Fungus and Tape Worm Season

I am seeing a lot of itchy dogs lately. Fungi season. We give soothing oatmeal baths, anti fungal rinses, and jojoba treatments to help. Warm oil therapies and also wonderful, for re hydrating and soothing. But there are several other reasons your dogs might itch.

After a long summer of fighting fleas it is important to check your pets poo for signs of the nasty tapeworm. Regular worm tests do not always catch tapeworms as the segments break easily. Fleas carry the tapeworm's eggs and if your pet snacks on one the damage is done.

Then, in the south the fungi bloom and dogs as we know do not usually wear shoes and do sit on the ground with the naked bottoms, and they pick up free riders. Yeast, ringworm and others strains of fungi make our pets miserable, they even get in the ears when the pets have a tickle there and scratch with an infected foot.


A natural yard and body treatment for fungus is Neem. Neem is fairly new to our hemisphere but not in India where the tree is honored for its ability to neutralize most pests including fungi. SouthPaws carries the oil and instructions how to use it in your yard, and on your pets... people can use it too! http://www.theneempeople.com/intro.php?r=/


Keeping your dog free of worms and cleaning up the yard of feces is important, as dog feces that is left in the yard can reinfect the dog and threaten the owners health by association. Disposing of the pet waste is important. If you pitch the waste over your fence or over the property line you do not remove the problem. The worms infect the ground and will still infect you and your pets environment. The most effective method is bagging and flushing it down the toilet or bagging and removing it to a in ground sanitation unit or placing it in your garbage.


If you own beach property it is very important to keep your dog wormed, sand is a great place to transfer worms to humans. That is why dogs are forbidden on public beaches.

The new Iverhart heartworm prevention includes tapeworm prevention. If you don't use that brand of heartworm protection, you should quarterly worm your pets for tapeworms and treat your yard for fungi. Tapeworms and fungi drain your pet of the nutrients and you can quickly have an itchy pet.

The greatest danger to your health is sharing the problems that internal and external parasites present to your family. Even in today's environment we must be aware that our pets health program does affect ours too!

Remember, you and your pet share a lot of things,

make sure they are just kisses and snuggles.

How to correct submissive peeing in puppies.

Puppies roll over and urinate just a little to show the pack leaders that they give up to their authority! Really docile and submissive pets can make this fact a trying problem for many pet people. Most of the time the owners behavior triggers the dogs reactions and if not careful can make it permanent, any aggressive behavior on the owners part, anger, disgust will only make this behavior worse. The madder you get the more young dogs pee, trying to let you know they are sorry, and will do better if you will stop yelling. So stop yelling!!









To retrain your pet, on't ever look angry, yell or lean over the pet if they are in a submissive attitude. You can recognize this attitude easily. The pet will have lowered body leaning to one side, head lowered. Smiling dogs, yes some do, are also submissive, leaning or curling their bodies, coming toward you with head lowered and showing their teeth. To avoid triggering the problem you should call the puppy to you while sitting or kneeling down. Hovering over the dog triggers the problem and the dog pees. You face has to be passive or smiling but do not lean over the pet and or you will still trigger the problem. Older dogs take a long time to retrain and may never fully recover from an aggressive owners attitude.

You have to retrain your reactions and you should work on the problem at home in private, if visitors are the problem put the dog away until you are all calm. Let dog out and the guests can call him to them, be prepared with lap towels.


Or you can pick the dog up (be prepared with a towel) if small and give your pet the impression that it an equal part in greeting. This impresses on the pet that it has status with the family and is a mutual greeter and the guests are not a threat to you or them.

Easy rules:

1. This is a young dog problem that can be made permanent by the owners anger.
2. Kneel or sit and call the dog.
3. If it pees don't scold.
4. Love and approval will make the problem less obvious and should disappear as the puppy matures.
5. Remove the dog from the room when guests first arrive or
6. Pick the dog up before guests come in.
7. A confident dog doesn't have submissive behaviors, training classes give the dog and owners
confidence at home and in public.

Remember! Dogs work for food just as we do.

A good job deserves a treat!