Pet Mg

What should I feed my dog?

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Tue, 9 Apr 2019 18:18:00 +0530

First thing is to have your veterinarian exam them from their nose to their tail. There may be an underlying condition such as a hypothyroid that is making them gain the unsightly pounds. You also need to know if your dog has any blood sugar problems before putting them on a calorie restricted diet or increasing their exercise level.

Once you know they are healthy, then look at what type of food are they eating. High quality food is a must – like us, if all we eat is junk food that is high in sugar and salt, we too would be packing on the pounds! There are many diet or weight loss foods on the market that are less calorie dense so the quantity of food your dog eats per meal does not change, just the amount of calories they injest. Are they already on a diet food and it is not helping? Then address the quantity – dropping it by no more then 20% will see the pounds come off.

Dropping the quantity of food can make some changes to your dog’s behavior – they may start stealing food or acting ravenous. Adding fiber to their meal will help satiate their appetites without adding any additional calories. A tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin is an easy way to increase the fiber content but do so gradually so that their bowels have a chance to adjust over time. Another option is purchase high fiber dog food from your veterinarian. Mostly prescribed to diabetic dogs to help regulate their blood sugar levels, high fiber formula dog foods act the same way as the canned pumpkin but without the need for refrigeration. Gradually mix your dog’s regular food half and half with the fiber formula and, again, watch the pounds melt away!

Just like us humans, exercise is an important part of a canine weight loss plan and just like us, anytime our daily exercise is intensified the chance of injury also increases as does any post exercise stiffness. Increasing your pet’s exercise level gradually is the best way to prevent injury while guaranteeing your dog enjoys the new longer outings.

If your dog suffers from arthritis or is just getting up there in years, it is important to keep the exercise level consistent from one day to the next. This means that if you walk Fluffy one mile three nights a week, you would actually be doing her a bigger favor by walking her half a mile every night. At the end of a week, she will have walked half a mile more then in her previous workout but also the consistent daily exercise is better for her older muscles and joints. She might feel cheated the first time you are home in half the time as normal but she will quickly learn to enjoy the nightly swings around the block.

Treats are another important part of doggy diets. Everyone loves to give treats to their pooches and, of course, to everyone else’s pooches as well! There are diet treats on the market but buy only a small bag to start and see how your dog likes them – not all dogs enjoy health food. There are also fiber biscuits that work on the same principle as feeding a high fiber kibble. Whatever diet biscuit your dog enjoys, break them all in half as soon as you get home from the store. Dogs do not think about the size of the treat but they sure as heck know how to count! If they are used to getting three biscuits a day, guaranteed they will know if you only give them two but three halves are better in their eyes then two wholes and in reality, they are actually eating less in the long run but they do not need to know that.

Many dogs enjoy natural treats such as carrots and apples as well. They are easy to incorporate into their diet and most dogs take a while to eat them as well, making the healthy treat last a nice long time. Note: avoid grapes and raisins as they are toxic to pets!

Lifelong weight management for many dogs is just like it is for humans – an ongoing battle. Like any weight loss plan, consider it a lifestyle change that needs to be addressed daily for the remainder of their life and that life will be a long, healthy and happy one!

Read about joint Supplements for your dog
https://petmg.blogspot.com/2019/04/joint-supplements-for-your-dog.html?m=1

Canine distemper symptoms and care
https://petmg.blogspot.com/2019/04/canine-distemper-symptoms-treatment-and.html?m=1

Dog Dental Care and Diseases

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Fri, 5 Apr 2019 00:09:00 +0530

Dog Dental Care

Humans and dentists are never a good combination, but spare a thought for our furry friends who unfortunately don’t escape dental problems either. Dental problems are often quoted as one of the most commonly diagnosed health issues in dogs, particularly for canines over the age of three.

With your dog’s teeth and gums vulnerable to disease, they could end up in pain or worse, as dental problems can also upset the metabolism of a dog. Lack of, or poor dental care, can also leave bacteria in the system, and this has been known to enter a dog’s blood stream and even damage internal organs. Some of the different problems you need to be aware of include:

Plaque: Just like humans, dogs can have plaque collecting on the outsides of their teeth. Food debris, saliva, and the bacteria living off the food remains in the mouth, will combine to form plaque, which if not removed, will accumulate.

Tartar/Calculus: This is plaque that hasn’t been removed from the mouth, and has been left for 3-5 days or more. During this time, plaque can combine with minerals to form tartar or calculus, which can be irritating to a dog’s gums. This irritation can cause gingivitis, and bad breath. Look out for a reddening of the gums close to canine teeth.

Periodontal Disease: This is essentially the next stage in the process, as tartar builds up further, this time under the gum line. The result is a separation of the deep boned structures of the jaw from the teeth, which in turn forms pockets and abscesses, which are rich breeding grounds for bacteria. If your dog’s teeth deteriorate this badly, then the damage cannot be fixed. Your dog may lose his/her teeth, suffer from bleeding gums, internal organ damage, and may have problems eating as well.

Trauma: Damage to the teeth can also be caused by excessive and vigorous chewing on hard objects, or through accidental injuries during games. If you notice broken teeth when you check your dog’s mouth, try and divert them away from very hard objects, to play with softer dog toys.

So what can be done to help care for your dog’s teeth at home? The best advice given is to start monitoring and caring for your dog’s teeth early, before they’ve even lost their puppy teeth. Early sessions could involve gently wiping your dog’s teeth with a washcloth to get them used to the process. You can then invest in a special canine toothbrush available from most vets. With this you can start by using warm water and applying the brush to the teeth, and later on, progress to using toothpaste.

You could also give your dog special dental chews which help reduce plaque and tartar, and take him/her for regular check-ups at the vet. If need be, your vet can professionally clean your dog’s teeth, prescribe oral gels, flush the mouth with antibacterial washes, or if needed, take care of any further treatment. It’s better to be safe than sorry though, so brushing your dog’s teeth regularly and monitoring them at home can help avoid a lot of these problems.

Joint Supplements for Your Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Thu, 4 Apr 2019 23:56:00 +0530

People are becoming more conscious of drugs and supplements because so much is published on side effects and other problems from their use. Even medications that have been taken by many people for years have been questioned in recent times, causing us to question if these things that are supposed to be good for us are actually safe.

The Dog Food Dilemma

The recent situation with imported dog food has made us painfully aware of a problem that has probably been going on for some time, only the animals couldn't tell us that they were being poisoned. The dog food dilemma caused pet owners to wonder about the safety of other products they use for the "health" of their animals.

Necessary Medications for Dog Health

Some medications and supplements are necessary for a pet's well-being, such as heartworm pills, shampoos for fleas and ticks, and certain inoculations, but how sure can we be with other products that are not as mandatory? Vets have been preaching the need for joint supplements for many years, but are there any risks involved with taking these for an extended time?

Joint Supplement Safety

Thankfully, there are no known problems at this time with approved supplements used for arthritic joints in dogs and cats. These products have been on the market for many years and they use some basic ingredients that have shown very good results without any harm to the animals.

In very rare cases, dogs that are given high doses of joint supplements with chondroitin and glucosamine may have diarrhea or even vomiting when first introduced to the substance.

This is highly unlikely to happen in any given circumstance, and beyond that, no fatalities or severe side effects have ever been reported due to joint supplement use. Most owners give supplements with food, which generally helps avoid any kind of reaction.

Long Term Joint Supplement Use in Canines

Pet owners who worry about the long-term use of a supplement will be happy to know that many dogs take joint supplements for years without any incidents or problems. Usually, a dog can take supplements for about two months in large doses and then the amount can be reduced for the remainder of the dog's life.

Because the joint supplements contain ingredients that are already a part of the dog's physical makeup, there is very little danger of overdosing or experiencing a bodily rejection of the supplements.

If a dog experiences any adverse reactions to joint supplements, they are minor in comparison with the pain and physical loss the animal will experience without their use. Even humans are faced with this kind of tradeoff with some of the drugs they take.

Canine Distemper Symptoms , Treatment and Vaccinations

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Mon, 1 Apr 2019 16:18:00 +0530

Canine distemper is one of those fearsome diseases that your dog can contract. Dogs with this kind of disease infection sometimes have uncontrollable shaking of the head. This is similar to what humans might experience if they had multiple sclerosis. It is possible that your beloved and very friendly dog could grow mean and nasty to people even in their own household -- this the reason for the term distemper. It is a neurological disease, and gives rise to twitching, shaking or shivering in the affected canine, and the virus can eventually affect your pet’s abdominal organs as well.

Canine Distemper Virus

As a relative of the measles virus, this disease is highly contagious and has claimed the lives of a great number of dogs and puppies. The fatality rate is high, by some estimates claiming more than half the dogs that have contracted the disease. The distemper virus affects the central nervous system and is passed through direct contact with other dogs or through contact body secretions like feces, urine, semen, and saliva from infected canines. The alarming part is that it can also be contracted even through other objects and even the air where virus-laden microbes can pass through.

Signs and Symptoms of Canine Distemper

Canine distemper usually starts out as an increase in body temperature coupled with a slight increase in bodily discharges. Other signs and symptoms that indicate a potential for distemper includes weight loss, vomiting, coughing, nasal discharges and even diarrhea.

One main problem with distemper is that dogs having the disease do not show symptoms immediately upon contraction. Most dogs will show symptoms of other diseases and will get treated for those, until the time that the virus has already infected the nervous systems and the dogs start having fits and would exhibit uncontrollable twitching. Further deterioration can lead to partial paralysis.

How to Prevent Canine Distemper

Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease with a very grim prognosis. There is no known treatment or effective cure that could be administered to dogs that have contracted this disease and dog owners can only do so much to help their canine friends fight off the infection. If these pets manage to survive the infection and eventually recover, there is no guarantee that they will develop immunity and they are still susceptible for relapses.

Given this scenario, the only recourse that dog owners have is to prevent the occurrence of the disease while their pets are still very young. Puppies can have some level of immunity which they get from their mothers; however this does not last long and eventually dissipates. The best course of action is vaccination. TO be effective, this immunization is required to be administered just before the puppy’s natural immunity is gone for good. The best time would be within the period of 6 weeks from birth, with repeat shots every 3 months during their first year, and booster shots every subsequent year.

Skin problems in your Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 01:00:00 +0530

Skin Problems-dog many times when you are watching dog shows and dog competitions, you would surely notice the way these superb animals exude beauty and elegance with their skin and wonderful coat. Just watching the amazing glossiness from a well kept Rottweiler or just catching a glimpse of the free-flowing hair of an Afghan hound would make even non-dog lovers stop what they were doing and take notice.

Contrary to what people would think, expensive and good grooming is not the only factor that can create such beautiful coats for these wonderful animals. Good overall health, consistent skin care and a body that is devoid of any skin problems is the key for such beauty in any dog. A skin that is healthy is naturally smooth, soft and supple and would be devoid of any parasites like mange mites, dog skin diseases and other skin related problems like dermatitis or hot spots.

As the largest organ in your dog’s body, the skin provides a protection for all internal organs, muscles and tissues from the outside world. It also provides an indication as to the conditions of these internal organs, so if internal health problems exist in the body, it would usually show up through the animal's skin. Some of the indications include severe itching that would eventually result to scabs and bleeding, sores, redness, inflammation, discharges, discolorations, lumps and hair loss.

These are some of the most common dog skin ailments that you might encounter you’re your canine friend.

* Parasites are the most common problems that dogs may encounter in their skins. These include mites, fleas and ticks that can cause intense itchiness that would lead to severe scratching and eventually hair loss. Fleas and ticks can be easily seen while mites that cause mange in dogs are microscopic in nature. Topical and internal medications can be administered to address these parasites.

* Dogs are like humans in more ways than one and these include the potential to catch certain allergies. A common scenario involves dogs chewing on their skin due to severe itchiness caused by flea allergies and this can eventually result in your dog bleeding. Other allergies can come from dust, mold, pollen, food and even shampoos. Allergy testing should be performed by veterinarians in order to identify the proper antigens that can be administered to your pet.

* A wound that is caused by a bite or a puncture can sometimes close up and trap bacteria under the skin. The bacteria would eventually proliferate and would cause pus to develop in abscesses under the skin. This happened to my dog, Clancy, and because he is a collie, his long coat hid the bite until it had become infected. It was pretty messy. Abscesses usually will burst open and the pus eventually drains out, however prolonged cases would need the intervention of the veterinarian who will eventually lance out the wound to remove the pus. The open wound would then be cleaned, disinfected and applied with an antibiotic cream or ointment to prevent the recurrence of pus.

There are several other skin related problems that your dog may encounter in their lifetime. The key here is for you to know about and be aware of such problems and how to deal with them properly and effectively.

Liver Problems in Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:20:00 +0530

Hepatic Micro Vascular Dysplasia

Dogs are highly preferred as pets. Dogs become family members, so their health is very important. Pet owners need to keep in mind that dog health and liver problems are very closely tied together.

The liver is an important part of the digestive system, so if there is a liver problem, a dog health will be severely affected. There are many kinds of liver problems that dogs can have, including cirrhosis of the liver, toxicity, hepatitis, fibrosis, etc. But in this article, we will be discussing hepatic micro vascular dysplasia.

This is a common liver problem for dogs. With hepatic micro vascular dysplasia, there is a mixing of venous and arterial blood on a microscopic level. Another name for this condition is hepatic-portal micro vascular dysplasia. Though this condition affects all dog breeds, it seems to occur more often in terrier breeds.

As there are no symptoms that are peculiar to this condition, it is hard to diagnose with any certainty. Among the symptoms that a dog might have are seizures, central nervous system disorder symptoms and other gastro intestinal disorder symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. A bile acid response test is the first step in diagnosing the condition.

Another condition, photo systemic shunts, will also have an abnormal bile acid response. A liver biopsy then needs to be done to eliminate the possibility of photo systemic shunts so that the condition of hepatic micro vascular dyplasia can be properly diagnosed.

If diagnosed before symptoms appear, there is a good prognosis for a dog with hepatic micro vascular dysplasia. However, once symptoms begin to be seen, the only recourse is to use diet and medication to manage the condition.

Reducing the amount of protein consumed is the objective of diet therapy while the reduction of ammonia in the digestive system is accomplished with medication. So that dogs with this condition are able to excrete soft, formed stools, lactose injections are advisable.

Twice a day, injections of liversuportive are given. These may metranidazole or some other antibiotic according to veterinarian . The response to the treatment will vary from one dog to another. Some dogs respond well enough to live out a normal life span, but other dogs will have a shortened life due to this condition.

Dog owners will usually take preventative measures once they are made aware of the connection between overall dog health and liver problems.

Vaccinations for puppy

noreply@blogger.com (Pet Mg) — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:16:00 +0530

At 6 weeks of age, your puppy will receive its first basic vaccination. This will be taken care of by your breeder. Then, the puppy should be given up to three booster shots at three week increments. This basic vaccination often includes vaccines for the following diseases:
Distemper
Canine Distemper is a contagious disease that was the leading cause of death in dogs prior to the discovery of the vaccine in the 60s . This disease is incurable, making it an even bigger threat to your puppy, as most infected puppies will not survive. Distemper can be transmitted in a number of ways, both by dogs and by other animals. Along with having the capability to be propagated by bodily fluids, it is also considered to be an airborne disease. Some symptoms of distemper may include fever, loss of appetite, coughing, trouble breathing, runny nose, diarrhea, inflammation of the eyes, and vomiting.
Leptspirosis
Leptspirosis is a contagious bacterial disease. Specifically, it is passed on through infected urine, or objects contaminated by infected urine. However, while the vaccine does exist, this disease typically affects older dogs and can have some nasty side effects. So, you may talk to your vet about the possibility of waiting until the dog is older before administering this vaccine.
Parvovirus
Parvo is a virus much like Crohn's disease in humans. It targets the lining of the dog's digestive tract, thereby preventing him from being able to absorb the liquids and nutrients his body needs. Because they have an underdeveloped immune system, puppies are particularly at risk for this disease. However it is one of the most common diseases in dogs of all ages. Often times, Parvo will cause an animal to stop eating, and you will observe a bloody, watery stool that is characteristic of Parvo. You may also notice that your dog is lethargic, has diarrhea and vomiting, or has a fever. Parvo is transmitted through fecal matter of an infected animal. Also, the virus can survive for a period of months in the ground below infected feces, and it is thus considered to be highly contagious. For this reason, young puppies should be limited in terms of their exposure to other animals and the outdoors until their vaccination schedules are complete. Also, it is important to know that adult dogs can carry the disease without an accompanying manifestation of symptoms.
Parainfluenza
Otherwise known as "kennel cough", is a highly contagious airborne virus. It is often contracted in places with a high concentration of animals, such as a kennel or even a veterinarian's office. Aside from a cough, the other main symptom of kennel cough is a rising temperature. Due to the level of contagiousness of this disease, it is advised that infected animals be isolated in order to protect other animals that may come into contact with.

Rabies
By the time your dog reaches 5 or 6 months of age, most places require by law that it have a rabies vaccination. Because this disease can be transmitted to humans and other animals through the bite of an infected animal (bats being the most common host), it is a matter of public health and therefore closely regulated. While the symptoms of rabies may go undetectable for weeks, or even years, eventually an infected animal may experience pain, fatigue, fever, irritability and even hallucinations. This disease has an exceptionally high fatality rate.