Warning!

All dog lovers should know that chocolate is bad for their dogs.  Dogs cannot handle it.  But now there is a threat that you may not have thought of.  Mulch.

This new mulch is supposed to be good for the environment and is "all natural" but it is also very strongly fragrant of cocoa.  The product is HIGHLY toxic to cats and dogs.  This mulch is sold at garden supply stores.  It is manufactured by Hershey's.  Several deaths have happened from pets ingesting this product.  You can do everything in your power and if your neighbor has this mulch out and your pet gets loose, it is super dangerous.  The levels of theobromine are lethal.  The pets go into convulsions and die.  And the worst part is that this product has absolutely no warnings on it, though there are some brands that do have disclaimers.  It is better to be safe than sorry and keep your pets away from any cocoa mulch!

Vet Visits

Bella

This week my bagel---half basset/half beagle hybrid---had to visit the vet.  She has seasonal allergies and the new grass is making her go crazy.  Her usual dosage of Benedryl wasn't cutting it, and then the allergies migrated her to right eye.  It made her eye go filmy blue and it kept rolling into the back of her head and finally, she just wouldn't open her eye.  So, off to the vet it was.  Of course as usual, they had to check to see if she had fleas, because she's allergic to them as well.  And as usual, they didn't find any fleas.  Just a very badly irritated heinie and a blue, irritated second eyelid (who knew dogs had a second one?).  The vet changed her medication to Zyrtec (yup, more expensive but still OTC) and gave me a cream to squeeze into her eye twice a day.

Bella, post medication roll....and belly rubs.

I dunno about you, but putting a metal tube near my dog's eye made me nervous.  The first time or two, it was okay.  Bella didn't fight the medication and I didn't have to hold her eye open too much.  And then the medication started to help.....I think.  I don't know what to think, but suddenly she seemed to see the tube coming at her eye and would slam her eyelids shut like Fort Knox.   She didn't paw me, or pull away, she just shut her eyes as if they were super glued shut.  She still has a film across her eye, and she still lets it loll into the back of her head like a half zombie, but I think it's getting better.

Long story short, lots of dogs have allergies and the preventative---such as the flea medication she's on year round----is much easier than clearing up the aftermath of a full blown episode.  If your dog is acting uncomfortable, they probably are.  Just because they don't have words doesn't mean they don't talk.  Whining, loss of appetite, excessive sleeping, chewing at their behinds/paws/legs, or pawing at their ears/eyes are all signs of allergies.  If there is a change in your dog's behavior, please watch and see what they are trying to tell you.  After all, dogs are people too.

Puppies!

My good friend's dog had puppies.  Her dog is a rescue dog and fortunately they are very happy to have mama and a litter.  I just had to share the adorable lovelies!

And that is my dose of doggie sweetness for the day.

A new dog treat recipe

Bella doing her pirate imitation, "Arrrrrrr"

I found another dog treat recipe that sounds like it will be very popular with my pooches. It's all natural ingredients and hey, in a pinch, looks like it would taste like a savory cracker.

Dog Treats
by allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.
Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter (I prefer bone shaped), and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container

My Pibble's Ear Infection

Pibble

Pibble is a very active dog, so it's not often that she sits still long enough to get her picture taken---unless a toy or chewie is involved.  So the other day when she sat down and just shook her head, I knew that something was up.  Then she started to dig at her ears.  All of the classic symptoms of a dog with an ear infection.  Another symptom that didn't show up for a few days was a waxy sort of discharge and scratching at her ear, then stopping and smelling and/or licking the foot she scratched with.  Irritability, loss of balance, and dark discharge are other common symptoms.

Well I'm not terribly fond of prescription meds.  I, personally, tend to have this annoying and often painful habit of developing an allergy to a drug if I'm on it for any length of time.  Which led me to a whole other world of exploration of all of the folk remedies and home cures.  Surprisingly enough, almost all of them that I've tried have worked extremely well.  So why not try a natural approach with Pibble?

First thing I did was make a wash to clean out the ear discharge and the scratches on her ear where Pibble would not stop scratching.  She has fine fur and it was easy for her to scratch herself bloody.  After a bit of research, I settled on one of the common washes that I saw recommended by vets and groomers, a combination of witch hazel and white vinegar.  According to them, you dribble the warm solution into the ear canal and wipe gently.  I tried it, which lead to the second thing......a bath for me and reinforcements to hold her down so I could use a damp washcloth and clean out the discharge.

The second step of the treatment process is to treat the infection.  Just because I use it on myself and I had it on hand, I went with tea tree oil in the ear, although if it didn't work I was ready to do garlic infused coconut oil.  However, much to Boo Boo's disgust (he hates tea tree oil and walks around snorting his displeasure), I did use the tea tree oil and it worked just fine.  I'm not sure that the infection is completely cured, so I'll be doing the wash/treatment routine for at least a week before I stop, but all indications are that Pibble is feeling much much better.

Dog Ear Wash

1 tablespoon of witch hazel--found in most pharmacy sections by the hydrogen peroxide

1 tablespoon of white vinegar---not sure why white was recommended, but since it was and I had it, I went with it.

Combine the two ingredients and warm slightly over a bowl of hot water.  Dribble the concoction into the ear canal and gently massage.  Yeah right.  As soon as the first drop hit her ear, Pibble's head became a whirling dervish.  Afterwards, gently sponge with a cotton ball or soft cloth.  Allow to dry before treating.

Dog Treat Recipe #2

Due to popular demand, I've got another dog treat recipe.  Ummm, the demand might be from the four hounds currently hogging my electric blanket.

Boo Boo doing his best pathetic puggle imitation.

Doggy Treats

2 cups flour--again, it called for whole wheat, but I use regular flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tbl salt---I often leave this out.  If I don't use salt in my cooking, then my dogs don't need it either

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup water or broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the cookie sheet by greasing or using parchment paper.  I use a silicon pad normally---no sticking and nothing wasted.  Combine the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients.  You may have to add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky.  Once the dough is combined, roll about a teaspoon worth of dough into a ball and place on the cookie sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.  Flatten the balls.  You can use a fork to mush them peanut butter cookie style or I sometimes use a glass that has a design on the bottom if I plan on giving them away.  Pop them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  

Homemade Dog Treats

image from www.browneyed.baker.com

I'm not the type of dog owner who makes their dogs' food and I don't watch every little thing that goes into their mouths (that would be a full time job anyway), but I do make my own dog treats.  Why?  Well honestly, I did it at first because it was a novelty.  Then the dogs really got into Mama's cookies and when I got lazy and bought store bought dog biscuits, well they didn't snub them but they sure didn't wolf them down the way they did with the homemade ones.  I don't claim to be a math wiz, but most of the ingredients were already lying around or were in the pantry, so other than some time and a bit of effort, it really didn't hurt me to whip up a batch.  I shared my recipe with another friend who is a dog lover and suddenly I started getting requests for my "dog cookies."   I thought I'd just share the tried and true recipe.

Mama's Dog Cookies

2 cups of flour---the original recipe called for whole wheat, but all purpose is what I had on hand and it goes over very well

1/2 cup of oatmeal---instant or whole oatmeal, it doesn't seem to make a difference

1 egg

1 beef bouilion cube, crushed---again, the original recipe called for bouillon granules, but I had cubes

1/2 cup hot liquid--I use water, but I've also used leftover soup or broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water (or whichever liquid you decide to use).  Grease a cookie sheet.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until a stiff dough forms.  Knead the dough until smooth.  Roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick and cut with a cookie cutter....or I just usually make squares with a knife.  Place on the cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart.  They will slightly poof as they cook.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool before storing or feeding to your hounds...if they let you.  Mine like to tackle the first batch and bay at the counter until I can pull them off and toss them across the room like a linebacker.  They will store for about a month.  You can keep them in the fridge or even freeze them for a longer shelf-life.