View from the eyes of a Dachshund

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Howard Young

View from the eyes of a Dachshund, a photo by Howard O. Young on Flickr.

This weekend I was attempting to pull off a few pictures of my Motorola Droid for my wife that I’ve been taking throughout the year. It seemed like a simple task of emailing them to her gmail account and from there she could archive them for future use in an Altar Guild Manual she is updating for our Church. But there simply were too many photos and of course it is much easier to connect the Droid via USB and copy the files to your computer.

That is easier said than done. I’m running XP Service Pack 2 and you need to upgrade to Service Pack 3 for Windows to recognize the Droid as a device. I don’t want to bore you with the details of upgrading, but I did find some nice photos of my dogs that I plan to post now and then.

Odie, one of my Dotson Dogs, enjoys sitting on my lap especially when I’m trying to have my lunch outside on a glorious summer afternoon. I’m sure that even he appreciates his home cooked dog food made of pumpkin and chicken, he would like to share my sandwich with him.

I’ve often tried to get a low-rider view of the Dachshund by lying on my belly to get their point of view from 8 inches off the ground. Usually what happens is that one of them will come up and try to sneak in a kiss and smears the camera lens. The UV Haze filter really comes in handy keeping the lens clean plus dog slobber wipes off with a lint free cloth.

What is the Best Indoor Dog Ramp?

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Howard Young

Clever design of the Dura Ruff Indoor Dog Ramp (Photo: ClknGo/drsfostersmith.com)

My three Doxies just love to get onto the couch to sit with their “Mommy,” but Chloe our oldest Dachshund has a difficult time hopping up and navigating those “dog steps for small dogs.” Most likely it is her cataracts that are giving her problems seeing things since she tends to leap horizontally off the couch landing on all fours instead of the front two paws like normal dogs. If you put a cape on her, she would look like a flying Dachshund.

We’ve tried a make-shift indoor dog ramp out of furniture for her to get onto our bed, but the incline is somewhat steep for her to walk up to those comfy pillows she loves to sleep on top of.

I’ve been researching and looking for the best indoor dog ramp for many years now and I believe that I may have found one. At $160, I have to admit the price is somewhat twice expensive for most ramps on the market, but caring for your dog may outweigh the price. Drs. Foster and Smith Dura-Ruff® Indoor ramp is a very well designed sectional pet ramp that allows you to configure the sections in a straight or right angle. The incline is not too steep so it should work for Chloe.

It has a rubber-like fabric cover that gives the extra traction. Plus they carry replacement cover so you don’t have to go out and buy a new ramp. If I can get all my three dogs to use it, I’m sure they’ll wear it out.

The ramp comes in four colors, so it will blend into your décor with little trouble. Now, only if I can convince my Doxie’s “Mommy” to buy the best indoor dog ramp, I’ll be able to give you an update to this review and we’ll see if it really helps our dogs.

Underwater Treadmill for Back Surgery Rehabilitation

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Howard Young

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Dog on treadmill (Photo: Flickr/University of Missouri System)

The other day, I was taken back to my distant memory when a reader posted several concerns about Scottie her Dachshund with back problems and how long he was taking to recover from back surgery. I failed to respond that when Odie started on his six month rehabilitation program, one of the options the pet hospital offered was retraining on an underwater treadmill.

During that first month of wobbly legs and wondering if he would ever recover, I determined that the next step in his program was the aquatic treadmill filled with warm buoyant water to get those little legs moving and strengthened again.

But Odie recovered slowly at first then with exponential speed in recovery. With his rapid recovery he never had the opportunity or need to this type of rehabilitation. It’s hard to say if it Odie would have had full recovery if he went on this program rather than partial paralysis in his right rear.

How Dog Treadmills Work for Rehab

According to Ferno Veterinary Systems, they have seen reduced recovery time of 50-60% in canines rehabilitating from injury and surgery. Since the water provides buoyancy and near zero-g pressure on the paralyzed limbs, the treadmill and water pushing them back and forth help the pet with spinal cord injuries regain the ability to walk again.

The water provides a warm safe environment to strengthen the dog’s muscles that have atrophied due to the loss of use of the limbs. During Odie’s rehab, it was very difficult to provide him adequate support while he was taking baby steps in the relearning and healing process. I had to be extremely careful not to hurt him post surgery using the belly sling or my hands for support.

With underwater treadmills, the warm water provides the support and gives enough resistance for the muscles to grow as the dog recovers from his injury.

Fiber for Dogs

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Howard Young

Pumpkin is an excellent source of fiber for your dogs.

Adding fiber to diet

Like people, dogs need fiber to help in the digestion of their food. More important, the fiber is a bulk-forming laxative which is extremely important for dogs that suffer from an Anal Sac disease. The anal sac gland in dogs is used to mark territories and as an identification to other dogs. With a bulky stool, the gland expresses the liquid. Sometimes without the fiber, the glands fail to empty causing discomfort. Dogs respond to this condition by scooting their rear end across grass or carpeting.

If your dog exhibits this problem, you should address this symptom with a Vet. The Vet may express the glands inspecting the liquid for possible blockage or infection. Your dog’s anus also may become raw and infected due to the constant scooting. Sometimes the glands rupture so this scooting – or what you may believe is a bad behavior – needs to be addressed.

Depending on the condition, your Vet may recommend simple expressing of the gland. Groomers should do this prior to bathing, but if you bathe your dogs, you may want to have your Vet show you how to do it. If your dog continues having problems, removal of the gland is an option; however, there is a nerve that sometimes nicked during surgery that will cause your dog to lose control of its bowel.

Adding fiber to your dog’s diet usually alleviates or reduces the symptoms of an Anal Sac disease by bulking up the stool.

Best source of fiber

The best source of fiber is from natural resources that come from plants and is good and healthy for your dog. My Vet recommends adding pumpkin as the primary fiber source. I was feeding our dogs a chicken and rice, but he said that type of diet does not add fiber and often used to reduce diarrhea.

The squash family is high in fiber and nutrients. Our three dogs love it! Chloe who is a very picky eater and turned her nose up to commercial dog foods now devours her meals containing squash. You can find squash all year long either in fresh, frozen or canned forms.

Canned pumpkin for dogs

Pumpkin is one of the better sources of nutrition and fiber that you can add to your dog’s diet. It contains about 5g of fiber per ½ cup and is a high source of calcium and vitamins. Since canned pumpkin is precooked, it is very easy to mix into your dog’s food. You don’t have to deal with preparing the squash and cooking it.

Natural dog diet

Our Dachshunds live exclusively on a natural dog food diet of pumpkin and chicken. Every two days we cook two chicken breasts and mix in can of pumpkin. It makes six servings for our three Miniature Dachshunds. This has been their diet for several years and they seem to thrive on it; however, it does take time to prepare and make the fresh food for them every other day.

High fiber dog food brands

If cooking is not for you, there are some dog food brands that contain fiber. You can try mixing in fiber to your dog’s favorite meal or you can try these brands:

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Calorie Control High Fiber Dry or Canned Food (Amazon)
Innova Senior Dog Food with natural fiber and reduced protein
Landy Dr Chew Sweet Potato Chews (dog treats)

Other Options

Fiber supplements that we take in soluble forms (e.g. Metamucil®) have added ingredients that I do not recommend giving to your pet. However, I do add Konsyl to Odie’s diet when he sometimes needs the extra bulk. Konsyl is made from Psyllium husks and has no added sugar or sugar substitutes. I add about a ¼ tsp of Konsyl with some water to his food. However, use with caution as their label prescribes.

Adding fiber to diet

Like people, dogs need fiber to help in the digestion of their food.More important, the fiber is a bulk-forming laxative which is extremely important for dogs that suffer from an Anal Sac disease.The anal sac gland in dogs is used to mark territories and as an identification to other dogs.With a bulky stool, the gland expresses the liquid.Sometimes without the fiber, the glands fail to empty causing discomfort.Dogs respond to this condition by scooting their rear end across grass or carpeting.

If your dog exhibits this problem, you should address this symptom with a Vet.The Vet may express the glands inspecting the liquid for possible blockage or infection.Your dog’s anus also may become raw and infected due to the constant scooting.Sometimes the glands rupture so this scooting – or what you may believe is a bad behavior – needs to be addressed.

Depending on the condition, your Vet may recommend simple expressing of the gland.Groomers should do this prior to bathing, but if you bathe your dogs, you may want to have your Vet show you how to do it.If your dog continues having problems, removal of the gland is an option; however, there is a nerve that sometimes nicked during surgery that will cause your dog to lose control of its bowel.

Adding fiber to your dog’s diet usually alleviates or reduces the symptoms of an Anal Sac disease by bulking up the stool.

Best source of fiber

The best source of fiber is from natural resources that come from plants and is good and healthy for your dog.My Vet recommends adding pumpkin as the primary fiber source.I was feeding our dogs a chicken and rice, but he said that type of diet does not add fiber and often used to reduce diarrhea.

The squash family is high in fiber and nutrients.Our three dogs love it!Chloe who is a very picky eater and turned her nose up to commercial dog foods now devours her meals containing squash. You can find squash all year long either in fresh, frozen or canned forms.

Canned pumpkin for dogs

Pumpkin is one of the better sources of nutrition and fiber that you can add to your dog’s diet.It contains about 5g of fiber per ½ cup and is a high source of calcium and vitamins.Since canned pumpkin is precooked, it is very easy to mix into your dog’s food.You don’t have to deal with preparing the squash and cooking it.

Natural dog diet

Our Dachshunds live exclusively on a natural dog food diet of pumpkin and chicken.Every two days we cook two chicken breasts and mix in can of pumpkin.It makes six servings for our three Miniature Dachshunds.This has been their diet for several years and they seem to thrive on it; however, it does take time to prepare and make the fresh food for them every other day.

High fiber dog food brands

If cooking is not for you, there are some dog food brands that contain fiber.You can try mixing in fiber to your dog’s favorite meal or you can try these brands:

Royal Canin Veterinary Di

Adding fiber to diet

Adding fiber to your dog’s diet usually alleviates or reduces the symptoms of an Anal Sac disease by bulking up the stool.

Best source of fiber

Canned pumpkin for dogs

Natural dog diet

High fiber dog food brands

If cooking is not for you, there are some dog food brands that contain fiber. You can try mixing in fiber to your dog’s favorite meal or you can try these brands:

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Calorie Control High Fiber Dry or Canned Food (Amazon)
Innova Senior Dog Food with natural fiber and reduced protein
Landy Dr Chew Sweet Potato Chews (dog treats)

Other Options

et Canine Calorie Control High Fiber Dry or Canned Food (Amazon)

·Innova Senior Dog Food with natural fiber and reduced protein

·Landy Dr Chew Sweet Potato Chews (dog treats)

Other Options

Fiber supplements that we take in soluble forms (e.g. Metamucil®) have added ingredients that I do not recommend giving to your pet.However, I do add Konsylto Odie’s diet when he sometimes needs the extra bulk.Konsyl is made from Psyllium husks and has no added sugar or sugar substitutes.I add about a ¼ tsp of Konsyl with some water to his food.However, use with caution as their label prescribes.

Do Dachshunds Shed?

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Howard Young

Yes, they do shed. Even Odie, our short-haired Dachshund sheds his hair. It is only about one half inch long and somewhat course, but does come out especially around his neck where it is a little longer.

Our two long-haired Dachshunds are persistent shedders and we have to keep our pillows covered with a sheet just in case the hop onto our bed during the day when they decide to take an afternoon nap. This keeps their fur out of our face during the night when we remove the sheet.

All three dogs keep our vacuums working overtime to keep the house. Luckily we have two best vacuums for dog hair making the cleanup job must quicker than it otherwise would take. The Oreck is extremely lightweight and cleans up the stairs with a powerful suction that removes Chloe’s black fur in the crevice of each step of the stair.

We use the Dyson Animal mostly downstairs and it was designed to vacuum dog at cat hair. It works very well at cleaning up after our dogs. It is too heavy to vacuum stairs and due to its weight, we only use it downstairs since we’re too lazy to carry it up and down a flight of stairs.

With regular bathing and grooming, our dogs shed less. At least that is the appearance. More likely than not, their fur is washed down the drain with the rinse water or ends up on a brush than on our carpet or furniture. Bathing and grooming also cuts down on their dander which may cause an allergic reaction and sinus problems to the owner.

I hate to discourage anyone from getting a dog, but Dachshunds do shed.

Warning: Dog Drinking Excessive Water

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Howard Young

Dogs that have an excessive thirst for water may be a warning sign that you should not overlook. The warning indication may be due to kidney failure or diabetes. The good news is that this symptom may be a result from a disease that can be treated with proper nutrition and or medicine. But you have to take action and have your pet tested for these conditions.

We first ran into this problem with our cat “Inkspot” who would drink lots of water and urinate in areas outside of his litter box. The stress of his diabetes was causing him to mark his territory. With insulin and better nutrition he was back to his normal self.

Excessive Thirst in Dogs

Our Dachshund Chloe also had similar symptoms with excessive panting and listlessness. Drinking the extra water during the day only contributed to unpleasant “accidents” on the carpets.

Since we’ve been down this path before with our cat, we had Chloe’s blood sugar tested only to find that she was not diabetic but had Cushing’s disease. Most pet owners who do not have an ACTH stimulation test to diagnose Cushing’s often believe that their beloved dog is just getting old and have it put down if without ever knowing that there was a potential cure.

Fortunately, Chloe’s disease was caught in time and she will live a very long time with the proper medication. Unfortunately, the ongoing treatment can run several hundred dollars per month. Currently she is prescribed 30mg Vetoryl for dogs twice a day and Denamarin for dogs once a day. Just the Vetoryl alone runs about $150/month. Considering how long Dachshunds live, this is going to be a very expensive treatment, but Chloe is worth every penny.

Your pet is telling you that it is ill when it drinks excessive water. It’s up to you and your Vet to diagnose the illness and find an appropriate treatment to your dog will get back to normal again.

Dog Steps for Small Dogs

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Howard Young

We all love our pets so much that it is very important to buy steps for them to get into our bed. Never mind the sleepless nights and sore backs from the awkward positions we sleep in to accommodate a dog or two (or even three Dachshunds), but we still have a persistent requirement to get those dog steps. Despite my cries and complaints, they’re a welcome guest.

While there are many commercial steps small enough for the miniature and tea cup breeds, there are many options other than those mass produced stairways to heaven, or at least your couch or bed.

Steps for Dogs to Get on Bed

The quest to find doggy steps started with “Oh Honey, Chloe can’t hop on the bed anymore, we need to buy her something a little lower so she can get up here,” as my wife exclaimed.

The normal dining room chair that she used to hop up to as the first step onto the bed was a little high for her aging body. So we ended up getting a leg rest at Pier One Imports with an incline making it very easy to get on and off of. Yet Chloe never was able to navigate or judge the incline so we end up picking her up to her favorite resting place. Our two other dogs have no problem with the leg rest and rather enjoy the bouncy foam cushion as they propel themselves with extra height onto the mattress.

We pull the portable step from the bed to keep them off, but, Odie, a dachshund who had back surgery sometimes bypasses the ramp/step contraption and gets onto the bed at the most inopportune time especially when we’re making it up with nice clean sheets.

Steps for Dogs to Get on Couch

Dog Step for Couch

“Short Stack” or Molly just never had enough spring to get onto our couch. She’ll try and try and eventually will make it up to lay down next to her master. A lot of those Seen on TV Dog Steps look so cheap and cheesy that I simply refuse to put one in my house.

So as an alternative, we started looking at foot stools and again, found one at Pier One that is the perfect height for Molly to gain access to the upper realms of the couch. She uses it to get up but I would like for her to use it to get down so lessen the impact on her back. Once the fabric on this one wears out, were going to get a wider one. However, most of those are too high and require that the legs to get cut down to size.

There are a lot of alternatives when buying dog steps for small dogs. Sometimes you just need to think outside the box and look at some furniture that provides the same function.

Dachshund Back Problems

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Howard Young

X-Ray of Dachshund Back

Due to the elongated spine of the Dachshund, there is a good chance that your dog eventually may have back problems. Like in humans, injuries to the back are often very painful and limit the activity of your dog. Your Dachshund will exhibit these same symptoms which is obvious to you as you observe your pet.

During this time, you need to get your Dachshund examined by your Vet. The examination may require an x-ray of the spine and or testing of the spine and rear legs for paralysis. Gently pressing down along the spine will tell if there was a back injury and the approximate location.

Any onset of paralysis can be determined by rotating the rear paw backward. Your dog will naturally bring it back to the standing position. With Paralysis, your dog’s paw will remain in the unnatural position. As a Dachshund owner, you may want to try this technique when your dog is standing on a smooth surface since carpeting may hinder the movement back to the correct position.

Odie who had back surgery has partial paralysis in his right rear. It’s noticeable when he is tested this way where you can see that he does not have a very quick response to returning his paw to the normal position.

Dachshund Back Problems Treatment

After the examination, your Vet may prescribe one or more treatments to reduce the back pain. More often than not, he will recommend for you to minimize the dog’s activity. This is easier said than done, but if you have the correct equipment such as an exercise pen or crate; your dog will have a successful recovery. Otherwise, your dog, under the influence of the pain medication may go back to its normal playful routine and prevent or delay the healing process.

Cortisone

Sometimes a cortisone shot is used to reduce the swelling from inflammation in the back. Our Chloe injured her back when she was a youngster and a single shot was all it took to reduce her pain. Dogs treated with cortisone of show excessive thirst and urination. Chloe did exhibit this for a day or so, but it lessened once the drug started wearing off.

Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) do wonders for my back and of course just as well on dogs. I personally would not give my dog Ibuprofen (Advil) even though I’ve heard that other dog owners have. If the disc in your dog ruptures and surgery is required, you may have to wait several days for the Ibuprofen wears out so it doesn’t react with other drugs they give him.

Just stick with one of the NSAID your Vet prescribes and you’ll be fine in either case. We keep a prescription of Deramaxx on hand in case of emergency. There are long term adverse effects with this medication so use with caution, but this is more often the case where it is taken for arthritic conditions. Your Vet will recommend the dosage and how long to give it. It usually takes 4 or 5 days for the inflammation to go away.

Like all NSAIDs, your dog should take it with food otherwise your dog risks gastric ulcerations. (This of course is good advice for you whenever you take Advil.)

Bed Rest

Bed rest is one of the most effective ways for the back to heal naturally. But with back problems in dogs, you must have an area where the dog can remain inside and calm during the day. We use a 4 foot square exercise pen to house our Dachshunds while recovering from injury. This prevents them from jumping, running or playing that may aggravate the problem. Usually four days of rest along with an anti-inflammatory is sufficient to reduce the pain and swelling.

During the bed rest period, keep your dog on a leash even if he has to go in the backyard. Using a leash will prevent him from jumping or running when he shouldn’t.

Back Surgery

Back surgery is one of the last options your Vet will recommend if your dog does not recover from rest, corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory drug treatments. Surgery is usually required if a herniated disc ruptures cutting off the nerve to the lower extremities. This results in paralysis to the hind quarters.

The good news is that because back problems are so common with the breed, there is a high success rate in the animal. Odie had the surgery in 2005 and he is living proof that fact. New surgery techniques such as Prophylatic laser disk abalation keep improving the odds that dogs will survive the operation.

Back Surgery Cost

Running several thousand dollars, the cost of back surgery can be prohibitive for many dog owners. If you can afford the surgery, I would recommend it. Sometimes Universities in your area may provide the service at a discount to train Vets in operating procedures.

Odie’s surgery ran about $4,000 which was about twice the rate found other parts of the country. Prices in the Los Angeles area are somewhat inflated so it didn’t seem unreasonable.

Recovery

It takes about two to three weeks of bed rest before your Dachsund will see signs of recovery. The wobbly weak legs have to be retrained and strengthened as the nerves heal. Your dog may have partial or full recovery depending on the extent of the damage. Time is the essence once a herniated disk ruptures.

During the recovery period, you may have to help your dog walk with a sling made out of an old towel. I found that it was easier just to support Odie with my hands while he was relearning the steps.

Three to six months of rest is not abnormal for the recovery time. Although Odie responded well to the surgery with a quick recovery in about a month, we kept him in his pen for about 6 months to make sure that he would not reinjure himself.

Dachshund Names

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Howard Young

It’s always tough trying to name your new Dachshund puppy and I know that with Odie and Molly they originally named Brutus and Rosie before we settled on the former. Of course Chloe’s name stuck with her from day one because we knew that if we ever owned a Dachshund, she would be named after the dog in The Ugly Dachshund movie. Lucky for Odie that he came second otherwise he would have had a strange name for a dog resemblance of Johnny Cash’s song A Boy Named Sue.

So to help you out, I wanted to start this post to give you some ideas on some of the more famous names these dogs have been called. Hopefully your puppy will learn its name early on with positive reinforcement (i.e. treats) and not to “Bad Dog” or “Puppy” as we tend call them during their early stage of life.

A former employer of mine who got us started collecting Dachshunds had two of them themselves. Mickey and Minnie, standard dachshunds were quite the pair and were named after the infamous Mr. and Mrs. Mouse couple at Disneyland.

I didn’t know that JFK had a Dachshund. The 35th President bought one in Germany in 1937 for hist girlfriend only find that he was allergic to it. The dog was called Dunker but never it never set foot in the White House. I believe his girlfriend was trying to say Danke in German and they thought it was a good name for their Dachshund puppy.

Pablo Picasso’s Dachshund was said to inspire some of his work. His dog was named Lump.

Andy Warhol had two Doxies named Amos and Archie. Why not Amos and Andy?

Once an elderly couple as if Odie’s name was Oscar. At first I didn’t get the reference to Oscar Meyer Wiener (Dog).

What did you name your Dachshund? Please leave a note below:

Dachshund Facts

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Howard Young

Temperament

Dachshunds are a loving kind animal, stubborn but good with families. They are known to bite, but we have not experienced that with our pets. Molly does not like being groomed and requires a muzzle for dogs in order for us to trim her nails and remove knots from her coat. Our other two do not have this issue.

Life Expectancy

Dachshunds, like other smaller breeds, tend to live a long time. You can expect that your dog will live well into their teens. Some owners have reported on this page (How Long do Dachshunds Live) that their Dachshunds age well into their twenties. You may want to consider that when picking out puppy.

Their Shape

Dachshunds are known for their long, low-profile bodies. The unusual shape warranted their Hot Dog and Wiener Dog nicknames. The forelegs are thick and strong used for digging out varmints, especially the Badger Hound for which they were breed. Their hind legs are thin.

They have a long nose and a very keen sense of smell. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes two sizes: the miniature and standard. The miniature weighs up to about 15 pounds. Standard Dachshunds are larger and can weigh about 30 lbs. The AKC does not recognize the Tea Cup variety Dachshund. The Miniature is very popular in the U.S.

Their Coat

There are three coat varieties: smooth, longhaired and wirehaired. Odie is a smooth haired Dachshund while Molly and Chloe are longhaired. The wirehaired are not as popular as the other two types. The coat comes in multiple colors predominately red or black with a mixture of lighter colors such as white or tan. Dappled Dachshunds predominately have the lighter colors with darker spots.

Single colored Dachshunds have coats of red or cream. Molly has a red coat but she has a touch of white on her neck and chest.

Back Problems

Dachshunds are prone to back problems. Their long back puts undue stress on discs that cause spinal injuries. The good news is that according to the Surgeon who successfully operated on Odie, they have about at 95% chance of recovery. More often than not, they experience back issues that can be treated with an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling. Regardless, your pet should be examined by a Vet if he has problems moving around or stops jumping due to pain.

Exercise and Playing

Despite their size, Dachshunds do play rough. Two of our three Dachshunds actually need dog toys for aggressive chewers. Odie is not as aggressive when it comes to toys, but he certainly will chew on balls until they stop squeaking. It is fact that is in their nature to attack at toys that sound like a small animal they are preying on.

Daily walks are necessary to keep your Dachshund trim and fit. They love to lead and pull on the leash. You should consider using a dog harness instead of a collar to prevent neck injuries.

Muzzles for Dogs That Bite

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Howard Young

It is always strange going into the Vet’s Office to see that bright red Muzzle sticking on Molly’s Chart. She earned it when we took her over to an Emergency Pet Clinic after right eye swelled up like a balloon, red as the sticker and oozing some nasty infection/liquid stuff down the side of her nose.

The poor dog was in pain and she was raising her teeth getting ready to bite anything that came close to her eye.

I don’t blame her being that way on that day and I wasn’t too happy when the Vet directed me to put on the small dog muzzle.

Molly is a Dachshund that will bite you if you cause her harm. I always have difficulties getting her knots out of her fur because she tries to bite the comb or brush. Usually the best way to get the knot out is to quickly pull it while she’s not paying attention. You can get one or two out especially if they’re loose.

The Vet instructed me to place the nylon dog muzzle over her mouth and nose and the strap around the back of her head so she can’t paw it off.

The nylon mesh muzzle should be used for quick examinations, grooming and just whenever you don’t want her to bite at you, he said. Never leave it on unattended and don’t be surprised if she can get it off.

Muzzles for Small Dogs

Even though the snout of the Dachshund is long, it’s really not out of the ordinary like the length of their backs. It is important that if you get a muzzle, you want to have one that fits well and is tight enough to keep the jaws from opening. Measure the circumference around the mouth and nose of your dog, just past the nostrils. If you get one too small, it will cover the nostrils and possibly suffocate him.

Like the Vet said, dog muzzles should not be left on the dog while unattended. So please use with caution and safety.