THE ADVANTAGES
Walking or running with your dog does more than increase your physical and cardiovascular health, it can also help:

• Boost your mood
• Lower your blood pressure
• Strengthen your bond with your pet
• Keep you motivated to exercise regularly (your dog will bug you to stay on your routine)

WHAT YOUR DOG GETS OUT OF THE DEAL
Going for runs or walks with your pooch isn’t just good for you; it’s good for your dog too!  Exercising keeps your dogs heart, lungs, joints, digestive and circulatory systems healthy. 

I’m sure you’ve noticed your dog bouncing and zooming around the house in attempt to burn up their excess energy.  Exercising with your dog will help expend excess energy and control your dog’s weight. 

Regular exercise can also keep your pet’s not so fantastic behaviors in check. 

It can help prevent the sometimes destructive behavior hyperactive or anxious dogs have, like chewing, biting and digging.

KEEP IN MIND
Dogs can run (or walk) farther and faster than people, but that doesn’t mean your fur-baby should leap off the sofa and run for miles.  Gradually build up the distance when beginning.  Start with short walks/runs and slowly over time extend the distance to something you are both comfortable with.

Be careful to keep puppies from over exercising.  Strenuous activity for long periods of time can damage their developing bones and joints.  Follow the same rule with dogs that are older or recovering from illness or injury, it may be better to take it easy and exercise for shorter periods of time.  Switch your half hour run to two 15 minute walks.  Swimming is a great alternative for recovering pets.

Exercising in the middle of the day when the sun is at it’s hottest, can cause your pet to get heat stroke.  The best times to run/walk with your dog is dusk, dawn or anytime after dark.

THE ULTIMATE REWARD
Don’t feel like exercising?  It won’t just be your daily exercise that you’re blowing off, but your loving companions too.  Exercising with your dog will keep you motivated to stay on track and get healthy together.  Besides, what could be better than spending quality time with your best friend?

Tips for Protecting Your Dog’s Paws

1. In hot weather, walk you dog in grassy areas as much as possible to avoid burning of the paws.
2. In cold weather, consider having your dog wear booties to prevent contact with ice and de-icing chemicals (plus it’s really funny watching them get used to wearing booties).
3. Once inside, wipe off your dogs paws.
4. Inspect your dogs paws after every walk or run

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Unfortunately the test results are often not specific enough to answer heritage questions or provide health guidance.

The science behind the tests needs more work.

How it Works
Mars Veterinary has started marketing Wisdom Panel, a test to determine breed mix through local vets.  It involves having the vet taking a blood sample and sending it to the testing lab, which then compared the DNA in your dog against a database of the DNA of 130 “purebred” breeds.  Costs can vary from vet to vet but run in the $150-$175 range.

Metamorphix is another company that has been offering DNA based testing for some time.  They have 38 breeds in their canine heritage database and offer a cheaper and less invasive mouth swab sampling technique that you can do at home.  Sampling kits are ordered from their website and you return mail them to the lab in envelopes they provide.  The cost is about $80.

Although the size of the database varies, the process at both companies are similar.  Their software compares your dog against 100-300 genetic markers and reports it’s findings in three categories.

1. Traces - which may be great grandparent and beyond, and are very small amounts with little influence on behavior and appearance.
2. Secondary - this breed has a strong showing in the DNA mix and is more influential but still makes up less than the majority of the dog’s DNA.
3. Primary - this is the breed that represents the majority of the dog’s DNA makeup.  Having a “primary breed” is rare in a mixed breed dog unless they have at least one purebred parent.  In ten reports we examined covering eight dogs, non had a primary listing.

The point here is that you probably aren’t going to get something as definitive as you would like.  You may well get a listing of traces of 8 different dogs that look and act very little like the one at your feet.  And while not satisfying from a curiosity standpoint it is not helpful creating a breed specific health care plan for your dog - a benefit that both companies tout.

And worse yet…

Test results for the same dog can be markedly different between the two companies!

We were surprised and confused by the very different answers by the two companies for the SAME dogs.

Company Response
Key executives and scientists from both companies reviewed the tests, concluded that the samples were good, that their testing process was good, and both stood by their results.  They have seen these differences before and discussed how it isnot as cut and dry as we might imagine for a couple of reasons:

• First, there is no such thing as a “pure” dog.  The AKC recognized purebreds are actually man made mixes created by controlled crossbreeding to enhance certain characteristics.  So even the DNA of an American Kennel Club purebred is a mix that may vary within limits.
• Secondly the database samples are not perfect.  They are based on good sampling techniques that will improve over time with more samples.
• The software for both companies reports the breeds that have the highest statistical probability of matching the DNA from your dog, not definitive matches.

Both believe that their answers are as good as the science can offer right now.  Wisdom Panel believes their larger database yields better probabilities.  Heritage is expanding their database this spring to include approximately that same number of breeds.  But the truth remains; the tests are someone’s estimation of the probabilities - not the definitive facts that guarantee an understanding of your dog’s behavior or health profile.  The results can be answers that are as different as Daschund and Dane.

Our Recommendation
Don’t test.  Save your money.  Wait until next year and give the industry time to debug itself.  We will try again and report the results.  In the meantime, enjoy your mutts for what you know them to be - good friends and good dogs!

You can save money by reading a good dog book and making your own guesses about your pooch’s heritage, and you may be just as accurate!

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We are all social beings and dogs are pack animals that fit perfectly into our daily lives.   Pet ownership is especially beneficial for the elderly and has numerous benefits.  

Animal behavior specialist Lynette A. Hart, PhD. says “Taking care of a creature that cares about you and responds to you is a real antidote and preventive medicine for loneliness and depression.”

Some Seniors will become more reclusive after the loss of a spouse.  Pets can give them a sense of security, with their unconditional love and companionship.  Knowing that another living being depends on you and feeling needed is a powerful motivator. 

Pets seem to relieve the stress of our daily lives, by the companionship they bring.  Studies have shown that people who own a dog or cat tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol.  They have even shown that heart attack victims that own pets have a higher survival rate after a year than those that do not.

Richard B. Ford, D.V.M., M.S., a veterinarian in Raleigh, N.C. says “Seniors can benefit substantially from pet ownership.”

We may all know that by keeping our bodies strong and fit we will live longer and healthier lives, but the older we get the less we tend to exercise.  Even though we may not exercise for ourselves, we do what we have to for the creatures we love.  If “Fido” needs his daily exercise and romps at the park, then that is exactly what gets done. 

Once you’re on the search for a pet, be sure to do your research.  Raising puppy can be an overwhelming task for an energetic 20 something, so be sure to select a pet that is appropriate for your lifestyle.   A great place to start your pet search is with your local humane society. 

For Seniors who live in convalescent homes and are unable to take care of a dog or cat full time there are Pet Therapy programs that will visit the centers. 

Nationwide Pet Therapy Groups

Pets have a Fountain of Youth quality and seem to keep us young by their very nature.  It’s tough to feel old when your playing.  Throwing balls, making silly sounds and laughing with a furry bundle of joy. 

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For some reason they just don’t sell one of the breed German Shepherd/Husky/Springer Spaniel mix.  :)  Don’t worry though, I put a link at the bottom of the post for the Mommy’s who are lucky enough to snag this purse.

The purse is a bit pricey at $79.98, but I can’t imagine a doggy Mom alive that wouldn’t absolutely love it.  The purse is full of detail, even the zipper has a breed specific charm on it.

The purse is available for dog Moms of the following breeds: Bassett Hound, Beagle, Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Dachshund, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Jack Russell Terrier, Black Lab, Yellow Lab, Maltese, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pomeranian, Poodle, Pug, Rottweiler, Schnauzer, Scottish Terrier, Sheltie, Shih-tzu, Springer Spaniel, Westie, Yorkshire Terrier.

FREE Standard Shipping! Expires 5/7

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Now at age 13, Lucas moves a bit slower from arthritis (after having a TPLO done on both knees), but you can still see the excitement in each of his steps and with every Easter egg he finds. 

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A basic agility course is run on an area of apporoximately 100 by 100 feet and has numbered obstacles (tire, jumps, weave poles, a-frame, tunnels), laid out by an agility judge in a design of their own choosing.  The numbers represent the order in which the obstacles are to be completed.

Agility courses are made difficult enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction.

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Think about getting booties for you dog.  These can protect your dog’s feet not only from harsh chemicals, but also from broken glass that might be hidden by snow and ice. 

Here’s a link to a website that sells them: Dog Boots
Chemicals used to melt ice and snow are harmful to your pet.  Don’t let your dog eat the ice and snow in a neighbor’s yard.  You never know what chemicals they could have used to speed up melting.  And, many neighborhood streets are sprayed with chemicals by the highway department.   

If your dog is like mine, he LOVES to catch snowballs.  Roll balls of snow from your own yard or any other source you know doesn’t use chemicals.  Don’t dig down to get a handful, skim off the top.  This will minimize the chance of picking up rocks and sticks that could hurt your dog.  Push the snow together only enough to keep its shape for you to toss.  Packing it down tight might hurt your dog when he catches it.Always check your dog’s paws after playing in snow or ice.   It’s a good idea to wipe your dog’s paws with clean warm water after a walk in the neighborhood.  After your dog has had a good day’s play in the cold, wash and dry them off thoroughly.  Then check the pads of each paw.  Look for swelling.  Nicks and cuts as well as abrasions could cause infections.   If you don’t find anything, watch your pet to see if he licks his paws.  This may be a sign of an injury and the main reason you rinse your dog’s paws off after a walk.  Check him again.  If you find something, clean the wound gently.  For a serious cut, contact your vet or local animal emergency hospital.  Don’t let it fester before seeking help.Once you’ve checked your dog and everything is okay, treat him or her to a nice gentle leg massage.  This will stimulate circulation and keep his paws nice and toasty. Sit beside your dog and take one leg in both hands.  Make slow circular movements with your thumbs as you work down from the top of the leg to the paw.  Use a steady, light pressure.  When you reach the paw, take one finger and slide it between the toes.  If your dog doesn’t like this, then stop.  Otherwise, continue between the toes using only one finger.  Don’t push the toe outward, keep it in its natural line.  Only apply enough pressure for your finger to glide through.As always, offer your pet fresh clean water after any massage.  This helps flush out toxins from the muscles that can be released during massage.

Have a fun, safe, and healthy winter!

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Christmas is a fun time of year for dogs and cats, but for our own pets safety we have to remember that they don’t always use the best judgement. Our pets lack in good judgement and our lack of foresight can be dangerous.

By following a few common sense Christmas rules you can keep your pet safe this holiday season.

1. If you know your pet is going to rip into presents while you are gone, make sure you either put your presents out of reach or use wrapping paper with non-toxic dye.
2. If your cat loves to climb, don’t leave them access to the Christmas tree when you are not around. Don’t let your cat climb the Christmas tree. The tree could fall on your cat, or the cat could get tangled up in the lights .
3. Turn off your Christmas lights when you leave the house.
4. Poinsettias are poisonous, don’t leave them around your pets.
5. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, don’t leave gifts under the tree that contain chocolate. Your dog will sniff them out.
6. If you have a puppy, unplug everything. Do you have candle lights in the windows? Unplug them. Your puppy will chew on the cord, which will give them a giant shock.

Every house hold is different. You better then anyone else knows your pet’s personality. Take a look around your home and access the possible dangers. Chances are you will find many.   The best gift you can give your pet is a safe Christmas.

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In this blog, we’ll look at some tips that can help your dog lead a happier, healthier life.  Take a look at the massage video posted here at www.caninegames.com for massages you can do at home.  It will get you started on helping your pet feel their best.

Remember, although massage is a safe and gentle procedure, it is never a substitute for regular veterinary care.  You should always consult with your vet before using any treatment he or she is not aware of.  Verify with the vet that your pet doesn’t have any condition that massage might make worse.  Always offer your dog clean fresh water after a massage.  This helps flush out toxins and other waste from your dog’s muscles.  Also, massage is a useful addition to veterinary care, not a substitute. Always keep your vet informed about any outside treatments.

For more information, see the contact information below:

Stephanie Whitehead

Canine Massage Therapist
Paws for Health of Virginia, LLC
9947 Hull Street Road
Suite 244
Richmond, VA  23236
pawsforhealthofva@yahoo.com
804-986-4675

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