Innovation in the Puppy and Dog health and well-being

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There are literally thousands of different products for dog owners to spend their money on these days. This article gives you a pick of some newer products & ideas - targeted towards your dog's wellbeing and safety.

Innovative Dog Collars

Safety Release Collars

There is an argument that those nice sturdy looking traditional collars are dangerous. If the dog whisks out of your sight or is lost, and the collar becomes caught on something - well, its nice and sturdy, with its buckle, and it won't come off. This could lead to strangulation injuries as the dog tires to free itself... This idea has been around in the world of cat products for some time now, with many versions of a new safety release collar available that will come off if the collar snags on something. Its also evidently reached dog collar manufacturer's, because new safety release design collars are finally available. They feature plastic 'buckles' which 'snap open' if the collar gets caught or snagged on something. Look for the buzzwords 'snap open' in the marketing blurb.

Anti Choke Collars

Choke chains were such an everyday sight and everyday product for many years in pet stores. The next generation of products to replace them are anti choke harnesses. Manufacturers argue that traditional metal choke chains can sometimes cause health problems and dogs may cough, gag or, well, choke. Small dogs can also suffer collapsed trachea. The problem is felt to be pressure on the dog's neck and compression of the airways as the choke chain restrains the dog when it pulls forward. The pressure from traditional choke chains may also aggravate glaucoma. Anti choking newer designs look more like harnesses, and fit around the front legs and avoid the neck altogether. This is sounding like a boon for dogs, providing the design should not exert any pressure onto the chest or airways.

There are also new collars which put the pressure on the nose instead of the neck as the dog pulls. Similarly, companies claim they're better for the dog's health. Both anti choking harness designs and 'nose pressure' designs are generally advertised as more effective at controlling dogs that pull a lot than traditional choke chains.

Tracking collars

Losing a dog is distressing and there may nonetheless be laws where you live holding you responsible for its behaviour whilst 'away from home', depending on where you live. Tracking devices attach to or are incorporated in the dog's collar. The basic premise is the same across the differing technologies used - the devices send a signal from the dog's collar to a hand held device that homes in on the dog. The American Kennel Club works in collaboration with the Positioning Animals Worldwide Company who makes the Spotlight GPS Pet Locator. Other products use GPS or radio frequencies - with radio frequencies, the price tags tend to be lower but the range will be more limited. At the time of writing, radio frequency devices were selling online from $80 / 50 GBP with a range of 400 feet / 122 metres. The Spotlight device was around $200-$250 plus $8-15 monthly service fees, with similar or higher costs for other GPS tracking systems. Nothing, as they say, is perfect - if the device is attached to a snap open collar, it will enable you to locate the collar only if the collar has been discarded. This only serves to emphasize the importance of micro-chipping - should your dog be handed in to facilities with a reader, you will get a call so long as your entry on the micro-chip companies database is up to date. Readers are now in most shelters, some local authorise and most vets, depending on where you live.

Electric shock 'Anti Bark' collars

The ASPCA does not generally endorse their use and states the use of collars on puppies and young dogs can traumatise. Some Australian states have banned them by law. Training is obviously a more humane and less dangerous option. Online resources such as the Virtual Pet Behaviouralist from the ASPCA may help along with a good training expert - prolonged barking is a behavioural problem and can be safely overcome with kinder methods.

Dog Teeth Cleaning

Brush your dogs teeth 1 - 2 times weekly with a soft toothbrush to prevent caries and plaque build up. Many pet supply stores sell special rubber teeth brushes for dogs. Do not use human toothpaste. Do buy dog toothpaste - ask your vet to recommend, because dogs need specialised tooth paste to break down their dog-specific plaque. Use gentle circular motions.

'Dental' dog food products aim to clean the dog's teeth by using the mild abrasion action of dry foods rubbing against the teeth. Dental water additives also help plaque build up. You will still need to do the teeth brushing. There is a list of products approved by the USA's Vetinary Oral Health Council. Their 'Seal of Approval Scheme' is endorsed by the British Vetinary Dental Association and the European Vetinary Dental Association.

Pooper-scooper dispensers for your belt

These just clip onto your belt and mean you get at poop-scoop bags, without having to handle the doc lead in one hand whilst trying to scrabble around in your pockets. Good stress buster for you. The bags now come in 'antibacterial' with separate antibacterial wipes packs (like the ones you use on holiday) for you hands.

Visibility aids

There are fancy dress costumes for dogs, dog jumpers, dog coats... but a fluorescent dog coat or vest enhances safety. They act just like cyclists day-glo jackets, making your dog visible for traffic and people. Additionally, there are battery powered lights clip onto leads or you. Collars can be specially made to reflect light and some have battery powered lights built in, plus the new safety release designs.

Dog car harnesses

Like a seatbelt for the dog, the aim is to prevent the dog injuring itself or passengers in an accident. The dog also should have less opportunity to distract the driver by climbing around the car. Some types of anti choke harnesses double up as car harnesses.

Anti stress

Dogs suffer stress at times - firework season, moving home, trips to the vet... Homeopathic drops for oral administration & dog coats using body pressure points aim to calm anxious and frightened dogs.

You might also consider vetinary acupuncture. In the UK, there is The Association of British Vetinary Acupuncturists. In Germany, there is the German Veterinary Acupuncture Society e.V.. In the Netherlands, there is the Samenwerkende Nederlandse Vetinaire Acupuncturisten. For the rest of Europe, The International Veterinary Acupuncture Society may be able to help.

In the USA, there is the American Academy of Vetinary Acupuncture, or the American Holistic Vetinary Medical Association.

In Canada, there is the Association of Vetinary Acupuncturists of Canada.

Grooming products

There are far too many products to list individually - here's one not very glamorous idea which could be incredibly useful in hotter weather. 'Tick pickers' are plastic tools to remove ticks. Why? Because ticks bury their jaws into skin and then 'lock on', remaining in place to suck the animals blood. Never simply take hold of a tick and pull it out. Parts of the tics jaws and head can stay embedded in the skin, leading to nasty infections. The pickers aim to safely remove all of the tick, after which you clean the area with a dog friendly disinfectant. Tics shouldn't be left to 'drop off naturally '- they carry bacteria and can therefore cause infections. If you can't handle the gross factor, take your dog to the vet and have them do it while you look away. Your vet can also sell you tic repellent spray for prevention of infestation.

Norma De Bloom is fanatical about pets which puts her on a par with most other British people. What makes her stand out is that her commitment to finding the latest and greatest innovations for the general wellbeing of her pets has led her to build a series of sites including this one, at http://www.petsupplyadvice.com.

5 plug-ins, which could be poisoning Your Dog-Dog health food is an excellent alternative

Dog health food not only luxury already, if you want to be our best friends as healthy as possible. It is not simply people food, which is full of additives and fillers. Often leftover food, which has little or no nutritional value is our dog food. Here is the 5 best things to avoid in foods that you are delivering to your dog.

1. Total fats and proteins

If we want our dogs also eat, why we can even give them food from "meat" as its essential ingredient? Do you ever consider buying-in of "meat" of the butcher and cooking for the rest of Your family? I hope not!

Generic meat you can hide all manner of animals not complying with the standards, which knowingly supply your dog. So if you want to keep using the cheapest parts they label them with a very vague concept as meat animals. Nice cuts of meat, can always be but let's face it, if it was beef in the food, they could be labelling in this way, not "animal".

While it is true that wild dogs will eat almost all parts of the animal. Not too many wild animals will be focussed on growth hormones and pesticides in their bodies. We have all heard of things, such as roadkill and domestic authorities are introduced to our dog food, but we are never quite sure. There is a whole bunch nasty things, which may be placed under the term "animal" so it is probably the most important thing in order to avoid contamination of food your dog

2. Maize or wheat gluten meal

Are they cheap by-products of food for humans, which have been introduced to dog food. These forms of the protein are incomplete for the dog so shall not be placed in there for dogs dietary needs, just because it is a cheap way to fill the dog food. It is also a useful little rule of thumb to assess quality of the remaining food. One of these components is a fairly good indicator that a food is low quality in General. There are also more likely that there is a cheap but toxic preservatives and additives in there too.

Rice and soybean concentrated protein are slightly higher quality, but the problem persists, this is incomplete proteins. For nutritional dog there is a vast difference between protein pant and protein meat

3. Meat by-product or Digest

They are normally part of the body of animals, which are considered unfit for human consumption. Why we want to feed our dogs something we do not even? Quite apart from the usually those parts are not eaten, because they are places that toxins concentrate in the body.

Some by-products can be listed as fit for human consumption, but unless this is strictly determined is quite safe to assume that it is no good.

4. Ethoxyquin

This is a preservative cheap and commonly used, which extends the shelf life of food the dog by stop fat from going rancid. However, this specific preservative has been forbidden for human consumption and also has been linked to many health problems for the animals.

Many cases, dogs develop skin and Coat problems with possession of foodstuffs containing Ethoxyquin adds to their diet. Conversely, it is noted that within days or weeks to stop the consumption of food containing Ethoxyquin, serious long-term health problems have cleared up. And this is simply the most investigated the effect of Ethoxyquin, with plenty more possible nasty side effects.

5. too many grains

While some grains are actually a good source of minerals for dogs, often there are too many of them to be healthy. Bulk food grains may meet without meeting the nutritional needs of your dog.

Grains and grain products are often wastes from the production of food for humans and not, although there is a certain amount of protein in grains and cereals, really is the same as that of the animal proteins. Meat is a type of protein that dogs get the majority of food from grain on the other hand, are not something that the dogs are eating in the wild, and so their body has a hard time it correctly. This leads to their przejadania because it does not receive sufficient nutrients, but at the same time get too much in the way of carbohydrates, which do not apply. Often leads to dogs getting obese.

With all the sneaky commercial food labelling, knowing about DOG health food is really the key to giving your dog: the very best. Giving them the best possible nutrition is essential and will add years to their life and will be much more healthy and have more energy. It is up to us to get education and give our dogs which really need for the best food.

February is National Pet Dental Health month

February is here, and that means it is National Pet Dental Health month. It can be easy to overlook your dog oral health on a daily basis. This campaign is a great reminder to take care of your dog teeth now and throughout the year.

Dental hygiene is an essential part of the care of your dog. Many people think "doggie breath" is inevitable. Søvnbesvær is in fact a sign of an oral problem. Dental disease causing discomfort and can lead to loss of appetite, weight loss and systemic diseases. Prevention is the cornerstone of four-legged dental health. Daily home care is essential, but dogs must also professional cleaning about once a year (Give or take depending on the dog). February is a great time to visit your VET for a oral exam and cleaning, so many offers discounts in honor of National Pet Dental Health month. Regardless of the month, be sure to keep these pearly white sparkling.

Photo © Jos Carlos Cortizo P rez on flickr