Pet of the Month - FEBRUARY 2016

CHARLIE

Charlie is a character!
He chatters so much and always answers you when conversations ensue.

He's very very soft, loving and confident.

When I visit Charlie, he never wants to play much even though he is surrounded with special kitty toys. I've learned that the nature of a cat is to hunt, eat and relax.
This is definately true when it comes Charlie's his food!
We started a new game. I toss him his food along the long floor one kibble at a time. Twenty minutes later he chases the last piece down sometimes even panting from all the running and jumping.

Charlie being Charlie... there are moments that he even talks as he crunches his food. haha

Why should I keep my dog's nails clipped?

As you can see from the diagram comparing human anatomy to dog anatomy,
dogs stand on their toes.

EXCERPTS:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/trimming-your-dogs-toenails/

Consequences Of Long Toenails
The first consequence of long toenails is painful feet. When a dog’s toenails contact hard ground, like a sidewalk or your kitchen floor, the hard surface pushes the nail back up into the nail bed. This either puts pressure on all the toe joints or forces the toe to twist to the side. Either way, those toes become very sore, even arthritic.

The second consequence of long toenails is more serious.
All animals rely on information from nerves in their feet to move through the world and process gravity accurately. … The only time their toenails would touch the ground was when climbing a hill. So a dog’s brain is evolutionarily programmed to associate toenail contact with being on a hill, and he shifts his body posture accordingly: leaning forward over his forelimbs, up the imaginary hill as reported by his toes. ...

This abnormal compensatory posture can be called “goat on a rock,” because it brings his paws closer together under his body. These goat-on-a-rock dogs get over-used muscles and eventually over-used joints, especially in their hind limbs, making it difficult to jump in cars, climb stairs and even hard to get up from lying down. Sounds like a lot of older dogs we know!
Cutting toenails short can be like a miracle cure for your dog whose hind end has become painful, weak and over-used.

That’s the “why.” Now for the “what and how.”  How To Trim The Toenail

Toe nail maintenance requires a trim every two weeks, just like maintaining human fingernails. If you can hear nails clicking on your kitchen floor, they are much too long. But don’t despair, the technique shown here will make short work
of getting your dog’s nails back to their correct shape. The concept is easy: trim around, never across the quick, which is actually your dog’s finger. Cick here to read more on HOW to trim properly and easily.

Personal note ... I've found that if I give my dog her favorite treat to chew on like a kong with peanut butter,
she won't fight me very much. However, before I even start.. I have to take a deep breath, clear my mind and be relaxed.

I really like this magazine - DOGS NATURALLY.! You should check it out online and get a free January 2016 copy online.

IN THE NEWS...

"Beginning in 2017 ... the Quebec order of veterinarians has decided to ban cosmetic surgeries for domestic animals. That means traits many think are natural to breeds like Dobermans, like cropped ears and short tails, will no longer be seen in the province.

(http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/no-more-cosmetic-surgery-for-domestic-pets-starting-in-2017-1.2767681)

"La guerre est ouverte entre les vétérinaires du Québec qui refuseront l’an prochain de couper la queue et les oreilles des chiens et les propriétaires qui disent que ces chirurgies sont sans douleur pour les animaux. Fini les dobermans aux oreilles pointues, ont tranché les vétérinaires de la province, qui banniront à partir du 1er janvier 2017 les chirurgies esthétiques."

(http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2016/02/05/fini-les-queues-et-les-oreilles-coupees-chez-les-chats-et-les-chiens)