Why do puppies and dogs play bite? It’s a form of social play for them as well as natural investigative behavior. Most mounting and play biting in puppies and juvenile dogs is normal play behavior.  Completely eliminating this type of behavior is unrealistic. However, modifying it to the appropriate levels and redirecting it to the appropriate outlets is a very important part of training your companion pet.

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With a holiday like St. Patrick’s Day rapidly approaching, the question about food coloring and dog treats seems to come up quite a bit.

Many people treat their pets like they would treat their children.  This includes getting festive at certain times of the year, like St. Patrick’s Day.  Every year we see green food items that typically aren’t green.  Green popcorn, green beverages and even green bread!  Is it safe, though, to add food coloring to you pooch’s treats?

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals claims that food coloring approved for human consumption are also safe to be used in foods for pets.

ASPCA does point out that using large amounts of food coloring can sometimes cause changes in the color of the pet’s urine, but should not affect Fido’s health.

Some veterinarians do note that, like humans, pets can have allergic reactions to certain foods they ingest.  These skeptics say that food coloring should either be avoided or given in very small portions.

This is great news and just in time for K9 Veterans Day!  United States legislation introduced a bill last week that, if passed, would take U.S military working dogs (MWDs) out of the category of “equipment” and make them “Canine Members of the Armed Forces.”

When handlers and their soldier dogs get deployed they spend nearly every minute of every day together.  Some handlers even develop a stronger bond with their canine counterpart than they do with their peers and, sometimes, even their spouses.  When handlers and their canines have to part in order to fulfill a unit requirement it can move the handler to tears.

Military dogs who are retired overseas in non-deployment areas remain at kennels until they’re adopted.  If someone in the United States wants to adopt these dogs they have to pay the cost of the flight as well as other adoption fees.  If legislation passes the proposed bill, it wouldn’t cost taxpayers more money and it would bring these dogs back to Lackland where most military retired dog adoptions already take place.  This would make it easier for these dogs to get adopted.

The new bill would also create a canine Veterans Administration that would establish a system of veterinary care for retired MWDs which is not currently offered.

Finally, if passed, the new bill would give a sense of empowerment to MWDs.  Dogs in the military are not currently awarded like their human counterparts are with medals and ribbons.  The legislations would force the “Department of Defense to honor courageous or meritorious dogs, or those killed in action, through appropriate recognition.“

There is currently not an estimated date when this bill will get voted on, but it is expected in the near future.

Lets face it, some dogs will eat anything! Unfortunately, some of the things around your home can be hazardous to your canine companion. Here is a brief list of dangerous items and the problems they can cause…

Antifreeze: Kidney failure and death.

Bread Dough: Raw dough contains live yeast that when ingested can cause bloating. As the yeast ferments, alcohol is released and dogs may die of alcohol poisoning.

Chocolate: Mild cases may have only gastrointestinal signs but severe cases may progress to tremors, seizures and death.

Cigarettes: Nicotine-related signs include hyperactivity, panting, drooling and gastrointestinal upset. Neurologic signs can progress to coma and death due to respiratory arrest.

Coffee (grounds, beans or hulls): Caffeine-related symptoms including hyperactivity.

Gorilla Glue: Popular adhesive forms large mass in stomach and requires surgical removal.

Grapes and Raisins: Kidney failure.

Hops (used by home beer brewers): High fever (malignant hyperthermia).

Liquid Potpourri: Painful chemical burns to the lips, gums and tongue.

Macadamia Nuts: Dogs are unable to use their hind legs and may have other symptoms.

Medications (of any kind): Prescription or nonprescription human drugs can cause a wide variety of problems depending on the type of drug involved. Overdosing of drugs intended for dogs can be just as dangerous, so keep all medications out of reach.

Moldy Foods: Fungal toxins may cause tremors, seizures, liver failure and death.

Onions: Anemia due to destruction of healthy red blood cells.

Pennies: Those coined since 1983 are mostly zinc. Zinc toxicity causes anemia and secondary kidney failure. The same can also be seen when a dog ingests common hardware items such as screws, nuts and bolts.

Plants: Most plants have at least one toxic part (roots, stems, leaves, flower, seeds). The biggest culprit during the holidays? Poinsettias.

Silica gel packets (dessicant): Vomiting and loss of appetite.

Xylitol (sweetener found in sugar free candy and gum): Increases insulin levels leading to low blood sugar. Can cause organ failure in severe cases.

If you think your pet has ingested anything unusual contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Hotline available 24/7 by calling 1-888-426-4435.

It’s true…Dogs now have their own TV Channel and it’s appropriately called, DOGTV.

The whole point of the channel is to stimulate, entertain and relax dogs.  A press release states:

The programing was scientifically developed to provide the right company for dogs when left alone.

Through years of research with some of the world’s top pet experts, special content was created to meet specific attributes of a dog’s sense of vision and hearing and supports their natural behavior patterns.

The result: a confident, happy dog, who’s less likely to develop stress, separation anxiety or other related problems.

Check out a sample of what your pooch will be able to watch on DOGTV below!

Just when you think turning on the evening news is going to bring nothing but gloom and doom, we at Central Bark Doggy Day Care have an inspiring story to tell.

An amazing female French bulldog, named Baby resides outside of Berlin, Germany at the Lenhnitiz animal sanctuary. Not only does she live there, but she is truly part of the team in assisting and offering care to others at the sanctuary. Baby has acted as the foster mother to cats and even racoons. This winter,  Baby has broadened her mothering horizons to include baby wild boar piglets that are almost as big as she is.

 Baby does everything for her surrogate children including snuggling up to the six piglets to grooming them and keeping a watchful eye. There is nothing this amazing pooch won’t do!

The Superbowl came and the Superbowl went and now we are left with some pretty amazing commercials.

There was definitely a doggy trend this year among commercials.  There was the highly anticipated “Dog Strikes Back” Volkswagen commercial about a dog who really works it out…

Wheat Thins used America’s favorite Family Guy characters including Brian the dog…

This year’s fan favorite was probably the Doritos ad…

Most of us understand the importance of good oral health for ourselves and visit our dentist at least twice a year. However, dental care is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of our pet’s health.

Just as with people, periodontal disease starts when food particles, saliva, and bacteria attached to the teeth produce a filmy matrix called plaque. If this matrix is not disrupted, calculus forms. More commonly known as tartar, the calculus makes the surface of the tooth rough and provides a better hold for more bacteria and protects the bacteria from being dislodged. These bacteria will then infect the gums, causing a condition known as gingivitis.

If not treated appropriately, gingivitis can progress to periodontal disease, destroying the bone that supports the tooth. There is even an association between dirty teeth and other serious diseases. The same bacteria that cause dental disease have been found in the heart, kidney and liver of diseased animals.

As your pet ages, a weekly check of the mouth may help to find issues before they become dangerous. You should take time to look for plaque and tartar, especially on the large canine teeth in the front of the mouth and the big shearing teeth in the back of the mouth. Other potential areas of concern include fractured teeth, gum tissue that is overgrown or does not appear to be a healthy pink color, bleeding from the gums or any tumor or ulceration in the mouth.

In addition to using your eyes, your nose can be an important tool as well. Pets are not supposed to have bad breath! If you can detect any foul odor, or if you see any problems in your pet’s mouth, see your family veterinarian.

There is a great advancement for busy pet owners who don’t have time to brush their dog’s teeth. After you have done your weekly exam, you can apply a barrier sealant called OraVet. In less than one minute per week, your pet’s teeth can be protected and the effects of plaque and calculus can be minimized. By adhering to the surface of the teeth, OraVet gel actually helps to repel plaque-causing bacteria. Without plaque formation, dental disease is much less likely to begin or get worse.

For optimal results, see your veterinarian to have your pet’s teeth cleaned, followed by an initial application of OraVet Professional Strength applied after the dentistry. You then simply continue weekly applications with a home care kit.

For more information on OraVet contact your local veterinarian.

Source: Brenda Johansen, DVM Harmony Pet Care

As a precursor to their highly anticipated Superbowl 2012 commercial, Volkswagen released a commercial ad featuring a canine chorus barking the tune from Star Wars.

This is sure to be one of the greatest ads of the year.  Make sure you watch the entire commercial because it has an adorable ending.

Many of us are very conscious about what we put into our bodies.  How many times are you at the grocery store and stop to read a label, or the back of a box? You may look at the calorie intake, the nutrient content or maybe just the ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, dog food labels do read the same way.

Pet foods are regulated by a sector of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and are required to have certain information listed.

Below is a list of the info required and what it all means…

-Feeding Instructions: In dog food terms, feeding instructions set guidelines for how much to feed a dog based on its weight.  Puppy food will even give feeding instructions based on age!  The feeding instructions will often also let a pet owner know how often to feed their dog.

-Guaranteed Analysis: This is just a fancy term for what nutrients are included in the food, broken down by percentage.  Here you will find minimum levels of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum levels of crude fiber and moisture.  You will also find vitamin and minerals percentages here.

-Ingredients: The ingredients part of the label will list, in descending order by amount, what the food is actually made from.  Normally, a form of protein appears first, then grains, fats, additives and preservatives.

Nutritional Adequacy Statement: The nutritional adequacy statement says whether the food provides complete balanced nutrition for a dog based on levels set by the AAFCO, or Association of American Feed Control Officials.  The statement will also include a life stage claim, which will let you know the stage of life that this food is intended for (puppy, adult, etc).

AAFCO Nutrient Profiles: All foods must meet at least one profile set by the AAFCO: growth/lactation or maintenance.  Some labels claim that the food is intended for all life stages.  Those foods provide enough nutrients for an animal’s growth and reproduction as well as for maintaining a healthy adult.

Manufacturer’s Contact Information: A name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor are ALWAYS required.

If you’re looking for a place to buy your dog food and you’re just not sure what will suit your pooch the best, stop by your local Central Bark Doggy Day Care.  Their dog experts will help you determine which food will benefit your dog the most!

To find a Central Bark nearest you click here or call 866-799-2275.

This article idea was submitted by Holly of Central Bark New Orleans!