Giving Your Dog a Pill: The Easy Peasy Way

Giving pills to my dogs is a breeze and they love it! No kidding. These three are lined up anxiously waiting their turn to get their pill. It should not be necessary with any dog to fight with them or force a pill down their throat.

Only one of the dogs is really getting a pill but all three think, and are, getting a yummy treat. Our Springer Spaniel is hypothyroid so getting her daily thyrotabs needs to be done with the other two canine family members right there. They get blanks! Blanks are exactly the same thing the Springer gets except theirs has no pill embedded. Here’s how we do it.

We usually use liverwurst (it’s a soft pliable type of sausage found in nearly all supermarkets where the luncheon meat is sold). You can also use cream cheese but, since too much of it can cause diarrhea, it’s best to use cream cheese sparingly.

With a spoon or knife take out a small portion of the sausage, enough to completely surround whatever size pill you may be giving. Place the pill in the centre and gently push it down into the liverwurst. Then gently squeeze the meat on the sides so you can cover the exposed part of the pill. Now it’s ready to be given as a treat.

If your dog is used to being forced with pills or is suspicious, there is one more thing you can do to be sure he takes it. This should only be necessary to do once or twice until he figures out he’s getting a treat and not a pill {wink}. Take out another piece of the sausage with your spoon and have it ready with the other piece that has the pill embedded. Now, have your dog sit or do something that you would normally make him do to get a treat. You should also be cheery at this point. The minute he responds, you need to be ready to give the ‘embedded’ treat and when he takes it, offer the other one as well. That way, he’ll quickly swallow the first one (with the pill) so he can get a second treat. Presto! It’s as easy as that.

If you make giving a pill a treat instead of a fight, your dogs too will look forward to and will line up at pill time (like my gang does). Easy Peasy!

Copyright © 2009 Diane M. Schuller. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Copy.

Contest (Canada)

Win a subscription to Dogs in Canada magazine. Visit the Dogs in Canada website and please read the contest rules. No purchase necessary to enter.

It’s a great dog magazine (and I’ve had articles in previous issues ) so I definitely recommend it whether you win a subscription through the contest or decide to subscribe on your own.

 

Diane is a freelance writer and lifestyle photographer. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Hold the Onions Please (for Fido)

In a recent blog post by cyber friend Kelly over at Design Ties, it reminded me to remind everyone about not feeding onions to your dogs — whether you feed real food, real cooked food, or that artificial kibble. Here’s the scoop on keeping the onions out of Fido’s meals. Please note that this is written by a veterinarian and is quoted word-for-word giving the veterinarian full credit below.

Onions are toxic to dogs. The toxicity is dose dependent, so the bigger the animal, the more onion need be consumed to cause a toxicity. Onion toxicity causes a Heinz body anemia. Heinz bodies are small bubble-like projections which protrude from a red blood cell and can be seen when the cells are stained. This “bubble” is a weak spot in the red blood cell and, therefore, the cell has a decreased life-span and ruptures prematurely.

If numerous red cells are affected and rupture, anemia can result. It is a form of hemolytic anemia. Onions are only one of the substances which can cause Heinz body anemia. Other substances such as Acetominophen (Tylenol) and benzocaine-containing topical preparations can also cause Heinz body anemia in the dog.

The toxic effect of the onions are the same whether the product is raw, cooked or dehydrated. The hemolytic episode usually occurs several days after onion ingestion (lowest hematocrit around day 5 post ingestion). Daily feeding of onions could have a cumulative effect due to ongoing formation of Heinz bodies versus a single exposure with a wide gap until the next exposure, allowing the bone marrow time to regenerate the prematurely destroyed red cells.

The cat is even more susceptible. Recently, Gerber began to add onion powder to all its meat baby foods. They are labeled as “better tasting”. Since baby food is often used in sick cats that are not eating (to stimulate their appetites), there was concern that the onion powder would cause a Heinz body anemia in these cats. Within a week or two of the change, there were numerous reports of Heinz body anemia in cats receiving Gerber baby food in their diets.

I strongly recommend NO ONIONS for dogs. There is no benefit and certainly the potential to cause harm.

Written by Dr. Wendy Wallner, DVM

NOTE: Garlic is safe for your dog used in moderation and can help with a myriad of things such as gas, flea prevention and it has natural antibiotic properties.

There are other sources stating this information including some of the books I have referred to in previous posts.

Spring Water

This gives a whole new meaning to spring water. This photo was taken one year ago yesterday. It’s my Springer Spaniel in the water (spring dugout) hunting for voles (they often nest at water’s edge).

That night for dinner she likely ate a raw chicken or maybe a turkey neck with a strip of beef … or maybe a strip of pork and a couple chicken necks. As nature intended anyway.

Take your dog out for some fun today!

{This post is part of Pet Parade. Head over and check it out — add your pet too.}

Diane is a pet and livestock photographer (people too) serving Grande Prairie and northern Alberta/BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Grande Prairie, Alberta: Dog, Pet & Livestock Photographer

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
May 13, 2009
Hythe, Alberta

 

Hythe Area Photographer Captures Animal-Human Bond

 

Some clients slobber; some kick; some have bad breath, pass gas, or want to hide in a corner.

That’s all part of the job for Diane Schuller who specializes in pet and livestock photography. “It’s important to understand how animals behave and react, and to have a solid knowledge of animals’ body language,” says Schuller.

Schuller who lives NW of Hythe is an on-location lifestyle photographer serving all of Alberta and Northern B.C. Her forte in photographing animals does not exclude their human counterparts, though Schuller admits her lifetime being around animals adds to her suitability for photographing animals – everything from domestic pets to livestock and farmyard animals. She prides herself on providing quality images from a session that never includes placing pets or people in unnatural, uncomfortable poses and no saying, “cheese!”

In 2008 Schuller took on her first paying photography assignments although prior to then she had her photographs published in national magazines, primarily accompanying articles she wrote for the publications. This spring Schuller began the process of building her photography business and on May 11, 2009 launched her official photography website, Diane Schuller Photography [www.dianeschuller.com].

Schuller’s website has a clean, modern, user-friendly design. The website includes Diane’s portfolio presented in large format in a series of galleries, together with information about the photography sessions, her involvement with animals, and what to expect in an on-location creative session.

During 2009 Schuller is offering a special introductory rate in Grande Prairie and surrounding areas to build her client base and portfolio. Schuller plans some recession buster specials over the summer and offers her services to animal-related non-profit organizations for their fund-raising endeavours, with details on her website.

 

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Contact: Diane Schuller
Phone: 780-3 5 6 – 2 3 5 5
Email: dianeschuller @ gmail.com
Website: www.dianeschuller.com

A Waste of Money: Supplements

Have you noticed how many supplements are available these days for pets? Have you ever really thought about those supplements and how they’re made and whether your pet really needs it in the first place?

Unless a dog is seriously deficient in some way or another, supplements should not be necessary. I feed my dogs as nature intended: a raw, species-appropriate diet of a variety of meats and some bone. Even if you feed your dog an artificial diet of that dreadful dry dog food, don’t the pet food manufacturers sell it by saying how it’s “balanced” and “complete”? Even that artificial grain-based pet food is supposedly full of all kinds of ‘nutrients’ and every supplement pet food manufacturers claim they need. So, why give supplements?

 

Eating a species-appropriate meal: raw turkey neck and strip of beef

 

Even for those of us who feed our dogs real food, it’s a shame that so many of those people are convinced to buy and give their dog unnecessary vitamins, supplements and cure-all’s. Supplement companies, some of them are even well meaning, are in business solely to take your money. They’re like a wild animal after its prey — they are relentless in their pursuit and methods to capture their prey (you and me). After all, there is no money to be made in healthy animals! The health food industry is in business to make money by convincing us their (useless) vitamins or supplements will fix everything and they reach us through their ability to pull out the violins, convincing us through our emotions and playing on our naivety.

The other factor in this is how the pet food industry has convinced us over recent decades how incredibly complex and difficult it is to feed our pets — bah!

“Although we have come to accept commercial foods as being normal or natural ways to feed animals (and indeed ourselves), in fact they are not. They are simply what we’ve gotten used to in the last few decades. But nothing we can produce commercially ever can rival those mysteriously complex foods manufactured for eons by nature itself.” quote by Richard H. Pitcairn. DVM, PhD., author of Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

Some pet owners are even convinced that they can make their pet more healthy by giving supplements! Does that not defy common sense? Of course. It may help assuage our guilt but it serves no positive purpose for the well-being of our pets.

Don’t forget that all those supplements are made by either or all of the following methods: heat processing (which kills nutrients and beneficial oils); hydrolysis; and the addition of synthetic additives. Common sense tells you that this is not natural or as nature intended. The best way to ensure your dog or pet gets the nutrients it requires is to feed a species-appropriate diet consisting of a variety of meats and some bone. The body ‘knows’ what to do with these foods and the variety is how you ensure the proper range of nutrients. If you feed a cooked diet, then yes you’re going to have to supplement in a reasonable way because cooking destroys all the live enzymes and many of the nutrients (which is why pet food manufacturers lace their products with all those synthetic supplements).

Supplements are an illusion. Their claims that they will make your dog or pet healthy/healthier or that they will ‘cure’ health problems — that is total myth.

The best way to help your dog if it has a problem is to treat the source/origin of the problem. Also, rather than using processed supplements, give the real food source that is claimed to benefit the particular problem. To give one example of what that means: if for instance, your dog is suffering from a lot of itchiness, rather than buy some ineffective and expensive supplement, try giving your dog real salmon oil capsules (about 5 times/week). That at least is a real food devoid of heat or chemical processing and additives. This is only one example to demonstrate how to deal with an issue by  using food.

One book I feel that every pet owner should use as a sensible resource is Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. In it, you will find he dishes out the same advice and shares the kind of supplements that are needed, when appropriate.

So save your money and don’t be tricked into buying unnecessary supplements.

Earth Day is (also) for the Dogs

I read a shocking statistic dated 2007 that 200,000 tons of pet waste is sent to the landfills each year – in Canada alone. This includes things like cat and other pet litter, cage shavings, and dog doo. That’s a lot of pet waste. If you share your home with a dog, most of you likely use plastic grocery bags to pick up and dispose of their business. Don’t forget that plastic does not decompose – it’ll be in the landfills forever. There are (partially) biodegradable bags you can purchase that are a better choice. You could also invest in one of the backyard dog waste disposal systems or create your own backyard dog compost. Any of these options is a step towards reducing your dog’s impact on the environment.

Not only is Diane 'green' but her dogs are tree huggers too! Copyright © Diane M Schuller. All Rights Reserved. www.dianeschuller.com

Another step you could take is to reconsider what you feed your dog. Those of you who already feed your dog species-appropriate foods, whether cooked or raw, already are miles ahead in terms of reducing your pet’s footprint on the environment (not to mention how much better real food is for their overall wellness). Commercial foods, dry or wet, are loaded with preservatives; the grains (not suitable for dogs anyway) are grown using excess fertilizer, pesticides, and greenhouse gases expended in their harvesting & production; use excessive amounts of energy and synthetics in the processing; and are extremely wasteful in all the packaging utilized. For those who insist on feeding commercial foods, a move toward seeking out and feeding foods that are certified to be made with 100% organic products is a step in the right direction.

Another significant step you can take is to remove all the so-called ‘air fresheners’ and discontinue use of toxic cleaning products in the home (so much healthier for the humans in the household too). In a future post I will provide more specific ways of being green in your home if you have a dog or other household pet. For now, here is a link to an archive of one of my weekly columns on creating your own Eco-Clean Kit. All these toxic ‘air fresheners’, cleaning products, laundry additives, and the like end up down our drains, in the air we breathe, and against our skin. No wonder there are so many allergy and skin problems — pets or humans.

More eco-friendly tips for living green with your pet are coming soon to Dogs Naturally. Happy Earth Day!

Alberta: Pet & Livestock Photographer

On-location pet and livestock photography (dogs, cats, horses, llamas, any pet or livestock) located here in Alberta. Visit my website to learn more and view a sample portfolio or contact me by email (dianeschuller AT gmail DOT com). In addition to high quality lifestyle portraits of your pet, I can provide you with high quality digital copies for your website or advertisements.

Stock photos of pets and livestock (and other subjects) also available for your book, magazine or other special project.

Call today for pet and livestock photography by Diane Schuller here in Alberta as well as northern British Columbia. Quality pet portraits at affordable prices.

My goal is to provide professional service, quality lifestyle photography showcasing each animal’s personality and beauty.

 

Diane is an on-location pet and livestock photographer in the Grande Prairie area also serving northern Alberta/BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Castaway Dog did Not survive on ‘vegetables’ or ‘grain’

By now most people have seen or heard the news story about the Australian Cattle dog that had gone overboard during a storm on the open seas. The dog was presumed drowned. After four months, he was recently discovered on a remote island. Fortunately instinct kicked in. We don’t have to guess what he survived on before being rescued — and it sure wasn’t vegetables or grain. Dogs are carnivores, after all. He ate what nature intended.

Read the news story and see the video before the BBC takes it offline.

Does Your Dog Need a De-Wormer?

Do you suspect your dog has worms? Do you self medicate your dog? If you do suspect that your dog may have worms, you should never self medicate your dog by purchasing a dewormer over-the-counter from your local pet supply store.

If you have reason to suspect your dog may have worms, what you should do is collect a fresh stool sample, label it, and take it the same day to your veterinarian’s office. In their lab they will determine from that sample if your dog does — or does not — have worms. If the dog does have worms, they will also then determine exactly what type of worms/parasites s/he may have. This is important. Don’t forget that dewormer is a poison. Why would you unnecessarily give your dog a poison if s/he doesn’t even have worms? Also, the vet will prescribe the correct type of dewormer for the specific type of worm based on the stool sample. Just as importantly, the veterinarian will also give the correct dosage for your dog based on its weight.

For more detailed information on identifying and treating worms in your pet and in a more natural way, I recommend reading the section on Worms in the Quick Reference section of Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. 

As I’ve mentioned in many posts in this blog, I highly recommend Pitcairn’s book as a wise investment in the natural health of your dog or cat. It’s a book you will continually be referring to and will glean so much helpful information regarding the health and wellness of your pet. It’s one I always give as a gift to a new pet owner or someone who has begun to encounter health problems with their pet.

So, if you suspect your dog may have worms, don’t just medicate — take a fresh stool sample to your veterinarians FIRST! Make sure s/he actually has worms before you give the poison that’s necessary for helping to expel the parasites. When we know better, we do better.

How to Take Better Photos of Your Dog / Pet (kids too)

Copyright © 2009 Diane Schuller. All Rights Reserved. It is illegal to copy any part of this post or the photos without the written permission of the author. You may link to this page from your blog or website.

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Taking pictures of your dog, cat, or other pets are often similar to taking photos of your children. Here are six simple, yet basic, aspects to keep in mind when taking pictures of your family pet/dog. These six tips will form a useful base to get you started taking better snapshots of your family pet.

1. Have an assistant, whenever possible. If you have a friend or family member you can put them to work in playing with the dog or pup or by acting as a distraction with a toy, for instance. Squeaky toys are good for getting dogs to perk their ears at attention and for directing which direction the dog faces.
2. Turn off the flash and turn the beep feature off on your camera. Take your photos in a brightly lit room or outdoors so the flash is not necessary. Many animals become leary of cameras when the beep goes off every time the shutter is released. You don’t want your pet worried about the camera — you want him/her relaxed.
3. Forget about posing! Attempting to pose a dog, especially with the dog looking straight at the camera, most times is so lifeless and lacks personality. The best photos are those where you capture your dog (or your kids) at play, concentrating or showing curiosity over something, or even relaxing after a long run or playtime. As mentioned, if you have some toys or treats with you, you can toss it out to get the dog moving or playing. When you forget about posing and simply allow your pet to be itself, not only will you capture personality but you’ll also find you enjoy these the  most because the real essence of your dog/pet is captured.
4. Turn your camera’s setting to continuous mode. Whether you have a point-and-shoot, a DSLR or a 35mm film camera, you will have that capability. This allows the camera to take a continuous stream of photos while keeping the shutter pressed, hopefully so you don’t miss some unexpected shots especially if your pet is moving.
5. Take lots and lots of pictures! Don’t worry so much about perfection. Be more concerned about capturing special moments. If you have a digital camera, you have the luxury of taking all kinds of shots without having to pay for developing/processing. Simply delete the rejects after downloading them to your computer and hang on to the good ones (be sure to get them printed).
6. Get down! This one is key. When you get down to the pet’s level (again, this is important for photos of children too) and preferably the closer the better, your images will immediately improve. If you have a DSLR, you can get even better results by attaching your zoom lens. This will allow you to be further away (out of their face), less intimidating, and to still capture those close up shots. Ideally, you want to nearly (or fully) fill the frame with your subject. You don’t want your subject to be a blob or dot in the frame.

 

Here the dog is captured playing in the snow (with snow flying). It doesn't matter that the other dog's head snuck in -- it shows curiosity. Again, the dog mostly fills the frame.

It doesn't matter that this dog is not facing the camera -- the image tells a story: she is hanging back while the other two are off hunting (typical of this dog). Taken down at the dog's level and she nearly fills the frame.

The dog's face fills the frame, concentrating on his eyes. He's not looking directly at the camera (distracted) and the camera is not in his face because a zoom lens was used.

Here's a shot taken after the dog had sufficient time to play and wear off energy. He's keeping still yet his attention is elsewhere (a distraction) and even has a 'posed' look.

{These uncropped or processed photos are intended to demonstrate what is possible when applying some of the basic points suggested above. Good luck and have fun!} 

 

PhoDOGraphy: How to Get Great Pictures of Your Dog

How to Take Great Pet Pictures: Recipes for Outstanding Results with Any Camera

Copyright © 2009 Diane Schuller. All Rights Reserved. It is illegal to copy any part of this post or the photos without the written permission of the author. You may link to this page from your blog or website.

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Diane is a lifestyle photographer serving Grande Prairie & Northern Alberta. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

Raw (species appropriate) Food for Pets?

Finally, another well-written article about feeding pets raw, species-appropriate foods. I write about this often enough but simply had to link to an excellent article by fellow dog writer Christie Keith. I see she also began her conversion by reading the book by Dr Pitcairn that I am always recommending to every pet owner.

Today’s post is short and sweet — head over to San Francisco Chronicle to read Keith’s article. Better yet, share the link with friends, and print out her article.

“If we know better, we do better.” Maya Angelou

Diane is a freelance writer, member of Dog Writers Association of America, and now spends more of her time photographing dogs. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.