The Truth About Dogs and Heart Disease

Dogs are known as "man's best friend" for good reason. They are loyal, protective, and always happy to see their owners come home. But did you know that dogs can also suffer from heart disease? In this blog post, we will discuss the signs of heart disease in dogs, how to prevent it, and how to treat it if your dog does develop a problem.

Photo by Ivana La on Unsplash

What is Canine Heart Disease?

Canine heart disease occurs when there is a problem with the structure or function of the heart. This can be caused by an infection, an underlying medical condition, or even genetics. It can affect both puppies and older dogs, so it's important to know what signs to look for in your pet.

What are the Symptoms of Canine Heart Disease?

The most common symptom of canine heart disease is a decrease in energy level and exercise tolerance. Other symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, fatigue, fainting spells, collapse, and an enlarged abdomen due to fluid buildup. If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, it's important to take them to the vet right away for a full examination.

How to Prevent Canine Heart Disease

The best way to prevent canine heart disease is to make sure your dog gets regular exercise and a balanced diet. Also, make sure they receive all of their necessary vaccinations, as some forms of heart disease are caused by viruses. Finally, it's important to have your dog examined regularly by the vet in order to identify any potential problems early on.

How is Canine Heart Disease Treated?

If your dog has been diagnosed with canine heart disease, there are several treatment options available. These include medications such as diuretics or ACE inhibitors which can reduce fluid buildup around the heart, surgically implanted pacemakers for cases of arrhythmia, and lifestyle modifications such as restricted exercise or a special diet. Oxygen for dogs with congestive heart failure is also recommended. Your vet will help you decide which treatment is best for your dog's condition. For example, some medications have side effects, so it's important to discuss these with your vet.

How to Give Them Extra Care

When your dog has been diagnosed with a heart condition, it's important to give them extra care and attention. This may include more frequent trips to the vet for checkups and monitoring, as well as an adjustment in their activity level. Additionally, be sure to keep them away from stressful situations, provide plenty of comfortable places for rest, and give them lots of love and affection. For example, you can try playing with their favorite toy or taking them on more leisurely walks.

It's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of canine heart disease, so you can take swift action if necessary. With proper care and treatment, your dog can still live a happy, healthy life. So don't worry about having a best friend who is suffering from heart disease - just make sure to get them the help they need!

Tips that will Keep your Dog’s Teeth Healthy

When you take your dog to the vet, there is a high chance that they will stress the importance of brushing your dog’s teeth. The problem is that most dogs won’t just sit there and let you brush their teeth for them. They’ll probably squirm, wriggle away and just make it hard work in general. If this sounds like your dog, then there are a few things that you can do to try and keep your dog’s teeth healthy and clean without the drama.

Feel Good Food

Feeding your dog good food will help them in more ways than one. Quality food that includes whole ingredients will nourish their body and it will also help them to have strong and healthy teeth. If you can, you should avoid foods that are made with cereal grains, meals and even by-products. The main reason for this is because they are much more likely to stick to your dog’s teeth and they may even cause them more problems in the future.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/adorable-animal-breed-canine-356378/

Vegetables and Fruit

Dogs love snacks. A lot of dog owners also love giving them as well. The problem is that a lot of snacks are awful for your dog’s teeth. This is especially the case for ones that are high in cereal grains, fat or sugar. If you want to give your dog a healthy snack that won’t harm their teeth then consider carrot slices, apple and even squash. As your dog chews these food products, the plaque will slowly be scraped off their teeth and this can work wonders for their gums. Of course, when feeding your dog treats like this, you have to make sure that you don’t feed them more than 10% of their daily allowance.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/beagle-puppy-1345191/

Dried Meat Treats

There are a huge range of meat treats out there for your pet and they will give them an excellent amount of chewing action. They will help to keep their teeth clean and some of them can be really good for their immune system too. If you want to give your dog some treats then consider beef eats, dried tendons or even snouts. Sure, they might not seem the most appealing to us, but to a dog, it’s a tasty treat that will always be gratefully received.

Chew Toys

If your dog loves to chew then don’t be afraid to let them. Give them a hard rubber or even a nylon chew toy. As your dog chews away, they will be scraping their teeth, and this can help to prevent plaque build-up. If you want your dog to get the best result, then you need to give them the toy at the end of every meal. If you want to give them some great dog food, then check out these Freshpet reviews.

Raw Bones

Bones are great for keeping your dog’s teeth healthy. The best bones are ones that are uncooked and large. This can include cow bones. If you give your dog bones that are too small, then there is a high chance that they will splinter and break. They may get stuck in your dog’s mouth and this can cause you even more problems in the future.

Preparing for the worst disasters with your dogs

Check out our new online Classroom where you can learn how to train your dog in the comfort of your home at your pace. Once you sign up its good for life, no renewal fees.

My new girl in training

Prepare  

By preparing for the worst
You learn what to do
With practice your actions become habits
And turn the worst into steps you walk to survive
Fear is replaced with the knowledge of knowing what to do
Confidence is restored
Especially when you have a partner, you can count on…
Like your dog

In memory of Miss Daisy 2001-2013
Wrinkledpups Daisy Mayham

In Memory of Sue 1997-2008
Rea Valley's Incredible Sue
Certified Mantrailer
Book of Champions

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How to Encourage a Dog

Learn to love and watch a dog accomplish what they set out to do. Capture the moment that resides in all of us. The moment of accomplishment of though, focus, action and movement in perfect harmony.

This is what brings into creation the art of being able to put in motion a thought in real life with the joy of the moment. 

Dog love to please us, they have proven time and time again throughout history that they will do for us anything we ask or need with tail wagging joy and total commitment.

They learn early on to come to us and ask us to take them for a walk, to feed them and to love them. They know how to get our attention and we've all heard about how well our dogs train us.

A well trained dog is actually a partnership built on trust and love with its handler.

Dogs that are trained to fear being wrong are not working with their handler as a teammate, as a partner. They are reacting from fear of punishment and have learned that the handler will scare them if they do that behavior again.

They have not learned to think of the performance but of the punishment. Even the slightest punishment puts the dog's attention on what you are doing "to" him and not what he is doing at the moment.

We want your dogs to be thinking of what they can do for you instead of what you might do to them. 

Playing in the water on a hot Ozark dayWrinkledpups Beauregard "Bo"
(1999-2003)

Training dogs with food rewards can bring on a similar response where the dog is only working for the food and not with you as a team member. Food therefore, is only recommended as a way to motivate the dog to begin to pay attention and then the food should be replaced with praise that leads to teamwork.

Miss Lilly and Tammi
2005
We're so proud of these 2 !

Tammi, Lilly and Bert (pictured below) are a team we are extremely proud of. 

Lilly, along with Wrinkledpups Bloodhound Bert and Tammi made an incredible 1st Find after only a short time in training. Tammi got Lilly from us when Lilly was 6 yrs old and Bert when he was 6 months old. 

These were Tammi's first Bloodhounds and after training for only a few months with a local law enforcement trainer in their area, they were called on a search for a missing elderly couple.

The couple's car was found after the couple had been missing for quite a long time. Tammi called me to tell me after she scented the dogs on the car, both dogs led her through the woods to a old empty house. Lilly went to the sofa and got on the sofa then the floor and she did not want to move. Bert scratched at the floor and walls. The house was a mess, full of trash and furnishings everywhere. It looked like nobody had been in the house for years.

Tammy could not figure out what was wrong with the dogs. Lilly did not want to do anything but lay there. Bert ? Well he was young and maybe just wanted to play?

Always trust your dog...I told her to go back and do the same as she did before. Watch the dogs, they are trying to tell her something. She did exactly that and with the police, the elderly couple was found buried in the wall and floor of the house. They had been murdered and missing for months. 

Never underestimate your dog.

Bert and Tammi
Thank you Tammi, Bert and Lilly
for making us proud

How to Live in a Disaster

How to live in a Disaster

Your family dog can help you in a disaster. This page outlines how your dog can help you and what you can ask your dog to do for you.

Action not reaction can save your life as well as your family’s lives in the event of a disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane, flood or tornado. 

In the event of an emergency

Keep calm so you can calm those around you.

Call your dog to you. 

Willie's Ready

If your dog has not been trained to retrieve a dog backpack upon command then you should have your “Go-bag” with emergency supplies at hand or packed in a dog backpack that you can put on your dog so no matter where you both are you have first aid supplies, food and supplies for 24-72 hours.

Your dog can carry these for you and do not forget to put some dog food in the go-bag. Bottle of water can be tied to your dog and a harness will make tying equipment onto your dog easier. Your dog can be quite the pack animal in an emergency and they will be pleased to help at your time of need, why he is there with you, by your side.

If you are missing a loved one...ask your dog to show you were they are.

Encourage your dog with praise as you follow them to the person.

Read your dog and what for signs of where the people are. 

If your dog stops and looks up or down then pay close attention to why your dog is doing this or that.

If you are in an earthquake or situation where the ground or surface can shift then your dog could hear the shift before it jolts you off your feet while you may not hear any noise. In a collapsed building or unstable environment your dog can alert you to danger. If you are paying attention to your dog then you will see warning signs your dog displays to you which can help you on your way out or over the collapsed building.

Even without training most family dogs do know who lives in the house by name. Be sure and use your dogs’ name when asking and the person’s name who want found. Make it important and your dog will take you serious plus because you are in an actual disaster your dog will not be in its normal mood or mode but also in a survival mode or mind set just like you.

If you have followed any of the lessons on this site then you will be more prepared to respond when an emergency or disaster strikes.

If you have not followed any of the lessons then what do you have to lose in an actual disaster by asking your dog to help? Even reading this one page can help you during a time when you least expect it.

In the event of a disaster; 

Find a safe place for a base camp where supplies can be stored and people gathered.

To avoid further injury or stress to survivors it is best to make camp and wait for rescuers who will bring supplies. Rescuers can not find you if you are moving around. It is much easier to reach a group then people spread everywhere.

Next, treat the injured the best you can.

Wait for rescuers to arrive with supplies.

Once camp is set up then you and your dog can locate who might be missing. Try to take a person or two with you as back up in case you need help digging somebody out or moving an object, or carrying an injured person. 

Do not take more then 2 or 3 volunteers because to many people can make traveling on rough surfaces more dangerous. Plus volunteers who stay at base camp can do another shift later after resting or they can help at base camp.

Be sure and gather any food or supplies you find to take back to base camp.

If you have your “Go-Bag” or 24-72 survival pack, your dog and your loved ones...

You will be fine at base camp until rescuers reach you.

This is the type of Go-Bag or 24-72 hr survival pack in this article.

Survival Kit Premium 2 Person 72 hour Earthquake Kit

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