It Use to Discuss Me

Does your dog burp?

Mine does!

What is a burp? According to Wikipedia, a burp (also known as a belch, rectus or eructation) is the release of gas from the digestive tract. It most commonly comes from the esophagus (the tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach) or from the stomach. It is accompanied by a typical sound and occasionally that sound (air) can be accompanied by an odor.

According to Wikipedia, “burping” is significantly quieter and much more subtle than “belching.”

Burping occurs when there is swallowed air in the esophagus or stomach. It is common for some dogs to swallow air when eating or drinking – especially when they eat too quickly.

I have known people that had a Boston Terrier that drove them crazy. After every meal, the dog would come over to sit right in front of them ….. and burp!

My dog has done it occasionally, but it is not a common occurrence, maybe twice a year.

Dogs are funny, aren’t they?

So, what can you do about your dog’s burping?

The best thing you can do is to encourage your dog to eat slower (easier said than done if your dog is one of those that “inhales” his food). Giving your pet smaller amounts of water to drink may help solve the problem. Another method to stop dog burping is to buy a slow-feed dog bowl so he will have to eat his kibble from around built-in knobs, thus slowing down those eat-fast instincts. Both measures will prevent him from swallowing air. The key lesson is to simply make him eat and drink slowly.

If your dog doesn’t typically burp too much and now you are noticing a significant increase, there are chances that your dog may be developing an upset stomach. Figuring out why your dog’s stomach may be upset can be a challenge. If you recently changed dog food, changes are notorious for causing digestive problems in dogs. New dog food should be switched gradually over the course of several days.

Be alert to any significant changes in your dog’s burping habits. If you notice signs of discomfort, call your veterinarian.

Does your dog burp? Is it often in your face? This use to discuss me, now I make a mental note to myself to make sure it does not become a pattern.

What experiences have you had with burping dogs? I would love to learn from you.

CPR For Your Dog

For those of you who know me and those of you who have read my writings, you know that my lifeblood comes from my dog.

I get great pleasure from just sitting and watching my dog. Often during these times, my dog is sleeping. Conversely, there have been times when watching my dog almost causes me to panic. I hate to omit it, but I have intentionally tapped my dog with my foot or called his name loudly or even went to him and picked his head up simply because I was not sure he was breathing.

One of the most awful experiences any of us dog parents could face would be if your dog stops breathing and has no heartbeat.

A dog that goes without breathing for longer than 3 to 5 minutes can suffer permanent brain damage.  After 10 minutes there is essentially no hope of survival.

What would you do if this happened to your dog?  I have these instructions close by in my dog’s cabinet. I wish I could cite where I got them, but they are old and now on just a sheet of paper that is occasionally looked at when searching for something else.

Make sure the dog is in cardiopulmonary arrest (the cessation of breathing and heartbeat) before starting CPR – if he is not in arrest, you could be injured. Watch for the dog’s chest to rise and fall to determine if he is breathing.  If there are no breaths for 10 seconds, stay calm and begin CPR.

The ABCs of CPR:

• Airway – First, check your pet’s mouth and throat to make sure the airway is open and clean. Lay the dog on his side, extend the head, open the mouth, pull out his tongue and check for obstructions. If you are uncertain, you may need to perform a finger sweep, running your index finger around the dog’s mouth, along the cheek and across the back of the throat.

Try to dislodge whatever is blocking the airway by performing 5 to 10 abdominal thrusts (like the Heimlich maneuver).  If this works, your dog may regain consciousness, or you may still need to perform CPR.

Swelling could also be blocking the airway.  If this is the case, your dog needs to be treated by a veterinarian immediately.

• Breathing – Once the airway is clear and the dog is still not breathing, begin artificial respirations. Hold the mouth closed tightly and place your mouth around the dog’s nose or nose and mouth (depending on the dog’s size). Create a seal with your lips and/or hand. Give two breaths, watching for the chest to rise and the lungs to expand.  (Be careful not to overinflate, especially in small dogs.) Wait for the air to be released before breathing again.  After giving two breaths, watch for the dog to start breathing on his own.  If not, continue artificial respirations. (For large dogs, administer 12 to 20 breaths per minute, and 20 to 25 breaths for small dogs.)

• Circulation – While watching for breaths, feel your dog’s chest near the left elbow to check for a heartbeat. If you did not feel a heartbeat, begin cardiac compressions. The process is a little different depending on the dog’s size.
• For small dogs weighing less than 10 pounds, hold the pet around his chest using your dominant hand. (The thumb should be on one side and four fingers on the other side.) Squeeze 100 to 150 times a minute.
• For small dogs weighing more than 10 pounds, use the ball of your dominant hand to compress the chest while using the non-dominant hand to support the dog’s back and keep him from sliding. Compress the chest by about 25 to 33 percent of its diameter.
• In medium and large dogs, use one or two hands to compress the widest part of the chest by 25 to 33 percent of its diameter. Do this 80 to 120 times a minute. To deliver optimal force, lean over the dog and compress his chest with your elbow(s) locked. Compressions can also be delivered over the sternum (breastbone) with the dog on his back.

Coordinate artificial respirations and chest compressions. If you are alone, give two breaths after every 15 compressions.  If you have help, give one breath during every second or third compression.

Get the dog to a veterinarian or emergency clinic as soon as possible. If possible, transport the dog during CPR. (Even if he recovers from CPR a veterinarian should examine him.)

I have never had to use CPR on a dog. And as I mentioned earlier, these instructions are quite old. The American Red Cross has changed their CPR practices for humans. I am not sure if the CPR method for dogs has changed or not. Do you?

Let me know if you have experience giving CPR to a dog or even if you have seen a veterinarian do it. I would love to learn from you.

It Won’t Happen To Me

I see sad dog stories on television and on social media often. However, this past weekend a story hit me harder than usual. There was a house fire and one person died, another was injured and the dog was missing. The ending was happy as the survivor and the dog was reunited and the community helped to pay the veterinarian bills.

What if something horrific happened to me or you? Have we planned appropriately for this?

No one wants to imagine the worst. We often think that if we imagine something bad, we tempt fate and the bad thing really could happen.

No, we don’t necessarily want to concentrate on the negative. But if we don’t consider all the bad things that could happen to our dogs, how can we be prepared to help save their lives?

You can’t always control everything that your dog does, but you can be prepared for the unexpected. You can’t explain the dangers of the world to your dog, but you can keep them in mind and learn how to deal with them so that your dog will be more likely to survive them.

Here’s a list of a few things to do to keep your dog safe:

6. Keep a collar on to identify your dog. Every dog should have a collar. This is the best way to be reunited with your dog quickly if he is ever lost or injured. You’d be surprised how often this happens. **I will write more about keeping collars on/off dogs in the future. This topic can be controversial.
7. ID your dog. Please use an ID tag and microchip in case your dog gets lost or gets out and loses his collar. Many people are never reunited with their pets because the pets don’t have any form of identification.
8. Keep a leash or harness by the door in case you need to get out of the house quickly with your dog or dogs – especially in case of a fire or other critical emergency. Keep multiple leashes if you have multiple dogs.
9. Keep fire safety stickers on the house so firemen will know how many of each kind of pet are inside.
10. Observe your dog for problems and know the common signs of illness. Call your vet when you detect a problem.
11. Keep emergency phone numbers handy e.g. vet, emergency clinic, humane society, animal rescue, poison control. Print and keep this list of emergency phone numbers in some place easy to find.

I think I do a good job of being prepared, but I know there is always room for improvement. Do you have a plan in place? What recommendations do you have? I would love to learn from you.