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Dental Care For Your Dog

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Our furry little friends are likely to develop dental disease if their dental needs are ignored. Periodontal disease is not uncommon among dogs, particularly small dog breeds. And just like with humans, these problems can result in bad breath, yellowed teeth, and in the worst of cases, even progress to loss of teeth.

The development of such problems usually begins with such signs as swollen, red, and painful gums. Your pet may have less of an appetite as well. These signs indicate a need for immediate professional care.

Tooth decay and/or the loss of teeth usually indicate the presence of bacteria in the mouth. If left untreated the damage can progress from only involving the mouth to further damage that can include serious complications related to the kidneys, lungs, and heart, all of which can lead to a shortened lifespan. Periodontal problems usually start with the formation of plaque.

Plaque builds on the teeth and in thirty-six hours or less, plaque can harden and tartar can form. This problem usually develops first and the worst in the upper back teeth. Unfortunately, once tartar has formed, it cannot be brushed away.

The good news is that these problems can be avoided. Although healthy routines can be started with any dog at any age, it is always best to start healthy routines with a young puppy. If the dog is older you should insure that he has a professional dental cleaning and then begin the healthy dental routine at home.

If you have a regular routine of brushing your dog’s teeth on a daily basis you can avoid most of these problems. The routine should be established while the dog is young if at all possible. He will then accept the brushing as part of his regular care.

At first the dog will wonder what you are doing so it is best to allow him to taste the doggie toothpaste. These special pastes are formulated to be appealing to dogs. You can use your finger or a special dog toothbrush. Don’t forget to clean both the teeth and the gums. Begin in the back and work in small circular motions. The entire brushing process will take less than a minute.

Providing such things as chew treats, hard dog biscuits and bones, and even soft toys for your pet can help to prevent dental problems. Besides keeping the teeth strong and healthy many of the items are specially formulated to freshen the breath. Feeding crunchy food items on a regular basis is another way to keep your pet’s teeth healthier. Another tip is that while warming your dog’s food will often make it more appealing it is important to insure that the food is only slightly warm and never hot. On the flip side, dogs should not be served cold food.

Dental Care For Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

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Bringing Home An Older Dog

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Older dogs have special needs.  If you decide to bring home an older dog you will need to do some special things for him.  His health, his activities, his comfort in your home, his diet– all of these things will depend on you.

Whether you are adopting an older dog, you receive one from a friend, or you find an older dog as a stray, your first step should be to take your new friend to the vet. Even if your older dog looks healthy, many times older dogs have some hidden health issues that you can’t see.  Your older dog will need geriatric health screening at some point but you may not need to do that right away.  Your vet should, however, look at your dog’s teeth to make sure they are in good shape.  Poor teeth can often cause an older dog to be unable to eat properly.  This can lead to loss of weight and general poor health.  Your vet can make sure that your older dog is current on vaccinations — although you should not over-vaccinate an older dog. This general checkup should be able to catch any immediate health problems in your dog.

You should also pay close attention to the diet of your older dog. What has he been eating?  What kind of condition is he in?  Is he too thin?  Too fat?  If he’s in good condition you can continue to feed him what he’s used to eating, but if he needs to gain or lose weight you can gradually switch him to a better food.  You do not have to choose a “senior” dog food.  Experts are split on whether these senior foods are actually good for older dogs.  Many dogs lose weight on them.  They are generally designed for dogs that gain weight in their later years — they are tested on Labrador Retrievers and Beagles, which gain weight easily.  If you have a breed that loses weight when they’re older, as many dogs do, these senior foods would be a bad choice.  Instead, you can continue feeding a dog food for “all life stages.”  You can add supplements for joint health, such as glucosamine-chondroitin, MSM and others, if you wish.  People are divided on whether these supplements actually help an older dog but they don’t do any harm.

If your older dog has any particular health conditions, as diagnosed by your vet, you can add the appropriate supplements or medications.

If your older dog has hip dysplasia or other joint problems, you can work on activities that may help him.  Swimming is often good for some hip dysplasia.  If your dog is overweight then moderate exercise, such as long walks with you, is highly recommended.  Find the appropriate exercise for your older dog.  He’s not a young dog anymore but he can and should partake of exercise that he’s able to do.

Finally, make sure that you keep your older dog comfortable in your home.  His joints and bones may be achy sometimes.  Provide him with comfortable places to sleep, such as a soft doggy bed.  Orthopedic doggy beds are very good for dogs with any kind of hip dysplasia.  If your dog has joint problems or just feels old and moves more slowly, heated beds or heating pads under some covers can make him feel better.  If your dog eats more slowly because he’s missing some teeth give him plenty of quiet time to eat his food. Don’t rush him.

Your older dog may take some time to adjust to living in your home but he will most likely be very happy living with you if you do your best to take good care of him.  Follow these tips and your older dog will adjust to your home very quickly.

Bringing Home An Older 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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