Dog-Friendly Floor Cleaners That Really Work

April 18, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Natural Floor Cleaners Safe for Dogs

Over the years, I’ve tried to limit chemicals used in our home due to my severe allergies and, of course, my dog’s health. Keeping my allergies in check means minimal carpet that can easily be cleaned thoroughly. Searching for a chemical-free floor cleaner was challenging, but I finally found a few options.

How to Clean With Natural Floor Products

When choosing a natural floor cleaner, I had a couple of requirements: it must be easy to use and work. Oh, I’ve tried every gadget imaginable until I stumbled upon the Bona Hardwood Floor mop at a local discount store. This mop can be purchased alone, meaning you don’t have to purchase the Bona floor care products to get the mop. Thankfully, this mop contains a wide cloth pad that can easily be removed for washing once floors have been cleaned.

Before mopping my floors, I sweep up or vacuum debris and dog hair. Then, I wet the attachable mop pad using hot water, wring out any excess water and attach it to the floor mop. Now, I spritz floor cleaner in small sections on the floor and follow up with the mop to clean the surface thoroughly. As I move through each room, I rinse the mop pad and squeeze out any extra water. Once all the floors are clean, I toss it in the washer.

Natural Floor Cleaners That Work

From my experience, I’ve learned which products cleaned floors well and didn’t harm my dog’s feet or skin. So far, in 10 years, I’ve never left a streak on dark chocolate brown hardwood floors or a sticky film on ceramic tile. 🙂

Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Disinfectant Cleaner

Floors are germ magnets. We walk on them and so do our dogs. With that in mind, I scoured the cleaning world for a gentle, yet effective disinfectant that would clean floors without leaving a sticky film or streaks on very dark hardwood floors. This product did an amazing job and it killed 99.99% of household germs without bleach. Instead, this natural floor cleaner contains thyme oil, oregano oil, citronella and lemongrass, which leaves a lightly scented smell behind while it zaps germs into oblivion.

Good Old Vinegar and Water (With a Dash of Essential Oil)

In a pinch, this works really well too. Pour one cup of distilled white vinegar into a gallon of warm water and add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil. Personally, I strongly dislike the smell of vinegar, so the essential oil makes the smell much more pleasant. Dunk the mop pad into the mixture and wring out excess water. As you’re cleaning, rinse the mop pad as needed. Or you can cheat like I do, and pour this mixture into a spray bottle and clean as you go.

Use this mixture on vinyl and ceramic flooring. I would not recommend using on hardwood floors. I tried it once and it left a horrible film, which the Seventh Generation floor cleaner promptly removed.

Once you’ve started using a new floor cleaner, check your dog’s paws and skin (elbows, tummy and chest) daily for irritation. Now, sit back and enjoy your gleaming chemical-free floors! 🙂

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Dog Teeth Cleaning: 3 Tips That Don’t Involve Brushing

April 6, 2016 by Fanna Easter

How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth Without Brushing

Look, I totally understand. It’s difficult remembering to brush you and your children’s teeth daily–much less your dog’s teeth. With that said, oral hygiene is just as important for your dog as your family, so try these dog teeth cleaning tips that take less than one minute per day.

Wipe Your Dog’s Teeth

Wiping your dog’s teeth every day does a pretty good job at removing tartar buildup and it only takes 60 seconds. In our home, we wipe our dogs’ teeth daily and follow up with weekly teeth cleanings to remove any buildup between the teeth. It does take slightly longer to wipe my Rottweiler’s teeth. It takes a minute and a half because he’s huge, and there’s way more tooth surface to wipe than on my smaller dog.

How to Wipe Dog Teeth

Here’s how I wipe my dogs’ teeth daily. Please note I rotate between using paper towels and DentAcetic wipes (dog-specific tooth wipes), depending on how much time I have that day:

Using a dry paper towel sheet, wrap it around your index finger and wipe each tooth sideways, moving front to back of each tooth. Don’t forget to wipe the gum line also, as tartar loves to grow up there.
As you’re wiping a tooth sideways, move the paper towel downwards to deposit any tartar into the paper towel. This also ensures you’re not spreading tartar from tooth to tooth, but removing it.
Before moving to another tooth, move a clean section of the paper towel onto your finger and wipe the next tooth.
Wipe, swipe downwards and slip a clean paper towel over your finger until all teeth have been wiped.

Usually, it takes a whole paper towel sheet for my Rottie and half a sheet for my smaller dog (she’s 28 pounds). Don’t forget to recycle the paper towels. While you can use a thin washcloth to wipe your dog’s teeth, it might be a bit too thick and soft to really get in between each tooth.

If your dog is not comfortable having his mouth touched, check out tips on teaching your dog to say “ah.”

Add Safe Tooth Dissolving Solution to Your Dog’s Water

Adding a plaque-dissolving solution to your dog’s daily water can seem a bit scary at first. I felt the exact same way until a veterinary dentist recommended Dog::ESSENTIAL healthy mouth water additive after Stella’s (Miniature Bull Terrier) tooth capping procedure. This natural solution uses papain, which is a papaya enzyme that acts as a tooth cleaner, yet is mild enough for sensitive tummies. The ingredients are mostly plant-based with a sprinkle of added vitamins. I’m super picky, so I tried this product at a lower dissolution for the first several weeks. I was worried. I have to admit, my dogs’ teeth looked amazing and accumulated plaque was easy to wipe off after using the solution. Check out their videos on weekly teeth wipe results. This product makes our dog’s dental health much easier to manage.

Offer Daily Chews

Chewing removes tartar, so provide your dog with plenty of chew toys. Now, some long-lasting dog chews are made of hard plastic that will damage your dog’s teeth and gums, which is counterproductive to keeping your dog’s teeth healthy. By far, my favorite dog chews are bully sticks, Greenies and raw bones.

Why Wipe Daily? Is It Necessary?

Wiping your dog’s teeth daily prevents tartar from building up over time, and we all know built-up tartar must be scraped off. Plus, handling your dog’s mouth daily ensures positive learning experiences, which makes dog teeth cleaning easier. Additionally, wiping and cleaning your dog’s teeth daily keeps $150-$250 in your pocket because it prevents annual or bi-annual veterinary dentals.

Incorporate tooth wiping into your daily schedule. After your dog’s dinner, grab a paper towel or tooth wiping pad, and wipe his teeth clean. Voila, pearly white dog teeth and money in your pocket. Cha-ching!

Crystal Healing for Dog Anxiety

March 31, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Crystal Healing for Dogs: Does It Work?

Yes, I was just as skeptical as you! For thousands of years, crystals and stones were said to protect the wearer and change energy, but crystal healing never crossed my mind with dogs. That changed when my beloved holistic veterinarian mentioned calming crystals for Sobek’s (my Rottweiler) anxiety. Hmm, could it hurt? I was willing to give it a try.

Sobek’s Crystal Healing Story

As many Dog Training Nation followers know, Sobek has anxiety issues and his holistic veterinarian recommended trying a few healing crystals that would reduce his anxiety. At first, I scoffed at the idea, but as the days wore on, I thought it wouldn’t hurt, right?

Pursuing a crash course in calming crystal healing for dogs, I found a local metaphysical and spiritual store in my city with a quick Google search and decided to give it a try. I purchased a few crystals and stones that our holistic vet recommended, and headed home.

Healing Crystals Recommended for Anxiety

Our vet recommended magnetizing hematite and blue lace agate. Hematite is a shiny gray-black metal that absorbs negative feelings of worry and fear. In alternative medicine, magnetic therapy has been used for hundreds of years to restore physical and mental health balance as well as reduce swelling and pain. Hence, magnetizing hematite. Blue lace agate is considered the powerhouse of calming crystals, and highly recommended to decrease panic attacks and reduce overall anxiety.

While using crystals with dogs may seem new, the practice has been around for many years. To benefit from healing crystals, they must be worn or have some type of contact with the dog. Many pet owners hide healing and calming crystals in their dog’s bedding or attach them to their dog’s collar. Dogs don’t understand that crystals should not be swallowed (that would be contraindicated for healing and calming :)), so wrap crystals in metal and attach to his collar, especially if he enjoys destroying his bedding.

The Crystal Therapy Experiment

Now, understand that I was completely skeptical about healing crystals, so I conducted an experiment. Sobek has two beds that he equally adores, so I placed these crystals within the bed stuffing of a randomly chosen bed and watched his behavior. On the first night, and every night afterwards, Sobek would only sleep on the bed with crystals. Still skeptical, I moved the crystals to his other bed, and then he slept in that bed every night afterwards.

Wait, did he see me move the crystals or was it my scent left behind? I know I’m grasping at straws, but I had to rule a few things out. The next day, I asked my husband to move the crystals to the other bed, and Sobek slept in that bed every night going forward.

Okay, so this was not a controlled experiment, but Sobek’s sleeping choices were certainly interesting–he followed the crystals.

Did Crystal Therapy Work?

Honestly, I don’t know. Sobek still has anxiety, but his bed choices totally baffled me. One thing I did notice was Sobek finally slept soundly through the night, so I decided to keep crystals stuffed in his favorite “crystal” bed. Interestingly, I found my other dog sleeping on his “crystal” bed too, which is totally odd. I also noticed her sleeping right on top of the crystals (she’s a small dog).

While it didn’t reduce his anxiety, calming crystals definitely had an impact on his sleep and both dogs still seek them out to nap on.

If crystal therapy has worked for your dog, I would love to hear how crystals were used and which ones were chosen.

Avoid Lip Fold Pyoderma With Weekly Cleanings

March 16, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Lip Fold Pyoderma Prevention Tips

When the sides of a dog’s bottom lips fold up onto itself, it can trap food and moisture and certainly smell awful. In our house, we call it “stinky lips,” but the condition is called lip fold pyoderma or dermatitis.

Lip fold pyoderma is pretty common in dogs with loose skin, short noses or long hair around their mouth areas (including beards or mustaches). To prevent your dog from developing lip fold pyoderma, check out these dog grooming tips for weekly cleanings.

How to Check for Lip Fold Pyoderma

Usually, pet owners notice a sour or mildew smell around their dog’s mouth. They think the smell is coming from their dog’s teeth. To check your dog’s lips, have someone sit in front of your dog with yummy treats in her closed hand. Sit on the floor near the other person and face your dog. You’ll get a better view by looking at the side of your dog’s mouth.

Using your fingers, gently slide the front half of your dog’s lip forward. Basically, you’re opening up the pouch by sliding your dog’s bottom lip toward the front of his mouth. If your dog has lip fold pyoderma, you’ll probably see and smell it.

Lip fold pyoderma looks like hair coated with some type of mucous or film, and sometimes the skin is inflamed too. If you’re not sure, take a whiff and you’ll soon know for sure. Now, check the other side since lip fold pyoderma can occur on both sides of the mouth if the skin is loose.

If it smells, then the area needs to be cleaned weekly.

Preventing Lip Fold Pyoderma

There are a couple of ways to keep your dog’s mouth area clean, but it really depends on how often you bathe your dog. If you don’t bathe your dog weekly, you’ll need to spot clean the area every week.

RELATED: Are Dog Wipes Worth It?

Spot Cleaning

Grab a bowl of warm water, a couple of clean paper towels (or a clean washcloth) and medicated dog shampoo. By far, my favorite medicated dog shampoo for lip fold pyodermas is Nolvasan medicated shampoo. Nolvasan contains a disinfectant called chlorhexidine and can be purchased on Amazon. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a medicated shampoo to clean the area if that’s what you prefer.

Ask your friend to sit in front of your dog with yummy treats and offer your dog a treat for allowing mouth handling and standing still. In between treats, pull your dog’s lip forward and clean the area with a wet paper towel and medicated dog shampoo. Afterwards, rinse the area with a clean paper towel, then pat the area dry. If your dog has long hair in the area, you may need to clip the hair shorter. Your groomer can do this for you too.

Check the lip fold pyoderma area daily to make sure it’s clean. These daily checkups are an excellent opportunity to reward your dog for mouth handling. If your dog walks away, pulls his head away from your hands or freaks out when you touch his mouth, check out this article on teaching your dog to say “ah.” It has tips on teaching your dog to enjoy mouth handling.

Weekly Baths

If your dog is bathed weekly, use that time to clean his lip fold pyoderma thoroughly and rinse with warm water. Follow the same directions for spot cleaning, making sure to open up the lip pouch, clean and rinse well. If your dog is bathed less often, you’ll need to spot clean the area weekly to remove trapped food and moisture.

When to See a Vet

If the infected area smells really bad, looks inflamed and/or contains pus, or your dog refuses to allow you to look in the area, I would set up an appointment with your veterinarian. Your vet can rule out dental issues and confirm it’s actually lip fold pyoderma.

Now, body handling is so important. If your dog refuses to have his mouth touched, continue teaching your dog body handling skills. It’s not fair to your dog to be pinned down at the vet clinic either. Body handling skills are a must for all dogs, so grab your treats and get busy.

Lip fold pyodermas happen. Since dogs are not candidates for facelifts, it’s up to pet owners to keep the area clean. 🙂

How to Reduce Dog Farts

February 26, 2016 by Fanna Easter

Farting Dogs: Stop the Dog Gas

Dog farts are the worse. Just when everyone settles in to watch a movie, you hear swissssh and you brace yourself for the nose-burning smell. It’s so gross, and extremely embarrassing when friends and family are visiting. While it’s impossible to eliminate all doggy gas, you can most certainly minimize gassy episodes.

It’s Not Always Food

For some reason, we always point to dog food when dogs have chronic gas. While dog food can cause gassy dogs, it’s not always the main cause. If your dog has been eating the same food forever and gas has recently become an issue, it’s not the food.

Usually, gas pops up when dogs have eaten odd things outside (sticks and bark), ingested a new chewie (bully sticks) or gotten into the garbage can. When this happens, gas episodes are short-lived over a couple of days. If it’s continuous, keep an eye on your dog outside and near the trashcan.

Home Remedies for Dog Farts

Try New Dog Food

If your dog is eating a new food, expect gas until your dog has adjusted to the new food. Usually, this takes 7 to 14 days. Don’t forget to transition your dog to a new food slowly. Feed 25% new to 75% old food for two days. Then, feed 50%/50% of both dog foods for three days, and finally 75% new food to 25% old food for two days. Still, give your dog a bit more time to adjust to 100% of his new food. This can easily take another two weeks.

Add Fiber

If your dog’s gas can clear a room, then add a bit of fiber to each meal. Adding a teaspoon (one tablespoon for large dogs) of canned pumpkin, cooked oatmeal, or canned (and rinsed) green beans will keep gas to a minimum. Don’t overfeed fiber because that can certainly make gas worse. Start small and increase slowly if needed.

Provide Probiotics

Probiotics works wonders! My Bull Terrier developed horrendous gas after taking antibiotics for four weeks. I tried everything and finally put her on probiotics. Probiotics made a huge difference! Now, it’s not instant. It takes a couple of weeks of daily dosing, so be patient while you’re holding your nose. Check out my favorite probiotics here. I saw a quicker response by giving my dog Iams Prostora Max probiotics, so that’s worth a try as well.

You don’t have to live with dog gas forever. Do a bit of detective work first, and soon you’ll breathe fresh air during your next movie.