Old age in dogs bring many problems. Old aged dog sometimes do not get the full benefit from the diet he has been eating. He may become thin, and his coat becomes harsh and dry. In some cases, a different food, a new feeding dish, or a different person preparing the food may upset the dog.
When your old dog becomes thin and weak you should try feeding him more often. Give him two feedings instead of one per day; or three instead of two. Smaller amount at each feeding is easier on the digestive system, and don't forget a few treats now and then, such as custard.
Keep fresh drinking water available at all times. If you find an increase in the volume of water consumed, especially accompanied by increased thirst, report it to your veterinarian. Kidney deterioration is common in geriatric dogs. Medication and prescription diets may be necessary. If your old dog has heart disease or stomach or intestinal problems, special foods are available in canned conditions through your veterinarian.
Watch carefully for any changes in the appearance of your dog. The old dog cannot fight infections as effectively as in the young age. If anything seems wrong, take the temperature. Even a degree rise in the body temperature which may mean nothing in a younger dog is a danger sign in the old dogs. Though infection spreads slowly, yet it does spread. Proper treatment must begin before damaging headway is made.
Growth is also a common part of the aging process. Growths may be found on almost any part of the body. The flaps of the ears, the eyelids, and the flesh between the toes are probable places. This should receive immediate treatment by your veterinarian.
Warts on old aged dogs are usually hard, round, and smooth. They are rather common and are caused by a virus. If they become irritated or bleed, have them removed. Warts are often found in the mouth. They often disappear spontaneously without treatment. In any cases, they can be removed surgically.
Tumors of the breasts or testicles often develop in old dogs when they have not been spayed or castrated. These, unfortunately, have a high malignancy rate. Long toenails strain the feet and make walking difficult. The nails can no longer grip the ground and so they grow rapidly. An old dog's nails rarely wear down to comfortable length naturally, so it is necessary to shorten them with a nail trimmer or a coarse nail file to give the dog better footing on smooth surfaces.
Skin diseases are common health problems of dogs. In normal good condition, the dog's skin is elastic. In most breeds, the skin of the dog is a light pink color; on a few others, it is blue, dark or spotted. Part the hair and look at your dog's skin just to make sure it is healthy.
The most common trouble sign is scratching perhaps followed by the appearance of lesions, or a breaking out of blisters or bumps on the surface of the skin. Often the dog's furious scratching and biting to gain relief aggravates the condition. Consult your veterinarian at the first sign of any dermatological problem. If the problems are diagnosed and treated in the early stage, there is a better the chances of it curing quickly.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.
Copyright © Ryan Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.
By: Ryan Mutt
Showing posts with label chihuahua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chihuahua. Show all posts
7 Tips For Choosing Dog Food
Choosing dog food can be confusing down right confusing. Due to the large number of companies offering products, and the seemingly endless variations like regular adult, adult light, and senior dog formulas. Here are seven tips for choosing dog food.
1. Company Reputation
One way to quickly narrow down your options is to buy from a company you have heard about. Many generic brands you have never heard about but often see on the grocery store shelves often have inferior ingredients.
2. Quality Ingredients
This one goes along with the company's reputation. A company with a good reputation generally put high quality ingredients into their products.
3. Primary Meat
The first ingredient on the label should be a meat. If it is some type of grain, then find another product. Quality dog food should be well over 50% meat, some people say up to 75% should be made of meat.
4. Primary Carbohydrate
Most companies use corn as the primary carbohydrate in their products because it is cheap and easily available. However brown rice is often a better choice because it is much easier for dogs to digest.
5. Dog Preferences
You could have the best pet food in the world, but if your dog doesn't like it, it doesn't matter how nutritious it is. Try out several brands and see which one they prefer.
6. Dog Life Stage
Try to find a product that matches your pet's life stage. If they are less then one year old, feed a puppy formula, if they are older then 5 to 7 years of age, feed a senior dog formula. There are even products for small breed and large breed dogs.
7. Veterinary Recommendations
When choosing dog food, its always best to talk to your veterinarian. They probably have a very good idea of which formulas are best for your pet.
By: Luke Blaise
1. Company Reputation
One way to quickly narrow down your options is to buy from a company you have heard about. Many generic brands you have never heard about but often see on the grocery store shelves often have inferior ingredients.
2. Quality Ingredients
This one goes along with the company's reputation. A company with a good reputation generally put high quality ingredients into their products.
3. Primary Meat
The first ingredient on the label should be a meat. If it is some type of grain, then find another product. Quality dog food should be well over 50% meat, some people say up to 75% should be made of meat.
4. Primary Carbohydrate
Most companies use corn as the primary carbohydrate in their products because it is cheap and easily available. However brown rice is often a better choice because it is much easier for dogs to digest.
5. Dog Preferences
You could have the best pet food in the world, but if your dog doesn't like it, it doesn't matter how nutritious it is. Try out several brands and see which one they prefer.
6. Dog Life Stage
Try to find a product that matches your pet's life stage. If they are less then one year old, feed a puppy formula, if they are older then 5 to 7 years of age, feed a senior dog formula. There are even products for small breed and large breed dogs.
7. Veterinary Recommendations
When choosing dog food, its always best to talk to your veterinarian. They probably have a very good idea of which formulas are best for your pet.
By: Luke Blaise
Foods That Can Hurt Your Dog
Did you know that many foods that are good for people can actually hurt or kill your dog? Your dog’s digestive system is not designed to process many of these foods and they can cause him great harm.
Many people love to feed their dogs table scraps or whatever they themselves are eating. And they think that because the dog readily gobbles them up, it couldn’t possibly be harmful to them. But just because your dog eats these foods, that doesn’t mean they are good for them. Unlike humans, dogs and other pets cannot properly discern what is or isn’t good for them all the time.
There are some animals that can eat just about anything without experiencing any adverse effects. Unfortunately, or fortunately, (depending on how you look at it), dogs do not fall within this category.
I’ve seen people give their dogs potato chips, bacon, and other fried or salty food without realizing that the salt on these foods can cause kidney failure. The salt can also cause excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning. Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and death can result.
Too much fat or fried food can cause severe stomach upset and pancreatitis.
Chocolate, coffee and caffeine can result in vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, panting, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.
Other foods to avoid giving your dog or other pets are grapes and raisins, avocados, macadamia nuts, yeast dough, milk, onions, garlic, chives, alcohol, raw and under-cooked meats, eggs, and bones.
All these foods can be harmful or deadly to your pet. So stick to feeding your dog foods that were designed for him. There are many great dog foods on the market. And these won’t harm him. Ask your local veterinarian to recommend the best food for your little furry friend.
By: Pet Guy
Many people love to feed their dogs table scraps or whatever they themselves are eating. And they think that because the dog readily gobbles them up, it couldn’t possibly be harmful to them. But just because your dog eats these foods, that doesn’t mean they are good for them. Unlike humans, dogs and other pets cannot properly discern what is or isn’t good for them all the time.
There are some animals that can eat just about anything without experiencing any adverse effects. Unfortunately, or fortunately, (depending on how you look at it), dogs do not fall within this category.
I’ve seen people give their dogs potato chips, bacon, and other fried or salty food without realizing that the salt on these foods can cause kidney failure. The salt can also cause excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning. Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and death can result.
Too much fat or fried food can cause severe stomach upset and pancreatitis.
Chocolate, coffee and caffeine can result in vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, panting, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.
Other foods to avoid giving your dog or other pets are grapes and raisins, avocados, macadamia nuts, yeast dough, milk, onions, garlic, chives, alcohol, raw and under-cooked meats, eggs, and bones.
All these foods can be harmful or deadly to your pet. So stick to feeding your dog foods that were designed for him. There are many great dog foods on the market. And these won’t harm him. Ask your local veterinarian to recommend the best food for your little furry friend.
By: Pet Guy
All About Dog Pedicures!
A pedicure for dogs is just how it sounds. It is very similar to a pedicure for humans, although the techniques used to give a dog a pedicure is somewhat different from the ones used on humans, for many reasons.
To give a dog a pedicure, there are different tools used because of the shape of the dogs toenails as well as the thickness and other characteristics. Unlike human pedicures, a pedicure for a dog is what you would call a necessity. Dog pedicures are not used as a way to relax and spend time getting a foot massage while you relax at the spa.
A pedicure for a dog is the upkeep of the toenails to keep them healthy and prevent them from hurting themselves and ruining furniture and other valuables of yours. When a dogs toenails get too long, it can be hazardous to their health. It can cause them to have misshapen toes and their toenails can break off past the quik (the part of the toenail close to the edge where there are nerves) and cause them a lot of pain.
It is important to keep your dogs toenails maintained. You can do this at home or professionally. If you choose to give your dog a pedicure at home, you need to be very careful and make sure that you have all of the necessary equipment, including good clippers and a file. You may also want to purchase a special stick that can prevent bleeding if you cut too far and damage the quik.
By: Raymond Spencer
To give a dog a pedicure, there are different tools used because of the shape of the dogs toenails as well as the thickness and other characteristics. Unlike human pedicures, a pedicure for a dog is what you would call a necessity. Dog pedicures are not used as a way to relax and spend time getting a foot massage while you relax at the spa.
A pedicure for a dog is the upkeep of the toenails to keep them healthy and prevent them from hurting themselves and ruining furniture and other valuables of yours. When a dogs toenails get too long, it can be hazardous to their health. It can cause them to have misshapen toes and their toenails can break off past the quik (the part of the toenail close to the edge where there are nerves) and cause them a lot of pain.
It is important to keep your dogs toenails maintained. You can do this at home or professionally. If you choose to give your dog a pedicure at home, you need to be very careful and make sure that you have all of the necessary equipment, including good clippers and a file. You may also want to purchase a special stick that can prevent bleeding if you cut too far and damage the quik.
By: Raymond Spencer
Identifying the Right Chihuahua Breeders
Identifying the right Chihuahua breeders is not easy. As for the dog itself, you might have seen the Chihuahua on the cover of some tabloid magazine being held close by a celebrity. But the drift is not that, the point is that the Chihuahua, rooted from a small place in Mexico, is one of the more famous dogs around. Given more airtime than some boy bands, the famous little tyke of breeds has shown its famous face and tiny body in many Hollywood movies, in TV shows and even in comic strips.
If you choose to purchase one of these Chihuahua’s, then you need to know how to identify the right Chihuahua breeds, the ones that fits your needs and what you expect out of a dog. The Chihuahua is truly your best friend and will be with you all the way. It is also known to be an extremely jealous and sometimes over protective dog, but this is because of the fact that much of it is due to the almost instant emotional connection the dog has with it owner.
The breed of Chihuahua will set the scene for many things, as some breeds are more excitable than others, while others are much more temperamental. Some breeds even require special care that includes caring for their health when they are transported from their normal environments to your home.
Choosing the right Chihuahua breeds also depend a lot on you. Are you living alone or do you have a family? If you do have a family, does it consist of many infants or small children? Where do you stay? It also depends a lot on the climate conditions of your country as Chihuahua are usually used to warm climates. Transporting them to the fringes of Alaska is usually not a good idea.
Another thing, where you live is also very important. The type of breed that you will purchase depends on factors like if you live in a high rise apartment or if you live in a landed house with a large field. Try to find a breed that is not so energetic if you are staying in a rather small apartment, or if you do have an extensive backyard to offer them, then you might consider those with high energy levels and a higher tendency to run around a lot.
Also, you must understand that owning a Chihuahua is not well suited to those who have a lot of kids in their company. Because of their size, they are more than likely to get frightened, especially with strange infants who start to play with them and this will make them react in the most natural way they know how – which is to bite.
Don’t let the size of the dog fool you, Chihuahua’s are known for their ferocity and loyal devotion. Choosing the right Chihuahua breeders is really about matching your needs with the realities of owning this cute but fierce dog. Once you are able to find the right balance between situation and price, then you will be able to find the right Chihuahua for you.
by: Clarence Clark
If you choose to purchase one of these Chihuahua’s, then you need to know how to identify the right Chihuahua breeds, the ones that fits your needs and what you expect out of a dog. The Chihuahua is truly your best friend and will be with you all the way. It is also known to be an extremely jealous and sometimes over protective dog, but this is because of the fact that much of it is due to the almost instant emotional connection the dog has with it owner.
The breed of Chihuahua will set the scene for many things, as some breeds are more excitable than others, while others are much more temperamental. Some breeds even require special care that includes caring for their health when they are transported from their normal environments to your home.
Choosing the right Chihuahua breeds also depend a lot on you. Are you living alone or do you have a family? If you do have a family, does it consist of many infants or small children? Where do you stay? It also depends a lot on the climate conditions of your country as Chihuahua are usually used to warm climates. Transporting them to the fringes of Alaska is usually not a good idea.
Another thing, where you live is also very important. The type of breed that you will purchase depends on factors like if you live in a high rise apartment or if you live in a landed house with a large field. Try to find a breed that is not so energetic if you are staying in a rather small apartment, or if you do have an extensive backyard to offer them, then you might consider those with high energy levels and a higher tendency to run around a lot.
Also, you must understand that owning a Chihuahua is not well suited to those who have a lot of kids in their company. Because of their size, they are more than likely to get frightened, especially with strange infants who start to play with them and this will make them react in the most natural way they know how – which is to bite.
Don’t let the size of the dog fool you, Chihuahua’s are known for their ferocity and loyal devotion. Choosing the right Chihuahua breeders is really about matching your needs with the realities of owning this cute but fierce dog. Once you are able to find the right balance between situation and price, then you will be able to find the right Chihuahua for you.
by: Clarence Clark
