Walking your dog is very important for their physical, mental and emotional health.
Do walk your dogs every day around the neighborhood so they can exercise and smell “pee-mails.”
Walking also stimulates their minds, and makes them happy as they get to expend excess energy and “socialize” with other dogs.
During these walks, they do their pee and poo business. Please bring toilet paper or newspaper to scoop the poop and put these in a plastic bag for proper disposal later.
Often, you will encounter dog and cat droppings—evidence of how some dog owners can be so irresponsible. Try to avoid these droppings and encourage other pet owners to pick up after their pets.
Because a lot of diseases can be passed on through infected droppings—some of them deadly like parvo virus—please make sure:
1. your pet’s vaccination is up-to-date;
2. your pet’s immune system is strong through proper nutrition; and
3. make sure your pet will not bring into the house any germ and virus.
After walks and exposure outside the tiled areas of the house, please give your pet a good wipe down from the face to the body using baby wipes or a clean face towel.
Paws need special attention as they come into contact with dirt, pee and excrement. The simplest way to disinfect them is to do a paw soak. This is very important as you do not want your pet to lick his/her paws with all those dirt he/she could have walked on.
A paw soak is very simple. Here are the items you will need:
1. water;
2. povidone-iodine; and
3. a container where you can wash your dog’s paws.
The water should be enough to cover the paws. Put the povidone-iodine solution in the water (one teaspoon may be enough) until the color of the mixture is similar to that of iced tea. Mix well. Then let your dog stand inside the basin or container for at least two minutes.
For medium-sized dogs, you can use a basin where they can stand up.
An alternative is a small dipper or tabo but you can only soak one paw at a time.
According to Dr. Karen Becker, “Povidone-iodine is an organic iodine solution. It's safe, non-toxic, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-yeast.”
After soaking the paws in the mixture, wipe their paws dry and they are ready to go! Their feet will smell good —all clean and healthy!
Rhodora “Rhodes” Lao became a supporter of animal rescue groups in the past year after adopting her first two dogs, Schnitzel and Logan. A wife to a supportive husband, Dennis, and mother to two intelligent and animal-loving daughters Shannen and Sabine, she is passionate about giving the best natural care for her dogs and promoting responsible pet ownership.