Spring is coming!!!

Spring is coming and I cannot wait.

I have been suffering from allergies for the last few weeks, plus I had that crud (upper respiratory) that has made the rounds. I went out just an hour ago and there was pollen on my car... and I know the culprit!! I have several ceder trees in my yard... right now is juniper and ceder season.!!

Which brings me to the point of the blog.... Allergies.

We humans suffer from them but so do our pets. I get a double whammy because I am grooming the little hairy beast's (pun intended) so I have my own pollen at home.. and I get your pollen at my shop too.... THANKS.. and then I get the extra special-ness of the no longer needed undercoat your babies leave in my shop... so I get to take benedryl and use nasal crom daily. Dont tell me grooming dogs for 50 plus years is not harmful...I know it is!! But if your little guy or girl is having problems from pollen, please.. get them bathed on a regular basis and see your vet for any help they may offer.

Allergies in dogs can range from chewing and licking to actual asthma so BEWARE!!! I have had dogs in the shop recently that were actually wheezing....Allergies can include pollen, but also include food allergies, grain allergies, carpet allergies..grass allergies and the list goes on.

So as I wait for the days to get longer, and the sun to warm my old bones, and for the Vitimin D I need so much right now,  I am dreaming of flowers blooming, the Koi pond to be cleaned and my fish kids to come back to life instead of their winter life, I wait for my skin to no longer be dry and itchy. There is only so much coconut oil I can rub in (organic of course)

I love talking to you all about healthy pets.. so ask all the questions you like and i will do my best to address them.

Have a great week...
Miss Hairy Beast
Vickie Haywood  Reiki Master

Winter grooming

Since we are snowbound here in the Sandhills, I thought i would make some comments about winter grooming.

First and foremost.. FEET..your pets feet are very sensitive this time of year. Keeping nails trimmed is a must,and if your dog has hairy feet.. keeping the foot pads cleaned is important too. Long nails can break in the cold crusty snow and ice and a broken nail can bleed.. a LOT!!!!!!!!!! Hairy feet can pack snow and ice.. so make sure when they come in from outside you clean and dry the feet well.Salt and other ice melting products can be very irritable. Inspect feet daily for cracks on the pad surface, or broken nails. Dry cracked feet can benefit from using Bag balm, a lanolin cream available at most feed stores.

Next comes coat care...Dog often enjoy romping in the snow and I just know you have seen pictures of some coming inside full of snow balls.... REMEMBER dogs get frostbite too!!! So if they have snow pack on the fur... put them in a tub of WARM water and  melt the snow off, towel dry well and let them get warm. Pay attention to ears especially on little dogs.. ear tips would frostbite first.Treat your furry friend like a 5 year old....a good ski jacket, or an all in one water proof suit is a good investment if you live in snowfall!!!

Winter grooming is just as essential as summer.. Groomers know how to clean the coat, remove the dead undercoat and lubricate the skin from dry winter heat. CLEAN coat is a much warmer coat... keep your dog MAT free and well brushed. The layers of hair act like underwear.. long johns if you will....it traps air inside the coat and keeps the dog warmer.

Winter play burns a lot of calories, so make sure your dog eats a well balanced diet high in good quality proteins. We only  Feed Holistic and RAW here at Oakwood poodles.. Stick to one of the top 10 brands listed in the whole dog journal.....if you see dry skin add a fish oil capsule 3 times a week. 

Last but not least.. Winter can be boring staying inside all the time.. so be kind and take a little extra time with your buddy...some fetching and ball chasing will keep him happy!!