Some Healthy Tips

I don't really have a training topic tonight and thought instead I could share a few tips I have picked up along my way. I do not claim to be a vet now so do take what I suggest with that in mind and do consult a medical professional with questions.
I have a dog who loves to play. When he plays with the other dogs around he gets dirty and gets spitty around the collar. I do bathe him regularly but, sometimes you can't be putting him in the tub after daycare. I took a variation on a tip from my breeder. She recommended using a little water and vinegar mixture on a cloth and rubbing it over the coat to spot clean. I do this and then I rinse the cloth and follow with a brisk wipe to get the vinegar smell off. It kills bacteria and is safe if your dog cleans themself.
Mud- Well we get a great deal of mud where we live and my pups nails and feet will get well coated if I take the trail less travelled, to solve the mud issue I keep a rectangular dish pan under my sink and after the walk I fill it halfway with luke warm water and a teaspoon of vinegar. There can be many microorganisms in mud and can cause infection or granulomas on the pad of the feet if you don't tend to them. I have my dog stand in the bucket and I remove any mud then we dry off and go inside.
Nail care- I buy a natural product called un-petroleum which is a natural vaseline. I wipe it over the nails to condition them, I also use it on the pads of the feet or chapped dry skin during the winter months.
Scrapes- My dog plays with my cat. Sometimes the kitty can get a bit scratchy or on a couple occassions has pierced my dogs skin. I want to disinfect asap so I use hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball and dab the cuts. Peroxide will slow healing though so, be sure you don't continue use when risk for infection has passed.
Sometimes dogs will have a problem area and will lick the area trying to clean and care for the injury. Problem being that animals have so much time on their paws now that they may lick and lick and cause more issues than what they start with. The obvious answer is the partyhat, ecollar or whatever you want to call it. I have an interesting tip. Misdirection... If your dogs right front leg has a cut and you treat it follow up by applying some balm or oil to the left leg and messing up the fur a bit. Then take her for a walk and when you return home she may focus attention to the left leg or not focus on the right leg because both feel a bit off. I have heard of putting some peanut butter on the opposite leg or being sure to leave a treat toy such as a kong when your dog is injured.
anal glands- This one is a bit gross. I your dog drags butt or seems overly interested in their butt they may need the glands drained. You can have this done at the groomer or vet. If you aren't squemish you can do what I do and drain them yourself. take your dog into the bathroom. gather a large amount of tissue and use a gentle castile soap and water mixture to wet the tissue. Lift the tail and use gentle pressure at the base of the anus to squeeze toward the anal openning. Then wipe with a second supply of wash tissue.
Joint health- Please let others know this because some people still are unaware. If you have a puppy, until the growth plates have fused you should not run or perform high impact exercise with them. My breeder calls this forced exercise meaning they may play or romp around but not be pushed beyond their boundries (it is up to us to know what they should and shouldn't handle really) This means until your dog is 16-18 months old you should not treadmill, run, play on pavement or cement or jump such as agility jumps. You should also consider buying food with joint supplements in it or adding a quality joint supplement to their diet.
Speaking of supplements... I suggest you buy a food which supplies balanced nutrition and either includes or is supplemented with glucosamine,probiotics, omega-3's, and doesn't have by products or fillers. I subscribe to the idea of total nutition through variety and I will change on a rotating basis between 4 or 5 bags of kibble such as blue buffalo, avoderm, nutro, caster and pollack, and flint river.
Older dogs may need a little boost in their health without taking the vet recommended one size fits all nsaid called rymadyl. For years my last dog had arthritis and I used a homeopathic remedy for him called traumeel and zeel. They come in a tab or oil which work great for minor pain and don't cause the dog to seem drugged up, drunk and tired like the rymadyl did. accupuncture works great too.
Bathtime- I recommend getting your dog to like the tub by putting treats in it everyday. The other must have is a detachable shower nozzle. Wet the dog by holding the nozzle almost against the skin and wet them down well, then pour dog shampoo into your hand in large amounts and split the dog in sections, do back, chest, butt, sides, front legs, back legs and split half doses for tail and neck. Then you do what I call the wet rinse: the idea is to move te soap to the entire body just by wetting the body quickly. You then will use this extra water to lather the soap up all over. once you are lathered you can rinse very thoroughly starting at the neck and working over the back down much like you would a car. When you think you are all done rinse your hands and go over the entire dog once more to ensure no soap residue which could cause skin problems if not rinsed clear. I get in the tub and wear a bathing suit when I wash dogs. I also encourage and direct my dog around where I need him. I don't wash the face but with the bath towel when I dry him off because soap near the eyes can cause more harm than good and honestly isn't needed. Dogs will wipe their faces if they become dirty. Rinsing your dogs face can be scary for them. Make sure you cut away any matted fur before bathtime and you can stuff a couple cotton balls in the ear canal to keep stray water from getting inside, often the ears will need to be cleaned within a few days of a bath which you can do with cotton and alcohol being careful and gentle as you wipe the goop out.
A happy healthy dog is something to strive for!