Introducing A Kong Toy To Your Dog: Part 3

December 22, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Making Kong Toys More Challenging For Your Dog

Make Kongs More Challenging — eldadcarin/Adobe Stock

Food stuffed toys make for fantastic mentally enriching puzzles, and all dogs should be able to enjoy them every day. If your dog will approach and dig out loose treats stuffed into a Kong (part 2), then it’s time to make Kong toys more challenging for your dog.

Tightly Pack Kongs With Food

Packing food tightly inside a Kong toy makes the puzzle more difficult to solve. Start slowly by placing a Greenie inside a Kong, then press bananas or cooked sweet potato around the Greenie to keep it in place. Place the food filled toy on a soft mat and walk away. If your dog empties her Kong, it’s time to experiment with different food stuffers and also try feeding your dog her meals out of the Kong.

A few stuffers you can fill your Kong with include:

Stuff the toy with kibble and add layers of canned food to keep them in place.
Press and fill a Kong toy with sweet potatoes and molasses.
Press bananas and blueberries inside a Kong.
Firmly pack cooked oatmeal with honey inside a Kong.
Stuff hard treats inside, such as fish skins, inside the toy.

Advanced Kong Filling

This Kong stuffing idea is difficult. Stuff a slice of bread deep within a Kong toy. When bread mixes with your dog’s saliva, it sticks inside the Kong and your dog must really work hard to remove all bits of bread. 🙂

Freeze Overnight

Once your dog is able to empty different types of food from Kongs, it’s time to make the game even more challenging. Now, some dogs dislike licking frozen food stuffed Kongs. If that’s the case with your dog, stick with tightly packed Kongs.

However, if your dog becomes a master puzzle solver, stuff Kong toys with a few fillings listed above and freeze overnight. Licking a frozen Kong toy takes a bit longer to solve, and it’s a wonderful crate game when dogs are left alone.

Now, toss out your dog’s food bowl and feed all meals out of Kong toys!

WATCH: Making Kong Toys More Challenging

Beware Of Bone Treats That Killed 15 Dogs

December 6, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Dog Chew Bone Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about giving dogs a certain type of bone chew. Unfortunately, this bone treat caused 15 dogs to die and numerous dogs to have emergency surgery. Unfortunately, these dog chew bones have been around for decades and I’m pretty sure this isn’t the first time they’ve killed dogs. Learn which bone treats you should never give dogs as well as safe alternatives.

Stay Away From These Dog Bone Treats

Most pet retailers sell flavored and smoked bones for dogs in various sizes. These nasty bone chews have caused dogs to die. They’re real bones that have been cooked, dehydrated or smoked in various ways. Smoked bones are available in different sizes: from large femurs to knuckle bones to ribs to even kneecaps. Regardless of the bone chew’s origin (bovine or swine), never give these bone chews to dogs. If you already have these in your home, throw them out immediately.

Cooked Bones are Dangerous

When animal bones are cooked, moisture is removed from the bones. These bones are rock hard and can easily crack floor tile if dropped. So, imagine what they will do to your dog’s teeth. Cooked bones also splinter, which can give your dog dangerous gastrointestinal issues that can result in emergency surgery or even death.

Additionally, splintered bones can become lodged in a dog’s throat, cause gum laceration, crack teeth and cause punctures. If large chunks of smoked bones are swallowed, it can cause painful and deadly impactions.

Try These Dog Chew Ideas Instead

Dogs need to chew; it’s fun and a great exercise. Give your dog a yummy food stuffed Kong that has been frozen overnight, so it lasts longer. Bully sticks are a great dog chew alternative too, but make sure to monitor your dog while he chews on one of them. Raw (uncooked) bones, such as chicken wings or necks, are a great alternative, but not for the faint of heart.

Please look through your dog’s chew toys and remove any smoked or cooked bone treats.

Dog Eye Discharge: When Is It An Issue?

November 29, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Are Your Dog’s Eye Boogers Normal?

Just like humans, dogs have eye discharge for various reasons. While some dog eye discharge is normal, some eye boogers may be a sign of a health issue. If, at anytime, you have a concern about your dog’s eye discharge, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.

White or Clear Eye Discharge

Most dogs wake up with a bit of eye discharge, which can easily be cleaned away with a damp cloth or a gentle finger wipe. Often, this type of dog eye discharge is clear with a whitish tint and usually runny. Eye discharge, that has been allowed to dry throughout the day, will feel a bit dry. This is normal eye discharge.

Excess Eye Discharge

When dog eye discharge becomes excessive, it pools around a dog’s eye. Excess eye discharge can discolor a dog’s coat, especially lighter colored dogs. Eye discharge, just like saliva, can leave a rusty color on a dog’s coat. When dogs have excess eye discharge, they should see a veterinarian. There are numerous reasons for excess eye discharge, such as allergies, and it’s important to find the root cause to address it.

Thick Discharge With Color

When eye discharge becomes thick and develops a color (e.g. yellow, dark brown or green), it’s time to schedule a veterinary appointment. Thick discharge could indicate an eye infection, eye disease, inflammation of the eyelid (conjunctivitis), corneal abrasions and many other major eye issues. Don’t dismiss thick eye discharge as normal. Your dog could lose his eye(s).

Can Depend on Breed

Dog eye discharge can depend on a dog’s breed. Coated breeds (i.e. dogs with longer hair) can collect eye boogers around their eyes. If this happens, ask your groomer to trim any excess hair lingering around your dog’s eyes.

Some dog breeds that are prone to allergies can produce excess eye discharge too. Many purebred dogs develop congenital eye issues where their eyelids roll inward, causing their eyelashes to rub against their eyes. This is a very painful condition and it will never correct itself, so it’s important for a veterinarian to complete surgery if needed.

When in doubt, have your vet check it out.

Keep Canine Obesity At Bay With This Low Calorie Kong Filler

November 27, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Yummy Low Calorie Kong Filler

Best Low Calorie Dog Food — Stacy/Adobe Stock

Dogs love food just as much as humans. Sometimes, all of us love food a bit too much and extra pounds find their way onto our bodies. With canine obesity becoming a major epidemic, it’s time to cut back on a chunky dog’s calorie intake.

Diets don’t mean starvation; it just means making lower calorie choices. Remember, dogs must have daily mental stimulation, and providing low calorie Kong fillers are an excellent way to keep your dog’s mind busy while watching his waistline.

Choose a Vegetable

Vegetables make great low calorie dog food that is also healthy for dogs. Dog-friendly vegetables include: cooked or canned green beans, peas, carrots, kale, collard greens, and broccoli. Once you’ve chosen a vegetable, make sure to cook it thoroughly, so your dog can digest it. Vegetables have a thick cellulose layer, making it impossible for dogs to digest raw.

Something Sweet or Savory

Adding something sweet or savory to vegetables makes them taste much better. Since you’re watching your dog’s waistline, only a dollop is needed. Choose from raw honey, squeeze cheese or molasses, and make sure your dog absolutely loves it. In the Kong, layer vegetables and a 1/2 teaspoon of squeeze cheese until the Kong is filled.

If your dog only eats the squeeze cheese (it happens), then mix the cheese and vegetables together before filling up the Kong. If your dog is still skeptical about vegetables, try mixing tiny bits of lean chicken or turkey breast into the veggie mix. One sure-fire way to entice a dog to eat his vegetables is to hide a raw chicken heart at the very bottom of the Kong. 🙂

Freeze

Freezing a food stuffed toy makes it last much longer, and that’s important for a dog watching his waistline. If your dog is unsure about a frozen Kong, then firmly pack in the vegetable mixture to keep your dog busy.

WATCH: Yummy Low Calorie Kong Filling Recipe

Help! My Restless Dog Doesn’t Sleep

November 8, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Why Your Restless Dog Isn’t Sleeping and Solutions

Everyone needs sleep—even our dogs. Being able to sleep soundly is an important part of our health because it’s when our bodies repair and heal. When deep sleep is interrupted, regardless of the reason, it creates sleep deprivation, which is unhealthy. If your restless dog has a hard time falling into a deep sleep, it’s time to contact a professional dog trainer or veterinary behaviorist.

Is Your Dog a Restless Sleeper?

Depending on your dog’s age, dogs sleep between 11-14 hours per day. Senior dogs sleep much more than puppies, but all dogs should sleep deeply at night and during naps. Restless dogs never really sleep soundly. These dogs wake up every 20-30 minutes, stand up and walk around until they find another spot to nap, and repeat this process all day and night long. Some restless dogs sleep for an hour, pace for an hour or longer, and repeat the process.

Many pet owners assume their dogs get too hot or cold, so they wake up to look for another spot. While it’s normal to wake up once or twice a night, dogs that continually wake up or pace at night are not getting enough deep sleep.

Why Can’t My Restless Dog Sleep?

There are many reasons restless dogs have a difficult time falling into a deep sleep. Here are the most common causes for your dog pacing at night as well as solutions.

Sounds

Barking dogs off in the distance, sirens during the night, construction sounds during the day and ringing doorbells are common sounds that cause dogs to wake up.

Solution: Turn on a box fan or sound machine to drown out distracting noises at night and during the day.

Boredom

Dogs need physical and mental enrichment every day. If a dog’s needs are not met each day, he will find something to keep himself occupied. Think about it this way: Dogs are unable to binge-watch Netflix all day while their pet owners are at work.

Solution: Provide multiple food puzzles and 30-minute walks daily.

Health Issues

Dogs have a difficult time sleeping when in pain. These dogs will pace at night and often wake up to reposition themselves.

Solution: When in doubt, schedule a thorough veterinary examination to rule out any health issues.

Anxiety

Anxious dogs have a very hard time sleeping deeply. Sometimes, they may fall asleep due to pure exhaustion, yet wake themselves up with a startle. These dogs have a hard time settling down and sleep mostly on their sternum (chest) instead of flopping over onto their sides. If someone walks nearby, anxious dogs will become startled and jump up. They have multiple spots they rotate through at night, and they never really fall into a deep sleep.

Solution: It’s important to find professional help to reduce your dog’s anxiety.

Getting Help

Drowning out sounds and providing daily enrichment are easy fixes; however, anxiety is an ongoing challenge. If a dog seems anxious, then it’s time to partner with a positive reinforcement dog trainer and veterinary behaviorist to address the issue.

Anxiety won’t get better on its own. The sooner it’s addressed, the better. Never punish an anxious dog; it will only make his anxiety much worse. The same goes for health issues. Follow your vet’s advice, and be your dog’s advocate if his pain does not subside.

Everyone deserves a peaceful night of deep sleep. 🙂