Dog Health Archives - Page 13 of 16

City Dog Walking – Handling Obstacles and Safety Zones

June 22, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Navigating Around Obstacles

Once you start dog walking with your puppy, you will be amazed at the obstacles that will crop up as you walk down the street.

Light posts, parking meters, bus and stop signs, bike rails, waste barrels, fire hydrants, groups of people waiting for a bus or getting off a bus, along with other dogs and people are only some of the dog walking obstacles you and your puppy will face.

These obstacles may not seem like a big deal until you combine them with pedestrians and groups of people congregating on the sidewalk.

And one of the best ways to avoid large groups of oncoming people is to navigate your puppy onto the curb side of lights posts and parking meters.

Moving Obstacles

Also be aware of moving obstacles such as bicyclists, in-line skaters, kids running and dogs walking on or off-leash ahead of their owners. When out dog walking and approaching moving obstacles, don’t have your puppy on a long lead.

You don’t want your puppy or your lead getting wrapped around a moving obstacle.

Your best action with a moving obstacle is to shorten the lead and give it room to pass. Don’t get tense by choking your puppy with too tight of a lead.

Another good optionfor dog walking is to stand still with your puppy and relax while the moving obstacle passes you by.

Safety Zones

A safety zone is any area that widens the space between your puppy and an oncoming object when dog walking.

It can be an entrance way to a store, the curb side of a parking meter, or an area that’s off to the side. The curb side of parking meters are perfect safety zones because most people don’t walk on that part of the sidewalk. Think of safety zones as a way of controlling your space on the street. For example, if you see a couple of kids on bikes racing down the sidewalk or a person running, you can navigate to a safety zone and keep you and your puppy in a safe position. This is the best way to avoid accidents or close calls.

By controlling your space, you also send a strong message to other owners coming by with their dogs that you are protecting yourself and your puppy. You gain control of your space when dog walking and this can diffuse a tense situation, particularly if a full-grown dog does not like your puppy.

You can also use the safety zone method if you see another puppy owner approaching and you are in a hurry and do not wish to spend the time having the puppies mingle with each other. Here’s a good safety tip: Puppies on leashes should never play with each other.

Their leashes will get tangled and you will put your puppy in a precarious situation when you have to drop your lead to get out of this dog walking entanglement.

Dog Grooming – 3 Ways To Dry Their Coat

June 11, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

There are three methods when dog grooming that can be applied to properly dry the coat, depending on the breed of dog you are working with.

These are: The fluff-dry method, the cage drying method, and the towel-dry method.

The first method and perhaps the most difficult to achieve is the fluff-dry method. A high-speed floor dryer is used for this procedure.

This method of drying is a very important and crucial step in proper dog grooming for certain breeds such as the Poodle, Afghan, Old English Sheepdog, and Maltese.

In fluff drying, the hair is not only dried but should be straightened as well. The warm air from the dryer is directed at that portion of the coat which you are drying. The hair is brushed in an upward motion with quick, even strokes until the hair in that particular spot is dry and straight.

This dog grooming procedure is carried out over the entire coat until it is completely dry. The results of a fluff dry can sometimes determine the overall appearance of the completed grooming job.

Therefore, it is important to learn to give a proper fluff dry. Special attention should be given to the areas of the head, ears (long-haired ears), and legs.

The second method of drying is known as cage or kennel drying and is usually used on short-coated dogs or on dogs whose coat does not require a fluffed or straight appearance.

When using this method of drying, a cage dryer is attached to the cage and the dog is put into the cage on a towel until he is dry. It is important to make sure the cage is properly ventilated on the top as well as on the sides. Otherwise, the dog may suffocate.

If the dog is too large for the cage, he may be placed on a dog grooming table and dried with a floor dryer.

Another method of drying that is commonly used in drying small breeds is the towel drying method.

Towel drying is usually used with small, short-haired breeds such as the Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher, and Toy Manchester Terrier. The coat is rubbed briskly with the towel until it is dry.

This method is rarely used because many owners when dog grooming prefer the cage drying method, which is much faster. However, if the special equipment is not available in the home, this method is sufficient.

However, a god dog grooming principle is – do not to take the dog out until you are sure the coat and skin are thoroughly dried.

First Aid – How To Bandage Your Dog’s Ear Wound

June 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

The most common injuries that happen to our dogs involve the head area. And it is the ears that are most frequently torn in dogfights. The ears also tend to bleed profusely. So if your dog comes back injured with an ear wound, then take the following three simple steps to bandaging the area:

1. First make sure that your dog is calm from whatever fight he got into. Then clean the wound with warm water and a light disinfectant. Be sure not to get any hair or other small particles inside the wounded area.

2. Next, wrap the ear with a bandage. You should have plenty of bandage material from your emergency first aid kit but a cloth or shirt will do just fine. Wind the bandage around the head to keep it secure and to prevent the ear from bleeding when the dog shakes his head.

3. Continue with bandaging his ear by wrapping it around his head over and over until it is secure. Avoid putting any unnecessary pressure on the windpipe. If need be, you want to use what is called an “Elizabethan Collar”. Now get your dog to the vet immediately for further medical attention.

5 Common Natural Food Sources For Dogs

June 3, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Eggs: Eggs for feeding dogs can be bought by the dozen in the grocery store, by the hundreds from hatcheries or by the thousands from egg ranches.

Regardless of how many or where they are obtained, an egg should never be fed to a dog raw. Raw egg whites react with the vitamin, biotin, and prevent a dog from using it.

In fact, feeding raw egg whites is the exact way scientists produce experimental biotin deficiency in a laboratory.

Milk: Much controversy has raged over feeding milk to dogs.

Milk has been accessed of causing diarrhea and other digestive upsets. While it may produce these problems in large amounts, if milk is kept to about two ounces of fluid milk or two tablespoons of dry milk per pound of food, few problems will be encountered.

The value of the milk, when fed in proper amounts, exceeds the risk of upset. Milk supplies calcium and phosphorus in the proper ratio and amounts, a host of vitamins, and also a protein which approaches the value of whole egg.

Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is little more than the major protein fraction of milk casein.

It does not have the same value as the protein of whole milk because the lactoalbumin, normally present in whole milk, has been washed away in the whey. The value of the protein in cottage cheese compares favorably with that of horse meat.

Cottage cheese offers the dog feeder an inexpensive, readily available source of quality protein for his dog.

Cheese: Another dairy product made from casein is cheese.

Cheese, unlike cottage cheese, also contains a considerable amount of fat. The fat makes cheese a valuable source of energy as well as of protein. Because they are made as human foods, and are sold in competition with other human foods, cheeses are among the more expensive protein sources for feeding dogs. For dog feeders who wish to spend the extra money, cheese is a worthwhile consideration.

Fish: Fish is not commonly used in dietary formulations for dogs, but there is no logical reason to eliminate it from consideration as a protein source for a dog. Indeed, fish protein is one of the better proteins, for the money, that a dog feeder can use. Fish, too, should always be cooked before being fed. In this case the heat destroys a chemical found in many fish that will destroy vitamin B1 (thiamine) if left unchanged.

Shocking Diets & Dangerous Eating Habits That Could Literally Kill Your Dog

June 2, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Once you see where your dog’s mouth has been ? or what’s been in it ? you may never want it kissing you again!

Feces are high on the list of disgusting things dogs love. Horse dung and cat feces are absolute favorites. Rather than butt your head against the wall trying to change your dog’s culinary tastes, it’s far easier to simply keep these delicacies out of reach from your pooch.

However, dog feces is another story; nobody knows what compels some dogs to eat their own (or other dogs’) poop. The best cure and prevention is diligent feces removal. Adding hot sauce to the feces may deter some dogs, but others just gobble it down and run for water. Commercially available food additives can make the feces taste bad ? or least worse ? and will dissuade some dogs.

In some cases the dogs appear to exhibit a compulsion to eat feces; these dogs may be helped with drugs used to treat obsessive-compulsive behavior in dogs. See your veterinarian behaviorist if you’re not sure why your dog eats feces.

Dogs also eat other non-food objects, such as fabrics and socks, sometimes causing obstructions that require surgical removal. Prevent this by diligently removing objects from the dog’s reach. You may also need to supplement it with drug therapy for obsessive-compulsive behavior and training that focuses on rewarding alternate behaviors.

Then there is clothing! More than one dog owner has paled as their dog dragged underpants into the room while company looks on. Without the owner’s interference, the dog would gladly chew them up. Socks are another favorite. They’re less embarrassing but potentially more dangerous.

Swallowing stockings and long socks can lead to intussusceptions, a potentially fatal condition which the intestines accordion upon themselves, requiring surgery. Again, prevention is the best means of control, so pick up your clothes!

What your pup decides to chew might not be just gross ? it can be dangerous. Chewing electrical cords can lead to shocks and electrocution. Eating drugs and poisons has led to the death of many dogs.

Although eating paper currency is an expensive habit, it ‘s not life threatening. However, swallowing a single penny can be much more expensive. Unless it is removed, the penny may stay in the stomach and release zinc, which results in zinc poisoning.

My local veterinarian was telling me a story just recently, about treating a Border Collie that gulped down a 3-inch metal anchor bolt. And 2 weeks prior she treated another dog that seemed to have lost its appetite and was loosing weight rapidly. It turns out the poor pooch had an abscess on its back, which turned out to be a 6-inch bamboo skewer that the dog must have eaten a month before. The skewer had migrated through he dog’s digestive tract and into its lumbar muscles, where it caused the abscess.

Anal Sac Problems In Dogs

June 1, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Something that you may not have understood about your dog before are his anal sacs. These two sacs are located in the muscle tissue on either side of the anus at the five and seven o’clock positions. An intensely malodorous secretion, usually brownish and watery in appearance, resides within the sacs.

The anal sac fluid, which emerges through two tiny ducts, serves an unknown purpose in the dog. It may help dogs mark territory or enable them to distinguish one another’s sexual identity, according to different theories. Whatever their purpose, the anal sacs of most dogs can be ignored throughout life. Other dogs, however, are bothered by periodic anal sac problems. They show it by madly dragging their hindquarters across the floor or biting and licking at the tail area. These dogs need to have their anal sacs manually emptied (expressed). A few need to have the sacs surgically removed.

How often may your dog’s anal sacs need to be expressed? This depends on whether your dog is one who suffers from bouts of impaction or from actual anal sac infections. Some dogs need monthly attention, while others can go several months without a problem. This is best discussed with your veterinarian, especially if anal sac impaction affects your dog. Should you feel you want to empty the anal sacs at home, here are some guidelines.

1. Begin by standing the dog on a firm surface. The floor will do fine with a large dog, while a table (with surface protected) may be necessary to express the sacs of a small dog. Hold a piece of cotton or paper towel in one hand to cover the anal area. This is useful because the secretion usually squirts out from the ducts once pressure is applied over the sacs.

2. With the absorbent material in place, put your thumb on one side of the anus and your index finger on the other. Gently squeeze your fingers together until the contents of the sacs begin to emerge from the ducts. Usually, the secretion is quite watery, but if it’s been retained for a while, it may resemble toothpaste. Don’t use excessive force, or you may rupture the delicate sacs.

3. Another method of expressing the anal sacs involves inserting your gloved and lubricated forefinger into the anus and feeling for each anal sac individually within the sphincter muscle. Then, grasping it between your thumb and finger, gently press on the sac until the fluid is released. This procedure should not be painful but it may be uncomfortable for the dog, so you’ll probably need somebody to hold the animal.

If you find that the secretion won’t budge, first try redirecting the pressure. Occasionally, the sacs will be completely impacted and then it’s time to see the veterinarian. This also holds true for secretion containing pus or blood, which indicates an infection of the anal sacs. If not treated promptly, they could become abscessed, which is very painful. Anal sac infections are frequently treated with oral and local antibiotics. The latter is inserted through the ducts into the anal sacs themselves.

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