Dogs

Humans aren’t the only ones that snore—dogs can, too. Some causes of snoring in dogs are minor, but sometimes snoring is caused by serious health issues. Here’s what to know about your snoring dog.

You love holiday decorating and DIY and your dog loves a walk in the woods. Get the best of both by rounding up the pup, tossing on boots and a puffer and sharpening your pruners, because we’re heading out to the woods (or your own backyard!) to gather branches, boughs, cones and berries to make a fresh foraged Christmas wreath. The best part of this easy DIY project? Spending quiet time in nature relaxing and playing with your furry best friend. We asked Stephanie Rose of the website Garden Therapy to show us how she (and her dog Ozzie, a rescue from Mexico, who is an ace at finding foraged materials) makes her gorgeous seasonal wreaths. Here are her tips for gathering greenery to decorate your home and the step-by-step instructions to make a simple, rustic, fresh, foraged Christmas wreath. It’s a simple project you can make in an afternoon.

This Disney classic is about a Golden Retriever named Buddy who has the uncanny ability to play basketball. And he’s good at it, too. Sure, we’d love to know why some dogs never learn to “stay” while Buddy is a natural basketball star, but we’re not asking questions. It’s also one of our favorite dog movies for kids, so don’t be surprised if, after watching “Air Bud,” your kiddo suddenly takes an interest in teaching the family dog to slam dunk.,Let’s be honest: As a pooch parent, there is nothing worse than settling in for a cozy movie night with your furry BFF only to be totally surprised when the cutie-pie pup in the flick crosses the Rainbow Bridge. Suddenly, you’re sobbing into your dog’s fur, wondering why no one has yet to normalize a disclaimer at the beginning of a film warning us that this is one of those movies where the dog dies. Not cool, movie producers. Not. Cool. To save us the heartache of accidentally picking the wrong flick for doggy-and-me date night, we turned to the website DoesTheDogDie, which tells you (you guessed it!) whether the dog dies in a movie. From there, we pulled our favorite 10 flicks where the dogs gets to live their best life.

As you’re petting your canine companion to give them some extra love after a long day at work, you feel what seems to be a lump near their neck. You go over the area again. Is it a cyst? A tumor? Their salivary glands? If the enlarged lump feels firm and warm, it’s likely to be swollen lymph nodes. More than anything, we want our four-legged friends to live a long, healthy, happy life. Symptoms like swollen lymph nodes in dogs can undoubtedly be concerning, as they may indicate a benign condition at best or a serious disease at worst. We spoke with veterinarians to learn more about dog lymph nodes, from where they’re located and what they look like, to the possible causes for why they can become swollen and the most common treatments.

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Your dog poops multiple times a day. As a responsible pet owner, you do your best to pick up the poop immediately after he goes. But what about in your own backyard? Is picking up dog poop just a courtesy for neighbors, or are there health risks for you or your pets if it’s left in the yard? Can dog poop harm your grass or yard? Picking up dog poop helps to make your neighborhood, dog park, or backyard safer for everyone. It can eliminate the spread of parasites and diseases that can be potentially life-threatening to your pet or other pets. Dog Poop Risks to People and Other Pets Concerns about dog poop disposal can be about inconvenience, such as becoming maggot-infested in warm weather or moldy in cool, damp weather. It is also unpleasant to step in. But there are even bigger potential risks when it comes to the potential for diseases and parasites. Dog poop can carry the parvovirus, which is a potentially deadly virus that is shed in feces. Parvovirus attacks the intestinal cells, causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, and illness. We can vaccinate our pets for parvovirus, so it is important to keep your pet up to date on their vaccines. Dogs acquire parvovirus via a fecal-oral route, meaning they ingest feces or something that has been contaminated with feces from another dog with parvovirus. Parvovirus can live in the environment for a long time, so it is important to monitor your dog in dog parks or on walks and pick up after your own pet. Don’t let your pet sniff or, worse, eat feces. Dogs who have other parasites—intestinal worms or protozoal infections—can also spread diseases in fecal material. In fact, everything from hookworms to whipworms, roundworms to giardiasis in dogs, may be hiding out in a dog’s droppings. These types of organisms can affect other pets in your home and may even be able to be transmitted to the humans in the house as well. If contaminated stools are left on the ground for a significant amount of time, a pet can easily become re-exposed to an infection or worms. Can Dog Poop Be Used as Fertilizer? Despite popular belief, experts note that not all stools are created equal. Cow manure makes a much better fertilizer because of their vegetarian diet. Carnivorous, or omnivorous animals, such as dogs, typically eat feed higher in protein, which makes feces more acidic. This acidic fertilizer does not meet the needs of plants. Combined with the dangers posed to humans and pets, using dog poop as fertilizer is not a worthy endeavor. It is possible to heat dog feces to kill lingering pathogens in order to compost it, but it is still not an ideal substance to add to soil—especially of anything potentially consumed by humans or pets. Proper Disposal Is Key When it comes to picking up dog poop, the bottom line, according to Dr. Kremer, is that quick, efficient disposal is key. The sooner the feces is removed, the less chance it has to infect other humans or pets. When picking up dog poop, humans should take extra precautions so as not to come into contact with the feces directly. You can wear gloves when you pick up dog poop or use a pooper scooper, such as the Arm & Hammer Swivel Bin & Rake backyard waste pickup or the Nature’s Miracle Jaw dog pooper scooper. Always wash your hands after retrieving feces. Once you remove poop from your yard, you’ll want to deposit it into a sealed bag. In addition to harboring bacteria, dog poop can also leave a lingering odor. In order to combat that, you can use a product like NaturVet Yard odor eliminator, which is a nontoxic formula that is infused with natural microorganisms that work to break down and neutralize pet odors. Additional Safety Tips for Dog Owners Make sure that your pet is up-to-date on his vaccinations. Parvovirus is a preventable disease that has an effective vaccine. Make sure you work with your veterinarian to keep your pet up to date on all their vaccinations. Watch for signs that your pet may have parasites, such as diarrhea or vomiting, and routinely test your pets for parasites. Most vets recommend testing your pets feces every 6-12 months. Frequent testing decreases the likelihood of severe disease and spread to other family members. There are heartworm preventatives on the market which also deworm dogs when they are given once a month, such as Interceptor Plus for hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and roundworms. There are many terrific products on the market, so make sure you talk to your vet about which is best for your dog! Featured Image: iStock.com/nortonrsx

So, you think you’re ready to add a new dog to your family? Opening your heart to a furry friend in need is a great first step, but caring for your new adopted dog requires more than love alone. What dog essentials do you need to keep them safe, sound and satisfied? Use our dog adoption checklist to make sure you have everything you need for life as a rescue dog parent.

What seems like a delicious meal or harmless decoration can quickly become a holiday hazard for pets. Here are several things to avoid, plus other tips on how to keep your pets safe.,While the holidays can be a fun time, they also present more opportunities for your pet to encounter things they shouldn’t. They can also be a stressful time for your pets, especially if new people and/or travel are involved. To help your keep your pets healthy and happy, we talked to two vet experts—Courtney Deer, DVM, emergency and critical care veterinarian at 1st Pet Veterinary Centers in the Phoenix area; and Danny Sack, DVM, veterinary surgery resident at MedVet Columbus in Worthington, Ohio—to get their best holiday pet-safety tips.

Every fall, cranberries reach their peak and are ready for harvesting. This Thanksgiving staple is a key ingredient in so many holiday meals and desserts, making its way into succulent pies, savory stuffing, and seasonal sauces. They’re often considered a superfood for humans because they’re high in antioxidants, prebiotic fibers—which are dietary fibers that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut—and other vitamins. But can dogs eat cranberries? Yes! Dogs can eat cranberries. We spoke with a veterinarian and a pet nutritionist to get the full scoop on cranberries, including the many health benefits, how to safely feed cranberries to your dog, and more. Before introducing any new food into your dog’s diet, always check with your veterinarian.

Clicker training and behavior chains are a hot topic in dog training nowadays. In “Teaching Your Dog to Perform Behavior Chains,” we learned a “behavior chain” is when an animal performs more than one behavior before earning positive reinforcement. For example, instead of my dog sitting on cue and then getting a treat, he would sit, lie down and spin to earn the treat. You can see this method also helps reduce the amount of food given during dog behavior training. There are two types of behavior chains: behavior chains with handler cues, which we focused on in the last article, and fixed behavior chains. We’ll focus on fixed behavior chains now.