April Special

For the month of April we will be offering 20% off all Dog Gone Clean baths for short haired and smooth coated breeds! For the heavier shedders we will also be offering 15% off our All the Hairy Details De-shed Package! Call today to schedule your appointment or book your appointment via our website at www.hairofthedog.us

Examples of these types of breeds: Am Bulldog, Am Stafforodshire Terrier, Basenji, Bassett Hound, Beagles, Bloodhound, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bull Terrier, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Short Haired Chihuahua, Chinese Shar-Pei, Coonhound, Smooth Dachshund, Dalmation, English Bulldog, Foxhound, French Bulldog, Smooth Fox Terrier, Great Dane, Greyhound, Italian Greyhound, Lab, Mastiff, Pit Bull, Pug, Pointer, Rottweiler, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Whippet

AVMA's Top 10 Spring Hints for Pet Owners

Here are the AVMA’s top 10 spring hints for pet owners:

*Fleas and ticks
They can be tiny, little more than a pinhead in some instances, but they grow and spread quickly once they find a host. The preventative treatments that you may have discontinued in the winter should start early in the spring to keep your pet’s coat, and your home, free of pests.

*Lawn fertilizers
Lawn fertilizers are very toxic to pets. Store fertilizers in a place far from where your dog or cat -- and children-- can get at it. After applying it to your lawn, follow manufacturer instructions on how long you should wait before allowing your pet into the area. If you see a sign posted on a lawn that tells you to keep your pets off, abide by it.

*Pesticides and herbicides
It’s probably not surprising that these chemicals can be toxic to your pets, but, even when they’re not lethal, there are some long-term health concerns. Studies indicate the use of pesticides and herbicides may be tied to increased rates of specific forms of cancer in dogs. If your pet is exposed, wash them with soap and water immediately and call your veterinarian.

*Cocoa bean mulch
It’s becoming common to mulch a garden with the fragrant spent shells of cocoa beans. But just like chocolate, dogs like to eat them and they are toxic.

*Lilies
Lilies are a flower common in the spring, and they are very, very toxic to cats. Cats will often chew them, and even small amounts can lead to kidney failure and death.

*Rhubarb leaves
Rhubarb makes a fine pie and it’s a staple in many vegetable gardens, but the leaves are poisonous and can cause kidney failure. For a complete list of plants and plantings that can be dangerous to pets, visit www.avma.org.

*Rat and mouse poisons
Controlling vermin becomes an issue again in the spring. Be aware that the same properties of common rat and mouse poisons that make them irresistible to pests will also attract your pet. If consumed, these can be fatal to your animal.

*Cleaning products
Spring cleaning is an annual tradition in many households, but make sure the cleaning products don’t hurt your animals. If the label states “keep pets and children away from area until dry” follow those instructions carefully, and store all chemicals out of reach of children and pets.

*Paint and paint thinners
If you’re putting a fresh coat of paint on the house, keep the pets away. Paint thinners, mineral spirits and other solvents can cause severe irritation or chemical burns if swallowed or even if they come in contact with your pet's skin. Latex house paints typically produce a minor stomach upset, but some specialty paints may contain heavy metals or volatile substances that could be harmful if ingested.

*Preventative medications
Consult with your veterinarian about seasonal medications to keep your pet healthy. For example, in many parts of the country, heartworm medications for dogs are often discontinued in the winter. Springtime is the season to restart this medication to keep your dog free of this parasite. But keep in mind that manufacturer’s instructions warn that heartworm medications should not be given without first visiting your veterinarian to ensure that your pet has not developed the heartworm parasite. A simple blood test will give you that peace of mind.

Pet First Aid Kits

Accidents aren't planned but they do happen and we should be prepared for them when they do.

I would recommend that you put together your own pet first aid kit. Pre-packaged ones are available on various websites online, just be sure that they suit your needs and have what you need in them.

Tackle boxes, craft boxes, and tote bags all make great container for your pet first aid kit. Portability in an emergency is a factor to consider.

*Information regarding what to put in your pet first aid kit is credited to Mary Oquendo, C.M.P.T.I., C.S.S.

Suggestion of things to have in your kit:

-FOR BLEEDING/WOUND INJURIES-
-Adhesive tape
-Gauze pads
-Gauze rolls
-Vet wrap
-Rubbing alcohol - for cleaning wounds
-Hydrogen Peroxide - for cleaning bite wounds
-Antibiotic Ointment
-Iodine
-Sanitary Napkins - for soaking up excess blood
-Bandanas/triangular bandages - can be used for splinting fractures and covering wounds. In addition, they can be used to aid a dog in walking by taking the pressure off of an injured limb.
-Paint stirrers - for splinting.
-Sealed sterile solution for flushing wounds. Unsealed bottles are no longer sterile, nor is bottled water.

-ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK, ALLERGIC REACTIONS AND INSECT BITES-
-Premeasured dose of LIQUID gel antihistamine as determined by your vet.
-Safety pin.
The safety pin is used to puncture a hole in the liquid gel. It is then squirted onto the tongue of the pet. This is the easiest and most effective way to administer an antihistamine.
-Plastic card for flicking out bee stingers. Do not tweeze them out as you will only inject more venom into the pet. Place the card under the stinger and lift up and out.

-HEAT STROKE-
-Chemical cold pack or instant cold gel wrap. They can be placed against pressure points to aid in cooling the pet.
-Rubbing alcohol can be squirted onto the pads. As this can cause alcohol poisoning, you should first talk to emergency veterinary personnel.

-POISONING-
-Poison Control Center’s phone number is 888-426-4435.
DO NOT ASSUME YOU SHOULD INDUCE VOMITING! Different poisons call for different protocols. What will help one situation will cause harm in another.
-Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.
-Activated charcoal to absorb poison.
-Baking soda to absorb topical caustic material.
-Squirt bottle to administer treatment.
-Plastic baggie/latex gloves for vomit or stool sample.

-BURNS-
-Sterile solution for 1st and 2nd degree burns. DO NOT RINSE 3rd DEGREE BURNS. 3rd degree burns are characterized by the burn being through the full thickness of the skin.
-Bandana/gauze to cover burns.

-CHOKING-
-Small flashlight with spare battery to check throat for debris.
-Plastic baggies/latex gloves for debris sample.

-MISCELLANEOUS-
-Emergency muzzle.
If you need to use your kit, your pet is probably in pain. Any pet in pain or being moved into pain can and will bite.
-Digital thermometer and petroleum jelly. They will thank you later.
-Blunt tip scissors.
-Tweezers.
-Eye dropper.
-Eye wash.
-Honey packets for hypoglycemic dogs.
-Survivor blanket will help keep pet warm due to shock in cold weather ONLY. It should not be used in warm weather.
-Glow sticks can be used to illuminate most common strains of ringworm. However, keep in mind this is not a full-proof diagnostic tool.
-Smart Water or unflavored Pedialyte will help to re-hydrate stressed pets. Pedialyte must be unflavored because the other varieties contain artificial sweeteners.
-Photos of you WITH your dogs. The photo will establish ownership should you become separated from your dog(s) while hiking or traveling.
-Latex gloves to protect from zoonotics.
-Constricting band. If a poisonous snake bite occurs on an extremity, then place the constricting band after the wound. It will help to slow down the venom. Remove any collars from the pet. Intense body swelling can occur.

Your kit should be tailored to suit your needs. Taking a class in pet first aid is an excellent plan for all pet owners as well.

Preventing Fleas, Ticks & Mosquitos with an Holistic Approach

Preventing Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes
by Dr. Michael W. Fox

This topic is important because of the adverse reactions many animals have to the new anti-flea and tick medicines; the environmental and public health risks of these chemicals; the suffering of animals allergic to fleas and other insects; and the increasing risks of tick-born and other insect-transmitted diseases.

Since these new chemical compounds (and also the heart-worm preventive medicine, ivermectin) are excreted in treated animals’ stools, fecal material should not be left in the open or flushed down the toilet, but be bagged and put in with separated, biodegradable household garbage to go to the hopefully well contained and managed municipal land-fill.

The holistic approach to flea and tick control detailed below helps reduce the need to give your dog or cat potentially harmful new anti-flea and tick medicines (as pills, spot/drops on the skin, sprays, dips and collars). These new medicines do not eliminate ticks and fleas, and when there are many, the additional control measures detailed below must be adopted anyway.

Pesticide-releasing collars are especially risky since the chemicals are inhaled as well as absorbed by the animals and anyone sitting close to and petting the animal, especially children. These systemic insecticides that variously kill and disrupt the development of fleas, ticks, and other insect parasites, have to be ingested by the insects for them to work. This means that they must have at least one meal of your pet’s blood before getting the poisons circulating in the blood stream. in the medicated pet’s blood into their systems.

The US government’s Environmental Protection Agency announced in May 2009 that it will conduct a thorough investigation of topical anti-flea and tick products used on dogs and cats. Some 44,000 reports of adverse reactions were received by the EPA in 2008.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

My holistic approach to keeping fleas and ticks at bay consists of: Daily checking with a flea comb, closely examining between the animal’s toes, and ear-folds, noting any tell-tale shiny, black, coal-dust like specks. These will turn reddish-brown on a piece of wet white paper if they are flea droppings of digested dog or cat blood.

Any fleas and unattached ticks caught in the comb can be quickly disposed of by dunking the comb in a bowl of warm, soap-sudsy water. Attached ticks should be removed by grasping the tick with tweezers as close to where it is attached, using a straight pull---twisting will break off the neck of the tick and leave its head buried in the animal’s skin.

Next, vacuum all areas where the animal goes in the house every week thoroughly, and put cotton sheets over favored lying areas, such as sofas, carpets and floor surfaces with deep cracks or crevices where flea larvae can hide and mature. Roll up and launder these sheets in hot water every week.

Dust your dog or cat with diatomaceous earth. Rub it deeply into the fur all along the back, base and entire length of tail, and behind neck and ears. This is a super-fine, harmless powder of fossilized microscopic sea creatures. It purportedly kills fleas and their larvae by desiccation. (Birds often dust-bathe, probably to get rid of feather mites in this way.)

Liberally sprinkling this same material, or borate powder ( treated with a static charge specifically to act as a safe insecticide that also acts as a flea desiccant), on floors, carpets and in wall crevices, then vacuuming up after 24-48 hours, and repeating every 2-3 weeks during flea season, will help keep the home environment clear, provided animals living there do not roam free and come home infested.

When control-measures break down and fleas are found on the animal and cannot be kept at bay with regular flea-combing and other controls in the animal's environment, one of the safer flea-control products are those containing the oils and essences of chrysanthemum flowers that paralyze fleas, and are considered the least toxic to animals of all the insecticides; namely natural pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroids. Repeated spraying, powdering or shampooing is often needed since not all paralyzed fleas die on first exposure.

For a seriously infested house, use insecticidal aerosols or "foggers" as a last resort, rigorously following all operator instructions: Or call in a professional exterminator, and either put your animals in a boarding facility or motel during home-extermination only after each has been treated with a relatively safe pyrethrin-based anti-flea shampoo. Alternatively rub diatomaceous earth of the approved type for animal use on your pet.

A second round of fogging the house and shampooing/dipping the animals may be needed since flea pupae developing in cracks and crevices in the house may not be killed during the first treatment and may subsequently hatch out and start biting people and animals in the home.

CLEAR AWAY BUG HABITAT

Clean all porch, yard, patio and garage areas of old mats, debris, brush and dead vegetation where fleas and ticks may hide and flourish, especially in those areas where animals like to lie: and remove all old tires, plant pots and other objects where rain-water may collect, including clearing blocked gutters, and drain or fill areas where water pools, in order to control mosquitoes. Please avoid using ultra-violet light attracting, electrocution bug-zappers, and spraying insecticides that kill millions of beneficial insects, and instead put citronella candles out on the patio and garden areas as repellants, use yellow, non-insect attracting light bulbs outdoors, and put up insect screens on porches and repair door and window screens.

A small lamp with a 20 or lower wattage bulb angled low over a large flat dish of soapy water or vegetable oil will become a heat-magnet and trap for hungry fleas in an empty house, and this can be an alternative, when set up in different rooms, to fumigation, while on vacation or purchasing a new home where there were animals.

PROTECTING YOUR PET

Spritz your dog or cat daily with a floral scented shampoo or hand soap, diluted in warm water, rubbing it into the fur and ear-tips and let it air-dry. A half cup each of organic cider vinegar and warm water can be a good bug-repelling spritz. This will change the scent signal of your companion animal and may help deter insect pests. A drop each of oil of lemon and eucalyptus, neem and karanja, or cedar, cinnamon and peppermint (or trial mixture of various combinations of same ) in a cup of warm water, shaken vigorously and then rubbed on the fur, especially around the ear tips to also repel biting and flesh-eating flies, may significantly help repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes from dogs. Do not use these oils in cats who are self-groomers and could become ill especially from neem, after ingestion. If not well diluted, these oils can cause some dogs great distress because of irritation or fearfulness over the new scent.. It is advisable to put only a little of the mixture on one spot on the animal to begin with. Alternatively, put one drop of each of the selected essential oils on the upper side of a cotton bandanna around the dog’s neck when going outdoors.

The lemon and eucalyptus oil combination has been recently approved for human use by the FDA as a safe and effective alternative to DEET to repel mosquitoes. But be prudent especially with cats and some dogs who should not be allowed to lick off these various sprays or hand-applied emulsions. Slicing a lemon and placing it in a cup-full of boiling water and after letting it stand overnight will provide a quick emergency potion that can be rubbed into an animal’s fur and let dry to repel fleas and other insects.

A bed for your companion animal that has been stuffed with cedar shavings mixed with crushed neem leaves and bark, and dried bunches of rosemary and lavender may help deter fleas and keep them off an animal lying on such a bed. Few animals to my knowledge are allergic to these various plant materials. Pennyroyal has been advocated as an herb that helps repel fleas, but has fallen into disuse because it can be toxic if swallowed.

There is no need except under the most unsanitary, tropical and sub-tropical conditions, to have to use potentially life-threatening, health-impairing and environmentally harmful chemicals to ward off fleas, like these new and very expensive anti-flea and tick and other parasite-eliminating drugs, that could put your animal’s health at risk and be of greater environmental risk than the benefits that you may derive from the erroneous belief that these new products will mean your pet will never have fleas or ticks. Only too often, in spite of using these products, animals get severe allergic reactions to flea bites/saliva, commonly called ‘hot spots’, such that they are then routinely put on steroids, thus compounding the attendant risks of these products, especially to animals’ immune and neuro-endocrine systems. Possibly the safest of the new topical treatments is Summit VetPharm’s Vectra 3D to use when all other control measures fail. The product contains permethrin and dinotefuran, the formula for dogs and puppies being highly toxic for cats and kittens, for which a separate formulation is available from the company.

Users of these and other topical and oral products to control fleas and ticks should follow manufacturers’ instructions exactly to minimize risk, and to never treat a sick or otherwise immunocompromised animal. Over 44,000 reports of adverse reactions to topical anti-flea and tick products were compiled by the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency in 2008. For details, see www.Biospotvictims.org.

Healthy animals are less attractive, for reasons that science has yet to determine, to fleas and other external and internal pests and parasites, whose whole existence is one of opportunistic survival and multiplication.

Dogs and cats on the kind of ‘junk’ foods that are still widely sold are far more prone to fleas and other parasitic and infectious health problems than those who are on a wholesome, whole-food diet, ideally organically certified and of course nutritionally complete. So many are not, so I strongly advocate the use of the following inexpensive nutrient supplements.

I advise giving Brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast (not Baker’s or bread-making yeast); about one tea-spoon per 30 lb body weight mixed into the animal’s food every day, plus half a teaspoon of cinnamon per 30lb body weight. Begin by giving only a pinch of these nutriceuticals so the pet will get used to them. Most love them. A tea-spoon of Flax seed oil per 30 lb body weight will also help improve skin and coat condition, (though cats do better on organically certified fish oil). For most breeds of dogs, but not for cats, one garlic clove per 30 lb body weight, chopped up daily and mixed into the food, may also help increases resistance or deterrence to fleas and other opportunists from the insect world.

Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, bighting flies and other insects whom we hate and fear are far more ancient than we and our animal companions. Our irrational flea-phobias and tick-terrors reinforced by pesticide manufacturers that advertise nightly on TV to billions of viewers world wide to convince us of the need and wisdom of buying their poisons.

We should try to keep these creatures at bay with the least harm to all. And that entails a holistic approach to animal health, a kind of ecological diplomacy based upon the ultimate empathy of enlightened self-interest. This involves companion animal’s emotional/ psychological as well as physical well being, (the two being inseparable in making for a well functioning immune system).

This means an optimal environment for companion animals that is not so stressful as to impair their immune systems, and that they are not already genetically compromised, or are victims of a lack of care-taker empathy and understanding. Nor are they deprived of a wholesome diet and appropriate health-care maintenance by veterinarians.

Getting ready for a seminar with Huber Pineda the winner of Groomer Has entitled The Professional Groomer's Evolution. :)

Celebrating Irish Breeds - Irish Wolfhound

An Irish Wolfhound must be "of great size and commanding appearance." He has a large, muscular greyhound-like shape, and he is the tallest of dogs, but not the heaviest. A superb athlete and an endurance runner, an old Irish proverb describes him perfectly: "Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked." The breed’s recognized colors are gray, brindle, red, black, pure white, fawn and others.

One of the earliest recorded references to Irish Wolfhounds is in Roman records dating to 391 A.D. Often used as royal gifts, they hunted with their masters, fought beside them in battle, guarded their castles, played with their children, and lay quietly by the fire as family friends. They were fierce hunters of wolves and the oversized Irish elk, so good that their prey disappeared from Ireland and the hounds fell upon hard times. By the 19th Century there were few IWs left in Ireland.

Although now primarily a family companion, the Irish Wolfhound will still instinctively give chase to fleeing prey. His large size commands more room, more exercise, and a bigger car. The breed’s harsh, natural coat requires regular brushing.The Irish wolfhound was originally a war dog, used to drag men out of chariots or off horseback, but was also used as a hunting hound and as a guard. There are numerous references in Irish mythology to its prowess in all these fields. It was used to hunt the Irish elk and the wolf and was used singly or in pairs rather than in a pack, hence the need for great size. When the last of the wolves in Ireland was killed (the elk had become extinct long before), the breed dwindled and almost died out. The process was not helped by the demand for this magnificent hound around the world. It was given as a gift to kings and princes, but this was eventually stopped by Oliver Cromwell who brought out a law banning its export

In the middle of the Nineteenth century, Capt. George Augustus Graham undertook the resuscitation of the breed, which he did by collecting what he considered to be the last specimens of the breed and breeding them with Deerhounds, Great Danes, and a Borzoi and Tibetan Mastiff in order to regain the size and type of the original hound. Click here for more on Capt. Graham and the resuscitation of the breed. It was Capt. Graham who founded the Irish Wolfhound Club in 1885, and a later doyenne of the breed, Mrs. Florence Nagle, who founded the Irish Wolfhound Society in 1981. Club and Society both hold an Open and a Championship show each year, and a Rally. The Irish Wolfhound has a very peaceful personality and is good with children. An easygoing animal, they are usually quiet by nature. They should not be territorially aggressive to other domestic dogs but are born with specialized skills and it is common for hounds at play to course another dog. This is a specific hunting behaviour, not a fighting or territorial domination behaviour. The Irish Wolfhound is relatively easy to train. They respond well to firm, but gentle, consistent leadership. The Wolfhound of today is far from the one that struck fear into the hearts of the Ancient Romans. Irish Wolfhounds are often favoured for their loyalty, affection, patience and devotion. Although at some points in history they have been used as watchdogs, unlike some breeds, the Irish Wolfhound is usually unreliable in this role as they are often friendly towards strangers. That said, when protection is required this dog is never found wanting. When they or their family are in any perceived danger they display a fearless nature.

Celebrating Irish Breeds - Glen of Imaal Terrier

In honor of St. Patricks Day, March 17th, Hair of the Dog Salon would like to celebrate the lovable breeds of Irish descent. The Glen of Imaal Terrier is the first Irish breed we'd like to highlight.

Glen of Imaal, which is a valley in the Wicklow mountains, is the region in Ireland after which this hardy breed is named. Longer than tall and sporting a double coat of medium length, the "Glen" possesses great strength and conveys the impression of a dog of good substance. This is a working terrier, who must have the agility, freedom of movement and endurance to do the work for which it was developed. Like its Irish counterparts, the Glen is also courageous, and always ready to give chase. When working, it is active, agile, silent and intent upon its game. Otherwise, the Glen can be a docile companion for families with older children. Recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2004, the Glen of Imaal is one of the newest AKC breeds.

The Glen of Imaal Terrier is a rough-and-ready working terrier that is the least known of the four terrier breeds native to Ireland. Longer than tall and sporting a harsh coat of medium length, the Glen is very much a big dog on short legs. The Glen is the only terrier breed of Ireland not defined by a single color. Acceptable colors for the breed are various shades of wheaten, blue and brindle.

Unrefined to this day, the breed still possesses "antique" features once common to many early terrier types; its distinctive head with rose or half-prick ears, its bowed forequarters with turned out feet, its unique outline and topline are hallmarks of the breed and essential to the breed type.

According to legend the Glen of Imaal also has a unique task which it was expressly designed for: it was a turnspit dog. The turnspit was a large wheel which, when paddled by the dog, would turn the spit over the hearth--a canine-propelled rotisserie, if you will. The Glen’s highly individualized bowed front legs and powerful hindquarters were ideally suited for this. For several hundred years, these hearty dogs performed their tasks unnoticed by all except those who treasured them. With the advent of dog shows in the 19th century, the breed began to emerge into the public eye. In 1934, the Glen of Imaal Terrier was given full recognition by the Irish Kennel Club. It was the third of the four Irish terrier breeds to be so acknowledged. The breed is now recognized by the Kennel Club of Great Britain, FCI, and several rare breed associations. In America the Glen was fully recognized by the American Kennel Club and entered the AKC Terrier Group in October 2004 though the hard efforts of members of the Glen of Imaal Terrier Club of America. There are 600-700 Glens registered in the United States.

Initially bred to rid the home and farm of vermin, and hunt badger and fox, these rugged dogs also had a unique task for which they were expressly designed to perform - they were turnspit dogs. The turnspit was a large wheel which, when paddled by the dog, would turn a spit over the hearth -- a canine propelled rotisserie.

For more information visit the Glen of Imaal Terrier Club of America at: http://www.glens.org/