AboutPatti Expertise To date, I've owned 7 dogs, all of which have lived into old age.
Having cared for them in all stages of life, I feel I can offer sound advice to other pet owners, and people considering getting a dog.
I am knowledgeable about the AKC (American Kennel Club) dog breeds, training and exercise, caring for sick and elderly pets, feeding, as well as many holistic treatments pets can benefit from.
My only request is that you write me using standard English and punctuation.
Experience My life experience in this field is more like "on the job training" rather than an actual degree in animal welfare. You may benefit from my experiences over the past 30 years.
Aside from the dogs I've owned, I'm also involved in "breed rescue" and have fostered several dogs, all of which have been adopted to wonderful "forever homes".
I find helping people who want a dog very rewarding.
Question We have a Pomeranian, he loves Dingo Bones but occassionally he begins choking late at night. He suddenly starts to run around in circles, or in a wild disoriented manner. He tries to vomit but cannot, we're not sure how to help him because he so small and we fear we can hurt him more. What should we do, up till now it corrects itself but we would never forgive ourself should something happen to him.
Answer Hi Jerry,
If I'm not mistaken, Dingo Bones are a brand of rawhide chew toys. Some dogs just don't tolerate rawhide very well, and it sounds like your dog is among that group.
Rawhide is a choking is a hazard, and by your description it sounds like your dog is choking on the toy! You should stop giving your dog these bones, because it's making your dog choke! Rawhide can also cause stomach irritation when dogs chew on it often, and can cause a dog to throw it up. Rawhide enlarges once swallowed which means it has the potential to cause gastric swelling (called bloat). This seems to be more common in the large deep chested dogs, but any dog can be affected by this very dangerous condition.
There are also wonderful safe alternatives to rawhide. Pet supply stores carry many diverse alternatives including vegetable and meat-flavored bones made from potato starch, bones made from extremely strong rubber infused with flavorings, and corn-starch based bones also infused with flavor. Brands to look for are: Booda Bimple bones, Booda Velvet bones, Nylabone, and Gumabones. All of these bones except for the rubber-based ones are easily digestible. With any chew toy, once it's chewed down to a small piece that your dog could swallow, throw it out.
Another really good dog toy is the "Kong", which is a very hard rubber toy that's hollow. You fill it with a little cheese, milkbone, kibble, or anything your dog enjoys and it occupies your dog while he tries to remove the food. The toy itself is very durable, and can last for months, but eventually you will have to replace it. You can buy this at most pet stores, or online: http://www.petguys.com/-035585111310.html
