We get a lot of questions about anal glands. What are they? What do they do? How often should they be checked/expressed?
Anal glands are two pea sized fluid sacks (one on each side of the anus). They are scent glands. In the good old days when dogs used to forage for themselves, they were on a grain free mostly vermin and bird diet. This made their stools hard as a rock.
When a dog had a bowel movement, the hard stools expressed the anal glands. Now a days most dogs are fed low quality grain filled processed dog foods. This makes the stools really soft hence preventing the anal glands from getting expressed automatically.
A dog that is suddenly anxious can often times express their anal glands suddenly. This is quite unpleasant for the humans in near proximity.
Anal glands, in my opinion, should be checked if your dog is exhibiting signs of discomfort.
1. Scooting 2. Persistent Licking 3. Bizarre Tail Chasing.
If your dog goes to the groomer regularly, find out if your groomer expresses anal glands. I have found that smaller dogs can't seem to express their anal glands and need help from humans. Your vet is also able to express anal glands AND is able to assess if there are any problems with them as well.
Lastly, if you are concerned about them. I think having the vet or the groomer check them once or twice a year should be proficient.
Thank you for reading :) Sarah
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Food and General Health
The higher quality food you feed your pet the fewer health problems and vet bills you will have. Taking the time to read and understand what ingredients are and how they impact the health of your dog will save you both time and money. Can't beat that with a stick.
Dogs who are on a low cost low quality diet are over weight, have bad skin problems and are more likely to have year round flea infestations. Sounds pretty miserable to me.
A bag of food that costs you $60 vs. the $30 bag will save you more than you think. Your dog will eat less, the poops will be smaller, and like I said before..... fewer health problems and vet bills.
At Happy Tails Dog Wash & Day Spa right here in Vancouver, Washington when we groom your dog we are able to see how your dog's diet is effecting their skin and coat.
Our goal is to make you and your dog happy.
Dogs who are on a low cost low quality diet are over weight, have bad skin problems and are more likely to have year round flea infestations. Sounds pretty miserable to me.
A bag of food that costs you $60 vs. the $30 bag will save you more than you think. Your dog will eat less, the poops will be smaller, and like I said before..... fewer health problems and vet bills.
At Happy Tails Dog Wash & Day Spa right here in Vancouver, Washington when we groom your dog we are able to see how your dog's diet is effecting their skin and coat.
Our goal is to make you and your dog happy.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Doodle Dogs (Poodle Mixes)
A Doodle Dog is any breed of dog that is mixed with a poodle. The attraction to these mixes is the lack of dander and loose dog hair flying around the house and the ownership of a dog that is not quite a poodle.
Breeders and groomers do not tell owners how to properly care for their Poodlie Doodle Dog. The Poodlie Doodle Dog has hair that is three times thicker than a poodle's hair. Often times the hair will be tightly curled on most of the body with straight as string hair on the face and tail. As the dog goes from puppy to adult, the hair continues to get thicker.
A lot of doodle dogs come into our salon with long locks the owners proclaim they lovingly brush on a daily basis. From a distance, the dog looks pretty good. When we lift up the hair, underneath we find tangles that are so tight and clumped together, they have to be shaved off in one sheet like a bear skin rug.
We save samples of matted hair to show the owner before we get started so that they know what condition their dog is in. We educate owners on how to properly take care of their dog's poodlie coat. If they have questions or concerns, we ask them to call us or come in.
We want our customers to be happy.
Breeders and groomers do not tell owners how to properly care for their Poodlie Doodle Dog. The Poodlie Doodle Dog has hair that is three times thicker than a poodle's hair. Often times the hair will be tightly curled on most of the body with straight as string hair on the face and tail. As the dog goes from puppy to adult, the hair continues to get thicker.
A lot of doodle dogs come into our salon with long locks the owners proclaim they lovingly brush on a daily basis. From a distance, the dog looks pretty good. When we lift up the hair, underneath we find tangles that are so tight and clumped together, they have to be shaved off in one sheet like a bear skin rug.
We save samples of matted hair to show the owner before we get started so that they know what condition their dog is in. We educate owners on how to properly take care of their dog's poodlie coat. If they have questions or concerns, we ask them to call us or come in.
We want our customers to be happy.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
A Squeaky Clean Pup
Washing a dog is not as easy as it may look. There are several things to consider when washing a dog.
1. It is important to have the right shampoo. The shampoos that we use at Happy Tails are professional strength and watery.... not the thick stuff most people are used to. A thicker shampoo will make it harder for the bather to work the shampoo to the skin and harder to rinse out. The density of a dog's coat is different than the hair on our heads.....
2. Make sure the dog can't escape. Most dogs aren't too keen about the begining of a bath. (they don't like getting wet unless it's jumping into a lake).
3. The technique on how you are going to wash your dog.... Make the process easy. Think of the dog in many small parts as opposed to one large dog. Start at the back and work your way forward. Work the shampoo into the coat to create a thick rich lather. Don't skimp. Use as much shampoo as it takes. A good dog shampoo is pH balanced for your dog's skin and coat AND will not pollute the environment. Remember clean dog equals happy owner.
4. Rinse Rinse Rinse out the shampoo. If you are using a watery professional shampoo, the rinsing process will be much easier. **Shampoo left behind can cause irritation, open areas, infection and a vet bill.** Who wants that?!?
5. I like to follow up with a second shampooing. This gets rid of the dirt and oils the first scrub down wasn't able to get. The dog smells and feels cleaner for longer.
6. Using a dog conditioner will replace moisture taken from the skin and coat during bathing and will help to release dead and shedding hair (making shedding hair easier to brush out).
I hope that these tips are helpful. You are welcome to visit us at our salon for more tips and tricks. Happy Grooming
1. It is important to have the right shampoo. The shampoos that we use at Happy Tails are professional strength and watery.... not the thick stuff most people are used to. A thicker shampoo will make it harder for the bather to work the shampoo to the skin and harder to rinse out. The density of a dog's coat is different than the hair on our heads.....
2. Make sure the dog can't escape. Most dogs aren't too keen about the begining of a bath. (they don't like getting wet unless it's jumping into a lake).
3. The technique on how you are going to wash your dog.... Make the process easy. Think of the dog in many small parts as opposed to one large dog. Start at the back and work your way forward. Work the shampoo into the coat to create a thick rich lather. Don't skimp. Use as much shampoo as it takes. A good dog shampoo is pH balanced for your dog's skin and coat AND will not pollute the environment. Remember clean dog equals happy owner.
4. Rinse Rinse Rinse out the shampoo. If you are using a watery professional shampoo, the rinsing process will be much easier. **Shampoo left behind can cause irritation, open areas, infection and a vet bill.** Who wants that?!?
5. I like to follow up with a second shampooing. This gets rid of the dirt and oils the first scrub down wasn't able to get. The dog smells and feels cleaner for longer.
6. Using a dog conditioner will replace moisture taken from the skin and coat during bathing and will help to release dead and shedding hair (making shedding hair easier to brush out).
I hope that these tips are helpful. You are welcome to visit us at our salon for more tips and tricks. Happy Grooming
Monday, August 31, 2009
Hot Spots....
Some people have told me that their dog gets hot spots after a bath. Some questions to ask yourself:
1. what kind of shampoo are you using
2. what is the thickness (viscosity of the shampoo)
3. how well are you rinsing
4. did the dog get into the cat's food recently
Happy Bathing.....
1. what kind of shampoo are you using
2. what is the thickness (viscosity of the shampoo)
3. how well are you rinsing
4. did the dog get into the cat's food recently
Happy Bathing.....
nutrition & health
Found a terrific website www.thegreatdanelady.com I was originally looking for bizarre skin conditions that dogs get. Found some disturbing/interesting things. Yeast is very common for dogs and people. It is soooo important to keep plugging away to find out what kind of diet your dog does best on. I have heard so many people say, "I've tried everything." With further investigation, they have only "tried everything." that their vet has suggested. Vets are not dog nutrition experts. So, if you think you have tried everything, think again. Problems are meant to be solved. Keep digging and poking.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Dogs & Hot Cement
Last week one of our senior pups, Callie, got away from her owner on a very hot day. Callie likes to wander and was wandering the streets for several hours.
Callie is an even keeled dog and very pleasant to be around. She came to us just a few days ago to get a bath and her hair styled. She was acting weird when we were touching her feet. Her poor little feet were painful from walking on the hot cement. Luckily, we didn't notice any apparent injuries.
I feel dad Callie's feet are sore. We love Calliel
Iam going to be extra cautious about hot days and checking the temperature of the cement before I let my dogs walk on it.
Callie is an even keeled dog and very pleasant to be around. She came to us just a few days ago to get a bath and her hair styled. She was acting weird when we were touching her feet. Her poor little feet were painful from walking on the hot cement. Luckily, we didn't notice any apparent injuries.
I feel dad Callie's feet are sore. We love Calliel
Iam going to be extra cautious about hot days and checking the temperature of the cement before I let my dogs walk on it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)