Is Your Dog Overweight?

Is your dog pleasantly plump? Well, according to a study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention and Mars Incorporated’s Banfield Pet Hospital, he may not be pleasantly anything; he may just be fat. Extra weight on humans causes a host of medical problems; it can also harm dogs, creating increased risk of diabetes, joint problems, cancer, arthritis, and kidney disease. Why is the obesity epidemic spreading to dogs, and is your beloved pooch too fat?

The reason why dogs (and cats) are fat is the same reason why people have weight problems. Typically, they eat too much and exercise too little. We equate food with love a lot of the time, and it is so tempting to sneak our dogs a few too many treats. Or to look at those puppy eyes and imagine we see he’s hungry. In reality, dogs that eat less live longer. Exercise is also key. A walk gives both dog and owner tremendous benefits. You’ll see the difference not only in your dog’s weight (and hopefully yours) but also in his mood. Destructive behaviors, caused by boredom, can be remedied with sufficient physical activity and stimulation.

The study found that almost half of the dogs and cats in the US are overweight, and 20 percent are obese. For dogs and cats, this means that they weigh 30 percent or more than their ideal healthy body weight. Is your dog part of the pet “obesity epidemic”? He may be if you cannot feel his ribs easily, see a hanging belly, or if he has a broad, flat back.

Not only do these extra pounds weigh your dog down, they weigh your budget down as well. Pet owners with Veterinary Pet Insurance policies spent over $25 million on obesity-related problems.

According to Ernie Ward, founder of the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, obesity is the most preventable health issue facing dogs and cats. Steven Budsberg, veterinary expert at University of Georgia, says, “Obesity in pets is almost the equivalent of smoking in human medicine. There’s the high cost to people, and it’s self-induced. I never met a German shepherd who could open the refrigerator or the food bag and pour himself another bowl.”

Some weight loss suggestions include counting calories, using software to track eating and exercise, and investing in a dog treadmill. But you can save yourself the expense and stick to a good old healthy diet and daily, brisk walk or intense play. It’ll cost you less now, and it will certainly cost you less in the long run.

Going Retro: Vintage Shirts for Your Pup

Everyone loves a great t-shirt. They’re casual, comfortable, and the perfect complement to a variety of outfits. T-shirts are the best, most versatile additions to any wardrobe – even your dog’s! If you have always been interested in trying clothes for your pup, t-shirts are the perfect way to introduce them to the idea because of their great comfort and fit. When buying clothing for your dog, it is best to get them items that fit snugly, but not tightly and that have no tempting ornamentation that your dog will want to chew. Duds4Pups’ line of vintage tees fits the bill perfectly.

Vintage t-shirts are fun and fresh. Take a look at the Elton John Vintage T-Shirt, for instance. In subtle pink and white colors, the image of Elton from his “Saturday Night” days is ideal for any music lover. If you’re more into 80s hard rock, you can try a Kiss Sonic Boom Vintage Tee. Vintage tees come in a variety of styles, from a cute Smurf to a fun retro surf shirt, so you’ll be able to find the right fit for your dog’s personality.

You cannot go wrong with a great vintage tee – unless you get the wrong size! Make sure to measure your dog. We know, that can be a trick in itself, but measure along your pup’s back from the base of the neck to the base of his tail. Next, measure around his rib cage at the largest part. Choose the size that best fits his measurements. Remember, the shirt should fit snugly so it does not restrict movement or cause discomfort.

Your dog will look so great, you’ll want a vintage tee for yourself!

Get a Dog, Get Some Exercise: Teens with Dogs More Active

If you needed one more reason to get a dog – look to your children. Not only are dogs excellent companions, University of Virginia researchers have discovered that teens with dogs are much more active than their non-pooch-owning counterparts. So when your kids beg for a dog, at least they’re making a healthy decision!

The UVA researchers found that, on average, kids with dogs engaged in an extra 15 minutes of physical activity per week over those that did not own a dog. Must be from all that dog-walking. Or not. Every parent who has been begged for a dog knows that despite promises, they are often the ones who end up walking the dog. The researchers say, “Children and adolescents may not have the primary responsibility of walking the dog but may actively play with the family dog, thus contributing to their overall minutes engaging in physical activity.” Routine care, such as feeding the dog and cleaning up after it also adds to those minutes.

There is no doubt that kids need more exercise; time spent engaging in physical activity drops dramatically after elementary school. Dr. Cheryl B. Anderson of the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine says, “You may walk it, you may not, but the fact that you have this animal in the house makes you get up off the chair more. Every bit of activity is important.”

The added benefit of treating your dog – and yourself – to a daily brisk walk will do your body good.

Are Dogs a Doctor’s Best Friend?

There is no doubt about it: dogs are amazing animals. They provide us with endless unconditional love; they can help reduce health issues, such as high blood pressure and depression; and they are loyal in their service to us. Dogs are often employed to sniff out drugs, and the military uses them to detect roadside bombs in war zones. You can add another item to this already impressive resume: cancer detector.

Recently, Japanese researchers reported that a trained Lab was able to detect colon cancer with up to 98 percent accuracy. Instead of expensive panels of blood work and tests, the Lab, named Marine, was able to do this by sniffing the patients’ breath and stool samples. Not too shabby – especially considering that her success rate was higher than that of the fecal occult test, which is a standard diagnostic tool. This test is unable to detect 30 percent of patients’ cancers.

Marine’s finely tuned nose was able to identify both early and late stage cancers. Since beginning her training in 2005, she has learned to detect 12 distinct cancers using only breath samples.

Incredibly, Marine’s success was not a fluke or stunning coincidence. Other studies have confirmed that dogs can use their terrific sense of smell to sniff out cancer. British researchers found that dogs could detect bladder cancer by simply smelling the patients’ urine, and Swedish researchers trained dogs to detect ovarian cancer. Trained dogs have also been shown to detect lung and breast cancer from tissue, blood, and urine.

Researchers are working on the theory that different cancers have different smells, and dogs are vital to that work. Another benefit: having a dog sniff your breath is a whole lot more pleasant than a colonoscopy, and studies show, it’s as accurate.

Adorable Dog, Destructive Chewing

For a dog, chewing is like breathing. They do it naturally, and it’s a good thing. Most of the time. Chewing, in addition to being good for the teeth, chewing provides dogs with mental stimulation. Destructive chewing, however, is definitely not the type of mental stimulation you or your dog needs. Chewing on hazardous items, or even just your favorite leather boots, is a negative behavior that has to be curbed, and the sooner, the better.

Why is your dog chewing? If he’s a puppy, it may just be that he’s teething. When babies teeth, they need to relieve pressure and pain in their gums, and chewing helps do this. Puppies need the same type of release. In this case, it is not a bad habit, just a necessity. Bones and chews toys are a must. Give him a new one once in a while and try rotating through them so he doesn’t get bored of them.

If your dog is over his teething stage, chewing may have become a pleasant thing to do. You may find your dog doing this more when he’s bored, lonely, anxious, or scared. For instance, if you work long days and leave your pup at home, it is not uncommon to come home to find something chewed up. Stimulation and exercise can be good cures for chewing, especially if you have a high energy dog. Also try:

• Providing treats and toys. They’re not just for puppies. Older dogs need them too.
• Taking away temptation. This is hard to do – you can’t put everything in your home into the closet, but do take away the most tempting items. If your dog likes the trash, for instance, put it in a room that your dog can’t access.
• When you’re gone, put your dog in a kennel or dog-proof a room and use gates to keep him confined to one area.
• Coat any of his favorite non-appropriate chewing items with something that tastes bad to him. This could be Tabasco sauce, sour apple spray, Bitter Apple, or pepper. Make sure it is non-toxic but unpleasant.
• Teach him “leave it” or “drop it.” When he’s chewing something, don’t try to tug it out of his mouth. This, of course, is a great game to the dog. It’s not so fun for you.
• You can’t discipline your dog for chewing after he’s done it. It is tempting to think that dogs have it in for us and are chewing to spite us. But they’re really not. They’re chewing because they chew. Only discipline him, with a firm “No!” when you catch him. Replace the inappropriate item with a chew toy.
• Don’t give your dog chew toys that resemble “real” items. If you don’t want him to chew on your shoes, don’t give him a toy shaped like a shoe. If you don’t want him to chew on the kids’ stuffed animals, don’t give him a toy that looks like one. He’ll get confused. Make sure he’s aware of what is a toy and what is not.

Chewing is trying, there’s no doubt about it. With patience – and lots and lots of stimulation – you can both conquer it.