Daily Massage

In just ten minutes a day, you can give your dog a "maintenance" massage. Use a flat palm to slowly touch all the parts of your dog's body. Really focus on what you are feeling and pay attention to all the layers, from hair through skin, fat, muscle, and down to bone. Meanwhile, Liverlover is basking in the attention and loving the extra "petting." However, there is more to these massages than just quality time together. After a few days, you will have a clear picture of what is normal for your dog's body. In future sessions, you will be quick to notice any differences in surface temperature, sensitivity to touch, localized swelling or muscle tension, poor coat quality or tight skin. Left undetected, these things can lead to problems requiring medical care, medications, or even surgery. Knowing what feels normal for your dog can also help you provide better information for your veterinarian, trainer, or massage practitioner. This is one way that regular massage can add to the length and quality of your pet's life.

Calming the Nervous Dog

Oh, oh. The distant sound of thunder is rolling through your neighbourhood. Your dog begins to whine, roll his eyes, and pant. He dives under your bed. Is there anything you can do to reduce his stress? Massage may be the answer. Massage therapists use a stroke similar to petting to relax the nervous system. Lightly rest the flat palm of your hand on top of your dog's head or neck. Make long, sweeping passes along the length of the spine and down the tail. Repeat this several times slowly. You can gradually increase your pressure if your dog likes it. Do not press straight down on the lower part of the back. To finish, allow one hand to rest at the base of your pet's head and the other hand to rest over the area of the pelvis (the high point over your dog's hips). These two areas correspond to the part of the spinal cord that controls the rest and relaxation responses of the body (for example, sleep, digestion, and tissue repair). This technique is useful any time your dog is nervous or fearful, such as during nail trimming or vaccinations, or when he is hyperactive or restless.

Warm-Up Massage for Active Dogs

If you work out or play a sport, you've likely been told many a time that warming up your body is a vital part of your fitness routine. Active dogs that compete, run, hike with their owners, or just play hard also deserve a good warm-up, and it may even prevent injury. Start with several minutes of petting strokes over your dog's entire body. Briskly rub the large muscles (neck, shoulders, buttocks, and thighs) with the heel of your hand. Gently lift and squeeze the muscles. The technique is a lot like kneading bread dough. Wrap your fingers around each lower leg and squeeze gently. Relax your grip and move up Warm-up for active dogs the leg gradually, squeezing as you go. Finish with more petting over the entire body to stimulate the nerves.

Relieving Joint Stiffness and Soreness

The weekend was great—on Saturday, Tex ran with the gang for hours at the dog park. Then, on Sunday, you two hiked all day. But Monday doesn't look so good. Tex is limping from couch to water dish, and declining your invitations to play. Ouch! Recent exertion, aging, or inactivity can lead to soreness and stiffness in joints and muscles. To help, start by petting the area around the joint to warm the tissue. Then place your hand(s) over the area and apply gentle compressions over the area. You can use your breathing or count slowly to establish a rhythm as you press and release the muscles. The pumping motion moves fluids through the muscles and takes tension off the tendons surrounding the joint. Never use sudden or direct force over a bone. Finish with more petting over the area to soothe the nerves. Keep in mind that regular massage throughout the life of your pet may help prevent the stiffness and pain that contributes to arthritis. Readers should note that massage is not a substitute for veterinary care. Severe conditions require diagnosis and treatment by your veterinarian.

Lola Michelin has been massaging animals for over 18 years. She learned her trade while working as a veterinarian technician, a zookeeper, an animal trainer, and massage practitioner. She founded the Northwest School of Animal Massage and teaches animal massage around the world. For more information on animal massage, visit www.nwsam.com

The answer isn't quick, but it is easy. You may begin by using similar measurements to what you find on commercial brand pet foods. For example, if your dog weighs 50-75 lbs the normal amount to feed is 2.5 to 3 cups a day. This gives you a ball-park amount but you must remember that, just like humans, the amount of calories, carbohydrates, and vitamins often depends upon the age and or activity of the animal and even the temperature of his surroundings.

Once you have the baseline of amount to feed, then you need to make an assessment of your pets figure. Your pet needs an hourglass figure when you look down upon him from above. The abdomen should be narrower than the chest and hips. He should be "tucked-up", which means that your dog's chest should be closer to the ground than his belly when he is standing. His ribs are not readily visible but easily felt with only light pressure.

If your pet meets these requirements, and continues to meet these requirements within two weeks and an additional assessment once a month, then you know you have met your target amount to feed. If he become thinner, feed a little more; heftier, feed a little less. I have found from my own experience and the experience of others who cook for their pets, their pets usually eat LESS than they did when on commercial pet food. This is because what they are eating is satisfying and is being totally used by their bodies instead of just empty calories from too many carbohydrates and/or additives.

If you want to pamper your kitty - here are a couple of tips to make them happy and keep them healthy at the same time.

The key to a happy, healthy cat is "MODERATION" While you can't give them too much love and affection, you can easily over feed them - especially when it comes to treats. According to a study reported by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 57% of cats are overweight or obese.

Often obesity in cats is directly related to their "treats" True treats - which contain sugar/carbohydrates can do nothing but add to the calorie intake for your cat. Cats do not metabolize carbohydrates as well as dogs or humans so it is important to limit their treats to no more than 10% of their diet.

Choose a "snack" instead of a treat. Paws 4 Health considers a snack something that contains very little sugar or none at all versus a "treat" that does. Try giving little morsals of turkey, chicken, or cheese instead of store-bought cat treats which are almost completely carbohydrates. Another good treat that has very little sugar and cats seem to love them....Organic Cheerios. Yes, they do contain some sugar, but not very much and usually 2 or 3 and they are satisfied. They aren't bad for humans either - so have a bowl and share a couple with your feline furry friend!!

As the summer temperatures reach close to the 100 degree mark, don't forget that our pets can suffer heatstroke just like humans.

Whether you are hiking in the mountains, strolling on the beach or just taking a leisurely walk around the neighborhood, you need to be cautious of your dogs needs during the hot temperatures of summer.

Here are a few tips to help keep your dog healthy and happy during the summer months.

1. DOGS DON'T WEAR SHOES - Before you take your best friend out for a stroll or allow him to run along side as you bike, check the temperature of the pavement. Place the palm of your hand on the surface of the road or area where your dog will be walking. If it is hot to your hand, it is especially hot on your dogs feet. You should choose to either walk in the grass or wait until the area has cooled before you allow him to walk on the surface. Dogs will not tell you if their paws are burning!

2. PETS WEAR FUR COATS ALL YEAR - Just because you can put on a skimpy bathing suit or cover-up with sun screen, you need to remember your pet is wearing a fur coat. And if you have had your pet's long hair shaved, they are not only still wearing fur, but now their tender skin is exposed to the sun's harmful rays. Try to take your pet out in the early morning or late evening when the sun is not as hot. If they do need to be out during the day, find places in the shade for them to rest - provide plenty of water for them to drink as well as to either sit or stand in. Watch for signs of heatstroke - symptons are:

Panting
Looking ahead with a blank expression
Nervous expression
Will not respond to commands
Dry, hot skin
Fever
Fast heartbeat
Vomiting
Collapse

3. NEVER leave your pet unattended in a vehicle. Even if you roll the windows down. Temperatures can rise rapidly inside a vehicle and become unbearable and even deadly. It is against the law, in some states, to ever leave your pet unattended in a car. Instead, choose to leave your buddy home on trips where he is not allowed to go inside with you.

We all love to have our pets with us to enjoy our activities and all the summer fun. But please remember, they are not able to tell us when they are uncomfortable or sick from heat and/or exhaustion. It is our responsibility to keep them safe.

Using organic baby food has added an even quicker and easier avenue to provide healthy foods for your pets when you don't have the time to cook.

Organic baby foods come in small quantities, so you never have to worry about waste. They have many varieties and quite honestly the varieties are growing daily.

Not only do they provide those vegetables you might not have time to cook, but they are so easy to sneak into meat mixtures or casseroles and they are great ways to get OTHER finicky members of your family to eat their VEGGIES!!

Give it shot - add some sweet potatoes to you next meat dish. Try carrots in a spaghetti sauce. The possibilities are endless. I have have recipes for meat muffins using baby food meat!

A TIP YOUR WHOLE FAMILY CAN ENJOY!

When transitioning your dog from commercial pet foods to home cooked meals, start out slowly. While most dogs will eat most anything put before them, their tummy's may not be as eager to accept it.

If your dog has been fed commercial pet food all its life, you might not realize that they are lactose intolerant. If you feed them a meal that includes a milk based sauce, they have the potential of getting sick. You may find that your dog has a sensitivity to a particular kind of flour or vegetable. Introducing foods slowly, possibly one type at a time, will allow you to isolate a particular food that could be causing a problem.

Our goal is to improve our dogs nutrition and eliminate the harmful ingredients in commercial pet foods. There are many many combinations of foods that will allow you to do this. Do not think that if your dog has an allergy to one or even several food items, that you can not cook for them. There are so many gluten-free products, lactose free products and so on, that your choices are almost limitless.

If you ever have a problem knowing what to feed your dog, do not hesitate to send us an email or consult your own veterinarian for advice.