|
|
|
A Guide to Bird Cage Covers
As much as you love the sound of your new little bird, you
probably don't want to hear it at the crack of dawn. If your
feathered friend's morning song is interrupting your sleep, you
might want to buy a bird cage cover. Though not an...
Active Compassion in Times of Crisis: How Your Dog Can Help
We all watched the recent tragedy of hurricane Katrina, most of us from the comfort of our living rooms. The devastation of so many lost homes and shattered lives was heart wrenching. But the part that made me hug my dog tight was watching the agony...
Choosing A Responsible Breeder
It is an exciting time when you get to bring home a new puppy. He quickly becomes part of your family and you create a bond with lots of cuddling, trips outside and walks in the park. If buying from a breeder, you will want to be sure you choose...
Pet Horoscopes
Pet Horoscopes - Discovering Your Pet's Inner Soul If you know
your pet's birth date, it may be entertaining as well as helpful
to read you pet's horoscope. Just as people enjoy a bit of fun
fortune or predictions and advisement involving our...
Pet Tracking Devices
It was the Saturday morning of August 20, 2004 and my two kids saying that they couldn’t find our cat Nala anywhere waked me up. I didn’t pay much attention, because it was common for her to find a new hiding spot and sleep there for hours. Hours...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All The Things You Should Know About Your Dog - But Don't Want To Talk About!
When you decided to get a dog, I'll bet you daydreamed about the
great times you'd have with your new best friend. However, there
are many things that you need to consider in order to keep your
pooch happy and healthy. Things that perhaps you'd rather not
even think about!
When you go to the veterinarian he may ask you to bring along a
urine sample from your dog. How do you do this? Your dog surely
won't be able to hit a sample bottle. The easiest way to
accomplish this is to tape a polythene container to the end of a
yard stick. While your dog is out doing his business, position
the container underneath his urine stream. This is easier to do
with male dogs than female dogs but you can usually get a sample
with one or two tries. Your veterinarian will want as fresh a
sample as possible so if you won't be taking the sample to the
vet right away, keep it refrigerated until you bring it in. Your
veterinarian will be checking the sample for a variety of things
like bacteria and crystals. If bacteria is found it could mean
that your dog has a urinary tract infection and will most likely
require your dog to be put on a course of antibiotics. Crystals
form in the urine whenever minerals bind together, there are
several different kinds of crystals and these are most often
treated with prescription diets.
If your veterinarian asks for a stool sample it could mean that
he suspects that intestinal parasites are bothering your dog.
They can get these by eating fecal matter from another affected
animal, carcasses, or other unsavory things. You will want to
bring in a fresh sample. The doctor will examine it under the
microscope and look for telltale eggs of parasites. Commonest
parasites are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms.
Several of today's monthly heartworm medications also protect
against roundworms and hookworms. If you live in the country or
your dog is outside for much of the day, he may need to be
treated with a tapeworm wormer on a quarterly basis. Other
diseases like coccidia, can also be seen under the microscope
from your dog's stool sample.
What about anal glands? The anal glands are two small glands
located just on the inside of your dog's anus that secrete a
foul smelling liquid. Usually the
glands will be emptied when
your dog defecates. Unfortunately, in some dogs, the anal glands
become impacted and do not empty properly. If your dog is
urinating more than usual or licking his hind quarters more
often, there may be a problem with his anal glands. In this case
it's important to make an appointment with your veterinarian who
will check the anal glands by gloved touch. If the anal glands
are full, he will be able to empty them manually. it is
possiblen, however, to learn how to do this yourself at home.
Some dogs require their anal glands be manually emptied
regularly. Some owners have their dog's anal glands surgically
removed but if you choose to do this, discuss the possible
outcomes with your veterinarian as there is often a risk of
fecal incontinence if the surgery goes awry.
Occasionally in dogs, dandruff is just dandruff caused by skin
allergies, nutritional deficiencies, or improper grooming.
Sometimes, however, dandruff can be a sign of a parasite called
mange of which there are a few different types: a) Demodectic
Mange is caused by a mite which all dogs have but are rarely
adversely affected by it. Sometimes however, there can be an
overabundance of these mites which causes skin irritation and
hair loss. b) Sarcoptic Mange (also known as scabies) is caused
by another type of mite. A female mite buries herself in the
dog's skin and lays her eggs there. When the eggs hatch, the
cycle begins again. This causes severe skin irritation and hair
loss in dogs but is easily treatable. c) Cheyletiella Mange is
caused by a large mite that lives on the surface of the dog's
skin. This infestation is also known as 'walking dandruff'. This
type of mange causes minor skin irritation but is easily
treatable with topical medication.
So, now you can talk about those unpleasant things! It's
important that you are properly educated and can recognize signs
and symptoms so that you keep your dog as healthy as he can be.
About the author:
Edwina Hanson is a dog care and training professional. Go to
http://www.k9-training-tips.com/free-dog-care-report.html for a
free 73 page report entitled "Complete Dog Care". You'll also
get a nice little ebook entitled "20 Natural and Healthy
Recipes" (for your dog!).
|
|
|
|
|
|