FAVORITE PRODUCTS CAN IMPROVE YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR DOG
I'm always on the lookout for great new products that can make life with pets easier and better. When I find them, I want to share them with you, and I ran across some doozies in July at SuperZoo, a pet retailer trade show in Las Vegas. I asked some of my colleagues about their favorites as well. Some are brand new and some are tried and true. Here's a sampling of what we like best.
-- Poochie Pee Cup. If you own a tiny dog or one who stands low to the ground, you've probably been frustrated over and over anytime you've been required to get a urine sample to take to the veterinarian. I feel your pain. It's not an easy task. Dogs don't like being followed around by an owner who's crouching down with a container and trying to stick it beneath them while they're in the middle of a good pee. Enter the Poochie Pee Cup (makes me smile every time I say the name). It has a long telescopic handle that allows you to collect a sample from up to five feet away. Just set it to the appropriate length, attach the disposable plastic cup, and slide it beneath your dog as he starts to urinate. There you have it: a clean urine sample with no muss, no fuss. $29.95 for the device, plus $15.95 for a pack of 250 disposable cups from chris@poochiepeecup.ca.
-- Tuggo Dog Toy. My friend Dr. Andy Roark says this is one of his favorite new products. It sounds simple -- a hard, hollow plastic ball with a rope through the middle -- but it's a super plaything for big, strong dogs who are difficult to wear out. The rope allows the dog to pull from either side, providing a tug-of-war effect. Adjust the weight of the ball by filling it with water. Fully loaded, it weighs 20 pounds. The 10-inch ball is available in red or blue. $29.99 from TuggoDogToy.com.
-- Safety Turtle Pet Kit. It's devastating to lose a pet to drowning. Dr. Patty Khuly's French bulldog, Marcel, drowned a dozen years ago, and she vowed that it would never happen again. To protect her pets, she has them wear this cute and effective water safety device. The Safety Turtle attaches to a pet's collar. If the pet goes in the water, an alarm sounds to alert you. "I'm adamant about the effectiveness of products like these for both kids and pets," Dr. Khuly says. The kit includes a Safety Turtle base, an AC adapter, a Velcro strap and a Safety Turtle to attach to your pet's collar. $149 from safetyturtle.com.
-- iFetch Automatic Ball Launcher. Has your arm just about fallen off from endlessly throwing balls for your dog? I know I've been there. My friend Dr. Nancy Kay turned me on to the iFetch, and we both think it's a great concept. Load the battery-operated device with miniature-size tennis balls (or better yet, teach your dog to load it) and watch his excitement as it shoots them 10, 20 or 30 feet away. Right now it's best suited to little dogs because of the small size of the balls, but a version for big dogs is in the works. $99.95 from goifetch.com.
-- Want to see what's down at your dog's eye view? A new harness from Kurgo lets you attach a GoPro, Sony Action Cam or similar device to your dog's chest so he can produce his own videos. It comes in four sizes, but fit varies from dog to dog, so you may need to make adjustments. $35 from kurgostore.com.
Q&A
Dog runs riot when
mail is delivered
Q: Our dog Lady is really sweet and lovable, but she goes gaga when the mail is delivered through a slot in the door. She howls and runs hysterically through the house until he's gone or until we give her a treat and put her in the backyard. She barks at other delivery people, but never as angrily as she does at the mailman. What can we do? -- via email
A: This just goes to show that not every lady loves a man in uniform. Dogs may be fearful of people in uniform because they look different or because they associate them with the loud noise made by the delivery truck. They also may not get a chance to meet the people who deliver mail or packages, so they treat them as intruders. Dogs also come to associate their barking with the disappearance of the delivery person. After all, the dog barks like crazy and the person always leaves. In the dog's mind, the barking is working to drive the mailman away.
Give Lady a better response to the mailman's approach than barking. Try to set up scenarios with a mock delivery person so she can learn that mail delivery is an opportunity to earn a reward. Prevent or interrupt the barking by teaching Lady that when the mailman comes and the slot opens, she should jump onto her bed and do a down/stay for a reward or come find a specific person in the home and sit next to her. And invite the mailman to give her treats so she comes to view him as a delightful friend. If she remains upset when she hears or sees him making his rounds, hold her attention by rewarding her for remaining in a down/stay or give her a long-lasting chew on her bed. -- Mikkel Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Landslide election puts
dog into mayoral office
-- A dog named Duke is the new mayor of Cormorant, Minnesota. The 7-year-old Great Pyrenees was elected in a landslide, with the majority of the town's 12 residents voting him in to office. He holds the honorary position in addition to his duties as a farm dog. Duke was sworn into office at the city's annual fair, panting in response to the recitation of his duties. His salary consists of a year's supply of dog food donated by a pet-supply store. No voter fraud is suspected, although voters did pay $1 each to cast their votes.
-- Injecting spores of common soil bacteria into inoperable tumors, such as those of the lung, breast and pancreas, may help to shrink them, according to a recent report in Science Translational Medicine. What seems to happen, says oncologist Dr. Shibin Zhou of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, is that the spores release enzymes that destroy nearby tumor cells. The immune system also kicks into gear when it senses the bacteria and sends out tumor-killing cells. Out of 16 dogs participating in the study, three had tumors shrink and three more had tumors disappear.
-- A change in your dog's eye color could signal serious eye disease. Conditions that may cause eyes to look hazy or eye color to change include lenticular sclerosis, an age-related change that doesn't seriously affect vision; cataracts, which can eventually cause blindness but can be removed or repaired surgically; glaucoma, or high eye pressure, a painful condition that is treatable for a time with medication but may eventually require removal of the eye; and anterior uveitis, inflammation of the front of the eye, which can have a number of causes. Always take your dog to the veterinarian if you notice changes in his eyes' appearance. -- Kim Campbell Thornton
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.
CAPTIONS AND CREDITS
Caption 01: Would you know if your dog fell or jumped into the pool? One of these items can alert you. Position: Main Story
Caption 02: Many eye conditions are treatable if caught early. Look for signs such as redness, tearing, pawing at the eye or changes in eye color. Position: Pet Buzz/Item 3