Pitbulls are a Cross Between a Bulldog and a Terrier...

Pit Bulls

I’m sure most of you are aware of the laws and bans on a specific breed of dogs, all categorized under the generic name “pit bull”. On August 29, 2005 Ontario’s pit bull ban took effect, which prohibits the owning, breeding, transferring, importing or abandoning of pit bulls. Pit bulls who already were alive prior to this date were allowed to be kept, but strict rules were to be followed by their owners. Any pit bulls born after the date it took effect are considered illegal.

Under the Frequently Asked Questions, question #2:

2. Is my dog a pit bull?

Under the amendments to DOLA, pit bull is defined as:

• A pit bull terrier
• A Staffordshire bull terrier
• An American Staffordshire terrier
• An American pit bull terrier
• A dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics substantially similar to any of those dogs.

So, if my dog happens to have a wide forehead and a bad attitude, he may be defined as a pit bull?
I have a dog, and he happens to fit those physical characteristics, and he is an absolute sweetheart. Despite his loving disposition towards most people, he also displays some negative behavior. He becomes extremely aggressive towards fast-moving objects (motorcycles, bikes, runners) and often scares people when he reacts that way. I don’t think it is because of his breed, I think he reacts out of fear, or in the attempt to be protective.

I visited many websites reading both for and against opinions on the pit bull ban. I personally feel that dog bites happen so often, probably a small amount are actually reported. I think that the more serious the damage, the more likely it is to be reported. That being said, if a Chihuahua attacks you, the damage will not be as significant and the attack will only injure the person to the point of stitches and bruising. If a pit bull attacks you, it is not going to back down and I believe they will cause a far bigger amount of damage in a smaller amount of time. I read that since the ban, the percentage of dog bites has been reduced – but even after reading that, I still can’t agree with wiping out an entire breed. I don’t see it as morally correct, to declare that 4 different breeds of dogs are illegal to own, and that every single individual dog will definitely be aggressive and not fit to be a part of our society. I don’t think that they should be getting put down. I think that if they want to implement laws and keep dog bites at a minimum they should have behavioural tests, conducted before destroying an innocent animal. Have some sort of control by way of supervised owning and breeding, or allowing owners to pay to have their dogs behaviour tested every year to ensure the dog is controlled and safe to be a part of society. I don’t know exactly what they could do, but I do think that there are other ways of controlling the situation, rather than just wiping out the breeds completely. Imagine someone decided that most murderers shared a certain physical similarity, so we started pre-emptively eliminating those people from society… in hopes that the murder rate would be reduced. I know that’s an extreme comparison, but you get what I’m saying.  

What’s your opinion on the pit bull ban in Ontario ?

Myths about Pit bulls

Probiotics

After writing an entry on switching your dogs food and mentioning the use of probiotics, I decided to make a post about probiotics specifically.

"Your pet is prone to similar digestive upsets as humans. Food intolerances, allergies, illness, poor quality commercial pet foods, and more can all contribute to maldigestion, gas and bloating. Probiotics can help daily to ensure your pet's digestion is at peak performance."
- Omega Alpha website

If you've noticed your pet has had gastrointestinal issues - things such as vomiting, diarrhea, excessive gas, and even bad breath - your dog may benefit from taking a probiotic supplement. Gastrointestinal issues are often caused by an imbalance in intestinal micro flora (good bacteria!) An imbalance could be caused by many things such as dietary problems, food switching, stress, or taking antibiotics. Once the good bacteria starts depleting, your dog may start showing other symptoms, such as bad breath or poor skin and coat quality. Giving your dog probiotics can prove to be extremely beneficial, just as it is for humans. Talk to your vet or visit your local pet store to find out what options you have for your dog.

Here's an article on How to Choose the Right Probiotic for your Pet

Switching Kibble

Imagine eating the same thing every single day. I really love potatoes, but if I ate them every single day, I think I would most definitely get sick of them. A lot of people are under the impression that once they get a puppy, the food that it is eating should be the food it eats for the rest of its life. Pet food companies would love to have you keep your dog on their formula, your dog lives for at least 10 years – that is a lot of money spent on food! Dog owners get worried about switching their dog’s food all the time – they feel their dog will get sick and the food will not agree with their dog’s stomach. In some cases, this is true, some dogs are extremely sensitive and when you find a food that works for them, often the best idea is to stick with it. Most of the time, a dog can handle switching foods – so long as you do it properly.
Tips for switching dog foods:
Switch Gradually – Make sure you have at least half a bag of your dog’s current food, and when you  start a new formula, mix it with the old one. Start with 75% old food, and mix it with 25% of the new food, do this for the day or even several days (you be the judge by monitoring your dogs stool). Progress to 50% old and 50% new, and then 25% old and 75% new . This can be done over a period of several days, or even several weeks. Its up to the owner to judge how sensitive their dog may be to the switch. Some dogs who are used to switching foods hardly need any mixing. My lab growing up could have a different food every month and his stomach was never upset or phased by switching. My dog now, Diego, is different – if he eats a different food his stomach gets upset right away and his stool is loose for days.
Probiotics – like humans, dog’s benefit from taking probiotics for the same reasons. Diego gets probiotics all the time in his food, and if you are switching dog foods or have a dog who has loose stool, probiotics can help the dogs stomach, digestion, and are great to repopulate good bacteria after a round of antibiotics. If you are switching foods and your dog gets diarrhea, give him probiotics – you will be surprised how effective it is.
Pumpkin- pure, unsweetened, organic pumpkin (in a can) is great for dogs (and cats!) tummies. It aids with digestion, and can help with diarrhea and constipation. I always have a can on hand, and find that it helps a lot when I am introducing a new food.

You don’t have to keep your dog on the same food his whole life, but switching carefully and slowly is the best approach. If your dog has been eating chicken based food his whole life and you try switching him to a chicken, turkey, duck, and salmon formula – his stomach might get upset. There’s four protein sources and your dog is used to eating one. So make a smart switch – try simple changes, like going from chicken to lamb (which is the easiest on your dogs stomach, as far as proteins go).
It’s easier to figure out what your dog may be sensitive to if you have less ingredients in the bag. If there are 4 protein sources, you’ll never know which one your dog is sensitive to.

Here's a great article that expands on what I said on switching gradually and slowly:http://www.petsadviser.com/food/switching-dog-food-gradually/

Here is a link to the probiotics I give to Diego, I love this brand!:http://www.omegaalpha.ca/en/product/114/Probiotic_8_Plus_trade/

Diego!

His favourite place - the car!

Enzymes and Pheromones!

Sometimes your dog has an accident in the house – whether they are a puppy who is still learning, or an older dog wIth medical or behavioural issues – and you clean it up, and the problem is solved! Sometimes it isn’t that easy, though. Often, owners find their dog returning to the exact same spot where they had an accident originally and think that it is just a bad habit that has come over the dog. While it might be habit, often it is because the dog can still smell himself in that spot. When dogs urinate, there are pheromones in their urine. You could clean the floor or carpet with bleach, vinegar, floor cleaners, and whatever else – it will be clean and scent free to you and I, but your dog can still smell his/her pheromones! Pheromones will attract your dog back to the same spot, where he will use the bathroom again and again. You’ll notice if you have a backyard your dog has spots that he likes to go to the bathroom in, and pheromones are why.

So, how do you break the cycle?
Buy a stain and odour remover that contains enzymes! Enzymes will remove the pheromones, and your dog will no longer return to the same spot. If he does, you’ll know that you either did not get all of his scent (try several times), or it is in fact a behavioural issue.
My favourite? Nature’s Miracle Stain and Odour Remover

Allergies

I have found that in the last few years, more and more dog owners have come in with a list of symptoms all very similar. Their dogs have itchy skin, and sometimes they scratch or lick the area until it is raw. Often they tell me the vet has given them a topical cream, and that it worked, but as soon as they stopped applying the treatment – the symptoms returned. Why do I believe that happens? Because the itchiness is caused by allergies, which are internal. Applying cream only to find the symptoms return tell me that it isn’t caused by an external source – but by something internal, such as your dog having an allergy. A cream is like a band-aid over the problem, it will help it temporarily, but it isn’t addressing the root cause of the problem. As soon as a customer says that their dog is itchy and constantly scratching his/her fur off in one area, I ask a few other questions:

Does your dog have itchy or irritated eyes? Do his ears smell? Is the fur between his paws red, does he lick his paw obsessively?

Often if one or more of the answers to these questions is yes – I would then ask what food their dog is currently eating. If the dog food contains grain/gluten, or any type of wheat (rice, barley, corn, etc.) I would first suggest removing it from the dog’s food. I don’t know what causes the intolerances to grain in dogs, but most often it is the culprit of food allergies. I think about it this way; if my dog was in the wild, would he eat rice or bread? Most likely not, so why throw it in the dog food bag? I consider it to be a filler. Most dogs have relief from their symptoms when these fillers (grain and gluten) are removed from their diet. If there are still symptoms present, I would suggest staying away from chicken (the most common protein allergen for dogs), or choosing a formula considered L.I.D. (Limited Ingredient Diet) that contains one single protein, and one easily digestible starch. I would then begin a process of elimination. If that doesn’t appeal to you as a dog owner, you can easily visit a vet and pay for an allergy test. I consider that to be a waste of money, only because I have found by simply switching the diet to grain-free, the problem is often solved.

Food’s that I believe to be the best for dogs with allergies:

Natural Balance (L.I.D. formulas)
Petcurean (grain free and L.I.D. formulas)
Performatrin (grain free and L.I.D. formulas)
Taste of the Wild
Nature’s Variety
Several Raw Food Diets

There are a huge amount of other brand’s that offer grain-free and limited ingredient formulas, and it is a trend that has definitely seen a growth in the past few years. I feel my dog has benefit immensely from a grain-free diet, and many health problems which were present in the past have been solved by altering his diet.

Again, this is my personal opinion. I haven't conducted any studies, or done any extensive research - I have just done what works, and for my dog and several others, that was going grain-free.