not understood how.

Toxic levels are thought to be 32 grams per kilogram of body weight for grapes and raisins equaling 11 to 30 grams per kilogram of body weight.

In some cases an unidentified golden-brown pigment is found within the cells of the kidneys but the most common finding is a specific necrosis or ‘cell death’ within the kidneys.

Like many poisons, vomiting and diarrhea are the first symptoms of grape or raisin toxicity, developing within a few hours of ingestion. Weakness, inappetence, increased thirst and abdominal pain follow. Sudden or acute renal failure starts within 48 hours of ingestion.

Diagnosis is often from finding grapes or raisin skins in the vomit or stool and through testing the blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, phosphorus and calcium levels in the blood.

If your dog has eaten grapes or raisins, it is vital to get him to the vet so they can induce vomiting within an hour or two of ingestion! If you are too far away from a vet, administering a couple of ounces of hydrogen peroxide should bring up the grapes. If not, try a few ounces of mustard. The vet will also administer activated charcoal that binds to the toxin so that it cannot be absorbed. Fluid therapy and medication is administered to support the kidneys and digestive tract from further damage. Prognosis is dependent on how quickly the dog receives medical attention.

Question:

One of my very senior dogs,aged 16 is a constant “licker.” He does not lick himself,but rather the fabric on the dog bed,the soft blanket,the fabric on the recliner,etc. He does not lick his fabric toys. Sometimes I just can’t stand the noises he makes. I also think this habit might be contributing to a “hairball” syndrome,as he often coughs in a manner that seems to be coughing up whatever he has swallowed. What do you suggest?

Michele

ANSWER:

Hi Michele,

Because of all our amazing readers and their experience with our favorite four-legged friends, the GDB is going to build a referral system for trainers, behaviorists, vets, groomers, shelters, kennels and who knows what else! What I want is your stories, referrals, situations and information about experts you have had experience with and found them to be professional, helpful and knowledgeable. We are going to start small at first – send me the location, the name and contact info of the person, a brief explanation of why you recommend this professional and any other bits someone may need to know about them. Eventually, we will turn this into a database of some sort where everyone can go to hire a doggy professional with confidence that this person is recommended by one of our amazing readers!

Are you the professional? Send me your info please! Although you will not come with a recommendation from one of our readers, I am happy to forward your information to readers in your area location looking for your particular expertise.

So please, send me your story and your doggy pro’s information to ann@ohmydogsupplies.com – the more professionals on the list the better and we want them from all parts of the continent! Even if you live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, if you think your trainer or your veterinarian is the tops, I want to know about it!

Thank you for your time and hopefully we can make this into a real useful tool for all dog owners!

Ann

This is a tricky one because we have been told that garlic is actually good for dogs, works as a natural flea repellent and is an excellent antioxidant. So what is the deal with onion and garlic toxicity in dogs?

Garlic and onions are in the allium family of plant species. It is one of the largest plant genera in the world with over 1250 species. The common substance in all of these plants is cystein sulfoxide and the ingredient that is toxic for dogs, thiosulphate.

Thiosulphate causes hemolytic anemia in our canine friends. The red blood cells actually burst while circulating through the cardiovascular system and eliminated by the liver and kidneys through the urinary tract, turning their urine bright red.

Take it from someone who had a dog with autoimmune hemolytic anemia – you never want to see your dog’s urine bright vivid blood red!

Although both garlic and onions contain thiosulphate, onions have a greater concentration and onion toxicity is far more common then garlic toxicity.

Upon ingestion of onions, the dog will develop what appears to be gastroenteritis – vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence and listlessness. Dehydration is a concern due to the vomiting and diarrhea so often a veterinarian treats these symptoms if they are severe enough. A few days later, the next stage develops and the bright red urine is evident. At this point, there are no longer enough healthy red blood cells circulating oxygen through the cardiovascular system so the dog is unable to catch its breath.

Toxicity can develop from any type of onion – cooked, raw, dehydrated onion flakes as well as table scraps and leftovers. Poisoning can occur from one large meal of onions or from small amounts fed over an extended period. Toxic levels are dependent on the individual but 600 to 800 grams of onion in one meal are considered dangerous to a twenty-pound dog while 150 mg fed daily over a few days is thought to be just as damaging.

Treatment includes cessation of the onion and garlic. In severe cases, blood transfusions to increase the level of red blood cells (RBCs) in the system may be required. Hospitalization is mandatory to monitor RBC levels as well as hydration due to the diarrhea and vomiting.

Watch when feeding human food to dogs and always read the ingredients. Onion and garlic is a common ingredient to add flavor to processed foods and even baby food often includes dehydrated onions!

With the lower concentration of thiosulphate, garlic is not as dangerous as onions and no one adds as much garlic to their dog’s dinner because of the strong odor. However, many dog foods and treats contain garlic so monitor how many foods you give your dog that contains garlic, as the cumulative effect can be dangerous.

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