photo: redeye^

Each of our dogs received one dosage of heartworm when they were puppies.  They haven’t been treated with heartworm medication since.  I spend a lot of time on websites dedicated to dogs and this time of year we see a lot of ads for flea and tick treatment (I choose non-toxic brands) and heartworm medication.

The other night we were outside with the dogs, doing our evening walk on the property, and my boyfriend says “there are too many mosquitoes out there,” and heads inside.  I look down at Rodrigo and he has 5 on his coat – I wave them away, take them  inside and spray them with the Bright Eyes Pet Wellness, which repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.

That’s when it hits me…

• Heartworm is a danger for our dogs!
• What the hell is my problem?
• Why hasn’t my veterinarian brought it up?

It was late, the vet’s office was closed, so I went to my trusted friend, Google – this time I stayed away from the forums.

What is heartworm?

I was going to copy and paste from another site, but I hated the explanation.  I need simple and clear when it comes to the health of our dogs.  A heartworm is a parasite, a wormy-parasite that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected dog.  They get it from a mosquito bite, the larvae travels through the blood stream to the heart.  It can be fatal, but a dog can live from 5 to 7 years after being infected.

How worried should dog parents be about heartworm?

It seems to depend on where you live.  I spoke with a few local veterinarians (I live in Washington state) and the only cases of heart worm that they’ve seen were in dogs that either moved from another state or traveled into another state.  They say that the reason our dogs are safer (not safe, just safer) is for many reasons (all suppositions)…

• Our climate and cold winters that kill off the mosquitoes
• Our proximity to the Sound and Pacific Ocean
• The mosquitoes that cause heartworm haven’t migrated here yet - “yet” is the key here

“The disease has been seen in every state except Alaska, but is most common in or on the East Coast, southern United States and Mississippi River Valley.” ~ ASPCA

Check out THIS informative article over on Dr. Becker’s site.

What dog parents can do to prevent or treat heartworm?

If you live in a high risk area or are just concerned, don’t order and administer heartworm medication to your dog.  Doing this can cause a severe, negative reaction.  Instead, call your vet and schedule a test.  If your dog is heartworm free, you can then discuss prevention.  If your dog has heartworm, then you discuss treatment.

If you plan to move or make a trip with your dog to the East Coast, southern United States or Mississippi River Valley – talk to your veterinarian about treatment before you go.

Symptoms of heartworm…

“Labored breathing, coughing, vomiting, weight loss and listlessness, and fatigue after only moderate exercise. However, some dogs exhibit no symptoms at all until late stages of infection.” ~ ASPCA

Heartworm Medication Recall

With the recent news of heartworm medication recalls, it’s tough to know what to do.  ProHeart 6 was recalled in 2004 and when I started blogging, I read a heart breaking story of a dog who died after a dosage (and there’s also a comment of another dog parent’s experience – so sad).  And most recently Iverhart Max was recalled, which makes me wonder if there’s a holistic solution for dog families.

I found this article by Dr. Becker where she shares my discomfort with chemical flea/tick/mosquito repellents.  Like with Canine Parvovirus, there are tons of claims of a cure by many people and I have a feeling that many of them are frauds.  So I think it’s important to at least speak with a veterinarian about prevention and treatment, because we’re always coming up with something new and what may not work for one dog may work great for another.

Have you tried any alternative routes to prevent and/or treat heartworm?

The post What is Heartworm and How Worried Should Dog Parents Be? appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

Debbie (GoGirly), Me, and Amy Shojai

I’m back home.  I took an overnight flight after my session and was surprised that I was bummed to be leaving.  BlogPaws was amazing.  Connecting with my fellow pet bloggers was amazing.  I had the time of my life.

If you plan to attend BlogPaws next year, here are some things you should know first…

Arrive Early, Leave Late – I didn’t want to do this, because the push of traffic in and out of a conference kind of sucks and I worry about missing flights and connections.  I think I was smart considering I was flying from Washington State to Washington DC, but next year, when it’s in Las Vegas, I’ll be arriving the day before things start and leaving the day after it ends.  I want to soak up as much of BlogPaws as I can in 2014.

Bring Loads of Business Cards – I ordered 1,000 cards and brought 500 with me.  I didn’t run out.  There were several people who ran out before BlogPaws was over.  Not really a big deal, I guess, but you don’t want to miss out on opportunities to connect with bloggers and brands.

Me and Dino Dogan and Jen’s shaky hands – Click to Join My Tribe

Don’t Get too Fancy with Your Swag – I ended up tossing a lot of my media kits, because it was a pain to carry around AND the copier didn’t do them justice.  Dammit!  I only had enough room for the stuff I came with and the swag from the brands.  If it didn’t fit in my business card folder, it didn’t come home with me.  It cost $75 to ship everything across the country.  Yikes!

Dress in Layers – Hotels have every temperature going on.  My room was muggy (over looking the spa area), the upper level conference rooms were freezing, while the downstairs was warmer (spa was nearby).  I was hot sometimes and freezing other times.  So having a light sweater was great.  I would also recommend wearing light color shirts if you tend to “pit out.”

Me and Larry Kay, Author of Love That Dog Training Program – Click to See the Review

Drink Lots of Coffee – I don’t like coffee, but I have a brand new appreciation for mochas and espressos.  Wow!  They saved me.  I never slept a straight 8 hours and my internal clock is still kind of screwy today.  On Friday, I had an espresso (thanks for the recommendation, Dino) and on Saturday, I had a double.

Take Lots of Pictures and Notes – This is a once a year thing.  I was getting to know people online, I made friends at BlogPaws.  And now I have memories via digital!  And this thing is so overwhelming that you HAVE to take notes so that you know what to do when you get home.  My head was pounding on my way home (blogging overload) and I’m exhausted today.  My notes will be waiting for me tomorrow.

This is No Time to Be Shy – Talk to the brands; seek out your favorite bloggers, trade business cards.  This is a weekend long party.  Have fun.  One of the highlights of my trip was talking face to face with bloggers I email with all the time and a fun “session battle” with Dino Dogan, who had a session at the same time as mine.  Bummer, right?  He was kind enough to give me a preview and there are AMAZING things happening with Triberr!

Tell Your Family Where You’ll Be – Yep, you read that right.  Johan knew I was going to a blogging conference, but he thought I was in California or Las Vegas.  When I thought about it, I don’t remember ever telling him that I was going to DC.  He knew that there was a time difference based on our conversations, but we never talked about where I would be. Wow!  We’re such a strange couple.

Don’t Get Distracted by the Pet – Belle was my favorite dog of the weekend.  Chewy went from being nervous and scared to comfortable with a wagging tail.  There were gorgeous Aussies, labs, Golden Doodles, rescues, pure breeds, ferrets, cats and kittens, and the most famous Guinea Pig in the world.

Like the Coffee Cozy? Click Here to Order

Be Ready for a Workout and Lots of Great Food – When I walked into our home, I was hurting from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.  Really.  We were walking all over that hotel trying to find our room, the session rooms, the dining room and the stairs get you there faster.  It was perfect, because I have a curvy figure that is begging to expand some days – so I went up and down those stairs and avoided the cheesecake (yummm) and bananas foster.

If you have tips to add, share in the comments and I’ll see you in Las Vegas!

The post #BlogPaws | A Few Things You Should Know Before Going to BlogPaws appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

Thank you to my great sponsors: Pet Research Inc, creators of the amazing Wag Lifetime Joint Care (try for free); Paws on Earth, creators of the dog shampoo bar (a must have grooming product), and Ruff Grip Dog Leashes (the only leashes we use).  Without you, I may not have made it to BlogPaws this year!

Upon Arrival at BlogPaws 2013

The other day I wrote about my fears regarding attending BlogPaws 2013.  I’m a pretty outgoing person, I love love love meeting new people, especially new pet people.  But I always freak out when I have to leave my family.  I’m a home body.  But I also know that events like BlogPaws are a fantastic opportunity for me and Keep the Tail Wagging, so here I am.

And I’m having the most amazing time.

I Miss My Babies

I spoke with my boyfriend a couple times yesterday and texted a few times too.  I managed NOT to ask about the dogs each time and let him bring them up.  I’m not worried about the cats, because they’re so independent – I consider them a old, retired odd couple.  The dogs are lot more needy and have been waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me since I left.

My room is nice and I slept strangely last night.  I guess that’s the jet lag.  At first I was exhausted, then away, then sleepy, and back and forth.  Now I’m just hungry.

BlogPaws is at the Sheridan in Tyson’s Corner. I love my room!

I Chatted with Dino Dogan

If you’re a blogger, you probably know who Dino is, if you’re not a blogger, I’ve been following Dino for a long time and have learned a lot from him about blogging and content marketing.  My presentation is at the same time as his (damn) so he gave me and Jessica, of You Did What With Your Weiner, an impromptu presentation last night and we had a blast nerding out on blogging.  There are some great things coming from Triberr.  I’m blown away with excitement!!!

Me and Jessica, Taken by Dino Dogan

I’m Out of the Blogging Closet

Speaking of nerding out on blogging – I feel like I’m finally out of the closet about blogging.  I can talk openly about writing, promotion, reviews, monetizing, analytics, and the rest, without losing anyone.  There are tons of great sessions going on and today I plan to connect with fellow bloggers to trade notes on sessions.  And I have handouts for my own session, which will be recorded.  I’ll even have a mike!

Steve of SlimDoggy and other Bloggers

It’s so fun to meet bloggers face to face, because not everyone looks like I’d expect.  I knew Steve by the hair.  Jessica, because we live in the same state and I’ve met her before, and Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality looks EXACTLY how she looks online and I love love love her dog.

But the dog I love the most reminds me of Blue and I’ll have to get a picture of her before I leave.  She’s a sweetie.

Brands Brands Brands

Lots of brands to speak with and meet.  I’ve been handing out my media kit to everyone.  The best part so far has been meeting Brian from Just4MyPets and Shawna from Women in the Pet Industry.

Now it’s off to breakfast. I’m starving!  Then more of BlogPaws 2013 and meeting more people!

The post BlogPaws | Away from Our Dogs & Out of the Blogging Closet #BlogPaws appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

Thank you to my great sponsors: Pet Research Inc, creators of the amazing Wag Lifetime Joint Care (try for free); Paws on Earth, creators of the dog shampoo bar (a must have grooming product), and Ruff Grip Dog Leashes (the only leashes we use).

photo: Average Jane

Tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane heading off to BlogPaws and I’m freaking the hell out.  I’m a happy, outgoing person, but I’m a little overwhelmed with my blogging business and now that it’s too late to say “never mind,” I’m having an internal panic attack that leaks out to the external here and there.

Basically, I’m terrified about going to BlogPaws.  This is crazy.  I love meeting new people, I love networking, I love blogging.  Plus I get to speak at a session.  What’s to be terrified about?

I haven’t packed for BlogPaws yet…

I’ve started packing, but I’m not finished.  What if I forget business cards, socks, my flat iron, or my underwear.  I’m trying to take my time with packing, but it’s Tuesday as I’m typing this; time is running out.  Tick Tock Tick Tock

I’m a blogger, not a terrorist…

I know that this is a little nuts, but you hear stories about how the someone missed their flight as the TSA conducted a cavity search in front of God and everyone.  How early do I need to get to the airport?  I think it’s 2 hours before departure time.  Wow, that’ll be early.

I’m not arriving on time…

Now that I know the full BlogPaws schedule, I’m going to be missing out on some great sessions on Thursday.  AND there are so many great sessions that I’m going to miss a few of them.  I need to clone myself!

photo: Average Jane

The dogs are on a raw food diet…

I need to go over the schedule with Johan so that he knows when and how to feed the dogs.  Sydney is being a picky eater this week (she likes me to feed her sometimes), the dogs like to play musical chairs with their dishes, swapping food during meal time, and it takes 36 hours to thaw out the raw meals.  Will he remember their supplements?  Will he walk the dogs?  Will they miss me?

I don’t like conflict…

I had a strange interaction on Twitter that started with a  ”feel free to find me at #blogpaws conference in May to tell me exactly how much you ‘hate’ our website,” and went downhill from there.  The individual thought we were bashing her site when we (another Tweeter and I) were discussing a guest post on my blog.

This is my first BlogPaws and I don’t want to spend the weekend trading stink eyes with a stranger over a misunderstanding.  I sent her a message today to clarify that it was a misunderstanding and we cleared the air, but I’m stil nervous about meeting her.  I’m such a coward.

There’s also an author who sent me a nasty email after I left him a 5 star review on Amazon.com that contained the word “depressing.”  I found his book valuable for dog parents, but it was depressing for me, because we had lost our puppy shortly before I read the book.  I don’t want a repeat of that exchange either.  He’s mean.

What if no one likes me…

And that brings us to the real reason why I’m freaked out.  Logically, I know that we are never everyone’s cup of tea, I still want to be liked.  I still want to make friends.   I still want to have fun.  I want to arrive home completely exhausted, with a phone full of numbers, and grinning from ear to ear with the memories I made.

I can’t do that if no one likes me.

What’s funny to me if that I’m not worried about my presentation and beyond the dogs’ diet, I’m not worried about them either.  I have 100% confidence in my session and my boyfriend.  But…

What if taking are of the dogs is easy…

Is it wrong that I want to hear my boyfriend say “I don’t know how you do it?”  I want to get at least 5 calls and text messages with questions.  I want him to have fun, but I want him to see that being responsible for 3 dogs soaks up a person’s day or evening.

All in all, even with these butterflies in my tummy and my crazy, insane fears – I’m so excited for BlogPaws and everything I’m going to experience.  Just wait until you see my luggage!

If you’re going to BlogPaws, what are you freaked out about?

Update: BlogPaws is Amazing!  I’m having the time of my life.  My highlight of the night was chatting with Dino Dogan!!!!

The post BlogPaws | 7 Reasons Why I’m Terrified to Go to @BlogPaws appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

Courtesy of The DogMa Online, www.thedogmaonline.com, 678.460.6DOG(6364), thedogmaonline@gmail.com

photo: anneh632

Thinking back to a gentler time, those of us that went to “health food stores” were odd, weird, hippies and were dancing to a different drum. We heard, “it was just a weird fad this “organic” thing”.

Our buzz word then was “natural or organic”. What we wanted to put in our bodies had to be from natural, clean sources without chemicals and processing. We were diligent and stuck to the dogma!  We knew local sourcing was best. Getting foods locally was more efficient and we could SEE where our food was grown and how. Our “natural” dogma became inclusive of our pets, quickly.

I could never understand why anyone wanted a pet food that was created in a laboratory! Here is something from Dr Karen Becker on the “reinvention” of Science Diet.

We have options that get the science out and aid in the health of your pets with real whole raw foods.

photo: Andrew Morrell Photography

The “Natural Pet Food Category” took off in the 2000’s and became a big moneymaker for the newer upstart “natural pet food companies”. “Natural” became the buzzword in pet food, too. The years went by and the message was getting out to pet owners that their pets should eat better and they wanted better products for their pets!

Here we are in 2013 and the dreaded buzz word is “natural pet food”. Go figure! Lots of money was made being made with natural pet products! The Big Pet Food companies wanted in because they started losing ground. Their grocery brands were safe because the public at large was still buying their pet food when they were in the large grocery stores. Also, the public at large was still un-educated to the benefits of natural foods but that has taken a hit now, too. The evidence is the explosion of “natural or healthy” pet products in the big box stores and the grocery chains.

Big Pet Food will not lose money! They found a way to use the buzzwords everyone needs to buy a product without spending the extra money it takes to use the proper ingredients. The ingredients are probably from China. That’s how they continue to make money. Misrepresenting the products and basically fooling the average pet owner.

The Moral of the Story? Think local, ask questions. Where are the ingredients from that are in the product you want to buy? What did those animals eat? Manufacturers that are in this game to actually help your pets’ nutrition will tell you because they are proud of it! It’s that simple.

In light of the pet food recalls and more education about dog nutrition, what changes have you made to your dog’s diet?

The post Are Pet Food Companies Using Buzz Words to Hide Behind Poor Quality appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

My Family

Last year, my boyfriend surprised me with a Mother’s Day card.  It made my weekend.  Now I want it to be a tradition, because I do a hell of a lot of work raising our pets and I want a damn card.  My day starts at 4:45 am and ends at 9:30/10:00 pm.  When I get home during the week (5:30 pm), I don’t sit down until 8:00 pm.

There’s feeding, cleaning, walking, playing, snuggling, grooming, training, laughing, taking pictures and video, and yelling “stay in the yard – Rodrigo, BLUEEEE, GET BACK IN THE YARD!!!”  We live on 5 acres.

So this year, I want to do it up right and celebrate Fur Mother’s Day and came up with a wish list that I’m pretty proud of.  Check it out and please add your wish list in the comment below.  If you have a blog with a list, feel free to add it to the Link List below so others can check out your creativity!

1. Massage – and not just any massage, I want one by a man that looks like Thor (sorry, Honey).  I want him to speak with a thick, Swiss or Dutch accent, and turn my body into a loose, wet noodle with his hands.  Sounds a little dirty, but I’m not asking for a Happy Ending; I just need these knots worked out.
2. Mani / Pedi – I used to have nice nails (acrylics) and went for a manicure twice a month and a pedicure once a month during the summer/fall months.  This stopped soon after we adopted littermates.  I don’t want a full set, but a nice pampering will be lovely.
3. Car Detail – my car is the dog car and it needs a bath inside and out.  I wash my car maybe once a month and vacuum out the interior several times a year, but I need a deep cleaning.  And it would be nice if they can buff out the evidence of Blue’s enthusiasm for my homecoming (scratches on the driver side door).
4. A Treadmill – I love my elliptical, but sometimes it gets boring and I just want to walk briskly, maybe even run.  I do walk the dogs, but there are days when I would love to walk and read a book, walk and watch a DVD, walk and listen to my iPod.  Yes, I can do this any time on the Centennial Trail, and I do – but there are days here in the Pacific Northwest when I want to be dry and indoors.
5. A Dog Play Room – technically not for me, but I need this; our dogs’ room is too small and my boyfriend has taken over most of the garage with a hobby he hasn’t touched in two months (TransAm restoration).  I would like to use the third bay of our garage (3 car garage) as the dogs’ play area – currently, I have 1/3 of the bay, and I want the entire thing.
6. A 60’ Flat Panel Television – yeah, this one isn’t really for me either, it’s for my boyfriend.  But my thought process is that if he has a 60’ in the family room (where he watches his programs), we can shift that teeny 42’ into the living room (where I watch my programs) and my tiny 32’ into my workout room.  These are totally first world problems.
7. Old Navy Shopping Spree – this is definitely for me.  I love Old Navy.  I’m a jeans and t-shirt gal and when I’m at work, I’m in khakis. I would love $300 to blow at my favorite store.  I’m starting to swim in my size 6 khakis – yayyyyyy, dog walking – and want to give those size 4’s a try.  I may be getting smaller, but I still have hips, thighs, and a butt that make it clear that I’m all female.
8. A Business Coaching Session – I would love to spend someone familiar with marketing in the pet industry to work on the next steps for my business.  It would be so much fun to be able to see my business and all the possibilities through the eyes of a professional.
9. 1 Week Vacation at a Lake – a couple years ago we rented a house on Lake Wenatchee and had the most amazing, relaxing time with the dogs and I want to do that again.  The house we rented is no longer available, but it’s not the only one and Lake Wenatchee isn’t the only lake.
10. Alone Time – I love our dogs, so very much.  But when I’m home, they are all over me.  When I leave the room, within 15 minutes all three of the dogs are with me – in the kitchen, in the family room, in the office, outside the bathroom.  I love love love them, but I would enjoy some alone time.  I’ll take care of breakfast and then I want Johan to take them on their 3 mile walk, and then have a play session with them midday, and then take them on their evening walk.

Now it’s your turn!  What’s on YOUR Fur Mother’s Day wish list?

The post Fur Mom Confessions | This Year, I’m Celebrating Fur Mother’s Day appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

I received a RoamEO Pet Monitor System for free in exchange for this honest review.

This is a sponsored post…

When I was nine I had my first dog; her name was Sheila and she was an adorable, black Cocker Spaniel.  Someone stole her out of our yard.  I didn’t realize it until we adopted the littermates how much this impacted my life.  My boyfriend once told me that I was trying to get the puppies to love me more than him and that’s when I realized – no, I want them to love me so much that it’ll be impossible for anyone to take them.

Our Dogs Need Us, We’re Their Pack

Rodrigo is a happy dog and loves people, but he’s very snuggly and wouldn’t do well with a family who left him alone.  Sydney is shy and snuggly; she likes to be treated like a princess and she avoids dogs other than her brothers.  Blue spent his first months very frightened and unloved; he would be terrified if he lost the family he found and loves.

We’re lucky, because our dogs roam on our property and over to one of our neighbor’s property.  Sydney stays close to Mommy; she’s my baby girl.  Rodrigo and Blue will take off, happily nipping at each other as they start their adventure, but they don’t roam far and come back within 10 minutes.

RoamEO Pet Monitor System

Not all families are this lucky.  Some dogs love to roam and if you’re unable to curb that instinct, you will want a tool to track them down quickly.  Our dogs are micro-chipped, but if a veterinarian or shelter doesn’t have the right scanner, it makes it harder for them to find their way back home.  The RoamEO Pet Monitor System is a GPS for dogs.  Using satellite and radio signals (yep, welcome to the 21^st century, ya’ll), it helps dog parents track down their errant pups.

Pros of the RoamEO Pet Monitor System

• Besides the fact that RoamEO is helping ward off heart break when our fur kids go missing; it works straight out of the box.  I read this, but was still surprised that it was the case and we had a blast playing with it.  My boyfriend and I turned into two kids and I tried to track him down in the woods that surround our property.
• Unlike some micro-chipping companies, there’s no need to maintain a subscription or pay additional fees to use RoamEO.
• The system arrives ready to go, because it comes with batteries and a battery charger.
• The collar is adjustable and fit each of our dogs easily and the black color is stylish and goes with everything.
• The box on the color brings to mind bark collars or shock collars so we tested it on ourselves first and there is absolutely no pain involved in using the RoamEO system.

More Thoughts on the RoamEO Pet Monitor System

• The sales price is high, but I think many dog parents would be willing to pay this price.  But I think it’s affordable when you compare it to the sleepless nights, the cost and time of creating and hanging posters, and dealing with veterinarian bills if your dog is injured while roaming.
• Our dogs don’t wear collars and can’t be trusted with the RoamEO.  I thought about putting a collar on Blue when we left for the day (because he jumps the fence).  Or on Rodrigo when we take him out for a potty break and he decides to bolt to the woods.  But it wouldn’t work.  Rodrigo and Sydney mastered removing and destroying dog collars; I’d hate to see what they would do with the RoamEO collar.

So I’ve decided to give the RoamEO Pet Monitor System to a Keep the Tail Wagging reader.  I recently asked my Facebook followers to help me come up with the name of an upcoming feature on Keep the Tail Wagging, which will become a book someday.

Although we aren’t keeping the RoamEO Pet Monitor System for our family, I think it’s a valuable tool that will help dog parents keep their dogs safe.  To learn more about how the RoamEO Pet Monitor System works, check out their site here.

Keep the Tail Wagging received a free RoamEO Pet Monitor System to try out in exchange for an honest product.  The thoughts/opinions shared in this article are my own.

The post RoamEO Pet Monitor System Review | Using Tech When Our Dogs Roam appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

One night I was cuddling with Rodrigo, doing the combo “I love you, puppy” – At Home Exam – rub and I noticed that his tummy was really dark.  It almost seemed black.  I rolled him over more, reassuring him what a sweet baby he was while ignoring his confusion, and got a good look.  Yep, his tummy was definitely darker; a lot darker.  What would cause my dog’s stomach to turn black?

I parted his hair in various places and saw healthy, pink skin.  I then checked Sydney’s tummy (darker, but not as dark as Rodrigo) and Blue’s tummy, a bit darker – but by now, I’m wondering if I’m just seeing things.  What would cause my dog’s stomach to turn black?

Deep breaths

Then I went to the dog nutrition guide aka Google and looked “my dog’s tummy is turning black.”  My dogs are dying.

Deep breaths.

I did what our veterinarian taught me; I listed all the facts.

• The dogs weren’t itching or licking excessively
• The dogs’ diet hasn’t changed
• The dogs weren’t sluggish or listless – they had 3 crazy play sessions that afternoon with us
• The dogs behavior and body (besides the tummy) was otherwise unchanged
• Since two dogs had darker tummies, I was leaning towards age (Rodrigo and Sydney are siblings)

Google is helpful and harmful and whenever I start doing Google research, I try and keep a clear head until I speak with the veterinarian, because, like I found with WebMD, everyone is dying of cancer.

Side story – my doctor has given me strict instructions to no longer visit WebMD, because for a couple of years I was going to the doctor 3x a year (instead of my usual 1x), because I diagnosed myself on WebMD.  She assured me that I wasn’t that bad, because she had another patient that called weekly.

Back to the dogs…

When it comes to researching health issues online, I implore you NOT to click on sites that say “forum.”  Each one I’ve been too in my year plus of pet blogging has given me tons of dog parent contributions that are the worst case scenario and they freak me out.  Instead, I look for actual dog health sites to learn more.  My favorite is eHow.com.

Things that can cause a dog’s tummy to turn black…

Fleas:  You’ll see flea dirt (remains of flea feces and dried blood) on their tummy.  For their entire tummy to be black, you have an infestation that is crazy.

Canine Black Crusty Skin: A disorder that result in darkening of the skin and hair loss caused by abnormally low levels of growth hormones.  This has to be diagnosed by a veterinarian who will run tests and recommend treatment.

Canine Black Skin Disease: Caused by a hormone imbalance, genetics and allergies.  This has to be diagnosed by a veterinarian who will run tests and recommend treatment.

Why Rodrigo and Sydney’s tummies turned black…

Age.  I called the vet the next day, let them know that nothing else has changed (diet and behavior) and by then I had noticed that the skin wasn’t completely black; it actually was just darker – it seemed black, because I was looking at their tummy in the shade of a lifted leg.  There were also big splotches of pink still.

The veterinarian assured me that this is just normal for some dogs; their exposed skin gets darker as they get older (Rodrigo and Sydney just turned 3 years old).  Now that I had calmed down, I did recall that it has been gradually getting darker.

The dogs will live!

What have you researched online about your dog’s health that freaked you the hell out?

The post Google isn’t a Vet | What Would Cause My Dog’s Stomach to Turn Black appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

You can read our start on the raw food diet for dogs HERE and thoughts after the first week HERE.

We have now been feeding the dogs a part raw (am) part Halo Pets kibble (pm) diet* for two weeks today.  We switched from mixing up the food to ordering from Darwin’s Pets, because…

Please note: the morning raw food meal takes 4-5 hours to digest; the evening kibble/soft meal takes 10 hours to digest – neither meal is mixing in our dogs’ digestive system.  Mixing kibble with raw in one meal can cause dogs to be sick, because the kibble takes longer to digest, keeping the raw in their system too long (allowing it to rot).

Darwin’s Pets provide quality meals (no hormones, steroids or chemical preservatives) that are human-grade

• They worked with to develop a diet (beef, turkey, chicken) that is affordable
• Our dogs love the food
• Their customer service is amazing and I was able to call, ask questions, change our order; I can even advance or postpone an order easily

What I Learned This Second Week

Sydney is spoiled and it’s my fault.  There were a few days when she refused to eat unless I fed her.  Then Rodrigo and Blue wanted to be fed too.  Pretty ridiculous and I was late to work twice (not the end of the world) feeding our little monkeys.

The dogs like their raw food warmed up.  I toss it into the microwave for 30-45 seconds to take the chill off, but no longer, because I don’t want to cook the food and kill the nutrients (the entire reason we went raw).

The pre-made raw food contains ground raw bone in it and the dogs took a second to get used to crunching on it, but then they liked it really go for their food with gusto.

Sydney love a little ground turkey tossed into her meal so I bought a bulk package at Costco and will give her some as a treat some days.  Of course, the boys want some too.

Not Everyone Thinks the Same 

Another thing I learned is that the raw food community is a passionate bunch.  When I was a Life’s Abundance rep, I was told that if someone said they fed their dogs raw, don’t even bother trying to promote Life’s Abundance food to them, because they are passionate about their diet choice.  Even the Life’s Abundance people didn’t discount the raw food diet, which is something that I respect about the company.

I have found a couple of very supportive groups on Facebook…

• Holistic, Raw and Premium Dog Food Diets for Canines (a Facebook group)
• Benefits of Raw Feeding (a Facebook Page)

Last week, a woman told me that if we’re still feeding kibble, then we’re not really feeding raw.  I disagreed.  Not everyone I meet is feeding a fully raw diet, because they want the flexibility that a premium kibble can offer (on vacation, late getting home, forgot to thaw out the raw) and more people commended me on making a partial change, because at least I’m heading in the right direction.

I think the occasional criticism is worth it, because I’m learning so much.  The critics are just passionate about dogs and it’s important to separate their “tone” from their words, because they have a lot to share with us novices.

What About the Poop, Coat, Energy Level?

The dogs are pooping about 1/3 less than they used to; I was going to take a picture of my bag of poop, but that’s just gross.  I used to scoop poop every other day, now I do it every three days.

Their coats are shiny and gorgeous, but they always had nice coats.  The biggest difference I’ve seen is in the skin.  Rodrigo had a skin rash on his lower back (in the area before his tail) and it would only clear up after a bath with the Paws on Earth Shampoo bar, but reappear about a week later.  It hasn’t returned since we switched to raw.  So the combination of the shampoo bars and the raw diet is really making a difference with their skin.

Energy level has improved, which is great and kind of sucks.  Blue is our most active dog and now we really need to exercise him to get him settled down in the evening.  Rodrigo can keep up with Blue more and helps us.  And it’s been great seeing Sydney running around and playing like she used too.  Both Rodrigo and Sydney are also taking Wag Lifetime Joint Care and are currently arthritis pain free!

So that’s it!  I don’t think I’ll continue with the weekly updates, but I’ll be sure to fill you in on any additional changes we make and why.  It’s been amazing and I’m so glad that we finally just went ahead and make the change.

The post Raw Food Diet for Dogs | Our Thoughts After 2 Weeks of Feeding Raw appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.

Being the dog mom to a sweet princess (Sydney aka Princess Pretty Paws) it’s important for me to know about the health issues that she may encounter as she gets older.  I’m excited to introduce Cheryl Major to you, who is familiar with incontinence in female dogs and shares great information…

As anyone who has visited Healthy Dogs World  knows, I recently lost my 17 ½ year old shelter dog, Chloe.  Although she was amazingly healthy up until about the last week of her life, she was pretty much a million years old for a dog, and had a number of health challenges we met and dealt with as time went by.

During one of our last visits at my vet, I told him again she was my baby, and with his wry sense of humor, he said…”Cheryl, she really is more like your grandmother at this point”.  Setting age aside, she was my baby, and we combined traditional vet care with alternative methods and treatments to help her enjoy a long and very healthy life.

Finding an Integrative Vet –

I had switched Chloe to an Integrative Vet when she was about 13 because she had experienced an undiscoverable problem that began suddenly on a Saturday morning (at 5:30 am!).  She woke up in extreme pain, and couldn’t stand or shake without flopping over.

We wisked her off to our closest veterinary ER at the time, and after extensive tests and a bill of $1,300, they had no idea what was the problem.  The worst part of it was Chloe was still in excruciating pain.  We kept her on the pain meds they had given us, and on Monday, I took her to a vet I had taken my other dogs to see years ago when he was a travelling veterinary chiropractor.  He now had his own integrative veterinary practice.

Two chiropractic adjustments of Chloe’s pelvis, and she was on the mend. Who knows how that happened, but I was a convert and switched her that week to the integrative vet.

Incontinence in Older Female Dogs – a journey of discovery –

But I ramble…all this is to get to the point of handling incontinence in aging female dogs.  Once this became an issue, we tried Proin which is the first go-to medication.  Although it is effective in tightening up that little pee-pee, one of the side effects is that it makes some dogs hyperactive.  It happened rather gradually; she was on a very small dose, and we didn’t realize what was going on.  I thought maybe she was just getting older.  Doggie “sundowners” syndrome maybe?  Finally, Chloe would spend most of the evening panting and barking at us non-stop.  Smart dog…took her humans a while to connect the dots…

Moving on, we were now faced with the decision to put Chloe on DES.  DES helps control leaking, but it does have the potential to be the catalyst for a dog to develop mammary tumors.  We considered our options and Chloe’s.  The biggest concern we had was that Chloe was constantly trying to keep herself clean and not happy about it.  We could deal with the cleaning and washing of bedding, etc., but she looked so unhappy.  It’s hard to tell a dog you understand, and it’s not her fault (although we told her and reassured her repeatedly).

At the time we were faced with the DES decision, Chloe was approaching 16 years old.  The expected time for the DES to affect any tumor growth (we were told) would be approximately 5 years.  We weighed our options and because Chloe would then be approaching 21 years old at that point, we chose to try the DES.  It worked; she was happier, and we continued down that road.

About a year later when Chloe was almost 17, the DES was no longer working.  We introduced a small amount of the Proin, but it drove her nuts again, so that was not an option.

I’m always getting emails and information about dogs and animal care.  One evening I got an email that talked about a homeopathic product called “Leaks No More” by a company named Homeo Pet.

I emailed my vet and ran the ingredients by him.  He thought they sounded good, so I gave it a try.  It was the best thing I could have done.  Supplementing the DES with the “Leaks No More” kept Chloe comfortable and dry for the rest of her life.  The product is in liquid form, so we dripped the dose of drops on a small piece of bread which absorbed it.  Chloe loved bread…down the hatch…easy to give.  She didn’t mind the taste, and as I said, the results were amazing!  It’s made in the U.S.A., and once the symptoms (leaking) improve, you can find a lesser maintenance dose that will do the trick!

My vet has since recommended other clients try using it for their dogs.  Give it a try; I think you’ll be really pleased with the results.

Cheryl Major is a life-long dog lover!  She has been a volunteer at The Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA since 1999 and has been on their Board of Trustees since 2008. She was a regular guest on New England Cable News’ popular “Adopt A Pet Segment” for over ten years.  Cheryl has been active in the Coalition to Protect and Rescue Pets which is a non-funded, all volunteer organization that was instrumental in the passage of important state animal protection legislation:  A bill banning the renting of pets in both the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts, and Logan’s Law which banned the devocalization of dogs and cats in the state of Massachusetts.  Cheryl’s blog Healthy Dogs World is a labor of love and an ever evolving journey and learning adventure.

The post When Accidents Happen | Working Through Incontinence in Female Dogs appeared first on Keep the Tail Wagging, An Online Magazine for Dog Lovers.