allergies

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Catching Dog Diseases By Knowing the Symptoms

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You probably feel like your dog is a big part of your family.  If that is the case, you want him to be around for many years to come.  In order to make that a reality you need to be sure your dog is in the best health.  There are many symptoms to keep your eye on.

In fact, prevention is the best way to make sure you’ll have a healthy dog for life.  In order to prevent health problems self-education is key.  That way you’ll be prepared when and if those symptoms pop up.

– One thing you might want to pay close attention to is if your dog seems sluggish.  There definitely might be an underlying reason for this.

– Another thing to keep your eye on is limping.  Prod painful areas gently to see if you can determine a location.

– Loss of appetite is another common symptom that sick dogs have.  If your dog is not eating normally you’ll need to examine him for health reasons.  This lack of hunger might lead to some weight loss.

–  On the other hand, a sick dog might be extra thirsty.

– You can also look at your dog’s eyes to see if there are any problems.  Dogs with ulcers, discharge, prominent veins, and sores might be suffering from something much worse.

– The mouth is something that is important to pay attention to as well.  Your dog’s mouth should be a healthy pink.  If you see things like cavities or discoloration it’s worth taking a deeper look.
– Check your dog’s ears.  If there is any fowl smelling discharge you’ll need to make sure your dog does not have an infection.

– Investigate your dog’s head to see if there are any sore areas, hair loss, or wounds

– Make sure there are no sores on the limbs or trunk

– A dog that is vomiting likely has an illness

– Another thing you can do is check your dog’s temperature.  A normal range is between 100.5 and 102.5 ºF.

– If your female dog has a foul discharge you need to take her to the vet.

These signs and symptoms that you find can give you a lot of clues as to an illness your pet is suffering from.  Some possible diseases are:

– Canine Hepatitis
– Enteritis
– Constipation
– Bloat
– Roundworms, tapeworms, or whipworms
– Anemia
– Heart Disease
– Parvovirus
– Kidney Disease
– Eye Infection
– Ruptured Diaphragm
– Bronchitis
– Pneumonia
– Food Poisoning
– Heatstroke
– Allergies
The list of canine diseases goes on and on.  The important thing is that you look for different symptoms.  The better you know your dog’s behavioral and physical condition, the more likely you are to catch changes as they happen.  This will give you a head start in beating any dog diseases.

Catching Dog Diseases By Knowing the Symptoms courtesy Dog Articles.

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How To Switch Your Dog’s Diet

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As more and more new findings about your diet come to the surface, many a dog owner will begin to consider changing the diet to the best available so the dog will have good health and live to a ripe old age.

However, it’s very important for any dog owner to take precautions when trying to change a diet. The following 5 steps are suggested in a manner that can be done effectively without throwing the dog off balance:

Step 1: During such times as changing owner or moving to a new location, it’s best not to change the diet so as to avoid too much unnecessary emotional strain on the dog. Once the dog becomes accustomed to the new owner or living environment, then it would be the right time to change the dog’s diet as planned.

Step 2: When it comes to changing the dogs diet, it should be done by replacing only 25% of the old food with the new. Most dogs will not be able to notice any difference if the old and the new are mixed well enough. They should eat the new mixture as well as the old diet.

Although some might not get used to the new diet initially, patience should be taken to allow for the break-in period to complete. It has taken the dog many months to get used to its old diet; therefore, for the dog to accept a new one it might sometimes take as long. As soon as the dog is eating 25% of the new mixture of diet, then it’d be safe to proceed to Step 3 as shown below.

Step 3: Mix and replace 50% of the old diet with the new this time and make a little less effort to hide the new diet from the dog as it should be more receptive to the new food presented in the new mixture now. When this is evident, proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: This time, it should be easily understood that 75% of the new food be substituted with the old one. And make an even lesser effort to hide the new food from the dog. At this stage, the dog should accept this newly mixed diet in an “as-a-matter-of-fact” manner. It should eat the dog food without any sign of hesitation when first fed.

Step 5: At this point, the dog should be accepting the newly mixed and replaced diet without any problem at all. If the dog accepted the first feeding at Step 4 easily, this final step should just be “a piece of cake.” Just like humans, dogs are uniquely different and some are bound to require more patience and attention.

Therefore, don’t become discouraged too easily when the dog is not fitting into the new diet in the beginning.

After all, changing a dog’s diet is often a time consuming process that should be done with care and understanding.

How To Switch Your Dog’s Diet courtesy Dog Articles.

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The Combination Approach To Feeding Your Golden Retriever

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Although you can get commercial food for your Golden Retriever, the ideal way to feed is to use a combination approach of both commercial food and fresh people foods.  Most commercial food is good for your Golden, although it lacks nutrients and vitamins that fresh food has.  Vets will tell you that fresh food is good, providing you don’t overdo it.  Golden Retrievers love fresh food as well, as they can smell it a mile away. If it smells good to them – they’ll want it.

Most commercial foods will offer your Golden great sources of protein and vitamins, although fresh food contains far more essential sources.  Chicken and meat for instance, have far more protein and minerals than any type of commercial dog food.  Fish is another great choice, as it contains a lot of the protein your dog needs to maintain a healthy brain.

All dogs are well within the capacity of staying healthy, although you need to provide them with the minerals they need.  Each dog is an individual, meaning that you can’t continue to feed him the same food on a daily basis.  Golden Retrievers love people food, and they also love variety.  What they need one day may vary the next, so you should always mix it up a bit and give them something different each day.

To be on the safe side, you should give your Golden a little bit of everything.  This way, he will get everything he needs with his diet.  When you design the diet for your growing Golden Retriever, you should always make sure to include animal protein.  This is very important for your Golden, as he has to have it.  Without animal protein, your dog will find himself literally struggling to stay healthy.

To keep your Golden Retriever healthy, it is very important that he gets quality nutrition.  Although quality nutrition is very important, you should never him eat so much that he gains weight too fast.  If you monitor his diet and know exactly what you are feeding him, he should remain in his weight class.  Sometimes this can be hard to help though, especially if your Golden starts to develop allergies to a certain type of food.

If you ever have any questions regarding the diet of your Golden Retriever, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask your vet.  Your vet could make some recommendations for you, even tell you the best type of commercial food for your dog.  Depending on his individual needs, what he requires may be totally different than what another dog needs.  As long as you keep your dog on a healthy diet and make sure he gets the food he needs – he should grow to be a healthy dog with plenty of energy.

The Combination Approach To Feeding Your Golden Retriever courtesy Dog Articles.

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A Safe Diet For Your Dog

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Dogs are known as man’s best friend.  If you want to keep your best friend around and healthy for a long time to come you need to put him on the right diet.  If your dog is on the wrong diet he may suffer from certain medical problems.

Some of these medical problems include allergies, diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections.  You can’t just feed your dog scraps from the table and expect him to be healthy.  Medical research has shown us what is best for their food.

The first thing to realize is that dogs can eat certain meat and vegetable table scraps.  Never give them things like chocolate, broccoli, and alcohol.  These are unhealthy and dangerous for dogs.

Beyond that, dry food is better for your dog than the watery types of dog food.  The main reason for this is because the wet dog foods are generally loaded with preservatives.  Any food you do choose should have plenty of minerals, vitamins, carbs, and protein.  In fact, carbohydrates are so important that you should be sure they make up 50% of your dog’s daily diet.

There are some dogs that have special considerations above and beyond other dogs.  Diabetic dogs need more protein and less carbs, for instance.  Dogs with allergies need modified protein such as Omega 3 and Omega 6.  Additionally, if your dog has stones in his bladder you need to feed him a diet low in protein and make sure he is getting enough antibiotics.

If your dog is obese you should consider giving them two-thirds the amount of food you have been serving. Also, cut down meals to just three times per day.  Increasing their fiber intake is a great way to aid in digestion and increase weight loss.  Of course, this should be dependent on what their veterinarian recommends.

No matter what condition your dog has, it’s best to visit a trained specialist.  They will be able to refer you to proper treatment guidelines.  This can make the difference between making great diet decisions and poor ones.

Since you’re a concerned pet owner you want to do what is best for your pet.  The trouble is that what you think is best might not be.  There is no reason for your dog to suffer because all you need to do is a little research.  Taking the time to investigate can save your furriest friend from feeling discomfort, pain, or dying.

A Safe Diet For Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

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Extremely Light Shedding Dogs

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Every dog sheds some just like people lose a little hair. But some dogs shed  much more than others, while the ones discussed here shed a lot less. A lightly shedding dog is better for those people that want a house dog without as much cleanup of the dog’s fur required. It is also a plus for less grooming of your pet.

Those that want a dog that shed’s less have a large variety of breeds to choose from including: the Irish Water Spaniel, Puli, Yorkshire Terrier, Toy Poodle, Bolognese, and the Doodleman Pincher. This list is a sampling of breeds that shed less and isn’t all inclusive of them.

The so called non-shedding breds make the best pets for people with allergies. Dander and dead skin, which flakes off are allergens. The “don’t shed breds” don’t make as much allergy inducing material as other dogs.

The length of the dog’s coat isn’t as important in determining if he is a big shedder, as how many layers there are to his coat. In other words, pick a dog with one layer to his coat, not two layers. This rule applies whether the dog is short haired, wire haired or long haired.

People with allergies that are looking for a non-shedding dog, still need to be around the dog some to see if they will have an allergic reaction to the dog. Person A’s allergies can be triggered by one bred, while person B’s allergies aren’t agitated. So visit with the pooch before rushing home with the lovely pet.

Obviously, the non-shedding breeds are the ones to choose from, if you want to pick a dog for an allergic child. This should be on the okay of the child’s allergist. But if at all possible it is a wonderful part of childhood to have a dog. as a friend. It is important as with the adult allergy sufferer to make sure the dog won’t cause an allergic reaction.

Another consideration in picking a non-shedding dog is how well does this breed get along with children? That is for those that have children. The Maltese is a good choice because it is a friendly little dog that likes to play. The Labradorean is a dog that is family oriented that enjoys running and playing. It is a large dog. The Irish Water Spaniel is a medium dog in size. It has a good deposition for children and is a gentle dog. It is an intelligent animal and a beautiful dog. A beagle is a good choice for a child’s pet, which is non-shedding, friendly, and loving.

Those are just some of the non-shedding dogs that are also perfect to be around children. Others include the Golden Doodle, Bichon Frise, and the Bouvier des Flandres.

If a non-shedding dog is your choice, you won’t be without a variety to choose from in bred, size, and personality. Some are particularly good with children. One of these wonderful dogs is waiting for you to give it a good home.

Extremely Light Shedding Dogs courtesy Dog Articles.

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Dogs and Allergies: What You Should Know

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Your dog may have an allergic reaction to anything at any time.  He can even have an allergic reaction tomorrow to the dog food that he’s eaten all his life. He can have a reaction to the detergent that you use to wash your blankets.  He may suddenly have a reaction to the grass in your yard.  As a matter of fact, you may suddenly develop an allergy to you dog.

What causes allergic reactions?  An allergic reaction is the body’s response to an “invader.”  Your body, or your dog’s body, mounts a defense against what it perceives to be as an attacker — whether it’s a flea bite or the corn in his dog food.  That defense can be a rash, hives, itching, watery eyes, and so on.  The body is reacting to the offending allergen by trying to get rid of it in some way.  Yes, the body is overreacting, but that goes along with having an allergic reaction to something.

Why does a dog or someone develop an allergy when they haven’t been allergic previously?  Their body may suddenly decide that something that they previously accepted is no longer acceptable.  The body may suddenly have an intolerance for a specific ingredient. Whatever the body is allergic to, it may only take a very small amount to get a big reaction.

Dogs are most commonly allergic to flea bites which results in flea bite dermatitis — itching, redness, rash, and loss of hair around the rear quarters and over the tail.  According to one vet, for a dog with flea bite dermatitis, or an allergy to fleas, if one flea bites a dog on the nose, the dog will itch like crazy around his tail.  This allergy makes a dog miserable.  Good flea control is absolutely essential for a dog that is allergic to fleas.

Dogs are also commonly allergic to some typical ingredients in dog food.  One of the most common ingredients in dog food is corn in various forms.  Corn can be found as whole corn, ground corn, corn meal, corn gluten meal and so on. If your dog is allergic to corn he will react to any of these kinds of corn. You may have to read the ingredient labels carefully to find some of the corn since it can be slipped in almost unnoticeably.

Dogs may be allergic to other grains and cereals in dog food, so you may need to try your dog on different foods to gauge his reaction.

Dogs can also be allergic to different kinds of meat protein.  Some dogs are now allergic to chicken or lamb since these have been so commonly used as primary dog food ingredients. If your dog is allergic to one of these meat ingredients there are plenty of other meat proteins from which to choose.  Some dog food companies specialize in making foods with novel proteins such as emu meat, kangaroo, venison and others.

If your dog is on good flea control and you have tried different foods but you still suspect that your dog is suffering from allergies, it’s time to see the vet. Your vet can test your dog to see what he may be allergic to.  It could be a cleaning product, something you use in your yard, or one of a dozen other things that we use daily. Your vet will be able to help you identify the cause of your dog’s allergy.

Allergies are a problem for both people and pets but they can be overcome with a little effort. By identifying the cause of the allergy we can eliminate it and make our dogs much happier.

Dogs and Allergies: What You Should Know courtesy Dog Articles.

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Choosing Healthy Foods For Your Dog

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Today’s pet food market is larger and more diverse than ever before.  While this offers a large number of choices in various types of pet food, it also presents a dilemma in choosing the healthiest food for your dog.  Are generic or store brands suitable for a dog?  What about familiar name brands like Purina and Alpo?  Are the pricier brands that advertise specially formulated ingredients (Science Diet, Eukanuba) really living up to their claims and worth the extra money?  All of these are valid questions that loving dog owners deserve to have answered.

Dog Food Considerations

There are several factors to consider when choosing the right food for your dog.  Different dogs have different nutritional needs at different stages in their lives.  Some things to consider when selecting the food you’ll give your dog follow.

– The Dog’s Age

Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs just as human children have different needs than adult people.  Senior dogs also have different requirements than younger adult dogs.  Make sure that you select a food that is appropriate for your dog’s stage in life.

– The Dog’s Health

Does your dog have a specific medical condition?  If so, the food you choose may need to be partially dictated by that condition.  Diabetic dogs need low-glucose foods and dogs with specific allergies (yes dogs can be allergic to all sorts of things, just like people) may require certain foods as well.  Your veterinarian can help you choose foods that are appropriate for a dog with a specific medical condition.

– The Dog’s Size or Body Type

Some dogs are overweight.  Some dogs are underweight.  Some have a natural tendency to get lots of exercise while others tend to prefer to lie around a lot.  There are, of course, small, medium, and large dogs as well as the ultra-tiny “toy” dogs.  All of these different types of dogs will have different requirements for the type of food they need as well as how much of it.

– Your Budget

Dog food can be expensive, there’s no doubt about it.  And where dog food is concerned, the rule really is “you get what you pay for.”  Low cost generics and store brands will lighten the burden on your wallet, but may not be the healthiest choice for your dog as they are made with cheap ingredients and lots of fillers.  You should buy the best dog food you can on your budget to help ensure your dog’s nutrition.

Choosing Healthy Foods For Your Dog courtesy of Dog Articles.

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Raw Food Or Kibble? Who’s Right?

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If you have a dog you’ve probably heard these debates:  should I feed my dog raw food or should I feed my dog kibble?  Which one is better?  Who’s right?  Who knows?  Who can say?  They both claim to be right but then you hear good and bad about both sides.  There is so much confusing information.  Who knows what you should do?

The truth is that people who feed both kibble and raw food diets can have healthy, happy dogs but making sure your dog is getting the proper nutrition on either diet can take a little effort.

Feeding dry food or canned food may seem like an easy solution but there are so many different kinds of foods these days that it can be difficult to choose wisely for your dog.  You can buy every kind of dog food from gourmet to food made from the cheapest filler ingredients.  Your dog’s health can have a direct relation to the ingredients in the food you feed.

The best way to judge if what you are feeding your dog is good for him is by your dog’s health and appearance.  Does your dog look good?  Is he a good weight or is he too fat or too thin?  Is his coat shiny and healthy-looking?  Does he have greasy-looking coat or bald patches?  Does he have dandruff?  Does he itch and scratch or otherwise seem to have allergies?  Does he have ear infections?  Are his eyes clear?  Does he have good energy for his age?

If you have any concerns about any aspect of your dog’s health or appearance you should look at what you’re feeding your dog.  If you’re feeding a kibble (dry food) you should read the label.  Check the ingredient list.  What are the first five ingredients?  Do you see named sources of protein among the first several ingredients?  Protein sources like chicken meal, lamb meal, fish meal, and eggs are good sources of protein for dogs.  Since they are named protein sources you know exactly what your dog is eating and your dog can digest these protein sources easily, getting maximum nutrition from them.  Other protein sources, such as “animal meal” and “animal digest” are sketchy and can include many undesirable parts of unnamed animals.  Corn is often used as an inexpensive protein source but it is not as easy for dogs to digest.  Dogs can only digest about 54 percent of the nutrition in corn.  The rest passes through them to be deposited as waste in your yard.

Many people have become interested in feeding raw since the pet food recalls in 2007.  They like having the feeling that they are controlling what their dogs are eating and that they are fixing the food themselves.  They can assure themselves that the food comes straight from a butcher or from the meat counter of their own supermarket — the same places where they buy their own food.

On the other hand, feeding dogs a raw diet does require some extra effort.  In order to keep costs down it’s often necessary to buy in bulk.  This means, for many people, that they need to purchase a small extra freezer to store meat.  Feeding raw also means that you may need to purchase a meat grinder to grind meaty bones for your dogs.  You may have to make some investment in these appliances if you wish to continue to feed your dogs a raw diet.

In order to make sure your dog is having all of his nutritional needs met you will also need to provide supplements to his diet.  Your dog can’t live on protein and the calcium in bones alone.  He’ll also need vitamins and minerals.

As you can see, there is no one right way to feed your dog.  Your dog can receive good nutrition from both a kibble diet and from feeding raw if you are prepared to go some research and make the effort.

Raw Food or Kibble? Who’s Right? courtesy of Dog Articles

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