Wednesday 27 January 2016

Winter Safety For Your Dog

Keeping Your Dog in Tip-Top Shape This Winter

        Today's post focuses on how to keep your dog winter ready with tips and tricks on how to keep them warm, how to keep their paws safe, 

  1. Go by the idea that if you are cold, so is your dog! Coats for dogs that have short fur can help keep them warm and frostbite free. 
  2. The salt that keeps us from slipping on ice is TERRIBLE for your dog's paws. Salt can cause cuts, irritation, and infection. Try winter booties when walking your dog on sidewalks and use sand rather than ice when getting side of slippery spots on your property.
  3. Watch for the signs! If your dog is constantly biting at its paws it could mean that your dog is too cold. Another sign is if your dog's skin is turning red.
  4. Make sure that any antifreeze is kept in a safe and secure location far from the reach of your dog. To them, anti-freeze taste very sweet and they love it. Just like for us, it is very poisonous for dogs. 
  5. Grooming in the winter is actually very important, it helps get ride of your dog's lighter coat. Their winter coat cannot grow if their old coat is still moulting, brushing your dog helps speed this process along. 
         


        Do not be afraid to take your dog out in the snow because most dogs LOVE playing with you out all the fun fluffy snow, just make sure that they are safe and warm when doing it!





Tails Wags from the CompleteK9 Team!

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Look What I Can Eat!




15 Foods That Both You AND Your Dog Can Eat

         This week's post focuses on every day foods that are safe, even healthy, for your dog to consume. Many of these are great alternative for training treats or if you are on the road and need to feed your dog. 

  1. Apples (without the seeds)
    1. Apples help to clean the residue off of a dog's teeth they are also an excellent source of fibre and vitamin A and C. 
  2. Kelp
    1. Kelp is rich in iodine, making is a supplement for dogs with Thyroid issues. It is also a good form of flea prevention and it helps with allergies. 
  3. Yogurt 
    1. Yogurt can be very healthy for you dog as long as it has no added sugars. Unflavoured and unsweetened greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein for both humans and dogs!
  4. Pumpkin 
    1. Pumpkin is like pepto for dogs! It helps to settle indigestion, upset stomachs, or diarrhea. 
  5. Sweet Potatoes 
    1. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fibre and contain vitamins such as B6, C, Manganese, and beta carotene. 
  6. Bananas 
    1. Bananas are high in fibre, potassium, and magnesium, making them great for doggy diarrhea home remedies. 
  7. Oats or Oatmeal 
    1. Oats or Oatmeal is an excellent source of fibre and is beneficial for senior dogs that may have bowel issues. It is a great alternative to wheat!
  8. Peanut Butter
    1. Peanut butter contains heart healthy fats and is an excellent source of protein. 
  9. Green Beans 
    1. Green beans are filling and low calorie, making them a tasty treat for your dog. 
  10. Coconut Oil
    1. Coconut oil is great for your dogs skin, digestion, and immune system. 
  11. Spinach 
    1. Spinach is high in iron, fibre and calcium. Spinach is great for warding off cardiovascular diseases, cancer and inflammatory problems.   
  12. Carrots 
    1. Carrots are good for a dog's teeth and they are high in fibre and vitamin A. 
  13. Zucchini 
    1. Zucchini is great for your dog's skin and fur. It is also great for encouraging weight loss in your dog. 
  14. Cantaloupe
    1. Cantaloupe promotes good eyesight and they are an excellent source of vitamin A.
  15. Broccoli 
    1. Broccoli is extremely nutritious for your dog it contains numerous vitamins and fibre.
       Remember to make sure that foods you are giving your dog are healthy for them, although these are all healthy alternatives, there are many foods that are not good for your dog. Make sure to look into it before giving your dog human food. 

Tail Wags from the CompleteK9 Team


Wednesday 6 January 2016

Common Myths About Dogs



Doggie Myth Busters 


         This week we decided to focus on the ten most common myths that people believe about dogs. I hope these help you and even surprise you! Enjoy:)
  1. A dogs mouth is NOT cleaner than a humans. A dog's mouth has tons of dog specific bacteria in their mouths, as long as its a healthy dog it wont cause us any harm, but the whole a dog's mouth is cleaner than ours is a complete myth!
  2. A warm or dry nose does not mean that your dog is sick, this is a common myth. Often, dogs have warm or dry noses after they wake up, which is completely normal!
  3. Dogs do NOT only see in black and white, in fact, they can see colours, just not in the same manner as we do. 
  4. Dogs do NOT specifically eat grass to induce vomiting, although they some times do vomit after eating grass, the grass was not the cause of this. Some dogs just like to eat, chomp or graze on grass. It will not hurt them (as long as it is not chemically treated) they may just need some extra greens in their diets.  
  5. A wagging tail does NOT mean that a dog is happy, yes, commonly a dog will wag its tail when happy or excited, however this is not always the case. K9 body language can get pretty complex and difficult for humans to pick up on. A wagging tail can also be a sign of fear, anxiety or even aggression. Be sure to look for other signs in body language before engaging. 
  6. Although many believe that only male dogs "hump" or lift their leg to pee is not true, both male and female dogs show this behaviour. 
  7. Licking wounds does NOT mean healing, generally, licking wounds is significantly worse for a dog's wounds and should be prevented. 
  8. Certain dog breeds being more aggressive than others is a myth. Although larger and stronger dog breeds have the ability to be more dangerous when aggressive, smaller breeds can be just as aggressive as a larger dog. Any breed can show aggression towards other dogs or humans. 
  9. When two dogs are barking at each other through a fence (for example the neighbours dog) it does NOT mean that they hate each other. The dogs are simply claiming their territory and making it known to the other, it could also mean they are simply excited and want to meet and play with one another. 
  10. People often believe that if their dog has been running in the yard all day that they do not need a walk, however this is not true. The energy that they are burning in the backyard requires very little thought or brain power. Walks allow your dog to focus and will give you a much more tired and content dog. 


        I hope you all learnt something about your dog today and the ten most common myths about dogs! Be sure to check back in with us next wednesday for a new #woofwednesday. 

Tail wags from the CompleteK9 team! :)