A Pet's View / August 2006
Dogged Days
Every dog is different, but vets say that some questions seem to come up with great regularity. New puppy owners generally have two issues that worry them. First, is it okay for a puppy to eat toilet paper? And second, how long can a puppy ‘hold it’?
The good news about toilet paper, the favored interior design material of discerning
puppies, is that all that paper rolled all over the house is more about being playful than hunger and is rarely a cause for concern. Tissue products are made of indigestible fiber that usually passes harmlessly through a dog’s digestive tract. Only if the dog has actually eaten scads of paper and begins to retch or vomit or becomes constipated is a call to the vet in order.
The rule of thumb on puppy retention is the number or hours equal to its age in months. A four month old puppy could wait four hours. A six month puppy could wait six hours.
The usual vet tip for getting a dog to take its medicine is to make a little ravioli-like snack from soft sandwich cheese with the pill inside. For some dogs, a pill tucked into a small ball of mashed potatoes is a quick fix. Some vets say to store the pills in the dogs treat jar, so it absorbs the smell of the treat. For liquids, a squirt from a syringe is the universal
suggestion.
Although many dogs drink from the toilet, there are worse places they can choose. Birdbaths are among the worst. Birds carry fungal diseases that infect both dogs and humans. Dogs should have their own outside water bowl, somewhere the birds can’t get to it.
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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