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The best in health, wellness, and positive training from America’s leading dog experts

First Aid

Reporting Dogs’ Adverse Reactions is Your Duty

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It seems that is rare for a week to go by that we dont hear about - or even experience - yet another pet illness or reaction to animal food, drugs, vaccines, or pesticides. At times, Whole Dog Journals articles and blog posts will include the advice to report any adverse events. And its excellent advice - so heres when, how, and why you should report these events.
When your dog eats an onion it's natural to panic, but how much onion is toxic to dogs.

My Dog Ate an Onion!

Approximately 100 grams – about a half cup – of onion can be toxic to a 45-lb. dog. Onion powder is more concentrated, and therefore worse.
A rat terrier playing in a bar where there is a chance the dog could eat rat poison if unsupervised.

Emergency: My Dog Ate Rat Poison

There are a few different types of rat poison, which is why it’s vitally important to know which kind your dog ate and hopefully approximately how much. Your veterinarian and Poison Control will use this information to formulate the best plan for saving your dog.
A cut dog paw requires medical treatment.

Dog Paw Cuts and Scrapes: How to Treat a Paw Injury

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Your dog's paw pads act much like the soles of sneakers, protecting your dog's foot and cushioning each step. Paw pads are tough, but they can still be cut by sharp objects or worn off if your dog runs hard on rough terrain. What should you do when your dog cuts or tears a pad?

Marijuana Toxicity in Dogs

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The symptoms of marijuana toxicity will vary based on the dog, but general symptoms in dogs include depression, vomiting, urinary incontinence, ataxia (wobbliness), tremors, stupor, and bradycardia (slow heart rate). However, Dr. Wismer explains about 25% of dogs exposed to cannabis will become stimulated instead of depressed and show agitation and high heart rate. Dogs with severe marijuana toxicity can develop low blood pressure and coma.
A female doctor checks a puppies heart rate during a visit.

Do You Know Your Dog’s Normal Heart Rate?

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Learning your dog’s normal vitals – temperature, pulse, and respiration – is useful for detecting health problems or tracking your dog’s response to medication. It is also good information to provide when calling your veterinarian or an emergency clinic to make an urgent appointment .
TPLO surgery for dogs is an effective treatment for young and athletic dog's knee injuries.

Double TPLO Surgery for Dogs

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As we learned in our independent research and from meeting with multiple veterinary surgeons, the TPLO surgery has become the gold-standard treatment for this kind of knee injury, especially in very large, strong, young, athletic dogs. While waiting for Sirius growth plates to close, we saw firsthand how conservative management worked - and then didnt. We were looking for a treatment option that gave Sirius the best chance at the kind of fun and normal life she deserved, one that would allow her to return to the activities and sports training that she loved.
One young freelancer sitting in his office with his dog

What to Do If Your Dog Eats Marijuana (Edibles, Weed, Vape Cartridges, etc.)

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Eating any product containing THC can be dangerous for your dog. While the amount and type of marijuana product consumed determines how serious the situation is, dogs who have eaten cannabis need to get to a vet.

How to Treat Dog Wounds

complications from incorrect bandaging can be severe. The original wound on this foot was bandaged for several days by the owner. The dog was seen at a veterinarian's office after the bandage became wet and had an odor."
cleaning dog wounds

Natural Remedies for Cleaning Dog Wounds

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Your dog just had surgery, stepped on broken glass, caught her tail in a door, has a puncture wound, got bit or scratched, tangled with barbed wire, or has an abrasion that came from who knows where. You want the wound to heal quickly without bleeding, pain, or infection. The following strategies help achieve that result.
A white German Shepherd Dog sits in a Bailey Chair waiting for her meal.

Megaesophagus in Dogs: A Mega Problem?

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The esophagus is a muscular, distensible organ that carries food from the mouth to the stomach. Megaesophagus is a common disorder in dogs that describes slow motility with resultant dilation of the esophagus. As a result of hypomotility, food will pool in the esophagus and stretch it. The stretching leads to damage to the nerves. This worsens hypomotility - a vicious cycle.
dog hiccups

Dog Hiccups

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Dogs get hiccups. Who knew, right? It turns out that this is a fairly common occurrence, especially in puppies. But what causes dog hiccups, and are there ever cases in which they actually indicate a medical problem?