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2 Must-Read Books on Dog Health

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Two Dog Health Books That Go Above and Beyond

Dog Health Books
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If you’re looking for meaningful and helpful dog health books for pet owners, then I highly suggest these two options. One book is a bit “new age,” but it completely changed my way of thinking pertaining to veterinary care. I think most pet owners would greatly benefit from reading it. The other book taught me how to become my dog’s health advocate. I can’t recommend these dog health books enough. Both of them should be in every dog owner’s library. 

Speaking For Spot: The Best Health Care Book For You And Your Dog

Many years ago, as a budding pet owner and dog trainer, I had a veterinary reference handbook that I used for just about everything. We didn’t have Google back then, so I had to research symptoms, veterinary diagnoses and general health information the old-fashioned way. This meant thumbing through a thick book. Dr. Google is a good source, but it can scare you to death too. “Speaking For Spot” is packed with extremely valuable information every dog owner should know.

This dog book sets itself apart from other dog health books because it actually teaches the pet owner how to act as an advocate for her dog. If I had this book 20 years ago, I would have learned how to ask educated questions before surrendering my dog to many unnecessary procedures. Also, I would have understood exactly what my vet was saying and been able to have a more in-depth discussion with additional questions and concerns.

What Did This Book Teach Me?

One valuable lesson I learned from “Speaking For Spot” is that if your dog’s medical needs are too complex, you should ask your general practice vet for a veterinary referral to a specialist.

While we assume veterinary specialists are outrageously expensive, it’s a fraction of the cost compared to complications that can arise from the inexperience of a general practice vet. Would you allow your primary care doctor to perform open-heart surgery, repair a torn ACL, address complex skin issues or amputate your leg? I think not. Primary care doctors just don’t perform these types of surgeries enough, so always ask for a specialist.

I’m not bashing general practice veterinarians. These vets must deal with anything and everything that walks through their doors. However, if they diagnose a highly specialized problem, they should refer out when things are out of their skill level.

Why is This Book Important?

Dogs need an advocate because they’re voiceless, innocent creatures. They need someone to speak up and ask questions on their behalf. This dog health book does an amazing job teaching you how to navigate through a regular veterinary visit, how to save money and, most importantly, how to ensure your dog is completely safe in the process.

4 Paws, 5 Directions: A Guide To Chinese Medicine For Cats and Dogs

Please bear with me for a moment. “4 Paws, 5 Directions” is about alternative medicine for dogs and cats. I can honestly tell you that this book on dog health changed my dogs’ lives as well as my life forever. Before you assume I eat granola and wear hemp sandals—I’m not saying this is a bad thing—I think it’s important for you to know I question everything.

I don’t believe anything unless I’ve personally witnessed it working several times. I need to understand how it works completely and make sure it does no harm. Also, I have a very limited patience level; so if something doesn’t work quickly (within a few days or a couple of weeks), I move on. I despise wasting valuable time if either my dogs or I am sick.

What Did This Book Teach Me?

This dog health book explains how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) works and breaks it down from our pet’s perspective. It’s very easy to read and understand. You’ll have a ton of “ah ha” moments, and it’s packed full of real veterinary cases that might sound like your dog’s medical and behavioral issues. You’ll learn how making adjustments in your dog’s diet really makes a difference, how acupuncture and massages benefit your dog’s chronic disease and how to prevent diseases from emerging.

You may also like: Homemade Diets For Dogs

Why TCM?

The difference between TCM and traditional medicine is pretty simple. TCM treats those symptoms that vets can’t seem to do anything about. Symptoms are there for a reason, and it’s usually a precursor before a disease takes over. We all know that if nothing is found during veterinary diagnostics and the symptoms are still recurring, nothing is done except to wait.

I knew something wasn’t right with my dogs about 3-6 months before my vet finally diagnosed cancer or chronic disease. Unfortunately, by then, it was too late. Chemotherapy is always an option for cancer, but interestingly many veterinary oncologists are getting certified in acupuncture. This is to help their clients maintain an appetite and reduce nausea during treatment.

See Also: Holistic Veterinary Care: Is It Really Worth It? 

Does TCM Work?

TCM works, but I’m still learning exactly how. I’ve personally witnessed essential oil cream stop a bacterial skin infection within 12 hours, hemp oil stop anxiety and seizures, herbs reduce chronic tummy pain (IBS or IBD) and diet changes stop chronic skin allergies. I could go on and on, but I think reading this dog health book will change how you think. It’s important to note that TCM should be used in conjunction with traditional medicine. I don’t believe eating dandelions will work better than antibiotics for an infection. However, there are some powerful TCM methods that really work.

The more pet owners learn, the better we can help our dogs!

Pica In Dogs May Be More Than Just A Behavior Problem

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Serious Causes of Pica in Dogs

Pica in Dogs
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Sometimes, dogs eat strange things and many of us wonder why this happens. Pica is the craving to consume substances other than food. For example, pica in dogs can manifest into a desire to eat rocks, puffs of hair on the ground, dirt or even clothes. The majority of issues pertaining to pica in dogs are behavioral issues, such as a puppy chewing and accidentally swallowing socks. However, this isn’t necessarily always the case. Let’s chat about the other causes of pica in dogs—those that involve medical issues.

Focal Seizures

When dogs have recurring problems of ingesting odd objects and behavioral solutions haven’t solved the issue, it’s time to dig deeper for the exact cause of pica in dogs. Several years ago, a client’s dog had multiple surgeries to remove ingested objects. Despite this, her dog continued to eat strange items. When behavioral solutions didn’t work, I asked the client several questions:

  • Does this dog behavior only happen outdoors or indoors?
  • Does this behavior happen all the time, some days, at night or during the day?
  • Is there a change in dog behavior before your dog ingests objects?
  • What happens after your dog eats these objects?
  • When was your last veterinary exam, including blood work?

It seemed this dog would suddenly become startled (jump up and walk around), lick her lips continuously, gulp air, and then swallow anything and everything around her. After a few minutes, the behavior stopped and she would either sleep for hours or cling to her owner. This cluster of strange dog behaviors happened at different times of the day and night. The dog would also be conscious, yet non-responsive when she heard her name.

Together, my client and I spoke with her veterinarian about these odd and unpredictable behaviors. The vet referred them to a veterinary neurologist who confirmed that these behaviors were indeed a type of focal seizure. The dog responded well to anti-seizure medications and the odd pica-type behaviors quickly stopped.

Digestive Issues

Dogs are unable to verbally tell us they have a tummy ache, but their behavior is a giveaway that there is an issue. Some dogs will eat grass, consume dirt, lick themselves or ingest odd objects (pica) when their stomach hurts. This is because they’re trying to stop the pain.

Usually, this dog behavior is accompanied by:

  • Gurgling stomach sounds
  • Licking of lips
  • Moving into or staying in a praying stance
  • Whining
  • Drinking excess amounts of water

Most of us notice when a dog is acting oddly. However, we typically don’t notice a dog’s tummy hurts until he or she vomits or has diarrhea.

Personal Story

About 15 years ago, one of my dogs displayed these behaviors repeatedly and I assumed it was a behavioral problem. We worked on our “trade” cue whenever Armond would pick up and try to consume small rocks. I would also redirect him when he stretched into a praying position for several minutes.

After a week or so, Armond threw up vomit that resembled black coffee grounds. I immediately knew that it was an ulcer. I rushed him to our vet’s office where Armond had to be hospitalized for several days. His ulcer had been caused by taking non-steroidal pain medication (NSAID) for several months to reduce chronic pain from an ACL repair.

Fast forward to the present when my little Bull Terrier started licking her lips and randomly eating odd things. I immediately feared that she might be having a seizure. Our vet placed her on Pepcid (over-the-counter antacid) and these clutters of behavior went away immediately. Whew!

You may also be interested in: Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome in Dogs 

Summary of Pica in Dogs

Don’t panic. It’s very common for puppies and young dogs to chew and swallow odd objects. If this behavior doesn’t resolve itself when certain behavior protocols have already been used, then I would certainly speak with your veterinarian. I would recommend the same course of action if your dog is exhibiting a series of odd behaviors and is taking medications that can cause stomach distress.

The Ultimate Dog Training Reward For Your Dog

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Dog Training Rewards Don’t Always Have to Be Food

Dog Training Reward
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Rewards are a vital part of dog training; they’re basically your dog’s paycheck for a job well done. Dogs must be rewarded whenever they choose to perform a desired behavior. Giving your dog a reward tells your dog he’s on the right track and to keep doing the rewarded behavior.

Dogs must choose their own rewards. Since each dog is different, he will find certain foods, toys and games more rewarding than others. Finding a dog’s ultimate reward isn’t always easy, but once discovered it makes learning new dog behaviors quick and fun. Finding a dog’s ultimate reward is so important that I ask pet owners this question during our first dog training session. So here it goes: what does your dog love more than anything?

Dog Training Rewards

Food Rewards

All dogs love food—even picky ones. It’s our job to experiment and find food rewards that will cause our dogs to drool, dance, offer a sit behavior or climb countertops to get to their favorite food rewards.

Dogs like fresh food. The more moisture a dog training treat contains, the better. High percentages of moisture make the treat smell stronger, and you can never go wrong with meat foods. When looking for your dog’s ultimate reward, don’t limit yourself to certain types of food. Try a variety of moist foods, such as:

  • Baked chicken (if you’re in a hurry, try store-bought rotisserie chicken)
  • Canned sausages (Vienna sausages)
  • Roast beef lunch meat
  • Cheese chunks
  • Tuna fish (tuna fish pouches work best)
  • Hot dogs

RELATED: Raw Dog Food: Not All Dogs Can Eat It

Toy Rewards

Many years ago, I remember watching a dog working for food treats during a dog training session, but he was missing that “Oh my gosh, I got it right!” excitement. Hmm, I asked the pet owner what his dog loved most in the world and he said, “Catching a tennis ball.”

I asked him to bring a tennis ball to class next week and keep it in his bait bag. The following week, whenever his dog chose to sit, down, heel, leave it or whatever, he would take out the tennis ball and play a game of “toss and catch the tennis ball” for a few seconds. Wow! A tennis ball was this dog’s ultimate reward and, from that moment on, this darling dog learned quickly.

If your dog enjoys toys more so than food rewards, try using a toy as a reward. Some dogs love to chase a ball, bite a squeaky toy or pull on a tug toy, so experiment with different toys and games. When my Rottweiler was introduced to an underwater treadmill for physical rehabilitation after having his ACL repaired, he worked for food, but still disliked the treadmill.

One day, our physical therapist brought out a yellow tennis ball and Sobek smiled with glee. He totally enjoyed mouthing and holding a tennis ball in his mouth while walking in a tank filled with water. I was left scratching my head, but it didn’t matter. We finally found Sobek’s ultimate reward for this situation. Oh, and it helped tremendously that tennis balls float in water. 🙂

A Bit About Praise

Back in the dark ages (or the ’80s), dogs were only rewarded with praise. It was thought that food was bribery back then. Now that we know better, food rewards are an important part of a dog’s learning process. Eventually, praise fizzled out as a reward.

Honestly, I cringe when someone still says his dog only works for praise. I don’t completely buy it. I’ve worked with dog training clients who swear their dogs work for praise as a reward and it seemed effective in the beginning, but fizzled out when making the decision to perform the desired behavior became harder. If you believe your dog works for only praise, you should try other dog training rewards. You might be shocked at your dog’s decision.

Praise is good as a reward, but it shouldn’t be the only reward. Think of praise as the icing on a cake—it works best when paired with food or toy rewards. We all love praise. It’s nice being verbally recognized by your boss, but you still need your paycheck, right? It’s the same for your dog.

Use praise as a maximizer for food or toy rewards, and use praise during breakthrough or difficult decision-making moments. Oh, and praise shouldn’t be limited to pats and “atta boy.” You need to have a party! Clap, jump, sing, make smoochie sounds, say “puppy, puppy, puppy,” pat your dog quickly and smile! Dogs love high-pitched, rapidly repeating sounds. Make praise count.

RELATED: What Is Your Dog Saying: Interpreting Dog Sounds

Ultimate Rewards Can Change

This is totally true! Your dog may love spoonfuls of peanut butter, but suddenly a floating tennis ball becomes an object of desire during a certain moment. It happens. Don’t assume you’ve chosen the wrong dog training reward. Embrace your dog’s newfound love and use it as a reward.

Reward your dog often, and reward yourself too!

Building an At-Home Dog Agility Course

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How to DIY Dog Agility Equipment

Dog Agility Equipment
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It’s super simple to create your own dog agility equipment for your home. All you’ll need is your imagination, a few PVC pipes, broom sticks, laundry baskets, lots of super yummy treats and your dog. If you’re not the handy type, you can certainly purchase dog agility equipment. However, DIYing your own agility equipment for dogs is super fun. 🙂

Dog Agility Training

Dog agility has been around for years, and it’s a blast! Both handler and dog must complete a dog agility course in the shortest amount of time without knocking over any equipment. The handler points her dog in the right direction, and the dog soars over, under and through agility obstacles in seconds. It’s amazing to watch, participate and teach. I look forward to teaching dog agility classes every week!

Great for Shy Dogs

While agility is a super fun and active sport, it’s also great for timid or shy dogs that need to build confidence. When a timid dog is able to have fun crawling through an enclosed dog tunnel, his life changes for the better! He learns that things really aren’t as scary as they seem. The timid ones eventually soar through the agility course alongside the gregarious dogs!

Popular Dog Agility Equipment

For the most part, dog agility requires a few standard obstacles, depending on a dog’s skill level. It’s important to keep things super simple in the beginning until your dog builds confidence and is comfortable enough to walk on obstacles off the ground. I recommend the following dog agility equipment.

Just as a reminder, make sure all dog obstacles are on a non-skid and soft surface, such as grass. For indoor versions, you should add soft rubber non-skid rugs on both sides of or under an obstacle.

RELATED: 3 Reasons Why You Need Non Slip Socks for Dogs

Jumps

Easily the funniest part of dog agility training and one of the most popular parts of dog agility equipment are jumps. Everyone enjoys watching her dog fly over jumps. There are so many different types of jumps, and most can be made with everyday household items.

How to Create Jumps

If you’re on a budget, you can purchase two plastic laundry baskets with multiple holes on all sides and a broom. Push the broom through both laundry baskets, and move both baskets toward the end of the broom. Voila, you have a jump! Always start on the lowest level (i.e. broom stick on the ground). Once your dog aces jumping over a low broom handle, you can move the broom up gradually.

Never force a dog over a jump. It’s important your dog learns how to jump over an agility jump on his own. Try tossing a treat over the jump, so your dog is forced to walk over the broom to get the treat. If your dog goes around the jump (smart dog!), try luring him over the jump with a treat. Additionally, while we want to challenge our dogs, always keep safety and your dog’s abilities in mind.

Ladder/Cavalletti

An agility ladder is a bit different than a regular ladder in that it’s placed flat on the ground instead of against a wall. By placing a ladder on the ground, your dog learns to pick up his feet as he walks over each rung. For this dog obstacle, you can use a regular ladder placed on a soft non-skid area.

Cavalletti refers to single pole jumps that are slightly off the ground. It’s a common term in the horse world.

How to Create a Ladder

If you want to get super fancy and raise the height of a ladder rung for cavalletti, create an agility ladder with PVC piping. You can also use the above jump idea as inspiration by purchasing 10 laundry baskets and 5 wooden poles (or brooms), and set them up as a jump.

Move the jumps close together with a six-inch or one-foot gap between each jump (larger gap for bigger dogs). Always start with the poles on the ground. Once your dog progresses, move the poles up the laundry baskets in small increments. Don’t forget to lure your dog over each rung. Better yet, place one treat between each rung. This will slow your dog down, so he doesn’t walk on the rungs instead. 🙂

Dog Tunnels

I’ve never figured out how to make a DIY dog agility tunnel that lasts more than a few sessions, so I recommend purchasing an agility tunnel. Once your dog becomes addicted to running full blast through a tunnel, a DIY or cheap option will shred in minutes.

High-quality dog tunnels usually cost more than $100. These are made of super durable material, can expand from short to long and can take a beating. If cost is an issue, the HDP 18-Ft Dog Agility Training Open Tunnel is a great buy for under $40. It can be purchased on Amazon. Just make sure to shorten the tunnel when teaching your dog to go through it.

Dog Tunnel Training Tips

Teaching your dog to walk through a tunnel can be tricky. When dogs balk at agility equipment during class, it’s usually the tunnel. Please, never force your dog through a tunnel. Shorten the tunnel and grab lots of yummy treats. Toss treats through the tunnel, so that your dog must step through it to eat the treats.

You can also ask a friend to stand on the other side of the tunnel opening and call your dog through it. Expand the tunnel in small increments once your dog willingly and happily walks through the tunnel.

Where to Store

A dog agility tunnel is super addicting! When not in use, fold the tunnel up and store in an area where your dog is unable to reach. Trust me, if you keep a dog tunnel available in your backyard at all times, your dog will likely be running through the tunnel instead of pottying. As for indoor tunnels, I leave ours out in the formal dining room (that’s what formal dining rooms are for, right?). We were woken up by the sound of our dog gleefully running in and out of the tunnel at midnight. 🙂

Dog agility is fun and very addicting—I’m just warning you!

Vegetables for Dogs: Why You Should Add Veggies to Their Meals

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The Importance of Vegetables for Dogs

Vegetables for Dogs
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You’re not the only one who can and should eat your veggies. Dogs benefit greatly from eating vegetables as well. Nutrient-dense foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, provide dogs essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and much needed fiber. Additionally, vegetables for dogs will keep illness and even cancer at bay. So it’s important to add a simple, yet delicious mix of vegetables to your dog’s daily meals.

Should You Add Vegetables to Kibble?

The simple answer is yes. All dogs and puppies should have access to fresh, raw vegetables every day. Even though certain brands of dog food kibble already contain fruits and vegetables, most vital nutrients are lost when food is cooked at high temperatures. By adding small amounts of fresh veggies, you’re restoring vitamins and antioxidants back into your dog’s food. The great part about topping off your dog’s food with vegetables is it won’t cause upset tummies.

If you’re still hesitant about adding vegetables to your dog’s daily diet, there’s research that explains how adding vegetables good for dogs to their meals has proven to keep illness and cancer away. There’s a study pertaining to bladder cancer and Scottish Terriers. (This dog breed is more likely to develop this type of cancer than any other breed of dog.) Research shows that adding certain vegetables to a dog’s diet decreases chances of cancer.

Below is a short video with specific facts pertaining to the importance of fruits and vegetables to your dog’s diet as well as cancer prevention tips from Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM. You can check out the full video discussing functional foods for dogs here. It’s about 15 minutes long and packed with great information.

Which Vegetables are Good for Dogs?

Vegetables good for dogs include cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli), green leafy vegetables and yellow-orange vegetables. How often you feed your dog vegetables matters just as much as the type of vegetable you use. In a study, it was found that “in order to have a positive effect, vegetables had to be fed [to dogs] at least three times per week” (Dawson & Lounsbury, 2005). The power of vegetables for dogs amazes me every day!

How to Incorporate Veggies Into Your Dog’s Meal

You can feed your dog broccoli, carrots, kale, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and yellow squash raw so long as they’ve been pulped in your food processor. Feeding your dog raw vegetables is ideal. Before you do, make sure to clean and rinse vegetables to remove dirt, pesticides and any seeds. For super tough vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and squash, bake them on a low temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour and remove any tough skin once cooled.

Interestingly, dogs have a hard time digesting vegetables, especially cruciferous varieties due to the tough outer membrane that protects vegetables. By pulping veggies in a food processor or blender before feeding to your dog, you actually break down the membrane, making it easier for your dog to utilize all of the nutrients. Once a month, I purchase and pulp enough vegetables to last about a month. I store extra portions in the freezer. Pulped veggies last about 5 days in the refrigerator, so portion and freeze them as needed for your dog’s size.

I add 1 teaspoon of pulped vegetables to my dog’s food every day. I recommend 1 teaspoon per 25 lbs. For example, my Rottweiler eats 1- 1½ tablespoons per day. Believe it or not, my dogs eat their vegetables first. If your dog’s unsure about eating pulped vegetables, add a bit of low-fat, plain yogurt on top of the veggies. That should entice picky eaters. 🙂

Pulp some vegetables for your dog today!

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

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