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Spring Health Concerns for Dogs

dogpal — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:28:10 +0000

Spring is just around the corner so in many parts of the country, this means that dogs will be spending more time outside. Be sure to protect your pet from some of the problems that may occur outside like fleas, ticks and heartworm disease. You can protect your canine from fleas by using flea collars, powders, shampoos and flea dips as long as these remedies are done on a regular basis. Ticks can also be prevented in similar ways. If you find a tick on your animal, the best way to remove it is by pulling the tick off (head included) with a pair of tweezers. Be sure to put a dab of alcohol on the feeding spot to prevent infection after you remove the tick from your animal’s hide. Another problem for small dogs is heartworm disease which is carried by tiny worms that hitch a ride on mosquitos. In Heartworm disease, small worms lodge themselves into the animal’s heart and cause respiratory problems, heart problems and coughing and can shorten your dog’s lifespan. Heartworm treatment by a vet is expensive and difficult so the best treatment to protect your tiny dog is to prevent an infection in the first place. There are small pressed heartworm biscuits that you can give your dog monthly to prevent heartworm infections as well as spot treatments that are applied to the dog’s neck. Most dogs will readily eat the heartworm biscuits so using this form of preventative is easy and effective and only takes a once per month application to be effective. Your vet will probably want to test your animal first to make sure that s/he is not already infected with heartworms before prescribing the medication. Heartworm preventative will not kill existing worms but will work to prevent new ones from developing. Always speak with your vet about the proper medications and dosages for your animal for the part of the country in which you live as different problems are more common in some parts of the country than in others.

Dogs Love to Go Outside

Yard Dangers for Dogs

dogpal — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:34:36 +0000

Now that spring is on the horizon, many people will be out shopping for beautiful spring flowers and bulbs to plant in their backyard gardens. If your special canine friend spends time in your backyard and likes to dig or is a young dog who finds chewing anything and everything a fun pastime, this could spell disaster. Many bulbs and flowers are poisonous to dogs so if your tiny dog digs up certain bulbs and chews them or nibbles on some types of plant leaves, you may be in for an expensive trip to the vet to save his life. Or, ven worse,you may have to face the pain of losing your animal if you don’t find him in time and get immediate help. Don’t take the risk by not knowing what flowers or bulbs might spell trouble for your canine friend.

Here are some flowers and bulbs that are poisonous for dogs. If you can’t live without these flowers or bulbs, be sure to place them only in fenced areas where your dog cannot get access them or in parts of the yard where your dog cannot go. The poisonous plants are: buttercups, caladium, calla lilly, crocus bulbs, daffodil bulbs, Easter lilly bulbs, hemlock, hydrangea, jonquil bulbs, lilly of the valley, mistletoe, narcissus bulbs, oleander, poinsettia, skunk cabbage and yew plants. Remember the old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” That saying certainly applies to knowing ahead of time which plants and bulbs are safe to have around your dog and which should be avoided.

Canine Kennel Cough

dogpal — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:00:10 +0000

Dogs who often associate with other dogs can be at risk for developing some serious respiratory health problems. There is a disease known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis or “kennel cough” as it is more commonly known, that can cause real problems for your small breed dog. Dogs are at risk for this contagious disease when they mingle or are in close quarters with other dogs. This can happen by going to stay in a boarding kennel when their owner is away from home, by playing with other dogs in the park or neighborhood, by being around other dogs at dog obedience school, and even by participating in dog shows. Dogs can also be at risk when they visit the groomers or even when they go to the vet. Like a human cold, it is easy to catch and may show up several days after contact with the infected animal. The dog exhibits a dry, hacking kind of cough. While most dogs eventually get over kennel cough, a dog can become lethargic, have a loss of appetite and run a fever. The biggest risk is that untreated, kennel cough can turn into pneumonia which can, without the immediate attention of a vet, threaten an animal’s life. The best solution is prevention by vaccinating your dog for this respiratory problem.

Spaying or Neutering Your Tiny Dog

dogpal — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:28 +0000

We all know that there is nothing cuter than a tiny dog breed puppy but unless you intend to become a breeder, there is no need for your animal to sire or bear a litter of puppies prior to being spayed or neutered. There is nothing cruel or inhumane about the process and in fact, spaying or neutering your tiny friend can actually prevent some health problems later in life. Female dogs who have been spayed before their first heat have a significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer in later life. Neutered males have a much lower incidence of prostate problems in later life. Vets generally recommend that puppies be brought in around 6 to 8 months of age for this procedure. While spaying a female may take a couple of days of rest, your small canine will be back on her feet and ready to romp and play in a week or so. Males who are neutered, will bounce back even more quickly since their surgery is less invasive than that of the female dog. Neutering and spaying not only stops the possibility of pregnancy in females but it can also prevent undesirable or embarrassing male dog behaviors from becoming habits that are hard to break. If your dog is around this age, be sure to discuss all of the health ramifications regarding spaying and neutering your animal with your veterinarian. Good preventative care for your animal means that s/he will live a longer and happier life . And, who doesn’t want as much time as possible with their furry, little bundle of joy?

Dog Grass Eating Behaviors

dogpal — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:00:47 +0000

Sometimes we see our dogs eating or chewing on grass when they are outside. While sometimes dogs do chew grass to settle an upset stomach, some dogs chew grass just because they like to do so. While for the most part grass eating is harmless, there are some things that you should watch out for while your tiny friend is outside enjoying the sunshine and the yard. If your grass has been treated with herbicides, insecticides or fertilizers, then you should not allow your dog to chew on the grass under any circumstances. Tiny dogs can easily become very sick from ingesting these chemicals. Since their body mass is very small, it only takes a small amount of these chemicals to make your dog sick. If your dog comes in from outside and begins vomiting with small blades of grass, call your vet immediately for advice. Making sure you know what is safe before problems begin is a great way to help your little guy or gal live a long and healthy life with you.

Dog Coats and Winter Fur Growth

dogpal — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:00:47 +0000

After Angel’s disastrous visit to the groomer in mid-December, her fur is finally starting to grow back thick and beautiful. It is now about a half of an inch long so she is not needing to be bundled up to go outside when the sun is out. She still needs her sweater on for early morning or night trips to her potty place but at least not during the day now.

This experience got me thinking about what causes a dog’s fur to grow so I looked up some information about this. It seems that dogs are interesting creatures because more than one hair can grow from an individual hair follicle. The main coat is refereed to as the “topcoat.” This topcoat can be surrounded by smaller secondary hairs known as the dog’s down or undercoat. In Angel’s case, her undercoat is really growing in thick to give her extra warmth during this cold weather season. The growth cycle of a dog’s coat is controlled by several things such as temperature, increasing or decreasing daylight hours, body hormones, nutrition, stress and of course, the dog’s own genetic make-up. When the days become longer and warmer, the dog’s coat thins out in preparation for summer when a lighter coat will be more beneficial. Thank goodness Mother nature knows better what a dog needs than a human groomer!