Month: February 2017

Product Review – Wysong DentaTreat™

At least 80% of dogs and 60% of cats have gingivitis, periodontitis, or tooth decay. Wysong’s DentaTreat™ can assist you in maintaining your pet’s oral health, so they avoid these diseases while preventing you from having to pay to have your pet’s teeth cleaned by your veterinarian.

Researchers have found that cooked starches, a significant component of processed, dry pet foods like kibble, are a major contributor to oral health problems in our pets. Cooked starches remain in the mouth longer, creating a sticky mouth residue which bacteria feed upon, and can cause tartar and plaque buildup.

Wysong DentaTreat uses the beneficial properties of cheeses, probiotics, minerals and other natural ingredients to maintain your pet’s oral health. The cheeses used in DentaTreat have unique properties which help prevent tooth decay and help neutralize the tooth destroying acids found in plaque. Made entirely of safe, natural foods, DentaTreat has no artificial colorings or flavors. DentaTreat can be fed on a daily basis by sprinkling it atop your pet’s food.

Paula and I have been using DentaTreat™ with our pets for several years. We will be the first to admit that we are not very diligent about brushing our pets’ teeth. It is a difficult habitat to establish and so easy to break. That is what makes DentaTreat perfect for people like us – you just sprinkle it on your pet’s food at every meal and, voila! The dental-active natural cheeses, minerals, and apple polyphenols in DentaTreat go to work, keeping your pet’s mouth clean and healthy. Yes, we know, that sounds way too good to be true, but the fact is when we use DentaTreat with the fur kids it has significantly reduced our need for cleanings at the veterinarians.

We started using DentaTreat way back in December of 2000 when our Golden Tikken was three. At most, Tikken only required three dental cleanings by her veterinarian during her sixteen years of life. Our current dog Muppy is five and a half and has had DentaTreat since the day we brought her home. She has never required a dental at the vets. DentaTreat works which is why we continue to use it seventeen years later. If you find brushing your pet’s teeth a challenge you should consider using Wysong DentaTreat™ as an economical and easy alternative.

You can find all of the technical details on DentaTreat at http://www.greenacreskennel.com/images/stories/pdf/Product_Info/Wysong/dentatreat.pdf

 

 

Recommended Resources

Articles on Don’s Blog (http://www.words-woofs-meows.com)

Health & Wellness – Pet Dental Care – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2017/02/06/health-wellness-pet-dental-care/

Podcasts from The Woof Meow Show (http://www.woofmeowshow.com)

PODCAST – Pet Dental Health with Dr. Mark Hanks from Kindred Spirits Veterinary Clinic – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2016/02/28/podcast-pet-dental-health-with-dr-mark-hanks-from-kindred-spirits-veterinary-clinic/

 

©2017, Donald J. Hanson, All Rights Reserved <Click for Copyright and Use Policy>

What Is Dog Training?

< A version of this article was published in the February 2017 issue of Down East Dog News>

< Updated 10FEB19 >

< A short link to this article – http://bit.ly/WhatIsDogTraining >

If you were to ask three people to define dog training, you would probably get as many different answers, even if those people were professional dog trainers. The fact is individuals have various views on what training a dog entails. Some believe training is only for competition or working dogs and is not necessary for a pet, or companion dog. Others see training as nothing more than teaching a dog to sit and walk nicely on a leash. In my mind, dog training entails everything we need to do to ensure that our dogs can be included in our lives as much as possible and that they can have a long, enjoyable life free of fear, force, and pain.

For years our definition of dog training at Green Acres has been “Dog training is a process where we motivate our dog to offer a specific behavior when given a specific cue while having fun.” As I look at that definition today, I recognize that while accurate, it is incomplete, only addressing a small part of what training entails.

In my estimation a complete description of dog training would be:

“Dog training is a process where we teach our dog not only to respond reliably to cues but to live free of fear in a human-centric world. Training also involves managing the dog and its environment to prevent behaviors we dislike. As we get to know our dog we need to learn to accept them for the unique individual that they are. To optimize our dog’s ability to learn, we create teaching scenarios where they are setup to succeed and are motivated to offer behaviors we like. We reward them for desirable behavior, eventually teaching them to perform a specific behavior when given a particular cue, all while having fun. All of this is accomplished without the use of pain, force, fear or intimidation.”

First and foremost is the importance of recognizing that training a dog is a process made up of many steps that all take time. The length of time will depend upon several factors, including the dog, the environment and the handler. Typically the trainer that is the most patient will be the most successful and will have the happiest dog.

Equally critical is the acceptance and appreciation of dogs as a unique species with very different needs and understandings about what constitutes normal and acceptable social interactions. When dogs enter into our families, we have a responsibility to help them learn to live in our homes as well as our hectic world, free of fear and anxiety. That starts with socialization and habituation with a young puppy and may involve months of gentle, tolerant rehabilitation with a rescue dog.

Managing a dog to prevent undesirable behavior is just as much a part of the training process as teaching a dog to perform the desired behaviors. From a behavioral perspective, the more a behavior is practiced and rewarded the stronger the behavior will become, whether we like it or not, prevention is critical.

The actual act of training a dog requires certain skills and knowledge. There are as many ways to train dogs as there are to teach children arithmetic. Taking the time to acquire this knowledge and these skills and then consistently implementing them can make the training process go much more smoothly and quickly. This allows for the effective and humane teaching of our dog’s certain behaviors they need to know to be successful in our human world. One of the best ways to acquire these skills and knowledge is to work with a certified, professional dog trainer. Read “How to choose a dog trainer.” for tips on what to look for in a professional dog trainer.

Last but certainly not least, make sure the training process is fun and enjoyable for all.  Isn’t companionship one of the major reasons humans choose to have dogs in their lives? Studies and common sense tell us that if we enjoy something, like training the dog, we are more likely to do it and more likely to be successful.

Recommended Resources

Articles on Don’s Blog
( http://www.words-woofs-meows.com )

How to Choose a Dog Trainer – http://bit.ly/HowToChooseADogTrainer

What Is Clicker Training? – http://bit.ly/WhatIsClickerTraining

Reward Based Training versus Aversives –  http://bit.ly/RewardVSAversive

Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started Training Dogs – Gus, the Dominance Myth, An Alpha Roll, and a Damaged Relationship – WWM-SEP2018 – http://bit.ly/Things-Gus-Dominance

Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Selected My First Dog – Aversives are Unnecessary and Counter-Productive When Training A Dog – Part 1 – WWM-JAN2019 –  http://bit.ly/Things-Aversives-1

Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Selected My First Dog – Aversives are Unnecessary and Counter-Productive When Training A Dog – Part 2 – WWM-FEB2019 –  http://bit.ly/Things-Aversives-2

Green Acres Kennel Shop Position Statement on Pet-Friendly, Force-Free Pet Care – http://bit.ly/GAKS_Pet-Friendly

Green Acres Kennel Shop Position on the Use of Dominance and Punishment for the Training and Behavior Modification of Dogs – http://bit.ly/GAKS-Pos-NoPain-NoForceNoFear

Podcasts from The Woof Meow Show
( http://www.woofmeowshow.com )

How to Choose A Dog Trainer (2017) – http://blog.greenacreskennel.com/2017/01/08/how-to-choose-a-dog-trainer/

The Benefits of Training Your Dog and 2019 Classes at Green Acres – http://bit.ly/WfMw-Training2019

Don Hanson and Dr. Dave Cloutier on Puppy Socialization and Vaccination – http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/Pet_Tip_-Don_Hanson_and_Dr._Dave_Cloutier_on_Puppy_Socialization_and_Vaccinations.mp3

Pet Behavior, Vets & The AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines with Dr. Dave Cloutier from Veazie Veterinary Clinic – http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow2016-03-12-Pet_Behavior-Vets_AAHA_Bhx_GuidelinesDave_Cloutier.mp3

©10FEB19, Donald J. Hanson, All Rights Reserved < Click for Copyright and Use Policy >

PET FOOD RECALL- Evanger’s Hunk of Beef

<Updated 18FEB17>

Food Safety News has reported that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed the presence of the euthanasia agent pentobarbital in certain lots of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef product and in certain lots of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy.  Both the Evanger’s and Against the Grain product were manufactured in the same facility using beef from the same supplier. FMI – http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/02/fda-confirms-euthanasia-agent-pentobarbital-in-dog-food/#.WKg6j28rI-U

<End of Update>

According to the US Food and Drug Administration website Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company of Wheeling, Illinois,  is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its canned “Hunk of Beef” product due to the detection of pentobarbital in one batch of food. Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, the company is recalling all related Hunk of Beef products manufactured the week of June 6 through June 13, 2016.

The affected lots numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. You can find the lot number on the bottom of the can.

The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label.

NOTE: The recall notice does not list this product as having been distributed in Maine. We had the product on our shelves, it is in Maine.

Green Acres Kennel Shop has removed all cans of Evanger’s Hunk of Beef from
our stocks and we are in the process of contacting all clients that have purchased this product since June 1 of 2016.

You can read the entire FDA statement at (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm539900.htm) or below.

The FDA Recall Statement

Out of an abundance of caution, Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food of Wheeling, IL is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its Hunk of Beef product because of a potential contaminant Pentobarbital, which was detected in one lot of Hunk of Beef Au Jus. Pentobarbital can affect animals that ingest it, and possibly cause side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, or nausea, or in extreme cases, possibly death.

The specifically-identified lot numbers (as detailed below) of cans of 12-oz Hunk of Beef being voluntarily recalled were distributed to retail locations and sold online in the following States: Washington, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and were manufactured the week of June 6 – June 13, 2016.

Although pentobarbital was detected in a single lot, Evangers is voluntarily recalling Hunk of Beef products that were manufactured the same week, with lot numbers that start with 1816E03HB, 1816E04HB, 1816E06HB, 1816E07HB, and 1816E13HB, and have an expiration date of June 2020. The second half of the barcode reads 20109, which can be found on the back of the product label.

The subject recall affects 5 lots of food that were produced from its supplier’s lot of beef, which is specifically used for the Hunk of Beef product and no other products. To date, it has been reported that five dogs became ill and 1 of the five dogs passed away after consuming the product with lot number 1816E06HB13. Evanger’s is proactively issuing a recall voluntarily so as not to risk potential exposure to pentobarbital in the product.

All Evanger’s suppliers of meat products are USDA approved. This beef supplier provides us with beef chunks from cows that are slaughtered in a USDA facility. We continue to investigate how this substance entered our raw material supply.

Because we source from suppliers of meat products that are USDA approved, and no other products have had any reported problems, we are not extending the recall to other supplier lots. This is the first recall for Evanger’s in its 82 years of manufacturing. Although it has been verified that little or no product remains on store shelves, if consumers still have cans with the aforementioned lot numbers, he or she should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-847-537-0102 between 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday – Friday.