Kimberly Alt
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One of my dogs used to be so puzzled by the TV. He would go behind the wall where it was mounted and look for the stuff that was being shown. It was the cutest thing! He eventually got used to it but I think he thought it was a window of some sort at first.
The cause of a reverse sneeze is unknown, but studies suggest that any irritation to the nose, sinus passages, or back of the throat can trigger an episode. Reverse sneezing can also occur after periods of over-excitement or over-stimulation.
An episode of reverse sneezing isn’t harmful to your dog, but you may want to give some relief if the spell lasts longer than a minute. Remedies include:
- Hold your dog’s nostrils closed for a second using your thumb
- Gently stroke your dog’s neck and try to calm him
- Lightly blow in his face
- Take your dog outside with fresh air (or inside if you think an outdoor irritant is causing the episode
This article goes into all the details.
My dog is similar to yours. She is overly protective of the home. She’s happy to meet people, but she needs to be able to greet them, and then she’ll chill out. She’s a 10-year-old coonhound mix that we rescued when she was 3. I don’t know her experience before us, but I chalk her “quirks” up to past experience or her breed mix. I don’t know if she has a bad experience that she is reminded of when we have people she doesn’t know come to our home. So I try to be understanding of that. But I also don’t know if she’s just being crazy and overprotective. We have tried sooooo hard to break this behavior of hers, but she’s worn us down. So we just accept it, and if we know of a situation ahead of time that will get her barking, we try to prepare by leashing her or putting her in a separate room. For Halloween, she spent the night hanging out in our living room, which is closed off from the front of the house. So, she wasn’t able to bark aggressively at the door at people.
Something we did with my dog after we adopted her was keep her on a leash. That way, she knew the house rules. We don’t really have many restrictions for her. The two main ones are that she can’t be on our beds, and she cannot be in the kitchen while we’re cooking. She loves to be around us (which we love, too!), so we still have her nearby so she can keep an eye on things. I would tie her leash to a piece of furniture so she could be nearby and watch, but she would be out of my way so I wouldn’t step on her. I suggest trying the leash for a week or two while you’re cooking meals. I bet she’ll pick up on things quickly and stay out of the kitchen better.
Most pet insurance covers unexpected accidents and illnesses. Items that are expected throughout the year as routine maintenance aren’t covered by insurance. So the things that take place during your dog’s annual visit could include heartworm checks and meds, vaccines, tick treatment, etc., aren’t covered by pet insurance unless you purchase a wellness plan as an add-on to the policy. Figo’s pet insurance plan does not cover preventative visits unless you add a wellness plan. I think reading this article, specifically, the section I’m linking to, can help clear things up for you.
Lol, I advise you keep it that way (not letting him drive the car). As for being on the furniture, I think it just depends on your preferences and the dog. My dog is allowed everywhere except the beds. A few reasons for this. First, I don’t want to sleep in a bunch of dog hair. Next, there’s not enough room for her in my bed; even if there was, I wouldn’t want her waking me up when she moves. Lastly, she leaves “poop marks” sometimes, and I absolutely do not want that on my bed.
I’m sure you’ve learned this by now since your post was a while ago, but for future reference, grasshoppers are not toxic to dogs. However, I wouldn’t let your dog snack on these as he pleases. From personal experience, my dog likes to hunt bugs, and I try to stop her. But when she gets one eaten without my knowledge, she always throws up. It’s not fun to clean up.
@SillyGoose, Pets Best has the following in its sample policy under other exclusions (#6g in section 5):
Conditions arising from a repetitive and specific activity that leads to decontamination (e.g., the induction of vomiting), medical or surgical Treatment of your Pet, if the same or a similar activity occurred two times within 18 months prior to the Treatment date, whether before or after the Policy Effective Date.
This could mean that if your dog frequently chews or eats things she shouldn’t, Pets Best may exclude coverage for closely occurring instances. Check your policy to see if there is similar wording in yours.
@Frankie Flowers I think you’ll find my Best Pet Insurance Reviews and Pets Best Review helpful. Take a look and let me know if you have any other questions!
My dog struggles with sporadic hyperkeratosis. We’ve found this balm works great for her. I’ve gotten the stick and tin for her before. The stick is a nice idea because it’s “mess-free.” However, I’ve found the tin is easier to lather on her paws. The big thing is keeping her from licking her paws after so the balm can do its job. Fortunately, it’s made with safe, organic ingredients for dogs, so even when she does lick at it, it’s non-toxic. We try giving her a toy or treat to distract her. If she starts licking at her paws, we tell her to “leave it” repeatedly and nudge her head to stop her from licking.
Yuck, no fun. Look at this article, I think it’ll help you with your dog’s scooting problems.
Most pet insurers let you visit any licensed vet in the U.S. Typically, you take your dog to the vet and pay for treatment. Then, you submit a copy of your fully paid invoice with your claim, and the pet insurance company reimburses you for eligible items via check or direct deposit.
When reviewing insurance companies, I look at two sites for financial strength.
- AM Best: The largest credit rating agency in the world specializing in the insurance industry.
- Demotech: The first company to have its rating process formally reviewed and accepted by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and HUD.
The higher the rating, the more you can trust them to pay during an emergency. This isn’t the only factor to consider, but it’s definitely something to look into when making your insurance decision, along with real customer reviews to see how companies perform.
I’ve used Sunday to patch bare spots in my lawn several times. It’s worked great for us. I have an entire article dedicated to the best grass seed for dogs.
