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13/06/2025

Povidone Iodine—Nature’s Antimicrobial Solution🌱🦠🐾

If paws are bleeding🩸, have sores, or trauma from licking, I recommend using povidone iodine (Betadine™)—a safe, nontoxic solution that’s antifungal (for yeast and dermatophytes ), antibacterial (even against resistant infections ), doesn’t sting, and promotes wound healing .

If the paws are inflamed or have open sores or abrasions, soak them longer, ideally 2 to 5 minutes. This helps effectively address potential sources of infection, reducing the need for oral antibiotics or other drugs.

There's also a 25+ page "SUMMER ITCH GUIDE" filled with paw soaks, ear cleaners, hotspot remedies, and natural ear infection protocols available to download NOW in the Inside Scoop group!

Heat, moisture, and allergens create the perfect storm for itching, licking, and inflammation.👅🔥 Paws are often the first point of contact with allergens, irritants, and moisture ☀️🌳🏖️ - all of which can contribute to or worsen issues like environmental allergies, yeast overgrowth, parasites, and bacterial infections.

On Sunday's episode of the Inside Scoop, we broke down what’s behind these frustrating issues — and exactly how to prevent and treat them using safe, natural remedies for irritated paws, inflamed ears, and chronic skin problems.

Comment SCOOPERS and we'll message you the link to join Inside Scoop, a Planet Paws monthly subscription group, where all live podcasts are available to watch at any time. Plus, over 5 years of content including: past live podcasts, interviews, ebook downloads, and more!

12/06/2025

04/06/2025

Cancer is always a scary thought! This is a good picture of signs to watch for in our pets that may signal something is wrong and that cancer could be the culprit. If you notice these symptoms, it’s definitely good to get your sweetie checked out by a veterinarian.

22/05/2025

19/05/2025

A Wisconsin bird rehabilitation group is warning people to stop feeding grape jelly to orioles and other birds, as it is causing unintended harm.

The trend of putting out some grape jelly or other similar jelly for fruit-loving birds has grown over the years, with some birdfeeders even offering a place specifically designed to hold jelly. Birds like orioles, warblers, thrashers, catbirds, and other birds love the sweet fruit-based treat. While these birds love the high-energy food, it is leading to unintended consequences for some feathered creatures.

The Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI), a Wisconsin nonprofit dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of wild birds and public education about these creatures, issued a message on Facebook at the beginning of June that explains that while there are some benefits to this trend, it is also leading to harm for some birds, such as hummingbirds.

Why do people put out grape jelly for birds?

In recent years, bird lovers have started putting out grape jelly for orioles and other fruit-loving birds as an alternative to putting out pieces of fruit, like orange slices or halves of oranges.
The idea behind this is that it is a convenient high-energy food for birds that would easily keep in a container put outside.

While initially geared toward orioles, a number of bird species have been drawn to the sticky food source. Included in that are hummingbirds, who appreciate the sweet food, but is leading to problems.

What's the issue with putting out grape jelly?

REGI explains that there are two key issues with putting out grape (or other) jelly.

The first issue is that hummingbirds and some other birds will get the sticky substance on their feet and/or feathers, causing harm.

The organization explains that they've recently admitted three adult ruby-throated hummingbirds from different areas, all within a short span of time this year. All three of the birds were covered in a coating of grape jelly, leading to considerable struggles for the birds. One of the patients had actually deceased on arrival, while the others needed care. These three hummingbirds are a few of what they see as a growing trend.

You can see a couple of photos published by REGI, showing the effect on their feathers and attempt to clean the mess off of them.

Group Urges Bird Lovers To Stop Feeding Grape Jelly to Orioles | https://krforadio.com/bird-rehabilitation-group-urges-bird-lovers-to-stop-feeding-grape-jelly-to-orioles

27/04/2025

24/03/2025

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘀?

It’s called Oral Allergy Syndrome and though it’s not super common it does happen. If you have a dog that has severe allergies you probably care that it can happen!
Some examples, though not a complete list.

🌱𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯- 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘴

🌳𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯- 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘴, 𝘬𝘪𝘸𝘪, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴

𝘈𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯- 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

🌱𝘙𝘢𝘨𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘥 (𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭)- 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘥𝘦𝘸, 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘶𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘻𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢.

If you regularly add these foods to your dog’s diet and they suffer from seasonal allergies, I would skip them during the bad pollen seasons, just to be safe. There are plenty of other fresh foods to add, so why chance exacerbating the situation.

👉You can track your local area pollen forecasts online.

21/03/2025

When your dog chews on a raw recreational bone🦴, especially a meaty one🍖 with cartilage and soft tissue still attached, their teeth🦷 get the equivalent of a good brushing and flossing, but they’re doing the work, not you. In fact, one study found offering dogs raw bones removed the majority of plaque🪥 and tartar from the molars and the first and second premolars in less than three days!

Sadly, there are dogs in this world that will never get to enjoy the good chew of a bone🦴 due to a behavior called resource guarding, which can be one of the most challenging behaviors to manage in dogs. Whether your dog is becoming possessive over their food, raw meaty bones, or toys, or reacting defensively to a situation out of fear, these behaviors can lead to stressful and potentially dangerous situations. The good news is that they can be managed with the right training techniques.

If your dog is resource guarding, is leash reactive, or exhibiting aggression toward other animals or humans. Understanding the underlying causes of these behaviors and implementing the proper training techniques can make a significant difference in managing these behaviors.

If you’re navigating these challenges, have a reactive dog, or want to learn how to keep yourself and your dog safe from aggression, we’ve got the perfect episode for you.

This Sunday on the Inside Scoop, we’re joined by Michael Shikashio, CDBC, a leading expert in canine behavior and aggression. He’ll be sharing practical solutions for common issues like:

🦮 How to protect yourself and your dog from aggressive or overaroused off-leash dogs.

🦮 Techniques for safely breaking up a dog fight.

🦮 Defensive handling strategies and emergency scenarios with aggressive dogs.

🦮 How stress and fear fuel aggression—and how to address these root causes.

Tune in this Sunday at 12 PM ET for expert advice, actionable tips, and demonstrations that will help you feel more confident and prepared when dealing with dog aggression.

Comment SCOOPERS and we'll message you the link to join Inside Scoop, a Planet Paws monthly subscription group. All live podcasts are recorded and available to watch later. You’ll also be able to watch over 5 years of content including: past live podcasts, interviews, ebook downloads, and more!

25/08/2024

Today's Dog Training Myth of the Day: "Only tell them once!"

What if you ask a dog (whatever age, breed, s*x, background, training level) to do something, but there is no response?

Set aside the myth of "only tell them once." Good rule of thumb: if it were a toddler, what would you do? Probably wait a few beats, be sure you had the kid's attention, then ask again.

Just like us, dogs may not be tuned in 100% because they are busy having their own experience of life which may or may not include you at any moment.

If you *do* have the pup's attention, and they did hear you, next step is to consider that they do not understand and/or don't see the point!

I've often asked clients to stand on a chair and sing happy birthday. I've done it while they were trying to take notes. Result: no compliance, and they say usually say, "Sorry - I was focused on taking notes. What did you say?"

If they are paying attention to me but look at me as if I'm crazy, I ask, "Did you understand what I asked? You did? So why aren't you doing it?" Inevitably the answer is, "I don't want to" or "Why would I do that?" It helped them understand how their dogs might be responding.

So give your dogs the courtesy of clear communication, engage attention first, be sure there is understanding, and make it worthwhile for the dog to work with you. Respect, courtesy and taking responsibility for what we are communicating and how we are communicating -- those are all supportive of healthy dog/human relationships.

This does not mean repeating, Sit-sit-sit-sit-sit-sit which is not good communication no matter who you're talking to! 😊

If you want and need response to just one request (and this has great value!), you first have to teach understanding, understand that connection and attention must come first always, then develop the skill, tighten the criteria and make it worthwhile. Then practice!!!

05/08/2024

15/07/2024

🐶😺 Many pets have health problems caused by too much inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can be a precursor for cancer or malignancy. Any disease syndrome that ends in "-itis" is inflammation: arthritis, hepatitis, cystitis, gastritis, myocarditis, dermatitis, etc. Allergies, kidney disease, and dementia (also known as cognitive dysfunction) are also caused by inflammation in the body.

Omega3: https://tinyurl.com/ys6yhms6
Bone broth: https://tinyurl.com/53s6a9z5
Mushrooms: https://tinyurl.com/yv938fx6

15/07/2024

The next book we'd like to showcase is "It's OK That You're Not OK" by Megan Devine.

This book really emphasizes the importance of you navigating the grief you feel at a pace, and in a way, that works for you. We live in a very "death phobic" society, and so when we do experience a loss, there is often pressure to return back to normal as quickly as possible. That pressure is antithetical to the normal healing process we must go through.

Additionally, when it comes to pet loss there is often a disenfranchisement of our grief that occurs. It's not uncommon to hear people say things like, "It's just a pet" or otherwise try to diminish the grief you may be feeling. It's unfortunate, but society places different "values" on different types of grief and that can leave you feeling alone, misunderstood, and having your feelings invalidated.

There is no need to gatekeep the grieving process. Grief is grief.