Dog Health » Big Dog Blog

The story of Skeeter, a Poodle with Narcolepsy.

After intense playing or long walks/jogs have you noticed your dog heavily panting? tongue hanging low? lacking focus?

As noted in the Sept/Oct issue of Bark magazine (www.thebark.com), they are all symptoms of dehydration.

Other symptoms to look for are: loose skin, dry and sunken eyes, dry mouth and nose.

Though temperatures are dropping outdoors, dogs can still suffer from dehydration.

Usually shade, water and a cold surface are enough to cool down your dog after physical activities. However, if your dog is severely dehydrated and you are not able to get him to a veterinarian immediately, “K9 Kitchen” author Monica Segal suggests the “Quick & Easy Hydration Solution.”

Quick & Easy Hydration Solution:

1 qt. water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. regular table salt*

*For additional potassium, substitute:
½ tsp. regular table salt and
½ tsp. light salt

Severe dehydration in dogs can prove fatal. Avoid potential dangers by monitoring your dog during exercise and providing your pooch plenty of water and breaks. Also observe your dog for signs of dehydration during illness. If you think your dog is suffering from dehydration, contact your vet immediately.

A report in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has just shown a link between the sugar substitue Xylitol, and illnesses in dogs. In fact, it is so bad, possibly causing acute liver failure that out of eight dogs found to have ingested xylitol, 5 died or had to be euthanized.

Xylitol is a commonly used sweetner used in sugar free gums, candies and even baked goods. So keep an eye on the ingredients when feeding your dog human treats.

I just received an email from a wholesaler this morning and this is the report:

There has been a recall of the Greenies Dental products. These items are no longer available for ordering through our wholesale site. At this time we don’t have any information as to when they will be available again, but we will let you know. This only affects the hard chewable Greenies and the Greenies Bits which are listed below, not the pill pockets or the treats.

GE-00319 4/ct Jumbo Size Greenies
GE-00317 8/ct Large Size Greenies
GE-00314 14/ct Regular Size Greenies
GE-00311 24/ct Petite Size Greenies
GE-01567 48/ct Teenie Size Greenies
GE-08351 10oz Greenies Lil’ Bits for Pocket Pets
GE-07311 16oz Greenies Lil’ Bits for Dogs

Does this mean a full recall?

Update: In my attempt to find out actual information I made two calls, one to Greenies® and one to Neeps Wholesale. The CSR person at Greenies®, sounding a bit flustered had said “no, they are not being recalled” and transferred me to a voicemail. I then spoke to Dawn of Neeps Wholesale, and although she wasn’t entirely sure of what exactly happened, she does know that Linda, I assume her associate, got an email Friday to pull all those listed above as they were being recalled. Dawn said they were likely to be recalled by the manufacturer, possibly the Heinz corporation as it owns Greenies®. She will hopefully call me back once she speaks to her associate.
So, bottom line, still unsure.

UPDATE:

Spoke with Janet, the Consumer Care Manager at Greenies today and she informed me that it was a reclaim, not a recall and that the difference is voluntary versus mandatory.

Dogs are such a huge part of our lives that many of us dream of having them come to work with us. Well, more and more companies are allowing dogs in the office and yours may be next.

Google Headquarters (Googleplex)

Part of an 11 picture Photo Essay of “Life in the Googleplex“, where Googlers are permitted to bring their dogs (but not cats) to the workplace.

Research has shown that having pets in the workplace reduces stress and increases the feeling of well-being. And that’s precisely why Relay Recruitment, a company in West Yorkshire brought in Rupert, a Cocker Spaniel. What management experienced was beyond their expectations. Rupert indeed helped with the post-holiday blues, but also encouraged 4 people to quit smoking and others to lose weight by going on walks during break. It worked out so well that “Bosses now plan to provide dogs for their staff in Leeds, Halifax and York.”

Kennel Space - (or Office Space?)

Rhonda Abrams at the Arizona Republic wrote ‘A Dog-Friendly Office Good for Workers, Pets‘ that illustrates how companies benefit by allowing dogs at work. The practice improves morale, employees are likely to work later, and the environment helps to attract and retain better employees.

“In my company, we indicate we’re a “dog-friendly workplace” in our help-wanted ads. That’s increased both the number and quality of applicants. And once someone gets used to bringing their dog to work, they’re less likely to leave. Even the delivery folks love the dogs. The UPS man, Paul, gives each dog a biscuit every day, so my dog Cosmo knows exactly what brown can do for him.”

Am I working by myself here?

So has your office made the jump? If not, they may need a bit of a nudge and that’s why Rhonda added her “Key to a Dog-Friendly Workplace“.

This includes a set of rules for all dogs, and considerations for people. A few are listed below:

• Enforce the NO Fleas rule
• 3 Strikes and You’re Out
• No Barking
• Keep a Supply of Antihistamine
• Thank Your Lucky Stars