Pet Advice

  Dr. Hershman realized that when an ear is not inflamed and not painful but full of debris or tarry exudates from a yeast or bacterial infection, flushing the ear makes sense. "If you don't flush it out but keep applying medication on top of the debris," she says, "you're never going to cure the problem. But I also learned that flushing the ear is an art. You can't simply fill the ear with otic solution and expect it to flow out by itself, taking all the debris with it. Because the dog's ear canal forms a right angle, you just can't get the liquid out unless you suction it gently with a bulb syringe or some kind of tube with a syringe attached." Flushing the ears, says Dr. Hershman, is one of the most important techniques you can learn for keeping your dog's ears healthy. "They don't teach this in veterinary school," she says. "It's something people learn by experience." When should the ears not be flushed? "If they're painful, ulcerated, or bleeding," she says, "or if there's slimy, slippery pus in the ear or a glutenous, yeasty, golden yellow discharge. In any of these cases, flushing is not [...]

Teach your dog to stop leash-pulling and dragging, and to walk politely on a leash... ...with Whole Dog Journal's exclusive eBook Walking Your Dog. This must-have guide gives you clear, step-by-step instructions (with detailed photos) from Whole Dog Journal's expert trainers and behavior specialists. This easy-to-follow ebook will soon have you on your way to finally enjoying a nice, peaceful walk with your dog. Teaching your dog to walk politely at your side seems easy, right? Newsflash: it often proves to be one of - if not THE most - challenging behavior for dog owners to teach their dog. Sure, your dog may walk politely down his regular route, but does he try to bolt the instant he's in a new setting? He's not the only one! Even if your dog responds flawlessly to cues like "Sit!" and "Down"... is letter-perfect in targeting and "Leave it!" exercises... has the most reliable recall... there are certainly times when he has gleefully dragged you all over the place. No more! Walking Your Dog's easy-to-follow instructions show you the simple steps needed to make your walks a pleasure! Inside you'll find exercises and tips like: The proper way to walk with a loose leash, and how to make it fun [...]

Excerpted from Decoding Your Dog by Debra F. Horwitz, DVM, DACVB and John Ciribassi, DVM, DACVB For dogs and humans alike, physical exercise is fundamental to good health. We all know the couch-potato lifestyle comes with a host of health problems. But in dogs, a lack of activity can also prompt nuisance behaviors. The majority of dogs were bred with a working purpose in mind - and that's not just the herding and hunting breeds. For example, the seemingly dainty Yorkshire Terrier was originally meant for rat hunting. Providing dogs with vigorous, daily exercise has profound effects on their behavior. Tired dogs chew less, bark less, sleep more, and are more likely to relax when home alone. A good daily workout and, if the dog is social, regular play sessions with other dogs are great ways to exercise a dog. So is time spent interacting with his owners, whether that's playing hide-and-seek in the yard or coming along to the office. If, like Anna's rowdy, a dog gets hours of exercise every day and still tears through the trash or disembowels the bedroom pillows, it's safe to assume he lacks mental stimulation. Much as people turn to crossword puzzles, books, chess games, [...]