Dogs on heat (sounds like a spoof film title!)

Say goodbye to Carlo the bassett and Hugo, the chichuahua who are packing up their chews, toys and luggage to fly off to Dubai this week to start  a new life in the sand, sunshine and scorching heat.  They were real characters and will be missed by us and by all who met them every day in the park for the past 3 years.
                           

This week's topic  is about coming on heat. Several people have  discussed the subject with me, and have been tearing out their hair at the number of male dogs that have  followed them around  with dogged persistence (pardon the pun)! 

DOGS ON HEAT – (Sounds like a spoof film title!)

Many puzzled owners are unsure of when their pet is coming on heat. The average bitch has its first cycle at about six months of age. Some start earlier and a few as late as 14 months.

People often ask “how can I tell when my dog is coming on heat?” The signs start with a lot of licking of the genital area and it becomes swollen. There is also blood spotting which later becomes clear. Some bitches lick this away to keep clean, so if she is licking herself too much then investigate. 

The ten most asked question about dogs in heat.

1. What exactly is heat?

Heat is more properly called the "oestrous cycle". It is during this cycle that female dogs are most likely to get pregnant.

2. What are the symptoms?

The first symptom is a lot of licking of the vulva and increased peeing. Don’t expect bleeding to be like a human menstruation. You will stop the occasional drop of blood but she will lick furiously to clean herself. The most noticeable sign will be your sudden popularity in the neighbourhood and the trail of eager, salivating male dogs that follow you and your pet around the streets and the park.

How long does the heat last?

 

The cycle lasts for 3 weeks (bad luck). In some cases its two weeks but generally is 21 days from start to finish. If you haven’t had your dog spayed, then she will have two heat cycles a year.

How many times will she come into heat?

Most female dogs have regular cycles every six to eight months. It is quite typical to be in heat twice a year.

Can she get pregnant during her first cycle?

Oh! Yes! Definitely! Pregnancy only occurs when the dog is on heat and this is the time when any male can mount her. Her manners and taste in men will go by the board and she will be anybody’s. Females don’t ever accept a male if they are not on heat no matter how hard the male dog tries.

Can I take her on walkies during this cycle?

Not a good idea to take her out where there is a chance of many male dogs roaming. Walkies will be a stressful duty because during this time you will be like a  magnet for every male dog in the neighbourhood. It’s a better idea to put her in the car and take her somewhere for a walk that doesn’t have any dogs for miles around. Unfortunately, walking around the block and then back to your front door will attract stray males because her urine and vaginal discharge will blaze a trail to your home. It will be an invisible placard saying “Hello! Boys, come up and see me anytime”, (with apologies to Mae West - who? she was an actress in the 40s.  Oh! never mind, you'll get the gist). 

When can I have her spayed?

It’s a good idea to talk to your vet about spaying your dog unless you are planning to breed from her. Your vet can tell you about the benefits and disadvantages of having an unsprayed dog. Ok! So she will be “Miss-never-Had-it” but she wont experience all those little problems that occur as she gets older.

*Tip

Buy a can of ‘Antimate’ from the pet shop and spray this along the back end of your dog. It has a strong eucyalptus scent that makes humans ask "Phew! what's that stink?"
It is  even more effective on male dogs as it makes them sneeze enough to realize that “she just isn’t worth all the hassle.”

You can also get little nappies that are held on by a special thong from http://www.petplanet.co.uk, the vet or the pet shop.  The dog doesnt seem to mind wearing them and its for sure you wont hear them asking  the phrase  "Does my bum look big in this?" as they step out of the door!


Seeing nappies on a dog,  makes people helpless with laughter for some unknown reason.  I know it seems an indignity to put your dog through but it does deter amorous males.  When used in the house it will stop spotting on carpets and furniture.

Another good tip for keeping the randy males at bay is to rub a blob of Vick’s Vapour Rub onto your hands and then smooth it over your dog’s fur  - along the tail and on the lower back. Another good remedy is Olbas Oil on some cotton wool rubbed along the lower back fur but not on the skin. This can be pretty off putting for any male since it will make them sneeze the moment they get within range of the female. “Strewth! Im outta here” will be their first instinct.

I have found two videos on the internet that show how caring dogs can be towards other dogs.  Thankfully animals are not governed by petty  'Elf and Safety rules and always act on instinct. Very heart warming and certainly puts humans to shame. 

That's it for this week.  Thank you for all your nice emails. Why not leave a comment in the box?  Incidentally I came across this site offering presents for dog owners, www.personalisedgiftstoremember.com.  If you mention my name Dawn21 when ordering an item, they will give you a special 20% discount.

Enjoy your week.


Dawn   (.".")

GARBAGE GUT

Garbage  has been on my mind all week.

Several people I met in the park this week, have  complained about  their dogs suffering from garbage gut. Carlo, my bassett scoffed a bag of left over chicken bones, ham sandwiches and other rubbbish  that was discarded by a so-called "naice" person. They were obviously too tired to walk 5 yards to the rubbish bin.   I  suffered from a sleepless night  and so did the bassett hound, who spent most of his time throwing up and having the "runs".   After two days, I have, at last got him stabalised by giving him two  tablets, twice a day, of the wonderful homeopathic remedy, Arsen-Alb 30c. (Weleda brand).

Warm sunny days brings out the picnics.  At the end of each day the bins in the parks and on the streets start over flowing with left over  picnic food that consists of tubs of hummous, pork pies, bread and the dreaded chicken and lamb bones, plus all the other detritius that well brought up, tidy minded folk have  stuffed into the bins before they go home. By the end of the day, the bins are so full, that bags are piled on the ground.

The sight of an overflowing rubbish bin first thing on a sunny morning makes every dog owners' heart sink, because we all know that you have to be extra alert and have the quick reflexes of Superman to stop your dog from scoffing all the bits that are strewn around.  The strewing around is first done by the urban foxes at night, who tear open plastic bags and cherry pick what they want. The rest is left scattered around for the pampered pooches to feast on.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not implying that the park bins are never emptied but merely pointing out that early in the morning, dogs  can suss out food that is left lying around.  It doesnt just have to be the bin areas, they can sniff out a discarded sandwich at 500 paces. Have you ever heard a dog say "No thanks, I cant eat that. Ive had a gastric band fitted?"


Non-dog owners are puzzled by the reactions of near-hysterical dog owners who are trying to wrestle food out of their dog's mouth.  They wonder what all the fuss is about. I'll tell you why we get fussed folks!

We know that the moment the dog slurps up rancid taramasalata, hummous, chicken bones and pork pies, they will go home and start throwing up on the living room carpet, possibly have a chicken bone stuck in the gullet, followed  at 3.00 am by a chronic case of "garbage gut" or diarrhoea, keeping you up all night and an expensive visit to the vet the next day. The result is 24 hours of worry and expense and a very miserable dog.  Im afraid dogs never  think "Uh oh! maybe I shouldn't have eaten that lot, but what can I do, it was there begging me to try it out."

My short term remedy for easing the dog's discomfort is to give it a small bowl of  plain yoghurt or one of those probiotic drinks to settle their queasy stomachs.  Take up the water because the more water they drink, the more they vomit.  After 24 hours the dog may feel better.  But if it is acting  very dull and listless,  still off its breakfast,  then its a visit to the vet.

Dogs in the wild were conditioned to eating anything on offer to survive, but modern day dogs dont have the same constitution for eating garbage and  usually end up with a chronic bout of "Garbage gut."

Dog owners also despair of the dear old but lonely, well meaning ladies and gents, who carry copious bags laden with bread, nuts, cakes and other stale stuff to dispense to the birds and wildlife in the parks.  A dog that eats bread can end up with painful bloat and need a visit to the vet.  Trying to talk these people  out of throwing it around is uselesss as they are convinced that without their daily help, all the birds and smaller animals will die.   They are the park equivalent of those street "Pigeon ladies" who leave piles of bread and nuts on street corners to attract the pigeons.

For many years we had an elderly neighbour living next door to us, who fed all the neighbourhood cats, pigeons, rats, mice and foxes and it was quite unpleasant for those of us who lived on either side of her house. We nicknamed her house  "Pigeon Palace".  Environmental Health officers issued her with  several warning letters  but right up to the day she passed away, she refused to stop feeding everything on two and four legs.  Her house was infested with fleas and one room was being used as a den by a family of foxes, pigeons were nesting everywhere, mice and rats were in abundance and there must have been over 35 mangy moggies wandering around. The stench was over powering and at night we could hear sounds of  scrabbling, scratching and running around with the occasional yowl. At dawn, the noise from cooing pigeons was so loud that the only way to reduce the noise was to wake yourself up at 5 am and bang on windows to make them fly off.  This went on for years.

So forgive me if I get ratty when meeting an old dear hurling handsful of bread, biscuits and nuts into the wind because I know that my dog eating nuts can choke on it or the bread and cake can give him severe  and painful bloat with flatuence. There is also the added attraction of rolling in fresh bird poo near where the food was thrown.

That's it for this week but I thought you would love  to see this video sent to me by David Evans (www.dwmanagement.co.uk), friend of mine and super agent for makeup artists and stylists.  His pug, Albert and another named Dexter, (belonging to restauranteur, Tim Mason), are both exactly like the one in the video. 

                                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQEbqKmuDzM
                                                (Don't you just love the snoring! )


Enjoy!

It would be nice to hear from you,  please feel free to leave a comment in the box  at the end of this page then I will know for sure that you are reading my blog.

Keep warm, dig out the wellies (some terrific dog patterned ones on the Joules site, (www.Joules.com/wellies). I noticed they also had some lovely dog patterned sweaters and tee-shirts.

Until next week's blog,

Cheers,

Dawn    ('-')

SCOOTING....TRUCKING....FLOTBOT....  are terms  used when  describing the action of a dog dragging its bottom along the floor.  These are all names for what your dog does when it has an itchy bum that can be caused by impacted anal glands. 

One of the most familiar signs of anal sac problems is scooting across the floor on its bottom.  Other symptoms are when they lick their bottoms more than usual or the bottom is red and sore and sometimes looks inflamed. In the most extreme cases, there is a discharge and of course, the most distinguished symptom is the' pong'.  You spend the first few days telling your poor dog that "it stinks."  The dog doesn't know why, but it has tried to tell you by displaying all the signs of flotbot.  Now its up to you to sort it for them.

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, that is why they spend so much of their time with their noses close to the ground.  What they are looking for are traces of other dogs.  Whenever a dog goes to the toilet, they release small amounts of fluid from the anal sacs.  The strong smell of the fluid is unique to each dog, rather like a thumb print is to a human being.  It is smelly doggy graffitti  for "I WOZ 'ERE!" This is how they mark their territory and also to identify each other - that is why they sniff each other's bottoms.

A healthy dog normally empties and refills its anal sacs every day by pushing out good, solid, healthy ' toulouse-like sausages'.  When the stools are not firm enough, they are not able to exert enough pressure to empty the sacs.  Thus a dog with constantly loose stools will end up with impacted anal glands and a red and itchy bottom. If you don't take the dog to the vet to have the glands emptied, you then get into a situation where the dog can get infected anal glands they have to be surgically removed.  We know of a dog that had this operation done several years ago and poor boy, he is now a social pariah in the dog community. All the other dogs he meets ignore him completely because,  he has no scent and he leaves no scent. Aww! shame! innit!

Heaven alone knows how this has affected his little doggy ego, but I do feel very sorry for him. And all because, for many years, the owners kept saying  "Oh! he has been doing that for as long as we have had him."

Anal gland problems are like a little warning light going on in a car. It is a sign that something is going wrong somewhere in the body.  I wouldn't recommend emptying your dog's anal glands yourself because it takes an experienced person, like a vet, to know where or how hard to squeeze, but the moment you see them licking furiously, scooting across the carpet or kitchen floor and beginning to smell, that's when you should consider a visit to the vet.

I have several remedies that I use on my dogs before taking them to the vet. The easiest one is to add cooked carrots and broccoli, mashed up, into their food every day. This fibre absorbs water in the intestines and makes them do a harder stool. This puts pressure on the anal sacs and helps them to empty. Many times the adition of veggies to the food solves the problems of 'flotbot',  but if the dog is still scooting across the floor, then it really is time to visit the vet.

Another way of keeping your dog free of 'flotbot' is to add a spoonful of  crushed up bran flakes in its food (supermarket's own brand of Bran Flakes will do just fine).  I grind some up and keep it in a container so that its easy to sprinkle some onto the food.  I also add a teaspoon of cod liver oil, good olive oil or Omega 3 oil to their dish  just  to keep the glands nicely lubricated.

Smearing a little vaseline on the red and sore area gives them some relief from the itching. It can't be much fun having an itchy bottom and no way of relieving it unless you get help from a caring human.

Do you have any home remedies to stop 'flotbot"?  Share them with us because the dog community loves to hear how different people look after their dogs.  Sometimes you read of a remedy and think "Now why didnt I think of that?"

Every week I try and search out  *videos featuring dogs that are funny, cute or clever.  Here's one I found earlier that I thought would brighten your day......week even!
(* Click on videos and the link will come up).

Until the next posting, enjoy the fine, sunny weather we are having this week.  It is after all, only the month of March so dont be lulled into a false sense of summer yet.

Until next week's blog...... toodle-do!

Dawn xx :)

Dawn Lanes Dawgs

CHEW, CHEW, CHEW.... chewing  all to bits! 

Do you remember the first six months of your puppy's life?  It was so adorable that you couldn't stop cuddling your dog because it was the cutest thing ever!  Suddenly at 6 months it morphed into the "teenager from hell" and started chewing anything and everything in sight. Each time you went out or left it on its own, you would come back to a scenario of devastation and mayhem.  I can remember that my first words when opening the front door used to be "OH----MY-----GOD!?  Now What's it done ?"

You would be faced with a trail of  unrecognisable bits, one of your favourite Laboutin shoes with a nicely chewed heel,  strips of hubby's  favourite tie or sock, mangled pens, pencils, spectacles and  packaging from the re-cycling box plus the contents of an upturned waste paper bin that you forgot to empty. It would be carnage and  like walking into a war zone of destruction  You would then spend the next 20 minutes shrieking "Naughty dog? Look what you've done?"  The dog would sit and look innocent, "Who? Me?"  and in truth, it probably had no idea what it has done or why you were bellowing at it. As they get older they do sometimes look guilty and hide.

Dogs are born chewers, and when the urge to be oral comes on, almost any object lying around is fair game. Chewing knows no bounds and apart from eating and walkies, its probably the most popular past time for a puppy or a bored adult dog.

Last week we met a lady in the park, dragging a very pretty but boisterous cockerpoo on a 'walk'.  She was at her wit's end because the dog was 10 months old, still the teenager from hell and chewing anything and everything.  We commiserated with her and then she said:  "But its ok, my trainer said that everytime she chews, I am to grab her by the scruff of the neck, beat her  hard so that she knows she has done wrong and then lock her in her cage for an hour. That way she will realise that she mustn't chew."

"WHAT" my husband and I yelped. "That is unbelievable advice to give any dog owner. Who is this woman? Tell us her name and we will make sure she never works as a trainer again. That's the height of cruelty and certainly not the way to train any puppy. You do not beat up any animal - EVER!" I got quite huffy about the whole thing and I think this poor lady had wished she had never mentioned the subject.  As I said to her "would you beat your toddler and then lock it in its room just because it chewed the phone book or a shoe?" We were so horrified at what this lady had told us that we couldnt stop discussing it for days.

Anything to do with dogs has become mega business and sadly, there are so many amateurs who have taken it upon themselves to set up as experts on training, grooming et al. Most watch the TV trainers and then adapt their training techniques to their own way of doing things.  If you beat up on children and animals, then its for sure you beat up on old ladies and women.  If you raise a dog with aggression then you train it to become aggressive and fight back when someone raises their hand.

Chewing is a natural occupation for all puppies and dogs. Puppies do it because of teething and adult dogs do it out of sheer boredom because they are shut in 8 hours or more while their owners go out to earn bone money.  Some are Olympic champions at it. Others are terrorised into stopping by owners who beat them.  Just as human babies, they start teething and need something to take away the discomfort on their gums. What better  way to relieve that pain than by chewing on the nearest object.

Puppies can't distinguish the difference between  rawhide chews and your favourite Jimmy Choos, except that the shoes smell of you. All dogs thrive on scent so if they are left alone, your shoes are perfect to remind them of you. To help them learn you need to give them doggy toys, especially those that are fun to play with and chew. The pet shop will sell loads of  rubber rings, Kong toys and gizmos that you fill up with treats. These are terrific for the puppy to work out how to use them and distracts them from your furniture and belongings for a short time.

There are several things one can do to deter chewing. You won't entirely stop it until the dog reaches the age of one year, then the chewing loses its appeal. The dog thinks "Pah! Im grown up now and don't need to do all that puppy rubbish". However, while the chewing goes on by both puppy and adult dogs, here are some tips.

Dig out any old shoes, belts, scarves, empty plastic water bottles, cups and plates and place them on chairs, seats, low tables.  Watch a puppy in its idle moments, it is constantly looking around for something to drag off and chew.  If a strategially placed item is slightly hanging down or visible, that is what will be dragged off to chew.  It doesnt matter what the object is. A puppy's motto is "Chew, chew, chew! C'mon! let's  get down and chew."!(Sounds like a song title!)

Empty plastic water bottles make a nice sound when they bite into them (dont worry, they are safe and wont hurt the puppy because they never actually split open when new). Left lying around they make a good toy to pick up at will. And it does make a nice crackling sound to the puppy's ears. It also helps to ease the discomfort of sore gums when they bite down on them once flattened.

If the puppy is chewing chair legs, stair rails, curtain ends and  cushions, simply wipe the area with either Olbas Oil, Eucylptus oil, Vick's Vapour rub or something strong smelling. They always go back to the object they have chewed so slather it all over those chewed areas.  Ok! so the house will smell like a sub-station for colds and flu sufferers, but it soon disapates.

Bits of rag, odd socks, an old tee-shirt - great fun! Cushions are the most ever fun to rip apart.  To a puppy, the filling of feathers or foam are the equivalent of ball parks to leap around in.  What harm will it do to leave a tatty pillow or cushion lying around?  You dont really mind clearing up do you? Or do you? Anything that has stuffing is fair game to a puppy.  Oh! and dont forget a roll of toilet paper that can be chased down the stairs to leave a long trail and then shredded in the hall.

Lots of rawhide chews from the pet shop, especially the ones that are shaped like shoes with laces or those long rolled up ones that look like a white cigar, keeps them well occupied for at least an hour.  Some people worry about the laces being harmful. They arent but they do have a disconcerting habit of appearing as long strings in the puppy's poo! Tie a string onto a puppy chew and drag it around so that your puppy gets interested and gets the idea that its something to play with. Tying the chew or toy to a heavy chair leg is even better as the puppy has to pull at it and this exercises its jaws and removes any loose puppy teeth. (I still have a tiny puppy tooth in a silver pill box from one of the dogs I had many years ago. Sad creature that I am or what?)

Fill up a cardboard box with tissues, kitchen paper, dog toys, the tattier the better, old bits and bobs and leave them in the room.  An old magazine or catalogue is great for tearing apart and so is newspaper. Puppies always clamber into boxes out of curiousity.

Clear out anything that is near electrical flex and plugs because when they search out the object they then get distracted by the need to explore that 'thing' stuck to the wall. Puppy will have a destroy-fest.

Puppies  are ingenuous, curious and have the attention span of a flea and after a burst of destruction, they flop down and sleep for an hour or so. Keeping them occupied with cardboard boxes, toys, rope tugs, balls and anything else you can find, will stop you tearing out your hair at the loss of something precious.

We dog sit a 10 month old Norfolk terrier pup, named Herbie, who comes to stay from time to time and I can assure you, I make sure that during his visits I am ultra tidy. Chairs are pushed back in. Barriers to every room are in place. Anything on the floor is lifted. I only leave items that I know will be destroyed. Its a small price to pay for having a happy puppy.

Gardens are the next big worry as you have to  make sure you have lifted up plants, bulbs and tools as these are all fair game. Sticks are usually chewed to oblivion. Be aware that pots filled with nice, black earth are fair game for turning over, spilling the contents, rolling and trampling in the earth and then dragging most of it back into the house. For added measure, the pot and earth will be chewed and dumped on a nice clean floor or rug.

The most inconvenient part of keeping your little Chewbecca happy is the clearing up but if you get  puppy,  that's such a small price to pay. Unless of course, you happen to be one of those anally neat freaks who can't stand a mess, then Im afraid your life is going to lose all its glamour.

We all have a fund of puppy chewing stories to relate. Tell me your funniest chewing story and I will include it in my next blog. In fact I would love to hear from you about anything that would interest the dog community and if you have pictures or funny videos, even better!

I found a lovely video on the internet of dogs talking.
Its cute and chuckle making.  One of the dog owners in the video has an infectious laugh that makes watching it even better.  Some people have seen it but there are many others who havent.  So enjoy!

Until next  week's blog,

Dawn