What Your Dog’s Ear Care Can Tell You About Your Pet’s Health

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Dog Food Allergies- What you should know

What You Should Know About Dog Food Allergies

Dogs are more like humans than we realize and, believe it or not, there is a such thing as dog food allergies. Just like in people, dogs who are allergic to certain types of ingredients commonly found in dog food can exhibit any number of symptoms from skin problems to digestive problems to hair loss.

Skin and Hair Problems
Actually, dog food allergies are one of the most common type of allergy for dogs. While most people tend to associate a food allergy with digestive problems, this is not true in most cases. Commonly, a food allergy manifests itself through the skin with skin and hair problems in dogs. So, if you notice your dog having any type of problem, you might want to consult your Vet to rule out as dog food allergy before you start him on a battery of expensive tests and medicines.

Avoid Allergic Foods
If you find that your pet has an allergy to a certain food, then it is very important for health reasons that you figure out exactly what it is. Once you discover the allergy, it is your job to make sure you pet does not eat that certain type of food anymore. Luckily, this can be easily done, as there are special foods now that are made specifically for dogs with food allergies.

No Cure for Dog Food Allergies
Generally, there is no cure for allergies. The only choice one has would be to avoid that certain type of food all together. Typically, dog food allergies are caused by dairy, beef, wheat, corn, soy and chicken which, coincidentally, are the most common ingredients in commercial dog foods. If your dog has a food allergy, you need to eliminate these ingredients one by one in order to determine which one is causing the allergy, then you must seek a food that does not have that ingredient(s).

So, how do you know if your dog has a food allergy? Symptoms:

Some common signs that your pet may have allergies are sneezing, scratching and itchy skin, hair loss, ear infections, hot spots and skin infections. If you believe your pet is dealing with dog food allergies, then it is your responsibility to take action to relieve them of the problem. The first step is a visit to the vet who can properly diagnose the problem and outline a course of action.

How To Trim Your Dogs Nails – Tips For Properly Clipping Fidos Nails

Trimming your dogs nails can be a frustrating and unpleasant experience for both you and your pet but it doesn’t have to be  – if you go about it the right way.

The key to making this experience more pleasant is to get your dog used to having his feet handled.  Most dogs don’t care to much for this and if you can start when your dog is a puppy you’ll have a bit of an advantage.  However, even older dogs can learn to love getting a little pedicure every so often.

Before you even get out the nail clippers, though, you’ll want to touch your dogs feet often.  Just a little touch at first.  If your dog pulls away, don’t push it but keep it up,  touching his feet often throughout the day.  Eventually he’ll get used to it and you can proceed to holding his paws for longer and longer.  Once this seems to be acceptable to him (this could take weeks or even months), it’s time to get the clippers out.

When trimming your dogs nails the big thing to watch out for is that you don’t cut into the quick.  This is in the  middle of your pets nail and contains nerves and blood vessels so it can really hurt if you cut into it or even too close to it.  Depending on your dogs nails, you might be able to hold them up to the light and actually see the darker vein of the quick in the middle.

Start by trimming a little off the end, then a bit more until you see pink in the nail or feel like you might be close to the quick.  On dark nails, it’s pretty much impossible to tell so you’ll have to just cut enough to trim down the nail or else you will risk cutting the quick.  The edges of the nail might be a bit jagged after this so go ahead and file them down until they are smooth or they might end up catching on something.

You might want to have some styptic powder handy in case you do cut into the quick and hold this on the nail to staunch the bleeding.

How do you know when it’s time for trimming your dogs nails?

Your pets nails should just about touch the floor when he walks so if you hear clicking then the nails have grown too long and it’s time for a trim.  This usually needs to be done every 4 to 6 weeks but if your dog does a lot of walking on hard surfaces like pavement and concrete you could go longer as the surfaces themselves will help wear down the nails kind of like a natural nail file!

Dog Ear Mites – How To Recognize And Rid Your Dog Of Ear Mites

If you are a dog owner, you’ll probably have to deal with ear mites at least once and probably more than once in your dogs lifetime since ear mites in dogs are moderately common.  These tiny parasites are barely noticeable by the naked eye and resemble small crabs.  The like to hang around in your dogs ear canals where they dine on fluids and debris from the ear tissue.

Although 1 ear mite is not that noticeable, they multiply like crazy, so if your dog has one he probably has dozens, maybe even hundreds.  Although the ear mites themselves are white, the presence of them leaves a black discharge in the ear that looks almost like dirt.  As you can imagine, they make your pets ears rather itchy so if you see him shaking or scratching his ears then take him to a vet to see if the cause is ear mites.

Ear mites are extremely contagious -  don’t worry you can catch them from your dog but your other pets can so if you have multiple pets and one gets ear mites, you’d best have them all checked out.

Ear mites have rather a sheltered existence living their whole life on one dog.  While they usually stick around  inside the ear, sometimes they can spread to the surrounding skin and even take up residence as far away as the feet and tail.

Luckily, ear mites in dogs are easily treated.  Once you suspect your dog has them, get him to the Vet.  It’s important that your veterinarian diagnose the problem since there are other ear problems that can cause the same symptoms.  Once the ear mite diagnosis is made, then a few simple steps are taken to eradicate them.

The first thing your Vet will do is flush out the ear canal.  This is critical as it gets rid of the buildup (called exudate) and if this is not removed then medications used to treat the mites probably will not work.  Needless to say, it’s best if you don’t try flushing your dogs ears at home – best to bring him to the Vet for this.

The next step can be done at home and consists of medicated ear drops that will kill the mites.  These are usually put in the ears once or twice a day.  The drops contain an insecticide (usually pyrethrin) which kills the mites.  Treatment might continue anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks depending on the particular medication your Vet has prescribed.

Ear mites in dogs are common and easily treated, however they can become serious if left untreated.  If you suspect  your dog has ear mites, then please check with your Vet as soon as possible to insure this problem does not get out of hand.

Recognizing Dog Skin Conditions – How To Find Out If Your Dog Needs Skin Care

Dog skin conditions can be problematic to diagnose and even more problematic to resolve.  Yet, they are of crucial importance as they are irritating to your dog and can make him look less than desirable.

Skin conditions in dogs can range from small hot spots to their entire coat falling out and their skin turning black. They can be caused by anything from fleas to allergies and once your dog has a skin problem, you’ll have to work diligently to get rid of it.

If your dog is itching or you notice patches of bare skin, get him to the vet right away to start the process of figuring out what is causing the problem.  As I found out with my little Pomeranian, figuring out what causes a skin condition is a process of elimination.

The first thing your Vet will probably do is look for fleas, since fleas are a common cause of dog skin conditions and they are easy to diagnose and  fairly easily treated it’s in your best interest to rule this out first.   IF that is the case, then your Vet will recommend a treatment program that will kill the eggs as well as the adults.  Be aware, though that you will need to treat the dogs bedding and, possibly, your whole house if this is the case.

If fleas are not the culprit, then you might explore the possibility that it is allergies. While the thought of allergies typically brings to mind sneezing and running eyes, it can actually be a cause of skin conditions as well.  One common type of allergy that affects dogs skin is a food allergy.  Dogs can become allergic to something in their food – wheat, corn, dairy, chicken and soy are common things that cause allergies in dogs.

In order to rule out a food allergy, you must systematically remove the ingredients that you feel might be causing it.  For example, if you think the dog is allergic to wheat, then switch to a food that has no wheat in it – if the skin condition goes away after a few months then you have your answer.  Of course, this can be rather time consuming and if you want to cut some corners you can buy foods that are non-allergenic and have most of the offending ingredients removed.

Yeast infections, or even bacterial infections can be the cause of skin conditions in dogs as well. A yeast infection is very itchy and has a greasy appearance and bad odor.  A bacterial infection might look like bumps on the skin.  Your Vet can do tests to determine if this is the cause.

Dog skin conditions can take time and patience to remedy but it is well worth it for the overall health and good looks of your dog.  In order to stop a skin problem from getting too far, take your dog to the Veterinarian at the first sign of any skin condition.

Dog Intestinal Parasites

It’s not one of the most pleasant aspects of pet ownership, but dog intestinal parasites is something that every dog owner has to deal with from time to time.  To keep your dog healthy, it’s important to be aware of the different parasites that can take up residence in your dogs digestive system.  In fact, keeping your dog parasite free may not only be a benefit to your dog but to your family as well since some of these parasites can also affect people.

Worms can have an adverse effect on your dogs health and some can even be life threatening which is why it is critical to have regular Vet checkups where you supply a stool sample that can be checked for these parasites.  Here are some of the most common ones and the symptoms you might see if your dog has them:

Roundworms

All puppies get roundworms which is why “worming” is just a natural part of puppy care.  Of course, your dog can get these at other times too and some of the symptoms might be hair loss,  an extended abdomen, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.  Roundworms are one of the dog intestinal parasites that people can get, but if you are careful not to touch your dogs feces you probably won’t get them from your dog since in order to get them, you have to ingest the roundworm eggs.  You can easily relieve your dog of these worms with an oral solution that you can get from your Vet.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are particularly repulsive because, whilst we don’t usually see the other types of intestinal parasites, tapeworms segment themselves leaving little sections of worm on your dogs hind area which can the fall off anywhere your dog goes!  Tapeworms aren’t as serious and a dog with them usually doesn’t show any symptoms.

The only way to tell if your dog has them is through diagnosis of a stool sample or by seeing the segments on his coat or around your house.  The segments look like little pieces of white rice – you might notice your vet lifting up your dogs tail and  checking his anus on your next yearly exam and that is one of the things she is looking for.

Your dog gets tapeworms from eating either fleas or rats and mice as the eggs of the tapeworm are often found in both.  Regular wormers don’t usually work for tapeworms, but getting rid of one is as easy as giving  your dog 1 little pill that your Vet can supply.

Hookworms

Hookworms are common dog intestinal parasites and most all puppies get these as well.  They can actually be rather serious as they eat blood and can sometimes cause anemia in your dog.  Signs of hookworm infestation include bloody or tarry diarrhea, loss of appetite,  lethargy and vomiting.  Hookworms can be easily eradicated with an oral wormer which is standard issue for any puppy.

Whipworm

Whipworms are another common parasite with few symptoms.  If the infestation is very heavy, your dog may have diarrhea and could suffer from weight loss and dehydration.  If left untreated, they could even kill the dog but this is in very severe cases.  When your dog has his yearly exam, the Vet will be able to do test on the stool sample to see if whip worms are present.  If they are, they can be taken care of with an oral wormer.

While dog intestinal parasites may not be something you want to talk about at the dinner table, it is something you have to consider as part of your pets health maintenance.  Keep up with your yearly exams and bring those stool samples in and you shouldn’t have to worry about worms harming your dogs health.

Dog Hip Dysplasia

Dog hip dysplasia, or canine hip dysplasia as it is more frequently called is a bone disease that happens more often in larger dogs like the German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Retriever and Dalmation although it can strike any breed.

This developmental orthopedic disease happens when the hip socket is not well developed and the ball and socket of the hip joint just don’t fit together right.  The muscles around the hip joint don’t develop as good as they should and the result is much more stress on the joint than it can handle.  This causes excess friction, and destruction of the tissue all ending in painful and often crippling arthritis.

Unfortunately dogs don’t complain much and  they can go along for years with this pain not really showing any symptoms until the arthritis is quite far gone.  However, issues can start to appear as early as 4 months and the sooner the better since early treatment can save heartache later on.

Symptoms of dog hip dysplasia include stiffness in the back legs, difficulty getting up, generally not wanting to run and play like usual, not wanting to go upstairs or jump.  The only way to tell for sure is to get your Vet to take some x-rays as well as give your dog a physical exam to see if this is indeed what your dog has.

If caught early enough, the surgery – called a triple pelvic ostectomy – often has a good outcome particularly if it is performed before arthritis sets in.  Once the joint has become arthritic, the chances for success are greatly reduced.  In extreme cases, a total hip replacement usually works pretty good, although the surgery itself has some risks.

Canine hip dysplasia is passed on genetically.  If a dog that has it is bred, there is a chance some of the puppies will have this – if two dogs with hip dysplasia are bred that chance is greatly increased.  Although most breeders make a good attempt to not breed dogs with dysphasia, this is easier said than done because not all dogs show that they have it until they are rather old.

Since dog hip dysplasia is a genetic problem, buying your dog from a reputable breeder will give you some protection from it.  Good breeders try to prevent the disease by not breeding dogs that have it.  You can check the pedigree of your dog to see whether they have been certified with the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals.  In addition, obesity as well as feeding your puppy a food that is over supplemented can add to the onset of this disease.

What You Should Know About Dog Cataracts

Like people, dogs can develop cataracts with age.  This is a normal part of aging and can be corrected but doesn’t necessarily have to be.  Dog cataracts can also develop due to a trauma or some sort of infection or toxin.  While cataracts are typically seen in older dogs, they can happen to dogs of all ages.

A cataract is simply the result of what happens when the processes that keep the lens of your eye moist don’t work correctly.  This ends up with the lens losing transparency and some degradation of vision.  Cataracts often look filmy on the eye, but they are not to be confused with sclerosis which is the normal change of the dogs eye lens which happens around 6 years of age.  This gives it a milky appearance but does not affect the vision of the dog.

There are actually 3 different kinds of dog cataracts, although all have the same result and treatment.  Some dogs have cataracts from birth and these are called congenital cataracts.  They could be caused by infection or they may actually be inherited.  Developmental cataracts happen earlier in a dogs life and may also be inherited or caused by some sort of trauma. Senile cataracts are those that form in older dogs – over 6 years of age.

If your dog has cataracts, he might have impaired vision just like what happens in people.  This can be remedied by an operation, incidentally, the same one that they do on people with cataracts.  Whether or not you want to put your dog through this is up to you  as in some cases he may still have adequate vision and if he is quite old and operation might not be the right thing.

However, if your dog is younger or the vision impairment seems to be affecting his enjoyment of life, the operation is highly successful and fairly low risk, albeit rather expensive.

If you do want your dog to have cataract surgery, the earlier the better as once they get past a certain point the surgery cannot be performed.  The surgery consists of the cataract lens being removed and a new lens being placed on the eye.  Exactly the way they do it with people!

While dog cataracts can be corrected through surgery, there aren’t as many choices in replacement lenses as there are for people so dog cataract surgery doesn’t have the same success rate of restoring vision as it does for people.  However, if you feel it is right for your dog, then discuss it in depth with your Vet to get his or her opinion and see how you should proceed.

How To Clean Your Dogs Teeth

The topic of cleaning dogs teeth is sometimes met with laughter and funny looks but the fact is that there is nothing funny about a dog with bad teeth.  Just like humans, dogs need to practice good oral hygiene as having bad teeth can lead to a lot of health problems, the least of which is bad breath.

Just like in people, bacteria can build up in your dogs mouth.  If his teeth are not brushed regularly this can cause a hard, calcified build up that literally needs to be scraped off with a tool.  If left this way, your dogs teeth will rot and the bacteria will work it’s way into your dogs system damaging important organs and shortening your dogs life span.

One thing you should do to insure this does not happen is make sure your dog has regular Vet appointments that include a dental checkup. Don’t be surprised if your dog has to go in for a “scaling” where the calcified tarter is scraped away from the teeth – especially if his dental care has been neglected for some time.  Don’t worry, though, this procedure is quite harmless although your dog will be anesthetized so he might be groggy (and have sore teeth) for a day or two afterwards.

In order to limit these scaling procedures to a minimum, cleaning dogs teeth on a regular basis is critical.   This may be easier said than done, especially if you have never cleaned your dogs teeth before but patience and perseverance will pay off.

You can, and should, brush your dogs teeth just like you do your own.  There are two types of toothbrushes available for this – one is a rubber tube that fits over your finger and has rubber “bristles” on the end and the other is a toothbrush that looks very similar to a “human” toothbrush but angled a bit differently.  You’ll have to experiment with your dog to see which one works best for you.

The next thing you need is toothpaste.  They actually make special toothpaste for dogs and you don’t want to use “people” toothpaste as this won’t be good for your pet.  The “dog” toothpaste has enticing flavors like poultry and beef which sounds pretty gross to me, but my dog seems to love it!  More importantly than the flavor though is the enzymes that the toothpaste contains – they are specifically for battling the bacteria that builds up in a dogs mouth so you don’t want to skip using the toothpaste when you brush your pets teeth.

When cleaning dogs teeth, you need to be sure to get each and every tooth – even the ones way in the back – as well as around the gums.  Your dog probably isn’t going to like this at first but after a while he will get used to it and you really do need to be persistent and brush his teeth every day.  Doing so will help keep your pet healthy and those doggy kisses smelling sweet and fresh!

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