Do You Need Dog Health Questions Answered?

You don't have to look at the categories and pages along the right for very long to realize that we like providing answers to dog health questions.

But we aren't the only blog that likes to help answer your questions about dogs.  We have a friend who keeps another blog called "Ask About Dogs" that you're going to want to take a look at.

The site provides you with dog health and dog care advice of all kinds.

Expressing Dog Anal Glands

We learned the hard way about impacted anal glands and how to express them.  I got sick during our own natural disaster, Hurricane Irene, and my owners were doing their best to keep up with flooding issues and me not feeling well at the same time.

I couldn't tell them that it wasn't just the Pancreatitis that I'd had before...but something more.  At first it seemed like I was doing better when they started treating me for the Pancreatitis, but then one Saturday I was miserable and in pain.  These are the things I did to try to let my owners know what was wrong, and some things that they should have picked up if they weren't so distracted by the weather, power failure, etc.:

• I scooted around dragging my bottom on the floor, they just thought it was itchy, but it was more than that


• I licked myself a lot trying to clean my anal area, which made me feel sick..and icky thing to have to do


• I didn't have an appetite.


• I skulked around the house with my head down, flopping down wherever I felt like it.


• My belly felt bloated and distended, and felt hot, I was feverish

Finally my owner looked online, and through searching for different things about dogs anal glands, she found that they can need what they call "expressing" and if they aren't cleaned, they can get impacted.  She realized I had all the symptoms she was reading about, and tried to find a video on how to express the anal glands.  There were a few, but this is one that you can see really well, and of a small dog, so it was most helpful:



BUT, my owner couldn't do this, and decided to take me to the vet (finally) after the weekend. The vet said that because I had diarrhea, maybe from stress related to the storm, he wanted to hydrate me so gave me fluids under the skin. Also told my owner to continue to treat me for the Pancreatitis, and then he expressed the glands. He said that they were very full and that what they contained was thick, so hard to express.

I came home and now it's over a week later, and I'm fine...got better almost right away after that, and now my owner will know the signs and symptoms that show the anal glands need to be expressed.

Do Dogs Know What You're Feeling?

Either dogs can sense what you are feeling or they are able to read body language.  I know when my owner is feeling blue, and sometimes I want to comfort her by sitting close to her.  I don't think there is anything mystical about it, it's just the way the person looks or acts that makes us aware of their emotions.  I know my owner doesn't like thunder storms, neither do I, but as soon as there is thunder, I sit up against her...she knows I'm not afraid because I would be trembling if I was.  Whenever there is a clap of thunder, I bark at it, not because it is thundering, but at it, because I want it to go away so my owner is more peaceful.

It goes the other way too, when I am afraid, I tremble.  When dogs are not feeling well...we tend to want to go somewhere and be alone.  We have feelings and tend to show them more than some animals...at least I think we do.  So pay attention to us and do your best to read us...we need your help and comfort sometimes, too.

You can click this article about Dogs and Human Emotions if you like, the writer feels a bit different than I do about the whole thing, but I am "just" a dog, after all.

What about you?  Does your dog sense your fears and other emotions?

I Eat Rachael Rays Nutrish Dog Food - Do You?

I have a very sensitive doggie digestive system, and my owner used to have to make a special trip to a feed store to find food that didn't upset my tummy. Then she discovered Rachael Ray's Nutrish brand of dog food at our local supermarket, read the ingredients on the package, liked what she saw, and I've been eating it for about a year now.

11/7/13 update: Please note that this post was originally written as if Aspen were writing in first person.  In August of 2013 we said goodbye to our sweet Aspen, but her blog lives on.  She ate this food right up until the end and lived a good happy long life.

SO, when the opportunity to try a free sample (you can try it too...click the link and see if it is still available at this update) of a different variety of Nutrish called Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food , we jumped on the opportunity. My owner knew I liked to open presents, and that's just what I tried to do when she gave it to me all wrapped in a new dog dish and tied with a ribbon that has dog footprints on it, it was cute but when transferring this blog, lost the picture:-(

Let me tell you about the good things in Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food . There are 6 natural ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals that dogs like me need. There are snacks in the "just 6" line too, but we tried the dog food. The key ingredient in the package we received was lamb, there is also rice, natural chicken flavor, beet pulp, and other nutritious ingredients and vitamins. You can get other varieties as well. There isn't any corn, wheat or soy...things that more and more dog owners want to avoid. It is a completely balanced diet so you don't have to worry about your dog missing any of the nutrients he or she needs.

I should tell you that I am an older dog, and like many older dogs my size, have lost some of my teeth. So my owner adds some water to my dry food. Good dry food that isn't overly full of cereals does not swell up as much as foods with less meat...we liked how this food responded when we added water. Younger dogs and dogs with a full set of teeth won't have to worry about adding water.

When you buy Rachael Ray's Nutrish dog foods, a percentage goes to Racheal's Rescue. We're hoping you'll visit the site and maybe try a free sample. They offer coupons, too!

This post contains personal and sponsored information written by me on behalf of Nutrish. 
All opinions are 100% mine.

Flea Repellent You can Make Yourself

My owner has used Frontline on me to get rid of fleas for years. She just gave me my first "dose" of it for the spring season a couple of weeks ago. I get a terrible rash all over my body with just a couple flea bites, so it's important to keep me treated.

While we were looking at information about flea repellents, we found that there is actually a natural herbal repellent you can use on dogs, cats and other furry animals as long as their skin is not sensitive to it.

What you do is combine 1 part eucalyptus powder; 1 part pennyroyal, sage or rosemary powder; 1 part fennel powder; 1 part yellow dock powder. Put all in something that has a shaker top...we keep a few emptied spice bottles that have shaker tops around to use for things like this.

Try a bit on your pet to make sure they are not sensitive to it. If all seems okay, sprinkle just enough so that the smell is evident on the fur, brushing hair against the grain as you sprinkle it on.

Do not get it in your pet's eyes...concentrate on areas like the back and "chest" area of the belly where they won't lick too much. You don't want to overdo it, and again, make sure it won't irritate your pet's skin.

You can also sprinkle this on carpets to repel fleas in the house, or around the perimeters of the room or outside of the house to keep them away. How often you do this is a matter of trial and error...you shouldn't have to use it every day on your pet unless they are particularly infested. I'd definitely put some on before going for hikes in the woods or grassy fields.

We have just discovered this, and are thinking of giving it a try. Have any of you ever tried natural herbal flea repellents for your pets? If so, tell us about it in a comment.