Discussion Forum

Place Your
Classified Here

DOGS
Dogs that Do It
Fun Photos

MUSHERS
Become a Mentor
Find a Mentor
Interviews

BEGINNERS
Start here..

BOOKSTORE
Buy online

FANS
B.A.R.K.
(Buy a Round
  of Kibble)

FEATURES
Articles
Contests
FAQ
Fun Photos
Trail Groomers
Innovations
Product Reviews
Truck Photos

FIND IT
Classified Ads
Search
Site Index
What's New

LINKS
Artists
Clothing
Clubs & Orgs
Dog Food
Dog Software
Equip & Supplies
Equip: Sleds
Iditarod
Kennels
Merchandise
Mushing Sites
ONAC
Race Sites
Rides & Tours
Sled Dog Schools
Veterinary
Video Links
Yukon Quest
Miscellaneous
Add your link

RESOURCES
Beginners Page
Books & Videos
Bookstore
Kennel Tips
Headline News
Obituaries
Publications
Seminars &
    Socials
SDC Talk!
Skijoring

RACING
Race Schedules
Race Results
Race Web Sites
List Your Race

TRAINING
Training Trails

FUN
Fun Photos
Quiz
Today's Smile
Dude Dog

SDC
About SDC
Advertise on SDC
Contact Us
Privacy Policy

Kennel Tips - Health

Betterpet Recall Tool

A recall tool that helps owners check for recalled products that could harm their pets.

Explore all pet-related recalls from the FDA, American Veterinary Medical Association®, and Animal Health Foundation.

Calcium Pill Disguise

As we cannot buy bonemeal in Canada since the mad cow affair, I give my huskies calcium pills daily. The pills I buy at Cosco are large, egg shaped and difficult to swallow. When I started with them, I would put the pill in their food dish, but most would leave the pill behind.

So now I split the pill in half, put both halves in the kibble, then pour a tablespoon of corn oil over the two halves followed by the meat and warm water. Now the pills are eaten and only rarely might I find a half pill left. I suspect the corn oil soaks and coats the pill enough to make it palatable.
Submitted by Duane Ramsay, Ontario [8/16/10]

Change Dogs' Location in the Dog Lot
If at all possible, periodically change the dogs' location in the dog lot to a new area to decrease reinfestation with worms or disease.
Submitted by Linda Maroun, Michigan [11/2/00]

[back to top]

Elizabethan Collar Tips
When one of our sled dogs has to wear an Elizabethan Collar or "lamp shade" to keep the dog from licking an incision, we always use one of the collars that closes with a plastic fastener to put the Elizabethan Collar on the dog. This way when we walk or feed the dog we can take the Elizabethan Collar off and put it back on easily. The dog is a lot easier to walk and is more at ease without the collar. Also we have dog houses with oversized door to enable the dog to get in the house with the Elizabethan collar on. We use these houses weather, insects, and season permitting. Otherwise we keep the dog in a large veterinary kennel in our dog barn.
Submitted by Kyle J. Cherry Knik, Alaska [7/10/02]

[back to top]

Give your dog a pill with peanut butter bread
When we have to give our dogs a pill we have tried several things. The hot dog method worked fairly well except that often they ate the hot dog & spit out the pill. Also I didn't always have hot dogs available.

This is the best method we have found. I take a piece of bread & cut a strip off. Put the rest of the slice in a plastic bag to keep soft. Then I spread peanut butter on it. Place the pill on one half & fold over. The dogs love it & believe me the pill never gets spit out.
Submitted by Dori Hollingsworth, Seward, Alaska [6/3/02]

[back to top]

Knuckle Bones
Help your dogs clean their teeth and save on dog houses at the same time by providing fresh knuckle bones to break up summer boredom. Knuckle bones provide cleaning qualities not found in the long bones, but either type will satisfy the urge to chew. Knuckle bones are particularly valuable to dogs fed wet year around. Do be alert to neighbors arguing over bones. I remove the bones from both (or all) dogs choosing to argue over them. My experience is that dogs raised from puppyhood with bones are much less possessive of them than dogs introduced to them as adults.
JB

[back to top]

Growing New Coats
As soon as a dog starts to blow coat, increase his daily ration. It takes a lot of energy to grow a new coat and if food isn't increased, the dog will drop weight very quickly. The amount of extra food a dog needs to maintain weight depends on individual metabolism, but 25% to 50% is typical. It's a good idea to get in the habit of "feeling" your dogs regularly to check their weight whether they're growing a new coat or not.
JB

[back to top]

Unique Mouse Trap
Cleanliness is imperative to good dog and musher health. Rodent infestations lead to problems like worms, fleas, and haunta virus in some areas.

If pack rats are your problem, good luck, but if its mice, try this awesome trap design passed on to me by a fire lookout. File or hack saw two small grooves in the sides of a five gallon bucket just above the handle holes. Pierce a hole in the center of a beer can on the bottom. Run a piece of fishing line through the can and tightly tie off the fishing line across the center of the bucket so the can is suspended in the center, using the grooves to keep it positioned in the center under tension.

Fill the bucket with 3" of water. Bait beer can with peanut butter on three sides. Place a stick leading from the floor to the edge of the bucket at one of the grooves, in line with the line and can. Your automatic multi mouse trap is ready.

Empty dead mice as often as necessary. Use a little antifreeze during freezing weather. The mice jump from the bucket edge to the can and it rolls pitching them into the bucket. It occasionally fouls but I've had it catch six in a night.

Happy hunting!

Submitted by Kirk Barnum, Seeley Lake, Montana [5/1/2006]

[back to top]

Vaseline for Pads
When my dog pulls sled, I put vaseline on her paw pads so they don't freeze when it's really cold. It only lasts for short runs that last about 3 hours. It also works good if you keep a dog outside all day.
Submitted by Anonymous

[back to top]

Worming with Meatballs
If you use a paste horse wormer to worm your dogs or puppies, the best thing I have found is to make meat balls out of chicken block or Champaign race mix and push your finger into the center of the meat ball then put the amount of wormer into the hole and squeeze it back together, the dogs eat them right up and don't waste any of the wormer.
Submitted by Jessica Webb, Speedy Racing Kennel /Redington Racing Kennel [10/22/02]

[back to top]

top of page  |   home  |   feedback   |  search