5 Ways To Keep Your Dog Healthy And Happy
A dog for a pet and a pal can be a great joy. They provide us with so much, and ask for nothing in return but that we care for them. They require of us food, water, shelter, and, of course, love. Therefore, keeping your dog healthy is a priority. This information is being provided to you to help keep your dog both happy and healthy.
Fleas & Ticks
External parasites are not only extremely annoying to your best friend, but they can also be a healthy hazard. Fleas are thought to be extremely common among dogs, while this true, what you may not understand is that fleas can lead to a variety of health problems. Fleas can carry tapeworm to your dog, they can also cause hair loss, infections of the skin, allergic reactions, and even anemia. Ticks are also a big cause for concern for your dog because they can carry the disease known as Lyme disease, which is a fatal disease to both humans and animals. Another thing to watch for is ear mites, which can be extremely annoying and painful to your dog. It is important to check for and rid your dog of these external parasites regularly if necessary. Even if your dog is an inside, when they are outside relieving themselves or on walks they can become infected by fleas, ticks, and ear mites.
Internal Parasites
Worms are one of the most common infestations of dogs, next to fleas. Tapeworms, whipworms, hookworms, heartworms, and roundworms are all internal parasites to watch for. Worms can cause a great deal of harm to your dog include, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss, anemia, and perhaps even death. The worst thing about worms is that most are not noticeable without some sort of stool examination or blood tests. An annual check for worms is necessary for all dogs; this will help in controlling or preventing any infestations.
Disease
There are many diseases that can affect dogs, just as there are with humans. However, some breeds of dogs are more prone to certain diseases than others are. It is important to understand the disease risk of your specific dog breed and watch closely for any signs. Some diseases that effect dogs include:
Canine Distemper – This is a disease that is bacterial for the most part and will effect the nervous and organ system in the body. For the most part, this disease is fatal, if a dog does survive it will have some form of impairment, which is why vets require vaccination against the disease.
Rabies – This is generally transmitted from one animal to another via a bite from an infected animal. Rabies is almost always fatal and can be transmitted to humans, vaccination is required against rabies.
Other diseases to watch for include Kennel Cough, Leptospirosis, Canine Hepatitis, Canine Coronavirus, and Canine Parvovirus (Parvo). It is important to watch your dog for any signs of labored breathing, bloody stools, coughing, vomiting, fever, weakness, stiffness, nose or eye discharge, appetite loss, or diarrhea.
Keep Your Pets Vaccinated
A lot of diseases these days can be prevented through vaccinations. If you are starting out with a puppy, be sure to get their first shots done as soon as recommended and follow up as necessary to keep your dog happy and healthy.
Feed Your Dog Properly
Keeping your dog on the right diet, eating the right foods, will keep them active, healthy, and getting the proper nutrition. It is important that you feed the right foods for puppies and adults, as each has a specific make giving the dog exactly what they need during their growing period. You should also make sure you are feeding the dog the right amount of times per day. For example, a puppy will need to be fed more often than an adult dog.
By following these tips, you will keep your dog healthy. Remember, a healthy dog is a happy one.
David P Lee
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/5-ways-to-keep-your-dog-healthy-and-happy-123013.html
Ibizan Hound Puppy And Dog Information
The Ibizan Hound is a quiet, fast dog that needs to be raised inside with her human family. She can jump almost any fence at a standstill and will run for miles until she feels like coming home. They are clean, gentle dogs but may do poorly with other pets and dogs. She may consider cats and small pets prey. She does very well with older children as long as she is socialized with them early on. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with a puppy or dog.
*Approximate Adult Size. The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the Ibizan Hound is 22 to 29 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 42 to 55 pounds.
*Special Health Considerations. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Ibizan Hound is no exception. Although a healthy breed, be on the look out for seizures and allergic reactions to chemicals and flea preparations. This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.
She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.
*Grooming. The Ibizan Hound has three coat varieties. All varieties need regular brushing. Brushing will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.
Her ears should be checked once a week and be kept clean. If you have her professionally groomed, make sure ear cleaning and inspection is part of the package. No water or excess fluid should get in the dogs ears, and do not try to irrigate the ears. Ear cleaning is too complicated and critical to instruct here. Look for hair growing in the ear canal, excess wax, or moisture. If her ears have a discharge, foul odor or she seems to be in distress and you suspect an infection, or tumor, consult your veterinarian.
Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.
Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.
*Life Span. The Ibizan Hound can live between 10 and 12 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.
*History. The Ibizan Hound comes from Spain, but they were originally owned by the Pharaohs in Egypt. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1978.
Some Registries:
* Ibizan Hound Club of America
*UKC United Kennel Club
*NKC National Kennel Club
*CKC Continental Kennel Club
*APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.
*AKC American Kennel Club
*FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale
*NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club
*KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain
*ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club
*ACR = American Canine Registry
Litter Size: 6 to 12 Ibizan Hound puppies
Category: Hound
Terms To Describe: Sensitive, loyal, active, alert, fast, even-tempered, loyal, affectionate, keen, stamina
*SPECIAL GOOD POINTS
Good watch dog.
Highly intelligent.
A quiet dog.
Can jump fences.
Very fast runner.
Need to be controlled as they will run off.
They need to be raised inside with their human family.
*SPECIAL BAD POINTS
Poor guard dog.
May harass small pets.
Very sensitive to cold.
Can be willful.
*Other Names Known By: Podenco Ibicenco, Ca Eibisenc, Balaeric Dog, Galgo, Beezers
*Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.
Mitch Endick
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/ibizan-hound-puppy-and-dog-information-84286.html
You Can Laugh at Dog and Allergies — if you Follow This Simple Plan
Dog and Allergies…What do you do?
Just like their owners, dogs can suffer from allergies too.
Some of these allergies can be related to the foods that they eat where some of the cheaper brands of dog food have coloring and preservatives that can cause allergic reactions.
If this is the case then it is a process of eliminating those foods that have the ingredients that cause the reactions.
This is not always as easy as it might seem as it can take quite some time to find which particular ingredient is the culprit.
By buying the better premium quality dog foods you are less likely to have these problems or alternatively if you only feed your dog fresh meat and some vegetables rather than processed foods that should help.
Most of the cheap dog foods use grain products as a filler and these are often the cause of the dog’s problems.
These food allergies can result in your dog scratching their skin, which can also cause more problems with infections.
Just as we would be very uncomfortable with an allergy that makes us constantly want to itch our skin, allergies can make a dogs life miserable.
Aside from the allergies affecting skin sensitivities your dog could also develop coughing, discharge from the nose and eyes, hair loss and breathing problems.
There are many more symptoms that can arise and these are just a few.
If you notice any changes in your dog when they have a change in diet then it will pay to take a note of the ingredients of that product to see what is in it that could be making your dog feel unwell.
Dogs can also get allergies from dust mites just as humans would and it is always necessary to ensure that your dog lives in a clean environment even if they are an outdoor pet by regularly cleaning their cage or kennel.
Fleas are another concern for dogs and they can lead to excessive licking, particularly around the tail, which can ultimately lead to hair loss and sores.
It is very easy for your vet to see if your dog has fleas if you are unable to do so yourself and there are simple solutions to eliminate fleas.
Dogs can also get varying skin diseases and some breeds are more susceptible than others.
There are many good lotions and antibiotic pills that can be administered by your vet to control this and the sooner you get these problems seen to the better as they can lead to more intensive skin problems if left unattended.
Michael Silvester
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/you-can-laugh-at-dog-and-allergies-if-you-follow-this-simple-plan-120489.html
