Boredom and variety

July 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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 dogís 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.

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Bathing a dog

May 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

Bathing a dog needs to be given more emphasis.

This is because of the fact that if you are careless in bathing a dog, the animal may end up having some infections. For example, if you do ít to close the ears , 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.

How often should i be bathing a dog.

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 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.

Be prepared before bathing a dog.

Always allow enough time before you start bathing a dog,give your dog a good brush down,this will help do get rid of any loose fur and knots,take out any matting,because no amount of shampoo or conditioner will help to remove them,in fact this could lead to skin problems later,try doing this outside as the fur flies every where. Dogs love the sprinkling of water, rivers, and oceans. Even when you are using a bathtub, have everything in one place and then start bathing your dog.Start by wetting him down,avoid the head for the moment,now shampoo his chest working your way down to his tail,pay special attention to his bottom and back legs.Here comes another very important part RINSE,RINSE,RINSE,and again rinse,this can not be stressed enough, by leaving any shampoo in the coat can cause itching,and skin problems.

The finishing touch to bathing a dog.

When you have finished the above wrap a towel around him,this will stop him shaking every where.Start drying him down with the towel,you will probably need more than one towel depending on the size of your dog,a good toweling down can save a lot of time and stop your dog from getting cold.At this stage if you wanted to speed up the drying time you could use a hair dryer,be careful,do not hold the dryer to close to the skin put it on the lowest heat setting if possible.

TIP:-Try to have a leash, conditioner,a lot of towels, and shampoo in the bath place.

Conditioner can be a help to make the combing activity easier later. Bathing a dog should be a convenient activity to both the dog and the owner,try getting your dog used to being brushed and bathed at an early age. Have fun and remember bathing a dog should not be a burden.

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Tags: bathing, coats, dog, shampoo, Treatment

How To Trim Your Dogs Nails – Tips For Properly Clipping Fidos Nails

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

3 Comments

Trimming your dogs nails can be a frustrating and unpleasant experience for both you and your pet but it doesn’t have to be – if you go about it the right way.

The key to making this experience more pleasant is to get your dog used to having his feet handled. Most dogs don’t care to much for this and if you can start when your dog is a puppy you’ll have a bit of an advantage. However, even older dogs can learn to love getting a little pedicure every so often.

Before you even get out the nail clippers, though, you’ll want to touch your dogs feet often. Just a little touch at first. If your dog pulls away, don’t push it but keep it up, touching his feet often throughout the day. Eventually he’ll get used to it and you can proceed to holding his paws for longer and longer. Once this seems to be acceptable to him (this could take weeks or even months), it’s time to get the clippers out.

When trimming your dogs nails the big thing to watch out for is that you don’t cut into the quick. This is in the middle of your pets nail and contains nerves and blood vessels so it can really hurt if you cut into it or even too close to it. Depending on your dogs nails, you might be able to hold them up to the light and actually see the darker vein of the quick in the middle.

Start by trimming a little off the end, then a bit more until you see pink in the nail or feel like you might be close to the quick. On dark nails, it’s pretty much impossible to tell so you’ll have to just cut enough to trim down the nail or else you will risk cutting the quick. The edges of the nail might be a bit jagged after this so go ahead and file them down until they are smooth or they might end up catching on something.

You might want to have some styptic powder handy in case you do cut into the quick and hold this on the nail to staunch the bleeding.

How do you know when it’s time for trimming your dogs nails?

Your pets nails should just about touch the floor when he walks so if you hear clicking then the nails have grown too long and it’s time for a trim. This usually needs to be done every 4 to 6 weeks but if your dog does a lot of walking on hard surfaces like pavement and concrete you could go longer as the surfaces themselves will help wear down the nails kind of like a natural nail file!

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Tags: Canine, Care, Clippers, Dogs, Guide, Health

Dog Ear Mites – How To Recognize And Rid Your Dog Of Ear Mites

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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If you are a dog owner, you’ll probably have to deal with ear mites at least once and probably more than once in your dogs lifetime since ear mites in dogs are moderately common. These tiny parasites are barely noticeable by the naked eye and resemble small crabs. The like to hang around in your dogs ear canals where they dine on fluids and debris from the ear tissue.

Although 1 ear mite is not that noticeable, they multiply like crazy, so if your dog has one he probably has dozens, maybe even hundreds. Although the ear mites themselves are white, the presence of them leaves a black discharge in the ear that looks almost like dirt. As you can imagine, they make your pets ears rather itchy so if you see him shaking or scratching his ears then take him to a vet to see if the cause is ear mites.

Ear mites are extremely contagious - don’t worry you can catch them from your dog but your other pets can so if you have multiple pets and one gets ear mites, you’d best have them all checked out.

Ear mites have rather a sheltered existence living their whole life on one dog. While they usually stick around inside the ear, sometimes they can spread to the surrounding skin and even take up residence as far away as the feet and tail.

Luckily, ear mites in dogs are easily treated. Once you suspect your dog has them, get him to the Vet. It’s important that your veterinarian diagnose the problem since there are other ear problems that can cause the same symptoms. Once the ear mite diagnosis is made, then a few simple steps are taken to eradicate them.

The first thing your Vet will do is flush out the ear canal. This is critical as it gets rid of the buildup (called exudate) and if this is not removed then medications used to treat the mites probably will not work. Needless to say, it’s best if you don’t try flushing your dogs ears at home – best to bring him to the Vet for this.

The next step can be done at home and consists of medicated ear drops that will kill the mites. These are usually put in the ears once or twice a day. The drops contain an insecticide (usually pyrethrin) which kills the mites. Treatment might continue anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks depending on the particular medication your Vet has prescribed.

Ear mites in dogs are common and easily treated, however they can become serious if left untreated. If you suspect your dog has ear mites, then please check with your Vet as soon as possible to insure this problem does not get out of hand.

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Recognizing Dog Skin Conditions – How To Find Out If Your Dog Needs Skin Care

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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Dog skin conditions can be problematic to diagnose and even more problematic to resolve. Yet, they are of crucial importance as they are irritating to your dog and can make him look less than desirable.

Skin conditions in dogs can range from small hot spots to their entire coat falling out and their skin turning black. They can be caused by anything from fleas to allergies and once your dog has a skin problem, you’ll have to work diligently to get rid of it.

If your dog is itching or you notice patches of bare skin, get him to the vet right away to start the process of figuring out what is causing the problem. As I found out with my little Pomeranian, figuring out what causes a skin condition is a process of elimination.

The first thing your Vet will probably do is look for fleas, since fleas are a common cause of dog skin conditions and they are easy to diagnose and fairly easily treated it’s in your best interest to rule this out first. IF that is the case, then your Vet will recommend a treatment program that will kill the eggs as well as the adults. Be aware, though that you will need to treat the dogs bedding and, possibly, your whole house if this is the case.

If fleas are not the culprit, then you might explore the possibility that it is allergies. While the thought of allergies typically brings to mind sneezing and running eyes, it can actually be a cause of skin conditions as well. One common type of allergy that affects dogs skin is a food allergy. Dogs can become allergic to something in their food – wheat, corn, dairy, chicken and soy are common things that cause allergies in dogs.

In order to rule out a food allergy, you must systematically remove the ingredients that you feel might be causing it. For example, if you think the dog is allergic to wheat, then switch to a food that has no wheat in it – if the skin condition goes away after a few months then you have your answer. Of course, this can be rather time consuming and if you want to cut some corners you can buy foods that are non-allergenic and have most of the offending ingredients removed.

Yeast infections, or even bacterial infections can be the cause of skin conditions in dogs as well. A yeast infection is very itchy and has a greasy appearance and bad odor. A bacterial infection might look like bumps on the skin. Your Vet can do tests to determine if this is the cause.

Dog skin conditions can take time and patience to remedy but it is well worth it for the overall health and good looks of your dog. In order to stop a skin problem from getting too far, take your dog to the Veterinarian at the first sign of any skin condition.

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Your Dogs Nutritional Needs

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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We often think of our pets as family members, but the truth is that dogs are not people and dog nutrition needs differ from those of humans. Sure, they need proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals just like people do, but in order for your dog to be healthy and have all the energy he needs he will need them in different ratios than you eat your food in which is why feeding your dog from the table only is not the best way to meet his nutritional needs.

All dogs need protein, but some need more than others. Puppies and working dogs will require more to meet their energy needs. Your dog should get his protein from meat and meat byproducts, but be careful about the dog foods you buy and read the labels to be sure what you are getting inside the food.

Just like in people, one of the most misunderstood factor dog nutrition needs revolves around fats. Yes, fats can make your dog fat if he gets too much of them but they are also critical for normal function. Fats help keep your dogs coat from drying out and his skin healthy. They also allow fat soluble vitamins to be metabolized by the body.

About half of your dogs diet should be made up of carbohydrates. This can be in the form or rice, corn, soybeans – whichever you prefer. If your dog develops skin problems, he might be allergic to the type of carbohydrate and you might need to switch from a corn based food to a wheat based food or vice versa to rule this out.

Do you take a daily vitamin? Does your dog? Yep, dogs need vitamins and minerals too. Basically all the vitamins we need – C, A, E and minerals like zinc, magnesium and calcium (to name but a few) are necessary for our dogs health. And just like in humans they need to be given in the right amounts. Your dog will probably get a lot of the vitamins he needs from his food, but there are liquid supplements out there that should not be overlooked if you want a healthy pet.

When buying a commercially made dog food to feed your pet, you want to be sure it isn’t loaded with preservative and crappy junk. Your best bet is to read the ingredients list and find out what is actually in the product. There are plenty of all natural varieties on the market today that will be free of toxins.

The higher priced dog foods will most likely have the better quality ingredients which are more easily absorbed and used by your dogs system. Although they may cost a bit more, you’ll make out in the long run as your dog nutrition needs will be met and you’ll end up with a healthier dog and less Vet bills.

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Dog Intestinal Parasites

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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It’s not one of the most pleasant aspects of pet ownership, but dog intestinal parasites is something that every dog owner has to deal with from time to time. To keep your dog healthy, it’s important to be aware of the different parasites that can take up residence in your dogs digestive system. In fact, keeping your dog parasite free may not only be a benefit to your dog but to your family as well since some of these parasites can also affect people.

Worms can have an adverse effect on your dogs health and some can even be life threatening which is why it is critical to have regular Vet checkups where you supply a stool sample that can be checked for these parasites. Here are some of the most common ones and the symptoms you might see if your dog has them:

Roundworms

All puppies get roundworms which is why “worming” is just a natural part of puppy care. Of course, your dog can get these at other times too and some of the symptoms might be hair loss, an extended abdomen, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea. Roundworms are one of the dog intestinal parasites that people can get, but if you are careful not to touch your dogs feces you probably won’t get them from your dog since in order to get them, you have to ingest the roundworm eggs. You can easily relieve your dog of these worms with an oral solution that you can get from your Vet.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are particularly repulsive because, whilst we don’t usually see the other types of intestinal parasites, tapeworms segment themselves leaving little sections of worm on your dogs hind area which can the fall off anywhere your dog goes! Tapeworms aren’t as serious and a dog with them usually doesn’t show any symptoms.

The only way to tell if your dog has them is through diagnosis of a stool sample or by seeing the segments on his coat or around your house. The segments look like little pieces of white rice – you might notice your vet lifting up your dogs tail and checking his anus on your next yearly exam and that is one of the things she is looking for.

Your dog gets tapeworms from eating either fleas or rats and mice as the eggs of the tapeworm are often found in both. Regular wormers don’t usually work for tapeworms, but getting rid of one is as easy as giving your dog 1 little pill that your Vet can supply.

Hookworms

Hookworms are common dog intestinal parasites and most all puppies get these as well. They can actually be rather serious as they eat blood and can sometimes cause anemia in your dog. Signs of hookworm infestation include bloody or tarry diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting. Hookworms can be easily eradicated with an oral wormer which is standard issue for any puppy.

Whipworm

Whipworms are another common parasite with few symptoms. If the infestation is very heavy, your dog may have diarrhea and could suffer from weight loss and dehydration. If left untreated, they could even kill the dog but this is in very severe cases. When your dog has his yearly exam, the Vet will be able to do test on the stool sample to see if whip worms are present. If they are, they can be taken care of with an oral wormer.

While dog intestinal parasites may not be something you want to talk about at the dinner table, it is something you have to consider as part of your pets health maintenance. Keep up with your yearly exams and bring those stool samples in and you shouldn’t have to worry about worms harming your dogs health.

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Dog Hip Dysplasia

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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Dog hip dysplasia, or canine hip dysplasia as it is more frequently called is a bone disease that happens more often in larger dogs like the German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Retriever and Dalmation although it can strike any breed.

This developmental orthopedic disease happens when the hip socket is not well developed and the ball and socket of the hip joint just don’t fit together right. The muscles around the hip joint don’t develop as good as they should and the result is much more stress on the joint than it can handle. This causes excess friction, and destruction of the tissue all ending in painful and often crippling arthritis.

Unfortunately dogs don’t complain much and they can go along for years with this pain not really showing any symptoms until the arthritis is quite far gone. However, issues can start to appear as early as 4 months and the sooner the better since early treatment can save heartache later on.

Symptoms of dog hip dysplasia include stiffness in the back legs, difficulty getting up, generally not wanting to run and play like usual, not wanting to go upstairs or jump. The only way to tell for sure is to get your Vet to take some x-rays as well as give your dog a physical exam to see if this is indeed what your dog has.

If caught early enough, the surgery – called a triple pelvic ostectomy – often has a good outcome particularly if it is performed before arthritis sets in. Once the joint has become arthritic, the chances for success are greatly reduced. In extreme cases, a total hip replacement usually works pretty good, although the surgery itself has some risks.

Canine hip dysplasia is passed on genetically. If a dog that has it is bred, there is a chance some of the puppies will have this – if two dogs with hip dysplasia are bred that chance is greatly increased. Although most breeders make a good attempt to not breed dogs with dysphasia, this is easier said than done because not all dogs show that they have it until they are rather old.

Since dog hip dysplasia is a genetic problem, buying your dog from a reputable breeder will give you some protection from it. Good breeders try to prevent the disease by not breeding dogs that have it. You can check the pedigree of your dog to see whether they have been certified with the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals. In addition, obesity as well as feeding your puppy a food that is over supplemented can add to the onset of this disease.

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What You Should Know About Dog Cataracts

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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Like people, dogs can develop cataracts with age. This is a normal part of aging and can be corrected but doesn’t necessarily have to be. Dog cataracts can also develop due to a trauma or some sort of infection or toxin. While cataracts are typically seen in older dogs, they can happen to dogs of all ages.

A cataract is simply the result of what happens when the processes that keep the lens of your eye moist don’t work correctly. This ends up with the lens losing transparency and some degradation of vision. Cataracts often look filmy on the eye, but they are not to be confused with sclerosis which is the normal change of the dogs eye lens which happens around 6 years of age. This gives it a milky appearance but does not affect the vision of the dog.

There are actually 3 different kinds of dog cataracts, although all have the same result and treatment. Some dogs have cataracts from birth and these are called congenital cataracts. They could be caused by infection or they may actually be inherited. Developmental cataracts happen earlier in a dogs life and may also be inherited or caused by some sort of trauma. Senile cataracts are those that form in older dogs – over 6 years of age.

If your dog has cataracts, he might have impaired vision just like what happens in people. This can be remedied by an operation, incidentally, the same one that they do on people with cataracts. Whether or not you want to put your dog through this is up to you as in some cases he may still have adequate vision and if he is quite old and operation might not be the right thing.

However, if your dog is younger or the vision impairment seems to be affecting his enjoyment of life, the operation is highly successful and fairly low risk, albeit rather expensive.

If you do want your dog to have cataract surgery, the earlier the better as once they get past a certain point the surgery cannot be performed. The surgery consists of the cataract lens being removed and a new lens being placed on the eye. Exactly the way they do it with people!

While dog cataracts can be corrected through surgery, there aren’t as many choices in replacement lenses as there are for people so dog cataract surgery doesn’t have the same success rate of restoring vision as it does for people. However, if you feel it is right for your dog, then discuss it in depth with your Vet to get his or her opinion and see how you should proceed.

Boredom and variety

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Bathing a dog

Bathing a dog needs to be given more emphasis.

Be prepared before bathing a dog.

The finishing touch to bathing a dog.

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