THE HOMESTEAD HOUND, PART II

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The single best source of information about tackling behavior problems in dogs is an easy-to-understand book by Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist, called The Dog Who Loved TooMuch:Tales, Treatments and thePsychology of Dogs (Bantam Books, 1997).

Dog-proof the Shed, Barn and Garage

Dogs love D-Con® rodent poison, so leave the mouse-killing to your cats. If dogs eat it, you may not notice anything until three of four days later when they start to bleed uncontrollably.

Spilled antifreeze is also sweet-tasting and highly toxic, so be sure to clean up and secure any overflows, oil spills or store-bought chemicals to prevent other poisonings. Interestingly, old sheds are ready sources of skin parasites like mites, lice, ticks and poisonous spiders, and some dogs will chew lead paint off older buildings and sheds.

And the Yard...

Moldy food in composts can cause seizures in dogs, and some species of mushrooms thrive at certain times of the year but will make your dog deathly ill. Also, exposed metal lawn edging, fencing wire and old lumber with nails are notorious for slicing up footpads, so cover sharp edging with a plastic cap. In general, keep the yard cleaned up to avoid chronic infections with roundworms and hookworms (remember, livestock manure is teeming with parasites).

And the House...

Some dogs will eat anything they find. Human medications dropped on the floor, chocolate cakes, pennies, baby toys and Christmas ornaments can cause intestinal obstruction, zinc toxicity or ibuprofen toxicity, to name a few.

If your pooch is the type with an oral obsession, keep things picked up. If your dog starts acting sick about the same time that something turns up missing, you may have a problem.

WHEN TO CALL THE VET

depending on the size of the dog. Sometimes you can feel the heartbeat by feeling directly over the lower left side of the chest.
3. Count the breathing per minute, which should be from 25 to 60 breaths per minute (if your dog is panting, disregard).
4. Check the gums. They should be pink and moist. If they are pale, gray or sticky, there could be a serious problem.
5. Check skin turgor by pulling up the hair coat on the back of the neck. The skin should snap briskly back into place. If it doesn't, that could be a sign of dehydration.
6. Shine a light into your dog's eyes. Both pupils should initially constrict, then dilate when the light is diverted. A lack of pupil responsiveness is a grave sign.

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