We all love spending times with our loved ones over the holidays, and that includes our 4-legged companions as well. To insure that we all have a happy and safe holiday, here are some hidden holiday dangers for dogs this time of year.
• Foods: Overindulging in holiday foods can be risky for dogs, especially when there are a lot of people around for meals. Some troublesome foods for dogs are onions, garlic, scallions, and of course the big-no-no, chocolate, is especially dangerous for dogs.
• Holiday plants: Probably the most well-known dangerous plant for dogs are poinsettias, but other dangerous plants include: mistletoe, azaleas, and lilies. Christmas trees also pose a danger to dogs this time of year. For real trees not only pose a threat of fire and electrical shock, but sometimes the water contains chemicals to preserve the freshness of trees that can be particularly dangerous.
Let us all make this a joyous and safe holiday!

Keep your dogs safe this winter and remember to keep antifreeze on a high shelf where it cannot easily get knocked over. When putting antifreeze in your car mop up any spills right away. It only takes a small amount of antifreeze to kill a dog. If you suspect your dog has ingested antifreeze get him to his veterinarian immediately. The first stage of antifreeze poisoning starts within thirty minutes of ingestion and include the following symptoms: staggering, vomiting, confusion/,disorientation, listlessness and excessive drinking and urination. The next stage your dog may look like he is going through a recovery period and seems to be getting better. In reality the antifreeze is doing permanent damage to your dogs liver and kidneys as these organs try to metabolize it. So remember to keep your dogs safe this winter and prevent your dog from having access to antifreeze.

With all the ridges and grooves in a dogs ear, it is important to keep them clean.  Most dogs only need their ears cleaned once a month.  If a dogs ears are not kept clean, the bacteria in their ears can lead to serious infections.  Signs that your dog has an ear infection are shaking the head alot, redness or swelling and an unfamiliar smell or discharge.

A healthy dogs ears are a fleshy-pink, free of wax build up and smelly discharge.  It is a good idea to check your dogs ears once a week for ear mites, dirt and debris.  If you see signs of an infection you should take your dog the veterinarian.  If an ear infection is left untreated and appropriate care from a vet does not happen, permanent damage and hearing loss can occur.

How do you clean your dogs ears?  It is good to get your dog used to his ears being touched and you can do this by massaging them.  This will help your dog be more relaxed when cleaning his ears in the future.  To clean your dogs ears first you will need some sort of commercial dog ear wash and cotton swabs or pads.  Put a generous amount of cleaner in the dogs ear and massage the base of the ear for about 30 seconds.  Your dog may shake his head so give him some space.  Next take the cotton swab or pad and wipe the visible parts of his inner ear.  If there is still excess dirt and cleaner in the ear use a dry cotton swab/pad and wipe it out.  Make sure you do not enter the ear with the cotton to far, as it may get stuck.  You should only go as far as you can see.

Do you miss your dogs while you’re at work?  Do you wish you could see them having fun with all their friends at daycare?  Well you can!  Canine To Five has six webcams for our daycare customers!  Our cameras are live Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The webcams are easy to use and a great way to stay connected with your loved one even when you can’t be with them.  Your dog loves to play with their friends at daycare and would love for you to be able to see all the fun that they have while at daycare.

If you are a daycare customer and would like to view the webcam, please send us an email through our contact tab and we will reply with the password and viewing instructions.  It is that easy.