Is My Dog Overweight?

Is your dog overweight?

If your answer is "no",  are you sure? 

Only 22% of owners believe their own pets to be overweight. 

But in reality, a 2011 study showed that 53% of dogs are overweight.

This means that 31% of owners are in denial about their dog being overweight...


I, for one, was sure that my Springer Spaniel Wallace was NOT overweight and was simply "big-boned".  This was despite the fact that Beth (my gf and Wallace's mom), my sister and some of my friends told me that my boy needed to lose weight. I found this all to be quite offensive and was quick to jump to poor Wallace's defense.  I deflected their comments by saying that our vet didn't say Wallace was overweight, that Wallace eats a high quality food so he couldn't possibly be overweight and that Wallace probably just looks to be on the heavy side since he needed a haircut.

Don't you dare call my fur baby fat!

Eventually it was Beth's turn to take the pets to the vet for their check-up.  She, of course, asked the vet point blank if Wallace needed to lose weight. It turned out he did.  It also turned out that I am part of the 31% of owners in dog obesity denial!

Just one more treat???

In addition to speaking with your vet, here are a few ways for you to tell if your dog is a healthy weight:

1) Your dog's weight vs. their breed's ideal weight - The rule of thumb is that if your dog is more than 15% above its breed's ideal weight (which can be found here) it is considered to be obese. (Wallace is 16% above the high-end of the Springer range).

2) Can you feel their ribs? - You can also check by feeling for your dog's ribs and spine. You should be able to locate both with only a thin layer of fat separating the skin and bones.  If you have to press harder or dig deeper, you may have an overweight dog.

3) Eyeball it - You may recognize the chart below from your vet's office. It can be very useful to help decide if your dog is a healthy weight. (This chart also classifies Wallace as heavy)

What can I do? 

Along with exercise, exercise and more exercise, controlling your dog's food portions and the amount and type of treats they get are the main factors that will help you get your dog back down to a healthy weight.  If you do an honest assessment of how much your dogs eats in a day (not just meals, but extras like treats, scraps from the kitchen, treats from others) you may find that simply cutting out the extras can be the difference. 

As for meal time, a feeding guide can be found on any bag of dry food.  Once you have a target weight for your dog, find the lowest amount for that weight range and measure carefully. We now use a measuring cup as Wallace's food scoop. 

Keeping your dog's weight in check is critical. As with humans, an overweight dog is more susceptible to a wide range of health issues including joint issues, trouble breathing, high blood pressure, diabetes, reduction in life span and skin conditions.  Next time you bring your dog to the vet be sure to ask if he or she is a healthy weight.

- Peter

Show Grooms vs. Pet Grooms

Perhaps earlier this year you were able to catch the Westminster Kennel Club's annual Dog Show, held in New York's Madison Square Garden.  It is without a doubt the granddaddy of all dog shows, and for me, it is a pleasure to watch.  Along with the fun of seeing all those dogs walking around and strutting their stuff, it is also interesting for me to see all the ways that these dogs are groomed in their show style grooms which are quite different from the typical pet style grooms we see on most dogs.

For example, take a look at what a Shih-Tzu looks like in a show groom next to a typical family pet's style...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

As you can see, they almost look like two different breeds of dog.

Take a look at these two Standard Poodles...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

Notice the similarities between the clips performed on these two poodles; their faces and feet are both clipped short. 

Here's another example, the Miniature Schnauzer,  one of my favourite breeds of small dogs...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

The first dog is in the proper breed style with a short clipped back and head, legs scissored into columns and the face and eyebrows trimmed into the Schnauzer's hallmark look.  The second is a bit different, as he still has the beard, brows and short clipped back, but his legs are trimmed shorter and the skirt is just a little bit longer than the back.  The pattern is the same but the second dog's owners will have much less brushing and combing to do, as Schnauzer's fine coats tangle and mat quite easily.

And since we all love dog pictures here is one final example...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

The dog on the left is a Springer Spaniel in full show style.  He has a robust plume on his chest and his ears are long and tassled.  His skirt and featherings are trimmed but left long while his back and head are clipped quite short fading into his longer furnishings.  The handsome devil on the right is my boy Wallace, clipped short on the head and back using the same clip pattern fading into his longer furnishings on his chest and belly.  As you can see they are trimmed shorter on his underside and legs for easier maintenance.  Wallace loves to get outside and explore and it's not unusual to find burrs and other bits of nature in his coat.  Keeping his skirt and furnishings shorter makes it much easier to find and get rid of these things without too much trouble.  His ears are also tassled, which the picture doesn't illustrate very well, but they are not quite as long as the dog on the left, again for easier maintenance and so they don't dip into his water bowl when he's thirsty.  

I'm sure you are noticing a pattern by now.  Pet style grooms are keeping in the spirit of the breed standard clip while altering it slightly (usually by going shorter in spots) for functionality and ease of upkeep.  Neither show grooms nor pet grooms is right or wrong.  It is up to each owner to decide what grooming style suits their lifestyle and personal preferences.  

Here are some things to consider when deciding how to groom your pet:

Budget

For starters, as you might have guessed, show grooms require a groomer with a great deal of skill and experience.  However, "pet grooming" is the service provided by most commercial dog groomers. There are far less groomers with the ability to execute show grooms and as such you can expect to pay more for these services.  

Maintenance

Unfortunately, the problem with many show grooms (take the Shih-Tzu for example) is practicality. A dog with a show groom will require a great deal of upkeep and maintenance.  This includes not just regular brushing and combing, but more frequent bathing and clipping to maintain their look.  If you've got the dedication and time to handle a hairstyle such as this, your reward will be a beautiful and lustrous coat for your dog that will no doubt turn heads wherever he or she goes!  

Lifestyle

The rambunctious and playful nature of a family pet's day will lead their coats to becoming dirty and tangled. In addition, the elements, water in particular, can wreak havoc on a dog's coat as constantly getting wet and drying will further tangle and mat the coat.  All in all, the typical family lifestyle is generally not suited to show grooms.  

What about mixed breed dogs?

Another thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to mixed breeds, pet grooming is almost always the way to go as there is no defined 'breed clip'.  Dogs like the golden doodles below can be groomed in almost any fashion to suit their owners' tastes and needs.  Just take a look at the differences in the clips on these two.

Remember, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way for your dog to look.  Your dog is a part of your family and you are the one who decides what they look like.

-Peter

Getting Ready for Spring: Fleas

It's one of those dirty words that makes you (and your dog) itch just thinking about it; fleas.  Perhaps the greatest fear of pet owners during the spring and summer months, fleas are external parasites that live off of hitching a ride onto a mammal (not just dogs and cats), biting their skin and sucking their blood.  These tiny vampires are very small, about the size of a sesame seed, so they can be very difficult to detect on your pet until a full blown infestation is underway.

                                 

How can I spot fleas?
During our first spring with Wallace, we noticed him scratching himself more than usual, and upon inspection, we noticed his armpits and belly looked a bit dirty. It turns out this was flea dirt.   Generally the most tell-tale sign that your dog has fleas are deposits of flea dirt rather than the actual fleas. Flea dirt is dried blood that the fleas have passed through their body -- Basically, it's flea poop. The fleas and flea dirt can most commonly be found hiding in the armpits and between the hind legs.  Fleas can be especially tricky to spot on darker coloured dogs since the dirt and fleas tend to blend in.

Flea dirt is usually the easiest way to detect fleas on your pet.

Where do fleas come from?  
One of the most frustrating things about being a groomer is hearing from a client "my dog got fleas from your shop!"  This is not impossible (that is to say, nothing is impossible) but it is extremely unlikely. Good groomers will take precautions to make sure that all fleas found on a dog in their care are immediately eradicated and the shop is properly cleaned and sprayed with insecticide.

In reality, fleas prefer warm, humid habitats such as sandy areas, crawl spaces under houses and gardens or under leafy vegetation.  As such, the most common way for fleas to get onto your pet is from out in nature....  This has become increasingly true in recent years as the use of pesticides is becoming more and more rare, due their being outlawed in many regions.

So no, your dog has probably not gotten fleas from other dogs at the groomer's but likely picked them up in your own backyard! 

Fleas live out in your yard, so make sure you're protecting your furry friends from them!

I found fleas! What do I do?
The first thing to remember is to not panic and the second is to call your vet.

When we first found the fleas on Wallace we immediately ran out to the pet store and bought a shampoo to give him a bath and went about vacuuming every inch of carpet and upholstery in our house every day for a week straight, sprayed insecticide all over and took all of the towels, bedding and curtains to the laundromat. Our house was very clean, but the fleas were still there and Wallace was still scratching...

If only we'd spoken to our vet!  It turns out that although Wallace was on a flea prevention program, our indoor kitten, Bridget, was not, and should have been. After Wallace brought the fleas into the house they would hop onto her and multiply. 

After speaking with the vet we decided to keep Wallace's flea treatment the same and start Bridget on a program as well.  Wallace is on a product called Trifexis which is a pill he takes once a month.  It's very effective as it not only kills adult fleas that try to feed on his blood, but also sterilizes them so they cannot ley eggs either. We also like that it's made in Canada.  We use a different product for Bridget called Advantage that is a topical application.  Generally cats get topical "spot-on" products since getting a cat to take a pill is not fun.

Again, consult with your vet  before using any flea treatment; these products are intravenous, meaning they are absorbed into the bloodstream, and some products sold in stores (Zodiac, Frontline) may have severe side effects.  

Getting Rid of Fleas - Step by Step

1. Call your vet. Book an appointment to put all indoor and outdoor animals on flea prevention programs.
2. Put your dog's bed, blanket and fabric toys in the wash.
3. Give your dog a bath with medicated flea and tick shampoo for immediate relief (or send them to the groomer to do it).
4. Vacuum your home paying special attention to corners, behind curtains and by the baseboards.
5. If your dog spends a lot of time in the backyard consider treating the leafy shrubs with insecticide as well.  There are specialty sprays available at pet stores.

Keep your pets free from fleas this summer with a preventative treatment from your vet!

Fleas are a very common pest that can cause agony for your pets by making them itch horribly.  To make matters worse, incessant scratching and licking often leads to skin irritation and infection.  Make sure you nip this problem in the bud and get your dogs (and cats) on a prevention program from your vet from spring through fall to keep them healthy and happy!

-Peter

                                          

My Best Friend Wallace

Animal lovers understand all the wonderful ways our pets touch our lives. We develop a meaningful bond with our pets that lasts long after they've gone.

I didn't know what I wanted to be "when I grew up" until Wallace came into my life. Caring for Wallace is what opened my eyes to the fact that my enjoyment of dogs was something that could be turned into a career.

Working with dogs every day as a groomer has only cultivated my love for them.  In fact, I'd go as far  as to say that caring for dogs has become my full-blown passion. I am one of the lucky few people who look forward to going to work when they get up in the morning. 

So thank you Wallace, for helping me to find my path and walking alongside me as I go down it.

This blog is dedicated to you buddy.

- Peter