Dog Biscuit Recipes

Caroline Miller asked:


Seasoned travelers who love to hit the roads with their dogs know that traveling with your pooch doesn’t have to be a stressful and tiring affair. The secret to being prepared for every eventuality on the trip is to plan ahead. If you’ve never dared venture out of town with your pet, there’s really no reason to worry. Just follow these simple tips and ideas for a safe and comfortable journey with your dog.

First on the agenda of course, is packing. Traveling with your dog is a bit like traveling with your kid, in that sense. There’s no question of throwing a couple of T shirts in the bag, and heading out the door. Make a detailed list of all the things that your dog uses when he’s at home, and pack all of these. His dog bed and feeder will have to go in the bag, and so will his water bowls, toys and brush. If he uses an elevated dog feeder at home, pack that too. Traveling is going to be hard enough for him; you don’t have to make it worse by forcing him to adjust to a new feeder on the journey. It’s the best way to push him off course. If he‘s used to an orthopedic dog bed, you absolutely must take his bed along or you’ll have a dog that’s cranky from not sleeping well at night. In short, whatever he’s used to at home, throw all those things into a separate bag that contains all his essentials.

Take tins of his normal dog food. The brand or flavor that he likes may not be available where you’re headed, and traveling is not the time when you want to introduce your dog to new foods, unless you’re prepared to spend your holiday tending to a pet with diarrhea.

Remember to take him to a vet before you leave, so you can catch a nasty oncoming illness before it flares up on the journey. Make sure you pack all his medication, and prepare a separate first aid box for him with anti bloating and anti diarrhea medicine.

If you’re traveling by air, make sure you are aware of their pet policies. Some planes allow only dogs that fit into a desired weight range on board. Read the fine print on the hotel’s dog policy – if they don’t allow large dogs above a certain weight, you might have to find another hotel

If you’re traveling by car, remember to take plenty of breaks so your dog can stretch his legs.

Traveling with your dog can be a fun and bonding experience for you and your pooch. Plan ahead, pack wisely and hit the road.



Dog Food Secrets

Dr. Andrew Jones asked:


Dog diarrhea… this is something that all of us as dog owners have to deal with at some point in the life of our dogs. It is a very common health issue for dogs.

In some cases of diarrhea there may be only small amounts of mucous, but frequent straining. Diarrhea can also be an ongoing problem. Fortunately, most cases of dog diarrhea respond to symptomatic treatment at home.

Before I get into the home treatments, pay very close attention to the severity of the diarrhea that your dog has. This is extremely important – if your dog’s diarrhea is so severe that it results in dehydration, this is a medical emergency and must be dealt with by your Veterinarian. If your pet is still very alert, active and drinking, then try some of the following home remedies.

Dog diarrhea can be caused by a number of different things, including garbage (‘Garbage Gut’), parasites, infectious agents (such as parvovirus), food allergy, inflammatory changes and pancreatic abnormalities.

There are several home solutions you can try. The most effective one is a 24 Hour Fast. Stop putting food into your pet for 24 hours (Day 1). This allows the intestines to rest and regenerate. Always have access to plenty of fresh water. After the first 24 hours, introduce a bland food for the following 24 hours (Day 2), such as plain white cooked rice, feeding equivalent cups of rice as their normal diet.

Another possible solution includes using Fiber. Dietary fiber absorbs water in the intestine, which helps to decrease diarrhea. Ground flax is a great source for dogs – add 1 teaspoon per cup of dog food. It’s always better to buy your flax as whole seed and then grind it as you need it.

A third suggestion is to try Probiotics. Probiotics are basically dietary supplements that contain potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast. Probiotics restore the natural bacteria in the intestine, to help the intestinal immune system. The most effective supplement is Lactobacillus acidophilus – give 1/4 capsule per 10 lbs of body weight twice daily.

Another suggestion includes using common human remedies. One remedy I suggest is to use Pepto-Bismol - this is an old standby that can be effective for dogs. The dog dose is 1ml per 10lbs of body weight, given three times daily. Do not use this method for more than 7 days. Other remedies include Immodium (Loperamide). For dogs, give .5mg per 10lbs three times daily – i.e. give your 40 lb dog one 2mg tablet three times daily.

Dog diarrhea is one of the most common reasons pets are taken to a veterinarian. People spend millions of dollars having these problems taken care of this way. The treatments you have just learned can save you money.

If you find these remedies useful, I guarantee that you will find the other remedies in my book, Veterinary Secrets Revealed, just as practical. And, they can save you thousands of dollars over seeing your Vet for every little issue your pet has.

These remedies work - I use them every day in practice.

Best wishes…



Dog Food Secrets

Tim asked:


What does chicken heads, road kill, spoiled or moldy grains, cancerous material cut from slaughterhouse animals, tissue high in hormone or pesticide residues, shredded packaging, metal ID tags, and flea collars all have in common. As unbelievable as this may sound each of those items may be found in your pet’s food. Not exactly what you were expecting from your commercial dog food that claimed to offer your pet a “complete and balanced nutrition?”

Most people do not see the horrible things these foods are doing to their pets until it is too late. The fact is the affects of processed commercial foods are not seen in young animals. However, in the past twenty years animals have begun to age quicker and develop diseases that were not seen in years past. A study by the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper stating that commercial dog and cat foods suppress the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart, and other diseases. Causing them to age more quickly than normal and also developing chronic degenerative disease symptoms. Within that same study a control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of disease, adding many years to their lives.

Veterinarians are being over whelmed because of the contamination of so many commercial pet foods. In most pet shops 17 out of every 20 brands have either been recalled or marked with a warning cause of the harm they may cause animals. Most officials will only claim that a dozen or so pets have died, but many vets secretly agree that thousands have died and many more are sick cause of harmful ingredients in the pet food.



Dog Food Secrets

Jayne Waldorf asked:


Knowing your dog well and recognizing any signs that your dog is a little off color will help you to detect, at an early stage that your dog has a sickness. Not only is this better for your dog as it can save prolonged suffering but it can help save you time and because an early detection can more often than not mean a speedier recovery, you will save cash on vet’s bills as well.

Signs that your dogs is off color can be a loss of sheen on his coat, dull, lifeless eyes ,a dry mouth or any change in color of his/her gums and tongue.

A dog’s normal temperature is about 102 degrees F. If your dog starts to pant for no reason, on it’s own it is no cause for alarm but your dog should settle to 15 to 20 breaths per minute. If your dog has breathing that is much labored or a shortness of breath then you should call your vet.

Also call your vet without fail if you notice strange or foul smells from the ears, nose or mouth, runny or encrusted nose or a discharge from the nose; twitching ears: red, swollen eyes or gagging or vomiting.

Become familiar with the normal bowel movements of your dog, so you will be able to detect any abnormalities in the appearance or frequency of his digestive activity. Also, observe your dog for any signs that he is having trouble *********.

Check your dog’s coat frequently for any bumps, scratches, bites, parasites or hair loss. If your dog is not behaving normally for example loss of balance or lethargy then you need to mention this to your vet.

Observing the early signs of sickness go a long way toward helping your veterinarian effectively treat your dog.Keep a note as to whether your dogs symptoms are intermittent or ongoing.This will be helpful to your vet in his diagnosis.

You will need to give your dog some medication,the easiest way to accomplish this is through the dog’s mouth, and the sooner you can master this fundamental technique, the better.

Put your dog in a sitting position and, with your left hand over the bridge of the nose with fingers on either side, apply pressure to your dog’s cheeks so the insides push against the upper teeth. While you maintain this pressure, use the middle finger of your right hand (the hand that is holding the pill) to gently open your dog’s mouth. Your dog will likely not try to close his mouth, because that would cause him to bite down on his own cheeks. When your dogs mouth is open push the pill back into his mouth as far as it will go. Allow his mouth to close, and he will swallow the pill. You can encourage swallowing by lightly tickling his throat after his mouth is closed.

If you have to administer liquid medication, once the dog’s mouth is open place the vial or bottle in the pocket of loose skin between the teeth and lips. Pour the medicine slowly and make sure your dog’s head isn’t up too high. Your veterinarian can help explain this procedure if you have questions. If necessary ask him to demonstrate.

It’s best to let your vet administer any medication that isn’t given orally.



Dog Food Secrets

Ethan Parker asked:


Dog training, particularly for feisty dogs like Jack Russells, can be quite intimidating. Some owners, in fact, either give up or don’t bother in the first place.

Don’t let that happen to you. Especially when there’s a solution that will cost you less than a week’s worth of dog food!

SitStayFetch is that solution. With a wide variety of real dog training experts and veterinarians behind it, this course is the real deal. You get everything from house-training information that works, to proper corrective and obedience training info.

Even better, the course doesn’t teach you rules that only apply to one kind of dog; in fact, they cover specific techniques for handling all kinds of breeds and specific dogs. Which is great for me, because information about dachshunds isn’t going to necessarily help me with my German Shepherd.

The book and course recognize the fact that it may be easy to correct, say, a Labrador Retriver. A stubborn Border Collie, on the other hand, is a completely different story!

Included in the course is the comprehensive SitStayFetch Training book; an interactive audio version of the course; great bonus books, particularly “Secrets to Becoming the Alpha Dog”; and something no other dog training course offers: a personalized e-mail consultation (more on this below).

Surprisingly, it doesn’t cost much at all for this: just $37!. On top of that, there’s a two-month money-back-guarantee, and I know there are no questions asked, so you won’t have a problem (but hopefully you don’t need to resort to this measure!).

The service, as well, is top-notch. For no extra cost, we were able to e-mail not one but two long, detailed question about our dog problem. You’re only entitled to one question, but the staff were so friendly that they voluntarily sent me extra information and answered my other question–completely non-related!

On top of that, within a day of each, we got a fantastic, thorough reply that answered specific questions about our German Shepherd, Rory.

For that reason alone, we highly recommend SitStayFetch. At $37, can you really afford not to learn how to properly train your dog?



Dog Food Secrets

George Yeo asked:


Do you know that most commercial dog foods are garbage? Your dog is at a high risk of early death IF you are feeding it with commercial dog food. You have been literally lied to. And you are indirectly putting your dog at risk!

Do you know that many dog foods contain preservatives and chemicals that are known to cause kidney failures and cancers, even though the manufacturing companies do not list these chemicals on the labels? These harmful chemicals are added at the rendering plants before the meat is sent to the manufacturer. Manufacturers do not need to list these toxins that they didn’t add. These companies know that they are killing hundreds of thousands of dogs worldwide, but they don’t care! All they want is business!

Here is the next shocking secret. Have you ever thought of what goes into the pet food? Your dog’s food contains euthanized cats, dogs and other animals! Sodium Pentobarbital, the drug used to kill these stray animals, remains active during processing and it goes directly into your dog’s food! If Sodium Pentobarbital is lethal enough to kill an animal, imagine what it would do to your beloved pet dog!

To sum it up, most commercial dog food is unsafe for your dog! If you love your dog, you should learn how to prepare healthy dog food. Dogs deserve good food as much as we humans do, and the last thing that you want to do is to kill your dog with its diet!



Dog Food Secrets

John Thompson asked:


Stop Your Dog Scooting

Dog **** glands are found just below and either side of the ****. Dog’s use the **** glands for marking their territory and leaving their unique smell.

In most dogs, the **** gland cleans itself, and does not require routine attention, but occasionally the glands can get blocked or impacted, causing the dog to lick at its **** or drag its rear across the ground, sometimes called scooting.

This will often empty the glands. If the **** glands remain clogged, infection can set in very quickly and abscesses can form. A good diet is essential in mainting healthy dog **** glands Since it is the pressure applied by a normal, solid bowel movement that expresses the glands and keeps them functioning correctly. Diarrhea and soft stools, resulting from an inadequate diet, may not apply enough pressure to completely empty them.

Each **** Gland constantly produces a secretion with a very strong odor that is unique to your dog. Along with urine, the **** secretion is in fact, your dog’s odor signature to other dogs.

Dogs identify each other by their sense of smell. They mark their territory with urine, which usually does not change much in odor. But the stool’s odor does vary with diet, so the **** glands secrete a small amount of fluid, along with the stool, with each normal bowel movement, marking it with the dog’s own odor.

If impacted dog **** glands are a constant problem, you need to pay attention to the dog’s diet and try to eliminate diarrhea and soft stools. Find a dog food that your dog can digest easily, is of good quality and gives your dog all the nutrients he needs.

Make inspecting your dog’s **** glands part of his grooming program. If you have to express them yourself, it is quite easy to learn how to clean dog **** glands and can save you time and hundreds of dollars in vet bills, but don’t clean dog **** glands unnecessarily.

Natural **** gland remedies can be bought that encourage natural emptying of the **** glands.They can act as an aid to manual extraction of impacted or congested **** glands while cleaning the **** area and preventing infection and abscesses. This remedy also brings pain relief and reduces inflammation and it is a disinfectant solution to prevent bacterial growth.



Dog Food Secrets

Dr. Nicholas Dodman asked:


Dog obedience training is one of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem including soiling your house, destroying your belongings, barking excessively, digging holes in your yard, fighting other dogs and even biting you.

For most dog owners, dog obedience training is a daunting task. However, training your dog is about to get much easier, if you follow my advice below.

Here Are My Top 10 Tips for Training Your Dog

1. Dog training should be an enjoyable experience for you and your dog. If you are not in the right mood for training, don’t even start.

2. Keep dog obedience training sessions short (5-10 minutes) to maintain your dog’s motivation. Dogs will learn much more from regular short sessions than from longer, less frequent ones. Once the dog has learned several useful commands on the continuous reward schedule, the schedule should be changed to one of intermittent rewards.

3. Always end training on a positive note. Ask your dog to respond to a command you know he or she will obey. Then reward your dog for a job well done and issue a finish command such as “free” or “release.” Avoid common words such as “okay.” Following a training session, both owner and dog should be left with feelings of accomplishment.

4. Keep in mind that your dog’s motivation to respond to a command decreases as the complexity of the task increases. If your dog doesn’t respond appropriately to a command after several attempts, don’t reward him or her. Resume training a few seconds later using a simpler command. Return to the more complex task later.

5. Remember, the odds of success hinge not only on the degree of sophistication of the task, but also your dog’s motivation to respond. From a dog’s perspective the question is, which is more rewarding: chasing the squirrel or returning to the owner? Understanding this aspect will increase your patience and chances for dog training success.

6. Training should not involve any negative or punishment-based components. There should be no yelling, no hitting, no chain jerking, no hanging, and absolutely no electric shock. Remember that the opposite of reward is not punishment; it is no reward. If you ignore unacceptable responses, your dog will not be rewarded for his or her failed response. Most dogs want to please their owners or, at the very least, to obtain highly valued resources (food, attention and toys).

7. Ensure that your dog’s motivation for reward is highest during a training session. If food is the reward, train before a meal, not after. If praise, petting and other aspects of your attention are to be used as a reward, schedule the training session at a time when your dog hungers for your attention (for example, after you have returned home from work).

For complex tasks, such as the off leash down-stay, your dog will be more motivated to comply if he or she has received moderate exercise before the training session. Asking a dog that is bursting with energy to remain in a prolonged reclining position is asking for failure during the early stages of training.

8. Make sure the reward you offer in training is the most powerful one for your dog. Food-motivated dogs work well for food, but the treats used should be you dog’s favorite food. If praise is used as a reward, deliver it in high singsong tones, which are most pleasing for the dog. Also, enthusiasm in your voice will be much appreciated. If petting is to be used as a reward, it should be in a way that the dog enjoys, such as stroking the dog’s hair on the side of his or her face in the same direction that it grows, or scratching him or her on the chest.

9. After a correct response, reward your dog within ½ second of the command. This will ensure your dog makes the connection between the behavior and the reward.

10. Use short commands such as sit, down, leave it, quiet, out, and off. Say the word once. Do not repeat the command. Dogs will remember a command for about two minutes before the notion is lost. Shorter words are better than longer words and words that end in a hard consonant (C, K, T, X) are better than those that end in a vowel because you can “spit” them out.

A Bonus Dog Training Tip:

The “Holy Grail” of training is to have the dog reliably obeying commands off lead, even when other things are going on around him or her. This level of training can be achieved, but only after a lot of hard work and investment of time. It’s something to strive toward.



Dog Food Secrets

Pat Burns asked:


Many dog owners refer to their fat dogs as cute and cuddlesome. Fat dogs are often mistaken as healthy canines without realizing that obesity is a serious problem, which needs immediate attention.

Dogs tend to lose weight more easily than gaining it, by skipping, leaping, hopping and playing. Despite this fact, roughly 25% pet dogs brought to vets are overweight. This brings us to the conclusion that it is often a wrong dietary pattern, which is the root of this disorder. The causes may also include some genetic inclination or improper functioning of certain hormones secreted by the thyroid and pituitary glands.

Obesity requires serious thought and treatment, especially when it comes to dogs. Dog breeds like Labrador, Dachshund, Beagle and Spaniels are usually at more risk for obesity.

Fat dogs are prone to innumerable disorders such as nervous tension and pressure on the bones, liver, lungs, kidneys and heart. They are likely to be lethargic and less resistant to other diseases. It also hinders normal functioning of the respiratory and reproductive processes.

Treatment:

The key solution to decreasing obesity in your pet is to increase its level of activity. It is equally vital to note the factors for its obesity, and carry out a proper exercise schedule with the vets advice. This includes taking it for a regular walk and involving games that will enable it to burn its calories.

Prepare a dietary plan that suits the dogs energy needs and accordingly switch to a dog food product, which ensures comparatively less calorie and more fiber intake. Thus instead of supplying high-calorie and low-nutrition items such as cakes, buttered sandwiches or cookies, it is better to give slices of carrots, bananas or oranges.

Your vet can assist you in determining the best dog food for your dog. There are many dog foods on the market and many of them are specifically developed for weight control. Your dogs age and other health issues should be considered when choosing the dog food. Dry dog food is best for their teeth.

Dog owners enjoy giving their dogs treats. Keep their diet in mind when giving treats to your dog. Instead of feeding them table scraps from the table, give them a dog treat that takes them awhile to eat, such as a milk bone.

The owner needs to follow many other habits along with these measures. It is also essential to keep a continuous watch on your dog to keep it away from garbage cans and areas where your dog may eat unhealthy and unsanitary items.

Dog owners should view obesity in their pets as an indicator of the dogs health. Determine appropriate portions for your dogs size and age in order to avoid overfeeding. Instances of overfeeding often occur because the owners yield to their pets wishes. They give it what it likes, instead of giving it what it needs.

It is the vet who can brief the owner correctly regarding their pets needs and provide a suitable solution to deal with fat dogs. It is therefore, important that the owner make correct choices and implement them with the aid and advice of a good vet.



Dog Food Secrets

Sue French asked:


Since the mid 1990’s, the giant, multi-billion dollar pet food industry has been under scrutiny. Writers such as Ann Martin, in her book “Food Pets Die For” have exposed the price our pets are paying for us to indulge ourselves with the convenience of processed, packaged, “artificial” food for our dogs. In particular, since the pet food recall in March 2007, consumer confidence in manufactured dog food has been shaken, and many dog owners have sought alternative ways to feed their pets.

For anyone who is still trying to decide whether or not to give real food a try, here are ten benefits that you can expect when you stop feeding your dog on processed junk food.

1.You save money

Sourcing economical ingredients such as cheap cuts of meat and fresh vegetables in season and grown locally can work out cheaper than paying for so-called premium brand, processed dog foods. Not only that, because your dog is healthier, you have reduced veterinary costs.

2.Your dog’s energy levels will improve

If your dog has been lethargic, you will notice his energy level increase as his general health improves.

3.Calmer behaviour from excitable dogs

It’s true: nervous or excitable dogs are likely to become more relaxed when food colouring and other chemicals are removed from their diet.

4.Improved body condition

As their vitality improves and they expend more energy, overweight dogs lose weight when the carbohydrate portion of their diet is reduced. Thin dogs gain muscle with the benefits from high quality protein and fat.

5.Naturally clean teeth and fresh smelling breath

Artificial food that sticks around their teeth is the main cause of poor gum and dental health in dogs. When your dog is given whole chunks of raw meat to chew, there is a beneficial, mechanical massaging effect on the teeth and gums, which prevents plaque build up.

6.Improvement in skin and coat

Once your dog’s system no longer has to struggle with an overload of carbohydrates, indigestible filler ingredients, and poor quality fats, itchy “hotspots” in the skin disappear. Better quality fats and oils promote a soft, lustrous coat.

7.Reduction in stiffness, painful joints and inflammatory bowel disease

Many grains in processed dog foods are the cause of painful inflammatory reactions. It is common for these problems to disappear when you are feeding real food and easy to identify the culprit if they continue.

8.Elimination of doggy BO

Yes, your dog’s health will improve dramatically. Healthy dogs don’t smell!

9.Smaller, less offensive stools

Dogs are more easily able to properly digest real food, so there’s not so much waste product (less for you to pick up!). Because the food has been properly digested, the stools are not nearly so smelly.

10.You know what your dog is getting to eat

With all the bad publicity there has been over pet food recently, it’s great to be 100% certain that what your dog is eating is safe. You know, because you sourced the original ingredients.

In my view, that peace of mind is a pearl beyond price.

If you would like to know more about preparing and feeding real dog food, you can sign up for a free, 7-day ecourse at http://dogfoodmiracle.com/



Dog Food Secrets