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Vegetarianism: Is It Healthy For Dogs?

12/3/2017

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It seems like everyone and their grandmother has a fierce opinion on whether dogs can or should eat a diet devoid of meat, or even animal products altogether - some say it’s perfectly fine and healthy while others will argue that it isn’t a natural way for them to eat. Let’s get to the bottom of this heated debate, shall we?

Dogs are like humans in that they need the basics in their diets including proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The burning question here is, can they get enough protein if they don’t eat meat?
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Protein is an important part of your dog’s diet - as you’re probably aware, early dogs and wolves survived on diets primarily made up of raw meat, which is high in both protein and fat. But because your dog’s ancestors ate this way, does that mean it’s the healthiest diet for your dog currently?

The short answer is no.

Modern-day dogs have the ability to get all of the essential nutrients from both animal-based and plant foods.

Interestingly, protein itself isn’t simply what dogs need in their diets - it’s the amino acids they need, which are the building blocks of protein. To dive a little deeper, there are 22 different types of amino acids that dogs need in their diets, and a deficiency in any of them could be cause for health problems.

Dogs have actually evolved over time to be better-able to digest starches (i.e. vegetables) than their wolf ancestors. Furthermore, somewhere down the line dogs dropped the ability to eat exclusively animal-based foods, so when it comes down to it, you really shouldn’t be feeding your dog a diet full of raw meat.

Here’s where the experts stand: unless your dog has some kind of crazy vegetable allergies, he will probably both survive and thrive on a vegetarian diet. Unlike their ancestors, dogs are omnivores and can easily get all of the amino acids they need from eating a meatless diet.

A vegan diet, on the other hand, might be a little trickier and should be approached with caution. It’ll require much more planning and it’s best to talk to a pet nutritionist first to plan out an appropriate diet that’ll give your dog all of the nutrients he needs to thrive.

Nevertheless, the occasional vegan meal could be great for your dog, says Dr. Michael Fox, the former president of U.S. Humane Society. “Dogs could benefit from a vegan meal at least once a week to detox.”

And if you are thinking about making the switch to a vegetarian diet for your dog, keep in mind that he might at first turn up his nose at a meal without meat if he’s simply used to eating that way. Your best bet is probably to acclimate him to the new diet by gradually decreasing the amount of meat you feed him.


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Thanksgiving Leftovers: What's Safe And What's Not

11/2/2017

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For a lot of people, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. You get to devote an entire day to stuffing your face with mashed potatoes, stuffing and turkey - what more could you really want in a single day?

There’s someone else in the family who’s also pretty stoked on Turkey Day too: your dog.

Every year, he waits patiently by the table while the humans eat their delicious Thanksgiving meal. But as soon people start getting up from the table to clear their plates, it’s only a matter of time before someone remarks that Fido is licking his chops, ready for the leftovers.


Before you give in to his adorable puppy eyes this Thanksgiving, take a look at this list of foods that are in the clear, and those that are dangerous for your dog’s health:

Skip It:
  1. Alcohol - This one should really be a no-brainer, but alas, many people still think it’s totally fine (and cute, even) to give the dog that last bit of beer in their glass. Needless to say, don’t do that. And just remember, just because your dog likes the taste of alcohol, doesn’t mean it’s healthy or safe for him to have it.
  2. Turkey Skin - Here’s one we don’t often consider. While turkey by itself can actually be fine to give your dog, as you’ll read below, turkey skin is not. It’s likely that it’s been flavored with various things that are toxic to dogs, like onion, garlic or sage. And of course, never give your dog under-cooked meat!
  3. Pumpkin Pie - Pumpkin can actually be quite good for dogs, but the spices often used in it are not. So unless you’re planning to make a bland, tasteless pumpkin pie without any flavor, don’t give it to your dog. 
  4. Turkey Bones - Any dog just loves to chew away on a delicious bone now and again. Cooked bones can cause vomiting in dogs, or even lead to punctures in the stomach or intestines - no one wants that!
  5. Gravy - What could possibly be wrong with giving your dog gravy, right? There aren’t any small bones and he absolutely goes crazy for the stuff! Well, it all depends on what you put in your gravy; if you use any amount of mushrooms, onions, garlic, sage, chives, leeks, scallions or pepper, then it’s not safe for your dog. You probably use at least one of those things, otherwise, what kind of gravy are you even making…?

In The Clear:
  1. Green Beans - A lot of vegetables are actually great for dogs, green beans being of no exception. However, keep the green bean casserole away from your dog, as it often contains ingredients like mushrooms or onions, which, as we've established, are toxic to dogs.
  2. Sweet Potatoes - Similarly to the green beans, sweet potato can be great for your dog, but skip it if the dish contains marshmallow, nutmeg, or any of the aforementioned.
  3. Turkey - Turkey is fine for dogs to eat, but, you’ve gotta be incredibly diligent about making sure that you’ve gotten all of those little bones out that he could choke on.

And as always, if you suspect that your dog ate something he shouldn’t have, call Animal Poison Control right away. Happy Thanksgiving, and we at Zen Dog Walking believe that you do have the power to resist your dog’s cute “feed-me” eyes.


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Pack Vs. One-On-One Walking: Which One Should You Choose?

10/1/2017

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You can spot a dog-walker from a mile away: they’re generally sporting their company’s logo on a bright t-shirt while walking five or six dogs at once - sometimes even more! But while pack-walking has more or less become the norm for dog-walking services, there are several reasons why you might want to consider one-on-one walks for your canine friend instead:

1. Your Dog Will Get More Personalized Attention - If your dog is exhibiting behavioral or health problems, the walker can stop and focus specifically on what your dog needs. It’s more difficult for a walker to do that in a pack, where they’ve got several dogs to look after at once.
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2. Your Dog Will Get The Appropriate Amount Of Exercise - It’s likely that your two-year-old German Shepherd needs more intense exercise than the eight-year-old chihuahua in the pack, so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to walk them together.

3. The Walker Can Steer Clear Of Tasty-Looking Items On The Ground - As a dog-owner, you’ll know that sometimes dogs like to put disgusting things in their mouths. In a pack, it’ll be incredibly difficult for the walker to monitor every single dog to make sure that they don’t pick up those delicious-looking food scraps on the ground.

4. You’ll Get Your Money’s Worth - With pack-walking, the walker presumably will need to stop and collect each dog from his home, which means that you could end up paying for time where your dog is just standing around eagerly waiting to go for his walk!

5. Distractions Won’t Be As Difficult To Handle - If one dog in the pack sees a squirrel and decides to bolt, it could start a chain reaction of frantic dogs running to catch said squirrel. And unless your walker is actually a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, they probably aren’t strong enough to handle several dogs doing that at once!

6. It’s Easier To Handle An Emergency - Let’s face it, things go wrong sometimes - that’s just life. If one of the dogs picks up a tasty chicken bone on the walk and at the same time another gets into a fight, who the heck is the walker going to turn to first? Is there even a right answer in that scenario…?

​7. Fights Will Be Less Likely To Happen - Even if your dog is a perfect angel and just wants to make friends with everything that moves, you can’t be certain that everyone else’s dogs will be that way too. One little punk in the pack could start a fight and end up injuring or scaring your dog. With one-on-one walks, it’s far easier to steer clear of other dogs and avoid a fight!

Even if pack-walking is more readily available and cheaper, it may be beneficial to your dog’s behavior and health to look into a one-on-one service - your dog will thank you for it!

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Here's Why You Should Always Keep Your Dog On A Leash

9/1/2017

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If you’ve got a well-behaved dog, then it’s possible that you’ve been tempted to walk him off-leash before. Your dog loves it, and you feel like there’s really no reason to use that pesky leash anymore so what could possibly go wrong?

A lot, as it turns out. Here are seven big reasons why you should always keep your dog on a leash:
  1. Other Dogs - This one is at the top of the list for a reason. It’s easy to get sucked into the mindset that your well-behaved, friendly dog couldn’t possibly get into trouble with other dogs, but think about it this way: what if your curious furry friend just wants to say hi to a dog you pass on the street? There’s always a chance that the other dog isn’t so friendly, which might in turn frighten your dog and ignite a scuffle. You definitely don’t want that!
  2. Other People - It’s hard to believe, but some people in this world just don’t like dogs. We know, it’s strange and we don’t get it, but that’s just how it is. In order to be courteous to others, it’s best to keep Rover on a leash to avoid contact with those who are either afraid of or allergic to dogs.
  3. Little Kids - Little kids might be even less trustworthy than other dogs. Look at it this way: they aren’t on leashes (usually), they might have inept parents, and they like to run at cute fluffy things in front of them while shrieking at an ear-splitting pitch. All of these things can spell disaster if you have an off-leash dog who doesn’t like being startled or having things come running straight at him.
  4. Poisonous Substances - Any dog parent knows all too well that dogs (especially puppies) love to put unidentified foreign objects into their mouths. Even your well-behaved dog isn’t immune to picking up that delicious-looking pizza crust off the ground. If your dog is off leash, it’s a lot harder to reel him in when he sprints toward that tempting morsel on the ground in front of you. There are many human foods that are poisonous to dogs, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry! (Scroll down to see a list of things that are toxic to dogs.)
  5. Car Accidents - Your dog might know to avoid cars at all costs, but quite frankly, sometimes drivers are stupid. For example, someone backing out of their driveway may not see your little fluffy pal, or a driver could swerve and hit you while you’re walking on the sidewalk.
  6. Wildlife - If you’re someone who likes to take your doggo on fun adventures to the great outdoors, it’s especially important to keep him leashed up. After all, you can’t predict how he’s going to react if he sees a moose, or how that moose will react, for that matter…
  7. Accidental Breeding - If your dog isn’t spayed or neutered for whatever reason, then encounters with other dogs on the street could cause some...unwanted consequences. This should really just be a big fat duh, but to avoid this situation, get your dog fixed and have him on a leash to avoid unwanted puppies.

Convinced yet that you should always leash your dog? If not, think about it this way: even if your dog is the most well-behaved little dude in the whole world, do you really want to take that chance and put his life in jeopardy if he happens to act out of the ordinary?

Photo courtesy of Cesar's Way.

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From Wolves To Dogs: The Domestication Story

7/31/2017

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It’s easy to take our canine friends for granted when they’ve been by our side virtually since the dawn of humanity. But have you ever stopped to consider how on earth your hyper, loyal (and maybe not so smart) furry friend was originally descended from the wild, clever, and fearful wolf?

It all started with the gray wolf tens of thousands of years ago. The theory goes that humans began taking in and taming wolf pups that would rummage through human trash, and since wolves are pack animals, it was relatively easy for them to fit in with their new human “packs.” Somewhere down the line, we humans realized that a relationship with these tamer wolves was extremely beneficial for hunting, and the rest is history.

We know that dogs were descended from wolves through DNA evidence, but other than that, the specifics of domestication history is actually not very well understood. For example, where exactly were they first domesticated? Some claim the Middle East, while others say Europe or East Asia, but no one really knows for sure. Greger Larson, an archaeologist and geneticist, says that because dogs were domesticated so long ago and have cross-bred so many times throughout history, that their genes are like “a completely homogeneous bowl of soup.”

And here’s another interesting tidbit: in the 20th century, a Russian geneticist named Dmitri Belyaev attempted to find out why domesticated dogs look and act so much different from their wolf ancestors. To do this, he bred tame foxes for several generations until he noticed that they began to display similar typical features of dogs that are normally absent in wild foxes, including floppy ears, shorter snouts, spotted coats and the tendency to bark.

Based on DNA, we know that dogs were descended from wolves and not foxes, so what the above information tells us is that the these specific dog characteristics cannot be a product of natural selection, but rather that the genes that account for tameness must also carry a code for things like barking or spotted coats.

To complicate matters even more, some researchers, like Larson, believe that dogs may have even been domesticated twice. His theory on this says that humans in western Eurasia domesticated the gray wolf, while at the same time, humans farther east in Asia were also domesticating gray wolves. Around the time of the Bronze Age, humans from the East began migrating, with their canine companions, westward. Upon meeting, the western dogs mated with the eastern dogs, resulting in a new branch in the domestication tree.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, no one really knows all the answers to this mystery, and at this point Larson says that the only way we’ll ever know the full truth about the domestication of dogs is “to go back in time.” Just be happy that your furry companion is (hopefully) much more cuddly and playful than a gray wolf!

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PSA: Don't Let Your Dog Near Your Stash Of Weed

7/2/2017

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It’s no secret that we’re pretty progressive when it comes to marijuana here in Washington state. Everyone’s jumping on board the weed train: your teachers, your parents, and even your grandma is taking a newfound interest in the previously illegal substance. But what happens when your dog happens to find your stash that you accidentally left sitting out on your coffee table? Let’s take a look.
 
The first thing you’re probably wondering is, can dogs actually get high? Why yes, they can. Not unlike humans, dogs can get high through ingesting marijuana directly or consuming edibles. But while marijuana leaves many of us humans with a pleasant sense of euphoria and perhaps a never-ending fit of the giggles, dogs could end up with some severe effects that can even lead to death if they ingest too much of it.
 
Typical, less-serious signs that your dog has ingested marijuana include pacing back and forth, panting, loss of balance, or even paranoia. Symptoms will tend to show up between 30 and 60 minutes after the substance has been ingested.
 
Sometimes just packing away your weed securely isn’t enough to make sure that Fido doesn’t get the negative effects of marijuana. As it turns out, secondhand smoke can also be quite harmful to dogs. Inhaling causes marijuana to hit the bloodstream more quickly, so symptoms will show up faster that way than if ingested.
 
So how can you tell if your dog has had a little too much fun with your weed stash? There are several symptoms of marijuana poisoning that include lethargy, dilated pupils, seizures or a low heart rate. And of course, if you suspect that your dog has ingested marijuana, contact your veterinarian or Animal Poison Control right away.
 
Unfortunately there hasn’t been a ton of research conducted on dogs and marijuana, so we don’t have all the information yet. Some researchers even believe that a small amount of marijuana could be beneficial to dogs! But when in doubt, it’s probably better to keep your pot in a secure spot far away from your dog until more research has been conducted on the topic!

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Why Do Dogs Howl?

5/31/2017

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Whether you think it’s adorable or incredibly annoying, you’ve probably heard your dog howl before and wondered why on earth he does that. The reasons are numerous, as it turns out. In the simplest of terms, howling is just another way for dogs to communicate, just like barking, growling or whining. But let’s get into the science of it.
 
In the wild, wolves may howl in order to communicate to other packs that they’re approaching forbidden territory, or to guide a pack member back home who may have lost his way. Howling is incredibly difficult to study organically, however; it’s almost impossible to research in the wild because the behavior and movement patterns of wolves is so vast. Dr. Arik Kershenbaum, a zoology research fellow at the University of Cambridge, says that trying to study wolf howls “is like trying to follow a whale underneath the ocean. We simply cannot keep up with them.”
 
Additionally, studying howling in captive wolves and dogs is nearly pointless because they simply don’t howl for the same reasons that their wild counterparts do.
 
Instead of howling to ward off an opposing pack, your dog likely howls when he hears a loud noise that’s hurting his ears (like an ambulance siren or you breaking out your old trumpet from high school), or to try to get your attention when you (the pack leader) leave - in other words, he misses you when you’re gone!
 
Another theory is that your dog might be howling along with your loud music because he wants to fit in with the pack and imitate the group’s behavior.

Past that, we don’t really know much else about why domesticated dogs howl, as most behavioral research on dogs has focused on barking and human-dog interactions - dogs do much more barking than their wolf cousins. 

Lastly, if you’re thinking about getting a dog and you want to avoid the doggy singing, it’d probably be wise to stay away from the following breeds: Alaskan Malamute, Beagle, Husky, Hound breeds, and the Tamaskan Dog to name a few. 

We may not know that much about howling in the grand scheme of things, but one thing researchers do know is that wolves and dogs don’t actually howl at the moon!

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Foods that are Toxic to Dogs

10/12/2014

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Test your dog health IQ!
Did you know that the following foods are toxic to dogs?

Alcoholic beverages: can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Chocolate, coffee, tea: contains caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems.
Citrus oil extracts: can cause vomiting.
Fat trimmings (in large amounts): can cause pancreatitis.
Grapes and raisins: contain an unknown toxin, which can damage a dog's kidneys.
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Hops: unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.
Iron Supplements (Vitamins): can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.
Liver (in large amounts): can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.
Macadamia nuts: contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the dog's digestive and nervous systems and muscle.
Marijuana: can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.
Mushrooms: can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.

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Onions and Garlic (in all forms): contains sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. 
Potato, Rhubarb, and Tomato leaves; Potato and Tomato stems: contain oxalates, which can affect a dog's digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.
Raw eggs: contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw fish (in large quantities): can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death.

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Tobacco: contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heartbeat, collapse, coma, and death.
Xylitol: a natural low-cal sweetener derived from Birchwood that's found in many chewing gums.
Yeast dough: can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Think your dog may have eaten something poisonous?

Call the Animal Poison Control Center at 1-(800)-213-6680 or visit their website at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.
($39 per incident fee applies)

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Ball Junkie - Addiction in Dogs

9/28/2014

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What started out as a game, somewhere along the line, has become serious. 

“Throw it! You are supposed to throw it!” He’s panting and foaming at the mouth, his body coiled like a spring. He looks at you, then the ball, then at you, then the ball.  You toss his favorite toy into the air and he leaps, with a slapping sound he snatches it from the air. An instant later it is at your feet. He looks at you, then the ball, then at you, then the ball… After 45 repetitions, he looks exhausted, but the intensity of his ping-pong gaze begs otherwise.

Where is the line between intense play and obsessive behavior? The reward system in a dog’s brain is similar to that in humans. Dogs can become literally addicted to certain activities much like humans do, often engaging in a behavior long after it have become pleasurable to do so.

Here are some warning signs that your dog may be an ball junkie. 
  1. Persistence: If you give clear communication to your dog that playtime is over and he continues to drop the ball at your feet again and again and again or whines or barks incessantly, this is a warning sign.
  2. Stiff Posture: When dogs are in play mode, their bodies are relaxed and their movements are fluid. A stiff posture or tense face may be a sign that your dog is fixated. Some dogs will exhibit tremors, often in the haunches or the lower jaw when they’re really jonesing.
  3. Guarding: Showing teeth, growling, or snapping in response to another dog (or human) taking control of their favorite toy shows that play has  stopped and the game has become serious.
  4. Tunnel Vision: A fixated dog only sees the object of fixation. He will not notice the truck going by, or the bird overhead, or the dog next to him attempting to initiate play. He may not notice a sprained leg, a cut pad, or bleeding gums. Some addicted dogs can play to exhaustion or even heat stroke.
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What not to do?
  1. Do not ignore the behavior. Without attention, the problem will not get better and can escalate. And remember, it isn’t fun for your dog but acutely stressful.
  2. Do not engage your dog in obsessive behavior with the hope that he will eventually tire of it. This is unlikely to happen and may put your dog’s health at risk. 
  3. Do not punish the behavior. Punishment increases stress which often strengthens anxiety making negative behavior more likely.
  4. Do not give in to your dog. Once you have made the decision that play is over, stick to it, even when confronted with those longing baby browns. When they whine or bark, be firm but gentle. It’s for their own good.

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What to do?
  1. Give your dog plenty of exercise and provide him a variety of stimulating activities.
  2. Mitigate sources of anxiety or frustration in the dogs environment. Often obsessive behaviors can be a fueled by other stressors.
  3. Stop play if obsessive behavior manifests or play a different game that does not include the valued object.
  4. Put toys away, out of sight, when playtime is over.

Final Note:  Each dog’s personality is different, know your dog and consult a certified trainer for advice. I hope these tips have been helpful.

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Team Zen Dog Walking at PAWS Walk 2014

8/16/2014

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Thanks to all our clients and friends that helped raise money to support PAWS - Progressive Animal Welfare Society this weekend at their yearly 5k fundraiser! Bowen, Root Beer, Madigan, and Nala look quite dashing in their green bandanas, don't they? — at Marymoor Park.



We exceeded our fund-raising goal, adding to the over $150,000 donated to the cause of rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals. We also had a pretty great time in the process.

Visit PAWS for more information about their work in the Pacific Northwest. Information on the 5K walk can be found here: PAWSWalk2014. Thanks again for everyone's generous support!
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    Aiden Swank
    ​Walker and Blog Manager
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    Michelle Ranken
    Walker and Contributer
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    ​Matthew Allan Von Itter
    Owner, Zen Dog Walking
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    Matthew circa 1979

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