Answers to 3 common d-o-g questions
Written on July 28, 2010 by jallen14
We get to have lots of interesting conversations with our wonderful customers at our retail store and grooming salon at Dee-O-Gee in Bozeman, MT. Listed below are answers and explanations to 3 of the more common questions we get.
1) Can my dog have Chocolate?
The worst a Hershey bar can do to you is add an inch to your hips. But that same candy – even in relatively small amounts – can make a dog very sick. In addition to a high fat content, chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination.
Symptoms: If your 50-pound dog gets his paws on a single chocolate-chip cookie, it probably won’t cause him serious problems. However, if he gobbles up more – a pan of brownies, say – he may develop vomiting or diarrhea. Once toxic levels are reached, the stimulants kick in, and this is when you really have to worry. Symptoms of potential toxicity secondary to excess chocolate ingestion include: restlessness, hyperactivity, muscle twitching, increased urination and/or excessive panting. If your pet isn’t treated, there is a possibility that he will go into seizures or worse.
We get this question a lot at Dee-O-Gee because of our home-baked dog treats, some of which have carob on them. Carob looks a lot like chocolate, yet it is extremely low in caffeine and calories. Carob = safe for d-o-g’s, chocolate = not so much.
2) Why do dogs bury bones?
To understand why your dog buries his bones, even though you feed him twice a day, you have to understand his nature. You can do this by looking at your dog’s genetic heritage. Although dogs have been around for millions of years, they have only been domesticated for a few thousand years, and they spent a lot of time developing behaviors that helped them to survive.
One of the most important behaviors had to do with finding and maintaining an adequate food supply. Being carnivores, dogs might sometimes kill a prey animal large enough to feed the entire pack, like a moose or a mammoth. Alternatively, when small prey animals were abundant , they might kill many of these bite-sized creatures.
Either way, they often found themselves with more food than they could eat at once. However, they could never be sure when they would be able to find and kill another prey, and much time could pass – sometimes weeks – without them finding another meal. So to be on the safe side, they carried the bones, which were filled with nutrient-rich marrow, back to their lair, and buried them nearby. When food was scarce, they could always rely on the bones to keep them fed.
This process is called caching or hoarding, and it is common among dogs, wolves and foxes. In fact, other animals practice a form of caching; squirrels gather enough nuts to last through the winter, and camels store enough food and water to last for several days in the desert. Our domesticated dogs may have their food handed to them each day in sufficient quantities, but they still carry this caching trait and bury their bones or toys in the back yard – or even under your pillows – to guard against a possible shortage of food.
So, why do dogs bury bones in the ground? Because it’s in their nature.
3) Why do dogs have cold wet noses?
Although most people say a healthy nose should be “cold and wet,” it is actually more appropriate to describe it as moist. A wet, runny nose is a sign of trouble and should be checked out by your vet. By the way, a normal moist nose doesn’t always mean a dog is healthy; if your dog has a moist nose but seems lethargic, or in discomfort or pain, consult your vet.
Conversely, a dry nose doesn’t always signal illness. Dogs just waking from sleep often have a warm, relatively dry nose. And, some dogs, like bulldogs, just have dry noses that even chap and crack.
Despite what many people think, you cannot determine your dog’s temperature by feeling his nose. A warm nose does not mean your dog has a fever. Only a properly used thermometer can tell you that. So remember, if your dog shows discomfort, lethargy or loss of appetite, you’ll need to have your local vet examine him, regardless of the condition of his nose.
If you see a nasal discharge, swelling, or detect unpleasant odors emanating from your dog’s nose, or if he has difficulty breathing, get him checked out right away. It could mean the presence of a foreign object, tumor or infection.
THANKS FOR READING! – Dee-O-Gee
