Don't Skimp on These Dog Care Necessities

You dog depends on you to keep him healthy and happy. So, spend your doggie dollars wisely on these necessities:

1. Regular veterinary care, including vaccinations and parasite preventatives, is critical. Don’t skimp on the “routine” care. Flea prevention is cheaper than treatment for a flea infestation. Heartworm preventatives can save your dog’s life and keep you from spending much more money to treat the disease.
2. A collar, leash, and proper identification (including a microchip) are essential and help keep Fido safe and sound.
3. Always buy the best food you can afford. Cheap food is cheap for a reason, and the old adage “you are what you eat” is true for dogs too. Moreover, when a manufacturer uses cheap ingredients, it has to bulk up the food with fillers to meet the government’s minimum nutritional requirements. As a result, the portion size for cheap food is typically larger than for more-expensive food with higher-quality, more-digestible ingredients. In the end, you’ll be buying more of the cheap food, which usually works out to be more expensive than buying the higher-quality food in the first place.
4. Purchasing a few good quality toys that will withstand your dog’s chewing strength is better than buying many cheap toys that break up and become choking or obstruction risks.
5. Buy yourself a pair of good walking shoes. Walking with your dog is free, and is good for you and your pooch. More than anything, our pets want our time, which costs nothing! You can save money by skipping the movie and babysitter and having game night at home with your cat in your lap and your dog at your feet.
6. Buy only essential grooming tools: for most dogs all you need is a good quality slicker brush and a metal comb. Many of the tools now sold to dog owners are really meant for professionals. These tools can be dangerous in unskilled hands. For example, clippers can scratch or cut skin, or render your pooch accidentally bald! The blades heat up quickly and can burn Fido’s skin. Many tools are just a waste of money. In your kitchen, you don’t really need a tool for each separate task, and the same is true for grooming. Save money by NOT buying the gimmick tools—they are often specialty items that do more dust-collecting than hair-collecting.
7. Forgo fancy spa products. There is no reason to purchase a shampoo for every doggie dirt situation either. A proper wash using a hypoallergenic dog shampoo and conditioner is sufficient. It’s crucial to use only those products formulated for canine skin. The skin and hair on humans and dogs have different pH requirements, which means that most human shampoos (including baby shampoos) dry out a dog’s coat or irritate her delicate skin. In some cases, the resulting skin problem may require veterinary attention. It should go without saying: never use household or industrial cleaners on a dog. The horror stories Billy could tell and does in our book Happy Dog Caring For Your Dog's Body, Mind and Spirit (available 9/1/09)

If you skimp on these necessities, you'll end up paying through the nose later.

Ask Billy: What Do I Feeding Fido In An Emergency?

Bean's Mom from Miami writes: If you and your dog were by chance to be stuck on a desert island (or in a Miami hurricane, say) without your fancy prescription food or gourmet raw diet, what would you feed your pet? Protein? Would he need carbs and vegetables too?

Dogs do indeed require protein, carbs, fat and vitamins and minerals to thrive. A high quality food with a meat (protein) from an identified animal like "Chicken" or "Lamb" as the primary ingredient is the best source of nutrients. If the protein isn't the name of an animal you're familiar with, it's bad news. Steer clear of any food that has unspecified meat, such as "poultry by-products" or "meat and bone meal" or fillers such as "__ pulp" or "__ pomace." No good food will include artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Click here for some official definitions of ingredients in pet food. The websites of many high quality pet foods include detailed information on the ingredients used in their products. Wellness, for example, has a detailed ingredients dictionary on its site.

Now, to your questions...

If stranded on a desert island assuming there is no regular food drop sponsored by a reclusive billionaire ex-arms dealer who decided to atone for his actions and help humanity, it's ok to share your dinner with Fido. Just be sure to follow basic canine food safety rules. Trim away excess fat from the wild boar and don't give Fido bones, chocolate or seeds, stems or leaves from fruits or vegetables. Click here for more food safety information.

For dealing with natural disasters....

Whether you live in Miami or Maine, every pet in your household should have his own emergency kit. Use an extra crate or pet carrier to hold the supplies. Clearly label the container with your pet’s name, your name and contact information and your veterinarian’s phone number.

Each emergency kit should include:

• A current photo of the pet
• Veterinary records including vaccination history
• Species appropriate first aid manual and kit
• A seven day supply of food and treats to minimize stress during a difficult situation. Changing food on the fly can cause stomach upset. If Fido eats canned food, pack a manual can opener.
• A seven day supply of water and medicine. Pack copies of any prescriptions.
• Poop bags
• Blanket and a favorite toy
• Leash and harness
• Food and water bowls

Your pet should ALWAYS be wearing an identification tag with legible, current information and have a microchip. Click here for additional information on disaster preparedness.

Why Your Dog Needs A Microchip And ID!

You may remember Baker the Beagle from our grooming day at Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) earlier this month. Baker ended up at the pound after he was picked up as a stray. He had no microchip or identification, so the shelter had no way of locating his family. Lady Luck, however, was shining on this dog and his family. Although Baker had been bathed, brushed, massaged, shown off and advertised, no one adopted him.

A few days after his makeover, a volunteer was walking Baker in the shelter's yard just as his "dad" was arriving at the building across the street for a job interview. The next thing the volunteer knew, Baker's dad was dashing toward the fence calling, "Nicky? Nicky?" At the same time, Baker/Nicky was wildly wagging his tail and trying to dig his way under the fence to reach his dad! The man called his wife and son, and they came in that day to reunite with the lost dog they thought they'd never see again. Baker/Nicky's little "brother" burst into tears when a shelter volunteer led him to the dog's cage.

Baker/Nicky's family had been desperately searching for him after he was lost, but they had never heard of CACC and had no idea where to look.

Baker/Nicky's story is a lesson for all dog owners about the importance of canine identification. If the dog had had a microchip or identification tags on his collar, the shelter would have immediately located his family and he would have been home. Because the dog had no chip and no ID, Baker was stuck at the pound and could very easily have ended up with someone else or worse. If your precious pooch hasn't been microchipped, please call your vet ASAP for an appointment! If you're short on cash, many shelters and animal welfare organizations offer microchips at a reduced fee or for free. In addition, your dog should always be wearing his ID tags. The tags must be legible and list current information too.

If your dog is lost, call every single shelter in the area. Look in the phone book and ask around for shelter names and locations. Like Baker/Nicky, your pooch could be waiting at a shelter you've never heard of before. Calling the police and all local veterinary offices is a good idea too. That said, preventing your dog from becoming lost is your dog's first line of defense. Therefore, never allow your dog to run free or leave him unsupervised in your yard.