4 Paws Canine Wellness

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?? Did you know that gas in dogs can be caused by many different factors:

Swallowing air: Introducing excess air to a dog’s digestive tract happens when dogs eat or drink too quickly or pant heavily. This excess air needs to be released somehow, and farting or burping is a dog’s natural way of releasing it.

Dietary causes: Certain foods, especially those high in fiber, fat, or unfamiliar ingredients, can cause gas. Table scraps, dairy, or spicy foods are common culprits and can cause gas in many dogs.

Food intolerance or allergy: Some dogs are sensitive to specific proteins, grains, or additives in their food.

Digestive imbalance: A disruption in the gut microbiome or mild gastrointestinal upset can lead to more gas production.

Underlying health issues: Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal parasites, or pancreatic insufficiency may cause chronic flatulence.

If you feel (or smell) like your dog is excessively gassy - a trip to the vet to investigate might be in order. Trust your instincts - always.

Dropping soon 💥💥💥

Canine First Aid & CPR courses.

Do you know what to do for your fur baby in case of emergency? Things happen - be prepared, be confident, be aware.

Courses will be offered in Toronto, Oshawa, and Peterborough to start, but I'm happy to take any requests for locations. 😊
🇨🇦

Stay tuned.....

What type of sniffer is your dog?

It's important to let your pooch take time to sniff on a walk. The walk is for exploration, exercise, and adventure beyond their walls.

Walks with these two are always a challenge. One is a chronic doom scroller (yes , it's like he's lost in the world of doggy tik tok), and the other likes to sniff, but also is more concerned with covering as much ground as possible 🏃‍♀️

We do as much as we can - and they love every minute of it. You further enrich their worlds wirh every step, sniff and view.

Commit to getting out with your pups and let them sniff. It's one of the biggest acts of love you can show them ❤️ 🐕❤️

Canine First Aid - tips and tricks

Temporary muzzles - if the doggo needs to be muzzled for safety reasons - follow these easy steps to keep you and the pooch safe:

1. Make a loop with a gauze roll, thin leash or piece of wide-ish cloth.

2. Tie the loop under the snout

3. Tie the end strips behind the ears

Voila! You have safety muzzled the pooch!

A credit to my furballs for taking part in this home-made muzzle shoot. Here I've used a yoga strap.

Believe it or not, this little fella does struggle with stress.

I just signed up for the Dog Anxiety Summit 🐶.
If your dog struggles with anxiety, fear, or stress-related behaviors, this free event helps you understand what’s really going on and what can actually help. Join me!

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🚨 TIP TUESDAY: “WHEN IS IT AN EMERGENCY?”

Not every issue is an emergency… but some signs mean don’t wait.

🚩 Get to a vet IMMEDIATELY if your dog has:

• Difficulty breathing or excessive panting at rest
• Pale, white, or blue gums
• Collapse, weakness, or inability to stand
• Continuous vomiting or diarrhea (especially with blood)
• Seizures or unresponsiveness
• Bloated or hard abdomen (possible GDV)
• Known toxin ingestion (chocolate, xylitol, meds, etc.)

In an emergency… one of the FASTEST ways to assess your dog is:

👉 Check their gums

Healthy gums should be pink, moist, and slippery

🚨 Call your vet immediately if you see:

• ⚪ Pale / white gums → possible shock or blood loss
• 🔵 Blue / grey gums → oxygen emergency
• 🔴 Bright red gums → heatstroke or toxicity
• 🟡 Yellow gums → possible liver issue
• 🟣 Purple gums → severe oxygen problem

⏱️ This takes seconds — and can tell you EVERYTHING.

👉 Lift the lip, press gently, and look.

Because when your dog can’t tell you what’s wrong…
their gums will.

⏱️ In emergencies, minutes matter.

Your job isn’t to diagnose —
it’s to recognize, respond, and get help fast.

👉 Save this post so you don’t have to think twice in the moment.

I discovered a new chew toy for my pair of power chewers!

Coconuts!!

For $1.75 each, I have chew toys for my floofers who destroy almost every toy - even the super expensive "indestructible" ones that, FYI, are destroyed in my house. They have yet to cause any damage to these!

Are they safe? Yes!
As always, toys should be supervised, but they are safe, provide a ball like toy (many dogs love a good ball!), the fibre they scrape off from the outside is perfectly safe and provide a level of toughness I've yet to see in a dog toy. (OK, maybe a chuck it ball is close).

*if they do manage to get inside the coconut, I would take it away. The flesh is not super harmful but may cause some gastrointestinal upset

I love discovering new and cheap toys!

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