Care For Older Dogs

Filed under Dogs Health and Care by on September 14, 2008 at 5:25 PM {no comments}

As your dog gets older, you will witness noticeable differences in him or her physically. Their teeth will begin to wear down and will change color. Their eyes may begin to change color as well and start to appear gray or blue. The tone of their muscle will decrease and they won't be able to get around as fast or as easily as they once could. As your dog ages, they also will begin to experience various illnesses and chronic health problems.

Because dogs are often like part of the family, you will want to be able to care for them as best as you can and in a manner that the dog is still experiencing a good quality of life. You want to make sure that you are very vigilant and that you watch them closely. Study them and see if they begin to act differently, or if they seem to be in pain. It will be more important than ever to get checkup visits on a regular basis so that your vet can pinpoint any serious problems. You may want to do this as often as two times every year. These exams should include a blood workup.

If you are not sure of what warning signs to look for as your dog gets older, consider the following list.
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Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Filed under Dogs Training by on September 7, 2008 at 10:00 AM {no comments}

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Creative Commons License photo credit: kezee

Separation anxiety is a disorder that not only occurs in human beings, but also in dogs. You may find that your dog exhibits certain behaviors when he or she is left alone. This goes beyond simply whining or looking a bit sad when you leave. Instead, it is a dramatic response that occurs almost every time you leave the house. Owners may find that their dog cries, howls, chews, digs, pees or defecates inside the house even if when they are trained not to do so. They may also scratch, claw and bark.

While professionals don't totally understand why this occurs, it is important that owners realize that the dog is really feeling panicked because the owner is leaving, and they dog or puppy is not out to be mean or to punish their owner for leaving. Some things which heighten the likelihood of separation anxiety include your dog or puppy not having spent a lot of time alone or if you or your family are gone for long period of time. For example, if you go on vacation and then come back your dog may panic when you leave the house again, because they aren’t sure when you might come back.

If your dog has had a real bad experience, for example getting hit by a car or prior abuse, then they may not want you to leave their side. If there has been some big changes in the family, such as you taking a new job and you now have a different schedule, if you have recently changed cities or if your son or daughter goes off to college, this may cause mental anxiety for your dong.
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Dog Crate Training

Filed under Dogs Training by on September 5, 2008 at 10:00 AM {no comments}

Crate training your dog can be very beneficial for him or her, as well as for yourself. It will require you to commit some time and focus as well as energy to successfully do it. However, once you are able to, you will find that a crate gives your dog or puppy a fantastic spot of their own that is warm and welcoming. It also will allow you to protect parts of your home that you don't want your dog or puppy bothering while you are away. It also gives you a method that is safe to transport your dog while they are in the car. If you are going on vacation, and you want to take your pet, if your dog is crate trained, you can keep them in crate while you're at someone else's home or while you are at the hotel.

If you train your dog the correct way, they will be happy to spend time in the crate or at least they will not hate it. Crates come in different types of materials. Some are plastic, others are made from metal. They also vary in size. You will want it to be large enough that your dog has room to lay down, standup and turnaround. You can find a good quality crate at many of your major pet stores.

The amount of time that it will take to crate train your dog will depend on the amount of effort that you commit to it, as well as your dog’s personality and their past experiences. If your dog has been abused, it might take longer. Whether or not your dog has ever been trained before, and your pet's own personal temperament will also effect how long training will take.
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Dog Eye Care

Filed under Dogs Health and Care by on September 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM {no comments}

When your dog’s eyes are healthy, they should be bright and clear. They should not be swollen, inflamed or have any type of discharge. Any eye problems in your dog can be very painful and irritating for them and so it is important to make sure that they receive proper care if they begin having problems.

Some things to look for when you suspect your dog is having problems with their eyes, is a change in coloration. There eyes may turn red and they may swell. They also may have discharge or matter that's either right on the eye or around it. If the eyes have a dull appearance or they begin tearing a lot, these are all signs that something is wrong. These are all signs that you will need to take your dog to the veterinarian.

There are various types of tests that your vet can perform on your dog when they believe that there is a problem. A couple of these tests include the Schirmer tear test which measures the amount of your dog’s tear production. The vet can also test to see if your dog has glaucoma by checking their ocular pressure. Corneal ulcers can be discovered with a fluorescein stain.

Common eye problems in dogs include cataracts, epiphora or glaucoma. Cataract problems in dogs is similar to what human beings experience. Their eyes will become cloudy and it can lead to blindness. For some breeds, this is a common occurrence. However, your vet will need to determine if this is what it is. Epiphora is when your dog has an excessive amount of tearing. This could be due to some type of blockage.
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Dog Gestation

Filed under Breeding Dogs, Dogs Health and Care by on September 1, 2008 at 10:00 AM {no comments}

A female dog goes into heat roughly two times a year. The first time they go into heat is when they are around seven to eight months old. However, small breeds may start sooner than that. You will often be able to tell that your dog is about to go into heat by looking at the vulva. It will swell and there will also be sightings of blood. This period generally lasts anywhere between 6 and 14 days.

It is very important for the owner of the female dog to track when they go into heat. This is for two primary reasons. The owner will either want to try to get their dog to breed around this time or they will need to take action if they are looking to prevent pregnancy. There are pills available that will prevent the female from going into heat. Medication is also available for males who are a little bit too sexually excitable.

If you want to prevent your dog from going into heat, you need to act within one to two weeks before the heating stage starts. After they have started going into heat, contraceptive pills should not be given unless there is a really good reason, although they can still be used. Many of the pills (or injections) will contain megestrol acetate, which will stop them from going into heat. The pill does have some side effects. However, they are pretty minimal. Make sure that you look at the package so that you know what the side effects are. The contraception is usually are given in a form of sugar and dogs easily ingest it without much fuss.
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