Bloat, Body score and more

-------Notes about Bloat------
Have you heard of bloat? In dogs, bloat is a condition of gases collecting and not being able to escape the body. This can involve the stomach actually twisting about. I am not a vet so I will not attempt to describe this in detail.  In any case, the animal after ingesting food becomes unable to pass it out of the body in any direction (front end or back end people!). This can be caused by a number of factors and has an increased likelihood for some breeds, specifically large breeds and breeds with a deep chest and also older dogs in general. Some have found that this more often occurs in dogs who have a dry kibble diet, which is likely related to the expansion of  kibble in the stomach.

Here are a few things you can do
*decrease your dogs chances of getting bloat by encouraging slow eating habits and encourage resting before and after meals. (sounds like a good time for a good chew on a bone! or a nap on the couch!)
*talk to your veterinarian to get the facts about bloat and find out whether or not your dog might be at higher risk.
*learn the signs of bloat and take action immediately. If bloat occurs in your dog it can become fatal in minutes so an urgent trip to the vet is a MUST.

Symptoms of bloat can be hard to recognize or may appear to be something different. Watch for weakness, depression, gagging but not being able to vomit, difficulty breathing, panting heavily and or having a distention of the abdomen.  Again, please talk to your vet to make sure you are properly informed.

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Are you confident you know what your dogs body should look like? 

Would you be able to tell if your dog was over or under weight?

 Vets use a system to rate an animals body weight called a body score.

Find your dogs body score.

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Tool Box!
Bubbles! Serisouly, if you have never seen a puppy excitedly jumping at bubbles and popping them with there mouth, then you are in for a treat when you do! Summer time stores are awash with bubbles to entertain children. Wintertime my house is a flutter with bubbles when I want to entertain by pup but not spend to much time freezing our paws off outside. If you have a puppy bring out the bubbles and encourage playfulness around them (happy voices, petting and playful love when they show curiosity). Adult dogs may wonder what all the fuss is about. Each dog is an individual and while some dogs will go ga-ga for bubbles others are sure to find them dull indeed.

A favorite treat, Zukes Mini Training Treats. I love them for training. They are very small, easy to handle and come in a variety of flavors so you can switch it up and surprise your pup.
Zukes

A really sweet pair of dogs.

Here enjoying a fall afternoon is Wally and Gretta. Two Australian Shepherds I am proud to know. Wally was a foster puppy of mine. Recently I had a happy reunion with him and met his new 'sister', Gretta!
Wally was a wee bit camera shy, but as you can see in this next photo Gretta is a willing model!

What a peach!
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In other news .......

                   My freezer is full. We ordered about one hundred and seventy pounds of meat for dog food last week. Buying in bulk saves $$$. What was on our list this time? Pork hearts, chicken livers, ground beef, chicken necks, chicken wings, ground turkey, oh my! And don't worry, we still have some cut beef femurs and buffalo bones for the chewing. Did you know that a good bone is great for your dogs dental health? 

Here is a snap of Comet sharing the back seat with the meat.