Frequently Asked Questions
All rights reserved, copyright Deborah Owens 2011
©deborah owens
Can I use a leash and collar?
Collars with leashes will ultimately cause problems for your Havanese. The Havanese will actually pull against the leash enough to harm their own trachea. We have seen many trachea injuries and they usually result in a slow and painful death over a couple of years.
What about halters?
We recommend that you only use a halter and leash. There are many types of halters, so you might buy a couple of different kinds of halters, to see which works most easily for you and your baby darling.
Can I use a retractable leash?
1.The retractable leashes can be extremely dangerous, as the dog may accidentally pull against it and harm his body, particularly if he is on a collar and leash.
2. One of the saddest calls I have received was from a prominent person who was walking his dog in Atlanta. The dog darted out in front of a car and was killed as he held the leash, and stood by helplessly. Unfortunately, We have received many, many calls like this, on a regular basis, for years.
Giving Meds:
What is the best way to give medicine? What about wrapping a pill in cheese or burying it in peanut butter? What about pill splitters, pill crushers, and the tools used to put the pill down the dog's throat?What if the vet said give 1/4th a pill and the pills are not divided- how do I do it?
Usually, the best way to give a portion of a pill is to purchase a combination pill splitter/crusher. You can usually find them in the catalogs and the pharmacy. They make splitting pills into 1/4 ths easy work.
The easiest and safest way to give pills is to simply crush the pill and put it in 1-2 tablespoons of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. We purchase the pop top Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, pop the top, and using a table knife, we cut the noodles until they are small. Then place 1-2 tablespoons of noodles in a dog dish. We refrigerate the remaining soup in a plastic container. We crush the pill, and put it in the dog dish and soup. "Dinner is served". If you have two dogs, it is best to administer the med in a room alone with the dog who needs the pill.
Peanut butter is a dangerous food for toy breeds. The fat and salt are very detrimental, even in small quantities. Peanut butter is also a huge mess on a dog's coat. We NEVER use it.
Cheese will often times make them throw up.
The tools used to put pills down dogs' throats are potentially dangerous. We do not use them.
What about poop eating?
Is it normal? What can I do? What are the products that they use for the problem? Someone said feed spinach to stop it? Someone said feed meat tenderizer to stop it?
Poop eating is a natural occurrence, a vestige from the evolutionary process when canines had to survive by conserving food. The best way to slow it down is to pick up poop, and to allow nature to take its course. Not what you wanted to hear- I know!
Spinach was used in feedings to stop poop eating, however we now know it causes bleeding problems. Oops, back to the drawing board. DO NOT USE SPINACH!
What about the prepared products used to stop it? They can be very harmful, that is why they cannot be used on young pups and why they have minimum ages on the labels. We have seen some very sick dogs who were on the products, and when you stop using it- You guessed it! They will often start all over again.
Meat tenderizer is a host of different products, enzymes that break down the fibers in meat. Many contain MSG a product known to cause heart palpitations, heart attacks, migraines, and what else? We say NO. No meat tenderizer.
Let nature take its course. Pick up as soon as possible. Distract. Give vitamins every other day in case there is something missing from his diet.
What do you use to clean the plastic crate tray and grooming items?
We use plastic spray bottles that we purchase at Sam's. We use a 25% Clorox - water solution. We remix it every 2-3 days. We clean the plastic trays with the spray, rinse well, and dry, daily. We clean the grooming items each time they are used.
What can I do about Dry Eye? Infected eyes? Eye ulcers? Eye Scratches? Why the infection?
1. Without proper eye care the hair around the eye can cause an infection at the area of the tear duct.
2. Also eye lashes can grow on the inside edge of the eyelid causing eye problems. The eyelashes can be removed by your vet.
3. Some commonly used medicines will cause permanent dry eye in Havanese. Dry eye can cause ulceration of the cornea and eye loss. It can be very painful so, please, listen up.
First of all, if you suspect dry eye in your Havanese because your dog's eyes are red, are mattering up, or because the dog is "winking" the eye, go to your vet and ask him to do the simple tear test. This test will measure the amount of tears your dog has. Your vet may prescribe Cyclosporin, or even Optimune. In addition, you may need moisteners for the eyes.
If your dog has a lower number, run this regimen, by your vet:
Morning and night, place drops of Genteel Gel Drops in his eyes. Purchase it at the pharmacy. If your dog has severe dry eye wait 5 minutes and then put Genteel Severe Overnight Gel in his eyes. The overnight formula is not only hard to find, but is very expensive if you use a lot of it, as we do.
Here is a pharmacy that will produce a generic version of it for you, at a fraction of the costs:
Pharmacy Tomorrow, 915 Hay St. Fayetteville, NC 28305, ph: 800 682 4664
http://www.rxfixer.com/ You can order 4-5 large tubes and get it for a small fraction of the costs on one tiny tube from your local pharmacy. They will also compound Cyclosporin if your vet prescribes a higher dose of it than the Optimune.
What eye antibiotic do you use?
We use a medicine that is a human eye antibiotic. It is a prescription medication made by Bausch & Lomb. We have found that virtually no vets use this medicine and basically all have never even heard of it. It is often times a wonderful cure for so many eye infections.
It is: Neomycin and Polymycin B Sulfates and Gramicidin Ophthalmic Solution. If your dog's eyes ever get infected or turn red, please go to your vet and ask your vet if this medicine is a good idea for your pet.
Why do you use the Genteel Gel Severe Drops if you use the Severe Overnight Gel?
Sometimes it is best to hydrate the eye with the drops. Not only is the eye dry, but the eye may actually need hydrating.
What is your regimen for permanent severe dry eye?
We have an older dog that was given a medicine that caused permanent dry eye.
Caution: run this by your vet. Touch your dog's eyes very softly-remember- very softly.
1. First we use eye wash to wash the eye. The wash will make any exudates wash to the eyelids. With severe problems we wash it and wipe it several times. Be careful, if exudate or something has adhered to the eyeball, do not try to lift it off the eyeball with your hand, an instrument, or by any other means. Use the eye wash to float it off the cornea.
2. Next, we wipe the eye lids with a thoroughly wet paper towel. Note, wipe the eyelids, not the eyeball. You may need to push the eyelids closed, and you may need to gently hold the eye lid closed, so you do not wipe or touch the eyeball. Repeat the eye wash as many times as necessary, until there is no exudate in the eye.
3. After this, we hydrate the eye with Genteel Gel Drops. We put 2-3 drops in the eye and wait a minute and then we repeat with 2-3 more drops. This hydration has great benefit.
4. We will follow up with the severe Genteel Overnight or the generic thick over night gel produced by Pharmacy Tomorrow. We place about 1/3 inch of the severe overnight formula on the eye.
5. Close the lids and let it move across the eyeball.
6. With severe dry eye we do this three times per day. With less severe we do it twice a day.
Your dog will be most pleased and happy to have you help him if he has dry eye. When I grab my eye care medicine kit my little ones come running, and each has his/her own song that we sing while getting eye care. The entire household of kiddies loves to hear the old "I Love Lucy " voice of their mother singing the eye care song. Hopefully, the medicines that cause dry eye will be improved one day and they will no longer cause dry eye. We have an older dog that was given a medicine that caused dry eye.
What about Litter Boxes?
Yes, they are wonderful for people who live in areas such as Manhattan, or in areas where there is inclement weather. They are also very beneficial to the disabled. Here are the items available:
1. Purina makes a litter that is a cylindrical paper pellet
2. Litter Box
3. Litter Box Cover- Available at www.Jefferspet.com. It is a rattan box that has an arched opening. It looks like a rattan table.
Notes of caution:
1. Kitty litter is clay, and if dogs eat it, it can expand in the dog's stomach and cause death.
2. Rabbit litter has been said to cause liver damage, due to an additive.
3. Your dog may throw the litter about until he realizes it is not confetti!
You can train your pup to use the litter box with a little time and effort.
What about Febreeze?
Febreeze, and like products, can harm or perhaps even kill your dog. It has been particularly problematic when used on dog bedding.
Can Havanese be paper trained?
No, Havanese cannot be paper trained very well at all. Havanese have an instinctive urge to shred paper. They would love nothing more than the chance to be alone in the room with paper on the floor.
Havanese and the Visual Cliff
Havanese will sometimes walk off the edge of a deck or balcony. They may run without thinking, especially when they are responding to the voice or laughter of a child. One of my saddest phones calls was from a prominent politician who resided in his own building. He designed the building without a barrier on the lower side of the balcony. His baby darling walked right off the edge of the balcony. This has happened several times in several different states. Please provide ample barriers to prevent your darling from walking over the edge of a deck, balcony, open stairs, or walkway.
What About Skin Problems? What can We do?
First of all, try to isolate the cause:
1. Stop using a groomer
2. Bath in Baby Shampoo only, and make sure it does not have conditioners & detanglers, etc. Make sure it is not the tangle free formula, etc.
3. Rinse three times as much as think you need to rinse
4. Do not use any yard chemicals, nor let your dog go to areas where there are any chemicals, avoid parks until it is under control
5. Do not use any fibers except cotton, and be sure it has been washed with two rinses
6. Do not use colognes, perfumes, fabric softeners, Febreeze, or similar products, detanglers, conditioners, air fresheners, candles, flea collars, flea meds, citronella, or any other products on or near your dog.
7. Do not use products on the carpet, bedding, etc., where he spends even one minute
8. DO NOT FEED ANY HUMAN FOOD- NOT EVEN TREATS MENTIONED HERE ON THIS SITE- food is the major source of skin problems, feed food without corn, wheat or gluten. Try to find a Purina product you like, their quality control is high.
9. Shave his coat down to the skin
10. Keep him out of the sun, wind, heat and cold
11. Place a cotton baby blanket (washed and rinsed twice without any conditioners or softeners) down for him to rest on
12. Keep him away from moldy, and fungus ridden places
13. Keep him out of all ocean/lake/creek/runoff water
14. If he has red and infected spots he must see the vet for possible antibiotics
15. If the vet is willing to try a little experiment you can suggest that Heartguard be given to him every three weeks for three times. If he has an undetectable parasite that does not show up in a skin scraping the Heartguard contains ivomectin in a substantial enough dose to kill any mange mite that might be present. Mange mites are subject to the mildest dose of ivomectin. Mange mites can be present and hardly detectable in a healthy dog. What happens is the healthy dog's immune system will ward off the mite quite well, but the dog's body may not get rid of all of it. And yet, the vet may not be able to find it in the scrapings because the healthy dog's body is doing such a good job of warding it off. However, the mite may still be present in enough quantity to create an itchy skin. If so, Heartguard will get it. A minimal dose of Heartguard will kill mange mites. It is one of the very easiest things to remove from a dog. However, most people fear it and worry about as if we were still in the dark ages. It is the easiest thing in the world to remove from the dog and no special meds are needed, Heartguard will kill it. One thing we might suggest is that you please ask your vet, if and when he provides Heartguard, if you may divide the chewable tablet to proportionately match the dogs' weight, for instance, if the dog is 8 lbs., you may not need the entire 25 lb. chewable tablet. Of course, you need your vet to tell you if this is okay with him, and you will need to let him guide you through the Heartguard, if it is administered, and if your vet thinks it is a potential way to resolve the problem.
16. If he sleeps in a crate, you might wash the crate tray daily with a 25% clorox solution.
17. Follow this regimen for 4 weeks and see if it helps. Be sure not to feed even one bite of table food, and switch to a food without corn.
WATERING YOUR PET
Pets need much more water than you might think they need. Depriving your pet of water can and will cause bladder infections, kidney infections, and potentially organ failure. It will also cause stones.
Please do not feed water with a water bottle. The dogs are not accustomed to water bottles. The water bottles can spread disease between dogs in the same household. Dogs do not get enough water from them. Dogs will drink less water with water bottles even when they are accustomed to water bottles.
Your pet needs water from 7:00 AM till 9:00 PM daily. Use more than one water bowl when you are out of the house, in case you are delayed in your return, and in case your pet turns the water bowl over.
Make sure outdoor water bowls are cleaned and filled daily. Your pet should not be left outside for more than a short time, but never for a minute without water bowls. Each pet needs two water bowls.
What about dental care?
We suggest that you start brushing your pet's teeth at 6-12 months of age. Human toothpastes have VERY DANGEROUS sweeteners in them, which can cause liver damage to your pet. Always use pet products to brush his teeth.
Teeth cleaning is sometimes a risky, but often necessary medical treatment. We know that smaller dogs face a significant risk with anesthesia, and there are many factors at play: weight, percent of body fat, veterinary caution/experience, and aftercare. When we compile all of the data, we know, there are such great risks with anesthesia and there are so many factors that weigh against the Havanese, we conclude that we should avoid teeth cleaning for as long as it is possible.
When needed- it must be done. Please discuss this with your vet. We do it to maintain health but we must say that we have lost perfectly healthy animals to anesthesia. We always use antibiotics with the procedure, consult your vet on this.
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