Will OTC Dog Relaxants Help My Pup’s Fear of Thunderstorms?

My senior dog has developed a terror of thunderstorms. Will a dog relaxant help him? 

I’ve written before about my old boy and how he has developed a real fear of thunderstorms in his senior years. He paces, he shakes a bit, and it’s very disturbing to him and to those who love him.

 This is a big concern here in our neck of the woods, because we get something called “super cell thunder storms,” which bring with them heavy rain and high winds along with lots of booming thunder and lightning strikes.

2011 Supercell Thunderstorm near Teague, Texas 

When one passes through, my pup is hearing not only the thunder itself but the sound of the wind whipping through the trees, and things getting bounced around outside. Like patio furniture, or trash cans, or tree branches.

Recently, I heard about something called “dog relaxants” made from natural ingredients and by they sound great. After lots of investigating I’ve ordered some and we're going to get them a shot.
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Dog Relaxants: Big Variety of Products 

Will they help him? We’ll see – the next time that there’s a big band of yellow and red and purple storms on the South Texas radar, we’re going to give them a try.

There are lots of different recipes out there. I ordered one that is liquid and another that comes in easy to dispense chew treats. The Lord only knows how I’m going to get those liquid dropper doses down this boy; he’s very stubborn and cranky!

Maybe I won’t have to worry about it – maybe the chews will do the job.

What are Dog Relaxants? 

Now, these are not heavy duty drugs. They won’t make him sleepy or knock him out. They’re supposed to take the edge off a bit. I’ve read all the reviews and researched the ingredients and purchased products made in the United States from companies that I trust.

He has a Thundershirt. I have found that tying one of my old long-sleeve tee shirts around his neck works better for him. This does help him some but it does not do all that much. He’ll pace around the house with the shirt tied around him. It looks adorable, but I don’t think he appreciates it as a fashion statement.

So, fingers crossed. Especially since we’re apparently getting an active hurricane season this year. 

I Have a Very Old Dog and I Don't Know How Long We Have Left.

I have a very old dog.  His paws are solid white now, along with his neck and jaw.  The rest of him remains black.

He's frail.  He has arthritis.  It's a slow walk now, not a fast run.

We play catch the ball in the yard now, not fetch.  Well, sometimes we do a little bit of fetch, so he will walk a bit.  But it's far from the young days, where he was speedy and quick.  I wonder if he remembers being that way, if he dreams about it still.

If you have an old dog, you'll understand.  This is such a bittersweet time.

Because I know what's coming.  I've been through this before.

It's my job now to be strong and sturdy and solid for him, because this keeps him feeling safe.  All day long, he wants to be near me.  On his bed at night, he will periodically look around, just to make sure I'm there.

For so many years, I know that he has thought of his job as being my protector.  And now, it's my turn to protect him and keep him feeling safe.

There's not room in his world for me to be sad or scared or fretful.  So I can't be any of those things.

I must be strong and confident.  I must be fun and happy.

We had a bad episode recently.  There were a series of thunderstorms that came through here.  Bad ones, lots of thunder and lightning.  When he was young, this didn't bother him.

About a year ago, he started to be scared of storms.  Terrified of the sound of thunder.

So, he was facing night after night of the terrors, and then the roof leaked and a strange man had to come by to fix it.  The back door became so swollen that it wouldn't shut fully and lock; another strange repairman had to come into his world.  Stranger Scents in the house, on the back porch, in his yard.

Two strange dogs got loose in all these storms and kept running up and down the alley, causing my old boy no end of distress.

And then I went off to the grocery store.  I wasn't gone that long, maybe an hour, but I could hear him howling as the garage door rose.  Now, my boy never makes a sound.  The only time I've heard him howl was the night after we had to put his baby sister to sleep last year.

So I knew he thought I was gone, like his sister.

And for the past two weeks, he's been recuperating from that stress.  At first, it was hard for him to get to his feet.  He barely ate that first night.  He slept a lot.

Today, things are better.  He's bounced back but not all the way.

And here's the thing I want to share with you, Dear. Reader.  Not the sadness or the grieving or the tears that I am fighting against.

It's the beauty of all this.  The lessons that he's teaching me in all this.

Things like:

This is how you live life to be happy.  You take the day.  You take the morning.  You take the afternoon.

And you look for the beauty in it.  The face of a smiling dog.  The sun on the leaves of a tree. The heat of the sun on your face, or the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

You must relish life.  A bite at a time.

I thank God for the blessing of being entrusted with the spirit that lives in this dog's body.  I am honored.

Ricky's for Dog Arthritis: Ricky Litchfield Dog Anti-Inflammatories Are Almost a Miracle

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This past Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was a cold, wet, and rainy day here in San Antonio.  

My old boy was hurting -- and hurting badly.

I had resorted to giving him baby aspirin, which I hate to do because it's so bad on his digestion.  It didn't help much.  The natural pain pills (Aches & Pains) did less.

My Arthritic Dog Was In Lots of Pain 

He had trouble getting up.  Standing, his tail curled under his butt and you could tell he was in pain.  He huddled near me wherever I went.  No smiley faces.

He would venture out only as far as necessary to do his business in the yard, and then scoot back inside.  To lay near me, wherever I was.

He ate little.  He turned down treats.  He stood or he laid down.  No sitting.  Toys? Forget it.

I was so upset, I thought I might be losing him.  He was one month away from his 13th birthday.

So, I went online to see what I could find.  And I prayed a bit (a lot!) while I was at it.

And I found Ricky Litchfield pills online, at Amazon.com.  The customer reviews were so encouraging!  The ingredients seemed to make sense.  (They are Buchu Oil and Salmon Oil - go check them out.)

And they had a vet who was there to answer your questions via e-mail.  A vet.  A real, live vet.  Wo Nellie.

So I ordered Ricky's on a rush delivery and that next day, Saturday, my beloved boy got his first dose of Ricky's.

It's January 11th now, so it's been around six weeks.  I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW BIG A DIFFERENCE THESE PILLS HAVE MADE FOR MY DOG.

Results From Six Weeks on Ricky's Arthritis Pills Have Been Amazing

These have truly been a life saver.  Today, my pup and I played fetch outside in the yard.  We're back to doing this all the time!

• He has a better appetite that he's had in years.  
• His fur is thick and smooth and glossy.  
• He smiles all the time.
• He's waking me up, not to go outside to pee or poop, but because he's ready to play and start the day.  
• He's gone and found a green ball that he hid Lord Knows When (or Where) and now we're playing with it, as well as his stuffed squeaky toy.  
• He rolls in the grass.  
• He chases squirrels.  
• He jumps into the back seat of the car again -- and we're bouncing along the path at the park now.  (We're walking at the park again!) 

Part of a Plan -- But a True Answered Prayer

Now, this isn't the only thing that my boy gets.  He gets really good food that I cook for him.  No grains.  He gets a probiotic daily.  He gets vitamins and he gets Osteo pills with gluco, perna, etc.  

But I am thanking God every day for these Ricky's pills.  They are a God Send.  

I share this with you Dear Reader, in case you are investigating how to help your arthritic pup, too.  I lost a beloved pup at 10 years to Rimadyl-produced liver cancer -- I won't go near Rimadyl.

Dog Joint Pain or Dog Arthritis - This Pill Has Given My Dog His Fun Life Back: Hooray for Osteo Pet Joint Care!

Right off the bat, I want you to know that I'm not getting paid anything to write about this product, not a single penny.  Osteo-Pet isn't sending me any freebies, either - they don't even know I exist.

I just want to share with you, Dear Reader, how much these supplements have changed my dog's life (and therefore, my life) for the better.

Let's go back to May.  Middle of the month, and my boy dog (born in 2002) was moving slow and not running around in the yard any longer.  Didn't like to get up and move around, panting more that he used to do.  Stiff back legs when he awoke in the morning.

His ball - his very, VERY favorite toy, lay on his bed but he never brought it to me any longer, asking to go play fetch and catch.

Then, the WORST thing happened.  That night, he couldn't jump on the bed.  Now, this pup has slept on the bed with me every night (except for a handful of times) since he was born.  Every night.  Heck, he thinks it's his bed and he's gracious enough to share it with me.

But he just couldn't do it.  And he wouldn't let me lift him.  You cannot know (or maybe you can, if you've gone through this too) how devastating this was - for both of us.  I cried and cried, thinking how it was a sign that I was going to lose him sooner rather than later.  I cried even harder because I could not figure out how to make him feel better.

Then I went to the internet.  That night.  Thank you God for the WEB!

The next day, thanks to Amazon, we began our Osteo-Pet Joint Care regimen.  Reviews explained that it would be a slow process, and it was.  But things began to get better in a couple of weeks.

And now, here we are in the first week of October.  Dear Reader, he's back to chasing SQUIRRELS in the back yard, he's bouncing up to start the day, he's playing ball and more.  He was doing lots of this by August, but he seems to be even more peppy and energetic and, well, happy, now.  (And if you don't know a happy dog from a sad one, you don't know dogs.)

It's amazing.  It's wonderful.  It's a blessing and an answered prayer.

His fur is thicker than it's ever been, he's got a great appetite, his face is one big smile all the time, and he jumps up on the bed now in the middle of the day, bouncing around a bit, just to show everyone that he CAN, goshdarnit!

I know that my boy may have another chapter where he can't jump up on the bed again.  I know that he's a "senior dog" and this isn't a miracle cure for aging.

But Osteo Pet Joint Care has given him a new lease on life and I'm so very grateful.  I thought I'd share with you, Dear Reader, because maybe our story will help another older, wonderful dog in pain, too.

Read my Amazon review here.

P.S. This is all the more joyous for me considering how I lost my beloved Molly in 2004, where in October she was given Rimadyl by the vet for joint pain, an otherwise healthy dog, and by March she was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer (which the vet had told me in October was a "possible side effect but it's a quality of life decision").  Never saw much help for Molly from it, either.  Do your own web research on Rimadyl, I'm still angry about what happened.  Wish I'd known about Osteo Pet Joint Care back then.

Salt Kills Fleas: How I Finally Won my Flea War.

Here in San Antonio, fleas are bad this year.  Very bad.  And it doesn't help that my next door neighbor feeds the feral cats, the wild birds, and the local raccoon family.  I hate to think the number of fleas that hang out in his back yard among the sunflowers. 

So, it's especially bad here at my little casa.  It's very, very bad for my dogs. 

I don't like giving the pups that chemical stuff: Frontline, Advantage, Program, whatever.  Creeps me out to think some chemical is running through their system for three to four weeks that is toxic enough to kill bugs.  Doesn't make sense to me that this doesn't harm the dog.

However, I caved in and bought some Advantage in April because one of my pups is allergic to flea bites and it was the lesser of two evils sort of decision.

It did NOTHING.

So, we fought the bugs as best we could until enough time passed that the product materials and the vet tech said it was okay to try Frontline Plus.  Which we did in May.  It did NOTHING.

Meanwhile, I'm vaccuuming so often that I'm thinking about making an exercise tape: Vacuum-ize Your Pounds Away!  Between this, Dove dishwashing soap, and not letting the dogs roam in the yard (more walks at the park, they're not exactly upset about this), and we're winning flea battles but we're still in a war.

Every time the pups go outside, they come back with fleas.  So frustrating.

Molly the Dog Cries as Reunited with Mom, Back from Afghanistan

Thank God for dogs! Have a great week, Dear Reader!

Homemade Dog Food Tip - Sneaking Veggies Into Their Diet

I've already posted about homemade dog food recipes (here) so I won't go into recipes here ... though from the number of hits that post has received since it was published, it's clear that a whole lotta people prefer to make their own dog food rather than buy the stuff in cans or bags at the local store (no matter how organic or natural or nutritious it claims to be).

I prepare homemade dog food for these reasons:  

1. I know exactly what my dogs are getting in their food,  no corn byproducts or rancid meat that the producers okay for pets but would not legally be allowed to serve to humans;
2. I can combat against the bad food allergies for one of my pets, keeping my pup happier and healthier and lessening those trips to the vet; and 
3. I pay less for dog food this way - a lot less.

Of course, this all sounds great until you deal with the reality of the Picky Pup.  I have one.  I've seen Mr. Finicky Eater turn his nose up to white chicken breast just as much as avocado or green peas.  Very, very frustrating.

However, I've found the secret to getting all the good things that he wants to avoid into his bowl and down the hatch, so to speak.

It's the Food Processor.  

Yes, call my dogs spoiled if you want - I don't care.  I think I have healthier dogs for it, and I know I'm paying less in food costs and vet bills.  You cannot imagine unless you've been there how fast vet bills can climb when your dog has severe allergies.

Rant over.

Here's what I do.  I take the fiber left from the juicer (carrots, apples, beets, spinach) and I freeze it until Dog Food Day.  If I don't have this readily available, or I want to add veggies that I haven't juiced - say green beans or peas - then I just use fresh.  Whatever is at the Farmer's Market - I just get a couple more handfuls while I'm there, thinking of the Dog Mash.

Once I have my veggies collected, I grab a huge pot (some might call it a cauldron of sorts) and throw those raw veggies in there with what I like to call "stinky meat."  These are cheap meats at the grocery - our local store serves a pretty big Asian community as well as an Hispanic one, so browsing around the meat department, I can find interesting meat -- Chicken Hearts, Beef Liver, Sweetmeats  -- that's going to be tough and strong.  With big flavor and aroma, this is key.

Not for every human palate, these choices, and something that needs to cook for awhile at a low heat to get tender.  (I saw chicken feet last week, but I couldn't go that far.  Too VooDoo-ey for me, and besides - not much meat there, right?)

Whatever looks good and has a good price, that's what I go with - and usually this stuff is free range, organic to boot.  (Reading that last phrase, fine.  At this point, I'm not going to be offended if you tell me that my dogs are spoiled.  LOL.  I love them, and I'm making no excuses here.  I think what I'm doing here is wise, not silly.)

This stuff goes into the pot with the fresh veggies.  No salt.  No pepper.  No spices.  Slow, slow boil.  Covered.  (No to the slow cooker, unless you like this meaty aroma wafting through your home.)

Once it's done, you're not.

Next step:  let it cool (or not, it's just easier on your hands if it's cooled off), and then throw this stuff into the Food Processor.  Let it rumble until you've got a puree that looks similar in consistency to the dog food they sell in cans.  You may need to do several batches, depends upon the size of the machine.

Store this stuff in an airtight container in the fridge -- it's really convenient for feeding the dogs during the week, and they don't know all those veggies are in there.

Extra tip:  if your finicky dog doesn't fall for this, then here's your secret weapon:  bacon.  Not a lot - but take a couple of strips and bake them till the bacon is soft, not crispy.  You want some of that fat on there.  Then, cut it into little bits and stir it thru the Dog Mash.  That ought to do it - and yes, it is a balance of bad old bacon versus good veggies....
 

More on Sitting All Day Being Harmful for Your Health

Just read a great article with lots of information on research done regarding the dangers of sitting all day rather than standing or moving.  Written by Dr. James A. Levine of the Mayo Clinic, the article is entitled, "The Extreme Dangers of Sitting," and it's worth the read.

One big thing that stuck with me:  you will spend THREE times the energy standing instead of sitting.  So, using that standing desk without anything more means you're tripling your energy output.

So, even if you're not into a standing desk because it's fun or it's cool (remember, Ernest Hemingway wrote from a standing desk), think about this:  you might just lose some lbs and never have to go to the gym, never have to break a sweat.

Now, that's a scoop, right?

Oh, and one other thing from this study that stuck with me:  a nice evening constitutional for an hour, where you walk to enjoy the scenery and let the dog sniff the tree trunks, will expend the same amount of calories as if you were to take a ramped-up 30 minute power walk. Sweet. 

I'm off to walk the dog!

Help Families Keep Their Pets After the BP Oil Spill

It's just heartbreaking to think that family pets are being taken to Louisiana shelters because their owners simply can't afford to feed them.  I can't imagine how horrible that must feel, and what those parents experience having to explain this to their kids.

You can help.

The Eastern Louisiana SPCA has organized a special relief effort, just for this situation.  Get the details at their website. 

Another Cute Dog Video - Made Me Laugh

Thanks to Robin Lee Hatcher for this one.

All Natural Dog Biscuits That My Dogs Love, Love, Love

First, let me admit that my dogs have no choice: they have to live the Simplicity Lifestyle right along with me.  Which means none of those artificially-flavored bacon things, commercial dry food made with filler, well - you get the drift. 

This doesn't mean that they don't get treats.  Treats are big around here.  Even the word "treat" is very popular....

When I have time, I like to make the treats.  That way, I know exactly what goes into the batch, and I can cater the batch to their likes and dislikes.  Shocking though it may be, one of my pups isn't fond of peanut butter.  The other pup, finicky about fish.  You get the idea.

1.  My Source for Homemade Dog Treat Recipes

For the past few months, when I've looked for dog biscuit recipes, or other forms of treats, I've gone to Bullwrinkle.Com and combed through their big list of free recipes.  I do alter things a bit.  For example:

Fido's Favorite Treats (With My Alterations and Comments)

1 cup rolled oats
(I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Scottish Oatmeal, which I understand may be different from the rolled oats.  Why?  Because this is the oatmeal I keep in the pantry.)

1/3 cup margarine or butter
(Never, ever, ever do I use margarine.  Never buy this bad stuff.  I use unsalted butter. It's what's in the fridge.)

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup cornmeal
(I use yellow or white, whatever I have on hand.)

1 tablespoon sugar
(I tried Stevia.  Didn't work well.  I tried honey.  Did okay.)

House Smell Like Dog? How to Get Rid of Dog Scent - OdoBan

I've owned dogs for years, and there's always that worry that you've become accustomed to the dog smell in your house, but that anyone visiting your home will feel they're entering a kennel.  Not good.

And, over the years, I've tried lots and lots of remedies for this problem - because no, I will not go with the easy alternative of moving the dogs outside.  I LIKE having the pups inside with me.  They do play outside, they have a nice yard.  But at night, or now, while I'm working, they are nearby.  It's comforting, it's fun. 

Dog lovers totally get this. 

Plus, as pack animals, you'll get a lot better results in training your dog by maintaining that Pack Persona.  Leave your dogs alone and away from you, and they'll form their own mini-pack bond, and you'll lose some Pack Leader Power.  They don't have to be your shadow, but especially at night, it's a big pack thing to be near each other. 

However, there are always negatives with the positives and, well, they are dogs.  And dogs will leave a scent, no matter how much you bathe them.  What to do?  I have the answer.

1.  Air out your house often.  This is just good for you anyway, get fresh air circulating inside.
2.  Use OdoBan DAILY.  It's cheap, it's used in nursing homes and day care centers all over the place because it really, really works.  Doesn't cost that much either.

Me, I have OdoBan spray bottles scattered throughout the house (the big gallon bottle at Sam's comes with a quart size sprayer), hidden in cabinets, underneath the desk, etc.  I buy the big gallon bottle at Sam's Club - it comes undiluted, then replishish my stash bottles as often as needed.

OdoBan smells nice.  A little eucalyptus-y.  And it kills the odors.  You can spray it EVERYWHERE.  Sofas, rugs, doggie beds, never stains. 

What all does OdoBan do?  From the OdoBan site:

1. Deodorizer… eliminates unpleasant odors on washable surfaces such as upholstery, carpets, bedding, showers, walls and floors while leaving a fresh scent.  
2. Sanitizer… kills 99.99% of germs such as †Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep), Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E.coli)(pathogenic strain), Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) and Klebsiella pneumoniae on hard, nonporous, nonfood contact surfaces in 60 seconds. 
3. Disinfectant… fungicidal against germs ‡such as Trichophyton mentagrophyte (the athlete's foot fungus), when used on surfaces in areas such as locker rooms, dressing rooms, shower and bath areas and exercise facilities.  
4. Mildewstat… effectively controls and inhibits the growth of mold and mildew. 
5. Virucide*… kills *HIV-1 (AIDS Virus), Influenza A/Hong Kong and Herpes Simplex type 2 in 60 seconds.

I've just discovered that OdoBan has an entire line of pet-related products.  I'll be investigating them, but I don't know how they could surpass my current basic OdoBan stuff.  It's just fabulous.  Maybe the pet urine product would be good for my friends that just got the new puppy .... 

Getting Urine Smell Out of Carpet - Works for Kids and Puppies

My best friend S and my other best friend, her hubby E, had their eyes set on a miniature Austrian Shephard puppy all the way to their visit to a breeder last Saturday, where they came home with a 7 week old GoldenDoodle. Their kiddos are still bouncing like SuperBalls (remember them?) and they've named the puppy "Lucky."

E can't bear to crate the baby.  Lucky might get scared, it's mean, says the Tenderhearted E.  And, E is the pack leader here, so he's calling the shots and S is readying herself for the 1,304,356 pee-pee spots that are going to hit their carpet before Lucky is housebroken. 

Meanwhile, my pups are so well-trained that they'll go pee-pee in the pouring rain during a thunderstorm. (Dear Reader, do I sound proud?  Fine.  I am.  Disgustingly so.)   So the new parents asked my tricks of the trade to handle Lucky's leaks over the next few months, as well as how to limit this training period.

As for housebreaking a dog, I'll leave that to another post.  For the immediate issue of urine in the carpets, here's what worked for me:

1.  The smell comes from the urine crystalizing once it's dried.  You want to break up those crystals, get them to dissolve and go away.  There's the goal.

2.  Cheap and easy way to break the urine crystals up is plain old white vinegar.  Yep, that miracle stuff.  Don't be dainty here, pour that vinegar onto the carpet spot -- depending on the size of the spot, this could be up to half a gallon.  Yes, that much.  You want to make sure you're putting enough in there so it soaks down to the urine crystals that have formed in the padding.  Go crazy with the vinegar.  Crazy!!

3.  Be patient.  Leave that vinegar alone for 2 or 3 days.  If this bothers you, don't invite Prince Charles over for dinner till this process is done.  You're cleaning carpets here, it's a process.  That vinegar WILL work, but it needs time to do its job. 

4.  Okay, after the 2 or 3 days, spread a big, old towel down there over the wet spot and do the Mexican Hat Dance on it.  Go crazy with your bad self.  Use another towel if the first one gets really soaked.  Put on Beyonce, Single Lady, and stomp all over that second towel, tell it all about putting a ring on it. 

5.  After two towels, then rest yourself.  Next, it's time to clean the carpet.  I know, I know, this is a Big Enterprise.  You need it to be a Big Enterprise, because the puppy will come back and pee where it smells urine.  Dogs have an ability to smell that's like 45 times as great as ours.  Hence, Big Enterprise.

Me?  I use an OxyClean product with a Hoover Steam Vac with Clean Surge, model F5914-900.  You can get one for around $100 at Amazon.Com.

6. Now, here's the good news.  This process really DOES WORK.  It's worth your efforts here, and they aren't really all that harsh.  Dancing on the towel is fun.  However, getting the puppy not to pee-pee in the house, or the toddler not to wee-wee on the rug ... that's a different story. 

Personal Post: MothBalls for the Mysterious Guest

We have a mysterious guest here in the garage. He's been here about a week.

That's when the dogs first starting going nuts, sniffing the outside wall of the garage - as well as inside, where cardboard boxes are stacked and there's a couple of old window screens lined up against the back.

Of course, the first thing I thought was RATS.

EWWWWW.

Personal Post: Lost Dog - Found Dog

Driving down a busy street on Wednesday, I almost hit a puppy who was stuck mid-lanes, scared and not sure which way to run. In a bad decision, the pup darted to its right, and almost got hit by a big, white delivery truck. Thankfully, the truck screeched to a stop as I had done, and together, we blocked traffic on the road until the dog safety manuevered itself out of the street.

Pulling to the side of the road, the pup came right to me: a chocolate lab mix, with pretty green eyes, very friendly. Obviously someone's pet who had no street-smarts. This was a baby who was cared for: nails freshly clipped, clean, knows all about riding in a car. No tags, no collar. The dog knew some commands: sit, come.

So, I put the puppy in the back seat and took her to the nearby vet: no microchip. Brought the baby home, segregated the poor thing in a side courtyard (yes, I've done rescues before) and did the following:

1. Printed out signs "Found - Puppy" with my cellphone number and placed them at intersections near where I'd found the dog. (I learned in surfing the web that most dogs are found within a 2 mile radius of their home.) No personal info - the cellphone number, so far, isn't identifiable in some web listing. (Policeman-friend insisted on this anonimity.)

2. Called all vets in the surrounding area. There were four. (Lots of people, I learned, call vets to see if their dog has been brought in for care.)

3. Called the Animal Defense League and the Humane Society. Both are no-kill facilities.I never heard back from the ADL, but I spoke with the Humane Society.

At the Humane Society, you call at 8:30 each morning, to see if they have space. Sooner or later, you get in. Puppies and kittens get taken first - they have the biggest turnaround. (I would have to take the pup to the Humane Society, there was simply no way that our family -- especially my oldest dog, male and a Border Collie mix -- would be able to keep this adorable mutt.)

4. Placed an ad in the San Antonio Express-News -- they will run lost and found pet ads for three days, for free. Great community service.

5. Called several friends and found someone on stand-by to take the pup if the owner didn't appear.

And, voila! The next afternoon (after a noisy night of dogs barking and puppy crying - you know the scenario) the owner called.

What worked? The signs on the telephone poles at the street intersections. One of the owner's friends saw the sign, and called him.

Lesson I learned: Microchipping dogs can be a very good thing. The border collie I mentioned earlier doesn't have a chip, and I'm taking him in -- the Humane Society can do this for $25 and it takes less than a minute.

Sure, it may be painful for him: but that chip could get him back to me, if he ever got lost. I vote yes for microchipping your pet.

Fleas - Vacuuming Is The Best Remedy

Ohio State University has just released a study where they found that thoroughly vacuuming the house is an effective way to get rid of fleas (other than on the dog or cat, of course). Vacuuming killed 96% of the adult fleas and 100% of the younger ones. Associate Professor Glen Needham:

“For awhile, fleas owned us. But now they're on the run.... There are all kinds of ways to manage the problem, but how people feel about insecticides and how much money they want to spend factors into what they're going to do for flea control. Vacuuming is a great strategy because it involves no chemicals and physically removes the problem.”

Dog Ear Infections: Great Stuff

Your dog starts shaking his head roughly, ears flapping about. He rubs his head on the ground, the rug, or the bed. He's irritable. His ears smell and there's something black or yellow in there.

He's got an ear infection.

And, lots of you know the experience of taking him to the vet, getting the pills and the ointment, and having the same infection pop right back up the minute that you stop the treatment. And, some of you know the frustration of paying close to $1000 to have your pup anesthesitized and his ears cleaned out. Not a cure, either.

Well, here's something that's worked for us. And apparently, for lots of other folk, given the 53 Five Star Reviews at Amazon.Com (along with 2 four star reviews). It's Zymonx Otic With 1.0% Hydrocortizone, and you can get a bottle for under $10 at Amazon.Com.

I'd recommend getting two, because it's sloppy work and one bottle may not be enough for an uncooperative Fido when it comes to putting the drops into the ears ....

PS Works for cats, too.

Food as Medicine: Olive Leaf - Alternative to Antibiotics

Want to avoid taking antibiotics? Try Olive Leaf Extract.

Not only has it been proven to be effective against viruses and bacteria (along with fungus and yeast), a recent Australian study has shown its potential as a cancer-fighting agent. It's also shown to be effective against high blood pressure, to lower cholesterol, and to help fight AIDS/HIV.

You can buy it in capsule or pill form, or you can purchase the liquid and take it by drops (best in water or juice). Smaller dosages are sold for dogs and cats, it works for them, too.

It's not expensive. A bottle of pills can be had for $5.00 - human or pet form. Plus, there aren't any huge side effects. It will lower blood sugar and blood pressure, which may or may not be an issue for you.

And, it's been around for awhile. It's been used medicinally for centuries.

For more information:
Science Direct
Sloan-Kettering
Advance Health (long link list - research studies)
University of Queensland/Southern Cross University Study-July 2006

Dog Behavior and Training: Great Site

There's a great site with lots of info on why dogs behave the way that they do, as well as how to train them like a Good Pack Leader over at Paw Persuasion. Written by Rena Murray, it's filled with great stuff for dog owners, such as:

Remember your dog is a dog, not a "fur person" (to borrow from Susan Conant in Gaits of Heaven);

your dog must respect you and this is shown in specific canine behaviors; and

the top three reasons that humans cater to dogs.

The HALT Program: Wish It Were Nation-wide

The HALT Program comes out of Tennessee and I wish we had it here in Texas. Heck, I wish it was operating in every state, in every community.

HALT, "Humans and Animals Learning Together," is a non-profit program supported by the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. It's been a very successful program since its inception in 1987.

HALT puts foster kids together with shelter dogs who need some behavior training before they can become adoptable as pets. The dogs have all the necessary screenings (medical and otherwise) prior to teaming up with their "student trainers," who likewise have been prepared with training classes, etc.

While the kids can't adopt their trainees, both get a lot out of the program. The dogs learn skills that they need to be better adoption prospects.

The kids learn skills like patience, discipline, responsibility. And, they also get that unconditional love that dogs so freely give.

Amy McRary recently wrote a good article about HALT for the Knoxville News Sentinel. It's worth the read.

For more info about HALT, visit its website and look at its link to coverage in Southern Living magazine. The SL article has a lot of nice photos.