Wednesday Woofs of Wonder: Dog Eye Boogey Treatment

When your pup is greeting you back home from work, looking into their eyes can be quite a heart warming experience. The last couple of days though, I’ve noticed my pup has had quite a bit of eye boogies!

My typical reaction is to just wipe it away with my fingers and think- tuh-dah, all better! Since this doesn’t seem to be quite doing the trick, I decided to investigate. Let the digging begin (excuse the pun).

From what I gathered in my research, there are about four different common types of eye discharge you can encounter.

1. Clear Discharge- this is probably due to wind blowing in the face or slight dust
2. Watery/Mucus like- evidence of a foreign body in the eye like an eyelash, or conditions like corneal ulcers or glaucoma, this can lead to Epiphora (excessive tearing)
3. Yellow-green/bloody/Pus like– infection, such as Conjunctivitis, from such causes as allergies, birth defects, injury, tear duct problems, tumors, distemper or dry eye
   1. Symptoms may also include red eyes, inflammation, intense blinking, squinting, crusty eyes, keeping eyes closed more than usual, pawing at the eyes

4.    Brown Dog Tear Stains- eye discharge mixes with bacteria or toxins on        the skin to make a brown-like stain, common to light colored dogs and smaller breeds

Eye Issues by Physical Makeup

Flat-faced dogs- Pugs, Boxers, Bulldogs, or Pekingese are more likely to have excessive discharge due to their shallower eye sockets, flatter faces and protruding eyes, which makes them more vulnerable to issues of the eye.

Loose facial skin dogs- cocker spaniels, Saint Bernards, bloodhounds, beagles and some terriers are more likely to have eyelids that roll outward, called Ectropion, where a gland in the eyelid falls out of position. Surgery is often needed to correct this breed’s issues.

White and/or light blonde hair- cocker spaniels, poodles, shih tzus, and are more prone to tear stains due to irritation from coarse fur

Always check with a veterinarian if you have a concern, especially because these incidences can escalate to blindness or even the loss of an eye!

Treatment

It’s quite dependent on the cause, but often it can be treated with saline washes, pain medicine, antibiotics, antihistamines, artificial tears, or if there’s a physical issue like a tear duct abnormality, surgery may be needed.

How To Apply Dog Eye Medication

1. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe away the discharge around the dog’s eyes with a cotton ball dampened by warm water.
2. Adjust your dog’s head back slightly and rest the hand holding the drops on the top of the dog’s head to avoid hitting the dog’s eye with the dropper, and squeeze the droplets on the upper region of the eye
3. For Eye Ointment: pull down your dog’s lower eye lid slowly as if to create a little pocket for the treatment and rest your hand as before, and squeeze the recommended amount into the pocket. Afterward close and hold the pocket a few seconds to allow the ointment to spread evenly.

Saline Solution Regiment

1. To clean an infected area and remove dirt and/or dust you can wash your dog’s eyes with a saline formula several times a day.
2. Mix ½ teaspoon of PLAIN table salt (not iodized or containing other compounds), with 8oz of lukewarm water. Pour this solution over the dog’s eyes a few times.

Aloe Vera Gel Application

1. Put a drop of aloe vera gel in your dog’s infected eye several times a day if there are signs of infection. This is an excellent natural topical treatment.

DO NOT: directly touch the surface of your dog’s eyes with your hands or gloves.

Prevention

1. Do your best to prevent long hairs from getting into your dog’s eyes. So especially be sure to keep the hair short around the eye
2. Put the dog inside when mowing the lawn, or outside when dusting and/or using toxic cleaners like ammonia or bleach
3. When bathing your dog be sure to use shampoos, soaps and flea medicines with caution around the eye area
4. Limit your dog’s habit of sticking their head out the car window
5. Lastly, make sure your dog is not performing an excess amount of pawing or rubbing at the eye

For More Information-

Sources:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-discharge-from-eye

http://www.nationalpetpharmacy.com/landing/DogEyeDischarge.aspx

http://www.medicinenet.com/pets/dog-health/dog_has_discharge_from_eye.htm

http://www.petsadviser.com/pet-health/why-does-dog-have-mucus-eyes/

http://pets.thenest.com/clean-dog-eye-discharge-using-home-remedies-4420.html

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-clean-your-dogs-eyes/

Thursday Trends: Dogs go Patriotic for the 4th!

With Independence Day being only 7 days away, have you started preparing ? We thought we’d inspire you with some pictures of dogs all glammed up for the big day, as well as some tips to keep your best friends safe and sound amongst all the people, BBQs and fireworks 🙂

Let us know your personal tips for the 4th of July and share with us your pup’s past outfits of choice as a comment below!

Thursday Thoughts: Dogs & Ear Wax

This week I noticed my golden retriever was itching her ear a great deal more than usual and it was making a sort of squishy noise when she did. After examining her ears, I found an excessive amount of dark brown, dry and wet, ear wax piled up! Obviously dogs naturally produce some ear wax, but there are signs you can look for to know whether something more may be going on and your dog is in fact in need of veterinary care.

Warning Signs:

Wednesday Woofs of Wisdom: How to Keep your Dog’s Breath Fresh and Teeth Clean

So you’ve just gotten out of the shower, brushed your teeth, and are ready to relax on your bed to snooze into tomorrow. As you tuck yourself in, however, your pup jumps up and says goodnight with a big lick across your face, followed by some panting excitement for you to pet him in return. As much as this experience sounds like a comforting gesture, many of us know that this act can make us want to jump back in the shower, rebrush our teeth and throw our fingers over our nose to avoid smelling our pup’s foul dog food breath. Beyond your personal discomfort, uncommonly bad dog breath can be a precursor for gum disease, which is often seen starting at age 3 in nearly 80% of dogs.

For those of you desiring to avoid associating this ‘icky’ feeling with your dog, here are some mouth care tips for you to try out on your dog:

1. Test the Breath
Granted it won’t smell like a bushel of roses, but if your dogs breaths seems to be extraordinarily off putting, and perhaps accompanied by excessive drinking, drooling, vomiting, urinating or lack of eating you should visit your local vet.

2. What’s under the Hood?
Take a moment to check under your dog’s lips to see that his/her gums ARE pink and NOT white, red or swelling. Also make sure there isn’t a brownish tartar on the teeth, unusually loose teeth, tumors in the gums, or cysts under the tongue.

3. Are My Dog’s Teeth Decaying?
It is important to have regular teeth cleanings performed on your pooch to avoid build-up of plaque and bacteria-forming foods that can harden into tartar, leading often to tooth loss, receding gums and gingivitis.

4. Brush Brush Brush
Don’t feel like taking a monthly drive to the vet for a simple teeth cleaning? Well you can purchase a canine tooth-brushing kit or a soft piece of gauze to wrap around your finger! You’ll only need one trip to the vet to pick up some puppy safe toothpaste because fluoride, as found in regular toothpaste can cause a disruption in the enamel formation for younger dogs. Sometimes vets will even have mouthwash you can take home with you!

5. How to Brush a Dog’s Teeth

Benefits of Massaging your Dog!

Read How Massaging your Dog holds more Health Benefits than just scratching a good itch!

Earth Day Events with your Pooch!

Happy Earth Day! Today is a day many look to adopt a greener lifestyle and BIONIC has a few ideas that relate to you and your pup!

Did you know there are a TON of Green Pet Products you can purchase for your pup?

Our very own BIONIC Pet Products were made with an Eco & Pet Friendly concept in mind! Bionic Rubber® is made from FDA food-grade materials that is 100% recyclable allowing us to create virtually no waste when we manufacture our products. Bionic Rubber® has been rigorously tested to ensure it is safe for your pet and that it does not contain any harmful phthalates, hormones, lead, cadmium, mercury, and natural rubber, Bisphenoal A, asbestos or latex.

Beyond our environmentally safe toys, you can find a plethora of Green Pet Products on Amazon.com, just click this link. Here you will find Green:

1. Treats
2. Medicines
3. Toys
4. Beds
5. Wipes
6. Bags
7. Shampoos
8. Leashes

…And More!

 

10 Green Events you can Attend with your Pup!

1. Put on a Dog Park Clean-up

Wednesday Wonders: Spayed or Neutered, What’s the Big Deal? We’ll give you 10!

1. LONGER LIFE FOR FEMALES

Urinary infections and breast cancer, which are fatal in roughly 50% of fremale dogs, are best prevented from spaying or neutering your dog.

2. HEALTHIER MALES

If spayed or neutered before six months of age, testicular cancer can be prevented in male dogs.

3. AVOID GOING INTO HEAT

Female dogs going into heat can mean dealing with blood, less urination control, and unruly socializing with uneutered males. Females usually go into heat once every 7 months for three weeks.

4. MALES KEPT SAFE

When females are in heat their hormones attract male dogs in their local area. Males that are not spayed or neutered will dig and roam as far as they can to catch the scent females give off.

5. BETTER BEHAVIOR

If not spayed or neutered, dogs tend to be more interested in finding a mate than playing with the family, or they can’t help but mark their territory by spraying intense-smelling urine all over your house. Neutering early can even prevent the aggression that comes along.

Wednesday Woofs: 15 Must Have Dog Apps

1. Tagg

This is a computer/phone application that helps you track and locate the activities of your beloved pets 24/7! This tracker, which easily attaches to your dog’s collar can even be taken into the pool. You set up the boundaries for your pup and if they happen to wander out of that zone you will be sent a text or email. In addition, you can track your dog’s daily exercise, which veterinarians recommend should be about 30-60 minutes per day.

http://www.pettracker.com/

2. Pet Finder

Looking for the perfect dog for you? Search no further, just answer a few simple questions about what aspects of a dog you’re looking for and this application will do all the searching for you! Rescue a pet today.

www.petfinder.com

3. DoggyDatez

This application makes your walks more interactive not only with other dogs but other people as well! Want to know where all the golden retriever owners are? Or where only adults are walking their dogs? You can search type of dogs or genders/age of owners to meet up with people and dogs similar to you and yours. Ultimately you want to claim and mark as many territories as you can not only to see who else visits but to make it on the Top Dogs List.

http://doggydatez.com/

4. Pet Phone

This mobile application keeps track of your dog’s health needs. You can sync your calendar with Vet appointments and check ups, keep track of your dog’s favorite foods and eating habits, along with how his/her weight is fluctuating to keep them as fit as possible.

www.bedaronco.competPhone.html

Shedding 101: Time to Shed some Light on the Subject

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You’ve just finished a long day at work and are ready to take a power nap before the kids start asking for dinner. You kick off your shoes and plop on the couch. When you just seem to find the perfect snuggle spot, you realize something is irritating your nose. You open your eyes, and it’s dog hair. As you gaze down the couch to your feet you see dog hair all over, and as you begin to sit up and scan the living room, you realize the trouble doesn’t just end there. So much for a peaceful nap.

What’s with dogs shedding anyways?

Allow us to “shed” some light on the issue and what you can do to keep it from spoiling your next rest period.

The shedding of dog hair is unfortunately a natural life cycle. Normal shedding consists of your dog’s coat releasing unhealthy or damaged hair to make way for a new healthy coat to grow instead. Typically, dogs will shed either on a seasonal or year-round basis. The amount of hair and length of shedding varies by breed, age hormones, and environment.

It is IMPORTANT to take note of your dog’s shedding patterns because it relates to their overall health as well. Ringworms, skin problems, endocrine diseases, nutritional or vitamin deficiencies, stress, metabolic disorders, and even cancer, can cause a change in the rate of your dog’s hair growth. It is important if you notice any irregularities with hair loss concerning your dog (shedding at odd times in a season, bald spots, dramatic increase or decrease in hair loss) that you consult your local veterinarian.

Super Savvy Scientific Knowledge: Shed Steps 1-4

1) Catagen: The TRANSITION PHASE where hair stops growing and the outer root sheath attaches to the hair

2) Telogen: The RESTING PHASE where the hair is at a standstill and does not grow or shed