Category: DOG HEALTH & WELLNESS

Caring for Fire Ant Bites for Your Dogs

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While we are typically roasty, toasty here in Florida, the spring thaw is in full swing so the snow around the country is melting, grass is getting greener, walks are getting longer, and bugs are on the prowl!

While bug bites are a pain for humans, they can be just as annoying for dogs too.

Depending on where you live, fire ants can cause a big issue for you and your sweet pup. While we do our best to avoid fir ants, accidents do happen and you can walk through a hill and then be bitten.

Us, humans, wear shoes while on walks and know what fire ant mounds looks like, but your dog doesn’t know what their mounds look like and they have no protection on their feet.  If they walk through a fire ant hill, they will be disturbing these aggressive ants, and there will likely be an attack on their unprotected paws. Unfortunately, we know of dogs that have been extra curious and have sniffed up fire ants while stumbling across a hill.

Years ago, while out playing with Kemper in a big field, his leash slipped out of my hand. He took this opportunity to have some extra fun and go running all over, with me running to and away form him, hoping to get him back. Instead he ran really far away and on his run back to me, his leash got snagged on the property fence. Poor thing was stuck, in trouble, and worst of all standing directly on top of a fire ant hill. A MASSIVE FIRE ANT HILL. I tried to get his leash off the fence but it was really stuck, so the only way for me to get him lose was to unclip him, leaving it behind. But while all of this fumbling around was happening, we were both getting bitten. His poor paws and my poor feet were all covered with ants. The walk back to the car was really uncomfortable with all thsoe ants on our feet. As I scolding him on the walk, I picked ants off on him and myself.

Besides, my own issues with fire ants, my father walked through a hill one night while wearing flip flops. His extremely swollen feet covered in blisters required a trip to the DR, where he needed to get 3 prescriptions to properly treat the bites. If a human can have such a bad reaction, so can a dog. It’s always important to closely

Now, I am extra aware of fir ant mounds and how to properly care of myself and dogs, if accidental contact happened, resulting bites.

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WHAT TO DO WHEN FIRE ANTS BITE

  1. Carefully pick off Fire Ants. Check between toes, folds in skin, jowls, nostrils, ears- depending on where the contact occurred.
  2. Create a salve with water and baking soda to apply to the bites. Baking Soda’s alkalinity has a cooling effect and will neutralize the acid of the bug bite. Let it sit for 10 minutes prior to washing away
  3. Apply a cold compress to the bites. Do not directly apply the ice pack on the skin, use a towel between the skin and ice pack.
  4. Applying aloe to the skin can help soothe the itchiness, but you need to make sure your dog does not lick it up as they should not ingest aloe.
  5. If your dog is prone to medical reactions already, give them an antihistamine, like Benadyl. Consult with your vet prior to giving to your dog, to verify it is needed and an accurate dose is provided.
  6. Closely monitor your dog for any excessive swell, rashes, or breathing issues immediately following the bites. As well, long term supervision may be required depending on the reaction of the bites.
  7. Contact a Vet if you think your dog is having a reaction or has developed an infection.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN FIRE ANTS BITE

  1. Do not wash off fire ants. The water will make them more agitated and bite more and harder
  2. Do not pop blisters, unless directed by your Vet. This can cause an infection if not properly cleaned.
  3. Do not let your dog lick the bites. Limit their contact with the bites to prevent infection.

When to go to the Vet

When in doubt, go to the vet!

It is better to be safe than sorry as some reactions can occure rather quickly. Be sure to monitor your dog for swelling, difficulty breathing, rash, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme itching, drooling, or seizures.

How to avoid Fire AnTS

  1. Be aware of what fire ant mounds look like so you can (hopefully) avoid them. The mounds are created when they tunnel underground and push up the earth as they create those tunnels. The mounds looks like a clump of dirt, without a hole, that you might traditionally see for other ant species. They typically are in open, sunny areas, which can mean in lawns, fields, playgrounds, parks, along sidewalks, and in golf courses.
  2. Wear closed toe shoes to protect your feet. As well, if you are in an area that is prone to
  3. Treat for the ants with the proper baits and sprays. Be sure to follow the directions and keep your dogs and children away from the insecticides for their safety.

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As always, consult with a veterinarian in matters of health, wellness, and safety so they can assist you in providing the best care for your dog.  

 

Homemade Dog Breath Fresheners

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Did you know that February is National Pet Dental Health Month?!?

There is a month, week, day for everything!

Obviously, it’s super important to take care of our dogs’ teeth. Oral hygiene is connected to so many other things like digestive and heart health. Plus no one wants their dog to have stinky breath!

I thought I would make something fun and yummy for our dogs that is both beneficial to them and us. Good breath and digestive health for them;  happy and healthy dogs for us!

I made these Dog Breath Fresheners with just a few ingredients, a food processor, and a ice cube tray. I used fun dog bone and dog paw ones, but a regular ice cube tray will work just fine. They are simple to make so you’ll be making them for your dogs all the time.

I bet they will love them as much as my dogs.

So what’s in these awesome Dog Breath Fresheners?

These whip up really quickly with plain yogurt, coconut oil, parsley, and mint.

The yogurt provides great cultures that help with digestion and good gut health. If your stomach is ‘off’ then there is a really good chance that your breath is stinky. Same goes for dogs, so some yogurt in their diet can be really beneficial.

Be sure to get sugar free, plain yogurt. (Note: The yogurt will have sugar in the nutrition facts, you want not ADDED sugar or flavorings)

Coconut oil is great for your overall health, but just focusing on digestion now, it helps with aiding in digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis, helps with nutrient absorption, and can help with killing parasites.

Parsley contains chlorophyll, which can help neutralize bad breath. Chlorophyll is a natural deodorizer so chewing some will help neutralize stinky breath odors. Potentially, it can even help with digestion, which will help address bad breath odors from the gut .

Mint leaves behind it’s signature fresh breath smell, but it does more than that! It helps with digestion and can help fight the bacteria in your dogs mouth that causes bad breath. As with parsley, mint contains chlorophyll, so that give it an extra boost in fighting off bad breath.

Be sure to give your dog lots of sweet kisses after they have a mint. xo

Homemade Dog Breath Fresheners

MAkes 20+ dog breath mints

Ingredients

  • Large bunch of parsley
  • 1 ounce of fresh mint
  • 1/2 Cup of water
  • 1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil
  • 1 1/2 Cups plain, sugar free yogurt

Process

  1. Trim off the bottom rough edges of the parsley and mint stems. (you can still have a lot of stems, just take off the rough, woody parts) Add to a food processor/blender
  2. Combine the coconut oil and water in a measuring cup/bowl. Microwave until warm enough to melt the coconut oil. Add to the food processor.
  3. Add the yogurt.
  4. Blend until the herbs are completely chopped.
  5. Pour into the ice cube molds. Freeze.

 

 

Finding The Best Food Bowl for Your Dog

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Fellow Boston Terrier owners can relate when I say “pee-yew!”

Boston Terriers are know tooters. They can clear a room with their toots.

There are several factors that cause these stink bombs from diet, stress, anatomy, etc. Even the food bowl that they eat from can effect how much air they in take while eating, resulting in toot toot toot.

There are all different dog feeders out there that can help reduce the amount of air your dog gobbles up while they eat their food.

Angled dog bowls helps position the food at a better angle, making it more ergonomically correct for your dog, keeping them in a position that reduces air intake that is associated with flatulence.

“Slow feeders” or “Busy bowls” are bowls that help slow your dog down, instead of taking in a lot of air while they are scarfing down their food. These bowls are great if your dog also eats too quickly and then throws up from that.

Over the years we have gone through several different kinds of bowls.

Plastic bowls- They were easy to take with us when we traveled but over time Kemper chewed them up.

Ceramic bowls- easy to clean, but they chipped over time. Plus, Kemper would bang it with his paw when he wanted food.  If he was really annoyed with the delay then he would knock over his water bowl for extra attention!

Slow Feeders – When Kemper was a puppy he thought they were a fun toys so he would chew on them while eating dinner. He ruined several.

Ultimately, we found that elevated dog feeders worked well for both Kemper and Brinkley.

Besides, reducing the toots, it is argued that elevated bowls can be really helpful in reducing the possibility of developing Gastric Dilatation Volvulus or “GDV”, commonly known as “Bloat”. They are also great for dogs with arthritis, neck or back problems.

Specifically for us, they helped reduce toots, Kemper couldn’t bang them, and Brinkley could easily eat out of them with her short little legs.

You know those videos of puppies that are eating on a plate and flip forward since they are bent forward… yep, Brinkley used to do that before we got these elevated feeders.

 

We fell in love with our elevated feeders

Our elevated bamboo feed stations are perfect for Kemper and Brinkley!

They are sleek and modern looking so they fit in well with our decor. The bamboo

I like that they are easy to clean. The stainless steel bowls are can go into the dishwasher. You just need to do a quick wipe-down on the feeder. Don’t let water pool on it as it can cause the bamboo to discolor and potentially grow any mold.

Both dogs are comfortable using them. These come in a variety of heights, but the 4″ high feeder is great for this smaller breed dog.

Their set came with 4 bowls in 2 different sized bowls (1.5 cups and 2.5 cups). We used the smaller bowl for food and the deeper bowl for water. The extra bowls are great to have on hand when you are washing one set.

Is it time for you to try a different bowl for your dog?

If you are interested in trying the elevated feeders from Pawfect Pets that Kemper and Brinkley have, then use coupon code “FEED20PF” for 20% off!!

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As always, consult with a veterinarian in matters of health, wellness, and safety so they can assist you in providing the best care for your dog.  

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