WESTIE TIPS OF THE MONTH

June 20, 2006 - Our June meeting was held at the beautiful home of Helene and Chris Wood, and Helene enlisted the help of Kitty Borah to provide members with a wonderful homemade dinner of lasagna, salad, and brownies.  For an additional treat, everyone got to see Wilson and MacKenzie (Helene's and Kitty's Westies) perform some clever tricks.  The meeting was an open forum where members discussed health care and training tips that worked for them.  Mellodee White received the prize (2006 Westie Christmas ornament) for bringing the most tips to the meeting and Jennifer Garrison received second place (Westie heart box).  Below are some of the tips shared by members:   What to do for mats in your dog’s coat? Use fabric softener by working it into the coat, and then combing through the tangles.  Cornstarch also works well as a detangler (and as a "dry" bath for your dog).    What to do for hair breakage? Use a conditioner in the coat, such as “Kolestral” (available at Sally's Beauty Supply).   Have trouble finding a toy your Westie won’t destroy? Buy durable “Hard Core Fire Hose” dog toys made from fire hoses.  A lot of the pet stores are carrying them now.   Want to help stave off those chin hair red stains around the mouth of your dog? Using bottled water or filtered water helps.  Also, putting a little lemon juice in the water will help.   Getting up doggie urine stains and smells: Cornstarch helps to clean puppy urine out of carpets.  Pour a good amount of cornstarch on the affected area; allow time for it to soak up the pee, then vacuum.  Pet stores carry such products as “Nature’s Miracle” or “Simple Solution” for stains and odor removal.  Also, “Oreck Pet Odor and Stain Remover” is available at Oreck Vacuum stores.

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TIPS OF THE MONTH, CONTINUED

What to do about stains on the feet? Most stains are caused by a dog licking his feet, and the saliva may turn the coat reddish in color.  Sometimes the licking of the paws signifies an allergy to grasses, foods, etc., so discovering what the allergy is may help.  Sometimes it is done out of boredom and develops into a habit.  With seasonal allergies, Tavist P or Benadryl may help, but consult a vet before using anything.  Sometimes discoloration is caused by a bacterial infection (or by licking due to irritation from an infection), and your vet may prescribe a topical solution and/or antibiotics.  Some members use an antifungal spray or powder (e.g., Tinactin or Gold Bond) to prevent or to help fight such infections.   For grass allergies, one member suggested placing a rubber or plastic tub at the door with a couple of inches of water in it to clean and dry the feet when the dogs return from outside.  Another suggestion was the use of doggie booties.   Some members have found a "raw diet" helpful for food allergies.  This diet is supposed to help mimic what a dog in the wild might eat, and usually consists of approximately 60% raw meat (e.g., chicken), 15% raw vegetables, 10% offal (e.g., liver, kidney, heart), 10% various additives (e.g., flax seed, kelp, crushed garlic), and 5% raw fruit.  Some stores sell re-constituted raw diet patties (such as "The Dog Bowl" in Rice Village in Houston).  Probably the most popular raw diet is the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet, and more information may be found doing an Internet search.   Healthful snacks for your dog: Sugar snaps, raw green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and limited raw carrots were suggested.   Have a problem with pet toys all over the house? At least one of our members has trained their Westies to put their toys away every evening.  First, the dog was taught to retrieve a toy (bringing it back to their master); then the dog was taught to release the toy to their master; then, using a Cheerio (dry unsweetened cereal) as a reward, they held their hand (with treat) over the toy box, so the dog would retrieve the toy, and release the toy over the toy box, getting the Cheerio as a treat.  With repetition, they learn where the toys go!