Care

Wild dogs, researchers have observed, browse a broad variety of berries, grasses, flower blossoms, seeds, and even a few roots in their continuous search for food. Many of the plants they eat are quite tasty, even to us humans, while others are not palatable at all. In fact, some of the plants wild animals nibble upon may even be regarded by humans as potentially toxic. So why do they consume such plants? Because maybe they are not looking for food. Perhaps they are seeking medicine.

As in nature itself, there are no absolutes in natural medicine. The silver bullet remedy" and "miracle cure" are only myths. A derma-tological shampoo does not cure chronic eczema that stems from liver dysfunction; nor does an herb that contains aspirin-like compounds (i.e.

There are numerous health conditions that can develop and present a real danger to your dog in between veterinary examinations – and YOU can detect many of them. It’s best to follow a consistent routine, so your dog becomes comfortable and relaxed with the procedure, and to increase your familiarity with his body, lumps, bumps, and all. Write out and follow a short outline, to remind yourself about each part of the dog’s body you want to check.

then brushing once or twice on those areas that he was least sensitive about (the top of his head and back of his neck).

Over the next few weeks I worked up to brushing his back

Most of us would probably enjoy using massage as a bonding exercise and a therapeutic tool for our dogs. Now you can learn how to use this valuable tool through instructional videotapes, featuring experts in the field. Whole Dog Journal reviews the leading tapes that teach dog massage.

There are just a few companies who specialize in chew toys for canines with shark mouths – dogs who instantly shred the majority of toys. If you are looking for something that an aggressive chewer can take under the kitchen table and gnaw on for any stretch of time, you’d best stick to those few. For this article, we wanted to find toys that could last long enough to entertain us and our shark-mouthed dogs for more than a few hours or days.

To most people, the word “house-trained” refers to a dog who has been trained not to urinate or defecate indoors. For my parent’s generation, this bit of training was usually accomplished by Mom, who stayed home while the rest of the family went to work or to school. As double-income families became the norm, the home-alone dog was faced with a serious problem. By the time you add a lunch hour and commute time onto an eight-hour work day, a house dog may have to “hold it” for as long as 10 hours before someone finally comes home to let her out. Her legs are probably tightly crossed for at least the last two.

I am in love with a fantastic man and his eight-month-old Dalmatian, Lexi. My dog Bailey and Lexi are becoming fast friends, despite their...

Few people think about their own health when they choose household cleaners, deodorizers, and other common household products, much less their dog’s health. The fact is, there are many potentially harmful household and dog-care products for sale on your grocery store and pet supply store shelves, and you can identify them by reading their labels, which, admittedly, seems to be no one’s favorite task. But it’s an important one.

The following is a guide that I use to help clients evaluate their own dog's biomechanical status. Using this guide should provide you with the necessary information to help you decide whether or not chiropractic adjustments might be indicated for your dog. I chiropractically evaluate and treat every one of my patients whom I can comfortably get my hands on. I do this for several reasons. First, because I feel it's important to have a free-flow of healing energetics that is possible only when the body's scaffolding" is free of kinks. "

I often find myself mentally doing the same crystal ball exercise when a new client enters my training center with a seemingly mismatched canine companion. Sometimes I see right away that we are really going to have our work cut out for us. However, I really don’t ever despair; relationship miracles can, and do, happen. Seemingly misfit human/canine matches can grow into solid partnerships . . . as long as the partners have a few things going for them – the major components of a good relationship, the kind that’s built to last.

American dogs and other pets now find themselves included in the complexities surrounding medical expense insurance coverage. Costs of veterinary care are rising, and increasingly sophisticated and expensive treatments, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and chemotherapy, are more widely available. Pet health insurance and medical discount plans can help defray veterinary expenses. Whole Dog Journal explains which plan would be most beneficial for you and your dogs.