Dog Health Articles

 Dog Vaccinations

 

Our dogs need us to care for them. This care includes vaccinations, proper food, and exercise. The article is going to talk about the vaccinations dogs are usually given. In some cases with new dog owners or owners that have listened to vets we don’t really know what the vaccinations are that are required or given throughout their lives. It is important to know what each vaccination is supposed to do and whether your dog really needs it. Most of the time we just listen to the vet, but there is some evidence that over vaccinating your dog can be more harmful. You may also find that there are certain schedules your vet keeps your dog on. Below you will find a list of some of the common vaccinations to make sure your dog is getting what they need and not being overly vaccinated.

The first vaccination that is usually given to our dogs is the distemper. The distemper shot prevents a fatal disease that often shows signs of respiratory distress before causing seizures and death. The disease is also called distemper and it is a virus that will affect the dog. The fact is distemper can continue to reappear, which makes it important that your dog receive a shot through various stages in their lives to prevent the disease. Often times this is disease is marked by loss of appetite, discharge in the eyes and nose, vomiting, fever, lethargy, and paralysis of the limbs before death sets in.

Kennel Cough viruses are another type of disease you need to have vaccinated. This type of disease affects the bronchi and trachea of the dog giving them a loud, dry cough. It is not a fatal disease to contract, so the vaccination is usually optional and the disease can be treated after infection. You may consider not having this vaccination for your dog, unless you are in an area where there is a high rate of the disease as it is very infectious.

Leptospirosis is a serious disease that is usually vaccinated for on a schedule throughout the dog’s life. It affects the liver and kidneys of dogs. Larger dogs are typically going to be more susceptible to the disease so you will have an option of not including it in their regiment of vaccinations. It is also a very uncommon disease. When the vaccination is given it is usually in combination with other vaccines.

Parvovirus causes serious dehydration, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. It can result in death. The virus affects the white blood cells in the dog causing a compromise in the immune system. Some breeds are more susceptible to this virus and therefore veterinarians recommend it for those breeds. Two of the most common breeds are the Doberman Pinscher and Rottweiler. Again the vaccination can be subjective for need. It is recommended that any dog breed more susceptible to the disease have the vaccination on the usual schedule supplied by the veterinarian.

Lyme Disease is another disease that most dogs are vaccinated for on a specific case. Lyme disease is more prevalent in certain areas, such as the warmer climates; therefore any dog that lives in a warm, humid climate or is traveling to one may need to have the vaccination. Lyme disease is serious arthritis and lethargy in a dog. There can be repeats of the disease once a dog has been infected. It is not fatal and usually antibiotics will help the dog get over the disease, but as a precaution certain areas were the disease is more prevalent require the vaccination.

 

Understanding the Reasons for Spaying or Neutering Your Dog

 

When discussing dogs there are two methods called spay or neuter that are often performed by vets. If you are like me you have probably gotten the two mixed up for what procedure is male and which is female on occasion. When you spay your dog you are talking about a female dog that has had its reproductive organs removed, and when you talk about neutering you are talking about the male version of the surgery. There are many reasons why these two procedures may be performed. It is definitely your option as a dog owner when you purchase the dog from a pet shop or breeder. In many cases when you adopt a dog or other pet from the humane society they have already been fixed, i.e. undergone the surgery to remove the organs. The humane society usually fixes the dogs as soon as they come into the pound if they are lost or abandoned so that there cannot be any puppies born. Often the dogs are sharing kennels so this can become an issue. The other reason most humane societies spay or neuter is to prevent more dogs from coming into existence that they would have to euthanize if they are not adopted.

So if you don’t want a sterilized dog you will want to seek a breeder or pet shop that buys from a breeder. Often this only matters if you are thinking about breeding two dogs. There are several reasons that spaying or neutering can be a good thing for your pet. First when you have the surgery for your pet you are actually increasing the length of life for them. If you remember in biology you were probably told that those who reproduce are actually shortening their life spans, especially females because of the toll it takes on the body. This is true for dogs as well. You will also find they can be healthier by being fixed.

There are certain health issues a dog can have when they have not been fixed. For instance there is canine prostate and uterine cancer that can form. These are usually very expensive to treat because of the surgery and other treatments that may be required. There are also other health issues that can crop up in a dog with their sexual organs, such as breast cancer in the females. So by having your dog fixed you could be saving them from having health issues later down the road.

For you there are also benefits. You will find that most often a dog that has been fixed is more affectionate because they don’t go through the hormonal periods. Dogs tend to mark their territory more when they haven’t been fixed and for female dogs you will eliminate the heat cycle they go through. For most dogs you will also find that they have more behavior and temperament issues when they have not been fixed, and they are less likely to bite. Overall you will find that your pet will save you in vet bills from having continuous litters once you have them fixed. Again it depends on whether you want the dog to breed or not.

When you adopt a dog you have to make sure you can handle the dog and the care required. If you have a busy life you probably don’t have time for more than one or two dogs in the house and especially not a litter. So it is wise to consider where the proper care for your dog is actually spaying or neutering them.

 

If your dog is walked regularly on hard surfaces they may never need to have their nails trimmed but if your dogs nails do grow quickly it is important to keep them trimmed back to prevent them growing inwards are hurting your dogs paw.

 

Health Issues with Dogs

Dogs have many health issues and it is important to make sure if you have a dog breed that is more susceptible to certain health ailments that you take the proper care. In order to understand the health issues your dog could have it is important to look at each one on a per ailment basis. In this article you will learn about bloating in dogs. You will find out some of the breeds that are more susceptible to bloating, what causes the disorder, and how you might be able to prevent it. You will also learn about treatment options.

First of all the dogs more susceptible to bloating issues are the German shepherds, Great Danes, and Doberman Pinschers. You will find that most of the larger dog breeds will have the bloating ailment. It seems that these dogs are just more likely to have their stomachs change position and the bloating occurs.

Let’s look at a more detailed description of what bloating in dogs really is. First bloating occurs in the stomach. The cause of the actual condition is unknown, but swallowing air, an abnormal accumulation of air in the stomach, foam in the stomach or a twisting of the actual organ will cause the stomach to bloat. Food is one of the main causes for the stomach to bloat, such as overeating. You will find that when the stomach has twisted and the abdomen swells it can be deadly to your dog. Stress has also been linked to the cause of the disorder. It seems that stress causes the dogs to suck in more air. It is also seen that a lot of movement such as jumping and twisting can cause the stomach to actually change position. Lastly for the causes you will find eating rapidly, overeating, an insufficient diet can cause the gastric juices to dilute and develop the bloating in the dogs.

Symptoms that you will find include vomiting, lethargy, anxiety, stress, a distended abdomen, and coughing is usual. Other symptoms or signs include pale gums, gagging, heavy salivating, a foamy mucous, whining, pacing, licking the air, hiding, abdominal pain, and a few other symptoms. The stomach can rupture if it is not corrected soon enough. This means that the dog can actually bleed to death. You should seek immediately care when you see blood in the urine, nose, or when they cough. This is a sure sign that something is indeed wrong.

There are ways to prevent this issue from occurring. This is good news for many dog owners. When you pay attention to your dog’s diet and exercise you can prevent the bloating from occurring. In other words your dog may overeat, eat to fast, or you may not be supplying the right food. These things can be changed. You can check with a vet for the right nutrition. You can also make sure to feed your dog three meals a day rather than leaving the bowl lying on the floor. This can help with the over eating. For eating too fast you may have to seek behavioral readjustment therapy. In this case the dog must be retrained for how to eat.

Treatment of the issue may involve surgery if the stomach has ruptured or will not return to the correct side on its own. There are also medications such as gas reduction meds that will help your dog digest the food better and alleviate the pressure build up.

 

Your Puppies First Year

 

It is important for any puppy or dog to have training. The amount of training is going to be determined by what you want to accomplish. Most of us just want a fun loving companion that can be taught a few commands and fit into our homes. There are several things to consider in the puppy’s first year regarding training and how some things should be handled.

First we will look at punishment for a little bit. Punishment must be effective. You have to have some type of punishment that will not degrade the dog or be disrespectful, but that will make your point. This is where learning certain commands can come into play when training your puppy. First of all any punishment should be delivered at the first offense. A puppy that is startled with a no or rattling is not always going to work. The best option you may have is going to be in remote correction. In other words you have to make sure the puppy understands that you are correcting their behaviour rather than just yelling out a word. The correction needs to be something they can associate with the behaviour they just had. This can be calling their name and using a startling device, but you have to make sure they know that you are correcting them. It must be something that you can walk up and stop the behaviour and then help them associate the issue as bad behaviour.

You puppy is going to be full of life. This means they are going to start out with some instinctual behaviour. When they want attention they are probably going to jump or even paw at you or at the thing they want. In order to have them associate this with bad behaviour you must make them understand that they cannot jump on you. You must not reward the behaviour, but acknowledge it and punish the behaviour. You can also train them how to come to you for attention and affection. This means that you should turn your response to the jumping and pawing into a negative response and reward them for the proper behaviour. If they sit, and nudge you with their head and this is what behaviour you want you can praise the dog and give them a treat or a pat on the head.

During training it is best not to associate all training with treats. If they always get a treat for a good behaviour they will continue to expect it even if you don’t have a treat. They will also find this to be something bad if you don’t have a treat and they may not proceed with the good behaviour. Help the puppy associate good behaviour with several different rewards.

Rough play is a behaviour that most of us do not want to see. You can train your dog when the behaviour is appropriate if at all. You need to teach the dog that there are certain limitations to the rough play. They can get excited and bite. This is not good especially if they think your child’s arm is a toy. It is best to show them what they can play with, and that certain biting and force is not going to be acceptable. Again this is about rewarding the good behaviour over the bad. You must make sure that the dog or puppy is aware of the bad behaviour by a negative reinforcement reaction from you.

 

Pre-Owned Rescue Dogs

 

When you have looking to adopt a dog there are many considerations you must make. First you are going to look at the types of dog breeds and which one may be your favourite. Once you have determine the type of dog you want you have to consider the living arrangements, get the crate, bed, food bowls, and other dog care needs. You are also going to be choosing your dog based on the cost of the actual dog. There can be high costs related to adopting a dog, especially if you find the dog through a breeder. In these considerations you may want to look at pre- owned dogs. Most of us like to have a puppy so that it is raised with us and our family. We also like the ability to make sure the dog has been trained to our specifications and that bad behaviours no longer exist. When you are searching for a pre- owned dog there are many considerations in this area that you should look at.

First a pre owned dog should be trained. They should have gone through socialization and obedience training at the very least as a puppy. The owner should also continue this training as the dog ages. If the owner has done their job in the proper care and training you can be rather confident that the dog will have the best behaviour they are capable of.

You should also consider the behavioural changes a pre- owned dog can experience. You will find that most dogs have at least one person they fall in love with and consider their master. When a pre- owned dog is abandoned by this person you can have a resulting behaviour change. This means that the dog may have been wonderfully sweet, playful, and willing to accept your affections while in the care of their original master, but once they leave the nest, as it were, they may experience separation anxiety and develop bad behaviours. They may even try to run away. This means that you have to be very careful in your consideration. Take the time to get to know the dog. Take the dog to your home a couple of times, have the dog without the owner present, and make the dog feel at home. You can help the dog feel more comfortable before they leave their current home to avoid some behavioural issues.

Most often with a pre- owned dog you are getting the best behaviour, but you are also getting an older dog. This may be something that makes the choice for you. An older dog is not going to be as energetic, and they may even have issues regarding health. It will of course depend on the breed as well as the care they have had their entire life.

You may also want to think about the reason the dog is going to be sold. Has the dog developed a health problem the owner is not disclosing, or are they moving some where the dog is not allowed? There are many reasons for a dog owner to give up a dog. It is important to know those reasons before taking the dog home with you.

You should take the dog to a vet for a complete checkup to make sure you have a healthy dog.

What is Dog Mange?

 

Most of the time we take care of our dogs with the utmost care, but there have been cases where dogs are mistreated or they just have health issues beyond our control. Mange is something we have all probably heard, but not really understood. Most of us have been lead to think it has something to do with unsanitary living conditions, but this is not always the case. This article is going to look at what mange is, how it can be contracted, and the treatment for mange. There are three types of mange, you have demodectic, cheletiella, and scaroptic. The causes are going to be different for each as well. The cause is usually mites, spiders, and other eight legged critters that are related to spiders. Mange is not specific to any dog breed, but rather it can affect any dog that comes into contact with the wrong species of insect.

Demodectic mange is caused by a tiny mite and is usually found to affect puppies over dogs that are three to twelve months. The mite is usually found in the pores of puppy’s skin, but no one is sure what activates the disease. Since the mites are usually found on the skin most are not sure why some breeds are affected and others don’t have an outbreak of the mites. Although, it has been said that some purebred dogs are more affected by mange because they have a lower resistance to the mites, which creates an infestation. Mange is characterized by a condition of the skin where it begins to rot, and the hair will fall out. Often the skin will have puss that will ooze from the sores. In the case of demodectic mange there is usually hair loss around the eyes and mouth, and the front legs. Most of the time this type does not require treatment as it will correct itself in about three months or less. If it does not you should seek treatment. You will also find that the demodectic mange can begin as a localized infection and begin to spread for multiple hair loss throughout the body. In this case the dog’s skin is sore, crusty, and will begin to ooze. You will have to shampoo and apply an insecticide to kill the mites and help the skin repair.

Cheyletiella mange is called walking dandruff. Basically this type of mange affects puppies as well, rather than dogs. It is caused by a reddish mite. You will be able to see signs of a dandruff dusting or extremely dry skin that is flaking around the neck, head, and back. The dandruff is contagious, but luckily short lived. It usually just causes a mild itching and then the mite dies leaving the mange to clear up.

Sarcoptic mange is scabies. This is also mite based mange where the female mite burrows under the skin to lay their eggs. The eggs will hatch in a few days and become adults. They will continue to lay eggs in less than three weeks. Basically the dog creates a worsening issue because they will bite at the mites with no gentleness causing breaks in the skin. The skin then becomes sore and oozes. This can bring on a secondary infection that will need antibiotics to clear up. If you do not catch the infection quickly enough it can make the dog very sick. You will find signs are crusty ear tips, fierce itching, and hair loss. The hair loss usually occurs on the ears, elbows, legs and face. The hair loss can progress to more spots as the disease is left untreated.

 

Help your dog to lose weight

Dogs, just like people, can easilys gain extra weight and extra weight will have detrimental effects on their overall health.

To avoid the trap of constantly gaining and losing weight, the best thing you can do for your dog is to have him fit and healthy in the first place.

Maintaining good health is always much easier than rollercoaster dieting.

How do you help your dog to maintain a good and healthy weight?

Having your dog in tip top shape includes a number of things but none of them take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. It is simply being aware of health issues and doing the things dogs love to do anyway.

Better nutrition

Make certain that the food you're giving your dog is the best for him. Many kinds of dog food companies already help you by labelling their products for the age of your dog.

You certainly won't need to feed your puppy dog food that is tailored to the needs of a senior dog. Nor will you want to give your mature dog the food designed for a puppy's nutritional needs. Nutritional needs will also be different for a pregnant or nursing dog as well.

No one dog food can meet the needs of every dog everywhere, just as no one food can meet the needs of every person. So it is vital to consider your dog's food, especially when your dog is overweight and needs particular nutritional needs.

Numerous studies have shown that needs vary even within breeds. Bassett Hounds and Poodles have different energy levels, Labrador Retrievers produce skin oil while Collies do not. Some dogs shed hair and some do not.

Each of these breeds and situations require different nutritional needs, just as overweight dogs do. It is not just the amount of food you're feeding your dog that needs your attention, it is the nutritional value found in that food as well. Formula K is the ideal choice for your overweight dog as it is specially designed to help overweight dogs lose weight and is made from healthy, natural ingredients

Increase your dog's exercise

Most people who lose weight also incorporate some type of exercise. The same holds true for your dog.

The type and amount of exercise varies with the type and size of your dog too. Larger dogs need more running space or longer walks to exercise their larger muscles, while smaller house dogs require less. Regardless of the breed of dog you have, they all require exercise as a means of staying healthy.

Throwing a ball and playing fetch, running in a park or back yard, playing hide and seek or even a game of tug of war are all ways to work the muscles of your dog. If you don't have the space to let them run without a lead then take them for walks. Both of you will benefit from the exercise and fresh air it affords.

Also, keep in mind the needs of your breed of dog. If you have a dog that loves the water then give him the opportunity to romp in it. Even a child's plastic swimming pool will keep your dog busy for hours splashing and playing. If you don't have that much room, then find an old bucket with a floating ball or toy in it. Even that will encourage your dog to play in the summer months. Your dog will love you for it and you will thoroughly enjoy the laughs you get watching him.

A dog is like a child, he will absolutely love the notion of play. If your dog is not overweight yet, but he has been hanging around his dog dish a little too much or lying under the table waiting for scraps, he is already developing habits that will start him on a path to becoming overweight.

So play with him and exercise him and not only will his physical well-being be nourished, but his attitude and state of mind will also be affected. What playing dog isn't a happy dog?

If your dog is already overweight, all the more reason to get him ono Formula K dog food and get him busy. If he is playing or walking, he is burning calories. If he is lying around most of the time, he will easily become bored and spend more time eating. It is that simple.

Walking the overweight dog

For an already overweight dog it may be more difficult for him to take those long walks because he has more weight to carry and his physical stamina just isn't used to the demand yet. So start slowly.

Take shorter walks but take them more frequently. Let him stop and rest periodically. In just a few weeks you'll find he is running ahead of you instead of lagging behind with his tongue dragging on the ground. When you return home, make sure he has plenty of water to help wash away all those fat cells he has worn off.

Make certain that you also allow for the weather. On hot summer days, take a bottle of water with you. Just as you need to keep your water intake up, so does your dog. Unlike humans, dogs do not have the ability to sweat so their only means of cooling themselves is to pant and to drink water continually. Remember, water washes away fat, too.

A happy dog is a healthy dog

Try to include some obedience training. This will help your dog get rid of the unnecessary pounds.

It may sound surprising, but when you consider the exercise it involves, the mental and intellectual attention it demands and the energy it requires on their part, you will find that it is a wonderful way to help your dog slim down.

Not only is it healthy for their physical well-being, but it will also help to increase structure in their daily routine. Your dog will look forward to the undivided attention.

When a dog is obedient, he isn't constantly being corrected, so he learns what behavior is acceptable and what is not. A dog wants nothing more than to please his owner, so when he learns what is expected of him, his disposition will improve. Consequently, when his owner is happier, he generally will be too. It is a win-win situation for both you and your dog and that team effort far outweighs any pounds that need to be lost.

 

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