Dangerous Strain of Dog Flu Spreads

No one wants to get the flu and your dog is now also at risk. The H3N2 canine influenza virus began infecting dogs last year and continues to spread in 2016.

Two cases of this contagious virus have been confirmed in Tucson, as reported by KGUN 9 News.

"None of the dogs have immunity to fight it off, so you see large numbers of dogs getting ill when the virus starts to circulate," said Beth Lipton, vet for Public Health Seattle and King County. "When dogs are going to day care or dog parks or boarding overnight in kennel facilities, it can spread very rapidly."

Talk to your vet about having your dogs vaccinated if they are at high risk from activities such as going to the dog park, going to doggy daycare or other social gatherings. When you travel contact us to leave your pet at home in a stress free environment where there is no risk of exposure. Click here to schedule a Free Consultation!

  

Which Dog Food Is Best?

If you're wondering what you should feed your dog and you feel overwhelmed by the choices you're not alone! With so many varieties and brands and the ingredient list, how is a dog owner to know which food is nutritionally sound?

Let's start with elimination. Brands found in grocery and department stores are made with inexpensive ingredients, like corn and meat by-products, that make up the bulk of the content. While these brands can appear to be a low-cost solution, your dog will pass most of the food without absorbing nutrition. This means you will need to feed two to three times more than when feeding a premium diet and your yard will have that much more poo to clean up - not a very good bargain!

Premium diets come with so many options from grain free to having chelated minerals and probiotics to proteins like rabbit and kangaroo - oh my! To get started see which brands are available at our local retailers like Ramsey Canyon Feed or PetsMart and compare them on Dog Food Advisor to learn more about the rating and ingredients. We recommend making your choice from a brand found on the 4 or 5 star lists.

By using Dog Food Advisor you will learn that a food that appears to be above average, based on the ingredients on the label, may not measure up when actual volumes are compared.

Finally, it is important to switch the protein a few times a year to prevent possible food allergies from developing. 

  

Your Dogs Think We Are Guardian Angels

This is hard to live up to but here is a fun spin on it.

Your dogs think we are guardian angels! When you are gone we appear every single time to take care of them like we somehow (although they really have NO idea how but it must have a connection to suitcases) know when they need us.

We will continue to live up to this one but don't tell them our secret!

  

4 Easy Steps to Biking With Your Dog

Biking with your dog is one of the best ways to burn off energy while strengthening the bond by going out on the adventure together. 

Here is what you'll need in addition to a bike and a happy dog:

1. A harness that fits your dog properly
2. A bungee cord that is adjustable length with ends that snap closed (rather than the typical hooks)
3. An 18 inch to 2 foot lead to go from the bungee cord to the harness
4. A 4 foot lead to go from the bike to loosely loop around the dog's neck in the event the harness breaks. (Use a shorter lead if you have a tall dog)

In this short video play list I will show you how I bike my dogs starting with the harness and bungee cord attachment to my bike and ending with a demonstration of riding down the road with my dog.

There are also several commercially available products, like the Walky Dog, on the market that easily attach to your bike and keep your dog safely at your side. I have one but prefer using a bungee cord, as shown in the video, for my comfort as I find that the back of my leg hits the pole mount on the Walky Dog while pedaling.

It is important to monitor the condition of your dog's paws while engaging in any type of exercise. Start off with short sessions (whether biking, jogging, hiking, sports, games). Be sure to check the pads for foreign objects and to make sure they are not cracking or bleeding. There is an excellent product, Musher's Secret, that will help condition your dog's paws to exercise.

If you want to try biking with your dog but you fear you lack the coordination or your dog has way too much energy, or maybe you just need a demonstration and practice session or two, give us a call! We will be happy to help you get started on this fun sport!