Basic Dog Diseases

Today we have vaccines to help prevent many of the killer dog diseases -- and antibiotics to treat some diseases when they do strike. With the proper series of preventative vaccinations, your dog will most likely never suffer any of the diseases listed in this section, but we've described them just in case.

The Not-So-Magnificent Seven

There are seven common and potentially fatal canine diseases you should protect your dog against with regular vaccinations: canine cough (also known as kennel cough), coronavirus, distemper, canine infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus (or "parvo" for short), and -- the most dreaded of all -- rabies.

Canine cough. This is a respiratory infection common to any situation where many dogs are kept together, such as kennels (giving rise to the name "kennel cough"), animal shelters, and pet stores. The infection causes the trachea, larynx (voice box), and bronchi (the little branching tubes in the lungs) to become inflamed. Succumbing to the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica, an infected dog will develop a mild to severe cough, sometimes with a runny nose, five to ten days after exposure. It can be treated with antibiotics and plenty of rest, which is very important. As with all the Not-So-Magnificent Seven, prevention is the most sensible and humane choice. If you plan to board your dog or will be exposing her to many other dogs, be sure she's protected against Bordetella. The "double whammy" is often a good strategy: a liquid vaccine administered through the dog's nose combined with an injection for canine parainfluenza virus.

Coronavirus. A usually mild disease, coronavirus is spread when a dog comes in contact with the stool or other excretions of infected dogs. Although it rarely kills dogs, coronavirus can be especially hard on puppies or dogs who are stressed or not in the best of health. Suspect coronavirus if your dog is depressed, doesn't want to eat, vomits -- especially if it's bloody -- and has a bad case of diarrhea. Exceptionally strong-smelling stools, particularly if bloody or with a strange yellow-orange color, are also signs. If coronavirus is diagnosed, the veterinarian will give your dog plenty of fluids to replace those lost from the vomiting and diarrhea, as well as medication to help keep the vomiting and diarrhea to a minimum. A coronavirus vaccination is usually recommended if your dog will be meeting lots of other dogs -- or their excrement -- at parks, dog shows, kennels, and other boarding facilities.

Distemper. Around the world, more dogs die from distemper than any other infectious disease. This highly contagious virus is spread by direct contact or through the air. A hale and hearty dog can survive distemper, usually with relatively mild symptoms. On the other hand, if your dog's immune system doesn't come out fighting, her whole body can be overwhelmed by the virus, as well as bacteria that jump in to cause secondary infections.

Distemper usually happens in two stages. Three to fifteen days after exposure to the virus, the dog develops a fever, doesn't want to eat, has no energy, and her eyes and nose become runny. As time passes, the discharge from her eyes and nose starts to get thick, yellow, and gooey -- the classic sign of distemper. If you haven't taken your dog to the vet before this symptom appears, you should take her now. Other first-stage signs of distemper are a dry cough, diarrhea, and pus blisters on the stomach. The second stage of distemper is even more serious, because the disease can begin to affect the brain and even the spinal cord. A dog in this stage might slobber frequently, shake her head, or act as if she has a bad taste in her mouth. Sometimes she has seizures, causing her to circle, fall down, and kick her feet in the air. Afterward, she seems confused, wandering around and shying away from people.

Choosing a Veterinarian for Dog

When you take your new dog home ,he ought to be at the peak of health. A pup in this condition has no doubt been living in a healthful environment with good nutrition and all the right vaccinations against disease. Now, it's up to you to ensure he stays that way. You'll need to feed a high-quality food and offer balanced amounts of love and discipline, play and rest. But perhaps most important of all, you will need to develop a close working relationship with your pup's veterinarian. When the two of you work as a team, confident in each other's abilities and observations, you maximize the quality of your dog's health care.

Choosing a Veterinarian for Dog

To find just the right veterinarian, ask pet-owning friends for recommendations. If you are new in town or don't know anyone who has a dog, don't worry. Most veterinarians belong to the American Veterinary Medical Association or the American Animal Hospital Association. You can contact one of these national organizations for a referral to a member veterinarian in your area. Once you get some recommendations, make an appointment for a first visit so the three of you can get to know each other.

Introduction to Medical Treatment for Dogs

Dogs often seem to have limitless energy and robust constitutions, but don't let this fool you: they are susceptible to all sorts of maladies, ranging from mild to life-threatening. That's why it pays to have a relationship with a dependable, reassuring veterinarian (to ensure good treatment and quick treatment in an emergency), and to follow wise guidelines for dog-owners, which include regular checkups for your pooch and building your own store of knowledge about canine maladies, to catch treatable diseases early. Yes, dogs are energetic and robust by nature, but it's your job to help keep them that way. In this article, you will find tips to help you do just that, including:

Choosing a Veterinarian

Medical Treatment for Dogs

Choosing a Veterinarian You don't have to take Fido to the nearest vet, and you never have to use a vet whose manner doesn't make you and your dog comfortable. Here are tips on finding the right veterinarian for both of you, including questions you can ask friends in order to get a strong word-of-mouth reference. We will also help you tell the difference between a problem with your dog that will clear up on its own and a major situation that needs to be seen by the vet right away.

How to Give Medications to Dogs

How to Give Medications to Dogs

Don’t give your dog any medication until you have spoken to your veterinarian to make sure it is the right medicine for the dog and the circumstances. You should also ask for instructions on how to give the drug and the correct dosage for your dog.

Pills, Capsules and Tablets

To give a dog a pill, slip your thumb into the space behind one of the canine teeth and press upward on the roof of the mouth. As the mouth begins to open, press down on the lower jaw with the opposite thumb. Alternatively, press in on both lips from above the muzzle. As the skin pushes in behind the canines, the dog will open her mouth.

Insert the pill well to the back of the tongue in the middle of the mouth. If you place the pill too far forward or to the side of the tongue, the dog will spit it out. Close the dog’s mouth and massage or rub her throat until she swallows. If the dog licks her nose, the pill has been swallowed. Blowing briefly into the dog’s nose may also cause her to quickly swallow the pill. You can also give her a syringe full of water to make sure she swallows, or give the dog a small treat after the pill goes down.

How to Get Rid of an Unwanted Pet

How to Get Rid of an Unwanted Pet

For whatever reason you cannot keep your pet and need to get rid of it. Sadly many people go about this in the wrong way. Here are the best options.

For the purposes of this article, I am referring to pets that YOU own… not stray or lost animals, however I have included a small bit about these guys at the bottom of the article.

I will also note that if a person has made the decision that they are NOT the best owner for a pet, it is unfair to encourage them to keep the pet. However because there are more unwanted pets than there are homes, getting rid of a pet is always a risky thing. Put some thought into it before you simply get rid of any pet.

What Not To Do

DO NOT give an animal away as “Free to a Good Home”. Studies have shown that very few of these animals actually get “good homes”. Most never get any veterinarian care. Many never get fixed (spayed or neutered). Many who go missing are not looked for, their owners simply go get another free one. Some serial killers have admitted they started on “free to good home” pets. It is possible for somebody to accept a “free” pet, then sell it to a research lab or use it for snake food (as it is their animal now to do with as they will, dependent on area laws). A “good” owner would buy from a reputable breeder or adopt from a shelter.

Problem solved: unwanted dog

Question

I want to get rid of the family dog now that my kids are moving out, but my wife disagrees

Having had a dog as a boy, I felt it would be good for my kids to experience the joys and responsibilities too. Unfortunately, we left it until they were teenagers and they are now at various stages of moving out. I want to retire while I'm fit enough to travel and enjoy it. But having a dog restricts us in so many ways, and this particular dog shows no sign of needing less play and walks. He demands attention if either of us is around, when I just want to read or do jobs round the house. His bark is harsh, so leaving him to bark is not an option. Dog hairs and mud everywhere put me off improving the house as much as I'd like. Even our plans to move somewhere smaller seem pointless to me when I think of claw marks on polished wood floors etc. I worry that I get irritated and angry from being at the beck and call of what in many ways I know to be an intelligent and lovely animal.

unwanted dog

I have raised my feelings with my wife who finds the dog's ways and habits less irksome than I do, and sees him almost as one of the children. She would feel terrible if we were to move the dog on, but says she could cope if we found him a genuinely loving home.

Natural Remedies to Relieve Dog Constipation

Like humans, our dog companions can and do, get constipated at times. Constipation in dogs can have a number of causes. It can also be treated by several different natural remedies. Please note that I am not a veterinarian and it is always best to check with your pet's veterinarian before using any type of natural remedy on your canine to ensure it's appropriateness and safety.

You can tell if your dog is constipated if he or she exhibits any of these symptoms: your dog produces small, hard, and/or dry fecal matter, experiences abdominal pain, strains when having a bowel movement with no results, experiences a loss of appetite, and there are long time stretches between bowel movements. More specifically, if your furry friend has not defecated in two days, he or she is most likely constipated, according to Organic Pet Digest.

According to Dog Pro, constipation in canines is typically caused by something your pet is or is not eating. However, constipation can have several other causes as well. It may also be caused by a lack of fiber in your pet's diet, not getting enough exercise, not having enough fresh water to drink, ingesting foreign objects, which cannot pass through the intestines, an underlying medical condition, and worm infestation in your pet's body.

There are several natural remedies for canine constipation you may try at home. However, please check with your vet before you give your dog any type of natural remedy to ensure its safety and appropriateness for your dog's situation. Furthermore, if you do not see improvement when using these natural remedies for dog constipation, please take your dog to a veterinarian who can check for ingested foreign objects, worms, and underlying medical conditions.

Dog Daily Water Requirement

Formula

dogs requirement of water (ml/day) = (70 (body weight in kg)0.75) x 1.6

As a general guideline, the daily water requirement of dogs and cats, expressed in ml/day, is roughly equivalent to the daily energy requirement (DER) in kcal/day (for dogs 1.6 x resting energy requirement [RER], for cats 1.2 x RER).

Example

What is the daily water requirement of a 24 pound cocker spaniel?

24 pounds converted to kilograms (24 divided by 2.2) is 10.91 kg

(70(10.91)0.75) x 1.6

70(6) x 1.6

420 x 1.6 = 672 ml

OR

672 ml = (672 / 236.6) 2.84 cups or 2 cups & (0.84 x 8) 6.72 ounces

constipation in dogs

constipation in dogs

While the majority of dog owners have more experience with doggy diarrhea than constipation, pups do on occasion become constipated.

Sometimes the problem is no more complicated than a lack of fiber in the diet or inadequate water consumption, but there can be more serious causes as well.

The following is good advice from alldog360:

“Please keep in mind that you should always consult your vet before making any changes to your dog's diet or administering medications (and also to be certain that he isn't exhibiting symptoms of a more serious illness or disorder).”

Note: My recommendations for constipation remedies can be found toward the end of the following comment, and differ from those listed in the Dogtime.com article.

Dr. Becker's Comments:

Your dog is constipated when he either has difficulty pooping (and feces produced are dry and hard) or isn’t pooping at all.

If solid waste stays in your dog’s colon too long, all the moisture in it will be absorbed and stools will become dry, hard, and difficult to pass.

DOG'S MICROCHIPPING

Whilst every dog owner is legally obliged to ensure that their dog is wearing a collar and identification disc, thousands of owners have now taken positive steps to ensure their much-loved companion can also be identified through microchip technology.

Introduced in 1989, microchipping is now recognised as the most effective and secure way of permanently identifying a pet. A unique identification number is registered to the animal and the owner's details are placed on a national database.

Micro-chipping remains one of the most influential ways in which dogs are returned to owners, accounting for a reported 32% of reunions by Local Authorities.

Get your dog microchipped and have the assurance that should he become lost (or be stolen), he is more likely to be returned to you safe and sound.

What is a microchip?

Microchipping Your Dog or Cat Question

Up to 8 million animals end up in shelters every year. Unfortunately, only 15-20% of dogs and less than 2% of cats are ever reclaimed by their owners. One of the ways to increase the chances of finding your lost pet is having it microchipped. We asked Louise Murray, DVM, director of medicine for the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City to explain microchipping.

Q: What is microchipping, and can it be done to any animal?

A: A needle is used to place a little chip under the animal’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. That chip has a unique number on it that can be picked up and read by a scanner.

It can be done to lots of different animals, including horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, and most other mammals.

Q: How long does it take, and does it have to be done by a veterinarian?

Pet Shipping Information

Sheila Burnford's 1961 book "The Incredible Journey" tells of two dogs and a cat making their way across Canada in search of their dearly beloved owners. The owners had left the animals with a family friend during a trip, and when the animals are mistakenly abandoned by a caretaker, they set out to find their family. The arduous and challenging trip could have taken the animals' lives at any time, and indeed, when the animals can't be found, their masters assume the worst. However, it's unlikely this book would have found such acclaim and spawned two movies if it featured that kind of dour ending, so there's a heartwarming scene in which pets and owners reunite.

While we love to watch the ingenuity of animals on the silver screen, we certainly don't want our own Fido or Princess Whiskers deciding to make incredible journeys of their own. So when a person is moving, or even just taking a short-term vacation, he or she might choose to ship the family pets. Pets might also be shipped if they're ordered from a breeder across the country, or if they're heading off to show their merits at a dog or cat show. Some animals headed for zoos also travel this way.

But does the word "shipping" bring to mind dinged packages, broken Netflix discs and lost letters? Surely it's not safe for an animal to be shipped from place to place like cargo, you're thinking. Well, have no fear. There are many rules in­ place to ensure that shipped pets reach their destination in one piece; in fact, the rules can be so complex and detailed for different destinations that it's unlikely that humans would travel at all if they had to meet as many requirements.

Crate Training Your Puppy or Adult Dog

Most dog trainers, veterinarians and other pet professionals agree that crate training is, hands-down, the most effective way to housebreak Fido if you're teaching him to relieve himself outside. It is can also be a helpful part of an indoor potty training program for dogs who will be papertrained or litter box trained.

Crate training is a method of teaching Fido hold his bladder and bowels by confining him in a cage or airline kennel, also known as a crate, when he is unsupervised. This allows you to prevent him from having accidents by taking advantage of his natural instinct to avoid soiling where he sleeps.

Crate training is a good choice for just about any dog owner. The only people who shouldn't choose this method are those that have very young puppies and are away from home all day or those that have unusually long work hours and can't come home during the day to let the dog potty on a reasonable schedule. Occasionally, certain dogs will panic in the crate, even after the proper steps are taken to acclimate the dog to the crate (this is very rare). These dogs, obviously, are also not good candidates for crate training and should be trained using another method like umbilical cord training or dog door training, if possible.

DOG FIDO - THOU SHALT SUPERVISE FIDO'S FREE TIME IN THE HOUSE

If Fido is not housebroken, he should not have unsupervised time in your house. It takes only seconds for him to have an accident, so, in the early stages of your housebreaking program, he must be directly supervised the entire time he is in the house.

Direct supervision guarantees that if Fido is about to make a mistake, you're able to catch him, correct him, and guide him into doing the right thing. If he attempts to have an accident in the house, don't panic... as long as you catch him, it's a learning opportunity. You can teach him at that moment that going potty in the house doesn't feel as good as going outside.

It's always discouraging when Fido has an accident in the house, but there's a big difference between the accidents you catch and the accidents you don't. If Fido has an accident and there's nobody there to let him know it's wrong, it actually works out pretty well for him... he's uncomfortable because his bowels or bladder feel full and he gets relief when he lets loose on your nice, expensive rug. If he gets the same relief from pottying inside as he does from pottying outside, why should he wait? The accidents you don't catch Fido having prevent him from becoming housebroken, so the immediate goal of your housebreaking program is to catch and correct all of Fido's attempts to go potty in the house... starting NOW.

Umbilical Cord Housebreaking Method

Umbilical Cord Training is a housebreaking method that's pretty much what it sounds like... your dog is attached to you with a cord (his leash) throughout the day. It is a supervision-based program that requires vigilance but yields excellent results with just about every dog or puppy. This method works well in conjunction with other methods, such as crate training or indoor potty training. It is also an excellent alternative for those who spend a lot of time at home and prefer not to use a confinement method like crate training.

This method is an excellent choice for preventing accidents, since your dog never has the opportunity to wander off to have an accident in the house. You'll also be right there to correct him if he tries to have an accident, which is a great opportunity to teach him where you don't want him to go and to get him promptly to the right spot to finish up.

Most people prefer to use a 6 foot leash for umbilical cord training. This gives Fido a bit of room to move around, but he can't get so far away from you that you lose track of what he's doing. You will have Fido on his leash with you at all times when you're in the house with him. You can hold it, put the loop around your wrist, sit on the end of it or tie it to your beltloop. You can also tether Fido to a nearby object, like the leg of your chair or coffee table or a door handle. Make sure that whatever you tie him to is not likely to follow him when he pulls. If you choose to do this, be sure you don't walk away from him, leaving him unsupervised. Remember, the whole point of umbilical cord training is to have Fido right there with you at all times.

Dog : Which Indoor Potty Option Should You Choose?

Which Indoor Potty Option Should You Choose?There are many different choices for indoor potty areas. The old stand-by is newspapers, but there are now also products designed specifically for dogs, including potty pads, dog litter boxes and turf pads. In this article we list some pros and cons to help you choose the best option for you and your dog.

Newspapers

Pros:

Great for people who read a lot of newspapers and don't know what to do with themCheap, especially if you start gathering newspapers from your friends and family (after they've read them, not off the front lawn before the sun comes up!)

If Fido can read, he'll have something to do while you're gone

Dog Indoor Potty Training

Dog Indoor Potty Training
Although most dogs are trained to relieve themselves outdoors, it sometimes makes sense to teach your dog to have an indoor potty area. This method is most commonly used by people with very small dogs, people who are unable to get outside easily due to health issues or living in a high rise and people who work such long hours that their dog can't reasonably be expected to hold it and wait to go outside.

Generally, we recommend indoor potty training only for owners whose dogs will permanently be trained to go indoors, since it can be difficult to train your dog to go outside once he's been taught that he's supposed to go indoors. If you work all day and can't get home to let your young puppy out, you may be forced to do temporary indoor potty training, or at least partial indoor potty training, until your puppy is old enough to hold it for the full day. We don't want to force him to have an accident, so we'll give him an indoor option that he can use while you're at work, but you should be sure to work diligently on his outdoor housebreaking program at all times when you're at home and able to get him outside.

There are several options for creating an indoor potty area for your dog. The old standby is just several sheets of newspaper laid out on the floor, or you can use absorbent potty pads from the pet store. You can also use a dog litter box or a tray lined with artificial turf. The pros and cons of each are discussed in the article "Indoor Potty Options". The general rules for training using any of these options are the same, so in the instructions we'll just use the term "potty area" to mean newspapers, potty pads, litter box or turf pad.

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog

You might call this my Supplementary Housetraining Edition, because it takes up three of the most common housetraining questions after the big “Why can’t I housetrain my puppy?” One, “Can I / Should I use pee pads?” Two, “What about using a dog door?” and three, “How do I teach my dog to let me know when she wants to go out?” 

The podcast version of this article was sponsored by Go to Meeting. With this meeting service, you can hold your meetings over the Internet and give presentations, product demos, and training sessions right from your PC. Visit gotomeeting.com, click the try it free button and use promo codePodcast.

And one, two, three, here we go.

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog?

Pee pads are not the spawn of Satan. Climate change notwithstanding, winters in much of the world remain cold enough that many tiny little dogscannot comfortably walk outdoors no matter how well insulated those adorable coats and booties are. By all means, teach your shivering Chihuahua to relieve himself on pee pads in the wintertime.

Question about Dog pee pads

I just adopted a small dog with special needs. Because of her health problems, she cannot be walked regularly and thus has come to rely on wee-wee pads to relieve herself at home. But throwing them out and replacing them every day (even the ones made of recycled materials) seems wasteful and breaks my heart every time. Can you suggest a more sustainable solution?

Until your question arrived, I had not given much thought to the “wee-wee pad” issue. My personal experience with the world of wee-wee pads is (thankfully) limited, so I hope your fellow dog owners will chime in here.

The way I see it, this problem is akin to the diaper debate: Should you use disposables, which add heaps of non-biodegradable, plasticky waste to our landfills, or reusables, which require heaps of water and energy to clean? In fact, with 4 million babies born each year in America and about the same number of puppies, we have ourselves a startling parallel. Factor in dogs with special needs and others left indoors to do their business for various reasons, and we might be looking at a full-on wee-wee crisis.

Indestructible Dog Toys

Indestructible dog toys, is there really such an item in existence? One geared to withstand the onslaught of an animal with teeth equipped to chew, tear, cut and grind whatever is before him. I set out to find the answer; My dog toy tester, my six year old German Shepherd (Kenai).

The Mighty Kong: Introduced in 1976 this toy established the standard in the dog toy industry for durability. Enthusiastically endorsed by veterinarians, dog breeders, and dog trainers, Kong leads the market in dog toys. Able too last through years of vigorous play and action, Kong was created by a dog owner whose German Shepherd (Fritz) loved to chew on rocks. The rock chewing created wear- and- tear on Fritz’s teeth.

How to Choose the Best Dog Chew Toys

How to Choose the Best Dog Chew Toys 

Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs and you need safe dog chew toys to direct this behavior to appropriate items (and not your shoes or furniture!) Here are some tips to help you choose the safest and best dog chew toys.

Desirable Features in Dog Chew Toys

• Size – large enough that your dog can't “swallow”
• Safe
• Durable
• Easy to clean/wash
• Guaranteed 

Veterinarians Unleash Probiotics to Ease Doggie Discomfort

A growing number of veterinarians are prescribing supplements of friendly bacteria for dogs, but is there enough scientific evidence to justify it?

All dog owners who have had to clean up after their beloved pooches know that people aren't the only ones who experience gastrointestinal disorders. Many animals, including man's best friend, also suffer from both short-lived and chronic digestive woes. As a result, some veterinarians have begun prescribing supplements containing friendly bacteria, or "probiotics," to ease related symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, gas and bloating. But some animal experts say there is little solid evidence that the supplements are effective.

Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are the second-most common health problem in dogs after skin diseases, according to Richard Hill, a small-animal internist and clinical nutritionist at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. He notes that common causes include parasites such as hookworm, whipworm and giardia as well as "dietary indiscretion," which could mean anything from gorging on table scraps to drinking from the toilet to raiding the garbage.

Dog Probiotics information

The world is full of bacteria; many kinds are harmful and can cause illness, but there are also beneficial bacteria. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract uses bacteria to digest food and to make certain vitamins. Most of these helpful bacteria live in the large intestine (colon). Stress, illness, medication, or change in diet can upset the balance of bacteria in the large intestine, which can lead to minor problems such as gas, or more major problems such as diarrhea. Having the right balance of bacteria helps your dog to make better use of food and can help prevent some GI illnesses.

Dog Probiotics information

Healthy Dog Food for Your Dog's Digestion

Healthy Dog Food

We all know dog food is essential for the health of our dogs. But what's more important is what is in the dog food. A dog's digestive system, which is mainly responsible for breaking down food, absorbs the nutrients from the dog food and distributes it throughout the body and prevents toxins from entering the bloodstream. In fact, research indicates that 70% of a dog's immune system lies in the digestive tract. So then, what are some of these ingredients in dog food that can help maintain proper digestive health for your pet?

1. Probiotics

What are probiotics? They are the "good bacteria" that help improve the digestibility of ingredients and are an essential part of the immune system. By feeding your dog food with live probiotics after it has been cooked and cooled (to assure maximum survival) reinsures you are re-inoculating the digestive tract.

2. Prebiotics

Prebiotics are similar to probiotics. However, according to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), "prebiotic targets the microbiota already present within the ecosystem, acting as a 'food' for the target microbes with beneficial consequences for host." Basically, the prebiotic serves as the nutrition for the health and performance of the "good bacteria" in your dog's digestive tract. Some examples of prebiotic ingredients to look for in your dog's food include beet pulp, soybeans, raw oats and inulin.

3. Natural fiber

If you've ever had issues going to the bathroom than you probably know what fiber has to offer. Fiber promotes the digestive regularity by helping to move food waste from your dog's digestive tract through the colon at an optimal speed. While it may not be pretty, your dog will thank you. Common sources of natural fibers in healthy dog food include flaxseed and oatmeal. You can also find some sources of fiber that can serve as prebiotics too, such as beet pulp.

4. Digestive Enzymes

Your dog breaks down the food in much the same way you do — with digestive enzymes. Produced by organs such as the pancreas, digestive enzymes break down the food so that the intestinal tract can absorb all those great nutrients, which are then distributed throughout your dog's body. When digestive enzymes are added to dog food, it helps to increase digestibility and reduce the stress on your dog's bodily organs.

5. Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are found in the skins of vegetables and fruits. They act as powerful antioxidants and are known to help neutralize free radicals in order to keep the cells of the body healthy. They are few other natural dog food ingredients that enhance the immune system and help protect a dog's body like phytonutrients.

So next time you're buying dog food remember this … Feeding your dog healthy food that contains probiotics and prebiotics, natural fiber, digestive enzymes and phytonutrients will help maintain a healthy digestive tract and a strong immune system.

Human Probiotics for Dogs

Dogs can benefit from probiotics in yogurt and cottage cheese.

Human Probiotics for Dogs 

Probiotics are as beneficial to a dog’s digestive system as they are to his owner’s health. These friendly bacteria promote regularity throughout the intestinal tract. Dogs are especially vulnerable to gastro-intestinal troubles because canines typically devour anything they find on the ground, which may include toxins. Some pet foods are supplemented with probiotics, but you may also share human foods with your pet that are enhanced with these living microorganisms.

Yogurt

About probioticsfor dogs

"How You Can Help Keep Your Pet's Digestive andImmune System Happy and Healthy"
Total Probiotics formula benefits your pet with 14 beneficial bacterial strains.

When it comes to the health of your pets – especially keeping their sensitive digestive systems happy and working well – there is one option that is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.

It's a solution that provides the gastrointestinal relief and daily support your cats and dogs need to help maintain their active lifestyle.

And, it's a healthy choice that gives you the peace of mind you deserve because you know you're taking the best care of your animals as possible.

But, getting here hasn't been easy...

The Answer to Your Pet's Bowel Health

That Many Traditional Vets Don't Recognize

It's a fact: Bowel health is one of the top 10 reasons owners bring their pets to the vet for healthcare.

I see cats and dogs with less-than-optimal bowel health every day.

But, it doesn't have to be this way...

You see, for years, holistic veterinarians like me have argued that supplementing their diet with probiotics is an essential way to help maintain and promote your pet's optimal gastrointestinal health.

With a healthy GI system, your pet can potentially:

• Achieve peak strength, fitness and vigor
• Maximize optimum health and wellbeing no matter what stage of life they're in
• Fully enjoy a rich life of companionship with you

Alternatives to neutering your male dog

Alternatives to neutering your male dog:

Owners who do not elect to get their dogs desexed often request other ways of preventing or managing the breeding, behavioural or medical problems faced by their entire pets. Which preventative measures and treatment options can be offered really depends on what the owner is trying to achieve. Owners just looking to prevent their dog or dogs from breeding can make use of a range of birth/pregnancy control measures available (sections 10a-10f). Owners looking to control or manage testosterone-mediated behavioural or medical problems (e.g. prostate hyperplasia, perianal adenomas) can look at option 10g. The reality is, however, that no one of these alternative measures alone will manage all of the problems of overpopulation, behaviour and testosterone-mediated health issues like desexing will. Additionally, many of these alternative solutions do come with significant side effects and health risks of their own. Desexing is always the best choice.

IMPORTANT: Check your local state and regional laws before opting for any of these alternatives. Animal population control laws are changing and increasing all the time. It may be illegal for you to keep a non-breeding-purposes (i.e. an entire male "stud" dog not owned by a registered breeder) entire male dog on your property. 

The cost (price) of neutering a dog

The cost of neutering a dog:

Much as I would love to be able to do so, to attempt to place a flat $ figure on the costs of desexing a dog would be grossly irresponsible of me and quite impossible to do. The cost of desexing male dogs is greatly variable and varies from place to place and region to region. It depends on many factors including: the size of the vet clinic, the competition the vet clinic has, the nature of the clinic (e.g. is it a shelter clinic), the suburb the clinic is located in, the size (weight) of the dog, whether the animal is a cryptorchid or not and so on.

In this section, I will give you an idea of the costs and the range of prices that may exist in one town/city when you are considering getting your dog neutered in Australia. (The principles discussed here will most likely to apply to any city in the world). I will outline the ways that vets arrive at these prices and discuss ways that you can source lower cost and discount neutering.

FAQs and myths about dog neutering

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and myths about neutering:

This section outlines some of the commonly held myths and misconceptions about neutering surgery and answers some of your commonly asked questions.

 Myth 1 - All desexed dogs gain weight (get fat).

I have previously discussed this topic in other sections of this page: it is a commonly held belief that is, quite simply, not true.

Studies have shown that neutered animals probably require around 25% less calories to maintain a healthy bodyweight than entire male animals of the same bodyweight do. This is because a neutered animal has a lower metabolic rate than an entire animal does. Because of this, what tends to happen is that most owners, unaware of this fact, continue to feed their neutered male dogs the same amount of food calories after the surgery that they did prior to the surgery, with the result that their pets become fat. Consequently, the myth of automatic obesity has become perpetuated through the dog-owning circles and, as a result, many owners simply will not consider desexing their dogs because of the fear of them gaining weight and getting diabetes and so on.

Late onset complications of neutering

Late onset complications of neutering

Weight gain.

Not really a complication per se, but an often complained about sequelae of desexing surgery.

Studies have shown that neutered animals probably require around 25% fewer calories to maintain a healthy bodyweight than entire male animals of the same weight do. This is because a neutered animal has a lower metabolic rate than an entire animal. Because of this, what tends to happen is that most owners, unaware of this fact, continue to feed their neutered male dogs the same amount of food after the surgery that they did prior to the surgery, with the result that their dogs become fat. Consequently, the myth of automatic obesity has become perpetuated through dog-owning circles and, as a result, many owners simply will not consider desexing their dogs because of the fear of them gaining weight.

Author's note: The fact of the matter is that most dogs will not become obese simply because they have been desexed. They will only become obese if the post-neutering drop in their metabolic rate is not taken into account and they are fed the same amount of food calories as an entire animal. Any weight gain that is experienced can be reversed through not feeding the pet as many calories and treats. 

Dog : Possible surgical and post-surgical complications of neutering

Possible surgical and post-surgical complications of neutering

There are some surgical and post surgical complications of desexing a dog that should be considered before you take the step of having your pet neutered. These are outlined below. The most important thing to remember about the complications listed below is that the vast majority of these complications are very rare and the small risk of them occurring should not outweigh the benefits of having your pet neutered. Of those complications that are more common (the common ones are indicated), the vast majority of these are not life-threatening and most can be prevented by good attention to after-care and wound care. 

Pain after surgery (common).

It is not uncommon for dogs to show some signs of mild to moderate discomfort and pain immediately after having a desexing surgery. It stands to reason: the vet has just performed a surgical procedure on a very delicate area of the male body. 

Dogs that are in discomfort after desexing will normally show signs suggestive of pain in the groin region. The animal may pant a lot; pace the room (not want to settle);adopt a stiff hind leg gait (these animals are reluctant to move their hind legs much when walking) and refuse to sit down in a normal sitting posture. Some dogs will be irritated by the sutures and/or by the fact that the delicate scrotal skin was shaved (and thus abraded a little) and keep licking the region obsessively (this licking needs to be discouraged by placing an Elizabethan Collar on the dog or a bitterant on the wound - see section 5 on aftercare). Some dogs will even go off their food for a few days after desexing because of the discomfort. 

Dog Neutering aftercare

Neutering aftercare - what you need to know about caring for your dog after neutering surgery.

When your dog goes home after neutering surgery, there are some basic exercise, feeding, bathing, pain relief and wound care considerations that should be followed to improve your pet's healing, health and comfort levels. 

1) Feeding your dog immediately after neutering:

After a dog has been desexed, it is not normally necessary for you to implement any special dietary changes. You can generally go on feeding your pet what it has always eaten. Some owners like to feed their pet on bland diets (e.g. boiled skinless chicken and rice diet or a commercial prescription intestinal diet such as Royal Canin Digestive or Hills i/d)for a few days after surgery in case the surgery and anaesthesia has upset their tummies. This is not normally required, but is perfectly fine to do. 

Dog Neutering procedure

 Neutering procedure (desexing surgery) - a step by step pictorial guide to canine neutering.

As stated in the opening section, neutering is the surgical removal of a male dog's testicles. During the procedure, each of the dog's testes and testicular epididymi are removed along with sections of the dog's testicular blood vessels and spermatic ducts (vas deferens or ductus deferens). And to be quite honest, from a general, non-veterinary pet owner's perspective, this is probably all of the information that you really need to know about the surgical process of desexing a dog. 

Desexing basically converts this ...

Information about neutering age: when to neuter a dog

about neutering age

The following subsections discuss current desexing age recommendations and how they have been established as well as the pros and cons of early age (8-16 weeks) neutering.

Current desexing age recommendations.

In Australia and throughout much of the world it is currently recommended that male dogs are neutered at around 5-7 months of age and older (as far as the "older" goes, the closer to the 5-7 months of age mark the better - there is less chance of your dog developing a testicular or testosterone-dependant medical condition if he is desexed at a younger age). 

The reasoning behind this 5-7 month age specification is one of anaesthetic safety for elective procedures.

When asked by owners why it is that a dog needs to wait until 5-7 months of age to be desexed, most veterinarians will simply say that it is much safer for them to wait until this age before undergoing a general anaesthetic procedure. The theory is that the liver and kidneys of very young animals are much less mature than those of older animals and therefore less capable of tolerating the effects of anaesthetic drugs and less effective at metabolising them and breaking them down and excreting them from the body. Younger animals are therefore expected to have prolonged recovery times and an increased risk of suffering from severe side effects, in particular liver and kidney damage, as a result of general anaesthesia. Consequently, most vets will choose not to anesthetize a young dog until at least 5 months of age for an elective procedure such as neutering. 

Dog Neutering pros and cons - the reasons for and against neutering.

Dog Neutering

The benefits of neutering (the pros of neutering) - why we neuter dogs.

There are many reasons why veterinarians and pet advocacy groups recommend the neutering of entire male dogs. Many of these reasons are listed below, however the list is by no means exhaustive.

1. The prevention of unwanted litters:

Pet overpopulation and the dumping of unwanted litters of puppies (and kittens) is an all-too-common side effect of irresponsible pet ownership. Every year, thousands of unwanted puppies and older dogs are dumped on the street (where they ultimately end up dying from neglect or finding their way into pounds and shelters) or handed in to shelters. Many of these animals do not ever get adopted from the pounds and shelters that take them in and need to be euthanased. This sad waste of healthy life can be reduced by not letting pet dogs breed indiscriminately and one way of preventing any accidental, unwanted breeding from occurring is through the routine neutering of all non-stud (non-breeder) male dogs (and female dogs too, but this is another page). 

What is Dog neutering

Neutering is the surgical removal of a male dog's testicles. During the procedure, each of the dog's testes and testicular epididymi are removed along with sections of the dog's testicular blood vessels and spermatic ducts (vas deferens or ductus deferens). The remainder of the male dog's reproductive tract structures, including: the prostate, urethra, penis, bulbis glandis and much of the dog's testicular blood vessels and spermatic ducts are left intact.

 Basically, the parts of the male reproductive tract that get removed are those which are responsible for sperm production, sperm maturation and the secretion of testosterone (the major male hormone). Removal of these structures plays a big role in canine population control (without sperm, the dog can not father young); genetic disease control (male dogs with genetic disorders can not pass on their disease conditions to any young if they can not breed); prevention and/or treatment of various medical disorders (e.g. castration prevents and/or treats a number of testicular diseases and testosterone-enhanced medical conditions) and male dog behavioural modification (testosterone is responsible for many male-dog behavioural traits that some owners find problematic - e.g. roaming, aggression, inter-male aggression, dominance, leg cocking - and castration, by removing the source of testosterone, may help to resolve these issues).

View full : Dog neutering 

Male Dog Neutering

Male dog neutering, otherwise known as sterilisation, "fixing", desexing, castration (castrating) or by its correct veterinary name: orchiectomy (also termed gonadectomy), is the surgical removal of a male dog's testicles for the purposes of canine population control, medical health benefit, genetic-disease control and behavioral modification. Considered to be a basic component of responsible pet ownership, the neutering of male dogs is a common surgical procedure that is performed by most veterinary clinics all over the world. This page contains everything you, the pet owner, need to know about male dog neutering. Neutering topics are covered in the following order: 

Setting the House Rules for Your Dog

Setting the House Rules for Your Dog

Heel. Sit. Down. Stay. Come. That's what comes to mind when most people think about training their dogs. Training your dog to respond to obedience commands is an important part of training that builds your dog's confidence, teaches your dog to look to you for direction and gives you a means of controlling your dog when you need him to behave.

But if you want your dog to be a civilized member of your household, there's a lot more to training than teaching commands. There are decisions that you need to make about how you want your dog to behave around the house when he's not on command. These decisions should be made as early in your dog's life as possible, but it's never too late. By setting house rules for your dog, you let him know which behaviors are acceptable and which are unacceptable in your home.

The guidelines you set for your dog's behavior around the house will make a big difference in what kind of companion your dog will be. There's no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to choosing many of these house rules. They are based solely on your personal preferences for what kind of behavior you want to allow.

Dog : Guarding Furniture

How can I stop my dog from guarding furniture? Why does my dog do this?

When a dog jumps up on a couch, chair, table, stairs (whatever it may be) and growls when you come near him, touch him, or protest when you ask him to get down, the dog is telling you he owns it. This behavior must be stopped or this will most certainly lead to biting.

First, let’s look at what it means to the dog. When a dog behaves like this, he is telling you he owns that particular spot. A dominant dog will often seek out high places to watch over his domain, claiming the place as his own. He's communicating with you that he is the boss and he is demanding you respect his space. As anyone approaches they must ask permission to be there. The dog will growl, and eventually snap and bite, in order to correct YOU. He is telling you, as his subordinate, to leave the area, or to get his permission to be there. First comes growling, and later will surely come biting, because this is how a dominant dog communicates; they set a "rule." Your dog is not doing this because he is mean, he is doing this because he wants and/or thinks, he is the boss of your house. The top dog owns everything and makes the rules. This is a primal instinct hardwired into your dog’s brain. It is because of this instinctual behavior, when one owns a dog, the dog owns nothing. Everything must belong to the human, from the furniture to his toys to his food bowl. You, as his leader, will make all of the decisions. You, as the human, own the furniture, and you, as the human, will decide who can and cannot sit on it, and when.

Keeping a Dog OFF the Furniture

Keeping a Dog OFF the Furniture

Dogs enjoy furniture for the same reasons we do. Some humans enjoy lounging around on the floor, but furniture in homes is certainly common and much used. Also like humans, many dogs have joint problems that make lying on the floor painful.

If you're not going to allow the dog on the furniture, provide a bed with the right padding and warmth for the dog's needs. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can buy egg-crate foam intended for human mattress pads, cut it to the right size, and wrap it with an old sheet for a cool-seeking dog, or use an old blanket for a warmth-seeking dog. For some dogs you'll need warmth for part of the year and coolness for part of the year.

The Right Start

Once a dog forms the habit of getting up on furniture, change is difficult. If you want to keep your dogs off the furniture, your best bet is to start EVERY puppy and new dog in your home with "off the furniture" as the CONSISTENT rule. This means everyone in the family cooperates in keeping the dog off the furniture. Just one uncooperative person can ruin the training, and create a situation unfair to the dog. 

Do not leave the puppy or dog alone around furniture until training is complete. Someone must supervise, just as you will be doing anyway for housetraining and to teach the dog to chew only dog toys, not inappropriate items.

Be gentle when removing the dog from furniture. It's best not to touch the dog at all, other than to lift a puppy or small dog and place gently on the floor. Puppies and small dogs can be injured by jumping off furniture.

For larger dogs who won't be harmed by getting down on their own, it is safer and more effective to lure and/or cue the dog to get off the furniture, and reward the dog for being back on the floor. People often arouse aggression in dogs by angrily ejecting them from furniture, which can both trigger defense drives in dogs and cause pain if the dog has an orthopedic problem. Orthopedic problems, both inherited and injury related, are so common in dogs that this is a frequent cause of a dog reacting aggressively when forced to get up from a comfortable position and jump down to the floor.

If the dog is adult and new to your home, consider keeping a leash on when teaching the dog to get off furniture in order to have good control. A head halter is an additional safeguard if the dog shows any tendency to react defensively.

Don't drag the dog off furniture with the leash. Induce the dog to return to the floor while you simply hold the leash, keeping it slack, with no tension pulling against the dog. The leash is simply a safety, "just in case." If the dog is off-leash, avoid grabbing the collar or otherwise physically forcing the dog. Either of those maneuvers can be dangerous.

Keep temper out of it. You're teaching the dog what you DO want, not scolding or punishing for the behavior you do not want. This approach will lead to everyone in the family eventually being able to remind the dog about furniture when necessary without risking a defensive reaction from the dog.

Remember that you need a place for the dog to comfortably rest. You're teaching the dog WHERE to rest, not just WHERE NOT to rest. So have the comfy bed in place. The place for it is near the family-which means you may need several comfy resting places for the dog-so that obeying you does not place the dog in social isolation. Social isolation is punishment to a dog, and you want doing the right behavior to be rewarding.

Reward the dog in the chosen resting place. Do this both when you have just cued the dog to go to the place, and also when you notice the dog has gone to that place without a cue. Use tiny treats, special chew toys, praise, petting, toys with food inside them, and other rewards your dog can enjoy while resting on the bed.

If you do this training right from the start, a puppy will never develop the habit of getting up on furniture. A dog new to your home is also more "teachable" about things like this right at first, because so much is new to the dog that there's a special openness to learning new ways, new rules.

Oops, A Habit

When a dog has already formed the habit of getting up on furniture, changing that is more challenging than setting the desired habit from the start. The dog will probably always have some tendency to get up on furniture when no one is around. You will need to keep the dog from having access to the furniture when you're not supervising, for quite some time, and possibly even for life.

Rooms with furniture the dog likes to get on-bedrooms, living room, possibly family rooms-can be gated off so that the dog can't go in there without a human to supervise. Alternatively the dog could be crated, but if furniture is the only reason, gating off the areas gives the dog more room to move joints and exercise muscles and can be healthier than crating.

Some people find a Scat Mat (you can buy it through pet catalogs) will keep a dog off the sofa. It gives the dog a shock. Obviously, you can't have the Scat Mat on the sofa if you're using it. Electric shock also carries the risk of "superstitious behavior," too, with a dog developing fear or aggression toward something experienced at the same time as the shock.

A plastic carpet runner--the kind intended to lie over the carpet to protect it, like at an open house when a house is for sale-can help. Turn the carpet runner upside down, so the plastic points that were intended to grip the carpet are instead pointed up, making an uncomfortable surface for a dog.

Some dogs like to get up high to see things. If this is the case, it can help to either block the dog's view from the furniture, or provide a better view elsewhere. Maybe move the furniture.

Compromise

A popular solution to this problem is to use slipcovers on the furniture. They could be formal ones, beautifully made, or just bed sheets, comforters, blankets, etc. tossed over the sofa to keep it from picking up dog hair and dirt. Then, people may go ahead and allow the dog on the furniture. It's even possible to teach a dog to wait for the sheet to be put on the furniture before getting up there.

Another solution some people use is to get a piece of furniture for the dog, the only one the dog is allowed to use. You can keep an old sofa for this purpose. This furniture has to be in the area of the house where the dog WANTS to be, not somewhere isolated from where the rest of the family hangs out.

Why?

In an all-adult household where every family member happily welcomes the easy-tempered dog on furniture, it might seem unnecessary to keep the dog off the furniture. But before making this choice, take careful thought.

Puppies should not be allowed on furniture until their adult temperaments become evident, during or after puberty. At that point it will become clear that some of them should NEVER be allowed on furniture, due to unsuitable temperament.

Puppies and small dogs can be injured jumping off furniture. If you do decide to allow your small dog on furniture, you'll need to either teach the dog to wait to be lifted down, or provide a ramp and train the dog to consistently use it.

Houses with children are well advised to keep dogs off furniture. Young kids running up to beds startle dogs out of sleep and have their faces in exactly the right place for a bite to cause lifelong disfigurement. If you don't have young children, what about grandchildren or other relatives, children of friends, etc.? If not now, what about 5 or 10 years from now when you still have this dog and habits are set?

If there is anyone in the household who is fussy about dog hair on clothing, or you expect to entertain guests you wouldn't want to offend by covering their clothes with dog hair, those are reasons to teach the dog to stay off furniture. Remember that changing the rules later is very hard on the dog. It's more humane to train the way you will need things to be later, right from the start.

Though you might not imagine your dog could ever have to adjust to a new home, it happens to the vast majority of dogs during their lives. Teaching the dog to stay off furniture gives the dog a better chance of a future home being a permanent home, in the event this ever happens.

"Off the furniture" is a good habit for people to teach their dogs, especially puppies. You can easily change later if the dog's temperament and the circumstances in the home make it reasonable for the dog to share the family's furniture. It's unusual to find a dog who won't learn to get up on furniture when the family desires this change, even after years of the dog never doing so.

How to Install a Pet Door in a Wood Door

How to Install a Pet Door in a Wood Door

Dog Door

Pet lovers now have a new ally: pet door. Installing a pet door (cat or dog door) into your front house door, will ease your life, allowing your pet to go and come when it wants, with no need for you personally to be forced to open the door. This little door allows your pet to get out without help at any time of day or night. Cats and dogs are very intelligent animals and assertive, so no need to worry that they will not find the way to home. They just need a way to access inside the house and nothing else.

Usually, a pet door comes as a kit with all the necessary hardware. In this kit is included a frame that can be installed over the hole cut into your front door. Of course, models and types vary widely, but in principle, the system is everywhere the same. Such a door is actually a flap-hinged door that is mounted at the entrance of the house. Your pet will push up this flap in its way out, and the flap will automatically swing back into its place once your little quadruped friend is through. This device is generally, found in any pet shop or hardware store in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors, depending on your pet (cat or dog).

The installation is not difficult and you can do it yourself with some common hand tools.

Materials & Tools

- Pet Door Kit; Level; Pencil; Masking Tape; Metal File;

- Jig Saw; Drill; Drill Bits; Wrench; Hacksaw.

1| So the first thing you must consider is the size of the animal. Make sure that it fits the body relatively easily by opening the door. Measure your pet size, especially its height. The bottom of the pet door should be two inches below the animal’s chest. Make a sign with your pencil at this height in the middle of your wooden front door.

NOTE: If your pet door is installed on a wood door with a panel, set the pet door bottom several inches over the rail at the bottom of your wood door.

2| Place the template bottom that came with the kit with its center to the front door at the mark made by you. However, make sure the template is level. Trace the inside outline of this template and then remove it from your front door.

Cat Door

3| Take your drill and make ½-inch holes in all the four corners of the contour made by you. Make sure the holes do not go outside of the lines. Use a jigsaw and carefully cut along the outline.

4| Nest step is the installation of the inside frame of the pet door over the created hole. Use your level, square it, and then tape it in its place. Make the marks for the boltholes and remove the inside frame. Use a drill bit slightly bigger than the bolts, and drill the holes.

5| Finally, install the pet door-frame. Place the bolts through the holes. Place the outside door-frame over the door bolts and secure it using a wrench. Cut off the door bolts, which protrudes past the nuts. Use a hacksaw to do that. Now the door is ready to be used by your little friend.