This article is directly taken from this website:
www.dogminded.training/blog/2019/5/27/the-life-changing-power-of-decompression-walks . Please click over and check their other articles. 
I chose this because I often hear of "timid" Shih Tzu and how some stress when exposed to new environments and stimulii. I have such a dog, born in Covid lockdown and I didn't take her out enough. I love the idea of taking them where there aren't other dogs and they can just "be a dog" without stress. 
As soon as the weather breaks here she will be walking with me as we see if we can decompress her in this manner. 
I would also advise using the flea and tick natural spray recipe located in another post on our blog. 

This article is directly from Happy Natural Dog. For those of you who prefer a more natural approach, this is by far one of best sites out there. I highly recommend it. Please go there and read the entire article as well other featured articles she has. Many of us breeders have been using her natural recipe for fleas and ticks as well, and it is awesome!!!!
I AM ONLY POSTING PART OF THE ARTICLE....PLEASE CLICK THE LINK AND VISIT TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE. THERE IS A LOT OF USEFUL INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH THIS PROBLEM!
These pictures show a severe ear infection that one of my fosters had when he came into rescue. You can see the deep red color, copious amounts of black smelly wax, and the angry inflamed skin.
Being aware of the symptoms of ear discomfort will help you identify an issue early, which increases your odds of successful treatment. Symptoms include:

• Pawing at or scratching ears
• Shaking the head
• Tilting head (often towards the side that is infected or most irritated)
• Rubbing ears on ground or furniture
• Smelly ear odor
• Ears appear red or inflamed
• Inner ears have a lot of dark, blackish wax
• Ears are painful to touch

Extreme, untreated cases may progress to:

• Loss of balance
• Hearing loss
• Nausea/vomiting
• Aural Hematoma (a pool of blood between the skin and ear flap cartilage caused by excessive ear shaking and/or scratching)

These require an immediate visit to your holistic vet.
Please click Happy Natural Dog to read the rest of this tremendous article. 



​​

These Sweet Potato Dog Treats are so easy to make with just 4 pup-friendly (and human grade) ingredients and a few minutes of prep. Your dog will love them... And you probably will, too!

🐶 Can dogs eat sweet potatoes?They love sweet potatoes and learned that most in moderation (as long as they're cooked properly and not fried or doused in sugar).
Sweet potatoes are high in fiber and beta-carotene and also contain some protein and vitamins, all great things for most dogs.
However, you should always check with your vet before adding new foods into your pup's diet as all dogs are different.

And make sure you're only giving your dog sweet potato in MODERATION. They are a high carbohydrate food and should only be given as an occasional treat.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipeYou'll love this recipe because your dog will love this recipe! And isn't it the best thing in the world to make your pup happy?

Sweet potato dog treats are also super easy to make and don't require many ingredients at all. You can even customize them to your dog's specific tastes.

🗒 IngredientsLike I mentioned, you don't need many ingredients for these sweet potato dog treats. In fact, you really only need two ingredients, but I like to add a little flavor with cinnamon and ginger, too. (JUST A LITTLE)
Here's everything I use for these dog treats (please see recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient amounts and full instructions):

While you can certainly slice the sweet potatoes with a knife, I do find that it's much easier to use a .
🍠 How to make sweet potato dog treatsThe most difficult part of this recipe is slicing the sweet potatoes. But like I mentioned, it's super easy if you have a mandoline!
​
But before you get started, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and brush a large baking sheet with a little bit of coconut oil.

While the oven is heating, get slicing. You'll want the potatoes to be sliced very thinly, but not so thin that they're translucent. I use the 1/16" setting on the mandoline.

Place rounds on prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with coconut oil. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and ginger over each if your dog is into those spices.

You could also leave them plain or add your dog's favorite seasonings (see below for more recommended seasonings).

Put baking sheet in the oven and bake the sweet potato rounds for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each chip. Rotate baking sheet and return to oven for 3-5 more minutes, until sweet potatoes are getting crisp around edges but not getting too brown.

You'll want to keep a close eye on the treats as just 30 seconds can make a difference in "perfect" to burnt and if your rounds are of even slightly different thicknesses, they'll all bake a bit differently.

Once you remove them from the oven, let the sweet potato chips rest for about 5 minutes so they can further crisp up.

And your little sweet potato dog treats are ready for consumption! You can give them a taste yourself. I actually really liked them!

⏲ How to store: When stored in an airtight container, these sweet potato dog treats should keep fresh for about a week, though they may lose some of their crispness over time. Make sure the treats are completely cooled before storing them.
I find that one large sweet potato makes a lot of chips (I got about 50), but you can easily double this recipe if you want to make more.

There are also so many ways you could prepare this for your dog... and if your dog loves sweet potato, it's definitely worth letting them try eggplant, too.

🥥 Do I have to use coconut oil?I like using coconut oil for these treats because it has , it tastes good, and it complements sweet potatoes really well.

But there are other oils you can use if you don't have coconut oil. Olive oil is actually safe for most dogs and is a cooking oil you're likely to have in your home.
Fish oil, sunflower oil, and flaxseed oil are also safe and all of the oils even have some health benefits.

🔪 Do I have to peel sweet potatoes?The first time I made these, I didn't peel the sweet potatoes... I almost never peel sweet potatoes as the skin has so many nutrients in it and I figured if it was good for me, it must be good for my pup, too.

But then I did a little more research and learned that sweet potato peels can be a choking hazard to dogs and that they can be a bit hard to digest. So for those reasons, I do recommend peeling the potatoes before baking them.

📖 Recipe: These Sweet Potato Dog Treats are so easy to make with just 4 pup-friendly (and human grade) ingredients and a few minutes of prep. Your dog will love them... And you probably will, too!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Makes: 50 sweet potato chips
Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush a large baking sheet with a little bit of the coconut oil.
• Peel sweet potato and thinly slice into rounds using either a mandoline or a knife. Rounds should be thin, but not translucent (or they'll burn more easily). I use the 1/16" settings on the mandoline.
• Place rounds on prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with coconut oil. Sprinkle a little cinnamon and ginger over each.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each chip. Rotate baking sheet and return to oven for 3-5 more minutes, until sweet potatoes are getting crisp around edges but not getting too brown. Remove and let sweet potato chips rest for about 5 minutes so they can further crisp up.

Recipe courtesy of "We are not Martha". 

 * Coconut oil: I use this for brushing the muffin tins. You can substitute with olive oil        or another dog-friendly oil if you prefer.

•  * Whole wheat pizza dough: I share my recipe in this post or you can use store-bought
•  * Pumpkin puree: make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling as that has all kinds of spices      and sweeteners in it.
•  * Shredded cheese: I recommend mozzarella or cheddar, but you can use your dog's        favorite.
•  * Cooked and chopped chicken breast

If you're making your own pizza dough, here's what you need:
           * Active dry yeast
           * Lukewarm water: about 105-115 degrees
           * Melted coconut oil: you can substitute with olive oil or another dog friendly oil if you prefer.
           * Honey
           * Whole wheat flour
How to make pizza dough for dogs
This is a small batch of whole wheat pizza dough and very easy to make.
Just mix the yeast and water in a large bowl and let rest for 2 minutes.
Stir coconut oil and honey into the mixture.

With a wooden spoon, mix whole wheat flour into the mixture. If dough feels too wet, you can add in another tablespoon flour. Form dough into a ball and gently knead a few times in the bowl.

Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours, so dough can rise.
Checking my dough after a couple hours and seeing it risen is one of my greatest joys!
This dough is enough for 24 mini pizza dog treats.


How to make pizza for dogs
When you're ready to bake the pizzas, preheat your oven to 450 degrees and lightly brush a mini muffin tin with coconut oil.
Roll the dough out thinly and cut out 24 circles roughly 2 inches in diameter. You can use a circle cookie cutter, a drinking glass, etc.
Re-roll dough scraps when necessary.
Gently press dough circles into the bottoms of the tin, going up the sides. If you only have a 12-cavity tin, you'll do this in two batches.

Spoon about ¾ teaspoon of pumpkin puree into each dough cup.
I opted to use pumpkin puree because it's great for dogs and tomato sauce isn't the best for them since it's so acidic.

Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of shredded cheese.
And a few pieces of chopped chicken.
And bake for about 8-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and edges of dough are turning golden.

Let the mini pizzas cool for a bit before giving to your dog to enjoy!

Yes, there are more natural solutions out there! 
I have suffered with bronchial conditions since a child. Pneumonia hospitalized me many times. Often given medications my body would not tolerate or I was allergic to. I am 66 years old. My entire life has been up and down. 
A few months ago I got hit again. I had been trying various herbal teas with some relief and I came across "Mullein Leaf Tea".  I looked online and behold! there were drops and tinctures I could get. So I tried Healpark's Organic Mullein Leaf Extract (3000MG)...and by the end of the first day of using the drops, the expectorant qualities it possesses had begin to work. Within 3 days I was up and around and feeling much better. 
A friend and I were talking about this and she mentioned about how some of our dogs would get sniffles or coughs, and the thought went through my head..."wonder if it's ok for dogs?"
Doing research, I found that it is wonderful for our dogs with no side effects. I was thrilled! As I read on it's good for treating Kennel cough, colds, and you can make a strong tea from it and use it for ear infections and mild cases of ear mites for our beloved pets!

Of course there will be some who cannot use it, and there are precautionary disclaimers to everything. I have included a few links so you can read about Mullein and it's uses for yourself. 

https://insteading.com/blog/mullein-plant/
https://thelostherbs.com/mullein/ 
 https://wagwalking.com/wellness/the-benefits-of-the-mullein-herb-for-your-dog

The Lost Herbs also has some excellent articles/recipes for a lung cleanse with other herbs. Like myself, I am sure that there are many people who love herbal remedies rather than medication. Do be sure to check with your physician and/or veternarian. 

Have a great day!

(from Facebook Posting)

Dear Mom and Dad,
Let me stay home. It's not nice for me to walk and run next to you. But because I am a loyal dog, I often go beyond my limits. So I walk and run beside you, standing still if I have to. All while I feel my paws burning.

Even as little as 5 minutes can be fatal to me and to my paws. I sweat through my paws, and in the heat I just can not get rid of the sweat. My whole body starts boiling, but I’ll keep going because I am as loyal as loyal comes. When you look at me panting and moving around you think I’m excited to be out here walking or running with you and I am, I promise you I am, but it’s more that I can’t cool off and my feet are in severe pain. My paws are literally cooking.

By the time we have gotten home my paws have been burning the entire duration we were out, my tongue is dry and my head is pounding in the heat that my body cannot get rid of.

You know when you ask if I want to go for a walk or a run I will instantly jump up and want to go because I love you so much and I love these activities but I also don’t know what awaits me. I depend on you to know what’s in my best interest. So instead, let me stay at home where I can enjoy the sun, with a large bowl of water, somewhere in the shade. A cool area with grass would be best.

With all the love I have in the whole world - I give it all to you - Love your dog

How to Treat Your Dog’s Pad BurnTake these steps to treat mild paw pad burns at home

• Soak the paw pads in cool water—NOT ice water—or apply cool water compresses with a clean cloth, changing them frequently for at least 30 minutes
• Gently disinfect the paws
• Pat them dry
• Cut away any hair around the paws (very gently) to help prevent infection
• Bandage the paws or cover with socks to prevent them from being licked
• Check the paws again the next day. If there is no improvement or it’s getting worse, go to the vet

Assess how severe the burns are:​
Before making any attempts to treat your dog’s paws, though, the first thing to do is to assess how severe the burns are. Veterinary surgeon Dr. Linda Simon, MVB MRCVS, explains the difference between mild and severe burns.
“A superficial or first-degree burn does not penetrate deep into the skin and only the top layer of the pad is affected by the burn. The paw will look red and may feel hot. Thankfully, these milder burns tend to heal quickly with minimal to no intervention.”
Second-degree burns penetrate deeper into the pad. Dr Simon explains, “At this point, we can see oozing and infections would be quite common. These burns are painful and take longer to heal.”
Though third-degree paw pad burns are uncommon, Dr Simon says that they can happen, adding that “deeper burns cause skin sloughing and affect the subcutaneous tissue – these burns are the most dangerous and are difficult to treat.”

Supplies:

• 8 x 3/4" 3 way PVC corners (Amazon)
• 2 x 3/4" 10ft lengths PVC tubing (Home Hardware) They will cut it for you to the length desired. O went with 16" lengths. You will need 12. 
• as many rings as you want, to attach puppy toys to! (Temu)

Simply assemble as you see in the photo. 

Well yes, that is pretty disgusting! My heart just went out to that kitten! (Cuterebra Larva removal)

I chose to add this video as the Bot Fly tends to be around rabbits and rodent nests. And we have those bunnies all over our yard in the early hours of the morning come early spring. I have even found a nest in our yard. From what I have read, they tend to be a more late summer/fall issue, however, in the past years we have had some really heavy fly infestations including really BIG flies that were aggressive. They would bite you! 

I had never heard of this before, but I thought about our dogs, running around the yard and perhaps stuffing their face down a bunny nest hole or warren. These flies lay their eggs around that area, ad your pet could end up with the larva looking for a host and burying itself under your dogs skin. 

If you suspect one you will see a small hole and likely a lump. The larva actually comes up to breathe and if you watch really closely, you can see movement. 

While you can remove it at home, it is much better to have your vet do it. You don't want any part of that thing left inside your pet. They should also have an antibiotic and if that hole is large enough, can require a stitch or two. The vet will often administer a light sedative so he can remove that disgusting thing from your pet. 

 The things you learn about when you least expect to run across it! 

Sorry you cute little bunnies, but you are not taking up residence in OUR yard!

Do you actually understand the side effects some of these medications can have on your dog? I am posting this article so that you can make an informed decision on whether you want to use these or go a more natural route. 

Thank you to Dr. Jean Dodd and Hemopet for all the work they do/have done for the Animal World globally. 

​​On September 20, 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that the following flea and tick medications have caused adverse events in dogs and cats such as muscle tremors, ataxia and seizures:

• Bravecto (fluralaner) tablets for dogs;
• Bravecto (fluralaner) topical solution for cats and dogs;
• Nexgard (afoxalaner) tablets for dogs; and,
• Simparica (sarolaner) and Simparica Trio (sarolaner/moxidectin/pyrantel) tablets for dogs.

All of these medications are in the isoxazoline class of compounds. Isoxazoline is a parasiticide.
The FDA worked with manufacturers of isoxazoline products to include new label information to highlight neurologic events because these events were seen consistently across the isoxazoline class of products.
Two additional drugs that are also in the isoxazoline class had recently received FDA approval and carry the warning on their labels:

• Credelio (lotilaner) tablets for dogs; and,
• Revolution Plus (selamectin and sarolaner topical solution) for dogs and cats.

Isoxazoline class flea and tick medications should not be confused with spinosads – a natural substance made by a soil bacterium that can be toxic to insects – that is also for treatment or prevention of fleas. Two of the most well-known spinosad products are Trifexis® and Comfortis®. Dogs that are epileptic or prone to seizures should not be given spinosad.
Comparatively, researchers and veterinarians thus far cannot point to breed characteristics, age group, drug interactions or genetic mutations as contributing factors to the findings that prompted the FDA warning about the isoxazoline class.
Coinciding with the warning, Project Jake had just wrapped up its online questionnaire about flea and tick medications to 2,751 respondents on August 21, 2018, and released its findings on June 2, 2020.
So why release the results if the FDA already issued the warning?
The Project Jake Survey was more broadly based and included:

• companion pet caregivers who did not give their pets any flea or tick medications;
• pet caregivers who did not see any adverse reactions as well as those that did report them, providing a more inclusive review of isoxazoline use;
• observations by pet caregivers pre‐ (3 months) and post‐drug use;
• questions when adverse event occurred after use of the drug;
• questioned about number of doses of drug(s) given before an adverse event;
• other concurrent health issues and treatments given were requested;
• multiple adverse events were listed for each report; and,
• recovery information and/or follow‐ups were included.

Remember, this survey also concluded before the FDA warning was released, so it represented an objective review as there was ongoing discussion and research being conducted prior to the release.
Additionally, the FDA reporting system depends on the voluntary reporting of adverse clinical events by veterinarians and animal caregiver/owners, as well as the mandatory reporting of adverse events by manufacturers. This FDA information is valuable, even if some of the FDA reports could be duplicates.
Out of the 2,751 respondents:

• Gave their dog any flea treatment: 1,594 (57.9%)
• Gave their dog an isoxazoline treatment: 1,325 (48.2%)
• Did the dog experience a reaction to any treatment?
  • Yes 1,062 (66.6%)
  • No 576 (36.1%)
  • Unsure 130 (8.2%)

To find out the rest of the results and comparative data with the FDA’s database, you can read Project Jake’s peer-reviewed and open-access paper, “Survey of canine use and safety of isoxazoline parasiticides”.
About Project Jake: The survey group included Valerie Palmieri, W. Jean Dodds, Judy Morgan, Elizabeth Carney, Herbert A. Fritsche, Jaclyn Jeffrey, Rowan Bullock, and Jon P. Kimball.