Naturally Healthy Dogs
Don't Lose Your Dog!

October, 2010

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Natural Dog Health Remedies

In this issue:

• What's New
• Dog GPS
• Natural Dog Calming Remedies
• Howl'oween Treats
• Aromatherapy Recipe - Calming Blend

We are now on Facebook! It's another way for you to stay in contact with us via our page Natural Dog Health Remedies.

I have put up a new Forum on Dog Food. Please feel free to join the forum and share your opinions.

(Browse our other forums here.)

It's October. Autumn has finally arrived. And for many people, October means HALLOWEEN!

Many of you may have already started planning and organizing your Halloween party. While Halloween is a lot of fun for people, it can be a stressful time for our dogs. To ensure that both our dogs and ourselves can have a safe and fun time, take precautions. Read this ASPCA page for some Halloween safety tips.

One important tip about Halloween safety is to make sure that your dog has proper ID - in case your dog dashes outside the house while the door is being opened for trick-or-treaters and gets lost.

Dog ID can of course be a simple dog tag. It can also be something more "hi-tech" like a microchip or GPS (global positioning systems). I like GPS because I feel I am more in control - I can locate my dog and know exactly where she is; whereas if my dog only has a tag or even a microchip, I have no idea which way to go to find her.

GPS units are now as small as 2.65 ounces and can be incorporated into a collar or harness. It is water resistant and will send location updates to your cell phone, computer or PDA as often as every 60 seconds!

In addition, GPS can track your dog even in heavily wooded areas. If the unit cannot access a GPS satellite, it will automatically search for cellular coverage.

The price of a GPS system for dogs is around US$130. There is usually a one-time activation fee and a smaller monthly fee thereafter.

You may think that since your dog is well-trained, you do not need to worry about him escaping from the house and getting lost. However, dogs behave differently in stressful situations (such as on Halloween when there are many "strange-looking" people coming and going), so it is important to prepare for the worst.

Here are some sites for dog GPS:

Love My Pets GPS

SpotLight GPS

If you plan to have a Halloween party at your house, or if you anticipate a lot of trick-or-treaters at your door, it is best to keep your dog in another room where he can feel safe and undisturbed.

If your dog is by nature high-strung and can be stressed out easily, he may need something to help him relax and calm down. Natural remedies, such as herbal and homeopathic remedies, are helpful and without adverse side effects.

Visit our page on Natural Dog Anxiety Remedies for more information and suggestions of some good natural products.

Additionally, some essential oils are effective in calming a nervous and overly-excited dog. You can find a simple aromatherapy recipe in this newsletter which you may want to try.

During the Halloween season, most of us will have lots of candies and chocolate lying around the house. Make sure that these candies are not given to dogs, and are out of dogs' reach because:

• Chocolate is not good for dogs (Read more about chocolate toxicity in dogs here).
• Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs.
• Lollipop sticks can get stuck in their throat.
• Candy wrappers may be swallowed by accident.

If you want to treat your fur-baby on Halloween, prepare some easy and yummy Howl'oween treats just for your dog! Here are two recipes:

Pumpkin-Yogurt Treats

Ingredients:

• non fat Yogurt (16 oz)
• 2 cans pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

1. Mix yogurt with pumpkin.
2. Spoon over dry kibble or freeze in mini muffin cups.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk together flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls together and is workable (but the dough should be dry and stiff).
4. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll.
5. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
6. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

This essential oil blend is effective in calming dogs who are nervous; who show fear of people, loud noises, and things; as well as dogs who have separation anxiety. If your dog gets nervous and stressed out on Halloween, try using this blend to calm her down. (Adapted from "Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals" by Kristen Leigh Bell):

• 1/2 oz (15 ml) base oil such as sweet almond oil
• 3 drops Valerian essential oil
• 4 drops Petitgrain essential oil
• 4 drops Sweet Marjoram essential oil
• 2 drops Sweet Orange essential oil

Mix well and store in a dark glass bottle. Apply 1-6 drops of the blend (depending on the size of the dog) to the tips of the ears, neck and chest of the dog via gentle massage.