OT: Cool Treat for Hot Dogs
I had a long message that included an update on my dog that fell out of heaven during a stormy night when it was raining cats and dogs. Was all finished, adding photos when I hit a key on my keyboard and the whole thing went POOF! I could cry :(
I'll skip the update and just concentrate on keeping outdoor dogs cool. These are some things I do to keep our outside dogs cool in the summer heat. We only have one dog now and he's new to us as of mid April.
One thing I did this week was to buy a FURminator. OMWord! Where has that been all my life!? Howie is an Aussie Cattle/Dingo dog with a crazy thick undercoat. The patio was swimming in dog hair ALL the time no matter how much I brushed him. I was just getting the top layer and not touching that thick undercoat. The FURminator works on the undercoat. Be prepared to be amazed :o I have gotten enough hair off him to make 3 more Howies! <lol> He's GOT to be cooler without all that hair! I make sure he has access to shade at ALL times...patio and shady cool green grass too. Fresh water/crushed ice and a fan next to his bed. I also spray my dogs with the waterhose a couple times a day. A doggie cot like this one keeps them off the ground and allows air to circulate.
I've made these frozen treats for years. I let Howie lick the bowl and he gave it a 5 paw rating :) They're in the freezer right now.
I kick it up a notch with 3 bananas, probably a 1/4 of pb or more. Same with the honey. I use a stick blender.
Here's what it looks like...
And here's a recent picture of Howie/Howard
Comments (40)
monicakm_gw
7 years agoRelated Discussions
OT .......Older dog and heat stroke?
Comments (20)My close friend's parents live in Laredo. They were here in SA not too log ago for the weekend and left their 3yr old bulldog in the care of their live-in housekeeper. The hc left the dog outside for a couple hours only and he began acting very lethargic. They returned home Sunday after the hc called them Sat night and by the time they got there he had died, from being outside only a couple hours. You'd think a beefy dog like a bulldog could take it but the vets said they are especially prone to heat stroke and should be indoor dogs. I'll never have a dog door again as once some neighbor dogs got into the yard and came in the dog door whilst we were on vacation. One of the two actually *ate* our cockatiel and severely injured the african grey. The bill to have the entire house *cleaned* was $5K. You can't even imagine the dame those two dogs did. Thiking back to the sight I almost can't believe it. So, no dog doors here! fwiw Marc...See MoreDog Hot Spot Recipe
Comments (13)Thanks Christine1950 for the link. It as really good info! In "layman's terms" a hot spot is a reaction of the skin to irritation. It can happen any time of year, or from any kind if irritation. bgaylene52 - My cocker gets them from being shaved too! Tell your groomer to sharpen her clippers and oil them! Dull clippers that are working hard to cut the hair will get hot and irritate the skin. Or find someone who will hand scissor your dog. It costs a little more but will end the problem. My Bulldog mix gets them from spring pollen, usually chewing her feet. My Pitbull mix gets them from the grass all summer long, again chewing her feet and my Dalmation gets them from Wheat in anything she eats. If you find your dog chewing its feet, look between the toes and pads. They may have a hot spot there. I have also known of dogs that got them from a reaction to flea bites. Hot spots can happen very quickly. If you find your dog has one and it is caused by fleas, it is best not to apply a topical flea killer, like Advantage or Frontline unless you have been instructed to do so by your Vet. It states clearly on the label not to use on broken skin. You will need to seek the advise of the Vet as the best product to use to kill the fleas with an open wound present. Ok, back to the hot spot identification. Sorry I got off subject a moment. Hot spots are tricky. They can happen anywhere on the body, but the most common places are feet, back at the base of the tail and belly. BUT I have seen them on faces (other dogs licking an irritated spot), around the rectum, under armpits, under the tail, under collars and on the neck (not chewed on but scratched with toenails). So look them over carefully or watch and see what area they are working on. Dogs who have hot spots are often uncomfortable, panting and very distracted. They may be laying asleep and suddenly wake up to chew the area. Fleas also seem to like to frequent hot spots, maybe the skin is just softer there, who knows. A hot spot will be red, inflamed, hot to the touch, often moist(from the chewing and the lymph leaking from the wound)and elevated. If you have ever had an allergic reaction and gotten hives, this is very similar to what hot spots look like. They can be the size of a pea or huge, covering the entire belly or back. At times it is difficult to see the skin, that is where observing your dog comes in. We had a German Shepherd come into the clinic with a huge hot spot, it's entire back end from rib cage to thighs were affected. The dog was white with a dense coat. You could see the red inflamation under the coat, but the maggots disappeared in the dogs white coat. But when you got him in a quite place, you could hear them. It was creepy. Please understand this was a severe case, but it does happen. Be especially careful in hot, humid summers. A hot spot can appear in just hours. Flies are attracted to an open wound leaking lymph and in 24 hours their eggs can begin to hatch. PLEASE if you ever see maggots on your animals PLEASE PLEASE see the Vet. Maggots are nasty and will not just eat the damaged tissue. They can and will burrow into healthy tissue. Years and years ago, someone brought me a puppy that had been doused in soda. It had been dumped and was too young to be away from it's mother. In it's weakened state and with the soda, the maggots really worked him over. They had burrowed a hole next to the rectum. Luckly, they had not gotten through to the intestines and we were able to save him. It is very very difficult to remove maggots once they have entered the body cavity. I hope this info helps. Thanks! Susan...See MoreRECIPE: Recipe for dog biscuits/treats
Comments (3)Here's one....has an awful lot of honey though.. Snickerpoodles Dog Treats 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup honey 2 eggs 3 3/4 cups white flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup cornmeal 2 teaspoons cinnamon Mix vegetable oil, shortening and honey together until smooth. Add eggs and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Knead dough until mixed well. Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls. Mix the cornmeal and cinnamon together in a bowl and roll balls in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with a nonstick spray. Press the balls down with a fork twice going in 2 different directions or press with your favorite stamp. Bake 8 minutes at 400. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack. And here are more....which are a bit more trouble: What the doggies like is garlic and meat paste. I make my own meat paste, from leftover pot roast and canned beef broth, in the food processor. For the picky-est of the picky eaters try cheese or cheese-and-bacon. What you're going for is a thick, non-fluffy, very heavy dough that smells strongly like meat and garlic. And a low oven temperature, to bake them hard and long-lasting. BASIC RECIPE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, or any combination of heavy, whole-grain flours 1/2 cup nonfat powdered milk 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt 1 large egg 1 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 cup hot meat paste (see notes above) 1/4 to 1/2 cup very hot water Mix together well with an electric mixer. Turn out onto a floured pastry cloth and knead until elastic and "set." Cut with dog-bone cutter, or with the edge of a drinking glass. Spray cookies sheets with Pam and place biscuits on them. They will not spread at all, so you can place them very close together. Bake at 250 degrees F. for one hour, turn trays 180 degrees, and bake at least another half hour. FOR CHEESE BISCUITS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you know that you're going to be making doggie treats, save up all the hard bits of leftover cheese. Grate them up and use them, in place of the meat paste. If you do not have leftover cheese, then buy a bag of Kraft grated cheese, sharp cheddar, and use that. Once the biscuits are on the cookie trays, you can sprinkle them with grated Parmesan. FOR CHEESE-AND-BACON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Add Hormel's Real Bacon Bits (they're in the salad dressing section of your grocery store) ******************************************* Fido's Favorite Treats Yield: 1 batch 1 c. Rolled oats 1/3 c. Margarine 1 c. Boiling water 3/4 c Cornmeal 1 tbp. Sugar 2 tsp. chicken or beef flavored instant bouillon 1/2 c. Milk 4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese 1 Egg, beaten 2 c. To 3 cups whole wheat flour. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine and boiling water; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg; mix well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form a stiff dough. On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut with bone shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes on until golden brown. Cool completely. Store loosely covered. Makes 3 1/2 dozen large dog biscuits or 8 dozen small dog biscuits. *************************************** Here is a doggy bday cake recipe as well...grin DOGGIE BIRTHDAY CAKE Don't forget the "Frosty Paws" from the grocery store to top off the cake. 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup chopped/unsalted peanuts 1/4 cup oil 1/3 cup honey 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon soy flour 1 egg 5 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup ground or grated carrots Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flours, baking soda and peanuts. Mix in egg, oil, vanilla, honey and carrots until well combined. Pour mixture into a prepared cake pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes....See MoreHot Hot Hot Seed Swap for FOTESS members
Comments (100)Winners for games: BINGO was Suzanne Old songs was Ruth.............. some super good choices and I enjoyed trying to hum almost all of the tunes I am enjoying the summer simple recipes and have a definite favorite. Today is the last day to vote if you have a favorite too. Heidi, sounds like a super fun package No bonus points to Ruth for sticking to "three" but I bet the extra surprises were "Worth IT" I have been growing Black Pearl Peppers as ornamentals for a couple years. Never tasted them but a man was selling plants at the farmers market and he says they are "Super Hot". If you try them, let us know...See Moremonicakm_gw
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years ago
User
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoOh, I just put that to ensure any one reading would know, so many people don't realize that plain yogurt can have sugar too and are surprised when they read the lable. The pumpkin is a good alternative for a dog with sensitivies to milk products; just have to use moderation because it's fiber.
Wow, what a sad, heartwarming and wonderful rescue story all wrapped up into one. Awe, no wonder he's so happy. Our lab is my pride and joy too so I know how you feel, they give so much more than they could ever take. Heartbreaking to know about the heartworm issues though, I've never been through it, but my sister has for a rescue she has and it was successful too. Maybe you should post a thread about it and get some feed back. I'd do it on the decor conversations side instead of pets though, more activity there.
Ellie doesn't show much interest in ice either. But another treat you can try that my dog is pretty happy to get are sugarless banana chips. Healthy Dogma is a store close by that makes and sells specialty foods for dogs. They sell the chips on Amazon too. The container looks small but it lasts a long time, they're crunchy healthy goodness.
So do you have a "Who rescued who" magnet for your car yet? LOL
This is the one I have and she lives up to the claim!
monicakm_gw thanked UserUser
7 years agomaries1120
7 years agoBeaglesdoitbetter - I never heard that about bananas. Did the vet explain? We don't give Angus bananas often but have at times. Here's my baby:
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
7 years agomaries1120
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agopatty Vinson
7 years agoMonica, your Howie is absolutely adorable, and I can totally relate when you say"he is the BEST dog i've ever had!" because of my boy Jaxson Brown, is also an Australian Cattle dog, and I have also referred to him as a dingo. I found Jaxson coming home from a movie late at night, 6 summers ago when my grandaughter was visiting. I was stopped at a light on what I call a country road since it is a rural area, but a road that is frequently traveled. The car on my left was also stopped, and I saw a man get out and remove a dog from the front of his car, and it ran in front of my car. I immediately turned the corner to my right, looked both ways, and yelled, "here boy," and with the back of my SUV open, he jumped right in. I didn't give a thought of the possibility of this dog being a rabid animal, or about getting bitten, only that it was an animal in need. When I got him home, I realized he was very thin and was missing fur in several areas. I was able to get a vet appointment on Monday morning, and although I knew I wanted to help this dog, wasn't sure I wanted to keep him since I travel and am gone a lot. Long story short, I made the decision *I* needed to give this boy a home, and not entrust him with someone else, since I could see he wasn't getting properly taken care of, and couldnt risk that happening again. He was treated for a skin infection, given a special food, was chipped, neutered, given all shots and tested for various diseases, and given love like he has never known. He doesn't growl, never barks unless someone is walking on the front sidewalk or comes to the door, has never nipped or bitten anyone, has never ever 'humped' man or beast lol,and like you, is the best dog I have ever had in my life, and I love him every bit as much as I love my kids! So let me introduce your Howie to my Jaxson Brown.
Looking a little groggy since I woke him up from a nap. My (((sweet))) boy.
monicakm_gw thanked patty VinsonUser
7 years agomushcreek
7 years agoOur Daisy is part Carolina Dog, and she loves heat! She will lay out in the hottest sun, even here in SC. Anything below about 50 degrees is too cold for her, and she hates rain and snow. I adopted her off of craigslist, and she lived in the camper with me while I built out barn and house. Now she just patrols our rural property and greets the UPS guy.
monicakm_gw thanked mushcreekUser
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agomonicakm_gw
7 years agoHis ears are a golden-rusty color. It's a common color of ACDs (all over). This was just a few days after he arrived at our house. He's still quite scruffy.
monicakm_gw
7 years agomushcreek
7 years ago
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