Care

a gooey bit of beneficial bacteria-rich debris from fermentation. This can be added to food, and diluted with water and used for cleaning canine ears, soaking paws, and as a skin-soothing rinse.üAfter shampooing and rinsing your dog, try giving him a final rinse with a solution of half water and half apple cider vinegar for a shiny, soft coat.

Older dogs, like older people, have an easier time getting around if they aren't overweight. Losing weight can be a challenge for dogs at any age, but more so as dogs grow older. Still, weight loss for dogs is worth the effort. Slender dogs not only get around more easily, but also actually live longer. A 14-year study showed that dogs fed 25 percent fewer calories than their free-fed littermates lived nearly two years longer, showed fewer visible signs of aging, and enjoyed an extra three years of pain-free mobility before developing canine arthritis.

Feed your dog raw honey rather than processed honey so that your dog receives all the nutritional benefits it has to offer. Raw honey is known to improve allergies in dogs, soothe kennel cough, help dogs' digestive systems and more! Raw honey is strained to remove debris, but that's it. It's otherwise as natural as you can get. Shop at the farmer's market or do an Internet search for local beekeepers. Processed honey, on the other hand, is manufactured with heat, which thins it and destroys many of its beneficial attributes.

If your dog has arthritis or is recovering from an injury or has a condition that restricts her range of motion, a variety of assistance devices ranging from simple to sophisticated can help her live a more comfortable, active life. Steps and ramps are affordable, portable aids for dogs who need help getting onto or off of furniture or into and out of vehicles. For dogs with neck or spine injuries or osteoarthritis, elevated food and water bowls may help reduce pain (or anxiety about pain) from reaching down to eat or drink from low bowls.

Carrot Seed (Daucus carota). Skin care, first aid, healing, scarring,skin conditions. Super gentle.Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica). Improves circulation,helps deter fleas. Skin care.Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita). Also called bluechamomile. Skin-soothing anti-inflammatory. Burns, allergicreactions, skin irritations.Chamomile, Roman (Anthemis nobilis). Intensely calming andantispasmodic. Wound care, teething pain.Clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Different from common garden sage.Gentle, sedating, calming

Each essential oil has a chemical category that may have several different effects. Aromatherapy is a modern healing art, and the therapeutic quality of essential oils is still being discovered. In other words, aromatherapy is a complex subject that deserves careful study and expert guidance. There are many ways to deliver essential oils into your dog's environment. Essential oils – the volatile substances of aromatic plants – are collected, usually by steam distillation, from leaves, blossoms, fruit, stems, roots, bark, or seeds. The water that accompanies an essential oil during distillation is called a hydrosol or flower water. Hydrosols contain trace amounts of essential oil and are themselves therapeutic.

Exercise is essential for dogs of all ages. It helps maintain muscle tone, a healthy weight, joint flexibility, good circulation, and overall health and happiness – but when movement causes pain, it's only natural to slow down or stay still. That creates a vicious cycle in which inactivity contributes to pain, pain reinforces inactivity, and the dog's health deteriorates.

Pulling on leash is problematic for many reasons. It's likely uncomfortable for the dog (even when the desired forward motion trumps the discomfort); it's uncomfortable for the human handling the dog; and it skews natural dog body language, potentially contributing to conflicts between dogs. We'd say the additional potential for contributing to the development of thyroid disease, particularly in breeds known to be genetically predisposed, makes using a well-fitted front-clip harness a wise choice.

My dog has learned to demand having her teeth brushed! I read that coconut oil was very good for dogs. About a year ago, I started using it to brush my dog's teeth. Every night for the past year, our 2-year-old dog Lila will come to me and paw my leg while staring straight into my eyes, about an hour after her dinner meal. She will not leave me alone until I say, Ready for your teeth to be brushed?" She looks at me

While it’s true that some herbs recommended for use with canine arthritis have drug-like actions, including contraindications and potentially adverse side effects, the plants mentioned here are easily acquired from reputable sources, widely used, and safe for most dogs. The descriptions that follow include safety notes as applicable.

You can start the process of socializing and training at any stage of a dog's life! Making positive associations for your dog is faster and easier for youngsters than adults, but it's always worth trying to teach new ways of thinking that will improve your dog's quality of life and overall happiness.

if you are aware of them before your dog suffers an injury. For example