Is it my imagination or are fleas already wreaking havoc on area dogs? It seems everyone we know is complaining about fleas! I don’t like using the chemicals currently on the market to control fleas, but occasionally I have to. If you don’t want to use chemicals, what are your other options?

My dog Yankee has walked all of his life in what’s called a “pace” gait. Unlike a standard gait where a dog’s diagonal legs move at the same time, a pace gate is where both limbs on the same side move forward and backward at the same time.

Thanks to DogTread, here’s a short video to show what I mean by a pace gait.

Has your dog been scratching a lot? I know my dog Yankee has. He doesn’t have fleas, so my next choice is some sort of allergy. After working with him and his diet, I’ve concluded that he has some environmental allergies. I only use natural cleansers in my home, limit fertilization and pesticides, so I don’t think that’s the problem.

I think we have all finally learned that inhaling second-hand smoke is just as bad as smoking.

The State of Colorado and Connecticut Departments of Public Health conducted studies and found that second hand smoke is greatly associated with nasal sinus cancer and linked to lung cancer in dogs. The incidence of nasal cavity tumors in dogs that were exposed to second-hand smoke was higher than dogs that lived in households with non-smoking members.

Prior to 2005, I didn’t know there was such a thing as canine massage! But after a vivid dream, I researched it, and changed careers. As ridiculous as it may sound to some people, aqua therapy, massage, aromatherapy, acupressure, and other modalities are viable, proven, non-invasive, holistic options for maintaining health and treating a wide range of conditions both in humans and animals.

What do you think is the best gift you can give your pet? Could it be your love? Or your time? Those are definitely important, but I think the best gift we can give our beloved pet companions is the gift of health.

I give my dog Beau table food as I’ve done with all my other dogs. The one mistake I made in the past was giving them tidbits while I was eating and as a result they became very good at begging! Often times I’d have these eyes peering up at me from my lap and find a wet napkin from their attempt to lick off morsels of food that may have been wiped from my mouth. This of course is unacceptable especially when you have company for dinner.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately on the use of stem cells in the treatment of chronic conditions in humans. The question is whether these cells are viable or will they be rejected by the recipient. With animals, this is not a concern as stem cells are sourced and harvested from the animal’s own fat cells offering little danger of rejection.

Although I think most people are familiar with dysplasia, I thought it might be of use to just review what it is. Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are the common terms used to describe the abnormal development of the respective joints. Both hip and elbow dysplasia are inherited conditions.

Believe it or not, dogs are born to work. With a few exceptions, most are bred for a particular working purpose, such as herding, guarding, or pulling carts. dog sleeping on couch web sized

So what’s the predominant job our dogs do now? You got it – couch potato.

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888