Pumpkin Dog Treats

Pumpkin dog Treats

Pumpkin is very good for a dog’s digestive system and they love molasses

 

Pumpkin Dog Treats½ cup pumpkin pureedog shaped treats

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp water (or beef broth)

Round pumpkin dog treats¼ tsp baking powderBone shapes pumpkin dog treats

2 tbsp vegetable oil

¼ tsp baking soda

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Blend together the pumpkin puree, molasses, water and vegetable oil. Stir in the flower, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to form soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, put on a baking sheet, flatten (I sometimes roll out and used cookie cutter) Bake for 25 minutes or until hard and crisp

Notes: will last up to 2 weeks in airtight container Calories …. 35, Protein ….0.7g, Carbohydrates…. 6.1g, Fat ….0.9g

Older Dogs and Their Diets

Our pets are living much longer than they did 30 years ago. There are many factors that contribute to this, such as betterRelaxation time with your senior dog veterinary care, the fact that most of our animals are now inside and the fact that we know so much more than we used to about their nutrition.

The number one fact is that our pets have moved from the backyard into our living rooms. They are now such an intricate part of our lives; we take them to the park, we play with them while we watch TV and we see the changes that happen as they are aging and want to keep them comfortable and happy.

Dogs and cats are no longer animals that live outside to keep away pests and vermin. They are now truly members of our families and become even more so as our two-legged children grow up and go away to college. As we see our pets starting to age, we are concerned. We want to keep them active and part of our lives. One of the ways we can do Senior cats need special attentionthis is by better nutrition. As we age, our nutritional needs change and our dogs are no different. Each dog is different as well and we as dog owners have to make decisions about their diet. So where do we go, as pet parents, to get the information that we need to make sure our dog’s needs are being met? There are so many differences between breeds: small breeds, large breeds and giant breeds. There also differences between each dog. How do we, as pet parents, adjust their food and nutrition needs?

The first thing you should do is answer a couple of questions:

  • How active is your dog? Just like people, each dog is different. Some dogs will become lazy or inactive as early as three or four years old while other dogs will remain active past 10 years, so you have to look at your dog to make that decision. Is he or she high, medium or low activity?
  • Is your dog experiencing any discomfort? I have a dog that is 15 years old, I would still rate her as medium activity. However when she first gets up and starts to move you can see the stiffness in her back legs. She doesn’t have the strength that she used to have in her hind quarters, but she can walk 3 miles if the terrain is flat. I exercise her more often, but not as long.
  • Is your dog overweight? As they age, many dogs develop a weight problem, just as many people do. Take a good look at your dog; is she on the pudgy side? Are you willing to increase her exercise or do you need to adjust her diet to help take care of some of those pounds? Be honest with yourself, if you’re not willing to increase the exercise, then you must cut the number of the calories. A note of warning here: so many of the foods that are considered lite on calories actually cut nutrients and use fillers that are high carb. I would rather see you use vegetables to increase the bulk but keep the nutrients still on a high level. One more note on vegetables, if you are using canned vegetables make sure you are using low sodium vegetables.
  • Is he or she showing any other problems of aging? Incontinence, pain, loss of hearing, loss of eyesight and irritability may or may not be able to be controlled with nutrition, but the first thing to remember is to provide a dog the best food that you can afford. Do not trust the labels alone, food manufacturers have learned to disguise labels when the food is really not as good as they would like you to think. I hate to say this but also do not rely on your veterinarian. Though your vet is a wonderful resource for many things, you need to do your own homework on nutrition. After you have done your own research, have a conversation with your veterinarian and see if he or she has a problem with what foods you have decided on.
  • Keep it simple. Natural additives can sometimes be the best. There are many drugs that can help with arthritis but there are also natural additives that you could use such as fish oil, flaxseed oil and fresh salmon. If you keep to natural ingredients you don’t have as many worry to the side effects.
  • Think outside the box. Again, you don’t always have to put your dog on a chemical medication to relieve arthritis pain. Look into acupuncture, massage, and exercise. In my mind medication should be the last thing that you turn to in keeping your pet pain free.

These questions are really good idea at any stage of your dog’s life, not just seniors. Whenever you realize that your dog is going into another stage of life these are just a few basic questions you need to go back to review. A couple of other things that you need to take into consideration are how much time you want to take preparing food and exercising your dog.

With the Internet there is an endless source of really good information on nutrition for your pet whether it be a dog or cat. However as you search the Internet for information there is one thing I’d like to warn you about. You need to look out for who is sponsoring each website. One of the red flags that I look for is if there are food manufacturing companies sponsoring the website. I always look for a website that does not accept advertisements from the manufacturers. Just don’t get taken in by a flashy website a lot of propaganda. Some of the large manufacturers have wonderful commercials that would lead you to think that they love your pet as much as you do, but after you do your research you may find that where they buy their products would give you nightmares.

As your pet ages you will need to make adjustments to his food depending on how your individual dog is doing. Be very careful if your dog is overweight and you’re looking to get a lite dog food. Many of the well-respected manufacturers of dog food have introduced specialized dog foods, like foods for seniors or for overweight pets, and a lot of these foods are lacking in the nutrients that any dog needs for a healthy life. Do your homework; it takes a lot of time but is well worth it. We want to keep our pets with us for as many years as we can and we want them to be healthy and an active part of our overweight puglives. Please remember I am not a veterinarian or an animal nutritionist; you have to do your own homework and then team up with your veterinarian to make the right choices for your pet.

Stay healthy, and have fun.

Rabbit Hill Park, Ducula GA

Rabbit Hill Park Entrence

Rabbit Hill park, Gwinnett County


Rabbit Hill Park

400 Rabbit Hill Rd, Ducula 30019

 

Rabbit Hill Park is one of the newer parks in the Gwinnett County park system.  It covers 107 acres, has five soccer fields and some multipurpose fields. There is a 2.5 mile paved multipurpose trail. It has three dog parks, one for small dogs, one for large dogs and one all dog area.

The dog parks are very nice and of good size. They left the trees so there are nice shaded areas (but some owners think if their dogs defecate in the woods they do not have to pick it up). There is plenty of room for dogs to romp and play. There are water fountains for the dogs, agility equipment, and a nice sandpit for them to dig in.Map of Rabbit Hill Park

The only other problem that the dog park has is that it stays wet after a good rain. It can take 3 to 4 days for many areas to dry out. The multipurpose dog area stays wet most of the time and is not really very useful. The good news is that when I was out at the park this week there was a county employee taking pictures of the wet areas and they are planning to fix this.Open space at Rabbit Hill Park

From a dog’s eye, I rate this as a two wag, because they do have dedicated dog parks. However, they have nothing else for a dog to do: no hiking trails, no soft trails, and no lakes or streams for them to frolic in.

Freeman’s Mill Park

Freeman’s Mill Park

1401 Alcovy Road, Lawrenceville 30045

Park Hours: Sunrise until sunset unless posted otherwise
Amenities 12 acres Restored historic gristmill Playground 0.5-mile paved multi-purpose trail Restrooms

This is a terrific little park that is close to my house where I like to walk my older dog Suzie; she is a 15 year old Border Collie. I also like this Park for training purposes. The path is 0.5 miles long and wanders around the perimeter of the park. At some points it is nice and quiet which makes it a great place to work on new commands with only a little bit of distraction from the outside world.

The path wanders over by the playground giving your dog an opportunity to get used to all the sounds kids can make. I have used this area to help socialize dogs that do not have any young children in their families. It helps them get used to the sound of balls bouncing, laughing, squealing, running and the rest of the noises children make while at play.

Next, the path runs close to Alcovy Road. This is a busy road that can help your dog get used to the sounds of traffic. If a dog that normally lives in a quiet neighborhood finds themselves on a busy street, they may become frightened and be unable to follow your commands, putting them in danger. It is very important for dogs to be comfortable in all situations. Taking the time to work with your dog and getting them used to different sounds will help keep your dog safe and make life much more enjoyable.

All in all this is a great little park. Good for short walks or training. I hope you will take the time to visit it soon. Our next stop will be the Rabbit Hill Dog Park. See you there!

About the Park:

The mill was built sometime between 1868 and 1879 by brothers John Griffin Loveless and Levi J. Loveless. In 1913 W. Scott Freeman and his son, Winfield, owned it until it was purchased in 1915 by Newt Pharr. Winfield descendants continued to operate the mill through the twentieth century. In the late 1990’s the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture, engineering, industry, and social history. As of 1996, the mill was the only working grist mill remaining in Gwinnett County.

The mill changed hands several times over the years until Gwinnett County purchased the mill and surrounding property in 2002 with funding available from the Georgia Greenspace Program and the 2005 SPLOST. In 2009, the county raised and restored the mill and surrounding 12 acres for educational and recreational use offering Gwinnett County citizens a sense of the agricultural past.

Keep Your Dog’s Feet Healthy

When I first saw my older dog Suzie lose her footing on the hardwood floors and fall, it not only broke my heart, it also scared me. I knew I was going to have to make some changes around the house to both keep her safe and keep her interacting with the family. After taking a close look at Suzie I noticed that her nails were very long.

When Suzie was young and active she wore down her nails with everyday activity and nail trimming was a monthly chore. Now that she’s not as active I have to do it weekly. Because Suzie has always been a very high strung Border Collie (you might even call her a little unstable) I always muzzle her before I trim her nails. Suzie is one of those dogs that when you put a muzzle on her she just relaxes. She knows that she has to submit to whatever I’m going to do. I have also found that using a Dremel makes fast work of nail trimming.

Dr. Debra Primvic writes in her article How to Trim Your Dogs Nails with a Nail Grinder or Dremel Tool:

“Dog’s nails continue to grow and trimming them can be a challenge for some dog owners. This depends on the dog, his personality and the dog owner’s ability to trim the nails.”

While taking care of Suzie’s nails I also keep the hair that grows between the pads of her feet trimmed. This helps keep her footing more stable when walking on the hardwood floors in my house.

If you have an older dog and you see that they are frightened of walking or very cautious of walking on slick surfaces, take a look at their feet to see if their nails are too long or if they have long hair in between the pads of their feet.  Both of these can be easily maintained and will help keep your dog safe. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this maintenance on your own, just have your groomer do it. It is well worth the time and effort.

Have fun and be safe!

Gwinnett County Park System From a Dog’s Eye

As I go about my business as a dog sitter & pet walker, I travel all around Gwinnett County and spend a lot of time with my dogs hanging out in the parks. Just read what J. Faith Meader writes in the Examiner,

Gwinnett County boasts one of the largest park systems in Georgia. At the national level, it has one of the most successful greenspace programs in the country, made possible by the one-cent sales tax of SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). Fortunately, the efforts of the Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Department have not gone unrecognized. The National Recreation and Parks Association presented the county with the 2008 Gold Medal Award for its excellence. In 2009, Park Pride announced Gwinnett County as a winner of its inspiration award.

In this series we will be exploring Gwinnett County’s Parks from “a dog’s eye.” We will be taking a look at how pet friendly they are and all the cool things you can do at each of them. We will also keep you aware of upcoming events that you and your dog(s) might enjoy.

Below is a map of the parks in the Gwinnett County area. Take a look, I’m sure you can find one close to where you work, live or play. Let us know what’s going on in the park that you frequent the most.

Note: Numbers next to park name indicate location on map.  

Map of Gwinnett Parks


Keep Your Older Dog Safe on Slick Floors

One of the things that most fascinates me about working with dogs is learning about their nutrition and health needs. Many of the ideas I grew up with are no longer valid. You must be diligent in your reading to keep up on what is new in the animal world.

In my household I have five dogs:

  • Suzie, a 15 year old female Border Collie
  • Domino, a 12 year old male German Shepherd mix
  • George, a 4 year old male Beagle/Border Collie mix
  • Jake, a 3 year old male Australian
  • Lucy, a 1 year old female Australian Shepherd mix

With the age spans I have to pay close attention so that I am meeting everyone’s needs with the right amounts and types of exercise and nutrition. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming.

When I bought this house 6 years ago I had all of the carpet replaced with hardwood floors for easy cleanup. At that point I only had two dogs and that worked out very well for a long time. But now my oldest dog, Suzie, is having trouble with her back legs. She can sometimes lose her footing when excited or when she gets jostled by the younger dogs. Now I am putting throw rugs down in strategic areas. It is amazing how fast she is came to realize that these are safe spots and if she feels a need for more security she gets on one of those throw rugs.

In an article titled “Tips for Helping Dogs Walk on Slick or Uneven Surfaces”, Patricia Hill writes:

“Elderly pets are a higher risk for falls and accidents, especially when walking on smooth surfaces and steps, but injuries often occur in younger pest, including puppies. Here are some tips that will help keep you dog safe on slick surfaces and steps.
Stairs are one of the most common places injuries occur. Elderly pets with decreased or limited mobility suffer from falls either going up and down steps or at the landing of the staircase. Younger dogs, especially puppies tend to receive injuries going up and down steps the same as elderly dogs do; however, their falls are a result of playfulness or lack of coordination.”

When choosing where to put down the rugs, watch how your dog moves around your home. Pay attention to where she needs to make turns. Make sure there are no long spans of open floor; break it up by placing small throw rugs every few feet. Be careful when buying your rugs and choose ones that will not catch on her nails since this can cause a tripping hazard.

If you follow these suggestions your older pet will feel safe and secure moving around the house and you just might find your dog interacting with the family more making everyone happier.

Have fun and be safe!

Five Tips to Keep Your Senior Dog Happy and Healthy

  1. Establish a relationship with a veterinarian that is like-minded. Finding a veterinarian who understands your beliefs and will respect them is very important. In my case I do not believe in all of the vaccines that we give our pets, especially as they get older. I rely heavily on nutrition and exercise. I am very interested in alternative types of treatments such as acupuncture and herbal remedies. In my case, it is very important to me to have a veterinarian that is open-minded. One who will listen to the research that I have done, who keeps updated on new and alternative treatments and can help me make a decision.
  2. Feed your senior dog the best food you can afford. One really good website that I use is Dog Food Advisor, but don’t stop there. Don’t believe the commercials; do your research and then talk with your veterinarian. I have found feeding my dogs (no matter the age) my cost a little more, but I make up for what I spend on food with less trips to the vet.
  3. Don’t over feed your dog, especially as they age. Obesity will create health problems and shorten their life. Overweight dogs will be more susceptible to heart disease, joint problems, arthritis and diabetes.
  4. Give your senior dog adequate exercise, but adjust it to her changing abilities.
  5. Be diligent in grooming to control fleas and ticks. Keep nails clipped and teeth brushed. Bathe and brush your dog regularly.

Happy healthy senior dog