Today we are going to take a good long look at Dog Glucosamine here at one of the best Dog Blogs online. At least I like to think so anyway Just kidding readers. Anyway, over the past few years there has been a lot of interest in Dog Glucosamine and at the Arthritis and Glucosamine website there are a lot of pretty amazing claims for what it can do.

With a lot of pain relief meds for Dogs being prescription only and relatively expensive Dog Glucosamine is an OTC med that can be purchased with no prescription and can be simply given to the pooch in a number of very accessible ways. So, lets get going shall we?

What Is Dog Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is actually naturally present in our Dogs, it is found int he cartilage, the synovial fluid and in connecting tissues. However it can break down and lead to arthritic conditions, problems with mobility, and stifness and pain. This non steroidal  medication has been shown to improve the life of quite a number of Dogs with many of these common conditions.

How Glucosamine For Dogs Works

It helps to ease the pain because it seems that it has anti- inflammatory properties. This means it really can help to ease the pain that Dogs get as a result of any number of common conditions.

It is distributed about the body and to the tissue and can help to repair tissue, cartilage and reduce painful swelling. In numerous tests it has been seen to greatly improve the well being of our older Dogs who suffer from many conditions normal to aging as mentioned above. it can also help to repair cartilage and to improve th overall well being of our pets as well as be a real benefit for painful conditions and stifness, and that is just the beginning of the claims.

What Options Are There?

From pills, to tablets to Glucosamine chews, there are a number of options. The best seller at the moment is a chewie that is just like a treat. You can take a look at it via the image. Read the reviews and you will be pretty amazed. I am sure that Amazon did not make them up. It seems to help for so many problems it is very difficult to discount it before other options are considered.

What Can Glucosamine For Dogs Help With

In many case studies it has been shown to help for numerous common problems. But, what many owners are now doing is using it as a supplement for their Dog from a young age. In this way they are hoping that breakdown of cartilage, loss of synovial fluids and general degeneration of the body can be slowed or halted to a greater or lesser extent.

It has been shown to help with many arthritic conditions in older Dogs. Giving them a freedom from pain and a new lease on life. Personally if I had been a little more knowledgeable when our old Dog Sam became old and very stiff I would have tried it whatever the cost. I still feel so bad that I simply assumed that he was old and it was his time. I assumed that all pain relief meds and the like would have been of no use and he was simply old. Now I would try a few things like  Glucosamine Dog Treats simply to see what happened. Things have moved on a lot in the last few years and our Girls will surely be grateful for that when they begin to slow down (which will be no time soon though).

Anyway, Glucosamine has been shown to help for all manner of conditions, from arthritis, swelling, degeneration of cartilage, tendons and ligaments, the healing of wounds, recovering from disc regeneration and so much more it sounds like a miracle. Now, it does not work for all Dogs and for all conditions, there is no such thing as a miracle cure for any of them. But it may be of help to many Dogs and may certainly be worth trying.

Reading the reviews on Amazon here it is apparent that it has been miraculous for some Dogs and not as successful for others. But the overall impression if you take a look at the various products available and read the reviews is that it can be extremely beneficial for quite a number of Dogs.

Take a look at the options on Amazon here. Read the reviews of the various products and see what you think. It may just be what you have been looking for.

If you have used it with good or poor results then it would be great to hear about it in the comments section.

Related posts:

1. Arthritis – Canine Osteoarthritis

I have written a number of times about bones for Dogs but quite regularly I will either get a comment on an old Dog Blog post or I will receive a personal email asking me if it is safe to give a Dog:

1. Cooked bones
2. Boiled bones
3. Chicken bones after a roast
4. Pork bones
5. Small cooked bones
6. Large cooked bones

And on the list goes.

This is for anyone who is unsure about what bones they can give to Dogs and to dispel some of the myths about the realities of feeding bones for Dogs.

In a nutshell the only thing you need to know is that:

You should never give a cooked bone to a Dog.

That is the single most important factor that all owners of Dogs need to be absolutely clear on. Cooked bones are not natural for Dogs, they never learnt how to make fire and in their natural state barbecue was not something they were ever too hot on grasping. Raw meaty bones are natural and good for Dogs for all manner of reasons.

Before we get in to that the only other thing you need to be aware of is that raw pork bones may pose a health hazard, but if they are put in the freezer for a few weeks this danger is totally bypassed and pork is as safe as any other raw bone for a Dogs.

Now, many people are loathe to give their Dog a bone but basically all raw bones are safe bones for Dogs.

Dow owners seem scared to give raw bones to their pets, and to be honest I used to be one of those people. The result was that our poor old Dog Sam suffered from bad breath, decaying teeth and had to undergo serious (and costly) dental work.

Oh how I wish that I knew then what I know now.

Many think it is natural but it is not natural for Dogs to have bad breath.

None of our three Dogs, or even the Cat for that matter, have bad breath at all. They can be right in your face, and who has a Dog that isn’t on occasion, and there is never a whiff of bad breath unless we have been lax and not given them a raw meaty bone for an extended amount of time.

How do raw bones clean Dogs teeth?

The mere act of chewing, grinding and trying to decimate a raw bone will scrape away any plaque, tartar and the like from a Dogs (or Cats) teeth. The result is a set of teeth many of us would be proud of. The more regular they get them the cleaner their teeth and the better their breath.

But aren’t raw bones dangerous? Won’t it pierce their

• Mouth
• Stomach
• Intestines

The only significant chance of a bone causing damage to a Dog is if it is cooked. Then they can splinter easily and cause major damage. Raw bones are soft, no matter how hard they seem to us. Dogs will eventually eat through almost any bone. Some are tough and these will be the ones that they will never get a bit chunk of in one go. Softer bones they can go through very quickly but they are easily digest-able and about the nicest treat a Dog can have.

Introducing Safe Bones For Dogs

If your Dog has never had a raw meaty bone then begin slowly. Get some small pieces so they can begin the magical transformation to clean teeth, lovely breath, a shinier coat, small stools and general healthiness. Better yet go to the butchers and ask them for a really hard bone with some meat on. Many Dogs will be able to grind on them but never really eat them.

An yes, that’s right. If you feed your Dog bones on a regular basis, at least 2 or 3 times a week their stools will be small, compact, pale and never runny. A true boon in itself and reason enough for many owners of Dogs to make the switch.

And, one of the most important reasons to give safe bones for Dogs:

Dogs love Raw meaty bones.

Whenever we go to town we go to our local butchers and for what amounts to about $5 we get a shopping bag full of bones, beef, ribs and anything else that is slightly passed suitable for human consumption, or bones that the butcher knows will not be sold for making stocks.

One thing I have learnt is that the meat and bones may whiff slightly but unless it is seriously over it is not in any way a problem for Dogs. Their digestive systems are nothing like ours. They are designed to feed off old meat and carcasses of animals in the wild that we would run a mile from. Just stop thinking of your Dogs stomach as anything like your own.

And this may also be the jump start you need to begin visiting a local butchers and actually supporting your local economy rather than the supermarket. But, if you do only use a supermarket then ask there, you will probably be pleasantly surprised.

Now, I am not saying there is no risk to a Dog if it eats a raw bone. I am sure there are cases of bits getting stuck and the like. But how about the dangers of commercial Dog food, the fact that they can die prematurely from a rubbish diet. The fact that they can be ill or even die from problems associated with severe tooth decay.

If you could only see my three Dogs when we arrive home with a bag of raw bones. If you could see them lying in the grass for hours on end munching away on a health giving and nutritious bone.

If you could only hear the birds chirping and the crickets hopping. You can’t do that when you have a bored Dog or a barking Dog. Give a Dog a big raw bone and you will have peace. They will be about as content as you have ever seen them and you will wish you had done it years ago.

I have said it before and I am sure I will do it again. Buy The Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health Book it is a true eye opener and the best book to buy for anyone who has a Dog.Training books may be important but their Diet is even more so.

More and more of us are giving our Dogs medications for all types of conditions. I know, I am in the pet meds business and have seen sales soar, Discount Rimadyl for Dogs, Cosequin, Deramaxx, any number of  meds to ease pain and treat for arthritis and other conditions that are now all too common. Dogs given a more natural diet and one that naturally promotes healthy joints and tissue can mean there is a significantly lower chance of you needing to buy these type of medications.

They will certainly not do any hearm to a healthy Dog. Do your Dog a favor and give them some raw meaty bones. They promote health, promote strong health bones, keep their teeth clean, cure bad breath in Dogs, keep them occupied and out of trouble and on the list goes.

Ask the butcher what they recommend. You will be surprised (or not) how knowledgeable they are and how helpful they are. You should be able to get a good and regular supply of raw bones for Dogs for a low price. And if your butcher is less than helpful then go find another one.

Hopefully this has cleared up a few misconceptions for those that may have not read some of the previous articles or are still uncertain about whether Dogs can really have bones.

Related posts:

1. Do You Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones? Dogs Love Raw Meat
2. Dogs Eating Chicken Bones. Facts and Fables
3. Nylabone For Dogs. Is a Nylabone Bone Safe?

Last night the three girls of Dog Blog fame were outside happily munching on some raw meaty bones, to keep them quiet and keep their teeth sparklingly white. After a few hours all hell broke lose. I can only assume some Dog must have been roaming the mountainside and thought it might be a good idea to chance a paw by a few stealth tactics.

Suffice to say no one lost a bone!

Anyway, when it calmed down and we let the Dogs in the house Faye was panting like a thing possessed. Now, this would be normal if she had been running around chasing the interloper but of course she had to guard her bone so she only went a few metres from the house.

After she came in she was panting really heavily and the poor Dog became obsessed about trying to bite her paws. We checked and could see nothing stuck but she was one unhappy girl. It got worse. She proceeded to run around the house for an hour non-stop. Upstairs, downstairs, under the table, jumping on the bed and on and on.

It was still going on when we went to bed. She ran around and around, until finally she could take it no more.

She jumped on the bed, had a cuddle from Mrs. Three Dog Blogger and tried to hide under a pillow, which is not easy for a 70lb plus Dog. It was over an hour later before she got her breath back and stopped panting.

What seemed funny for a short while got us very worried after a while. She simply would not calm down. I have never seen a Dog so out of breath. She obviously got herself so worked up and was so concerned that there was something in her paw that her brain seemed like it was about to melt.

Once she calmed down she lost interest in her paws and this morning she was back to her usual self.

Can anyone help to solve the mystery. Has your Dog gone crazed? Has your Dog run around the room for hours acting very weird?

I honestly don’t know what she was doing but she went absolutely bonkers. All I can think of is that maybe she stood on a cacti? But when she calmed down she lost interest in her paws so I am dubious.

What a weird evening it was.

Related posts:

1. Strange Dog Food Questions: Can Dogs Eat Grape Jelly And White Bread

Today at the Dog Blog we have a very interesting guest post from http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com

There is a principle that exists in dog training that few people are aware of. I call this principle the Permission Paradox.

The Permission Paradox is an animal training principal that uses counterintuitive logic to get dogs to STOP doing things that you want them to do by actually giving them permission to misbehave during designated times.

This principle of dog training is very effective because by allowing a dog to misbehave during designated times, by actually putting bad behaviors like barking or licking on cue, you can reduce the desire the dog has to want to misbehave… because it’s no longer misbehaving.

All though the science behind why this principle is so effective is not yet known, or completely agreed upon, I believe that this principle is extremely effective because it uses the Forbidden Fruit principle; the same principle that drove Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

I first heard about this principle watching a public broadcasting program on television that explained a very weird psychological phenomenon. In an experiment aimed at discovering what drives people to binge eat, and researchers discovered something very interesting.

They noticed that children who had 100% unrestricted access to chips, popcorn, candy, and other well balanced foods like fruit and veggies at dinner would not binge eat when given a bowl of popcorn or M & M’s while watching TV. They’d just take a small handful of all the foods, healthy and unhealthy.

I personally would have thought such parenting tactics of letting children eat whatever they wish would be foolish. But what researches discovered is that the children who WOULD binge eat, had parents who withheld treats from their children. These well intentioned parents would only let their kid have one bowl of popcorn, or a small amount of candy; basically restricting their access to unhealthy treats.

Yet this second group of children, when presented the opportunity to eat an entire box of Oreos, or bag of potatoes chips, jumped all over the opportunity, and would overeat heavily.

Thus the researches concluded that the very act of restricting access to things children want, actually INCREASES the desire inside the child to acquire that thing; and they call it the forbidden fruit principle.

So here’s why this is an important principle to use when training your dog…

If you have a dog who has an annoying habit that you’d like him to stop doing, like licking you too much, try this.

Try actually training your dog to lick you when given a certain command.

This is a fairly simple behavior to teach. All you need to do is start rewarding your dog with a small treat over the next few days for “giving you a kiss” ie… Licking your chin. To train this behavior follow these steps:

1. Hold a small treat in front of your chin in such a way as to prompt your dog to lick your chin in some way… but NOT get the treat.
2. When your dog licks your chin, say “good”, and then let him have the treat in your hand.
3. Once your dog is regularly licking your chin, start saying, “give me a kiss” right before your dog licks your face for 10 repetitions.
4. On the 11^th repetition do NOT give the cue. Your dog will probably still lick your face, but do NOT reward him. Instead, simply turn your back on him for a few seconds.
5. Continue asking for a lick a few times in a row, and then not asking, making sure to only reward your dog with treats when you DO give the cue, and your dog will start to realize that he only gets the reward if he waits for the cue first.

When your dog is ONLY licking you when you give him the cue to “give you a kiss” first, and not licking you when you don’t give the cue, you’ve successfully trained him to “misbehave” on cue.

This will automatically reduce the dog’s desire to lick you in the future, as long as once or twice a day you continue to give your dog “Permission to Misbehave” by asking him to lick you on cue.

If you’ll follow these guidelines with any behavior you want your dog to stop doing, I think you’ll find your dog’s desire to misbehave will be greatly reduced.

Chet Womach has been helping people with dog obedience issues for several years now. You can check out more of his dog training advice @ http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com

Related posts:

1. Online Dog Training Tips Number 7 – Training Never Ends
2. Online Dog Training Tips
3. Top Tips For Leash Training A Dog

Regular readers will know that I am fairly involved in running a few websites that deal with pet meds. Today, while doing some research I came across something I had never heard of before, and that was Colostrum. Now, if you know all about it then please do not scoff, I am a man and really do not know very much about lactation, especially when it comes to lactating Cows!

Anyway, I looked up Colostrum on Wikipedia and I must say I was quite interested in what I read. I then read a very interesting article on a holistic pet care site here that I found very informative. Here are a few interesting snippets:

Bovine Colostrum provides instant antibody protection and destruction of infective bacteria, viruses, fungi and cancer cells. It is an old remedy that was relied upon before the advent of chemical companies churning out chemicals and antibiotics.

Colostrum’s healing affects are multifaceted. I have become a believer and recommend it in all ill animals and people no matter what the cause, in arthritic, allergic and autoimmune conditions. I have found it has reduced my allergy expressions of migraines and psoriasis since I have been taking 2 capsules 3 xs daily. Colostrum comes in capsules or in loose powdered form. I find mixing the powder with a small amount of milk is quite palatable to cats and dogs

It certainly made for some interesting reading. Delving deeper it seems that many Dog owners are looking for bovine Colostrum to give to their pets to help alleviate all manner of problems. Small Dogs can be given a capsule twice a day and larger Dogs can have 2 capsules twice a day. There is no need to buy colostrum specifically for Dogs, you can simply choose from the many available offers here on Amazon for a lot of choice. Here is another quote I came across:

Hundreds of studies by some of the world’s most respected doctors, researchers and scientists have shown that the components in colostrum can help destroy viruses, bacteria, yeasts and parasites and powerfully boost immune function as well as help increase vitality and stamina. It has also been used to help relive symptoms of sinusitis, asthma, herpes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Go to www.colostrumresearch.org for more research information.

Note that colostrum is not species specific so this applies as much to giving to humans as it does to Dogs. It should also be noted that the calf will always have been given the colostrum first as without it it would very likely not survive and we can rest assured that farmers would consider the calf much more important. From what I have read it can aid greatly in improving the health of young puppies that may not have had enough of their mothers milk for the first day or two after they were born. This often happens if the puppy is born in to a large litter.

How To Give To Dogs

Simply pick your brand, although this brand is the bestseller so I would stick with that, and simply then open up the capsule and sprinkle on your pets food. It is said to help greatly in so many Dogs that the arguments for giving it are quite strong.

You don’t need a Dog specific brand as it will all work in exactly the same way. It is seen as especially useful if young pups are weak and not doing as well as their siblings. Here is yet another quote from an avid advocate:

I have found that puppies and kittens that are not thriving respond within days to supplementation with bovine colostrum fed four times per day, mixed with water. I dose them at 1/8th to _ tsp depending on the size of the newborn. Once they are stable, I reduce the frequency on once per day and the amount to 1/3 tsp up to 25 pounds per body weight believe that colostrum from their mothers is not adequate or not being utilized by the newborn.

So, if your Dog is lethargic, has allergies, diarrhea, ulcers, viral infections and so many other ailments that I could go on and on, then there is a surprising amount of anecdotal evidence that colostrum is very effective at aiding recovery.

I obviously have no personal knowledge of using colostrum and this is not in any way advice or a guarantee that colostrum will work. I simply found it extremely interesting and wanted to offer up a little of what I found, and there is a very strong case for the many benefits bovine colostrum can give to your Dog.

If you have used it yourself or for your Dogs then please leave a comment so me and other readers can hear about the effects (or not) it had.

No related posts.

It’s not just the Dogs that are depressed although Daisy, the Girl in the photo top right is certainly very fed up. Her puppy Jet (although now 1.5 years old) is definitely a Dog with depression. She is feeling a little (to say the least) like the Dog at the bottom of the pack. Me and Mrs. Three Dog Blogger are also feeling the strain a little. And why?

We are a 5 Dog household until January 7th.

I really do not know how people cope with permanently having this number of Dogs. It seems insane. The floor is a mess, there was pee on the floor yesterday morning, Jet was sick this morning, probably stress related, and I keep getting up early, which surely can’t be good for the health of a man who is definitely NOT an early riser.

Faye (left) none too impresed

As you can see Faye is trying to blank it out by closing her eyes and chanting the mantra:

They are not really here, they are not really here.

Daisy feels it is imperative to guard the best blankies and Jet felt it was her duty to guard the wood burning stove just in case someone lit it and and the possibility arose that she could lose her spot.

Caden and Grace are lovely Dogs and Caden is actually one of Daisies other pups. A few days in to Dog sitting now and things are beginning to calm down although Grace was just sick and there have been any number of snarls and general Dog depression as the pack order is re-established.

Of course the reason we are looking after five Dogs instead of 3 is our own fault. Wind back to the summer of 2008 when Daisy was on heat. As I have mentioned before at the time we were so bewildered with what was best for a female, to spay or not to spay, to spay before the first season or not, etc etc. We ended up deciding to let here have a season and then get her spayed. A very bad move as it turned out as one night she bolted, pushed the door open and a few months later the result was five puppies. Luckily we re-homed all of them but Jet and hence the Three Dog Blog rather than the two Dog blog.

This is also why I ended up writing the rather popular Female Dog Spaying post, which, with over 100 comments is certainly one of the most popular articles on this site. Now i would recommend that you always get your Dog spayed as soon as you can, some will disagree, but from a personal perspective I feel bad that we allowed more Dogs in to the world when there are already countless shelters overflowing with Dogs that need homes. Not to mention that it has led to Daisy becoming incontinent on occasion, although apple cider vinegar in her food seems to stop this amazingly well.

Should You Get Your Dog Spayed Or Neutered?

Do it. Do it this week if he/she is old enough. If you do not want more puppies then there is no reason to not do it. Personally I believe that the pros far outweigh the cons. Just because you have a male does not mean that you will not be responsible for bringing puppies in to the world if he smells a bitch on heat and scarpers, only to return a few hours (or days) later with a satisfied look on his face. For females, with the best will in the world (like we had), it takes one mistake on your part and she could be gone and return soon you could be stuck with anything up to 12 puppies. How would you re-home them all?

I simply think that to be safe you should get your Dogs spayed or neutered so this is a non issue.

This is a kind of a rambling post that has brought up a few issues since we are looking after 5 Dogs so here is what else I wanted to address:

How Many Dogs Should You Have?

I have stated this before, and that is:

Owning three dogs is a lot more work than owning one more than two!

The difference is a lot more hard work and a lot more of your time. It is not like just having one more Dog. There are a lot more obedience issues, more general problems, a lot more frontline plus for Dogs to buy. More vet bills, more food, and problems withthe pack mentality taking over when they can all goad each other in to inappropriate action. The fact is that 3 Dogs is a lot of work.

So, how many should you own?

Why, 3 of course!!!!!!

Really, it is down to how many Dogs you feel you can reasonably look after. For us 3 is fine but it is a lot of work. Sometimes I look back to the days when we just had our first Dog Sam with some nostalgia. It is much easier to discipline and train when you only look after 1 Dog. Two is a handful but is still relatively easy and while 3 is a lot more work I do enjoy having the girls and would not change it for anything.

Before you get Dogs, or more Dogs I would really recommend that you do one of the following. Foster a Dog, this will show you what it is like to have an additional member of the household and you will also be doing a very good deed. Borrow a Dog or two. If you are thinking of increasing the numbers then at least try something like we are temporarily experiencing at the moment. Dog sit a friends Dogs for a few days and see how it works out. You will be able to see how much more work is involved and whether your home, and your temperament is suited to additional animals to look after.

I KNOW that I would never want to permanently have five Dogs. It is too much, our house is not big enough, walks are a nightmare and there are simply too many Doggie smells for my olfactory senses to cope with.

Just a bit of food for thought as we enter the new year.

Have a good 2010 everyone and here is to a very happy future to us all, and a bit of peace come the 7th January for the Three Dog Blogger.

No related posts.

This guest post here at the Dog Blog is brought to you by Dog Fence DIY’s staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright. Dr. Wright enjoys spending time with her dogs and taking them on vacations to see new things. Dog Fence DIY will help you choose the right system for you, help you install it, and help train your pet to use the new system. Dog Fence DIY even carries the Petsafe Stubborn Dog system for the larger dogs.

As a dog owner, we really don’t like to see our dogs hurting. It’s distressing, and we want to do something to help him straight away. Sometimes, if he’s not yelping or obviously limping, it’s not as easy to tell if he’s in pain.

There are some things to look for to tell if he’s sore. He’ll be a bit quieter than normal, and may not be as interested in his favorite activities. He may also be off his food. One big giveaway is that he’s grumpier than usual, and may even behave out of character, for example he may snap at people when he’s never done that before.

There are lots of medical conditions which can cause pain in our dogs, such as arthritis, injuries, cancer, and abdominal disease. As well as treating your dog to resolve the particular condition, an important part of managing these problems is reducing pain.

Most veterinarians also now recognize that even the most routine surgical procedures, such as neutering, can be uncomfortable, and will prescribe pain medication for you to give your dog at home.

Pain relief medication for dogs comes in several forms: injection, tablet, oral liquids or even patches that are applied to the skin. The choice of medication for your dog depends on many factors – the risk of side effects, the severity of the pain, and of course, whether or not your dog will allow you to give him a pill.

The most common type of pain medications that are used in our dogs are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAID’s. Some brand names you may be familiar with are Derramax, Metacam and Rimadyl for Dogs. These drugs are in the same family of drugs as aspirin and acetaminophen. They are very useful in treating arthritis, or in keeping your dog comfortable after surgery.

Unfortunately, drugs can have side effects, and the NSAID’s are no exception. They can cause kidney problems and ulcers in the stomach if used incorrectly, so do follow your vet’s guidelines if your dog has been prescribed these drugs.

On a similar note, never give your medication to a dog. Although there are many human medications that can be used in dogs, some of our drugs are positively dangerous. Ibuprofen can very quickly cause severe stomach bleeding in dogs. Aspirin can be beneficial to your dog, but again, don’t use it without veterinary advice, or your dog may develop a stomach ulcer.

For stronger pain, narcotics are very effective. Veterinarians often use these to treat cancer, and to keep dogs comfortable after orthopedic surgery. They are effective, but because there is the potential for them to be abused by a dog’s owner, their use is very tightly regulated.

Don’t rule out natural therapies in the management of pain in your dog. Acupuncture can be very useful, and even if it doesn’t completely stop the pain, it can reduce it enough so that you can use a lower dose of drug. This means that your dog has less of a risk of developing side effects.

These days, there is no need for any dog to suffer pain. If you can quickly recognize that he’s sore, and have him treated by your vet straight away, he’ll feel comfortable again very quickly.

No related posts.

Firstly my apologies to whoever typed in the question about whether or not Dogs can eat grape jelly and white bread in to a search engine and ended up showing up in my stats software that I use to see just what people type in to arrive here. It is not that I want to single you out or anything but let’s be honest about this, it is not a question that you do not know the answer to.

I know we all look for all manner of answers to questions on the Internet and those relating to “the best Dog food” are certainly a common search query. The dangerous food for Dogs post I wrote here on the Dog Blog is probably the reason that particular search ended here but it has me worried.

What do you think the answer may be?

What I wonder is how many other searches are there going on on a daily basis about what people can or cannot feed to their Dogs. Sure, some things need to be verified as we may inadvertently feed them something that is unsuitable but the question remains:

Why would you WANT to feed Jam, or Jelly in the US and white bread to your Dog? There is absolutely no need to do this and it is the feeding of excessive human food scraps that means so many of the Dog population is now just as overweight as their human companions.

We owe a duty to our Dogs to only feed the the best Dog food, or at least a balanced diet. I am not saying it needs to be expensive, I only feed our Dogs a very basic Dog food that is very inexpensive, but what I DO NOT do, ever ever ever, is feed them while I am eating, give them scraps from the table, encourage them to beg because it is cute or anything other than feed them leftovers that go in their meal and then only give them decent food for the most part.

There is nothing wrong with giving them small amounts of food that is not nutritious but you must be sensible about it. You should never have an overweight Dog unless it has a pre-existing medical condition. Not a medical condition because you gave them Diabetes because of the junk you feed to them. The situation is getting out of hand and more and more Dogs are needing pet meds because we over feed them and give them food that is in no way a part of a natural diet for them.

So, why would you want to basically give your Dog a sandwich. The only reason the question should be asked is if it stole it from you and I do hope that was the reason why the question was asked. Fat Dogs are becoming all to prevalent and it is very easy to stop this occurring. It is a simple matter to simply reduce food if your Dog is looking a little on the porky side, and this combined with adequate exercise should mean that your pet will be in fine form and live a lot longer.

Now, I wonder whether they can eat peanut butter AND  jelly on white bread?

Related posts:

1. Dangerous Food For Dogs – Your Questions Answered
2. Strange Dog Behaviour
3. Online Dog Training Number 6 – Some Odd Questions Answered

Here at the Dog Blog I am pleased to have a great guest post by Matt Papa. Take some time to read it, you will find it extremely interesting reading and very well written indeed.

One of the finest characteristics of human nature is our ability to form bonds of attachment and empathy with other species. The instinct to care for and protect the “lesser” creatures is not that distant from the instinct to protect our own children, after all. And millions of pet owners can attest to the enormous emotional return they receive from their animal friends, whether dogs or cats or cockatoos or boa constrictors.

Some psychologists and biologists have postulated a theory of “biophilia,” which holds that human beings have an innate need and desire to maintain or reestablish meaningful connections with a world around and outside us that is not just human [1, 2]. Whether it is a need for “wildness” or to feel oneself a part of the larger bio-environment, as we find our daily lives grow increasingly remote from nature, there may be a compensatory need to maintain contact through our relationships with the more instinctual lives of animals.

This is clearly not a purely selfless or altruistic trait among human beings. It may be difficult to quantify the emotional comfort pets bring, but there is actually a significant body of scientific research that is measuring and explaining at least some of the benefits pets bring to our lives. For instance, there is evidence that pet owners have lower blood pressure and also lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which reduces their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. One study found that when pet-dog owners do have heart attacks, their survival rates are higher than those who do not own a dog [3]. Their mental stress is lower overall, self-esteem is better, and they are less likely to be lonely and depressed.

Dogs as Social Supports for Health

A lot of this can be summed up by the idea that pets provide an important source of social support for very many people. They offer nonjudgmental companionship and acceptance of a sort we find in few people. Few stories are more touching than the tales of “therapy” dogs and cats who are taken to nursing homes and hospitals to entertain and comfort the elderly and sick. And there is a growing body of research on the very practical part that dogs in particular can play in improving the physical fitness of their humans and even helping us lose weight.

For instance, a recent research project called PPET—“People and Pets Exercising Together”—studied whether overweight people with dogs who followed a program of diet and exercise would lose more weight than overweight people without dogs following the same program [4]. It is widely acknowledged that the encouragement, support and companionship of other people are significant factors in helping people stick with exercise and weight loss programs. The PPET researchers theorized that the companionship or “social support” of the dogs could perform an equivalent function.

The PPET study results clearly supported the hypothesis that dogs can play a significant role in motivating owners to get more exercise. For starters, they found that people with dogs were already getting more exercise than people without dogs. And at the study’s conclusion, several participants explicitly affirmed that their dogs were major factors in increasing and maintaining their exercise program. People were also encouraged by the fact that they were helping their pets: “Knowing I could do something good for my dog was a motivating factor.”

Another study confirmed that having a dog that requires daily exercise can play a positive role in improving their owners health and activity level: “Many exercise programs to prevent overweight seem to fail because of the lack of urgency to comply with the exercise regimen and owning a dog may be one way to increase compliance,” the researchers conclude [3]. Dogs, after all, can be very persistent in encouraging their humans to get up and move!

These benefits are lifelong. A 2008 study that asked “Is dog ownership or dog walking associated with weight status in children and adults?” found that the chances a child would be overweight or obese were indeed lower for those who owned a dog [5]. At the other end of life, studies confirm that elderly people with dogs keep walking and maintain their mobility far more successfully than people who lack that stimulus to remain active.

So dogs are doubly motivating for people to get exercise. On the one hand, the affection and responsibility people feel for the wellbeing of their pets encourages many otherwise sedentary people to leave the house and at least walk around the block several times a day. While for people who want to get out and exercise for their own sakes but have trouble sticking to a routine, their dogs provide a consistent source of encouragement and companionship that can make that activity much more enjoyable [6].

The Dual Obesity Epidemic

Much of the research being done has obviously emphasized the benefits that dog-ownership can bring to people. But the mutual relationship these studies demonstrate also highlights another less happy form of mutuality between people and their pets.

It seems that obesity among dogs and other household pets is rapidly catching up to obesity rates among humans—itself widely recognized as a serious public health crisis. A recent study found that there is a significant correlation between the Body Mass Index (BMI) of owners and the weight of their dogs [7]. The sad fact is, overweight humans are likely to have overweight dog, and vice versa. It seems that we can love our pets too much, or in the wrong ways.

So much in our culture teaches that “food is love,” and there is no question that our dogs love to eat every bit as much as we do. We love to “treat” our pets with food that has become richer and special treats that are even higher in calories. The result? 84 million overweight or obese pets in the United States alone. And too few people even realize that obesity is as serious a health risk for their pets as it is for them, contributing to osteoarthritis, diabetes, respiratory and heart ailments and a shorter life span.

It’s highly encouraging then that exercise programs can provide major benefits for the dogs as well as the people. If one or both of you are overweight, you will undoubtedly need to adopt dietary restrictions as well as a more aggressive exercise program if you want to lose a significant amount of weight. But playing and exercising with your pet is a total win-win experience for both parties. It will support and encourage you in keeping or getting more fit and active and it will improve your pet’s health, fitness and happiness at the same time. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for the dog you love.

References

1. Wilson, Edwin O., Biophilia (Harvard University Press 1984)

2. Fromm, Erich, The Heart of Man (Harper & Row 1964)

3. “Dog ownership, health and physical activity: A critical review of the literature.” Cutt, H., Giles-Corti, B., Knuiman, M., Burke, V. Health & Place 2007; 13(1):261–272

4. ”The PPET Study: People and Pets Exercising Together,” by Kushner, R.F., Blatner, D.J., Jewell, D.E., and Rudloff, K. Obesity 2006 Oct;14(10).

5. “Is dog ownership or dog walking associated with weight status in children and their parents?” Timperio, A., Salmon, J., Chu, B., Andrianopoulos. N. Health Promot J Austr. 2008 Apr; 19(1):60-3.

6. “Dog ownership, walking behavior, and maintained mobility in late life.” Thorpe R.J., Jr, Simonsick, E.M., Brach, J.S., Ayonayon, H., Satterfield, S., Harris, T.B., Garcia. M., Kritchevsky, S.B. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006 Sep; 54(9): 1419-24.

7. “Overweight in dogs but not in cats is related to overweight in their owners.” Marieke L. Nijland, M. L., Stam, F., and Seidell, J.C. Public Health and Nutrition 2009 Jun 23:1-5.

About the author:

Matt Papa is a medical researcher (and human companion to Hera, his German shepherd) at Washington University School of Medicine. He has recently developed a particular interest in research on how obesity in dogs and humans is affected by similar factors: food management, exercise and social factors. In his website, weightlosstriumph.com, Matt enjoys writing weight loss plan reviews and offering coupon codes for Medifast, a medically approved weight loss program.

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A while ago I pondered whether or not the Zhu Zhu Pets would be fun to use to help to try to train the Dogs to leave small animals alone. Well, over the last few weeks the price of them has skyrocketed. I cam across this video today which explains why the Zhu Zhu pets have become a little more expensive (a lot more) than they once were. Take a look.

Crazy! I guess this is why they are so expensive to buy. I think I would rather pay more from the comfort of my own home than have to deal with this kind of madness. The Zhu Zhu really do seem to have hit a real winner with the kids. Or is it the parents that are just convinced that the kids will love them? I am guessing that you must have been nagged an awful lot to go to that kind of trouble to get a little toy.

Would you do this for a small toy for the kids or do you think it is way over the top. From what I have been reading today it has been quite common for this to happen yesterday (black Friday), as this was about the only opportunity anyone is going to get this year to buy a Zhu Zhu hamster for the original retail price. You would have to take a lot of surveys in your spare time to pay for the cost, apart from on this day. Get paid to take surveys may be about the only way parents could easily supplement their income to pay for a Zhu Zhu at the high Christmas prices. I have had to break the sad news to the three pooches that they will certainly not be having one this year. It would be cheaper (a lot) to get them a real hamster to play with although sadly it would not last long. I am of course just joking. I am gonna get a Guinea Pig instead, they are bigger, but slower, but I guess it won’t be here for long either way!

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