The best de-skunk-ification recipe( quoted form the dancing woofs newsletter) In a plastic bucket, mix 1 quart (or two pints) of 3% hydrogen peroxide with 1/4 cup of baking soda, and one or two teaspoons of a liquid detergent, like Dawn or Ivory. For bigger dogs, you can add some warm water to increase the batch volume. Mix the ingredients; it will fizz up. With rubber gloves, rub this solution on the dry dog and wait for five minutes, then rinse. Repeat if the stink won’t quit. Be sure to dispose of the solution afterwards, otherwise it releases oxygen gas that could cause a sealed container to explode. This remedy might bleach your dog’s hair a little, but that’s the price of a clean coat. Now give your dog a treat—and open one for yourself.

COPROPHAGIA (POOP - EATING)

Lucky, my sweet little border collie mix puppy  is a connoisseur of poop.  I finally got tired of it - and began researching it  extensively. I ended up ordering "Potty Mouth" a  supplement  that makes Poop taste disgusting to her and that I am giving her in a concentrated form to evoke aversion. Till now it has worked. 5 days without her eating a piece of poop is momentous. I thought I would pass these tips on to you :-)

IS YOUR DOG'S STOMACH SICK ?

Here is how we treat Stomach sicknesses at the Kindred Spirit Ranch:

Don’t give dogs kibble if they have diarrhea or vomit until 12 hours after the problem has really cleared up. Rice and Canned food only. Kibble is hard to digest, says Dr. Maas, and might prompt relapse.

Mild Stomach disturbance: Give only soft food and 1 Pepto bismol!

Vomit : Pedialyte, Pepto Bismol for 12-24 hs ,no food for 12 hrs

Diarrhea- Anti- Diarrhea pill, RICE, Canned food. Monitor that the dog drinks water, if not give Pedialyte ...

Please keep your eye peeled and your ears open  for rattlesnakes as you are hiking with your dog this spring!
They like to hide out in dry , rocky habitat ( example ; Smith Rock State Park) and come out to take in the sun on rocks. They are not out to seek venomous encounters with our dogs but can become quite angry when scared out of their sun bathing reveree.
Vets do have rattlesnake vaccines, but they are not foolproof- so:discuss with your vet if it is right for you and your dogs . You might also consider aversion training  which teaches your dog to steer clear of dangerous objects- and you might brush up on that good old command: LEAVE IT ! ( that's what I am doing with my 3 dogs )
If your dog gets bitten, limit the circulation of the venom though her body - that means: don't let her walk, carry her  and  limit her movements till you get her to the next vet.  Please skip such John Wayne moves like sucking out the venom, applying tourniquet and ice packs - that does not work for dogs!
I am told that it is not as worrisome if you dog gets bitten in her face or leg as it would be if she got a body bite - you can limit the circulation  of the venom easier with limb bites .
And: The size of the rattlesnake that bites does not matter. Some people say that the smaller the snake, the stronger the venom.
Now that I got  probably got you all worried, I want to calm you down: in my 18 years of hiking with dogs in Central Oregon, I have encountered just one rattler on Grey Butte- and that one was dead: my puppy thought it was a stick and asked me to throw it!