Care

Are you thinking about adding a second (or third, or fourth) dog to your household? Will your current dog be thrilled with a new friend? Will the dogs play with each other, romp together, and keep each other company in your absence? Or will adding another dog to your home create disharmony, chaos, or worse?

Whether you are starting with a new garden or revamping an already existing garden, taking the time to develop a design or plan that incorporates your dog’s needs can save you a lot of grief. Exactly how do you incorporate your dog’s needs into a garden plan? Begin, as with any garden design, by identifying how the yard is used – in this case, how your dog uses it.

Every day, people load their dogs into cars for trips to the vet or dog park, to run errands, visit friends, or to take day trips. We advocate keeping your dog restrained at all times when he’s traveling with you. The best form of protection is a crate, securely strapped or, better yet, bolted down to keep it from shifting. If your dog’s crate is too big for your car, a doggie seat belt is our recommended alternative.

There are many reasons a person might tend to look the other way when confronted with a potentially dangerous dog. You may be busy; you may be fearful of the dog's owner or potential retaliation; you may be friends with the owner and reluctant to cause hard feelings between you; you may worry about being responsible for the dog's impoundment and possible euthanasia; or you may simply feel that it's none of your business.

With hundreds of trendy herb products lining the shelves of pet shops and health food stores these days, it is easy to forget that many of the most useful herbal remedies for pets are already in the kitchen. Chamomile is just one example. One of the safest and most versatile herbal pet remedies around, chamomile has a broad range of scientifically proven uses.

Some holistic practitioners recommend bovine colostrum supplements – or a concentrated component of colostrum – for their chronically ill canine patients. Research shows that newborns aren’t the only ones that are helped by colostrum. Bovine colostrum isn’t species specific, so dogs (and other mammals) can benefit from it, too. Claims abound for bovine colostrum’s ability to treat allergies, bacterial, or viral infections; autoimmune diseases; digestive problems; and even cancer. But is it all hype?

Old age should not be viewed as a downhill slide to inevitable suffering and death. Nor should chronic disease be perceived as part of growing old. Each year hundreds of elderly dogs are put to sleep prematurely – not because they are deathly ill, but because their guardians can’t get past their own fears of watching their companions grow old and die a natural death. Granted, it’s difficult to live in anticipation of a companion’s death, but with all things considered, this is really our problem, not theirs.

My dog has Qi; your dog has Qi; all God’s creatures have Qi. In fact, the earth below, the heavens above, and the entire universe around us has Qi. More than energy, more than air, more than life itself, Qi is an ever-present essence that gives us, our animal comrades, and our surrounding environment the vitality we call life. Qi, pronounced “chee,” is also spelled chi or ch’i. In Japanese, it is expressed as Ki. Prana is Qi’s sister from India, and some of the other “relatives” of Qi include the “vital force” of homeopathy, chiropractic’s “innate,” and Wilhelm Reich’s “orgone.”

It goes without saying that every dog should undergo an annual health examination, complete with laboratory tests to evaluate blood chemistry and composition. Hard-working dogs – whether they are athletes or used for emotional therapy work – should be taken to the veterinarian for additional exams if their performance or attitude sours. In addition to conventional veterinary examination tehcniques, Dr. Bessent employs an age-old practice, taken from traditional Chinese medicine: tongue and pulse examination of the dog.

I have some good news to report and some bad news. First, the good news: Happy Dog Toys is really on to something. Their products are highly appealing to playful people, so much so that they can’t wait to go try them out with their dogs. The bad news? None of the three interactive toys I tested performed quite as well as their packaging suggested.

Every pet supply store and catalog sells commercially produced recreational chew bones. But there are some things you should know before your dog gnaws one. All the manufacturers whose representatives were willing to be interviewed told us that their companies obtain raw products from American slaughterhouses, and some (such as Abbyland Foods) get bones from their own slaughtering plants.

Oh the joy of romping on a sandy beach! Splashing in the surf! Wind blowing in your hair, the smell of seaweed and wet sand and the cry of gulls! You and your best friend together regardless of weather.Sounds romantic and it can be. Most dogs love the beach. If your pup is one of them, you certainly want to give him the opportunity. Besides, you can have a lot of fun, too.