Valentines Day is a sweet day for people, but can be very dangerous to your furry loved ones. Leaving out candy, ribbon, flowers and other gifts may end in an emergency visit to your local veterinary hospital.

Treat your dog this Valentine’s day with safe and healthy snacks such as carrots, apples or wheat-free dog cookies.

Here is a list of substances to keep out of reach from Fido. If your dog consumes any of these, please call your veterinarian immediately.

Chocolate
Macadamia nuts
Alcohol
Tylenol
Yeast dough
Coffee grounds, beans & tea
Raisins and grapes
Moldy/spoiled foods
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips
Rhubarb leaves

Just like humans, animals need to be kept warm during these cold winter months. Here are a few tips to keep your dog safe and warm.

If your dog is elderly, sick or has thin fur you may want to make sure he wears a coat while outside in extreme weather. Sweaters are perfect to keep your dog warm inside during those bitter cold temps.

Make sure your dog’s bed is away from any drafty areas in the house.

Add carpet runners to tile and wood floors to prevent your dog from sliding. It will also help keep the room warmer during the winter months.

Clean your dog’s feet after a walk to remove salt, ice particles and road chemicals. They are not any easier on your dog’s feet than they would be on yours.

Hypothermia and Frostbite

Hypothermia is the drastic drop in body temperature which can result from prolonged exposure in extremely low temperatures. Leaving your pets out unprotected for several hours in freezing weather can be fatal. Hypothermia may cause heart problems, kidney failure and neurological problems.

Signs of hypothermia are:

* Shivering
* Dilated pupils
* Pale or blue mucous membranes
* Unconsciousness
* Coma

First Aid for hypothermia:

* Immediately remove the animal from the cold.
* Check for shock.
* Administer CPR if needed.
* Wrap animal in blanket.
* Place warm water bottles next to him.
* Go to the nearest veterinary hospital.

Frostbite is caused by the freezing of exposed skin or a body part. Body parts of dogs and cats are most susceptible to the tips of their ears, their tails and the pads of their feet.

Signs of frostbite are:

* Skin discoloration.
* Skin may turn pale or black.
* Lack of sensation or pain at the affected

First Aid for frostbite:

* Get the animal out of the cold.
* Gently apply a warm compress to the area.
* Spray the affected area with warm (not hot) water.
* Go to the nearest veterinary hospital.

The snow and ice have arrived! Walking your dog in these elements can take a toll on his paws.
Harsh ice melting chemicals and salt can burn your dog’s feet.To protect those paws apply Musher’s Secret or petroleum jelly to your dogs’s footpads. This will help reduce cracking.

Make sure to check in between your dog’s toes for ice and snow. Wipe those paws off when you return home.

Musher’s Secret is a dense, barrier wax
that forms a breathable bond with your dog’s paws.

Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, it provides tenacious protection even in the most extreme conditions.

Made from 100% natural waxes

Protect you dog from:

Salt and Chemicals

Ice build-up

Snowballing

Sand and sandburn

Hot pavement

Rough terrain
Available at most pet supply stores and online at:

www.musherssecret.net

This E-How Article has some excellent tips for caring for your tripawd. I have included some tips from a TCM perspective.

How to Care for a Three Legged (Tripod) Dog
By Melissa Maroff
eHow Contributing Writer

* Stay close to your dog for a few days after the surgery while he adjusts. After that it’s a good idea to always monitor or assist your dog on stairs and be ready to give a boost in and out of cars (depending on the ease of access).

* Exercise your tripod dog regularly; walking is good, but remember not to push since she’ll be moving a little slower. Swimming (canine hydrotherapy) is the best exercise for a tripod dog.

* Keep your dog’s skin and pads clean and free of infection. If your dog has cracked pads (which tripods are more prone to), apply bag balm, Vaseline or other products that speed up healing.

* Feed your tripod dog a healthy diet and maintain a proper weight. An overweight dog will have to work harder to support himself.

* Keep your tripod dog’s nails trimmed. Long nails can inhibit movement. ”

Four Paws Acupuncture:

* Acupuncture can help your tripawd recovery from surgery. It relieves pain, increases circulation and reduces stress. It is also beneficial for dogs who also suffer from arthritis, hip or elbow dysplasia or knee aliments.

* Make sure your dog is not eating any dog foods that contain by-products, fillers, wheat, corn or soy. Organic free range meats are best, especially for those diagnosed with cancer.

* Give your dog a relaxing massage. Take special care to massage the opposite limbs and any area he may be experiencing pain.

* Play calming music while you are away to help your dog relax.

Four Paws Acupuncture makes veterinary acupuncture house-calls on the North Shore of MA. fourpawsacupuncture.com

In my acupuncture practice I come across many pets who suffer from red, itchy or oozy eyes.
Chrysanthemum flower tea is an easy remedy for most of these cases.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, chrysanthemum flower is one of the main herbs used to treat eye ailments. It is especially helpful during allergy season. It can be used for pets or humans. Most animals do not like the taste of the tea. Fortunately it can be used externally.

To make a soothing eye wash from chrysanthemum tea for you or your pets, place the tea bags in luke-warm water for about 3 minutes. Then gently place the tea bags on your pets eyes for a minute or as long as they will allow it. You can do this twice a day.

If you are not able to find the tea bags and are using loose dried flowers, allow them to soak in lukewarm water for the same amount of time. Dip a cotton ball in the bowl and gently place on the eyes.

You can find chrysanthemum tea at most Asian food or herb shops. For more information on
how to use chrysanthemum tea visit the Wikipedia

For Immediate Release:
Nutro Products Voluntary Retrieval of Select Puppy Foods

Q: I heard that there may be plastic in some NUTRO® products. Is this
true?
A: Small pieces of melted plastic were recently found in the production
line of select varieties of NUTRO® dry dog and cat food products. We
immediately retrieved the affected pet food from our distributors, and only
three sku’s reached retail stores. These were delivered to a small number
of PetSmart and Petco stores. The specific products are listed below.

Upon discovery of the melted plastic, we immediately halted manufacturing
and performed a thorough search of all equipment. We identified the source
as a worker’s “bump cap,” similar to a hard hat, which inadvertently made
its way into our manufacturing process.

Based on our extensive review, it is highly unlikely that any pieces of
plastic made it into finished product. However, upon learning of the
incident, we voluntarily retrieved all potentially affected products.

We strive to produce pet food of the highest quality and safety standards.
Consumers who believe they have purchased potentially affected product
should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another
NUTRO® product, or contact the Nutro Products Consumer Care team at
1-800-833-5330.

Thank you for your continued loyalty and support for Nutro Products.

PRODUCT THAT MADE IT TO SELECT PETSMART STORES IN CA, AZ, CO, TX and NM ONLY

Product Name
UPC
Size
Best by Date
NUTRO® ULTRA™ Puppy food for dogs
79105 51313
4.5 LB
09/10/10
NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® Chicken Meal, Rice and Oatmeal Formula Small Bites
Puppy
79105 23050
5 LB
09/10/10

PRODUCT THAT MADE IT TO SELECT PETCO STORES IN CA, NV, HI and UT ONLY

Product Name
UPC
Size
Best by Date
NUTRO® ULTRA™ Puppy food for dogs
79105 51315
30 LB
09/10/10
# # #

It is beginning to get a little chilly here in New England. If your dog suffers from arthritis symptoms made worse with the cold damp weather proper nutrition can make a big difference in your dog’s health, along with Traditional Chinese medicinals and acupuncture.

My dog patients all seem to love the Cinna-bone treats made by Solid Gold. I love that they are organic and that they contain no wheat. Wheat has been proven to exacerbate arthritic pain and also aggravate allergies. Cinnamon is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to relieve the painful symptoms of arthritis.

Ingredients:
New and improved formulation – Barley, Spelt Canola Oil, Rolled Oats, Cinnamon, Lamb, Fish, Flax Meal, Garlic and Sea Vegetation

To find a local store that carries Solid Gold please visit their website.
solidgoldhealth.com If you are in the Salem MA area you can find them at The Barking Cat.

Hidden Dangers Of Handbags
(from an internet circulated e-mail)

While we may know what’s inside our handbags, do we have any idea what’s on the outside? Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.

Microbiologist Amy Karren of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and E-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.

So the moral of this story is that your handbag won’t kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don’t put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.

This recipe is a variation on the original pupsicles made by Belle & Jack’s pet human. This is a healthier alternative to the Frosty Paws dog ice cream sold at many stores.

During this hot humid weather i have been giving my dog patients a pupsicle made from chicken soup which is frozen inside plastic containers with lids.The dogs seem to love just licking on these as if they were eating a popsicle. It keeps them occupied during their sessions too. Some dogs will try to take the frozen block out of the container once it has melted a bit. You can put it in their food bowl.

Make sure your dog is supervised while eating these. Some dogs, especially food obsessed labs will like to try to put the entire container in their mouth! You may want to break up the frozen block into smaller pieces for those dogs.

You can add other ingredients to this. I cook like my Italian grandmothers, which means i do not like to measure things. Since i tend to burn things left unattended, using a medium sized crock pot is the easiest method for me. If you use a larger crock pot add a bit more of each of these ingredients.

Add about 2 of the 32 oz.containers of organic chicken broth to the crock pot.
Add about 5-8 peeled then shredded carrots.
Add 2-4 stalks of finely chopped celery
About 2 tablespoons of dry parsley if you have it. (Very good for stinky dog breath)
Add 3-4 pieces of free range frozen or fresh boneless chicken. You can add more chicken if you like.

Mix it up as best as you can. Put the lid on and cook on low for about 7 hours or on high for about 4. Mix the soup during the day and try to break up the chicken.

Let it cool for about 45 minutes. Then spoon the mixture into tupperware type plastic containers. Put the lids on securely. Turn upside down and place in freezer. This way the chicken will freeze at the top of the container. Let freeze over night. Allow the container to thaw for about 10 minutes to make it easier for the dog to lick.

Do not give this frozen pupsicle to your dog during cold weather!

Does your dog inhale its food? If so the Eat Slow – Be Healthy Dog Food Bowl by our friends at HandiCapped Pets may be the solution to slow Fido down!

“If you let your dog eat too fast, you risk health complications like GDV or Bloat. Slowing a ravenous dog down also reduces re-eating and associated problems. The Eat-Slow dog food bowl prevents this.”

For more information on these bowls or other unique products for dogs please visit the Handicapped Pets website.
www.handicappedpets.com