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Helping Your Animals Cope with Summer
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Along with vacations,
summer brings storms and fireworks. While these things may be fun for us, our companion animals might find them annoying at best and absolutely terrifying at worst. Here are some products that may lesson their anxiety and keep them as relaxed as possible when things go boom or you will be away from home.
For those of you using homeopathic remedies prescribed by Dr. Jody, please contact Dr. Jody or Hope before giving your pet any type of supplement to confirm that it will not interfere with the remedy.
- Rescue Remedy (dogs/cats) - A liquid that can be given orally or rubbed on the ears. A locally made brand is available at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz, 330 W. Lakeside Street or 555 S. Midvale Boulevard, Madison.
- Anxiety TFLN (dogs/cats) - Another liquid that is given orally shortly before a storm or other stressful event, such as holiday fireworks. Available at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz.
- Bach Flower Essence (dogs/cats) - A liquid that can be given orally or rubbed on the ears. A custom blend can be made specifically for your pet at Quintessence at 334 W. Lakeside Street, Madison. Call (608) 251-6915 for more details.
- Pet Naturals Cat or Dog Calming Treats (dogs/cats) - A calming supplement designed to support relaxation. The ingredients support calm behavior without sedation or personality changes. Available online and at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz.
- DAP Spray or Diffuser (dogs) - A synthetic version of a natural canine appeasing pheromone. The spray can be used on blankets or in a crate. The diffuser is best to address longer term anxieties. Available online or at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz.
- Feliway Spray, Diffuser, or Wipes (cats) - A synthetic version of the facial pheromone that cats leave naturally by rubbing their cheeks against an object or people when they are feeling comfortable in their environment. As with DAP, the diffuser is a better option for longer term anxieties. Available online or at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz.
- Thundershirt (dogs) - A jacket your dog wears that applies pressure to their bodies, helping them to relax. This does require counter-conditioning; contact Hope in the office and she'll be happy to walk you through the process. Available online at www.thundershirt.com or at Nutzy Mutz & Crazy Catz.
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Pet-Friendly Vacationing
If you're looking for pet-friendly vacation destinations, click on these suggestions from Anshen clients Kay and Stephanie!
Travel Wisconsin just listed 13 great places that are dog-friendly, so get out there and have some fun!
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. . . and Pet-Friendly Gardening
Warm weather and gardening go together. If you're thinking of landscaping or planting an herb garden, you may want to consider calendula and comfrey. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a showy plant with clusters of drooping yellow or purple flowers. It grows best under the shade of trees. The leaves are wonderful in poultices or under bandages to treat bruises, wounds, broken bones, or possible fractures. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an annual herb with orange or yellow daisy-like flowers. The flowers are edible and dried flowers can be used topically on open wounds to speed healing and prevent infection. . You can visit whiteoakcreekfarm.com
for more information on the uses of calendula and comfrey, and to order organic plants to be shipped to your home.
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Muzzles for Horses?
Muzzling a horse can be an obtuse concept, but one that is taking a firm hold in our modern equine culture. Muzzles can greatly increase our ability to control how much grass or forage our horses are consuming. This can be a very helpful when we are worried about laminitis, Equine Metabolic Syndrome, colic, or even gastric ulcers.
There are a few aspects you want to watch for when purchasing and sizing a muzzle to your horse.
- Be sure that it is not too tight around the muzzle to cause sores or wounds. You can occasionally pad them or add some fleece to the edges to make them softer if your horse has more sensitive skin.
- Aim for one with larger holes around their nostrils. This can help keep horses cooler and more comfortable during the heat of the day.
- Be sure they have a breakaway option.
- Look for an appropriately sized hole at the bottom of the muzzle; if it is too large the purpose is lost.
Most muzzles on the market come with sizing descriptions and are generally from $25 to $35. You can look at more expensive options that go up to $225. Most of these products are easily found online or even at some of our local farm stores. Some of the more cost-efficient options are the Easy Breathe Grazing Muzzle or the Tough 1 Easy Breathe Grazing Muzzle by JT International.
If you have any questions on grazing muzzles or want to know if your horse may be a candidate for one, please give us a call at 608-333-7811.
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To Shoe or Not to Shoe?
This is not an easy question to answer. Shoeing and how to shoe are seen from so many different viewpoints in so many different situations. It is very easy to be intimidated by all of the information on social media and the seemingly billions of articles and books that are available. My opinion...do what is best for YOUR horse. This is one of the those times that you do not get to follow the popular trends. Each horse, and even sometimes each foot, can be different and need different corrections or styles at different points in each horse's life.
Shoeing is harshly criticized by many people, as is barefoot trimming. When each style is performed appropriately they can do wonders for the overall health of the hoof. You may find that your horse will lose more hoof at this time of year for multiple reasons: you start to ride more, the horses are moving around more, they are stomping at flies, even the surfaces on which they stand can become more abrasive. Horses naturally start to grow more hoof at this time of year to protect themselves during this natural cycle. You may see your farrier taking off more hoof than they did all winter, or that you need to have them come more frequently to keep up with the additional growth. This becomes an excellent time to address wether your horse may or may not need to be shod.
Barefoot? This is an excellent option for horses with naturally great hoof wall and structural conformation. They can maintain correct proportions and sole depth without any additional help. You may still find they have slightly shorter strides (mostly in front) on rocky or gravel surfaces, but they move well on softer surfaces.
Shoes? Shoes are a great protective surface for the sole and wall of the hoof when horses do not grow hoof quickly or are in need of stabilization. Certain disciplines also need certain shoeing types in order to safely perform their desired maneuvers.
Boots or pads? This can sometimes be the perfect middle ground between the two. There are many styles and brands. The most important point is to find one that fits your horse and what you want to do with them. A boot that is loose or too small can do more harm than good.
In summary, don't ever feel that you need to follow the current trends or what is popular on social media. Do what you feel is in the best interest of your four-legged friend and be very neutral in your evaluation so you can make decisions without bias. We would be happy to discuss your horse as an individual further if you have additional questions or concerns. Happy trails and hooves!
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Pet Profile: Champ
Champ, found by Animal Control for the second time in his life last summer as a two-year-old, had burns down his chin, neck, and right front leg. He also had a wet cough. He was transferred to Milwaukee Pets Alive, where many antibiotics and ointments were used to treat his wounds. His itching was so intense that he would tear the wounds open whenever he could. He is now wearing many layers and an E-collar to prevent opening the wounds, which appear mostly healed but are warm and slightly moist to the touch, and intolerably itchy. He is a classic Fire personality, coming right up to new people to be petted and play, play, play! Thank goodness his foster parents spend a lot of time entertaining him. Champ's foster mom has even taught him to use his scratching post on cue! He received an adjustment of his lumbar spine, laser acupuncture to relieve pain and inflammation, and a homeopathic remedy to heal his wounds and stop discomfort. Check out our posts on Facebook to follow Champ's continuing saga!
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Seafood Catnip Treats
Ingredients
5 ounces of tuna or salmon, drained. We recommend tuna in water or wild-caught salmon in BPA-free cans.
1 cup coconut flour (for a stickier, thicker consistency, you can use whole wheat flour or oat flour. Those flours might work better if you want to roll these into balls. if making the crouton shape, the coconut flour works just fine :)
1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 tablespoon dried catnip
1 egg
1-2 tablespoons water (add more water if you want the dough a bit stickier)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine drained fish, egg, coconut flour, water, olive oil and catnip. Blend in a food processor until mixture is smooth and completely combined.
The mixture is different than a normal dough. It's not very sticky and is a bit powdery.
Pinch or roll pieces of the dough into "croutons" and place on baking sheet.
Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes or until they are dried on top and browned. It's okay for them to be slightly burned, you want them crunchy!
Allow to cool completely.
These will store in your fridge for about a week. Since they contain egg and fish, you shouldn't keep them longer than that. Store in an airtight container.
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PuppyUp!
We want to thank everyone who donated to Team Anshen or walked with us at this year's
PuppyUp event to raise funds for canine and human cancer research. Over 1100 humans and 700 dogs turned out, and set a national fundraising record of over $133,000. Wow! We hope that you will join us next year as we continue to fight this disease that has touched so many of us.
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