10.18.09
Pet Insurance
Veterinarian bills can be quite expensive, especially for emergency situations. Some vets offer lines of credit or payment plans but those vets are dwindling in this economy. One alternative to credit is insurance.
The ASPCA offers pet insurance with four levels of courage. They have a low, annual deductible of one hundred dollars. You only have to pay one hundred dollars once per year. Depending on the level, you will get more coverage. Some of their levels includes coverage for routine care such as dental cleanings and immunizations.
You do not have to switch vets to use their insurance. You can go to any license veterinarian including out of state vets. It is easy to get a quote online or over the phone and their website is filled with information about their insurance and their levels of courage.
Visit their website: http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/?utm_id=2100
10.15.09
Bloat
Bloat is a twisting of the stomach caused by a build up of gas inside the stomach cavity and is common in dogs with deep chests such as Great Danes and Weimaraners. It is an extremely serious condition and a dog suspected of having bloat should go immediately to a veterinarian. A dog with bloat can die within minutes, but generally will only live around two hours if he does not receive immediate treatment.
The signs of bloat are visible discomfort when it appears to be nothing wrong and a difficulty laying or sitting down. A descended belly may also be noticeable and the dog will hypersalivate. Another obvious symptom is a dog that appears nauseous. The dog may vomit frequently with little coming up.
Preventative measures for dogs susceptible to bloat are to feel small bite kibble, use raised food bowls (some say this causes bloat), and to disallow exercise for several hours after eating. Dogs should not have their water restricted before or after meals and should eat two or more meals per day. A fast first aid treatment for bloat is to give Pepsid but this should not replace immediately taking the dog to the veterinarian.
A veterinarian will be able to determine bloat with a physical exam as well as an X-Ray. Some treatments use only intravenous fluids but surgery is often suggested. Bloat has a high recurrence rate in non-surgical treatments, almost 80%. During surgery, the dogs stomach may be permanently attached to the wall of the stomach cavity to prevent it from twisting in the future. Surgery will also reveal any damage caused by bloat such as necrosis of the stomach tissue.
Breeds most susceptible to bloat are Great Danes, Weimaraners. St. Bernards, Gordon Setters, and Irish Setters.
10.14.09
Is Your Dog A Good Citizen?
After spending many hours training your dog to follow your commands and be a positive member of your household, a good way to show off all of the hard work is to have your dog tested as a Canine Good Citizen by the American Kennel Club.
The Good citizen program is open to all ages and breeds, including mixed breeds. The primary goal of the Canine Good Citizen test is to promote responsible dog ownership. It is up to the owner to train a dog not to be a nuisance to society. There are training classes focused only on passing the Good Citizen Test. Dogs are tested on the following 10 points:
- Accepting a Stranger
- Sitting for Petting
- Appearance and Grooming
- Walking on a Leash
- Walking in a Crowd
- Sit/Stay
- Come
- Reacting to Another Dog
- Reacting to Distractions
- Separation from Owner
For more information go to: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc
10.13.09
How Much to Drink?
One dog issue talked about rarely is the amount of water a dog should consume in one day. Every bag of food has an amount based on a dog’s weight and a veterinarian will even give his opinion on what a dog should eat, but have you ever been told how much water to give your dog?
It may seem like a no brainer. You fill up your dog’s bowl and let him drink whenever he is thirsty right? It may be a good idea to measure your dog’s water. If your dog is ever sick, you will know exactly what to tell your veterinarian your dog has consumed. If a dog starts drinking less than usual, it may be a sign of sickness. Conversely, if your dog seems extremely thirsty, it can be a sign of a serious issue.
Most dogs will need around 2 ounces per pound of body weight. For example, a 20-pound dog will need 40 ounces a day or around 5 cups per day. You may also need to increase the water if the dog is particularly active or if he or she spends a lot of time outdoors on a hot day.
Wet dog food has its own moisture content so the amount of water a dog has to drink may decrease slightly depending on what is in the food. Of course, always consult your veterinarian if you are unsure about your dog’s health. They are the experts and want you to have a happy and healthy dog as much as you do.
10.12.09
Five Commands Every Puppy Must Learn
Training a puppy is difficult but can be successful with patience and diligence. There are several commands that every puppy should learn early on to make him a pleasure to have in your home. Training times will also become a delightful bonding experience between you and your new puppy.
- Sit: It is the most basic command, the easiest to teach, and often the most useful. A sitting dog is one that will not get in the way if you are out shopping, or pull the leash if you need to tie your shoe.
- Off: Guests may find it a nuisance to have your puppy jumping up and pawing at their legs when they visit. This is where the off command comes into play. A simple, “off” will prompt your dog to stop groping at the legs. You can also combine it with, “sit.”
- Drop It: Have you had a game of tug-of-war with your pup trying to pry a house show from his jaws? A simple command like, “drop it” or, “release” will prompt the dog to open his mouth and release the house shoe.
- Come: Going to a dog park is a wonderful experience, but, “come” is an imperative command so that you can get your dog to return. It is a quick command for dogs to pick up.
- Stay: It can be one of most difficult of the basic commands to teach, but it is also a necessity. One of the reasons it is hard to teach a dog to stay is because of the difficulty in making the puppy understand what you are asking him to do. It requires a lot of patience and practice but it is not impossible to learn even if at times it may seem that way.
Enjoy the countless hours ahead training your pup. Once he has the basics, it is a joy to move onto more advanced commands and you will notice a growing trust between you and your companion. Check back for more in-depth dog training articles.
07.10.09
Canine Fingerprints
Have you ever wondered what the pads of your dog’s feet are like and if they have fingerprints like we do? Dogs do have distinct prints that are unique to each individual dog but they are not on their feet. If you ever pay attention to your dogs nose, you will see many little fine lines and groves forming a pattern. Police forensic labs are even able to “nose print” a dog using the same technique they would use to record our fingerprints.
There was a real case involving a stolen husky. The police had a suspect and thought that the dog had been transported in the suspects van. There were smudges characteristic of ones a dog leaves behind when looking out of the window. Within the smudge, there was a nose print. They were able to lift to the print off the window, match it to a print of the dog’s nose and determine the dog had been in the suspect’s car. The suspect was brought to justice.
They next time your dog comes up to you for a kiss, pay attention to his nose print.
07.09.09
Dog Food Labels
One important aspect of your pet’s overall health and longevity is diet. A quality diet can lead to better quality years your pet spends on Earth. Finding a quality dog food does not mean going for the most expensive food at the pet store. First discuss with your veterinarian your breed’s dietary requirements. Some breeds need more protein, others need low fat, and some may need low sodium.
Once your vet tells you what to look for, you may go to the pet store feeling confident you will find exactly what you need and then have a rude awakening when you arrive and there are three aisles of foods offering things like, “low fat,” “organic,” “high energy,” and “senior.” The best advice is to ignore the catchy food names and flip to the back of the bag and look for the Guaranteed Analysis, similar to the Nutrition Facts on human food. This is where the knowledge the veterinarian gave you will come into play. He may say your dog needs no more 21% protein. The label will say something like, “Crude Protein (min) 21%” and you will know it is an acceptable food. “Crude” refers to the type of testing performed and does not indicate it was a poor source of protein. The moisture content is something else to look for. A high percentage of moisture does not necessarily indicate a low-quality food, but it does mean you will be paying for water instead of actual nutrients and substance. Looking at the guaranteed analysis is the easy part.
The next thing you will want to look at is the ingredients list. The first ingredient listed is always what is most abundant. This is what you want to pay attention to more so than if the label claims to be a “lamb and rice formula”. You will want to look for real sources of meat. “Meat by-products” as the first ingredient is of lower quality than “beef” listed as the first ingredient. A lower quality food has more by-products, flavorings, and food dye’s which are less healthy for your pet. You will want to look for recognizable ingredients. For example, the Beneful Prepared Meals (TM) has beef, liver, peas, carrots, and rice as some of its ingredients. These are things we eat. Higher quality foods have better sources of meat as well as fat and carbohydrates. One popular movement is using potatoes as the source of carbohydrates instead of grain, which produces a higher quality food.
In general higher quality dog foods cost more, but that is not always the case. It is important to pay attention to labels. One things to note when looking at cost is that higher quality foods have smaller serving sizes, so it will last longer. If you are budgeted, a good suggestion is to find several foods in your price range, compare the labels, and see what gets the biggest bang for your buck.
Click the link for more pet food label information. It has comprehensive details on how food labels can be deceiving and what you should look for.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=labelinfo101
05.22.09
Dog Grooming:Bathing
Bathing your dog can be a very pleasurable experience. If you find bathing your dog stressful it may be time to seek a professional groomer. Following a few steps can lead to a pleasant bath. Also, if you have a person assisting, bring out the camera to add to your family photo collection.
The first thing you want to do is make sure you have all of your supplies. Shampoo specifically for a dog is a must. Human shampoo is too harsh for your dog’s skin and will cause skin irritation and dryness. If you bathe your dog in the bathtub a rubber bathmat may optionally be used to make your dog a little more comfortable and keep him from sliding around. One tool that can also be used in the shower is a special hose extender which attaches to your shower head. You will also want a brush, towels, and a blow dryer.
Step 1: Brush-Some choose to leave brushing for after the bath but this can be a mistake. Brushing will remove all of the loose hair and uncover any mats. Water will cause matted hair to only get tighter, not loosen.
Step 2: Before applying shampoo, wet the dog from the top of the neck down to the tail and ensure he is fully saturated.. This way, gravity is to your advantage as the water will fall towards the lower parts of his body. This is also helps if your dog has fleas. If you start from the rear, the fleas will work their way from rear to the dogs head to avoid the water.
Step 3: Apply Shampoo Start apply shampoo in the opposite direction you wet the dog. Some time should be spent on the dogs rear but you should also make sure to wash the legs all the way down to the feet as well as the dog’s chest and belly. The head should be shampooed last. Avoid getting shampoo in the dog’s eyes because even tearless shampoo can cause irritation. Also, avoid getting water inside the dogs ear as it can lead to infection.
Step 4: Rinse the dog fully from the head down to the rear. Make sure every drop of shampoo and dirt is removed from the dog. The chest and belly can be a hard area to get. You can have the dog stand on his hind legs for better access.
Step 5: Towel dry the dog including his face and hopefully you will avoid the dog shaking himself dry or you may end up being wet also.
Step 6: It is a good idea to blow dry all dogs, not just those with long coats. It will keep the dog smelling fresh and keep him from getting cold. At the same time you blow dry you will want to brush your dogs coat. This is another time an assistant is useful.
For some dogs bathing can be done in thirty and for other it is sixty minutes. Practice with shorten bathing time and it is a lot of fun. A dog’s personality comes out even more during bath time.
05.21.09
Dog Grooming: Nail Trimming
One of the most common steps in dog grooming is nail trimming. Some leave it to the professionals, but it can easily be done yourself. Short nails keep the dog comfortable and reduce scratches and damage caused by overgrown nails. All that is required is a nail trimmer. A nail file is optional. A basic nail trimmer will range from $3-$15 dollars depending on the size of the trimmer. If you are nervous about your first trim, make sure your trimmer comes with instructions.
A dog’s nail differs from a human nail in that it is not completely dead. It has a living interior called a quick which can bleed and cause the dog discomfort if cut. The quick does not grow to the tip of the nail but, as the nail gets longer, so does the quick. If the quick grows too long you will only be able to trim the tip of the nail which is ineffective. Some dogs, such as Basset Hounds, have a naturally long quick, making regular nail trimmings more important.
It is a good idea to have a trimming schedule, which may be more frequent than your dog’s bathing schedule depending on the rate of nail growth and how short you want the nail. If your dog has a long quick, you should trim the nails on a frequent basis (approx. every 1-2 weeks) so that the quick will start to recede. Eventually you will get the nail and the quick to a length you will want to maintain.
After a few trimmings the process will become familiar. You can use it as a time to bond with your dog and save yourself money doing it yourself.
02.23.09
Westminster Dog Show Results
The Westminster Kennel Club’s 133rd dog show has ended. There were some easily recognizable breeds, such as the Golden Retriever, on show as well as the lesser known breeds such as the Brussels Griffon. The breed winners of the best of group are as follows:
Toy Group: Brussels Griffon
Working Group: Giant Schnauzer
Sporting Group: Sussex Spaniel
Herding Group: Puli
Non Sporting Group:Poodle (Standard)
Terrier Group: Scottish Terrier
Hound Group: Scottish Deerhound.
The winners of each group would then go on to compete for the most prestigious title, Best in Show. The Sussex Spaniel was awarded Best in Show. The Sussex Spaniel was a crowd pleaser, receiving the loudest cheers from the audience during final judging. It was a good night for the Sussex Spaniel being the first Sussex to win Best in Show. We will examine these breeds more closely in future posts.
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2009/results/group/index.html
