Brown Dog Treasures

Trick or Treating with your dog can be tremendous fun. However each year vets report many injuries to dogs that could have been avoided with a little thought and planning. Here are some important safety tips to keep in mind.

Not all dogs enjoy the excitement that comes along with the holiday. Many dogs are frightened at the sight of human in costume.

1.  Keep a firm grip on your dog with a well constructed leash. Check your dog’s leash for signs of wear and tear that may have occurred over the summer months.

2.  Make sure your dog’s ID tags are current. Some dogs tend to bolt and run when the front door is opened for Trick or Treaters.

3.  If you are not Trick or Treating with your dog, keep him indoors during the hours when Trick or Treaters are parading the streets. There have been reports of taunting and theft of pets during this time of year. Keep your pet safe and out of harm’s way.

4.  Keep your dog out of the candy bowl! Note: Chocolate contains theobromine, which can cause nerve damage and even death in dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is — and the smaller the lethal dose.

5.  Explain to everyone in the house, especially children, the dangers of sharing their candy with the dog.

6.  Supervise your pet at all times when wearing Halloween costumes. These costumes are cute and meant to be fun, but they are not dog toys. Parts of a costume can be chewed off by your dog and cause choking hazards.

7.  Keep candles, jack ‘o lanterns and other Halloween decoration out of reach of your dog.

8.  Symptoms of chocolate poisoning: excessive drooling, excessive urination, pupil dilation, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors or seizures. Get emergency medical help immediately.

9.  Keep a First Aid Kit available at all times. Print out this Animal CPR Brochure and keep on hand with your first aid kit.

Read past issues of the Brown Dog Treasures Monthly Newsletters.

Today the Pedigree company declared today to be  the first International Dogs Rule Day. They encouraged people to celebrate this day in a variety of ways. The celebration could include something as simple as taking extra time on a walk with your dog today, or donating a blanket, toy or basket of food to your local shelter.

Please visit the Pedigree website to find out 101 Ways to Celebrate Dogs Rule Day. You can also add your dog’s photo and include your story.

Dogs have been in residence at the White House since George and Martha Washington first took up residence with their foxhound ”Drunkard”.  Whether or not you approve of George W., who hasn’t enjoy watching the “Barney-Cam”? Even the Clinton’s had Sox the cat.

Barack Obama has no pets and aparently dog owners have taken notice.  A recent poll shows that pet owners prefer McCain over Obama 42% to 37%. Dog owners are particularly inclined to vote for McCain they prefer him over Obama 43% to 34% .  Does this mean that McCain will be elected president or does it just mean he’s “Best in Show”?

While the polls indicate McCain is preferred by dog owners, sales at Brown Dog Treasures have so far favored Obama. If you want to see our full line of political dog collars, leashes, shirts, hoodies and costumes visit our Patriotic Department.

Brown Dog Treasures is pleased to bring you Max Pawfection Stone Washed Denim Jean Jackets at well below retail prices! There are two different styles available. The unlined or “Casual Max” jacket, shown here, as well as the Embroidered Jean jacket. The embroidered verson is fully lined in plaid cotton flannel.

These designer jackets made the cover of “IN STYLE” magazine last fall.  Don’t miss your chance to own one of these.

We have also re-stocked many more sizes in our popular Maxi’s Dog Business Suit. FREE shipping has been extended until October 31st.

Grapes and raisins, a snack that we humans think of as healthy can actually have a deadly effect on your dog! I was shocked to learn of this today. I can even remember a time or two when I fed my Guinness some grapes. He didn’t like them because they rolled out of his mouth. I then crushed them in my fingers, but fortunately for us both he didn’t like them and spit them out. You can imagine how shocked I was to learn that he could have been harmed by my actions.

According to Dog Age® even a small amount of this food can cause vomiting, diarhea, fatigue and abdominal pain. Ultimately this could lead to kidney failure! The reason why this fruit is so toxic to dogs is not clearly understood, yet research has shown that dogs that ingest grapes or raisins show an unusually high level of nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus in their bloodstream. These three substances when found in the blood indicate kidney damage.

Since most dogs will ingest just about anything edible and some things that are inedible (my in-laws had an Airedale named Jumbo that used to swallow rocks!) get them to the vet’s office as quickly as possible.

Mars Petcare U.S. announced yesterday that they are recalling 100, 20 lb bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas.

It is also voluntarily recalling a limited number of 52-pound bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Costco stores in Northern California and Nevada.

There have been no reports of illness or injury resulting from consumption or handling of the recalled product, the company states that there was some “question” about the way these products were handled, so they are taking “every precaution” to assure that the supply will remain safe for consumption.

If you have one of these bags, you are advised to dispose of the product in a safe manner, such as a securely covered trash receptacle, and return the empty bag to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Recalled Pet Food Information: 20-pound bag

Product: Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites

Size: 20-pound bags

UPC Code: 23100 14719

Lot Code: 830BFCAT02

Best Buy Date: 7/2009

Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag

Affected Stores: Albertsons locations in Southern California and Las Vegas

Recalled Pet Food Information: 52-pound bag

Product: Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites

Size: 52-pound bags

UPC Code: 23100 05110

Lot Code: 831BFCAT02 and 830DFCAT02

Best Buy Date: 7/2009

Best Buy Date Location: Back of bag

Affected Stores: Costco stores in Northern California and Nevada

Signs of Salmonella Poisoning in Dogs:

1. Lethargy
2. diarrhea or bloody stools
3. fever
4. vomiting
5. decreased appetite
6. abdominal pain or tenderness

Salmonella can spread to humans from dogs. If you suspect your dog may have been exposed, please contact your vet immediately.

Wondering what to name that new puppy? Look no further. We have found lot’s of help for you!

The Importance of a Name   With dogs being treated more and more like members of the family, giving dog’s human sounding names have become more and more popular. Spot and Rover just doesn’t seem appropriate anymore!

Here are some important points to keep in mind when naming your dog.

Tope Ten Boy Dog Names:

1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Jake
4. Rocky
5. Bailey
6. Buster
7. Cody
8. Charlie
9. Bear
10. Jack

Top Ten Girl Dog Names:

1. Molly
2. Maggie
3. Daisy
4. Lucy
5. Sadie
6. Ginger
7. Chloe
8. Bailey
9. Sophie
10. Zoe

Want to find out more about naming your dog? Read our page Is Your Dog in the Top 10? Find links to books on Amazon.

Have you seen our personalized dog and cat bowls?

I wanted to let you know about some really fun events that may be taking place in your community.  Get out there and enjoy some of these great events with your best buddy!

August 16th 2008 - 3rd Annual Pet Fest - Missoula, MT

The 3rd annual Pet Fest happens on Saturday, August 16th at Caras Park in Missoula, MT. Pet food distributors, retailers, groomers, vets, rescue organizations, breed clubs, pet boarding and pet adoptions. Wiener Dog Races, Agility Demonstration, Parade of Adoptable Pets and Adopt a Pet Row.

August 16-17, 2008 - Petapalooza - Huntington, NY

Join us for a fun-filled weekend that will include Search & Rescue displays, entertainment, other rescue groups, a Blessing of the Animals Service, kid’s games, a delicious barbeque, huge Chinese auction, dog contests, demonstrations, and hundreds of adoptable animals.
As always, this is an event not to be missed!

August 24, 2008 - PADS Walk & Roll for Independance - Burnaby, BC

Registration Opens 9am, Walk starts at 10am.  Walk and Roll through Central Park and raise money for PADS.  Choose the 5k or 2k route and stick around for a bbq and party in the park. Fun for the whole family with bouncy castles, airbrush tattoos and so much more!

September 6-7, 2008 - Fido’s Festival USA - Woodstown, NJ

 Calling All Dogs and Dog Lovers! Get ready to move those paws! Fido’s Festival USA is proud to present two full days of dog-centered, dog-loving fun and activities for dogs and dog lovers on September 6-7, 2008 at Salem County Fairgrounds, 735 Route 40, Woodstown, NJ.  The festival includes Fido’s Shopping Mall, Friendly Canine Competitions, Celebrities, Health & Training Seminars, Entertainment, Adoptions & Rescue, Kiddie Fun Park, Doggie Play Park, Food Court, and much, much more!

September 8, 2008 - DuPage County’s 1st Annual Dog Fair and Amateur Dog Competition - Wheaton, IL

 The fun takes place Sunday, September 7th at The DuPage County Fairgrounds, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton, IL. Join the parade to kick off the event at 9:15 a.m. in the parking lot on the northeast corner of Roosevelt and County Farm Road. Let us know you’re coming to reserve your FREE Dunkin’ Donut!

September 14, 2008 - Canine Cruise - New York, NY

Canine Cruise
Sunday, September 14, noon to 3 PM
Circle Line Cruises, Pier 83, W. 42nd St. and 12th Ave.
It’s a 3-hour sight-seeing cruise for small dogs and their people. There’s also fun doggy-centric activities including, pet psychic readings, doggy massages, and cool contests.  This is what your pooch has been barking about! 

 September 14, 2008 - Pet Rockfestival - Worcester, MA

Pet Rock is the largest animal expo on the East Coast. A daylong festival of fundraising fun for the entire family, Pet Rock’s purpose is to promote responsible pet ownership, bring attention to animal cruelty and educate humans on a variety of animal related issues. Proceeds benefit New England based animal welfare organizations. Pet Rock Fest boasts live music, vendors, vegetarian fare, games, prizes, raffles, guest speakers, rides and more than 200 breed rescues, shelters and animal welfare organizations. The 10 Annual Festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 [rain date, Sept. 21] from noon to 5 p.m., at Quinsigamond Community College, 670 West Boylston St., Worcester.

October 11, 2008 - Wiggle Waggle Walk - Lake Mary, FL

Franklin’s Friends was created to raise money for the SPCA of Central Florida’s annual Wiggle Waggle Walk, scheduled this year for October 11. This is a “no kill” shelter so any healthy, non-aggressive animal can stay until they find the perfect “forever” home. Please help us help the pets!

November 6, 2008 - The 2008 DogCatemy Awards - New York, NY

This pet-friendly event will take place on November 6, 2008, from 6-10 PM at the spectacular venue, Capitale, located at 130 Bowery Street, NYC. At this Red-Carpet event, an expected crowd of 400 people will screen celebrity-made short films starring their pets. Awards will be presented for Best in Show, Best Tail-Waggin’ Comedy, Best Musical, Best Dogumentary and Best Pawformance. There will be an extensive national media campaign as in 2007, when Rachael Ray, Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky, Richard Belzer, and Katie Lee Joel attended. Join notable celebrities alongside authors, socialites, media influentials and supporters of North Shore Animal League America at this year’s event.

All proceeds will benefit the life-saving mission of the Animal League.

We all know how important it is to keep our dog’s nails trimmed. Untrimmed nails can cause serious problems for your dog. Nails that are too long can hinder your dog’s mobility. Older dogs can also have a tendency to slip on wood or tile floors. Just as in older humans, slips and strains become more dangerous.

Over the years we had given up trying to clip our Guinness’s nails ourselves. Labs tend to have very thick, difficult to trim nails. To make matters worse, Chocolate Labs have dark toe nails, making it impossible to see the quick. After a few painful yelps during nail trimming when Guinness was a puppy, we decided to always let his Vet (or one of his techs) handle this for us. $10 once a month seemed like a small price to pay for this service and Guinness like the people at his Vet’s office. He began to see this visit as a social call so he has never really minded visiting the Vet.

In the last year or so I have been noticing that Guinness seemed to need to go for a trimming more and more often, we are now at once every two weeks and his nails always seem to still be too long.

I found out that this is common in senior dogs. The nails can become thicker and more brittle and the quick gets closer to the surface so that you can’t always trim off as much of the nail as necessary.

We were watching TV one night and saw an advertisement for a product called Peticure. We copied down the web address. The next day we received a pet industry trade magazine in the mail. They also had an advertisement for this products.

If ytou have not seen this, it is basically a dremel type of tool. The difference here is that it does not have the high pitched sound of a regular dremmel, that often frightens dogs. It also has a guard or cover around the sanding drum which should help guide the tool smoothly across your dog’s nails.

It sounded like just what we needed. We waited three weeks for this thing to come and when it arrived we were VERY disappointed. Fist of all our model did not look at all like the picture on the box. It seemed very flimsy and we had ordered the upgraded, more professional model! It was hard to put together. When we finally had it going we realized that the sanding drum did not fit properly over the dremel. It seemed very loose. We went online and watched an insturction video to make sure we had put it together correcctly.

When we were satified that we had done everything according to instruction, we decided to give it a try. Armed with a bag full of venison treat for Guinness, we went to work. Within 5 seconds of operating the Peticure, the sanding drum slipped down off the dremel.

The next day we called the company. To their credit they were very nice. They told us that the sanding drums should fit tightly and perhaps we had a defective model. We decided to send the thing back. They do promise us a refund of the purchase price. We are out the shipping cost both ways.

I found the whole experience very disappointing. There now some similar items coming out on the market. Brown Dog Treasures will be traveling to Super Zoo in Las Vegas in September. We will have a chance to try out many new products. We will keep you posted on which products we think will be beneficial for you.

If anyone else has had an experience with one of these newer grooming devices, please let us know. 

This is a problem we have been experiencing with our Guinness for the last few years. Initially Guinness (an 11 year old chocolate lab) showed no fear whatsoever of thunder, fireworks or any loud noises. In fact he seemed to like the commotion! We just thought this was because of his “hunting” bloodlines. After all what good gun dog would shy away from loud noise?

When Guinness reached the age of seven, he suddenly began to exhibit nervousness during thunder storms and a mild fear of fireworks. We discussed this with his vet. He prescribed a Chinese herbal blend that he felt would calm him. The herbs did absolutely nothing. In fact, his fear continued to worsen.

Now at the age of 11 he goes into complete panic mode even before the storm hits. When the weather gets cloudly or windy he begins his panic routine. He even will sit and stare out the window in anticipation of the coming lightening and thunder! Once it hits, nothing will console him. He scratches the walls, floor, doors. If any of you have ever seen the movie “Because of Winn Dixie” you will know about the type of behavior I am speaking of.

At his age we really didn’t want to begin sedating him with heavy doses of tranquilizers, yet we could not stand to see him suffer this way. So I began doing some research on this problem. Here are some of the things I found out.

First of all I found out that it is common for a dog to develop these fears later in life, even if he has had no prior trauma or bad experience with loud noises. Medical experts are not really sure why this happens. Just knowing this made me feel better! I kept wondering what we had done to our previously fearless dog! I also found out that if nothing breaks the cycle of fear it will only worsen. The fact that Guinness was looking out the window anticipating the storm shows that he has a high degree of intelligence. The smarter the dog, the more fear they can develop.

Here are some of the tips I learned that can help calm your dog’s fears:

1. Don’t try to comfort your dog by babying, talking sweetly, hugging, petting and giving treats. This only rewards fearful behavior.
2. Whatever you do you must stay calm yourself. If you begin to anticipate the fact that they might become frightened during the storm, your dog will pick up on this and the whole situation will escalate!
3. Never punish or yell at your dog for being afraid.
4. In advanced stages of this phobia, your dog may become destructive to your home. DO NOT crate them. Even though it might sound like a good idea, they are likely to thrash around and injure themselves in the crate in an attempt to escape the storm.
5. Try bringing your dog to a safe place in the house and stay with them. For instance our Guinness like to lay under the overhang on our platform bed, behind some covers. Bring them to a favorite spot in the house.

And finally I will tell you about a product that we found recently at an industry trade show. It is the only thing that has helped Guinness. We are only recommending this as something that has worked for us, we do not sell this product ourselves.

It is called Relieve De Stress by Dog trainer and behaviorist Kathy Santo. You may have seen her on the Martha Stewart Show or the Today Show.  One reason why we like this product is that it is all natural and organic. It does just what it says. Your dog will not become drowsy or sedated as with harsh prescription medications, you will just notice a calming effect. Guinness was still afraid of the storm, but his reaction was limited to panting and nervousness, not all out panic. We began using this in June and I am happy to report that his reaction to the storm has become a lot less dramatic over time. He seems to be realizing that nothing bad will happen. Now when he hear thunderin the distance he goes over to the kitchen cabinet where I keep the bottle and he waits for me to give it to him! This is also supposed to be good for travel, grooming, going to the vet’s office. Any situation that causes your dog to feel stressed.

Ingredients:aloe Vera, organic relaxing herbs St. John Wort & Valerian, imported essential oils including, lavender, chamomile, ginger and rosemary extract (a natural preservative)

Kathy Santos Relieve De Stress Organic Herbal Remedy for DogsFor a drama-free day and for stress and anxiety provoking activities like traveling, separation, thunderstorms, grooming, vet visits, moving & more.