Dryness and Winter Tips for Pets!

We have really been suffering with low humidity in the house lately!!  We even had to go out and purchase a humidifier.  This has never happened before and we have been in this house for 25 years!  The dryness is just really getting to all of us.  I have been going through Systane Drops like you wouldn't believe and it is really affecting my eyesight.  And the nosebleeds...just awful!  I suffer from Sjogren's Syndrome which intensifies all of my symptoms even more.  In case you are wondering.   Sjögren's is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas. 

Today, I'm sharing a few tips for Cold Weather Protection for Pets...

Before, during and after walks and outdoor exercise:

* Coats and booties can help your dog stay warm. In particular, short-haired or elderly dogs benefit from wearing a coat or sweater. Look for coats or sweaters with high collars or a turtleneck that covers the dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath.  (Yes, I realize that in the above photo, neither one of the girls have a coat on!  We had just returned home and they really had to GO!)  It was a REALLY quick trip outside!!

* Remember to be very careful with sick or older dogs, since they are more sensitive to cold weather. For any dog sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.  Honestly, it breaks my heart to see people leave their dogs outside with no shelter or warmth...

* Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If necessary, papertrain your puppy inside if he appears to be sensitive to the weather.

* Clip the fur between toe pads to reduce the amount of snow that collects between toes.  I blowdry the girls' when they come in and that is one of Chloe's most favorite activities!!

* To help protect dry, sensitive paws, try coating them with a bit of coconut oil before walks in very cold weather.

* During deep snows, shovel out a potty spot for your dog.

* Upon returning home, wipe snow and ice off your dog's feet, legs and belly. Little ice cubes can form in the sensitive spaces between the toes and toe-pads. Remove the ice carefully with your fingers since it may cling to the hairs between the paws. Wiping off your dog will remove any salt, antifreeze or other harmful chemicals that can be ingested when licking the paws.

* Consider keeping a container of warm water and towels by the door for use after walks. It is good to rinse the paws before you wipe them dry, because lime rock salt and calcium chloride salt can irritate the foot pads and cause vomiting and diarrhea when licked. Dunking in the water will also dissolve ice and remove mud.

* Many de-icing and ice-melting products are toxic. Read the labels of any projects you use, and store these products in tight containers.

* Even brief exposure to sub-zero temperatures can lead to frostbite of the feet, nose or ears. Frost-bitten skin appears red, gray or whitish and may peel off. Prevent frostbite by removing ice and snow from paws and fur right away. If you suspect frostbite, take your pet to a warm place and thaw out frostbitten areas slowly by applying warm, moist towels. Change them frequently. Continue until the affected areas become flushed. Then contact a veterinarian for further care.

Winter pet care:

* Brush your dog regularly. The air in most houses becomes dry during the colder months, which depletes moisture from dog skin and fur. Brushing improves the condition of the skin and coat and improves circulation.

* A thick-coated dog typically needs grooming in cold weather. The fur can get wet and matted, making it an irritant. 

* Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter. Leave the coat longer for more warmth. When you bathe your dog, completely dry him before taking him out for a walk.

* Use fatty acid supplements during the winter, ideally starting several weeks before cold weather sets in, to help skin and coat.

* If your dog engages in a lot of outdoor activities, increase his food supply to help keep his coat thick and healthy.

Safety measures:

* Do not leave antifreeze, coolant or windshield wiper fluid within reach. And do not let pets drink from puddles. These products taste appealing to pets but most are lethal to animals when ingested. So thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle. 

Consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Some companies offer non-toxic antifreeze products, such as Sierra. Be sure to have your radiator flushed before you fill it with Sierra and do not mix Sierra with traditional antifreeze.

* Keep a winter survival kit in your car. Include blankets, towels, water, bowl, first aid kit, and a sign that a dog is in the car.

* Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold. The animal can freeze to death. Of course, do not leave animals, or children, in cars during very warm weather either.

* Cats left outdoors and wild animals sometimes climb onto car engines or beneath cars to seek warmth. Please bang on the hood of your car or honk the horn before starting the engine to warn cats away.

In-home health and safety:

* Provide your companion animal with a warm place to sleep, away from drafts and off the floor. Dog and cat beds with a warm blanket or pillow are especially cozy.

* If you know people who keep dogs in basements or tiled rooms, remind them that tile and uncarpeted areas can get very cold.

* The dryness in our homes can make animals more susceptible to problems such as dry noses, upper respiratory infections, dandruff, itchy skin, hair texture changes, dry throats and more.

* Portable heaters and fireplaces can be deadly hazards for animals and children. Screen fireplaces and put portable heaters out of their reach. Do not run portable heaters when you are not there to monitor them; each year, a number of house fires start this way.

Emergencies:

* To avoid injuries, hypothermia and drowning, don't let dogs venture onto frozen ponds.

* If your dog falls through ice into water, heed this guidance about drowning from Dr. Stefanie Schwartz, Dog Fancy writer and author of First Aid for Dogs:

If the dog is limp, unconscious or unresponsive, wrap him in a towel. Keep the neck and back immobilized to avoid aggravation of possible spinal injury. Place the dog on a flat board for transporting.

If the dog is not breathing, lay her on flat on his right side. Make several quick compressions to his chest to expel water, then feel for a heartbeat just behind the left elbow. If there's a heartbeat, but the dog is still not breathing, check the back of his throat for obstructions.

If you feel no obstruction, close the dog's muzzle by firmly encircling it with your hand. Put the dog's tongue in his mouth first so he doesn't bite it. Then, blow into his nose. Adjust the force of your breath to the size of dog. Watch for rise of his chest, and keep checking for a heartbeat.

If you can't feel a heartbeat, make one or two quick firm compressions on the chest wall with both of your palms flat on top of each other, and begin artificial respiration. Blow about 15 breaths followed by a chest compression. Continue until the dog regains consciousness, respiration and heartbeat return, or until emergency assistance takes over.

* Keep Rescue Remedy on hand. It's a Bach flower essence available in most health food stores. This gentle, natural stress reducing liquid can help people and animals recover from injury, fright, illness, travel fatigue and irritation. Put a drop in drinking water. To help prevent travel sickness, a common dosage is four drops in the mouth about ten hours before the trip, repeating every four hours as needed. For stressed or injured animals, rub a drop on their ear or put a drop on the towel in their crate or carrier.

* If you see an animal in distress, please call your local humane society right away. It doesn't take long for companion animals to suffer and fall victim to severe winter weather. Frostbite occurs when the fluids in tissues freeze, frequently on the tips of the ears, paws or pads, flanks and belly. Hypothermia, which can lead to death, occurs when the animal's body temperature drops significantly below normal, causing the bodily systems to shut down. Furthermore, pets left outside are deprived of water, since water freezes at 32 degrees.

Leaving pets outdoors:

* If you know anyone who keeps pets outdoors, persuade them to bring them inside. Low temperatures, winds and precipitation can lead to illness and death. In addition, water bowls freeze in cold weather.

* Remember, dogs are domesticated animals who should live indoors with their people. Living outside in a dog house is a sad life, especially in cold, hot and wet weather.

* Please keep cats inside. Felines who spend time outside can freeze, or get lost or injured.

* Dog houses and the law: Local laws typically require that if dogs are kept outdoors, the owner must supply the dog with "proper" shelter from the weather, which includes a dog house big enough to stand up in and to permit posture positions that allow the dog to stretch out and stand up, but must not be oversized, since the dog needs to retain body heat; a wind flap on the dog house door; nonporous bedding such as straw; and, access to fresh, unfrozen water.

* If you see a dog in need of a caring friend, become that dog's advocate. Speak with the owner, and if that fails to improve the situation, contact your local SPCA, humane society of animal control office.

* For free information to use to educate pet owners and others who keep animals in cold or neglectful conditions, see the Related Links below.

Related Links:

First Aid Techniques and First Aid Kit Supplies:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_FirstAid.php

If you know of a companion animal kept outdoors or in other inhumane conditions:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_HelpingAbusedAnimals.php

Backyard Dog, Outdoor Dog: Facts, Guidance, Solutions

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_BackyardDogs.php

Note: Some tips courtesy of Brenda Beck, President of Pets and Animals in Distress in Fort Lauderdale; The Healthy Animal Update newsletter; and other sources

Yes! Coconut Oil IS Good For Our Pets Too!!

Someone asked me just the other day how did my girls like coconut oil.  Well...let me tell you, they absolutely LOVE the taste of coconut oil...and if I forgot to put it in their food, they probably would not even eat!  THAT is how much they have come to love it!!  I put just about a half of a teaspoon mixed in with their meal.  Both of them are quite happy to lick the spoon!!

Coconut oil can have many so many health benefits if you feed it regularly to your dog– for their skin, digestive and immune systems, metabolic function, even their bone and brain health! Here are the top 10 reasons to add coconut oil to your dog’s diet:

1. Coconut oil improves overall skin health, and clears up skin conditions such as eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis, and itchy skin.

2. Incredibly emollient, coconut oil helps moisturize the dryest K9 skin and makes a dog’s coat gleam with health – whether you add it to her diet, her shampoo, or both!

3. Applied topically to the skin, coconut oil  promotes the healing of cuts, wounds, hot spots, bites, and stings.

4. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of coconut oil help reduce doggy odor, and its pleasantly tropical aroma imparts a delightful scent to a dog’s skin and coat.

5. Coconut oil prevents and treats yeast infections, including candida. Its antiviral agents also help dogs recover quickly from kennel cough.

6. Digestion and nutrient absorption are improved by the addition of coconut oil to a dog’s diet. It can, however, cause stool to loosen; if that happens, just add a few spoonfuls of canned pumpkin to your dog’s diet (go here for more stool-firming tips).

7. Coconut oil reduces – and sometimes eliminates – doggy breath. Some dog lovers even brush their pets’ teeth with the stuff! Which makes sense, as dogs love the taste of coconut oil, and that makes the chore less arduous for brusher and brushee. 

8. Like cinnamon, coconut oil helps prevent diabetes by regulating and balancing insulin. It also promotes normal thyroid function, and helps prevent infection and heart disease.

9. Helping to reduce weight and increase energy, coconut oil also promotes mobility in dogs with arthritis and other joint issues.

10. Again like cinnamon, coconut oil is excellent for brain health; it’s being used to stave off dementia in humans, and it’s a must to keep senior dogs’ minds from becoming cloudy.

Our thanks to Dogster for this very important health info!!

Even Though They BEG...Do NOT Feed These!

You might think that the list I am about to share with you is a little strange...I have fed my own dogs a little piece of apple or cherry...but never the skin or the stems or leaves!  I think the word we must remember is MINIMAL...just a taste!!

Following is a list of 5 foods that you should NOT feed your dog.

1. Alcoholic Beverages. Ethanol is the component in alcoholic beverages that can be toxic when an excessive amount is ingested. Pets are much smaller than us and can be highly affected by small amounts of alcohol. Exercise caution when drinks and pets are together. Toxicity can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, and may result in death. Signs may include odor of alcohol on the animal's breath, staggering, behavioral changes, excitement, depression, increased urination, slowed respiratory rate or cardiac arrest and death. 

2. Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums. Ingestion of large amounts of stems, seeds and leaves of these fruits can be toxic. They contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity include apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation and shock.

3. Avocados . The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin," which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement and abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause symptoms is unknown. Do not feed your pet any component of the avocado.

4. Baking Powder and Baking Soda . Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents. A leavening agent is a common ingredient in baked goods that produces a gas causing batter and dough to rise. Baking soda is simply sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder consists of baking soda and an acid, usually cream of tartar, calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate or a mixture of the three. Ingestion of large amounts of baking soda or baking powder can lead to electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium, low calcium and/or high sodium), congestive heart failure or muscle spasms.

5. Chocolate . Chocolate, in addition to having a high fat content, contains caffeine and theobromine. These two compounds are nervous system stimulants and can be toxic to your dog in high amounts. The levels of caffeine and theobromine vary between different types of chocolate. For example, white chocolate has the lowest concentration of stimulants and baking chocolate or cacao beans have the highest concentration. Depending on the type of chocolate ingested and the amount eaten, various problems can occur. 

If your dog should happen to eat any of these foods and show symptoms of a problem, seek treatment immediately. You never know when an emergency situation will arise, so it's best to be prepared.

Pay Attention: Could Your Dog Be Sick?

Your dog could be sick. Signs that you need to watch out for...

1. Lack of appetite - Anorexia is often one of the very first signs of illness in dogs. It can be difficult to determine if you feed your dog dry food only and keep the bowl full. For this reason, some veterinarians recommended feeding dogs a scheduled feeding at the same time every day so that you accurately assess their appetite.

2. Less active - Dogs that don't feel well are often less active. Many times this "less active" sign is mistaken for "getting older". If your dog is less active, the safest thing to do is have your vet check your dog out.

3. Weakness - Weakness can be displayed as either being "less active", having a lethargic appearance, or by displaying a loss of balance and coordination. All of these are potentially serious signs and should prompt immediate evaluation by your veterinarian.

4. Lethargy - Lethargy is a general lack of interest in the environment. It is a very common symptom and can be an early or late sign of illness depending on the severity.

5. Weight loss - Losing weight is another common sign of disease or illness. Sometimes it is difficult to notice weight loss, especially in longhaired dogs or dogs that you see every day and may not notice subtle changes. If your dog feels bonier, lighter, or you can easily feel the ribs, this could be a problem.

6. Increased water consumption - Drinking more is often associated with a few diseases including kidney disease and diabetes mellitus. If you notice your dog is showing these symptoms, see your veterinarian.

7. Not grooming - Dogs that don't feel well don't groom or you just notice a dull lusterless coat. If your dogs coat changes, have him or her evaluated by your veterinarian.

8. Bad breath - Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can result from dental disease as well as other metabolic disorders.

POTP Needed Please: LadyBug

Just when we thought things were beginning to look up, LadyBug is now suffering from another bout of idiopathic trigeminal neuritis.  It seems that people are getting confused between trigeminal neuropathy and trigeminal neuritis.  The former is quite painful.  It does not seem like LadyBug is in pain right now.  She IS confused and does not understand why she cannot control her mouth and jaw.  She also loses feeling in her face and looks quite gaunt.  

Trigeminal Neuritis

Idiopathic trigeminal neuropathy is characterized by acute onset of flaccid jaw paralysis. Affected animals cannot close the mouth and have difficulty eating and drinking. Horner syndrome, facial paresis, and decreased facial sensation are also possible. The cause is unknown. Histopathologically, there is bilateral nonsuppurative inflammation and demyelination in the motor branches of the trigeminal nerve. Affected animals usually recover spontaneously within 3–4 wk. Fluid and nutritional support may be necessary. (from Merck Manual)

I wrote about this last summer when LadyBug first demonstrated signs of this.  I was in a panic at that point and rushed her to my vet.  Dr. Fessler conferred with her colleagues and in many years of veterinarian practice, none of them had actually treated an animal with this disease.  It does not appear to us that LadyBug is in pain...she is just confused...and she cannot control her jaw.  Her mouth remains open unless we close it manually or she lays her head on a pillow to close it while she sleeps.

This thing just wipes her out.  She sleeps and sleeps and sleeps...and cannot seem to get enough rest.  I suppose maybe her body is trying to repair itself.

We are giving her manual support with eating...feeding her through either a syringe or carefully placing food in the back of her mouth so she can swallow it.  Her drinking is quite messy.  Last time she would place her entire head in her water bowl and try to get water...she seemed very thirsty.  She got to the point where she would ask for her water syringe.  She knew that it made her feel better and cured her thirst!  

I am so very grateful that she is not in pain, yet it is difficult as she needs constant care to ensure that she is getting enough food and especially enough water so that she does not become dehydrated.  

Please send positive thoughts and prayers that she will recover completely in due time.  They had told us it would take about a month last time and it actually lasted two months.