Blog 2016

Everyone who shares a home with a Doodle should have a basic pet first-aid kit on hand. Keep your pet's first-aid kit in your home and take it with you if you are traveling with your pet.

One way to start your kit is to buy a first-aid kit designed for people and add pet-specific items to it. You can also purchase a pet first-aid kit from a pet-supply store or catalog. But you can easily assemble your own kit by gathering these items:

Phone numbers: your veterinarian, the nearest emergency-veterinary clinic and ASPCA poison-control center (800) 426-4435

• Self-cling bandage (bandage that stretches and sticks to itself but not to fur—available at pet stores
• Absorbent gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Antiseptic wipes, lotion, powder or spray
• Blanket (a foil emergency blanket)
• Cotton balls or swabs
• Gauze rolls
• Hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting—do this only when directed by a veterinarian or a poison-control expert)
• Ice pack
• Non-latex disposable gloves
• Petroleum jelly (to lubricate the thermometer)
• Rectal thermometer (your pet's temperature should not rise above 103°F or fall below 100°F)
• Scissors (with blunt ends)
• Sterile non-stick gauze pads for bandages
• Sterile saline solution (sold at pharmacies)
• Tweezers
• Benadryl, if approved by a veterinarian for allergic reactions. A veterinarian must tell you the correct dosage for your pet's size.
• Ear-cleaning solution
• Expired credit card to scrape away insect stingers
• Nail clippers
• Non-prescription antibiotic ointment
• Flashlight
• Plastic eyedropper or syringe
• Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) to clean the thermometer
• Splints and tongue depressors
• Styptic powder or pencil (sold at veterinary hospitals, pet-supply stores, and your local pharmacy)
• Temporary identification tag (to put your local contact information on your pet's collar when you travel)
• Towels
• Needle-nosed pliers

In addition to the items listed above, include anything your veterinarian has recommended specifically for your pet.

Check the supplies in your pet's first-aid kit occasionally and replace any items that have expired.

For your family's safety, keep all medical supplies and medications out of the reach of children and pets.

Coconut oil has been rapidly growing in popularity. The coconut, also known as the “tree of life” has been found to have many benefits not only for humans, but for our best friends as well. Fed regularly to pets, coconut oil can have many health benefits -for their skin, digestive and immune systems; metabolic function; and even their bone and brain health!

There are many healthful benefits to adding coconut oil to your Doodles's diet. The unrefined type has a taste that most dogs immediately love. You can incorporate it directly into your dog’s meal by adding a 1/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, depending on the size of your dog. As with any added fat to a diet, you will want to start slowly so your dog can properly absorb and process the oil and avoid diarrhea.

The Top 10 reasons to add coconut oil to your dog’s diet:

• Coconut oil improves overall skin health, and clears up skin conditions such as eczema, flea allergies, contact dermatitis, and itchy skin.
• Incredibly emollient, coconut oil helps moisturize the driest skin and makes a dog’s coat gleam with health — whether you add it to her diet, her shampoo, or both!
• Applied topically to the skin, coconut oil promotes the healing of cuts, wounds, hot spots, bites, and stings.
• The antibacterial and antifungal properties of coconut oil help reduce doggy odor, and its pleasantly tropical aroma imparts a delightful scent to a dog’s skin and coat.
• Coconut oil prevents and treats yeast infections, including candida. Its antiviral agents also help dogs recover quickly from kennel cough.
• Digestion and nutrient absorption are improved by the addition of coconut oil to a dog’s diet. It can, however, cause stool to loosen; if that happens, just add a few spoonfuls of canned pumpkin to your dog’s diet.
• Coconut oil reduces — and sometimes eliminates — doggy breath. Some dog lovers even brush their pets’ teeth with it. Which makes sense, as dogs love the taste of coconut oil, and that makes the chore less arduous for brusher and brushee.
• Coconut oil helps prevent diabetes by regulating and balancing insulin. It also promotes normal thyroid function, and helps prevent infection and heart disease.
• Helping to reduce weight and increase energy, coconut oil also promotes mobility in dogs with arthritis and other joint issues.
• Coconut oil is excellent for brain health; it’s being used to stave off dementia in humans, and it’s a must to keep senior dogs’ minds from becoming cloudy.

Let us know if you have given coconut oil to your Labradoodle of Long Island!