weight loss

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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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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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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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