Dog Health

Ethan Parker asked:


Wouldn’t you rather learn how to deal with minor dog health problems BEFORE they become major ones?  I know I would, because let’s face it, dogs are part of your family, and no one wants to see a part of your family get sick or even die.

Even if you’ve got the most easy-care dog in the world, she’ll still need some attention to be paid to her appearance every once in a while – so it’s worth spending a bit of time learning the best techniques for easy, stress-free grooming.

Here is some of the valuable advice I got from one of my favorite sites for dog health care solutions, The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

WHY SHOULD I BOTHER GROOMING MY DOG?

Not so long ago, the average American’s approach to canine grooming was somewhat cavalier. Dogs were seen as something that lived in the yard (usually in a dusty, hard-floored kennel), ate whatever was put in their bowls, and existed as a sometime-playmate for the household’s children.

Today, we tend to care for our dogs a lot more, and view them more as members of the household than the Thing in the Yard.

Ever since this rise in the estimation of our beloved pooches became widespread, grooming has been increasingly recognized as an important facet of your dog’s regular health-care. It ensures that any skin-care problems are minimized (because grooming distributes the natural skin-oils evenly throughout the coat), and assists you in monitoring your dog’s overall condition – if you groom on a regular basis, you can’t help but notice the presence of any unusual lumps or bumps.

This preventative action has saved many a canine life. Our dogs can’t tell us where it hurts, but taking just a little bit of time every so often to check them over ourselves can save a lot of grief in the long run.

The trick is getting your dog to tolerate (and even enjoy!) the process …

THE FIRST STEP IN THE GROOMING PROCESS

Something that many owners lack experience in is how to wash their dogs. Dry-grooming (brushing and ‘buffing’ the coat) seems to present little problem for most people; the rot tends to set in when water is introduced to the mix.

Most dogs have a strong dislike of being bathed, and in many cases will become utterly panic-stricken when the tub comes out.

This article is going to deal with the basics of how to wash your dog in a way that’ll keep both of you relaxed and happy.

PREPARING YOUR DOG FOR GROOMING

First of all, the absolute most important thing you can do is to accustom your dog to the grooming process. Now, starting this in puppyhood is the ideal way to handle the situation, but of course not all of us have this luxury; if you’ve got an adult dog, you’ll probably need to move a little slower, but you should still start getting her used to being touched and handled all over as soon as you can.

As your puppy or dog gets used to the sensation of being rubbed and handled, she’ll slowly come to enjoy it. Dogs are social creatures by instinct, and physical affection and contact is a big part of their lives – it shouldn’t take long before she begins to trust you, and allows herself to get some pleasure out of your touch.

All you have to do is start rubbing her slowly all over. Fondle her ears, touch her cheeks and neck, rub her back and belly, pick up her paws and – if she’ll let you – give each one a gentle squeeze (treating and praising her whenever she lets you do this, since paw touching is generally a pretty big deal for most dogs). If she has a tail, rub it between your fingers; get her to roll over on her back so you can rub and stroke her belly and hocks.

This might not seem like such a big deal, but it’s actually a really important part of the grooming process: the more your dog enjoys it, the less stressful the whole event will be for both of you, and so the more often you’re likely to groom her – which increases the health benefits for her.

HOW TO WASH YOUR DOG

Bathing always comes before dry-grooming, since it makes brushing and trimming a lot easier as well as a lot more effective (there’s not much point in brushing a tangled, dirty coat!)

You will need some basic tools: a tub, a non-slip mat, a plastic jug, some warm water, a small sponge, and some canine shampoo (not human shampoo: the pH is all wrong for dogs, and will give her dry and flaky skin.)

Stand her in the tub, on the non-slip mat. If she’s a large or unruly dog, you may want to wash her outside to minimize mess – either that, or you can restrain her by tying one end of a light nylon leash to her collar, and the other end to the faucet.

Pour jugs of warm water all over her until she’s good and wet. This breaks down the grease in her fur, and ensures a thorough shampooing.

Mix a little shampoo with another jug of warm water, and rub it thoroughly into your dog’s fur. Start off with her back and rub it into a good lather (but don’t be too harsh!)

Now you can move on to her head and face. Be very careful here – dogs’ eyes are sensitive too, and if you get any water in her ears, she’ll probably get an ear infection. (You can plug her ears with a small twist of cotton wool to help stop this from happening, if you like.)

Remember to clean under her tail before you wash her off – dip the sponge into the shampoo mixture to do this properly.

Now it’s time to rinse: using the jug and some clean, warm, shampoo-free water, carefully tip it all over her and use your fingers to help disperse the lather from her coat. Rinse her off thoroughly at least twice, since any residue that remains will irritate her skin.

Now you’ll need to dry her off: if she’s got short fur, you can use a towel (an old one will do just fine, although big dogs generally need two); for dogs with longer fur, give her a gentle toweling-off first, and then use a hair dryer to get rid of the last dampness. Be certain that it’s set on low heat, and hold it far away from your dog’s fur to prevent burning either the skin or the fur.

KEEP YOURSELF CALM

Remember that most dogs have an inherent dislike of being bathed, which can cause anxiety and even outright panic.

Your dog takes a lot of her emotional cues from you, so make sure you act like a good role model for the occasion. Reassure your dog frequently, keeping your voice well-modulated, low, and even; keep your movements slow and deliberate; praise her lavishly for good behavior, and give her a couple of treats throughout the process to make it more enjoyable for her.

The more she enjoys the process, the easier it’ll be for you!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Grooming your dog is just one tiny aspect of maintaining overall health and happiness. For a complete, encyclopedic survival guide to all aspects of dog health, from preventative care to choosing a vet to doggie First Aid (even the canine Heimlich maneuver!), you should take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

A survival guide for knowledgeable, effective, and life-saving dog care, this manual keeps your dog’s health and wellbeing firmly within your control – which is exactly where you want it to be.

It can’t hurt to look.



Delaney

Paty asked:


My dog (a 10 month old male cockapoo) seems to be fine (still very playful and active) but has not been eating or drinking as much as he used to. The main difference I have noticed is that he seems to be having a harder time eliminating (constipated), and I guess it’s because he hasn’t been drinking as much water- therefore he must be a little on the dehidrated side. I don’t know how to encourage him to drink more water (I tried to take him to the water bow but that does not help much). Any thoughts? Is there such thing as a laxative for dogs (to help him with his constipation)? Thanks!

Kathleen

Eneida C asked:


my dog has not had an appetite for a couple of days now and her poop was green yesterday and today it was brown but mucosy, what could it be?

Jamal

Kelly Marshall asked:


Much though the general notion is that one year of dog life is equivalent to seven years of human life, the actual evaluation says that it is around eight years. Hence you must learn about the health aspects of an older dog such that you can tend to your dog in his or her old age.

Since different strains of dog have different aging speeds, hence the major health problems cannot be predicted. The common idea is that larger strains age at a faster rate than smaller strains like the Chihuahua and the Maltese.

The wonderful Saint Bernard has ages very quickly. Their health starts worsening from an age of six. For Golden Retrievers, the age is eight and they need to be looked after carefully during their old age. However strains like the Yorkshire terrier starts aging only after thirteen years of age.

Most people do not understand the time that their dog touches the old age. Hence they are unaware of the right things to do. The alterations in the dog are gradually visible and hence the pet owner might miss them initially.

Here is one instance that indicates the old age of your dog and yet you might overlook: the fur around the muzzle area gradually become white. This takes place over a few years time. People often ignore this taking this to be just a mere alteration in fur color.

Again, the fact that your dog’s fur has lost its shimmer, its elegance and is rather dirty in appearance will strike you only after a long time. These depict that your dog is aging. However, you do not have to be nervous or worried

Instead of fretting and worrying, learn methods to keep your dog fit and well in his or her old age. We all age. We all die. It is the natural cycle. So give into these alterations lovingly and adore your dog as much. Do all that you can to keep your dog happy.

Older Dog Tumors

The older dog does not generally suffer from tumors of the brain and spinal cord. However brain tumors are sometimes found in boxers and Boston terriers. The general indications are stupidity, leaning on the wall, going round and round in the same place, difficulty in walking, fits and also frailty of the legs. However, these indications alter with respect to the position and the dimensions of the tumor.

Experienced and skillful vets can cure tumors provided that they have not reached the stage where the spinal cord has been irreparably injured. A surgery is done and then chemotherapy applied. Brain tumors are generally problematic as they are difficult to get rid of owing to their position as well as dimensions. Hence in very few cases they can be taken out of the brain.

TiTi, my adorable darling poodle suffered so. He abruptly changed over a week- he was more violent, howled and barked incessantly, ate excessively and all these led to a terrible fit. When I got in touch with a doctor, the doctor said that he has an incurable brain tumor. Though medicines kept him under control and enhanced apparently cured his attitude for a month, he was not to live long. Fits recurred shortly but this time they were more violent and destructive. Medicines failed and TiTi had to undergo euthanasia.



Erika

o.O (@)0_0(@) O.o asked:


My dog isn’t really all active around other dogs. I think that If I get him to ‘cum’ around dogs, then mabey he’ll get used to being around them.

Nina

John Williams asked:


Dog pancreatitis begins for unknown reasons and quickly becomes a worrying and uncomfortable illness for your dog that can also be very damaging to the dog’s body and vital organs. To rectify this condition though may take constant observations and medication for a period of time from the vet. Despite this, the condition will be curable easily.

In this article we will first look at why dog pancreatitis happens and some common theories about what causes the condition, and then we will look at what can be done to renew your dog’s health and help your dog return to its normal happy condition in the shortest time.

To begin with this condition may make your dog noticeably unwilling to eat, bouts of severe vomiting or sickness, and generally feeling unwell and pain around stomach and surrounding areas when touched or moved.

The pancreas (the area in which this condition effects) is situated at the top of the upper intestines/ bottom of the stomach. One of the many functions of the pancreas is to begin to break down the food that travels through into the intestines by releasing enzymes so the food can be digested properly and easily.

Pancreatitis then happens when for some reason the pancreas becomes inflamed and over sized in a short period of time and too many of the enzymes are released into the correct area and the surrounding area which then breaks down the tissue cells and pancreas cells causing further inflammation. This then turns into a vicious cycle because the over sized pancreas is causing itself to become further inflamed and causing the dog more pain.

When you suspect this condition you should inform your vet straight away where they will then normally begin to take many different tests on your dog including X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests before confirming that dog pancreatitis is the condition affecting your canine. From here the vet will probably stop the dogs food and drink consumption so that the pancreas will stop making the dangerous enzymes and the inflammation will go down and it can return to its normal size and create the correct amount of enzymes again. Until this process has time to return to normal though the dog will have to be on an intravenous drip so the dog can still get its nutrition and foods to live.

After this your dog should return to its normal self again and no further damage will have been done. Please note this is not a diagnosis of your dog and many other conditions may be associated with the symptoms you are seeing, to get a proper diagnosis please contact your vet as soon as you suspect any problems with your dog.



Hudson

Cavalier KCS mom asked:


I have 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that am thinking of breeding together but was curious about what it entails with all the health testing required before breeding? How much does it cost? What is involved in the actual testing? Thanks.

Jaxson

Eric asked:


I have a 11 week old puppy and was wondering if anyone knows of a good place to get health insurance for a dog? I have a couple friends that have come out of pocket in the thousands, with this economy i would like to avoid that if possible!! Thanks
so it sounds like the insurance firms found a way to make insurance more costly and less helpful than human health insurance?

Lizbeth

woulda,coulda,shoulda asked:


My dog of 5 years who has always been an angel has recently been crapping in the house and attempting to destroy furniture. She has NEVER done this before. There is a new baby but she is almost a year, they play and get along great and my dog still gets affection and attention so I don’t know what else to attribute her behavior to.

Bruce

Kelly Marshall asked:


One of the health problems that badger dogs the most are parasite problems. Dogs suffer from both internal and external parasites. Out of all the parasites that affect dogs hugely, the tapeworm and the roundworm are the two most troublesome ones.

Tapeworms occur in dogs of all ages although the older dogs are more likely to get attacked by tapeworms than the younger puppies. The life cycle of the tape worm is dependent on two hosts, namely, the dog and the dog’s fleas.

So how will you understand whether your dog has tapeworm or not? There is one common way of getting to know about it. And that is noticing whether your dog is frequently licking its anal regions or not. If you see that your dog keeps on licking its anal regions all the time, chances are that he has tapeworms. Tapeworms look like tiny rice grains in feces and they can be easily spotted if your dog has them.

When you are sure that your dog has tapeworms, do not worry too much. This is not a major problem and can be easily cured. In fact, modern vets can suggest treatments for tapeworms which are really simple and do not even need fasting before the intake of the medicines. These treatments can help your dog stay healthy and without tapeworms. They are generally without any side effects but in some dogs, these medicines cause vomiting.

The tapeworm is something that generally affects adult dogs. The roundworm, however, is just the opposite. It is more common in puppies. The way in which puppies get roundworm is through fecal contamination. In fact, there are numerous puppies that are born with roundworms that get transferred to their body through the uterus of their mothers. These worms enter the unborn puppy’s body through the mother’s blood stream. They stay in an inactive state as long as they are in the mother’s tissues but as soon as they enter the puppy’s body, they get activated by the pregnancy hormones.

The only way to avoid roundworms in newborn puppies is to use a good and safe anthelmintic when the mother is pregnant. However, this medicine must be used in the early part of the pregnancy. Another thing that dog owners can do is to treat all the newborn puppies three to four days after birth and give them another dose of the de worming before they leave the kennel. No matter how many times the puppy has been de wormed prior to its coming to your house; you have to de worm it on a regular basis. De worming must be done regular, every three to four weeks until the puppy reaches the age of six months.

Once the puppy reaches adulthood, it builds up its own defenses. Usually, an adult dog does not require regular de worming sessions. However, as a responsible dog owner, you must keep on checking for roundworms regularly because they are not visible in the feces and they might attack the dog anytime.

In order to keep your dog healthy, it is best to give your dog proper de worming treatment every six months. This treatment keeps your dog healthy and happy and keeps you free from any anxiety related to worms.



Josue