Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Why Dogs Love Chewing Sticks So Much

May 20, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

From the time they’re puppies, most dogs are attracted to sticks more than most objects they come across. This is partly because wood is easy to chew, but it’s also because of the shape – sticks look more or less like bones. Bones are what dogs would be eating if we didn’t pour their food into ceramic dishes. They like the meaty flavors of bones, and the marrow inside is an excellent source of nutrients.

Sticks don’t taste at all like bones, of course, and dogs do know the difference. But sticks have their own appeal. They have a musky, earthy taste that seems to appeal to dogs. And of course, they can find them just about anywhere. The dog-logic seems to be: “If l had a bone, I’d chew that. But since I don’t, this will do”.

Veterinarians worry about stick chewing because dogs will occasionally swallow what they chew. A mouthful of splinters isn’t likely to cause problems, but swallowing a large hunk of stick may. While some dogs do get overeager and gulp sticks as soon as they’re small enough to swallow, most just chew and spit, so to speak.  Still, you’ll want to be safe. Here are a few things to watch for.

Clear the yard of fruit branches: Dogs aren’t very selective about the types of sticks they chew. This can be a problem if you have apple, pear, or other fruit trees. The wood has a rich, aromatic taste that dogs like, but it also contains small amounts of toxins that can upset dogs’ stomachs.

Other types of wood can also make dogs sick – in some cases, seriously so. Branches from azaleas and trees such as black walnut, black cherry, red oak, black locust, yew, and red maple contain substantial amounts of poison. Dogs who chew enough of the wood can get very ill. If you’re not sure what type of wood your dog is chewing, keep it out of reach until you can make sure it’s not one of the hazardous varieties.

Limit the size: If your dog is going to chew sticks, make sure they’re too big to fit all the way in his mouth. Smaller sticks have a way of getting stuck, and more than a few dogs have found themselves with their jaws locked open because a stick got wedged inside. Big sticks have a way of turning into lots of little sticks, however. Once piles of debris begin accumulating, you’ll want to clean them up before your dog has a chance to take them back into his mouth.

Make sure he’s not a swallower: Most dogs just chomp and shred their sticks, leaving the wreckage on the ground around them. They don’t actually ingest much. Some dogs, however, swallow what they chew. Besides the risk of choking or intestinal blockages, dogs who actually eat sticks sometimes use them in place of regular food.

Filed Under: Dog Health Tagged With: Azaleas, Black Cherry, Black Locust, Black Walnut, Ceramic Dishes, Cherry Red, Flavors, Fruit Trees, Hunk, Mouthful, Pear, Red Maple, Source Of Nutrients, Splinters, Stomachs, Substantial Amounts, Sure What Type, Toxins, Veterinarians, why dogs love chew, why dogs love chewing, Yew

Puppy Safety: When Decorations Kill

July 8, 2009 by admin Leave a Comment

A puppy’s approach to the world, outside the box he was born in, is quite simply, to eat it! This includes shoes, toys, sofa cushions, and just about anything else he can put into his mouth. If the object is too big to fit, the puppy will whittle it down to size with his pin-like baby teeth and make it fit.

While this imp-like behavior is destructive, it can also prove fatal for the puppy. For example, one good-sized bite out of a bar of soap containing harsh chemicals and the odds against making it to the vet in time before the puppy convulses and dies are ten to one.

The fat-soaked trussing cord from the turkey has been known to become entangled in the intestines of a puppy. In most cases, the owner is not aware that the puppy has gotten to the turkey or leftover bones until it is too late. An unsupervised puppy is like an unsupervised infant crawling around on the floor.

Puppies are also very attracted to decorations and ornaments, which includes magnets, pins, and needles. Splinters of wood, glass, and plastic are equally dangerous – for all are dagger-like and can puncture your puppy’s throat or become lodged in the intestines.

Some of the old-fashioned Christmas tree ornaments were manufactured using radium to make them glow in the dark. In a puppy’s stomach, this is a lethal poison.

Soft rubber of the type found in bath toys is also extremely dangerous for puppies. Veterinarians report that rubber is one of the most common causes of surgery in puppies and young dogs. The soft rubber tears easily and can stick to the puppy’s insides causing total blockage of the intestinal track.

And right after Christmas time, just about the time you feel you have everything picked up and out of harm’s way, your puppy could be gnawing on a string of tree lights. A 110-volt jolt to the mouth can be lethal.

The secret of surviving the holidays (or any other time of celebration with decorations around the house) and all your decorations for that matter, without harm coming to your puppy is supervision. Keep in mind that it only takes a second for a puppy to choke on a gift wrap ribbon, or be strangled by a small ball lodged in his throat.

In one town, what started out as a happy time during one lovely Christmas turned into a tragedy when the rubber band on a paddle-ball toy broke. The puppy reached the loose rubber ball before the child, and within a few seconds, the ball was firmly lodged in the puppy’s throat.

There’s no use in saying “No” to a puppy in a roomful of Christmas decorations. No amount of scolding will make the puppy less curious. It may temper him for a moment, but the temptations to a young pup will overcome all of your “No-nos”, no matter how emphatic. A puppy’s stomach is a strong organ and can digest a lot of strange things, but aluminum icicles and rubber bands are not included.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Baby Teeth, Bath Toys, Christmas Ornaments, Christmas Time, Christmas Tree Ornaments, Harsh Chemicals, Imp, Intestines, Jolt, Lethal Poison, Old Fashioned Christmas, Old Fashioned Christmas Tree, Pins And Needles, Puppies, Puppy, Sofa Cushions, Soft Rubber, Splinters, Surviving The Holidays, Veterinarians, Whittle

Puppy Safety: When Decorations Kill

May 8, 2009 by admin Leave a Comment

A puppy’s approach to the world, outside the box he was born in, is quite simply, to eat it! This includes shoes, toys, sofa cushions, and just about anything else he can put into his mouth. If the object is too big to fit, the puppy will whittle it down to size with his pin-like baby teeth and make it fit.

While this imp-like behavior is destructive, it can also prove fatal for the puppy. For example, one good-sized bite out of a bar of soap containing harsh chemicals and the odds against making it to the vet in time before the puppy convulses and dies are ten to one.

The fat-soaked trussing cord from the turkey has been known to become entangled in the intestines of a puppy. In most cases, the owner is not aware that the puppy has gotten to the turkey or leftover bones until it is too late. An unsupervised puppy is like an unsupervised infant crawling around on the floor.

Puppies are also very attracted to decorations and ornaments, which includes magnets, pins, and needles. Splinters of wood, glass, and plastic are equally dangerous – for all are dagger-like and can puncture your puppy’s throat or become lodged in the intestines.

Some of the old-fashioned Christmas tree ornaments were manufactured using radium to make them glow in the dark. In a puppy’s stomach, this is a lethal poison.

Soft rubber of the type found in bath toys is also extremely dangerous for puppies. Veterinarians report that rubber is one of the most common causes of surgery in puppies and young dogs. The soft rubber tears easily and can stick to the puppy’s insides causing total blockage of the intestinal track.

And right after Christmas time, just about the time you feel you have everything picked up and out of harm’s way, your puppy could be gnawing on a string of tree lights. A 110-volt jolt to the mouth can be lethal.

The secret of surviving the holidays (or any other time of celebration with decorations around the house) and all your decorations for that matter, without harm coming to your puppy is supervision. Keep in mind that it only takes a second for a puppy to choke on a gift wrap ribbon, or be strangled by a small ball lodged in his throat.

In one town, what started out as a happy time during one lovely Christmas turned into a tragedy when the rubber band on a paddle-ball toy broke. The puppy reached the loose rubber ball before the child, and within a few seconds, the ball was firmly lodged in the puppy’s throat.

There’s no use in saying “No” to a puppy in a roomful of Christmas decorations. No amount of scolding will make the puppy less curious. It may temper him for a moment, but the temptations to a young pup will overcome all of your “No-nos”, no matter how emphatic. A puppy’s stomach is a strong organ and can digest a lot of strange things, but aluminum icicles and rubber bands are not included.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Baby Teeth, Bath Toys, Christmas Time, Christmas Tree Ornaments, Harsh Chemicals, Imp, Intestines, Jolt, Lethal Poison, Old Fashioned Christmas, Old Fashioned Christmas Tree, Pins And Needles, Puppies, Puppy, Sofa Cushions, Soft Rubber, Splinters, Surviving The Holidays, Veterinarians, Whittle

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