Allergies in Dogs

!±8± Allergies in Dogs

Allergies are one of the most common complaints among dog owners. Truly, not too many puppies have allergies their first year but many are already becoming sensitized to things in their environment. If your puppy already shows signs of allergies, and some do, don't hesitate to get it treated. You may head off a lifetime of trouble if you get a handle on it early. Allergies get worse every year if left untreated.

Allergies usually materialize in the form of small skin eruptions, rashes, hair loss, itching, moist or oozing dermatitis, and ear infections. Dogs will over wash themselves, chew, scratch, and rub to alleviate the sensations which in turn makes them worse.

HOW ALLERGIES DEVELOP

Allergies are such that your dog may be exposed to a pathogen one year and show no outward signs of ailment...this time. Next time he comes in contact, it will create a reaction, maybe small at first, but each time he is getting more sensitized and each time the reaction will be a little, or a lot worse. We often hear owners saying, "he never had this problem before". Yeah, we know, that's how it works.

Dogs can develop allergies to any number of things such as grass, trees, shrubs, dust mites, molds, and most commonly...fleas. If your dog has an allergy to something, it will take very little to set of a histamine reaction in his body. Dogs are most commonly allergic to things their skin touches rather than something they inhale. They may be allergic to pollen but it is usually a contact problem, not an inhalant one like with people.

MOST COMMON CAUSE

Fleas are the most common cause of allergies by far. You may not even think your dog has fleas but it could only take one bite to set him off. One of the most important things you can do is protect him against fleas. Protect him aggressively and often. There are excellent products on the market now such as Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, and Sentinel. A couple of these require simple blood tests before they can be used because they also protect against heartworms. You must always make sure your dog is not infected before starting on heartworm medication.

TREATING FOR FLEAS

It is also vital that you treat not only your pet but also his environment as best you can. Fleas can live anywhere. They reside quite nicely in your yard, grass, sand, dirt, carpet, bedding and anywhere else you can think of. And the are resilient. Persistence is a must. One study showed fleas that were found in Arctic Turns nests which were thawed out and found to be still viable after having been frozen for a long time.

The fleas life cycle must be broken to gain any sort of advantage at depleting their population. Treat the house, the yard, and your pets. Make sure you use products that are safe for all your pets. Cats and other small animals can be very sensitive to toxins. Please NEVER use over the counter products unless they are recommended by your veterinarian. Many of the products sold in stores are very dangerous and can be deadly, especially to cats.

TREATING THE ALLERGY

There are many ways to treat your dog if he develops allergies. If it is not too bad you may only have minor flare ups in the summer which can be treated with oatmeal baths and antihistamines. The dogs who really suffer often require year round treatment, or at least aggressive treatment through their sensitive times of the year. A regimen may include injections of steroids, antihistamine and steroid tablets, a special diet, flea products, and frequent soothing baths.

FOOD ALLERGIES

Less that 10% of dogs who have allergies are allergic to what they eat. We often make that leap on our own because there are so many allergies with the human population. Not so with your dog. While it is quite possible. It is not usually the best place to start looking for solutions. Many dog food companies have created diets for those dogs who are sensitive to their diets however. Hills and Nature's Recipe are among the leaders. They make a variety of foods with ingredients that your dog won't have come in contact with. They may include venison, duck, whitefish, lamb, rice and potato.

The trick to ruling out a food allergy is to eliminate everything else they may put in their mouths and it will take up to 60 days to clear everything from their system. You must only change their diet but also eliminate treats unless they are just hand outs of the same biscuits he gets at meals. You must have him eat from stainless bowls. You must remove any chew toys, like rawhides, and cows hooves. This sounds easy but it must be maintained without hesitation or fail or else it will all be for not. Any contact will set you back to the beginning.

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES

Dogs and usually allergic to more than one antigen. Most will react to varying degrees to a number of different things the come in contact with. While dogs are often allergic to pollens, it is not usually due to inhalation, but due to contact with the skin. If your dog has a severe sensitivity to grass for instance, you may need to wash off his feet every time he comes in from outside. Even just rinsing them will help prevent further involvement. He may need baths several times a week but only with specific types of treatments and direction from the veterinarian. The wrong things could aggravate instead of help the problem.

Dog allergies usually come in the form of dermatitis, some form of skin inflamation, itching, redness, hair loss, scratching, oozing, and ear infections. The animals are truly miserable and inconsolable. If you can get by with a few treatments in a season you should consider yourself lucky as allergies go. If you have a dog who is sensitive to something all year or hyper sensitive at certain times of the year you may need to explore allergy testing and injections.

ALLERGY TESTING

Allergy testing is the best way to determine what exactly you are battling and how best to handle it. The tests are done either in the form of skin testing where part of the dog is shaved and tiny amounts of possible allergens are injected under or applied to the skin to see what he might react to. The areas are checked regularly for signs of reaction. Another is a blood test where the dogs blood is drawn and sent to a special laboratory who just does this type of blood work. The results can take a week or two but the answers come without further insult to the dogs skin.

An blood test will tell you not only what they are allergic to, but HOW allergic they are. It will show a titer, or a number out of normal range to help you and the vet understand how severe it is. The test will cover 20 or more different possible pathogens which are prominent in your part of the country and test the blood to all of them. You can also test for food allergies this way.

One other benefit of blood testing is that you have not only the vet and his experience but you also have the laboratory to help guide him with their vast and focused expertise. The labs will guide you through the many types of treatments that may be done at home and by the vet.

ANTIGEN THERAPY

Once the blood work has determined what the dog is allergic to, the lab can make an antigen therapy which the dog will undergo to begin de-sensitizing him. The antigen vial will contain an injectable and sterile form of what the dog is allergic to. Tiny amounts are injected under the skin and regular intervals and strengths to allow the dogs body to start to build a tolerance to it. This can take months and may have to be done every so often to maintain the effect but it is the most promising form of treatment.

If your dog has severe allergies you and your vet will become well acquainted so make sure you and your dog are comfortable with them and their office. Allergies can be expensive, infuriating, frustrating, and time consuming but they can almost always be alleviated.

Allergies in Dogs

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Teach Your Kids Arithmetic - Fractions, Percents, and Decimals

!±8± Teach Your Kids Arithmetic - Fractions, Percents, and Decimals

Admittedly fractions are trouble for most students. In my previous article I talked about why this is so. Percents and decimals too present their share of problems to young students-adults as well. There is an interesting connection between these three mathematical entities and here it is: fractions, percents, and decimals are variations of one and the same thing.

That is correct! These three curious mathematical objects, which go parading around as though they had independent identities, are really one and the same. It's like Clark Kent and Superman: you take off the glasses and suit, and you get Superman. Learn about the personality of one, and you've mastered the intricacies of the other.

When I pointed this relationship out during one of my lessons, one student looked at me in amazement and said that he never realized that. This boy had gone through school for twelve years-he was a senior in high school-and never saw that connection. When I would stress this relationship throughout my different classes, I would get similar reactions from many students: they just never made the connection that linked these three seemingly different ways of expressing a mathematical idea.

Now this is a problem with mathematics education in this country. Connections are not made between topics in this difficult discipline. For this reason, students are left scratching their heads wondering when in the world they will ever use something like a decimal, a fraction, or a percent, even though these basic things are literally encountered everyday. This failure to connect math to reality harks back to questions like "Why are manhole covers round?", which I presented in my article Why Study Math - The Circle

For those educators reading this, they know that a common rebuttal of the math student is "When am I ever going to use this?" In fact, a common gripe I would hear is "This is totally useless stuff." In preparation for these questions, I worked diligently so that I could show students that there actually was a connection-a reason-why they were studying the particular lesson at hand.

For the topic in question-fractions, percents, and decimals-students must be made aware that a fraction is a percent and that a percent is a decimal. Once students know that they are dealing with one and the same thing, and not three separate ones, they feel less overwhelmed from having to know all about percents, all about fractions, and all about decimals. When students now see 1/8, they know that this is a mathematical synonym for 12.5% or 0.125. Similarly 1/4 is 0.25 which is 25%; 3/8 is 37.5% or 0.375; ½ is 50% or 0.5; 5/8 is 62.5% or 0.625 and 3/4 is 75% or 0.75.

As obvious as the previous mathematical synonyms are to those who understand them, these relationships elude many students, and they end up in ignorance, much like the senior of mine mentioned earlier-and this can be a life-long ignorance, unfortunately. Yet once connections like that among fractions, percents, and decimals are made, connections and cross links are made in other areas as well. When this is done, mathematics is no longer the formidable bugbear that many take it to be.

See more at Help with Fractions

Teach Your Kids Arithmetic - Fractions, Percents, and Decimals

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Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes

!±8± Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes

The current crisis in our pet food supply has many of us looking for homemade dog food recipes for our beloved pets. I have been cooking for our dog for many years and find that he likes mostly the same foods that we do. Each animal has his own preferences, just like we do. For instance, our Oscar will not eat tomatoes, but Bonnie loves them. Use these recipes as a starting place for homemade dog food recipes. Then, as you discover your pets preferences you can customize them more. One caution: you should not serve onion or chocolate to dogs as they contain substances that can be toxic to dogs.

Some veterinarians prefer raw meat for our pets. I prefer to cook the meat because of concerns over E Coli and other bacterial contamination. If you wish to use raw meat, do not use ground meat. The grinding process increases the possibility of contamination by providing more surface area for the bacteria to grow.

Canine Meat and Grain Menu

2 cups cooked brown rice
2/3 cup Lean beef
2 teaspoons lard -- or veggie oil
1/2 cup vegetables -- no onion*

Mix all together. You can serve the beef raw if you use chunks of beef. Do not serve ground beef raw, the grinding process increases the chances of bacterial contamination. Use any vegetables you like. You will find over time that your dog will leave any vegetables he does not like. Mix the above. Serve slightly warm, but not hot.

Chow Chow Chicken

You must remove the meat from the bones in this recipe. Chicken bones can easily splinter and cause choking problems in dogs.

2 chicken thighs -- or white meat
1 stalk celery -- sliced thick
3 carrot -- peeled and halved
2 small potatoes -- peeled and cubed
2 cups rice -- uncooked

Place chicken pieces in large pot. Cover with cold water (5 -6 cups). Add carrots, celery, and potatoes to water. Add salt to taste if you want. Cover and simmer on low heat about 2 hours until the chicken becomes tender. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove soup from heat. Pull the chicken meat off the bone ( it will practically fall off), discard bones. Return shredded pieces to pot. Stir well. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Meaty Dog Biscuits

Use beef, chicken or lamb strained baby food for these biscuits.

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 to 10 tablespoons water
2 jars baby food meat, strained

Mix all ingredients together and knead for 3 min. Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a dog bone shaped cookie cutter, and place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 min.

Makes approximately 2 dozen doggie biscuits

Bacon Bites for Dogs

6 slices cooked bacon -- crumbled
4 eggs -- well beaten
1/8 cup bacon grease
1 cup water
1/2 cup powdered milk -- non-fat
2 cup graham flour
2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cornmeal

Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out.

Ace's Favorite Cheesy Dog Biscuits

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 pound margarine -- corn oil
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup Milk -- or as needed

Grate the cheese into a bowl and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Cream the cheese with the softened margarine, garlic, salt and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball.

Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown, and firm.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.

I hope that these free dog food recipes will inspire you to cook safe and healthy food for your pet.

Free Homemade Dog Food Recipes

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Bad Breath Dog Biscuit Recipes

!±8± Bad Breath Dog Biscuit Recipes

www.MyHomemadeDogTreats.com Another great home made dog treat recipe for your favorite friend-your dog! Today's barkalicious recipe is Bad Breath Dog Biscuits, ready to conquer doggy breath!

Bad Breath Dog Biscuit Recipes

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Overcoming the Obstacles of Potty Training Your Puggle

!±8± Overcoming the Obstacles of Potty Training Your Puggle

One of the most common problems suffered by Puggle owners is the difficulty in training their Puggles not to potty in the house and on the costly carpets. There is a result oriented potty training for Puggles that will train the dog to go out and perform rather than doing it in the house.

Puggle is very cute and is a great pet, but it is a tricky and hard to train a puggle for potty training. The most common and obvious sign is the puppy will sniff the floor and start walking around the place forming circles. The former sign is when the dog wants to urinate and the latter sign is when the dog wants to poop. So it is important to pay attention to these signs in order to prevent the dog from performing on the floor. This observation and corresponding response will help in making the potty training short and easy.

If the Puggle is utilizing the outside then the dog should be made excited by the word 'outside' so that he easily recognizes with the word and moves out during an emergency. Say it such a tone that it is the most exciting and interesting word. Another idea is to take the Puggle to a specific place where you expect them to do the business. After some time the dog will recognize the area and will frequent this spot on a consistent basis. This helps the owner to keep the area clean easily. This technique works for both puppies and also for mature dogs. The important thing is to convey the message to the dog in a very friendly and loving way.

Affection and patience: Always ad a little humor while talking to the dog. This way the dog will happily accept your orders. Give the dog some incentives like a biscuit when he successfully completes his missions. Reward and do some clicks to the dog for obeying your orders. An important thing to note is that; never underestimate your puggle puppy intelligence. The dog will accept and perform if the teacher is good and understanding.

It is a good idea of picking a specific method that can be used for training the puppy. It is not a good idea to change from one training to another since the dog will get confused and end up learning nothing at all. The training should be consistent and stable. Every training will have its own problems so stick to a specific training regime.

Paper method: Pick a specific spot in the house where the Puggle is supposed to perform. For example, the bathroom, or kitchen since these areas have a linoleum flooring. Don't choose a carpeted area since it is very tough to clean it up. The specific area should be spread with some newspapers and make the dog to sit there and poop. Rotate the process until the dog gets used to it. Clean up the area regularly and place fresh newspapers. It works with both Puggle puppies and adult Puggles

Overcoming the Obstacles of Potty Training Your Puggle

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Using Hot Dogs in Recipes

!±8± Using Hot Dogs in Recipes

People eat hot dogs for many reasons. I actually love hot dogs. Other people make them because they are a child friendly food. Still others make them as they are inexpensive and you can create a meal with a half package of hot dogs.

My kids have always loved hot dogs. We buy only the all beef hot dogs and over the years we have discovered many uses for hot dogs.

For a simple meal, grill them on the barbeque, add your favorite toppings and serve with a salad. When I make hot dogs, I put ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on the table, along with relish and chopped up onions. My own personal favorite is mustard and onions.

When the kids were young, we used to tempura hot dogs. We'd buy batter at the store, and then coat and fry both hot dogs and veggies. It was a great way to get the kids to eat vegetables. We'd offer both tempura sauce and also ketchup. I think kids like most anything dipped in ketchup.

Buy refrigerated crescent rolls. Roll up one hot dog in each crescent and bake until rolls are done. You can also add mustard to the uncooked dough before rolling up.

Do you like corndogs? Make your own corn dogs by preparing a cornbread mix, and rolling the hot dog in the mixture. Add a bit of extra milk to make the batter a little bit thinner for dipping. Add a popsicle stick and cook until bread is done. While I enjoy dipping corn dogs in mustard, you can also dip them in ketchup and barbeque sauce.

Another favorite of mine are chili cheese dogs. We make a batch of chili, smother the hot dog with the chili and then add cheese on top.

A lot of people enjoy a casserole of baked beans with cut up hot dogs. You can also try barbeque baked beans. Both offer a very different flavor.

If you like bacon, try wrapping a slice of bacon around the hot dog and then adding melted cheddar cheese.

There are so many ways to enjoy a hot dog, and almost all of these recipes are kid friendly also.

Using Hot Dogs in Recipes

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Best Homemade Dog Treats!

!±8± Best Homemade Dog Treats!

www.MyHomemadeDogTreats.com You always want to feed your dog right, but sometimes they need a treat, too! So what's a good puppy mom or dad to do? Make your own home made dog treats, of course! Go to www.MyHomemadeDogTreats.com for tail waggin', dog approved, fast, easy and healthy recipes, plus amazing tips and MUCH more!!

Best Homemade Dog Treats!

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