1.  Know the location of your nearest ANIMAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

Drive to the location so that you know which side of the street it is on and where the entrance is. This is not something you want to be thinking about when your pet is in trouble — you want to know how to get there quickly! Best to ask your vet for a recommendation to a facility that is open 24/7. If it’s not a true emergency — but you know the problem can’t wait until your vet is available — better to drive a further distance for better quality care. If you live in or near Orange County CA, I strongly recommend Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine (ACCIM) in Tustin.

2. Learn basic pet first-aid skills:

For cuts to the skin, you can help stop or control the bleeding by applying direct pressure with a clean gauze (or washcloth) for 5 minutes. Seek veterinary care immediately if the bleeding does not stop.

For burns, gently flush with cool water. Cover with a non-stick bandage (Telfa pad in your first aid kit) and help prevent more tissue damage by applying a frozen bag of peas (makes a great ice pack for people too!) to the area. Seek veterinary care immediately to reduce the chance for infection and address the need for pain control. Ouch!

For heat stroke, provide immediate cooling measures to all 4 paws, belly, armpits, and the groin by flushing these areas with cool water and get prompt medical attention. Heat stroke can occur if your pet’s body temperature reaches above 104°F. The most common cause of heat stroke is when dogs are left in parked cars on very warm days. Without proper shade and ventilation, it takes only 10 minutes for your car to become a death trap! If you see a dog in an unattended car with the windows rolled up on a warm day — be a doggie angel and call the police!

When you must leave your dog outside, always be sure there is adequate shade and fresh water available. Be aware that elderly dogs with compromised mobility can sometimes fall and not be able to move into a shaded area or get to an available water source — they, too, can be victims of heat stroke.

If you suspect poisoning, call your veterinarian and ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) — a fee may be charged. You may be advised to dilute the poison (for caustic substances) OR induce vomiting.

3. Assemble a basic pet first-aid kit

Courtesy of Sunny-dog Ink

A comprehensive first-aid kit with its own travel bag. Available from Sunny-dog Ink.

Besides knowing what to do, you must have the tools for the job all in one place. Precious time is wasted looking for the materials needed, so at the very least, assemble the following:

• Make a temporary bandage by stocking up on 4 x 4 gauze squares to cover the wound, followed by gauze rolls to circle the area, and ideally secure the bandage using self-adhering bandage rolls called vet wrap (will not uncomfortably stick to the hair). Ask your friendly vet to supply you with a few rolls.
• 3% hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. If you witnessed or know your dog has ingested something harmful within the last 60 minutes (raided the See’s candy box, gobbled down rat or snail bait, discovered a bottle of prescription meds and thought they were treats!), induce vomiting and call your vet. Start with 1 tablespoon per 15 lbs of your dog’s body weight. (1 tablespoon equals approximately 3 teaspoons). Repeat this dose once again if your dog does not vomit within 5 minutes. Example: if your dog weighs 20 pounds you will administer 4 teaspoons—that’s roughly one teaspoon per 5 pounds.
  If you are using a syringe to administer the hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoon is the ballpark equivalent of 5ml (milliliters). One tablespoon is the ballpark equivalent of 15ml. Note:  milliliter (ml) is the liquid equivalent to cubic centimeter (cc). So, just remember that 1cc = 1ml.
• Ask your vet for 6ml and 12ml non-needle syringes to administer emergency liquids like hydrogen peroxide or other over the counter remedies like Pedialyte (for mild dehydration), Kaopectate* (for mild diarrhea) and Pepto-Bismol* (for mild gastrointestinal upsets). *Do not give to cats! Please check with your vet before trying home remedies. Your pet could require veterinary attention depending on symptoms and duration of illness.
• Saline eye solution (same stuff contact lens users buy). Generously rinse out eyes to remove soap, dirt and dust particles. Also good to flush out and clean small wounds. If eye remains red or your dog is squinting — there may be damage to the cornea — see your vet ASAP.
• Use non-needle syringes to administer liquid medications or fluids — ask your vet for a 6ml and 12ml syringe and be sure to say, “Thanks Doc!”
• Digital thermometer (your dog’s temperature should range between 101 – 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Use a little lubrication for comfort (K-Y jelly or Vaseline) and insert rectally approximately one inch into the rectum. Tip: Practice your technique (giving your dog a tasty treat) before you actually need to do this! If you are not getting a number (within the range above) on a healthy dog — you may need to ask a skilled vet tech for a live demonstration.  It’s important to know your dog’s body temp!
• Benadryl for bee stings and minor allergic reactions: 1milligram (mg) per 1 pound of your dog’s body weight. Can be repeated every 8 hours as needed. Can be a useful after-hours treatment for itchy dogs until you can call your vet. Buy it over the counter in 25mg capsules, tablets or liquid. Be sure you are buying only diphenhydramine hydrochloride (trade name Benadryl) and not a cold remedy with other drugs added for congestion and coughing.
• Good old fashioned aspirin (never give aspirin to cats unless under the direction of your vet) can be used for minor pain or discomfort — until you can call your vet. Cannot be used together with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory prescription meds, like Rimadyl, Deramaxx, or Metacam. Never give your dog human ibuprofen products — can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding. Use plain aspirin and give with food (can cause stomach upset) at a dose of one adult tablet (325mg) per 40 pounds of body weight twice a day. Example:  a 60 pound dog dosage would be 1 and a half (1.5) tablets twice a day.
• Cold pack to reduce swelling from insect stings or minor injuries (I keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer — just be sure someone doesn’t eat them!)
• Tweezers to remove ticks or foreign objects from the skin.
• A well fitting muzzle — because even the calmest animal may bite when in pain! Injured pets often need to be muzzled before being moved or handled.

For a comprehensive first aid kit with its own travel bag, I recommend SUNNY-DOG INK PET FIRST-AID KITS. Get yours at www.sunnydogink.com.

Courtesy of Sunny-dog Ink

Denise Fleck with Haiku

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet (and share a delightful lunch!) with Denise Fleck, a certified CPR and Emergency First-Aid Instructor. Our meeting spurred this post and a few questions I had for Denise. I learned a lot and was surprised by some of her answers:

What is the most common pet emergency you deal with?

CHOKING.  Dogs like to put things in their mouths and anything they find on the floor is fair game, so I insist that people "get down on all fours" and look at their homes and yards from their pet’s perspective. Additionally though, choking can occur from food or toys, so it’s important to learn how to perform both the Doggie Heimlich and Chest Thrusts for when your four-legged friend gets into trouble. A large number of my students have successfully used these techniques and saved the day for their dogs! Unfortunately, I’ve also had students come to my class who beforehand did not know what to do and actually watched their dogs die in front of them from a choking incident.

What do dog owners express to you as their biggest worry?

PANICKING.  Sure, when an emergency happens, some people take on our animals’ "fight or flight" response, but it has been my experience that when people actually participate in a Pet First-Aid Class, watching demonstrations and doing hands-on skills practicing, they gain the confidence to react. In class we use stuffed animals and CPR mannequins (it would not be good for our healthy pets to experience some of the trauma we’d put them through) which helps to make a "brain-to-hand" connection and allow us to go on "auto-pilot" should we need to use these skills in real-life. Don’t think your emotions won’t come to the surface once the animal is out of trouble or has been taken to a veterinarian, but the important thing gained in class, in addition to skills, is the ability to react quickly, confidently and calmly.

What advice do you give your students?

1) PERFORM A WEEKLY HEAD-TO-TAIL CHECK-UP OF YOUR DOG

In other words…Really Get to Know Your Pet!  Get acquainted with his body and habits. The more you know what is normal for him, the more quickly you’ll be alerted to something that is not quite right and hopefully prevent a problem from becoming worse. Each week, look straight into your pet’s eyes (for redness, discharge, cloudiness, and eyelid tumors) and perform a body scan from ears to rears, looking for lumps, open sores, redness, dry skin, and hair loss. Check under the hood (inside mouth and under tail) for inflamed gums, foul odors, and abnormal body discharge.

2) VISIT YOUR VETERINARIAN ANNUALLY

Pet First-Aid is not a replacement for competent veterinary care. You must become a team with your vet for the sake of your pet! Veterinarians are the experts and your dog should get an expert opinion each year to assess overall health issues. Professional eyes, hands, and ears should give your dog the once over and suggest any necessary tests that even your diligent care can’t find or determine.

3) LEARN CPR AND EMERGENCY FIRST AID

Breathe into your pet’s nostrils (if he is not breathing) and compress his chest (if you cannot find a pulse) with the heel of your hand or several fingers — alternating 2 breaths between chest compressions depending on size of the animal (5 compressions for animals 20 lbs and under; 10 compressions for up to 50 lbs; 15 compressions for 50 lbs and over). Proper CPR techniques can keep pets alive on the way to the animal hospital.

Attend a CPR class or register for Pawstronomical — the largest gathering ever of humans to learn animal life-saving skills during National Pet First-Aid Awareness Month in April.

1) Feeding dry food (kibble diets) prevents tartar build-up

Truth: Effective chewing (raw meaty bones, rawhide chews, and other man made chew products — like the durable rubber Kong) simulates how wild canines gnaw on the bones of prey animals to ‘brush’ their teeth. Kibble is simply crunched and swallowed like a bowl of Cheerios and does nothing to prevent tartar build-up.

Fact: Raw food diets contain live enzymes and are free of grain — closer to a dog’s natural diet, which naturally promotes better dental health. Kibble lacks any live enzymes (killed by heat) and contains cheap grain products (unless listed as grain-free) which bacteria-producing plaque love to feed on!

Don’t fall for kibble marketing hype promoted by some clueless vets. Remember, invisible plaque build-up ultimately leads to visible tartar. You can help prevent plaque build-up by regular tooth brushing and choosing better diets.

2) Trust your vet to recommend only the vaccines your dog needs

Truth: Do not accept your vet’s recommendation without first reading my free special report (available on this blog) or visiting the AAHA website:

http://www.ufsheltermedicine.com/news/2006_AAHA_Canine_Vax_GL.pdf

Fact: Really? Ask your vet if he or she is following the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) vaccine guidelines published in 2006. Since these guidelines were published more than 2 years ago, surveys show that many vets are not in compliance. Most pets continue to be over-vaccinated and given vaccines that are not necessary. Furthermore, vaccine titer testing is not offered as an alternative to re-vaccination by vaccine junkies out for easy money.

3) Vets are experts on pet nutrition — watch for these flags!

Truth: Not likely. Standard ‘nutrition’ courses in veterinary school preach formulated and prescription diets. Few docs are willing to think outside the bag!

Red Flag #1: You get the eyebrow look when you ask your vet for advice on how to prepare homemade meals.

Be sure to check your pet’s weight often to make sure you are not over or under feeding. Ask your vet what your dog’s ideal body weight should be — that may be all the nutritional help you get!

Fact: There is no need to buy dog food. You can prepare healthy meals for your dog by following some simple guidelines and adding proper supplements.

Find my homemade feeding guideline here:

http://www.foundersvet.com/home_cooking.htm

Better yet … become a pet food expert in only 30 minutes by reading: How to Feed Your Dog if You Flunked Rocket Science.

Red Flag #2: Your vet tells you that commercial pet foods are the best way to feed your dog and contain all the nutrients they need. Don’t believe it!  For the most part, canned and kibble diets are highly processed with questionable ingredients that challenge the claim that they promote ‘health’. Most are no better than prison diets — cheap sources of calories with nutrient values set at minimum standards. They also violate the 3 hallmarks of optimal nutrition: Freshness, wholesome food ingredients, and a diet that offers a variety of food choices.

There are many undesirable ingredients in pet foods and even trusted name brands like Iams and Science Diet can contain them. You must learn to read pet food labels and also discover the source of ingredients that companies purchase to manufacture their diets.

When buying dog food, first become a pet food detective. Read blog post: Beneful by Purina — the next pet food disaster. Avoid feeding this ‘hog food’ (and others like it) to your dog!

Red Flag #3: You get a scolding from your vet when you tell him you are feeding a raw food diet. If your vet tries to scare you off with horror stories about bacteria and parasites in raw meat — perhaps he missed the latest pet food recall. For years, pet foods have been found to contain aflatoxins (deadly molds that grow on grain crops and peanuts), endotoxins from pathogenic strains of bacteria not killed by heat, and most recently melamine — a chemical added to produce a higher nitrogen content fooling pet food manufactures to believe they are buying food stuffs that contain more protein. Bottom line: The pet food industry lacks government regulation and safety inspection practices, which allows pet food to be tainted with various contaminates that can make your dog sick or even worse kill your dog!

For Google lovers, just type in: pet food contamination. You won’t find any reports of raw meat diets killing pets, but caution applies here, too. Raw diets must have proper storage and be fed correctly to ensure safety. Do some research before feeding your dog his ancestral wolf diet and don’t be surprised if he howls at the moon.

Next week … I will let you in on Rosie’s new raw food diet — winner of the best wholesome food list category. Plus, it’s the ONLY pet food that has been Certified Food Safe under Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

Here’s a look at its line-up of superb ingredients:

Chicken (ground with bone), chicken liver, chicken gizzard, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli, organic beets and organic beet fiber, organic carrots, organic squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, probiotics — for gut health: Pediococcus acidilaticici, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Entercoccus faecium.

(FYI: Rosie’s poops are the best ever!)

And here’s another hint: This company uses only USDA inspected free-range meats with no hormones or antibiotics. And they are the only pet food company to employ HPP (high pressure process) to destroy harmful bacteria without heat!   See how it works in this surprising video:

http://www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/1033/mtom_20080118_3320_clip

Care to guess which diet Rosie is thriving on? Leave your comments … and find out if you are a winner next week. All winners will be rewarded with a free copy of my e-book; How to Solve the Mystery of Your Itchy Dog.

Do a little homework — Good luck!

Animal shelters and boarding kennels are infamous breeding grounds for two common pathogens: bacteria (bordetella) and viruses (parainfluenza) that can team up to cause an outbreak of what is commonly called “kennel cough”. If your dog presents to the vet for symptoms of a dry, hacking, relentless cough and has recently been boarded or is a daycare playmate, chances are your vet will quickly diagnose your dog with tracheobronchitis. That’s medical jargon for inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchioles (upper airways leading to the lungs).

Typical cough for dog with tracheobronchitis:

Your hacking dog 101

Symptoms can appear within one week of exposure (usually 3-4 days) and can persist for up to 2 weeks. Like the common cold in people, kennel cough is highly contagious, rarely fatal, and runs its course in a week or two. Healthy adult dogs are usually treated with cough suppressants and various natural remedies to boost the immune response — making antibiotics unnecessary. More at risk for serious infections are puppies, elderly dogs, and those with compromised immune systems. If your dog develops a snotty nasal discharge, becomes lethargic, or isn’t eating well — off to the vet your dog goes!

What about vaccines?

Although boarding kennels (and daycare centers) will most often require that your dog receive the Bordetella vaccine, it is impossible to guarantee that your dog will be protected against the nuisance of kennel cough. As many as 20 different strains of bacteria and viruses have been identified to cause symptoms of tracheobronchitis. So, it’s more like your dog is getting a flu shot — could be totally worthless or offers only partial protection.

There are two ways to vaccinate your dog with the Bordetella vaccine: nose drops (intranasal route) or with an injection under the skin. Most vets agree that the intranasal route is the preferred way to vaccinate cooperative dogs. The intranasal route boosts local immunity at the site of an attack (the nose and throat) and so it makes better sense than trying to stimulate the general immune system with an injection. Furthermore, injectable vaccines have a systemic effect on the body and are more likely to cause unwanted side effects. Veterinary recommendations range from vaccinating every six months to not at all!  Note: The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has classified Bordetella as a non-core vaccine — making its use optional. 

Don’t fret if your social dog succumbs to the hack of kennel cough. Here are some natural remedies to help your dog fight his own germ battle:

Kitchen helpers

Soothe the throat and speed the healing with good old fashioned honey! This bee food has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. While all honeys have these medicinal properties, Manuka honey from New Zealand (native bees harvest nectar from the manuka bush) has shown impressive results in the research studies done at the University of Waikato: http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/honey/contents.shtml. It is sold in the United States and might be well worth the higher price it commands. If you prefer to shop locally, buy a good quality raw honey (not processed) to ensure higher nutrient value.

The suggested honey dose for dogs is anywhere from ½ to 1 teaspoon three to four times per day. Dogs lick it up or mix in their food.

Another popular all-purpose infection fighter is coconut oil. The healthy fats in this oil can also benefit the coat and aid in the treatment of arthritis. Get the facts on this amazing oil http://coconutresearchcenter.org/aboutus.htm.

Recommended daily dose is 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight — best to give in 2 divided doses. Give a 20 pound dog 1 teaspoon of coconut oil twice a day. If your dog is infected or has been exposed, the dose should be doubled. The only adverse effects of a too-high dose are loose or greasy stools. So, adjust the dose accordingly to your dog’s bowel tolerance.

For best results, combine honey and coconut oil together to optimize the effects of these two powerful health boosters. Your dog will thank you for the extra treats and feel better too!

Plant kingdom remedies

Apitherapy Honey Wild Cherry Bark Syrup from Honey Gardens in Vermont combines raw honey, apple cider vinegar, wild cherry bark, propolis (sticky mixture that bees collect from tree sap and other botanical sources which doubles as a natural antibiotic to both seal and protect the hive) with a mixture of medicinal herbs and essential oils.

This wild cherry syrup is pure plant medicine! It works as a respiratory relaxant, an anti-inflammatory for inflamed respiratory tissues, and an antitussive for relieving irritating, relentless, and spasmodic coughs. The propolis and raw honey contribute to its natural antimicrobial action making this a very effective product. Keep some in your medicine cabinet for human colds, too!

You can find it in natural food markets and on-line retailers:
Honey Gardens Apiaries Apitherapy Honey Wild Cherry Syrup 8 oz.

Dosage guideline: 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of dog. I recommend that you ask your vet or pharmacist for a syringe to give the syrup orally — one tsp is equal to about 3 ml (same as cc). You can also just mix the syrup into a little honey or something your dog really likes.  Give one dose every other hour while symptoms persist or 4-6 times per day. Shake well.

Hyssop is often called the Biblical herb — referenced in the New Testament. So, its usage has stood the test of time! Relieves hoarseness, mucous buildup, and is an effective aid for respiratory problems in general. Available in powered capsules or tinctures.

Nature’s Way makes good quality herbal products:
Nature’s Way – Hyssop 890 mg 100 caps.

Common guideline for herbal supplements: Use ¼ the adult human dose for each 20 pounds of your dog’s body weight

Home Remedies — turn up the steam!

Water vapor helps loosen mucus clogs, making it easier for your dog to cough it up. The moisture is also soothing to inflamed air pipes in the throat and chest.
Create your own temporary sauna by running your shower on its hottest setting and letting steam build up with the bathroom door closed. After a good water vapor builds up, let your dog breathe in the steam for about twenty minutes. Or use a home vaporizer as another way to help your dog breathe easier. Place the unit near the area where your dog sleeps, but not so close that he might burn himself on it or feel tempted to chew on the cord. Optional: add several drops of eucalyptus oil to the water.

Good old-fashioned cure all — chicken soup for the cough

Grandma was right! Medical science finds proof that a homemade concoction of chicken, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery stems, and parsley has anti-inflammatory and healing properties. So, brew up a healthy pot of chicken soup for you and your under-the-weather hound. Just remember to remove the onions before canine consumption. The extra licks (not the ones you will get!) will also help to keep your dog hydrated if also battling a fever.

My dog Rosie

Not all dogs exposed to kennel cough germs will get sick. For my dog Rosie, home away from home is my veterinary clinic and in our past 11 years together, Rosie has not fallen ill to any infectious diseases. Why? I believe her low stress lifestyle and health promoting diet gives her an advantage. In fact, she has never been vaccinated with the bordetella vaccine— no doubt her long term exposure to multiple strains at the clinic has blessed her with natural immunity. And even if your dog does wake you up gagging like there is something stuck in his throat, take some comfort knowing your dog will build up natural immunity with repeated exposure.

Dogs and humans alike are exposed to a countless array of contagious infections by bacteria and viruses. Whether or not we (and our dogs) get sick depends on how well our immune system is functioning at the time of sneaky germ attacks.

For more information on how to prevent illness, review articles posted in the cancer series: Our immune system (when working properly) has the natural ability to find and destroy cancer cells as well as the viruses and bacteria that make us sick.

Don’t let your canine pal be a sitting duck for the next germy bug out here — boost your dog’s immune system with better diets, probiotics, antioxidants, and keep reading Dog-Breath