Care

he adds, it makes no sense from a health or holistic living perspective."üOne flap down? It takes some pups a little longer to develop the upright ears typical of their breed.üPrevent ear-piercing drama: Warm the ear cleanser or treatment before putting it in your dog's ear."

Every day the already dazzling array of options for caring for your dog grows even more. There are myriad modalities in the realm of holistic care, including complementary and alternative options, as well as conventional veterinary medicine, with its low- and high-tech diagnostic and treatment procedures. Which way do you go when your dog has a health concern?

We hear about a lot of amazing people who are doing great deeds for and with dogs – people involved with rescuing and fostering dogs, search and rescue, training service or therapy dogs, etc. We also know that dog lovers are asked, frequently, to donate money to these and many other animal-oriented good causes. But because our primary mission is to provide our readers with information they can use to benefit their own dogs, we don’t often highlight these admirable canine-oriented social services in the pages of Whole Dog Journal.

A lost dog’s chances of finding his way back to his concerned owner are vastly improved if he’s wearing a collar and identification. People may try harder to catch a stray dog who is wearing a collar and tags; they may feel he’s less likely to be abandoned and more likely to be lost. A collar gives a samaritan something to reach for. And, obviously, the identification makes it ridiculously easy for the owner to be immediately notified and summoned to reclaim his errant friend.

We had not planned to review products that promise to remove skunk scent, but then, are skunk/dog conflicts ever planned? No, this was an emergency, and we dealt with it by running out the door to our local pet supply store and buying every odor-eliminating product on the shelves.

People are eager to feed the best" to their animals

I decided to test light traps a few months ago, when warm spring temperatures seemed to cause a resurgence of fleas in the editorial office of WDJ – which is on the ground floor of my home in a part of California that is famous for fleas.

which includes social facilitation, mimicking, and trial-and-error learning.üFollowing the dog who responds properly to the Come!" cue helps the newcomer learn it

Usually when mass-market, celebrity herbs are born, oceans of research and published introspection soon follows to satisfy the curiosities of the consumer. One of the best examples of this is yucca – a succulent, cactus-like member of the lily family that inhabits desert areas and garden landscapes throughout America. Anyone who has studied natural dog and cat food labels, shampoo labels, and ingredient lists for livestock feeds has seen the name of this important plant food and medicine, yet very few of us can cite its intended purpose, much less a broad view of its holistic potential.

Chronic ear infections are the bane of long-eared dogs, swimming dogs, recently vaccinated puppies, old dogs, dogs with an abundance of ear wax, and dogs with allergies, thyroid imbalances, or immune system disorders. In other words, ear infections are among the most common recurring canine problems.

First, there was Kong. Originally designed as a fetch item, the hard rubber toy bounced into the lead as a training tool when some enterprising dog person realized you could pack it full of yummy stuff as a doggie distractor. A food-filled Kong can be used to keep a dog occupied while you complete other tasks, or help him stay busy and content after you leave for work. Unstuffing the food is also a self-reinforcing activity, rewarding the dog for persisting in his efforts to chew, lick, and thump the treats free.

Summer – my favorite season – is here. The long days provide me and my dogs with extra time to enjoy all our favorite activities: hiking, camping, long walks, and outdoor adventures. Of course, long summer days also bring the risk of heat exposure to dogs. The consequences of a dog overheating can be very serious. Heatstroke, or hyperthermia, can occur quickly and the result can be deadly. By understanding how dogs keep cool – and what we can do to help – we can ensure our dogs don't overheat, so we can all enjoy those dog days of summer to the fullest.