Bad breath occurs not only to humans, but also in pets. Your good dog may be affected by it, and worse, bad breath can be the primary reason of you keeping distance away from the dog you love. It can even be the cause of your dog’s death; no doubt that bad breath is dubbed as the “silent killer of pets”.
Bad breath in dogs is caused by a number of factors. The most common cause is the so-called “tartar buildup surrounding the dog’s teeth”. As in humans, this primary cause of bad breath in dogs is identified as the build up of small particles of food that remains in the mouth after eating. When these food particles are left unwashed, they tend to decompose creating an ideal environment for the oral bacteria to thrive and grow in numbers. As they grow, the bacteria form a plaque which is actually a combination of the decomposed food, the bacteria and mineral. It is the plaque actually that produces a bad odor in your dog’s breath.
Bad breath in dogs can also be caused by oral infections associated with plaque. Note that the plaque, once left unattended, clings to the base of your dog’s teeth, causing the gums to recede and become inflamed. Once the gums are inflamed, they tend to leak blood serum which blends with the plaque, increasing the amount of bacteria in the dog’s mouth. Many dog lovers found this condition as a yellowish coating on the outer base of the teeth, and it is worth noting that most of the dogs affected by this problem eat less.
Perhaps what is more heartbreaking to know is that in severe cases of tartar buildup, the edges where teeth and gums meet become highly inflamed and tend to bleed when you touch them. This is said to be more common among the smaller breeds of dogs. So to prevent it from happening and to treat bad breath in dogs, it is best to consider a dental care which should start as early as possible, before the inflammation of the gums.
Aside from tartar buildup, bad breath in dogs can also be a result of a more severe condition. Several studies have revealed that bad breath in dogs usually signals disease of the kidneys and liver. Well, dogs possessing this kind of disorder are often thin and frail. There are also some instances that bad breath in dogs may be caused by leukemia or some forms of resorption dental disease in which the deep cavities form in a number of teeth concurrently for no particular reason. These conditions can be treated, however, by considering a dental check up along with special care. In this way, you cannot only help eliminate bad breath in dogs, but help your dog develop good health.
It is finally important to note that dogs affected by severe bad breath often drool. The drooling then is what causes the infection to swell, causing the lips and mouth skin to become inflamed. To prevent this and bad breath in dogs from happening, most veterinarians suggest dog owners to clean their dog’s teeth regularly and schedule them for a dental check up.
]]>There are many factors where arthritis in dogs can be attributed to. The disorder could arise from destruction of tissue in the joints and around it that occurs subsequently often after an infection. It may also be congenital in nature, affecting structural architecture. Some forms of arthritis in dogs are due to stress and trauma to join surfaces and supporting structures. Other forms may be due to a disorder of the immune system wherein the body’s autoimmune response is directed on its own tissue, leading to joint tissue inflammation and degeneration.
But no matter the cause of arthritis in dogs, one thing is certain: it causes your beloved pet to suffer heedlessly under chronic pain and stiffness, leading to immobility and sometimes even permanent disability.
As is most often the case with chronic disorders like arthritis in dogs, early detection may be the key to halting disease progression. So identifying the signs associated with arthritis in dogs is an important task and one that is easy enough to do, once you know what to look for.
Unlike humans, dogs have no way of communicating the pain suffered because of arthritis. They cannot come right up to you and say that they are suffering pain. Neither are they prone to displaying signs of weakness. Dogs are still animals and animals are often stoic as a form of survival tactic. So the active role of recognizing the signs of arthritis in dogs falls on your shoulders and you must be vigilant in this task.
The first signs of arthritis in dogs are often subtle. If you notice any outright limping or vocalizing of pain, that means the end stage of long term joint degeneration. As it may be too late by then, try actively looking for subtle changes in your dog’s behavior and appearance, such as increased weight gain, sleeping more, less interest in playing, and a change in attitude or alertness.
Some dog owners recognize that something was wrong when they observed that their dogs seemed more careful when lying down. It was not that the dog howled in pain. It was just that it was needlessly careful. After a visit to the vet and a couple of x-rays, it turned out that the dog was suffering from mild inflammation of the joints caused by arthritis in dogs.
Sudden weight gain is a sure sign that your dog is not mobile enough. Immobility may be due the fact that it is too painful for your dog to move around so it opts to spend its days sitting about, not moving at all.
The good news with arthritis in dogs is that there are many safe and effective medications available. Carprofen, the chemical found in Pfizer Animal Health’s RIMADYL, is one of the most prescribed medications for arthritis in dogs.
]]>Dogs are like humans in that they also suffer from allergies. The most common symptom of dog allergies is itching, but the respiratory tract may also be affected, which could lead to coughing, sneezing, and/or wheezing. There are also cases where the eyes and the nose are affected by dog allergies, developing a discharge, or the digestive system becomes troubled, causing vomiting or diarrhea.
In the United States, approximately 20% of dogs suffer some type of allergy, including atopic dermatitis, flea allergy, food allergy, inhalant allergy, contact allergy, or bacterial allergy. These dog allergies differ in their symptoms and treatment used. Below are brief discussions of each of these dog allergies.
Atopic Dermatitis
One of the many dog allergies is known as canine atopic dermatitis. The condition is caused by the dog’s immune system hypersensitivity to common substances in the environment, like dust mites or molds.
Atopic dermatitis usually occurs during the first two years of a dog’s life. One of the veritable first signs of this type of dog allergies is excessive grooming, with licking or chewing of the paws, abdomen, and hind quarters. You can also check the following areas for signs:
Flea Allergy
Out of all dog allergies, flea allergy dermatitis is the most common. The allergy is actually caused, not by the flea itself, but by their saliva, which causes the allergic reaction. Symptoms may be reduced through strict flea control regimen, but you should be careful that the flea preparations used are not harmful to the dog.
Inhalant Allergy
Dogs, like humans, may also be allergic to pollens (tree, grass, and weed), dust mites, molds, and chemicals. Inhalant dog allergies are typically caused by any or all of these environmental factors.
Pure bred or mutts can acquire inhalant allergies, but there are certain breeds that are especially susceptible to react:
This type of dog allergies exhibit symptoms like scratching, biting, chewing at the feet and constant licking.
Food Allergy
Dogs can become allergic to food they’ve been eating for years. That’s why many people overlook the possibility of a food allergy. Unlike other common dog allergies, food allergy only accounts for 10 percent of allergy problems in dogs. The foods that dogs often cannot tolerate include:
Soy products
There are several other dog allergies, of course, that it’s nearly impossible to name all of them. For more information on the symptoms and what you can do to help your dog, contact your local veterinarian for some advice.
]]>
Bark collars are a specific type of training tool that is ideal for dogs with a natural tendency to bark excessively, or more than usual for any reason. Bark collars are designed to provide negative reinforcement in reaction to the unwanted barking behavior. Over time, the dog will learn to avoid the behavior in order to avoid the negative reinforcement.
While the use of bark collars has become controversial, it is not inherently a bad training method as long as the collar is used correctly and the training is administered as it should be. This guide is designed to address the concept of a specific type of bark collar, a "shock" bark collar which delivers an electrical pulse in reaction to the barking behavior. While there are other types of negative reinforcement bark collars, including collars that spray citronella rather than emitting an electrical pulse, but the electrical "shock" type of collar is the preferred method of training a dog not to bark through the use of a control tool.
Electronic "shock bark collars" are capable of detecting a vibration in the dog's vocal cords as he or she barks. When these vibrations are determined, a low level shock is delivered to the neck of the dog.
These shocks have been compared to the electric shock that is felt as a result of static electricity, when you touch a door knob after shuffling across a carpeted floor. Still, this type of collar has been criticized in the past as being humane or cruel. Some areas, such as Australia have outlawed and prohibited the use of electronic bark collars.
Some veterinary professionals also have questioned the effectiveness in these collars in the past, after a study conducted by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has found that after significant testing, four out of the eight dogs tested with an electric bark collar had no reduction in barking.
If your dog's barking habit is beyond your control, before you consider any irrational options, you need to think about training methods. No bark collars are a solution that is well worth exploring, at least to determine whether or not it is ideal for your situation. No bark electronic shock collars are designed specifically to be quick, easy and humane in reducing a dog's barking habit. When electronic shock collars are used the right way, it can take only a handful of days to drastically reduce a dog's barking habit.
If you are just beginning to understand what shock collars are, this guide should provide the resources and information that you need to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to use one for your dog. The first thing that we will examine when it comes to shock no-bark dog collars is the pros and cons associated with training a dog in this fashion. By the end of this guide, you should be able to determine whether or not a bark collar is ideal for you and your dog.
Your dog is likely barking for one of several reasons. Dogs bark as a response to a variety of different types of stimuli, such as when a strange person approaches, or when a foreign animal is in the dog's territory.
Dogs can also be urged to bark when other dogs are barking, which unfortunately reinforces the territorial response of the dog. This is the most useful type of barking for any human owner who is looking to keep a dog as a form of protection.
Dogs also tend to bark as a learned response to a number of stimuli. If a dog barks, and then as a result he or she receives attention from you, then he or she will learn that barking is an excellent way to get what he wants. If a dog brings his toy to you and then he barks to you, and you engage in playtime with the dog as a result, then the dog will learn that an excellent way to initiate playtime is through barking.
If this behavior causes you to yell or to scold the dog, he still may continue this behavior because all reinforcement is reinforcement, even negative reinforcement because all attention beats absolutely no attention. Barking is also a completely normal play behavior for a dog, and the dog may bark both to human and animal during play.
When barking for the purpose of seeking attention, dogs also tend to bark in response to the anxiety that they feel when they are not in the presence of their owner. This can occur just after the owner leaves, or it can persist for as many as several hours later until the owner does finally return.
While most of these reasons are cause enough to explore electronic bark collars, but there are also reasons for why bark collars should be avoided. For example, some dogs that are in pain will bark excessively. Dogs who suffer from brain diseases, deafness or cognitive problems may also bark excessively, and none of these situations should be dealt with through the use of an electronic bark collar.
It is important to take your dog to the veterinarian's office before you begin any new behavior modification program including a bark collar to rule out situations such as these.
Ultimately it is up to you whether you choose to use a bark collar or not. You are responsible of the well being and health of your dog, but you have to be aware of the needs and wants of your family and your neighbors as well. There are various methods of behavior modification that can be explored, but electronic bark collars are very fast and effective at delivering the desired results in only a few days in most cases. Your goal here should be discouraging barking that is unnecessary rather than discouraging all barking, because barking within reason is a natural dog behavior and should never be discouraged.
It would be ideal for you to learn how to recognize any and all triggers that will cause your dog to lash out through barking, because you may be able to eliminate or at least limit these stressors to a degree. Keep in mind, most importantly of all: There is no magic cure for such unsavory behavior, you simply have to show patience, and when possible, understanding as well.
The first thing to explore when it comes to implementing a shock collar regimen for your dog is the cons associated with this type of training.
When it comes to electronic shock collars and other dog training aids, the market seems to be leading in a very specific direction: The direction that this market is taking is moving toward creating products that deliver the same quick and efficient results for dogs that bark too much, while not providing too much discomfort for the dog. Many companies are coming out with types of electronic shock collars that do not hurt or cause as much discomfort as older models of electronic shock collars.
As the companies developing these collars continue to fine tune their products, they work to develop the perfect combination between creating a level of comfort for the dog, and creating fast results through what is still essentially negative reinforcement to prevent constant barking from occurring.
There are a number of primary brands out there that produce electronic shock collars, with new companies coming out on a consistent basis. While there are a few brands that dominate the market, the first company that is capable of producing an electronic shock collar that does not come with a healthy dose of controversy will probably dominate the market in the end.
Standard Bark Collars - These are some of the simplest and some of the smallest of all bark control collars that are available on the market today and they are available from a wide variety of different brands. When your dog barks, this simple anti barking collar will give a warning beep, followed by a simple and mild correction. If the dog continues to bark after this point, he will then receive a warning tone followed by what is a slightly stronger electronic pulse correction.
This process can continue for as many as six levels worth of electronic correction. The collar can sense the dog's throat's vibration, knowing the difference between regular vibrations and vibrations caused by barking. This is not a harmful type of shock collar and makes an excellent deterrent for dogs dealing with excessive barking problems. Here are some of the features associated with the standard bark collar -
Ultralight Sonic Bark Collars - These are the lightest bark control collars available on the entire market today, weighing in at a single ounce only. These electronic bark collars are ideal for even the smallest dogs, though they should never be used on puppies.
These ultra-light sonic barking collars are from Pet Safe, and only weigh a single ounce meaning that any size dog, large or small, can wear one without worry. This sonic barking collar snaps right onto the existing collar of the dog, so another bulky collar does not have to be worn in order to deliver the outstanding results of this system.
This type of sonic bark collar has an adjustable level of sensitivity, allowing you to fully customize the experience for the unique bark of your particular dog. In order to deter excessive barking, the collar emits a loud sound that will startle your dog, disrupting his barking and discouraging him in the process from continuing. This is not a shock collar, but rather is a perfectly harmless and very effective way of getting your dog's attention and deterring it from the excessive barking. Here are some of the features associated with the ultra-light sonic bark collar -
Big Dog Bark Collars - These are bark collars that are produced by Pet Mate, featuring what is known as Patented Perfect Bark, technology that provides some of the most reliable of all bark detection in the entire industry. These collars are designed for large dogs, with an adjustable collar that can accommodate neck sizes as high as 34 inches, using a Quick Fit buckle. This big dog bark collar features ten levels of light touch bark correction, insuring that your dog will be a part of a training system that is both safe and effective.
This type of collar is both durable and waterproof, protecting the electronics and protecting your dog as well. What makes this an exceptional form of no barking technology is that it only is activated when your dog's own barking is detected and not when another dog barks.
A safety time out will shut the correction off for a full three minutes if the dog barks for more than fifteen times in a period of thirty seconds. This system also comes with a two color LED that shows when the battery is good or when it is bad. These types of big dog bark collars come with a limited lifetime warranty. Here are some of the features associated with the high quality, reliable big dog bark collars by Pet Safe -
The pet safe deluxe big dog bark collar works by being placed on your dog before he or she begins to bark. When your dog does decide to bark, a harmless correction will be emitted. There are ten different levels of correction, and the level of static correction is automatically adjusted by the collar to meet with the temperament of your dog. The temperament learning system utilizes truly sophisticated software to track how many corrections were needed to reduce nuisance barking, and then eventually to eliminate it all together.
Little Dog Bark Collars - This is another collar created by Pet Safe and designed for little dogs. This particular Pet Safe bark collar makes use of highly reliable Nano technology, allowing it to be the smallest of all bark collars available on the market today. Nano technology makes this new and exciting Pet safe anti barking collar the smallest available. It makes use of patented perfect bark detection technology that makes sure that only your dog's bark is going to be capable of causing the correction to occur. If another dog is nearby and barks, the collar will be able to determine the difference.
The Pet Safe little dog anti-barking collar has ten different levels of correction, and a receiver that is waterproof and durable to protect both the electronics inside and the health of your dog as well. This system also comes with a two color LED that shows when the battery is good or when it is bad.
Here are some of the features associated with the high quality, reliable big dog bark collars by Pet Safe –
Ultrasonic Outdoor Bark Collar - If your dog barks too much, or even if your neighbor's dog is barking too much, there is a solution that works for all dogs, no matter where the source of the excessive barking is actually coming from. Excessive barking can really be a strain on a lot of things, which is why Pet Safe came out with an ultrasonic bark control unit that controls all out of control outdoor barking without requiring that any dog require a collar or deal with electronic shocks to correct the behavior.
The Pet Safe outdoor barking control unit was featured in the Wall Street Journal in August of 2007 by providing an alternative to shock collars that produces excellent results at eliminating loud and excessive barking. Is your dog barking too much, or is a neighbor dog barking too much? Pet Safe has released a decorative electronic bird house that is secretly an ultrasonic bark control system which is capable of controlling nuisance and excessive barking.
This Pet Safe outdoor bark control unit is powered by a simple nine volt battery, and can easily train your dog or another dog in the vicinity not to bark excessively. This unit is completely safe and effective no matter what breed the dog is, or how large or small it is. There are four different levels of operation that you can choose from, each a little more powerful than the last.
The Pet Safe outdoor bark control unit is effective for as many as fifty feet away. The dog that is barking excessively will hear a high pitch ultra-sonic sound that is safe for the dog and completely inaudible to humans in the area. Because the sound is safe but unpleasant for the offending dog, over time the dog will learn no longer to bark excessively. Here are some of the features that are included in the Pet Safe outdoor bark control unit -
Deluxe Bark Collar - This deluxe bark control collar is one of the most advanced bark control collars out there. This is a collar created by the Pet Safe Company that uses patented "Perfect Bark" technology. This perfect bark technology senses both the sound and the vibration of the bark at the same time rather than simply the vibration. Only a combination of the sound and vibration together will be able to trigger the electronic correction that the collar is meant to emit.
This deluxe bark control collar can accurately detect the bark of the dog every single time. Some bark collars are only capable of detecting the barking of the dog using a microphone, and the collar activates based on sound. Because of this, these collars can be set off by a number of other noises in addition to the dog's bark. Some bark collars rely on only the vibration of the dog's bark, but these anti barking collars can be set off by jostling or motions. Only the technology behind the Perfect Bark technology can ensure bark detection that is completely fool proof.
Here are some of the features that are associated with the deluxe bark control collar -
Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar - The Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar is one of the most advanced bark collars that has ever been created. This is a collar created by the Pet Safe Company that uses patented "Perfect Bark" technology. This perfect bark technology senses both the sound and the vibration of the bark at the same time rather than simply the vibration. Only a combination of the sound and vibration together will be able to trigger the electronic correction that the collar is meant to emit.
This deluxe bark control collar can accurately detect the bark of the dog every single time. Some bark collars are only capable of detecting the barking of the dog using a microphone, and the collar activates based on sound. Because of this, these collars can be set off by a number of other noises in addition to the dog's bark. Some bark collars rely on only the vibration of the dog's bark, but these anti barking collars can be set off by jostling or motions. Only the technology behind the Perfect Bark technology can ensure bark detection that is completely fool proof.
The Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar will begin to stop excessive dog barking problems as soon as the collar has been placed on the dog. The bark collar will automatically adjust to one of eighteen levels of correction to suit the temperament of the dog. The Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar features the same Quick Fit buckle that provides secure support in some of Pet Safe's other bark prevention collars, while still providing a quick release when necessary.
All Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collars are completely 100 percent water proof, and come with a lifetime warranty.
The Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar senses the vibration in the throat of the dog and the sound of the dog's bark when he or she is barking excessively. This will prevent false corrections from other neighborhood dogs barking or other sounds or vibrations causing the collar to make an unnecessary correction. This will stop the dog from barking as he or she will learn that the only way to prevent the correction is not to bark excessively or without a reason.
The Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar is recommended for dogs that are eight lbs or larger. They are durable and light weight, with 100 percent water proof protection. As long as the dog is at least eight lbs, the Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar is designed to be adjustable for any dog size. There are 18 different levels of corrections that are self-adjusting and can be adjusted to the intensity of the dog's bark.
Here are some of the features that are associated with the Pet Safe Deluxe Comfort Fit Bark Collar -
The most common brand for dog bark collars is Pet Safe, a brand that handles a number of different safety programs for dogs and cats as well. Pet Safe is constantly working to create new innovations when it comes to anti bark collars, and they create not only shock collars, but also citronella and sound producing collars as well. The Pet Safe company has produced a number of innovative technologies, including patented "Perfect Bark" technology which combines both the sound of a bark an the vibration associated with a bark in order to make sure that only the dog's individual bark can set the collar off, causing a correction.
While there are a number of different alternatives to training collars in general, there is really only one other type of collar that acts as an alternative to the electronic shock collar. These no bark collars are citronella producing electronic collars, and these collars produce a spray of citronella in the face of the face of the dog, deterring him or her from continuing to bark. This type of no bark training collar is not usually nearly as effective as the electronic shock collar, and some dogs do not seem affected by the citronella producing collar at all.
]]>Getting a new puppy is a fun and interesting time. You probably went to a breeder or pet store or maybe just saw an ad on the Internet or the newspaper, for puppies, and decided just to check it out. Before you knew it those little eyes and fluffy puppy fur had your heart melting and you were headed home with him or her in your arms. If you are like most new pet owners you had visions of playing fetch with your dog, of watching him frolic at the lake, and of cuddling up on cold nights.
However, you probably failed to realize that the behaviors you dream of in a dog do not come naturally. In fact, the more natural behaviors for most puppies include lovely little things like chewing up your favorite shoes, barking every second of the day, and peeing wherever they are when the mood strikes them. These behaviors might seem cute at first, or even manageable but, if left unchecked they can lead to a very bad adult dog.
The problem with puppies that are not trained is that they grow into untrained dogs. An untrained dog can be a nuisance. All of that cute little yipping can quickly become loud barking that keeps you and your neighbors up for nights on end. The little teeth marks in your shoes can turn into destroyed furniture and a destroyed home before you know it. Likewise, those cute little puppy poops are not so cute when the dog is 75 pounds and has the excrement to match.
Untrained dogs can also be very dangerous. All dogs can bite. It is in their nature to defend with everything they have, including their teeth. You have to teach your dog not to use their teeth so that no one winds up hurt, at least not when they are playing with them. While we all expect our dog to protect us in a worst-case scenario situation, you should train your dog to be non-confrontational. Dogs that pose a danger to the community are at risk of being put down.
In addition dogs that are problematic for any of the reasons listed above often wind up homeless. People grow tired of dogs that never grow up, and then they take those dogs to the shelter. We all know how sad life can be for a shelter dog and the end that many of those dogs meet. If you really love your new puppy and intent to have a long and happy life with it, train her. By training your dog you teach her how to live in your world and increase the likelihood that your life together will be long and happy for the both of you.
Dogs have been domesticated around the world for more the 15,000 years. Because of this long term of human companionship the puppy that you adopt today needs you. Dogs are not truly able to live by themselves in the wild. They are not adapted to living outside and foraging for food. Indeed the dog you adopt today needs you and years to please you. That desire to please their master is the reason that dogs are so easily trainable.
The dogs that we have as pets have what is called social intelligence. This enables them to read your visual and verbal cues and adapt their behavior to it. While each dog will train at a different pace and through different ways, nearly all domestic dogs are trainable.
Just like humans, dogs go through a series of cognitive development. Puppies, like babies, learn to interact with the world around them at around eight weeks of age. They will also mimic behaviors early in life, so if you have one well behaved dog your puppy can learn from it.
If this is your only canine do not worry, they will also learn by watching you. Just like parenting, dog training is something that often happens while you are paying attention to other things. So, those first few months that you have a puppy are an incredibly important time to really focus on training your dog. It can be a lot of work but in the end both you and your dog will be happier.
Easily the most important and first thing you will do is potty training. Your dog knows no difference between the inside of your house and the backyard. As far as they are concerned there are very few places that are not acceptable place to pee or poop. You probably have very different ideas. It should be relatively easy for you to train your dog to go outside if you are willing to follow the steps given here.
As you begin this process you may have to cut those close and cuddly ties you have already established with your puppy. To housebreak a puppy you will need to keep him confined to a small area, not your lap, in the home. While this may seem like punishment remember that dogs were once den dwelling animals. They like their crate or doghouse it makes them feel secure. They also want your praise, so by training them you will be able to give them the praise that they desperately want.
With few exceptions this plan should work to have your puppy trained within a few days. If you still have problems you may need to adjust your schedule so that it better suits his needs. Remember that even the best trained dogs have accidents while they are young, so be patient. Keep a good supply of floor and carpet cleaner on hand to deal with any messes the puppy might make in those first few years. Also, never demean or punish your puppy for accidents. They are just that, accidents. He is not purposely disobeying you. All he wants is your love and approval, the more of that you are able to give to him the more he will behave in a positive manner.
As you are housebreaking your puppy you will also be training him to stay in a kennel or crate. A lot of people think the kennel is a punishment for a poorly behaved dog, but that is not at all the case. The kennel is his very own space. He will enjoy it and probably spend time in the kennel even when the door is open.
Training your dog to stay in a kennel when you are not home or are asleep saves a great deal of anxiety for both you and your new pet. As stated before, dogs are den dwelling animals. The feel of a small space is comforting to them. You may even want to cover a wire cage so that he feels even more secure inside it. Dogs also have no sense of time. That is why they are always excited to see you, whether you have been gone ten minutes or ten hours. When they are in the kennel all they will do is sleep. When you are not home and they are out of the kennel they will either sleep or get into trouble. Putting the puppy in a kennel saves them from getting into trouble.
Kennel training your dog is also a great step in avoiding unwanted behaviors like digging in garbage cans, chewing on non-toys, and climbing on furniture. It also protects him from getting in a dangerous situation in your home. Dogs will eat things they are not supposed to eat or get trapped in small places very easily. Puppies are in even greater danger because of their small size and lack of depth perception, so a kennel is really a safety precaution.
There are two standard types of dog kennels, the wire mesh ones and the plastic kind. Both are good choices for your dog. If you plan to travel by plane with your puppy you might want to invest in an airline approved crate, which typically is the plastic kind. The wire mesh ones are collapsible which makes them easy to move and to clean.
When you first bring the puppy home he might not readily go into the kennel. Make it appealing by placing treats or toys inside. Again, use a simple command like “inside” or “kennel up” repeatedly until your dog goes in the kennel. Once he is inside reward him with praise and a treat. You will be surprised to find that after a while you will not even need to give the command. Your dog will pick up on cues like putting on your coat, or grabbing your keys and purse and go into the kennel on his own.
Do not be alarmed if your dog whines a little bit when he is inside the kennel. It is not because he wants out, rather because he wants you inside with him. Dogs crave your constant attention, but he needs to learn to be comfortable by himself and in his own space. You might go over and offer him a few comforting words, but do not sit nervously by him or let him out when he behaves this way. Doing that will only enforce the whining and he will train you instead of you training him.
Some people choose to place a dog bed or blanket inside the kennel to make him more comfortable. As your dog gets older and larger he might not need the blanket, especially if you live in a hot climate. But, while he is a puppy it is a great comfort item. You might even put in a piece of clothing that smells like you to give him more comfort. Some people recommend keeping water in the kennel or feeding the puppy in it. The choice is up to you, but be aware that both of these have the potential to create quite a big mess.
One of the best ways to make sure your puppy is comfortable is to keep him near you. The kennel should be strategically placed in an area that the family hangs out in most of the time. The family room is a good choice as opposed to a bedroom that is often empty. Having the kennel in the family room will encourage your puppy to sit in there while the rest of you are watching television or having other family time. If you do not like the look of a kennel consider dressing it up so that it fits with your decor better. You can easily cut a piece of wood to fit the top of it and then place a tablecloth or other fabric over it. Then it simply looks like an end table and not a dog kennel in your living room.
A puppy should never be in the kennel for more then eight hours at a time. If this means that you have to come home at lunch or wake up during the night to let the dog out, then you must do those things. Think about that time commitment before you bring the dog home. Also, the kennel should never be a place of punishment. When your dog is put in the kennel he should go in happily, knowing that you will be back and that he is not in trouble.
Training your puppy with a clicker is one of the most effective and easy ways to teach him how to behave. It is also the most humane way to train a dog because it centers on positive reinforcement rather then punishment. The process is a fairly simple one of clicking when your puppy exhibits the behaviors that you request and then rewarding him with a treat and positive words.
Clicker training has been used on a wide variety of animals, beginning with pigeons and including dogs, whales, bears, lions, and even cats. For all of these animals the process is the same a verbal command is added to a click and eventually the animal does not need the click anymore, just the verbal cue. It is a form of conditioning your dog to do the things that you want him to do and to avoid behaviors that you do not like. The clicker is a tool that helps to train your dog; it does not do the training for you. However, the use of a clicker over other forms of training has been shown to reduce, by about a third the amount of time it takes to train.
The clicker is a tiny toy that you can purchase at any pet store. They are very inexpensive, so buy a few and keep them on hand at all times. Teach each member of the family how to use the clicker properly to train your puppy. Other then the clicker you will need a steady supply of treats to help get your training off the ground.
Clicker training can be used to teach any sort of behavior. Here is an example of how to train your puppy to sit with a clicker. Teaching a dog to sit is an essential part of helping him understand who is in charge in the household and how he should behave to get your attention.
Clicker training can be used to teach your dog all kinds of tricks and behaviors. Your dog will be able to sit, lie down, and even go inside the kennel with the use of a clicker. It can all be accomplished without ever having to punish your dog or to hit or otherwise demoralize him. Dogs, like children react to your attention whether it is negative or positive reinforcement. When your puppy does well he is rewarded with affection and a treat. When he does not do what you want he gets nothing. When he exhibits behaviors that you do not want, ignore him and those behaviors will go away.
Puppies are like sponges, you can train them to do anything you want. Some people train their dogs to ring a bell when they want to be let out or let in to the house. You can train him to sit next to his food and wait until you give him permission to eat. The more time you spend training your dog the more he will enjoy learning new things because he will know that he has pleased you.
Teaching a dog to walk on a leash is not always an easy task. It is in the dog’s nature to want to wander off and sniff everything that comes in his path. However, this behavior is not conducive to a pleasant and athletic walk. You, his master, have to strike the balance between allowing him to explore his world and walking in a controlled way.
The first thing you will need to do is purchase an appropriate leash for your dog. Make sure that it is the right weight according to how much your dog weighs right now. Even if he will eventually be 75 pounds, he will not be able to handle a heavy leash while he is still small. The next thing to choose is a collar for walking. Some people use harnesses are leaders that attach around his head and snout. Both of these products can help you better control your dog in a humane and safe way. Choker collars are not recommended for any breed of dog, as there is significant danger of hurting the animal. If your dog is small a simple collar and your leash might be plenty. However, you will want to use the same type of device, like a harness or leader, which you will use when he is bigger.
One of the important steps to ensuring that your walk is pleasant is to try to get your dog to do his ‘number two’ business before you leave your home. If he learns that the walk is the time to go to the potty then you will almost always be stuck carrying around a bag of his waste on your walks. He should learn to potty in a specified spot in your yard. Of course, to be on the safe side you should always carry a bag with you for picking up any potential dog droppings.
The part of the training process is time consuming and requires a great deal of patience. Do not expect your first walk to be a long one, distance wise at least. Think of it as a training session that requires lots of stopping and starting to get it right.
As your dog gets older you may consider allowing him to walk off leash. Do this with great care, especially when cars are around. Even the most well trained dog is still an animal and as such, is unpredictable. You would not want anything bad to happen to your dog because he was off leash in an unsafe area.
Dogs like to bark, it makes them feel powerful and in control of their surroundings. However, barking can be a nuisance that you need to control in order to keep a happy dog and household. By training your dog to ‘speak’ on command he will be less likely to do it without being instructed to do so. Barking is your dogs' warning system, so when he barks when he wants in or to warn you, praise him for one bark. This should teach him that barking once gets your affection but barking excessively only gets him ignored.
Dogs should not be left outside unattended. While a lot of people see nothing wrong with leaving a dog in a fenced yard while they are at work or away from the house, it is not the best choice for your dog. Your domesticated dog needs you, when you are not around he will feel anxious which will cause him to bark excessively. He might even exhibit other behaviors like digging or finding ways to escape your yard. A dog that is comfortable and loved is not left outside unattended.
One of the easy ways to manage your dogs barking is to understand why he does it. Many people experience the problem of their dog barking whenever someone walks by the front window of their home. Dogs do this because they are territorial, when they bark at people walking by their intention is to scare them away. Any person who is just walking by your house will continue their walk because; obviously they are not scared of a dog that is inside the house. Your dog does not understand this concept. He thinks that because the person continued to walk, that he must have scared them away. This enforces his idea that the barking works, so he will continue to do it.
The best way to manage this behavior is to teach your puppy that his barking, in fact, does not work. You will need to enlist the help of some friends who are not familiar with your dog to teach him not to bark. Have those people walk by your house when the dog is looking. When he starts barking they should stop and continue standing in front of your house. The dog will quickly realize that his barking did not work, but also that someone on the sidewalk is not a threat.
Training a dog not to bark can be tricky, since dogs are also a good warning system should someone come into our home uninvited. There is a fine line between teaching your dog to behave and still allowing him to be protective of you and your home. When the puppy exhibits behaviors that are meant to protect you and your family, or his pack, reward him with praise. He should learn the difference between this and unwanted behavior fairly quickly.
Now that you have taken the time and spent the money to get a new puppy you should also take the time to train him. A well-trained dog makes for a happy home. Your dog does not have to do a bunch or tricks nor does he have to be perfect. You are probably not training a show dog or a guide dog so you do not have to stress out about making him behave perfectly.
Try to focus your energy on key behavior like housebreaking, responding to commands, and waling on a leash. As you get to know your dog better you will find out what he is good at and can expand on those good behaviors and learn to manage the unwanted behavior. Most puppy training can be done on your own, right in your own home. There are dog training classes that you can take to help you get started. These can be good, but are only the beginning of the training process. Your new dog will need to continued attention and behavior in order for him to be the best dog that he can be.
]]>Understanding the ingredients of your dog's food items is a must for the dog lovers or dog owners. Whenever you feed the dog with different kinds of food items, you should always read the label and understand the contents about the dog feed types that are being used in such commercial preparations. You should understand the ingredients while buying food for your dog and also know what to look for.
Feed items include dry and fresh food. The fresh dog food that is prepared in homes generally consists of ingredients like freshly cut chicken pieces in addition to the cranberry juices, blue-green algae, etc.
If you come across any different kinds of preservatives and if the dog develops all of a sudden signs pertaining to the food allergy, suspect the unwanted ingredient in the feed items given. Similarly, understand about the moisture status. If the food item is having more moisture, then the dog may prefer this as well.
Beet pulp, pasta, Soy bean oil, wheat middlings, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, copper sulphate, iron sulphate, zinc oxide, choline chloride, etc. are often the ingredients in case of vegetarian based diet items offered to the pet animals like dogs.
Raw egg, chicken, beef, mutton, fish, quail etc. are often the preferred ingredients in case of dog diets that are prepared on the basis of the non-vegetarian items. Taurine is one of the essential ingredients for the dog’s nutrition. Like wise, in the case of dogs feed with frozen fish items, the vitamin called thiamine needs to be supplemented as an ingredient.
Many premium type of dog food preparations contain essential fatty acids, carbohydrates with adequate fiber contents, vitamins like A, D, E and B complex vitamins.
Furthermore, minerals like zinc, is an essential ingredient for skin health status and calcium, which is an essential ingredient for bone growth, tonicity of muscles. They should be enriched in these food items. However, the cost of those food preparations are comparatively more expensive than the food preparations with general ingredients. Though it may be better for your dog's health.
2. Dogs need different diets at different ages
Dogs need different diets at different ages. Yes. This is true. For example, the puppy needs milk as the major food item while an adult dog may need beef or chicken in addition to the boiled egg and milk. So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies in reality for the dogs like any other species.
Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates than an adult dogs. Furthermore, puppies need more frequent feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. The movement based requirements of diet are more in the case of puppies, since they are often more active than the adult dogs.
Elder dogs need restricted protein but the protein needs to be easily digestible and easily assimilated in the body. The diet schedule should have ample supply of water for them. Feeding aged dogs too much protein may finally lead to over burden to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters in the kidney.
This is true especially when the immune system of these dogs is compromised due to many factors. Similarly, the elderly dogs need less food only because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.
Female dogs in the pregnancy stage need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some discomforts to the animal. However, the pregnant animal and the nursing animal need special type of food items that deliver a balanced type of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals.
The nursing animal with puppies need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium and hence, there will not be any calcium based deficiency and the bones of the puppies will be strong without any curving.
3. Vitamin and mineral supplements
Vitamin and mineral supplements are the most important components in any dog’s feeding. If there is a balance in the vitamin and mineral supplements, then the animal will have a healthy life and hence, the immunity is not compromised in an unwanted way. This simply means that there the dog will be more disease resistance against various diseases.
Pet owners should know that vitamins A, D, E, and K are the fat-soluble vitamins and others are water-soluble vitamins. Vitamins like thiamine, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin are important for the functions of nervous system. Deficiency of vitamin A leads to night blindness and skin lesions and deficiency of vitamin D leads to the softening and weakening of the bones.
These problems are many a time encountered by the dog owners. Among these, vitamin A toxicities may occur if you feed them in excessive amounts, like vitamin D. Hence, give emphasis on this while you are using these vitamins in the dogs. Cod liver oil from selected fishes has more vitamin A in them and are universally good feed for dogs.
All dogs may not need supplements of minerals or vitamins to live well for the moment, but it is important for their future. If they become sick or aged or very young without proper feeding, supplementations are required for the upkeep of health status in them. However, one has to follow the instructions of veterinarian in this regard.
If the dogs are fed with fish in frozen conditions, then they may be suffering constantly from vitamin B1 deficiency and hence, such dogs need to be given specifically B1. Careless supplementations of minerals may lead to diseases and hence, veterinarians always need to be consulted on the supplementation of minerals or vitamins.
Minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper etc. are given more emphasis in addition to sodium and potassium. Zinc is related to skin health and potassium is related to the muscle health and calcium with phosphorus is related to the bone health.
However, if you feed the dog with chicken, mutton or beef along with required vegetables, artificial supplementation of mineral or vitamin tablets may be highly reduced but supplements need to be thought of when you are not able to maintain a balanced nutrition as this happens with most of the dogs, due to multifaceted causes.
4. Boredom and variety
Boredom and variety are always inter connected in case of dog misbehaving. Yes. This is true. Many a times, boredom can be managed with variety of materials that will distract the animals to a greater extent. Hence, the dog may not do the abnormal or unwanted activity arising out of the boredom experienced by it.
Boredom experienced dogs may have different types of behavioral patterns. For example, some dogs will be seen barking continuously and some may be engaged always in some digging activities.
There are many ways to get your dog out of its boredom activities. Many toys are available which simulated duck, dog, rodent etc.
These may be kept inside the crate and in particular, puppies love these items. A buster cube with multiple treats may be placed in the dog’s shelter and the animal soon understands on how to roll the buster cube to get the treats it prefers. A Buster Cube is an ingenious toy use for simulating and activating your dog during play and feed time. Instead of placing the food monotonously in one place, change the place of feeding suddenly.
Such actions will be helpful for removing the boredom like activity in your dog. Activities pertaining to boredom need to be redefined well by the dog owners. This will help them to a greater extent to drive away the unwanted behavior patterns in their pet dogs.
For example, some dogs may often have destructive biting characters and will be seen biting chair, cloth, mats, and everything that can see. After ruling out the teething problem if it is a puppy, provide it with some large sized balls, mineral mixture based bone materials, etc. Such variety of materials help to reduce the boredom related activities.
5. Cost of feeds
The cost of dog feed is one factor that is most important in the case of feeding of dogs with different kinds of food items. Yes. This is true. The cost factor needs to be looked into in various perspectives during the preparation of the food items, required for the balanced feeding of dogs with proper vitamin and mineral supplements in the food.
Cost will not always matter much because the dog’s value is being assessed in terms of companionship and the happiness derived from the dog to the dog owner. Though the cost of the food items is comparatively more, many dog owners don’t mind much due to the increased benefits derived from their dogs in terms of protection, guiding, etc.
Selection of ingredients for the home made food needs to be however based on the quality factor. Even when the quality is more, general persons may seek some cheaper items only. Recommended nutrient contents may be obtained from the national nutrient academies in all nations and this will provide guidelines.
One can correlate the cost factor with items available in their own country. Generally, the commercial food items are expensive especially the ones that use the modern technologies of food preparation like oven-baking, sterilization of cans, air drying or freeze drying of contents etc.
Canned items cost more than the dry food items. However, the cost of the items depends on what kind of food item to be used for the dogs. Food allergies need to be monitored during usage of different food items in case of dogs due to the cheaper cost of the items. Often the quality need not be compromised because of the cost factor.
Most of the dog food items nowadays have mentioned their cost in the label itself. Hence, the dog owner need not have any problem in taking a decision on the purchase.
6. Dry vs. Canned food
These types of food materials are different with different grades of liking by the dogs. Dogs like dry foods only if they are tasty only and however, on comparison, the dogs prefer only the canned food items. Reason for such preference by the dogs is that in case of canned food items, the moisture is about seventy to eighty per cent but in case of dry food, it is only about ten per cent.
However, if you view it in terms of nutrients, often the dry food contains nearly ninety per cent nutrients whereas the canned food items contain only less per cent of nutrients and most of the times. It is only soy products that are structured so well to look like meat pieces.
Hence, to make up the nutritional balance in the body systems, the dog has to eat more amounts of canned food materials than the dry food materials. Hence, just compare the cost factor related to this feature by you. Many dry food items are soybean and rice based.
Now some dry food items are based on corn. Sometimes, beef based or chicken based food items come in the cans along with mineral and vitamin supplements suited for the upkeep of the dog’s health status. Larger dogs that weigh more than thirty pounds need to be fed with semi moist food items or dry food items in most of the occasions.
This is to satisfy the food receptors in the stomach. This is due to the fact that the larger dogs need to eat plenty of moist food or the canned food items to satisfy these criteria. But it may not be practically possible in these larger dogs. The small sized dogs may have a satisfactory level of nutrients if fed even the moist food items.
However, the caloric density of the dry food should not be forgotten. Enriched dry food items are highly welcome ones than the non -enriched food items.
7. Home made diets
Home made diets are important in the dog feeding. Many a times, the commercial diets consist of food items that have artificial coloring agents and flavoring agents that are harmful to the dog's body. Home made food items have the guarantee of freshness in the preparation unlike the ready-made commercial items.
The preservatives added in the commercial food items may not be the suitable ones to the dogs from the health point of view. Even in case of renal diseases in dogs, the home made diets may be made with ground beef, slices of bread, calcium carbonate, boiled eggs etc.
The purpose is to have the restricted protein supply in the feed items prepared. This should be carried out with home made diets prepared exclusively for the dogs suffering from renal diseases. Water is added in sufficient quantities to help the proper metabolism in the digestion-impaired renal cases.
The dog may have allergic symptoms like severe itching, which may not get corrected by different kinds of medications employed over a period of time. Such cases may get easily treated once the dog food is changed from the commercial type of food to the home made food items.
Often, the home made food items are prepared using the freezing procedures to kill the germs or by adding grape seed extracts to provide sufficient antioxidants to the home made food items. Food grade vinegar is also added in many times to the meat pieces prepared in a fresh manner. All these can be enriched with vitamin supplements that are available in fruit essences, fish oil etc.
Cranberry juice, bananas, fish and meat are prepared in a quality manner and no preservatives are added during the preparation of these kinds of food items and the dog becomes more active after the consumption of such food items.
8. Food allergies
Food allergies are something that is difficult to identify unless one is well aware of the baseline information with regard to this type of allergy. The main symptoms of food allergies in dogs include the facial itching, limb chewing, belly itching, recurrent ear infections or skin infections.
Since the dogs consume lot of prepared food materials including various kinds of proteins, fillers, coloring agents and more; in the commercial food materials, the incidences of food allergies are more than one can imagine. Allergic reactions mostly involve the skin or the gastro intestinal tract.
If you come across your dog itching after the provision of specific food materials, then suspect the food allergy in this animal. However, conditions like fungal infections need to be ruled out in general before the conclusion of itching as a sign of food allergy.
There are many recorded incidences of allergies of dogs to corn or to wheat. However, the food allergies vary from dog to dog. Read the labels clearly before feeding your dogs with pet food materials, in such occasions. Too much colored food materials may be avoided since they may cause allergies to your dog.
Food allergies are often linked to the hyper active behavior noticed in the dogs. Added colors, preservatives, and high fat diet might cause such food allergies in the dogs and hence, one has to be careful in providing new kind of diet to their dogs and closely monitor the dog for any signs of allergy.
There are many occasions that food allergies might be diagnosed in the dogs but the dog may have other problems like pancreatitis. To rule out the food allergies, observation your dogs everytime you feed them, look for reasons to link the signs of dog with food given, specific signs encountered, differential diagnosis etc. are the important features to be given emphasis.
9. How much should I feed my dog?
Many people will give different types of answers based on their experience with their dogs. However, the scientific facts related to the feeding aspects in case of dogs need to be given emphasis during the feeding activities maintained in case of dogs.
Usually the puppies should not be separated before they are eight weeks old. However, some times the orphaned puppies may exist. Usually about five percent of the body weight may be taken as criteria for the quantity of food to be given to the puppies. However, the amount that is consumed by the dog varies with size of the dogs also.
However, one can have a thumb rule of feeding the puppy goes until you see visible fullness of the abdomen to a moderate degree. If you are going on feeding the animal without giving emphasis to the animal’s stomach appearance, then the puppy may experience some kinds of digestive upsets and the diarrhea may occur in them.
This may cause many inconveniences to the owner as well as the puppy. Unlike adult dogs, the puppies need to be fed with restricted amounts of food but in more frequencies. However, once the age advances, the amount may be increased to some extent but the frequency of feeding is often decreased in many occasions.
A dog on a raw diet may consume only two to four percent of their body weight. Just observe closely the feeding pattern of the dog and the body condition of the animal. If the dog becomes obese, just reduce the quantity of food and if the dog becomes thin, then have an increase in the feeding items.
As mentioned earlier, puppies and adolescent dogs eat more than the adult dogs. Likewise the geriatric dog eats less than the adult dog due to the reduced movements of the dog. However, remember to restrict the amounts of protein during the feeding of diet to the aged dogs.
10. How often should I feed my dog?
This often becomes an important question asked by many dog lovers and dog owners. If it is a puppy within age of the first six weeks, the puppies need to be given milk at the rate of five to seven times per day. The puppy will make some sound if it wants to feed in general.
However, the feeding frequency may be reduced when the dog becomes six to eight weeks old. By the time the dog assumes the age of four weeks, it may start taking of some solid food. Hence, mix the solid food with water in majority and feed your puppy once or twice in the beginning and if the dog develops some diarrhea, then delay the feeding.
Most of the times, it is due to trial and error but taking some basic steps in feeding, so you need to watch out. The feeding frequency may be changed to two to three times after the assumption of age of eight weeks. However, if the dog is seen hungry craving for food, then provide food once than the estimated numbers. This varies with different breeds of dogs.
However, avoid feeding too many times in this age group of dogs. Around three months to six months of age, the puppy will be teething. Hence, restrict the feeding to two times only but the balanced type of nutrition needs to be provided to the dogs of this age group to avoid the deficiency based symptoms in them.
From six months to one year, try using puppy food that is available commercially. However, from first year onwards, the adult food may be given gradually. However, when the dog becomes an elder dog, restrict the frequency of feeding since the movements of such adult dogs are highly reduced due to multiple reasons. However, the pregnant animal may be fed an extra time depending on the willingness of the animal and restrict the quantity of the food but without compromising on the quality of food.
11. Signs of Ill health
Signs of ill health are the most important signs of the health status in your dogs. For example, if the dog has continuous nasal discharge, it indicates the presence of nasal congestion and if the discharge is thick, most of the times, the dog may have pneumonia.
If the dog vomits one or two times occasionally, this may not be taken as a serious sign of ill health but if the dog continues this vomiting, then this is something significant to be looked into.
If the dog has continuous itching, then one needs to check up the dog first by closer observation and examination of skin by separating the hair material especially in case of long haired breeds. You may also come across a lot of ticks or lice on skin, which may look apparently normal at a distance.
If the dog passes loose stool for one or two times, this need not be given more emphasis but if there is continuous passing of loose stool, then the dog is understood to suffer from bowel disorders. If the dog does not pass stool for two to three days, the digestive upsets needs to be ruled out carefully.
Just patiently observe the dog’s walking movements and rule out any abnormal movements in the dog. If the dog is limping, the animal may have foot lesions. Similarly, if the aged dog has reluctant walking and less feed intake along with repeated vomiting, then acute renal disorders like nephritis needs to be ruled out.
If there is whiteness in eyes, suspect the corneal opacity that may occur in diseases like trypanasomosis. When the dog becomes anemic, the mucous membrane of the eyes becomes paler and in severe cases, this may have wall white color. If the dog bites chain and owners or others, look for behavior disorders and rabies needs to be ruled out.
12. Heart worm, fleas and other parasites
Heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs need to be eliminated by following appropriate medications in them. Many products have come up in the commercial fields to protect the dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites like hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks etc.
Among the heart worm, fleas and other parasites, the fleas produce the hyper sensitive reactions in the affected animals. Hence, the animals infested with fleas start severely scratching of body. Many times, the scratching is so severe and the skin becomes more hyperemic and dermatitis occurs in the affected areas.
Animal will not lie down or sleep comfortably due to the constant bites by the fleas. Hence, animal looks as if affected by some severe skin disease. If the animal is not properly attended for this tick bite problem, there will be often secondary bacterial invasions in these sites and there may even be a bad smell emanating from the skin areas.
Close observation of the dog is highly essential to rule out the occurrence of fleas disturbing the animal to a greater extent. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be tested for the presence of ticks, lice etc. For this, the hair materials need to be separated and the close observation with patience is required for the proper diagnosis.
In many incidences, if anemia is present, the blood protozoa need to be ruled out in addition to the hookworm problems. The clinical problems like anemia, loose motion, pot belly etc. might be recognized by the dog owners themselves and however, the dog needs to undergo the routine health related examination involving fecal examination, hematological examination and blood smear examination.
Many commercial products have come up in the market, which are useful to deal with all these conditions by single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly useful and are available in both injection and oral form in addition to the solution form that can be applied on the skin. These drugs in dogs can lead to the prophylaxis of these conditions also.
13. Heart worm prevention
Beef flavored chunks are available in addition to the beef flavored tablets or solutions that can be given orally to the dogs as a measure against the incidence of heart worms. Avoid mosquito bites by providing proper mosquito-proof shelter facilities to the dogs.
Just plan whether there is any need to go for the heart worm prevention though out the year or only in some months of the year. For example, in case of some countries, the mosquitoes may be dormant in most of the colder months.
However, in some countries, this is not a position. Many a times, medications are available for oral administration to prevent heart worms along with hookworms etc. Such oral medications need to be taken as per the instructions. However, be cautious about the occurrence of any adverse drug reactions in the dog given with such prophylactic therapy.
Adverse event reports need to be sent if you come across any sorts of adverse drug reactions in your dog during the preventive treatment.
Soft beef flavored tablets are highly preferred by the pet animals as the preventive measure against heart worms. The pet owner needs to consult a veterinarian if the dose for the prophylaxis of heart worm is missed for few months. In such occasions, the pet animal needs to undergo the heart worm test.
Heartgard, sentinel, interceptor, revolution, etc. are available in the commercial fields as drugs for the preventive measure. Avoid water stagnation around the dog shelter and the bushes around the area that facilitate mosquito breeding. This test needs to be carried out in consultation with a veterinarian who is specialized in the pet animal health care and medicine.
As a preventive measure for the heart worms, the dogs need to be tested for the evidence of these worms at an age of six months. Real beef chew able tablets are available containing medical agent like ivermectin.
14. Common questions about heart worm
The common questions about heart worm are often related to the species affected by heart worms in addition to the dogs. One should know that in addition to dogs, the cat, fox, wolf, horse, sea lion etc. are also affected. Can this be cured or not? Yes. This can be treated.
What is the drug used often for the prevention of heart worm in dogs? Ivermectin is the drug used often to have preventive actions for these heart worms. Dogs affected reveal constant coughing, panting and dullness in many occasions.
What will be the size of the worms? In the case of the females, it is about twenty-seven centimeters and in the case of males, it is about seventeen centimeters in length. Is there any vector involve in the transmission of the disease? Yes. Mosquitoes often get associated as
vectors in which the early development of larvae of heart worms occur in them.
Is the prophylaxis meant only for heart worms or others also? The prophylaxis is meant not only for the heart worms but also for the hook worms, whip worms, and round worms. What is the infective type of larvae that is associated with the transmission of these heart worms? The third stage larva that is transmitted by the mosquito bites.
This occurs through out the world. In some areas, the incidences are less in colder months in which the mosquito breeding will not be there and may be dormant during these periods. What is the name of the drug used for therapy and prevention? Ivermectin and milbemycin oxime may be used for both purposes. Ivermectin is available in injection form and oral form.
Additionally, the forms for external application are also available. The cost factor needs to be worked out for all these treatments. What is the frequency of drug used for prophylaxis? One month before the mosquito season and up to two months after the mosquito season, ivermectin or milbemycin oxime may be given once monthly for the prophylaxis. Diethylcarbamazine may be used for therapy purpose.
15. Fleas and other parasites
Fleas and other parasites need to be given always a priority by the dog owners. The common incidences of flea bite allergy in case of dogs cause worries among the dog owners. Flea bite induces allergic reactions in the concerned area bitten by the fleas. Hence, the affected area looks like hairless area and the animal starts scratching.
Fleas cause severe dermatitis in dogs with severe flea infestations. Many times, the flea bite causes allergic reactions in the dogs. In many occasions, dogs experience severe discomforts due to these allergic reactions. Medicated collars are available to treat and prevent the infestation with external parasites like ticks or fleas.
Other parasites like ticks, lice in addition to the internal parasites like hook worms, round worms, whip worms etc. cause affections in the health status of the animal. For example, if hookworm affects the animal, most of the times, the dog has anemia. The anemic signs become more prominent depending on the degree of affection by the hookworm.
Hookworm larvae can pass directly through the skin and cause problems in the affected ones. Such dogs may reveal lesions pertaining to the dermatitis in the feet region and in the skin areas. Skin rashes may be seen frequently in such cases and the affected animal passes loose stool, which is of red tinged and mixed with blood material.
If the round worms are seen in more numbers, the affected puppies reveal a potbelly condition, which is easily recognized by the dog owners themselves. Piperazine salts are given by oral route for the treatment of this problem. However, broad-spectrum anthelmintics like pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole etc. are given to treat these conditions.
Many drugs have come in market to treat the fleas and other parasites. Nowadays, the medical agent called as ivermectin is highly preferred by many dog owners to treat the fleas and other parasites in dogs. This drug is available in injection form and oral form. Even the drug is available for the external application also.
16. Do parasites cause “Scooting”?
Parasites too cause the scooting. Scooting is a an anal sac disease. First let's understand what scooting is in detail. This is the dragging of anus with the hind limbs in an extended state. Parasites causing irritation in the anus regions lead to such type of actions in animals like dogs.
However, one should not be under the impression that it is the parasite that alone causes such scooting in case of dogs. There are many occasions in which the dog may have the scooting without any parasite based etiological agent. For example, the anal gland infections, tumors at the anus and injuries near the anal regions also may lead to such type of dragging of anus region, frequently by the affected dogs.
Flea bite allergy often causes irritation at the anus region and the animal may try to bite the anus region and the irritations due to these factors lead to the final dragging of anus region on the ground. Cestodiasis in dogs is the condition caused by tapeworms.
In such occasions, if the animal is not treated in time, the animal may be seen exhibiting the scooting activities. Tapeworm segments passed in the stool create crawling like activities near anus.
Such crawling activities of the tapeworm segments lead to severe itching at these regions. Hence, to make a relief from this type of constant irritation, the animal starts pressing the anus region on the ground first and then tries to drag it on the ground with typical extension of rear limbs.
Usually there is a packet of eggs when the fecal sample is examined by microscope. However, the flotation technique leads to breakage of these packets to burst and hence, diagnosis is difficult in such occasions. Scooting dogs need to be examined to rule out tapeworm segments, which look like rice like pieces.
These segments are white in color and turn yellow when taken from the body. Tapeworms themselves may be seen in the motion or near anus below the tail regions. Consult your veterinarian for specific cures for this.
18. Preventing dental disease
Preventing dental disease is an important feature, which is to be paid more emphasis by the dog lovers or dog owners. Dental disease is given priority in the health schedule of the dog nowadays because of the association of the dental diseases with systemic diseases in the dogs.
Antibiotics need to be given in the initial stage of teeth infection itself and if not, this may cause specific infections and the organisms may spread to the other nearby regions like the oral mucous membrane and pharyngeal region etc.
More acidic or alkaline food materials need not be given to the dogs to avoid the possible teeth damage. Antibiotics need to be given in the initial stage of teeth infection itself and if not, this may cause specific infections and the organisms may spread to the other nearby regions like the oral mucous membrane and pharyngeal region etc. More acidic or alkaline food materials need not be given to the dogs to avoid the possible teeth damage. If the dog is not given at its young age some bony material to bite on, the dog may develop some dental diseases later. The teething action often causes the animal to go for biting in an indiscriminate manner. Hence, the animal has to be given some biting materials to avoid the occurrence of dental diseases.
If there is an evidence of bleeding from the oral region, the dog needs to be examined thoroughly for any dental abnormality. Mainly the puppies or some times, the adult dogs also may have teeth injuries. They need to be attended immediately as a preventive step. If not, the animal may end up in secondary bacterial infections.
Hunting dogs need additional care associated with the dental structures and such care is needed to avoid the future dental problems in such dogs. Brushes are available to provide better dental care to dogs. However, one has to allot more time and should have patience to use such brushes in case of dogs. This may lead into further problems. Centers for disease control and prevention are trying to put up guidelines to prevent the dental diseases in dogs in many nations. However, the oral examination needs to be carried out frequently in dogs and such activities help to rule out the emerging problems pertaining to the dentine structures in the beginning itself.
18. Home dental care
Home dental care is to be given more emphasis nowadays because of the fact that the dental diseases are emerging in the case of pet animals like dogs to a greater extent. Though you are giving home dental care, if you suspect on the extension of the dental diseases, then immediately approach the veterinarian for intervention.
Try to provide bone materials without very sharp points to the dogs and they may love to chew them and then swallow the bitten products. Such activities help them to go for the development of strong teeth structures in a natural manner.
Mind that the breeds of dogs like Pekingese, etc. are more prone for the development of teeth diseases because the teeth are closely crowned in the oral cavity be to the small size of the these dogs. Hence, these dogs need to be checked up for the excessive plaque formation in the home itself.
Recreational raw beef bones are wonderful materials to keep the teeth structures of your dog clean and free from formation of plaque with build up of bacterial organisms. Teeth brushes are available for use with care in case of dogs and one has to be careful during the usage of these brushes in dogs. Teeth brushes are to be used with special kinds of pastes recommended by the veterinarians for home use in case of dogs.
Specially prepared food materials are available in the pet shops to remove the tartar and the plaque materials from the teeth structures. Dry dog food and toys that are specially made to add strength to the teeth structures are often used at home for better teeth cleaning.
The plaque materials are intermittently to be removed at home to avoid any occurrence of the periodontal diseases, which are more common among the dogs. Dental wipes are available in the pet shops and they may be used carefully in the home. This helps to remove more plaque and the tartar like materials that are loosely attached.
19. Veterinary dental treatments
Veterinary dental treatments are more important. If the dental structures are not being looked carefully, there are more chances for the development of periodontal diseases in dogs. Hence, the veterinary dental treatments need to be paid maximum importance during the life of your dogs.
There are many advanced systems that deal with dental treatments that have come up in the market. Many systems are available with built in water spray systems, double filter systems, auto clavable clips, and more.
Many veterinarians use high speed fiber optic hand pieces with push button turbines, two hand piece water jet systems, soundless water compressors and more. The diagnosis of a condition pertaining to the periodontal structure based diseases are more important before the treatment.
Periodontal diseases are graded into minimal and moderate and severe diseases. Accordingly the therapy is carried out, it is impossible to check all teeth by basic oral examination in the dog patient. Hence, general anesthesia is required before the examination of the teeth inside structures. Surgical curettage is done in case of advanced periodontal diseases using flaps and the teeth extractions are also carried out using moderate force and more care is taken to avoid the continuous bleeding.
Oral surgeries are undertaken after obtaining of the dental radio graphs in the dogs and by comparing the tissue damage with normal teeth structures. The concerned veterinarians assess the extent of damage in a systematic manner.
The periodontal diseases are controlled by administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics in an effective manner. Along with the dental surgeries, the oral treatment is done with many products that are helpful to prevent the attachment of the tartar or plaque on the teeth. However, reputable products should be used in the veterinary practice and the dog owner’s satisfaction is given more priority during the veterinary dental therapy.
20. The importance of the physical examination
The importance of the physical examination need not be underestimated in case of dogs. Simple but systematic physical examination techniques may diagnose most of the disorders in dogs and hence, without physical examination of the dog, one should not resort to knowing the status of your dog's health.
Simply observe the dog with scratching. Catch the dog and simply separate the hair material from the itching site. To the surprise you may come across a big wound in the scratched site. The wound might be the main reason for the scratching of the dog at that site. However, one has to rule out the occurrence of wound by severe itching itself.
Many times, when the scratching dog is examined physically, one can come across plenty of lice infestation or tick problem in the skin and coat. The parasitic condition might not be diagnosed at all if one has not carried out the physical examination. Similarly, the dog may reveal the signs of pain when the physical examination is carried out by deep palpation technique. The dog show signs of pain when the dog is examined at the stomach or the back regions.
Even if it is possible that by pressure based palpation, one can detect the acute renal disorders in the affected dogs turn to the examined site at the region of kidney or at the back region. The dog affected by the Cystitis with severe retention of urine is often diagnosed by mere physical examination.
The filled bladder together with signs of pain during the examination at the site of urinary bladder indicates that the animal is affected by Cystitis. Auscultation of the heart in both right and left sides helps to rule out the abnormal heart sounds and the pulmonary area based auscultation reveals the respiratory system disorder like pneumonia.
21. Why are regular check-ups important?
Why are regular check-ups important? Every dog owner asks this type of question, often. If you failed to do the regular check-ups, then the dog may end up having some major diseases that you don't know about. Hence, you need to pay lot of money both to the veterinarians for consultancy and for the required drugs useful for the therapy of the clinical condition.
One may not be able to find out the very commonly occurring clinical conditions in case of their dogs because of less experience with dog diseases or dog rearing. This is why check ups are important. For example, if the dog has potbelly, the condition may not look abnormal many times. But if the dog is subjected to the regular check-up, then the veterinarian immediately finds it out and gives the appropriate therapy. If not, the animal may experience diarrhea and the dehydration.
If the dog has any signs of illness, then don’t wait for the regular check-up. Instead, you need to approach the veterinarian immediately. Check ups if done in a regular manner will help to give vaccinations against canine distemper, parvovirus, corona virus, rabies virus, hepatitis virus, and more.
Booster vaccinations will be carried out in such cases without any delay in the injections and this helps to improve the immunity level of the dog against such diseases in a remarkable degree. Regular check up is the essential one with proper stools examination. Hence, the deworming may be carried out with drugs like fenbendazole, albendazole, etc.
Abnormalities like signs of pain may be ruled out during such examinations. If not, helminthiasis may affect the animal and diarrhea may occur in addition to the other types of digestive upsets and anemia. Regular examinations help to rule out the external parasitic conditions like lice or tick infestations. Dental problems are also found out during the regular check ups in reputed veterinary hospitals.
22. What happens during an examination?
This question often looks so simple but holds more meanings in that. During the examination of your dog, first you need to prepare the dog first psychologically for a better-restrained status. For this, you need to take a leash and place the dog on table by the careful delivery of suitable command.
When the dog is trying to avoid the thorough examination by the veterinarian, just try to distract the dog by simple scratching of your dog behind the ears, etc. Hence, the dog’s attention is some what diverted from the examination procedures that are carried out often in a systematic manner.
However, there are obedient dogs, which will remain calm during an examination. Such dogs need to be given some patting on the shoulder or the body and praises. Perhaps, many owners may try to provide some treats that are liked so much by the concerned dogs. However, it all depends on the trainings offered to the concerned dog earlier and the effective follow up procedures by the owner for the maintenance of such reflexes during the examination.
Muzzles are required for some dogs if they behave in a different manner by objecting the examination procedures by the frequent movements of the body or trying to bite the veterinarian doing the examination of the dog. Hence, the owner needs to observe the dog closely during the examination to rule out any abnormal activity by the dog.
Restraining activities in a proper manner during the clinical examination of the dog are of highly appreciable if they are successful with the concerned dogs. Such control will be of highly helpful for the effective examination of the patient by the concerned veterinarian in the pet clinic.
If the dog gets more distracted during examination by means of restlessness, then one may even use the electronic equipments which will make some sound that are audible to the dogs’ ear. Such things will be helpful in the proper distraction of the animal during the examination.
23. How often should my pet be examined?
Most of the dog owners try to find this answer in a serious manner. Whatever the schedule we have for the examination of your pet animal, if there is any abnormality noticed in your animal, without delay, you need to subject the animal for a thorough clinical examination. It can be suggested that even before the purchase of a puppy, just consult a pet animal care specialist and try to understand about the schedules to be maintained for the examination of the animal. This will help a lot in solving many health related problems in the concerned animal.
Though once in two or three months is the general schedule for the examination of the dog, as soon as the puppy is procured the dog needs to be taken to the veterinarian for a thorough examination. Hence, the health care measures related program will be obtained in time. Most of the time, the dog is to be taken to the veterinarian at fifth or sixth week of age because in this period only, the vaccinations against diseases will be systematically carried out. The period of vaccination in the first year will be continued up to the sixteenth week of age and the schedule needs to be maintained accordingly.
However, if you have the pregnant dog, the dog need not be stressed by long distance based transportation for examination purposes. Hence, consult the veterinarian by phone and try to reduce the travel for the dog. However, the veterinary advice needs to be obtained in terms of health maintenance. If the dog has met with an accident either during travel or during routine movements, the animal needs to be taken to the pet hospital immediately.
Though no disease is evident, it does not mean that the dog is healthy. There are occasions wherein the animal may look like a normal dog but may have some diseases, which can be found out during the routine health check ups. Hence, the owner has to decide on when to take the dog to the hospital depending on necessity.
24. How to administer medicine
Most of the times, the dogs are so intelligent to find out the drug mixed water or food materials offered to them by the dog owners. Hence, often it becomes a headache for the dog owners to give medicines to their dogs. To the possible extent, the animal need not be forced for taking of the drug. If the medicine is to be given by mouth, first decide whether it is better to give it along with water or food. Many times, the medicines are mixed with food materials and are kept in concealed position by proper mixing of the medicine with the food materials.
Before administering the medicine, just delay the feeding time in the particular dog. Hence, the dog may be hungry to some extent. At that time, give little quantity of normal food without medicine and the dog may eat it well without any suspicion and now provide the medicine mixed food and the dog may voluntarily eat it most of the times. If the dog resists, first restraint the dog well and open the mouth. Place the tablet behind the fang teeth and almost behind the bulb of the tongue. However, take care that the medicine what you are administering in the dog should not enter directly into the respiratory organ like lungs.
If so, the dog will experience many bouts like activities and may end up in aspiration pneumonia with severe nasal discharge and panting like activities. In puppies, just swab the medicine around the upper lip. The puppy will lick automatically the drug by tongue. Hence, the administration becomes perfect in such cases.
If the medicine is in liquid form, don’t raise the head of dog too much and place medicine by a syringe. Just by using a dropper, fill the medicine in the lip pocket. The continuous rubbing at the throat side may stimulate the swallowing. Making the animal thirsty and then offering of medicine mixed water may many times help the intake of the medicine.
25. Nursing a sick dog
Nursing a sick dog is one of the vital measures that a dog owner needs to understand. Similarly, when a dog becomes sick, the dog is in need of more care and affection based activities by the dog owners. Nursing a sick animal is often considered as an art and this should not be taken as a causal measure.
Yes. You need to take extra care to the dog when it becomes sick. For example, the sick dog with high fever needs to be given only some bread pieces and bulky non-vegetarian items may be avoided. Such dogs should be kept in some calm place after medications are taken and should not be disturbed. During the nursing of the dog who has taken the drug, the animal needs coaxing and stroking by the owner. Don’t raise the dog’s head too much to avoid the passing of drugs given by the mouth directly into the respiratory organs like lungs. During the nursing measures, take care by giving warm fluids.
Safety is to be given more priority during the nursing activity in any dog. When the dog has severe diarrhea, the animal may start showing signs of dehydration. Hence, the nursing care for dehydration includes an addition of small doses of salt and glucose to water in a careful manner.
Similarly, the vomiting dog also needs proper nursing care. Ice cubes may be given in such cases along with egg whites to smooth the esophageal passage.
Nowadays, a non-contact based infrared thermometer has come up in the market to obtain the temperature of the animal without much stress. Place the dog in a shaded place if the temperature is so high and provide good ventilation to the suffering animal. If the animal is suffering from hypothermia, provide warm blankets to given comfort to the animal.
26. Vaccinations
Vaccinations need to be undertaken always by the pet owners and the dogs need to be vaccinated at the appropriate time. This helps to improve the resistance of the animal against some specific diseases causing frequently problems in dogs. The dogs that are orphaned due to the death of the mother have lesser protection in their immune system.
Such animals are to be particularly protected against various diseases.
Vaccination is usually started at the age of five to six weeks and prior to this age, the maternal immunity will be helping the animal to have natural disease resistance. It is always better to deworm the animal before the vaccination and this is given emphasis many times. Vaccination against the parvo virus is done at an early age because pups are often being affected by parvo viral infections. The booster dose for each vaccine needs to be given at appropriate time and this helps to build up the immune status to an appreciable manner. Vaccination is carried out in many countries against rabies disease.
Hence, vaccination against rabies is given more emphasis always. Even rabies tags are fixed on to the dog collar of most of the dogs. Rabies vaccine is given at age of thirteen to fifteenth weeks of age and is repeated in fifteenth months time. However, this depends on the type of vaccine used. Once in three years, this is repeated.
In dogs that have not received colostrums or dogs at high risk areas, give measles virus vaccine and killed parvovirus vaccine before five weeks of age itself. Leptospira serovar vaccine is given at six to eight weeks of age and again at tenth to twelfth weeks and at thirteenth to sixteenth weeks.
Then annually repeat this. Bordetella and lyme disease vaccinations are only optional ones in case of dogs. Vaccinations against the canine parainfluenza, canine parvovirus, and canine adenovirus type- two is similar to the schedule maintained with leptospiral serovars.
27. Common questions about vaccinations
Common questions about vaccinations are to be understood by the dog owners, as a priority. One of the common questions is whether the dog needs to be given vaccination on the first week of age or not. The dogs need not be vaccinated within five to six weeks of age. But, if they did not receive vaccinations, then the vaccination against the parvoviral infections used to kill viral vaccines and measles disease may be given.
Another common question is whether dog is to be given bordetella disease vaccine and lyme disease vaccine. No, these vaccines are only optional. Can the parvoviral vaccine can be used in first week of life? No. This will interfere with maternal antibody levels.
Can a pregnant animal be vaccinated? Yes. Two to three weeks earlier to pregnancy activity that is expected, the pregnant animal may be vaccinated against viral diseases. This helps to provide maternal antibodies to the young one to be given birth. Is there any need to give rabies vaccine to dogs? Yes. It is a must to go for the anti rabies vaccine for dogs.
When this anti-rabies vaccine is given to the dogs, what precaution does one need to undertake in this regard? Rabies vaccine is given at age of thirteen to fifteen weeks of age and should to be repeated in fifteen months and then once in three years. It is important that the dog is given this vaccine.
However, this depends on the risk area. Is there any need for canine distemper vaccination in case of dogs? Yes. There is a specific requirement in the case of dogs for the vaccination against the canine distemper. This disease is more prevalent in most of the countries.
Is there any vaccination against leptospirosis and at what age, the dog is to be vaccinated? This is to be given at age of at six to eight weeks of age, again at tenth to twelfth weeks, and again at thirteenth to sixteenth weeks of age.
28. Spaying and neutering
Spaying and neutering of dogs are highly wanted if you don’t want to breed the dogs and however, these activities need to be carried out by qualified veterinarians specialized in pet care and management. Anesthesia is required along with due surgical procedures for carrying out the spaying and neutering.
One has to understand first the terms like spaying or neutering. Both are related to the surgical approaches of sterilization in case of females and males respectively. However, the term neutering is also related to such procedures in both sexes. Accidental pregnancies that are not wanted can be highly minimized by these procedures.
Spaying and neutering helps to prevent occurrence of pyometra, which is a common reproductive disorder-giving problem to the dog owners. In male dogs, the neutering helps to prevent the occurrence of prostate enlargement or cancer. Hence, these help to minimize the incidences of reproductive disorders in dogs.
By these spaying and neutering, the male dog’s desire in search of female dog in heat is highly minimized and hence, wandering of male dog is reduced. The animal becomes calm also by these surgical remedies. Territorial behavior of these animals is also highly minimized by these in case of male dogs.
Spaying of your dog before the occurrence of first heat is the best one to avoid the incidence of breast cancer. If the dog is spayed after the first heat, the chances of occurrence of breast cancer in them is more and has been proved by research. Younger group of dogs need to be subjected to these operations to avoid complications in future.
Many veterinarians prefer the spaying and neutering of dogs only at the age of five to six years. However, these can be performed even at the age of three to five years. Postoperative care needs to be followed meticulously to avoid the occurrence of infections by microbial organisms.
29. Spaying of the Female dog
Spaying of the female dog is undertaken to control the unwanted pregnancy by crossing of some unknown or country or non-descript dogs. The spaying of the dog reduces the aggressiveness of the dog. By spaying, one can reduce the incidences of the commonly encountered reproductive diseases like pyometra.
Spaying also helps to control the population in case of stray animals and many nations are doing these operations by removing the ovaries from the female animals. Experienced veterinarians are required to do the spaying in case of female dogs and the postoperative care is to be given more emphasis. If proper control measures are not taken after the surgical operation for the removal of ovary, then the infections may start setting in and the animal may end up in development of peritonitis and then toxemia sets in, causing unwanted health problems.
Death of the dog may finally occur, if the dog is not provided an effective and proper veterinary care. A female dog that is spayed before the occurrence of first heat will have almost a zero chance of development of mammary cancer, which is more common with the dogs that are not spayed.
A female dog generally comes to heat once in eight months or so. During the heat occurrence, there is bleeding from vagina and the dog may cross with the unwanted male and the spaying activity prevents all these. In case of aged dogs, the dog may often get signs of increased thirst, anorexia, vomiting etc. that are so common with pyometra.
Pyometra means the presence of pus in the uterus. Once pyometra occurs, it involves many discomforts to the animal in addition to the cost factor involved for the therapy also. Such pyometra is totally prevented by spaying because in the case of spaying, you are removing both ovaries and the uterus.
30. Surgical neutering of the male dog
Surgical neutering of the male dog is important in helping the dog owners to control the male dog’s aggressive behavior. Yes. By doing the surgical neutering, it becomes possible to control the dog’s restlessness, which might have caused so much agony for the owner and hence, neutering corrects such activity to the benefit of the dog owner.
When the dog is in puppy stage, the dog may be subjected to the surgical neutering technique. Hence, the hormonal impact is highly minimized in such male dogs.
The surgical neutering of the male dog helps to prevent the incidences of prostate gland diseases. Generally, in case of male dogs, the prostate enlargement is more common. In canine patients undergone the surgical neutering, the incidences of such prostate enlargement are totally minimized.
Sometimes, the adult male dog has more difficulties during defecation. However, one has to rule out the feed borne constipation like lack of fibers etc. before resorting to the fixation of prostate enlargement as a cause for this. Constipation is mainly due to the increased size of the prostate gland. Neutering makes shrinkage of the prostate gland. In surgical neutering, the incision is placed in front of the scrotum and the testicles are removed in a surgical manner using aseptic techniques.
The wound need not be closed except the tying up of the cord after cutting of the testicle. However, in two to three days time, as a routine tissue reaction, some swelling may occur in the scrotum. However, once you administer the antibiotic that has a broader spectrum of activities, the condition gets recovered in a satisfactory condition. Septic shock may occur if the surgical site gets infected with some microbial infections and in these cases, the wound needs a thorough dressing procedure and the patient needs to be continuously monitored in a clinical environment.
Take note that local animal organizations perform the surgical neutering when the stray male dogs are captured by them.
31. Pet health insurance
Pet health insurance is highly required nowadays because of the escalating cost factors pertaining to the health maintenance in dogs and other animals. Dog owners need to find pet insurance firms that settle dues to the pet owners without much delay and in a more appropriate manner. Pet health insurance firms recently come forward to settle the dues in a proper manner after the due verification of the claim. If anything happens, dog care costs can add up without insurance.
Hence, know the approved list of your local animal care hospitals. Even have the list of veterinary experts who are specialized in dog’s health care and disease management measures. Many firms cover up the cost made towards undertaking of surgeries, radiographic examinations, treatment of specific conditions, laboratory fees towards undertaking of various laboratory examinations, and more. There is a weighting period before the approval of your policy by most of the insurance firms after the enrolling from you so it's good to start early.
If you don’t like the insurance firm, at any time, you can cancel the insurance policy. A licensed veterinarian list should be available with all insurance firms. Many payment options are available for the pet owners.
It is better to enroll the dogs or other pets before they become adults. The animals when they are young need to be enrolled as a priority.
It is always better to the consumers who are the dog owners. Before the dogs have any illness, accidents, or get into the pre-existing conditions as quoted by many pet health insurance firms, insurance coverage needs to be entered by the dog owners. The medical history of your dog will be subjected to the full review by the insurance firms, so start soon.
32. Clipping a dog
Many dog owners generally think of clipping as only a mechanical activity. Few understand that clipping a dog is an art. Clipping a coat or nail needs to be carried out in a careful manner to avoid the injuries to the skin or nail. Clipping of the coat is to be taken care of as per the breed characteristics. If the coat is not properly clipped, this may lead to the dust accumulation in the coat and the animal may start showing signs of skin diseases. This is true especially when the grooming activities are not done in a proper manner.
Clipping of coat helps to get rid of the parasitic burden to a greater extent and also, the clipping of your dog is of more useful to expose on the type of parasitic problem that the dog is likely to suffer. Many pet health parlors are available wherein the clipping of dog will be carried out in a more systematic manner.
Always make use of a sharp clipper and in the winter regions, avoid the close clipping. This is due to the fact that the closer clipping in the winter seasons may expose the dog to the environmental stresses like the cold climate. Hence, the dog may become more vulnerable to the frostbite. Avoid the close clipping of coat or nail because this may cause injury to the underlying tissues and may cause bleeding in the concerned animal.
Many pet owners need to avoid any clipping activity when the animal is not in healthy status. Clipping instruments are available to a greater extent in many pet shops. Avoid the blunt instruments because they may not clip well and hence, repetition is required often. Always use modern equipments for clipping activities.
33. First steps in grooming
Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears. The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more. The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.
Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs. Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush. This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.
Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.
Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.
Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dog's feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.
34. Bathing a dog
Bathing a dog needs to be given more emphasis. This is because of the fact that if you are careless in bathing, the animal may end up having some infections. For example, if you don’t close the ears with large cotton ball, the water may enter into ear canals and may cause some ear infections with signs like constant discharge from the ears and shaking of head.
Frequency of bathing actually depends on the breed of the dog. If the dog is of a hairy type like the cocker spaniel, then the bathing is to be carried out once in six to eight weeks. If these breeds are bathed too frequently, then the skin and coat loose the protective characters. However, when the dog has defecated on the skin due to the frequent digestive upsets leading to diarrhea, to avoid the bad smell, the dog may be subjected to frequent bathing some times by the owners.
Take more care in avoiding some irritant soaps or human soaps. The soap materials used for human beings are not suitable for dogs. Similarly, many human shampoo products are having some ingredients that are not suitable in the proportions that are to be used in case of dogs. Hence, always try to use the shampoo products that are mentioned mainly for use in dogs. Take more care in using any new product.
Always have good time and patience for products required for bathing in one place with availability of water source. Dogs love the sprinkling of water, river, and oceans. Even when you are using bathtub, have everything in one place and then start bathing of the dog. Try to have a leash, conditioner, towel, and shampoo in the bath place.
Conditioner is of helpful to make the combing activity easier later. Bathing should be a convenient activity to both the dog and the owner. This should not be a burden.
35. Pet Identification
Pet identification is highly required in these days because of the need for the licensing of the dog in a proper manner and to reduce the numbers of the stray dog menace in streets. Pet identification is done by many methods, which are different from each other. The cost factor for that also has variations accordingly.
The identification of your pet may be done by personalized tags, sometimes by the municipal license tag, rabies tag, and more. Most of the time, your telephone number and your name will be on a place in the personalized tags of the dogs. If anybody encounters the dog accidentally during the event of missing of the dog will become capable of reporting the facts to the concerned officials.
Plastic and metal pet identification tags are available in multiple colors and the dog owners can choose the color they want. However, many select the reflective type of dog tags along with the collars. Hence, the dogs can be identified even in darkness to a greater extent.
Nowadays, many electronic gadgets are available like microchips which are embedded into the dog. However, these kinds of electronic chips need to be implanted behind the ears and once implanted, this will reveal all the data embedded in this in the computer. A collard and tagged animal makes an indication that it is not a stray animal and this gives more security to the dog.
Traditional forms of identification of the animal like tattooing is now a day not carried in dogs. Thus tracing the missed animal will become easier for the pet owners mainly due to the identification-based dog collars.
]]>