2011 | Dog Info Point

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A Quick Look At Dog Allergies Treatment

10 Aug 2011

Having a doggie for a companion can be one of the most enjoyable experiences a person can have and you want them to be healthy. When they develop skin conditions it might be time to consider the possibility of dog allergies treatment. Let’s take a look at some of the causes for canines to have allergic reactions.

Dogs need to be regularly bathed. Canines can develop skin conditions when they are not regularly bathed to remove dirt and grime that collects in their coats. They also need their ears cleaned to prevent ear mites. Try making this a fun thing to do by encouraging them to enjoy the water. Most doggies like to swim and could enjoy a wading pool out in their yard.

Experiment with different types of dog food. Humans can be allergic to different types of food, and so can canines. Try reading the labels of the foods you are giving them to see if there are harmful artificial ingredients. Grape seed extract is a natural preservative, and commonly used in canine feeds to help avoid reactions that happen from what they eat.

Nervousness can result in skin conditions and allergies. Certain breeds of dogs are just naturally high strung and all of this energy needs a healthy means of being released. It might not be enough exercise to just take them for a walk around the block. Try taking them to a dog park, and allow them to make canine friends. This can help calm them down and avoid itchy skin conditions.

Exercise is important to overall canine health. Sometimes it is not convenient to spend hours playing with your dog. Bad weather can mean having to stay indoors for many weeks at a time. Provide your pet with plenty of toys that are intended to entertain canines, and play mind games with them such as hide and seek. When dogs are required to figure things out for themselves, they use a lot of energy and become more relaxed after the mental exercises are completed.

Provide them with plenty of water. The human body is made up mostly of water and this is why we are told to drink plenty of liquids. The same holds true for canines, who actually do sweat from glands in their paws. If you are gone to work during the day, make sure they have plenty of water until you return because dogs can get serious skin conditions from lack of sufficient liquids.

Give them a good vitamin and mineral supplement. Most people think that a good brand of dog food will supply all of the vitamins and minerals needed by their canines. Some dogs need more of these supplements than others. A lack of some vitamins can cause skin irritations, so find out about giving them supplements.

It is important to make sure your dog has regular vet visits to monitor their vital signs and establish records for long term care. The vet can find possible skin problems before dog allergies treatment is needed. Annual vaccinations and regular worming help ensure your dog will have a long and healthy life.

I’m a pet health professional who specializes in dog skin problems.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: Allergic Reaction, allergies treatment, dog allergies, dog allergies treatment, dog skin, dogs, pets, skin allergies Comments off

Why do Dogs drool

10 Aug 2011

Drooling, the same as gnawing bones is a trademark of dogs. Dogs are commonly depicted in funny drawings as drooling and bone gnawing animals. Saliva is explained by experts as a necessary fluid that has an important role in the process of digestion. Digestion process starts when the dog chews the food that is lubricated or moisturized by the fluid secreted by the salivary glands. People love dogs but not a lot of these professed dog lovers love a drooling dog. Not many people can deal with a drooling dog thus breeds known to drool are often rejected.

All dogs are known to drool although some breeds are noted to be excessive droolers. People that can’t deal with the drool had best steer clear of Boxers, Basset Hounds and St. Bernard. Dog breeds with pendulous lips are more prone to slobber excessively. These dog breeds drool a lot because the loose folds of skin traps the saliva. Dogs that do not have pendulous lips would salivate too at the smell of food because these animals love eating. People too would salivate if the aroma of yummy food is smelled.

Dog owners that found out that the pet is a drooler can deal with the situation by keeping towels that will be used to wipe the dog’s drool handy. Another remedy is to tie a bandana around the dog’s neck. A bandana will make the dog fashionable but it would also be very useful in absorbing the drool of the dog.

In some dogs, drooling is not caused by the conformation of the mouth or by the sight of food. A dog that was not a born drooler would hyper-salivate because of motion sickness. Car travel will make the nauseated dog drool and vomit. An underlying health concern can be the reason why a dry dog would suddenly become a drooler. Owners must not ignore a non-drooling pet that has suddenly become a heavy drooler.

A dog can drool because of dental problems or foreign object in the mouth. If drooling is due to dental problems like gum disease and decayed tooth, the dog would have bad breath as well. Although rabies is no longer common, a dog would still succumb to this fatal disease. Dogs infected by the rabies virus would drool a lot. A lot of dogs get poisoned because these four legged friends are curious by nature and known to have huge appetites. A dog that has ingested a toxic substance will drool. Dogs that have ingested toxic substances must have urgent medical attention.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: animals, dog behaviour, dogs, drooling dog, pets Comments off

Raw Dog Food Vs. Processed Dog Food

10 Aug 2011

Some dog owners believe the best diet for their pet is the processed food that contains the nutrients for a healthy diet. Those who believe dogs should be fed raw dog food claim it is their natural diet, therefore it must be best for them. When all is said and done, we must decide what we feel is best for our furry companions.

Processed products are made by combining meat, vegetables and other nutrients. They combined ingredients are thoroughly cooked and either dried to form pellets, or canned. They are adjusted to fill the age and breed requirements. A recent development has been that contaminated products were included in canned food, causing renal failure in some animals. An investigation uncovered wheat gluten that was tainted with melamine, a poisonous substance. The matter has been rectified and contaminated products removed from the shelves, but some people are still concerned about its safety.

The raw diet, in general, is based on what wolves prefer to eat. When their eating habits were studied, it was found that there were no animals, fish, bugs and few plants that they would not eat. The only four legged creatures they refused were toads.

Those who support processed diets are concerned that uncooked meat can carry deadly organisms. Research was done on the bacteria found on meats in pet stores and grocery stores. The meet in pet stores was deemed to have much lower levels of bacteria.

The regulations governing raw meat differs between what is to be eaten raw and those products purchased raw, but sold with the intent that it be cooked. These regulations also pertain to feed for dogs. Human meat, while fit for our consumption, is not fit for the raw diets for dogs.

The first step is to decide which raw diet you will provide for your pet. The vote is split between whole prey diets and a diet with a combination of raw meat, vegetables and supplements. Some owners even raise their own animals organically to be sure their dogs are eating the purest diets.

Regardless of the type you choose, introduce it slowly so your dog has time to adjust to the different diet. Switching to any type of diet suddenly can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. Your pet will become used to the new diet over time. It is a good idea to provide different types of meat, since dogs become bored. But introduce the different meats slowly, so the digestive system can catch up. Some dogs are fed both raw and kibble, with no adverse effects.

Of course, the decision to feed processed or raw dog food is in the hands of the pet owner. That is who bears the responsibility for a healthy, happy pet. Your dog will love you no matter what your decision is. They will never stop believing that you are the best person in the whole world and that whatever you feed them is perfect.

Jamie is a pet health consultant who specializes in organic holistic dog food.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: dog food, dog food diet, food diet, raw dog food Comments off

Some Factors About A Wireless Dog Fence

27 Jun 2011

Are you having a difficult time teaching your dog and keeping your pet dog inside your property? There are some pet dog training items that will help you deal with your pet dog. You can get your dog’s attention by employing a shock collar during it is training. These collars may also be utilised to keep the dog on your yard.

To restrain your dog to the yard, consider getting an electric dog fence. Most dog fences require that you bury a cord to help the product in figuring out where the borders are. You can always select one of the wireless systems that requires no cables. These are wonderful, mainly because you don’t have to have the need for burying a cable in your back yard. In the event you want to keep your family dog inside your property, then both an electrical and wireless dog fence are a great approach to take. To be good to your dog, you have to train your dog where the property lines are right after you set-up the dog fence system.

When you are dealing with a pet which is really disobedient, then you may want to attempt using a shock collar to correct behavior or simply get your dog’s attention. It’s really important that your pet understands the orders that you give and why it really is being corrected with the dog training collar. Your dog might be completely confused by the shock so, it is crucial that it understands what commands you’re calling out.

A good method to use your training collar would be to send an audible sound just before a shock. The beep gives your family dog a heads up that it can be doing something bad. Eventually, you won’t even need to jolt your dog. It’ll help the dog understand how you can respond to the beep.

A lot of men and women feel that utilizing dog shock collars is mean to dogs. Nevertheless, it is much better that your family dog receives a short jolt than it getting hit by a car or causing trouble inside your community. It is specifically vital for hunting dogs to have these shock collars, for the reason that you don’t want your pet dog running into a line of fire. Also, you do not want your pet dog running after animals that may possibly harm them.

You ought to think about trying a training collar on your leg before employing it on your dog. You should realize what the pet dog is feeling if you jolt them. You also want to make sure that the prongs of the collar make good contact with your dog so that the collar can work correctly. Prior to using a collar on your family dog, make certain that your family dog knows the backyard borders and also the orders that you give it. It is unjust to your family dog, in the event you do not train them before utilizing the shock collar.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: dog fence, dog shock collar, electric dog fence, shock collar, shock collars for dogs, wireless dog fence Comments off

Stripping – A Dog Grooming Procedure

11 May 2011

Dog grooming is an essential part of dog ownership. Different dog breeds have different grooming requirements. Grooming routines of some dogs are too easy to be done in a few minutes while other dogs’ grooming routines would be so tedious and time consuming. Dogs are so affectionate they always want to be cuddled and petted but try grooming the ears or the feet and the dog would try to scamper instantly. This grooming difficulty can be resolved by introducing the grooming procedure to the pet while it is still a puppy.

Regular brushing, trimming and stripping are the basic routines for grooming the dog’s coat. To maintain the health and appearance of the coat, wiry coated dogs like most terriers breeds, Dachshunds and Schnauzers are stripped about twice a year. Dog breeds with wiry coats have two types of hair – a downy under coat and a coarse top coat. This top coat will be thick, well pigmented and strongly rooted to the dog’s skin. At the end of the hair’s life span it will become less healthy so that the follicles will become thinner and less strong.

Stripping is necessary to remove the dead hair root. Trimming the hair at this stage will ruin the coat as the dying root was allowed to remain. The silky texture and the natural color of the coat is affected if the hair is trimmed instead of stripped. The hair can be trimmed but this procedure will not remove the roots of dying hairs thereby preventing new hair from growing, a condition that will bring discomfort to the pet when the undercoat overtakes the weakened guard hair.

Stripping is the process of removing dead hair from the dog’s coat using a stripping knife or latex finger cots. This coat grooming procedure can be done by hand, by the processes known as rolling or carding. Stripping the dog’s coat is a labor intensive task. Stripping a small dog cannot be done in one session. The process can be speed up by using a stripping knife as it would enable the groomer to have a good grip on the coat thereby removing more hair with every stroke. Scraping the coat to remove dead hair is another procedure of stripping known as carding. In the rolling method, the skin of the dog is rolled with one hand while the other hand removes the dead hair.

Stripping must be started when the dog is about 6 months of age. Before the process is done it would be necessary to brush the coat thoroughly to remove tangles. Dog owners should not worry that the pet will be hurt when stripped as most dogs would even enjoy the attention especially if it is coming from its favorite person.

Learn more about dog grooming and stripping at Sarah’s Dogs.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: animal, dog, dog gromming stripping, dog grooming, pet Comments off

Managing Dog Shedding with Good Grooming

11 May 2011

The shedding of dogs is a normal process that cannot be stopped. Short coated dogs are not heavy shedders thus shed hair are usually seen only on its sleeping area. Most long coated dogs would shed excessively so that the pile of shedding of the pet would appear as if it is another dog. Shedding is a usual concern of dog owners as hair dropped off by the pet would float in the air and cling to clothes and land on all surfaces and on foods.

Shedding though is a normal process and dog owners just need to live with this fact or get one of the hairless breeds. Long haired dogs require a lot of grooming thus this point must be considered in getting a dog for a pet especially if the owner does not have much time to spend in grooming the pet. The need to frequently groom the pet can be done by professional groomers if the owner have no time to do the task. Grooming sessions are ideal bonding moment for owner and pet and the chance will be lost if grooming the dog is left to the hands of groomers.

Before taking a dog for a pet, the prospective pet parent has to understand the shedding pattern of the breed. While some dog would shed the whole year, others would blow their coats excessively when the season change. Some dog breeds would appear not to shed at all because dead hair gets entangled with the live hair. Poodles need regular brushing because they shed their hair this way. Shedding is a normal process that can turn excessive because of hormonal change or health concerns.

All dog owners can be heard complaining about the shedding of the pet. The dog’s shedding cannot be stopped but owners should not be intimidated by the surplus of hair inside the house as this concern can be easily remedied with regular grooming. Heavy shedding dogs are best groomed everyday to remove dead hair that would have dropped off and fall on all surfaces inside the house.

Grooming tools doffer from breed to breed. A wire or steel pin brush and a wide toothed comb are ideal grooming tools for long and thickly coated breeds as they can easily remove mats and dirts. For short and medium coated breeds, a blunt bristled slicker brush and a flexible pin brush would accomplish the grooming routine in no time. Brushing the pet’s coat regularly will not only control shedding but also promote the distribution of the natural oils that moisturize the skin and give the dog a healthier looking coat.

Learn more about dog grooming as well as shedding at Sarah’s Dogs.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: animal, dog, dog grooming, dog shedding, pet Comments off

Why do dogs need their teeth brushed

28 Feb 2011

Dogs are one of the most spoiled pets – they are kissed and they are allowed to kiss their owners as well. This would make you wonder why dog owners often neglect the dental care of the pet? Brushing the pet’s teeth is one of the grooming routines that most dog owners forgot. Dogs have a predilection for spoiled food and for feces. To the consternation of owners; dogs have an unaccountable liking for toilet bowl water too. Owners that kiss and allowed to be kissed by the pet will gag at the stench of the dog’s mouth.

The health of the dog generally depends on the kind of food the pet eats. Healthy teeth are important for our furry friends as unlike humans, dentures will not be available to help them in tearing and grinding their food. Imagine how hard it would be for toothless dogs to eat. Dogs in the wild heavily rely on their teeth in hunting the prey. Pet owners ensure that the dog is regularly provided with food thus these animals no longer need to hunt to survive. All the same, strong healthy teeth will still be necessary for easy eating.

Similar to humans, a dogs oral hygiene can be maintained with regular brushing. Poor dental hygiene that result to plaque and tartar build up, tooth and gum problems as well as other periodontal diseases can affect the quality of the dog’s life. We know how dogs love to eat things that we humans find disgusting. With the dog’s unhygienic eating habits it is for certain that dog have lots of germs in their mouth.

This germs will cause bad breath but a more serious concern would be the gum and teeth problems that will created. Infections that can develop from dental concerns can spread to other parts of the body and result to more health concerns. For instance, the infection from a gum disease can result to the development of a heart ailment.

A dental care routine is best started while the dog is still a puppy. Specially designed toothbrushes must be used. Toothpaste formulated for dogs must be used as well. Because dogs love these flavored toothpaste for pets, brushing the dog’s teeth will be easier. Brushing the dog’s teeth once or two times a week would be enough to maintain the dog’s oral hygiene. Taking the pet to the vet’s once in a while to be professionally brushed would be a good idea.

At Sarah’s Dogs you can find out more about why dogs need their teeth brushed as well as if you need to brush your dogs teeth.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: animal, dog, dog health, pet, why do dogs need their teeth brushed Comments off

Why do dogs chase their own tails

28 Feb 2011

Dogs are truly man’s best friend as these animals have been the loyal companions of man for untold number of years. It can be safely said that dogs have the uncanny ability to understand humans because these animals are highly attuned to the emotions of their human friends. However, humans are at times perplexed with the weird behavior of dogs. Chasing their own tail is one of the canine behaviors that humans find inexplicable.

All dogs chase their own tails but this behavior is most common in puppies. Puppies are adorable but a tail-chasing one would certainly be the apple of the eye of the family. Normal tail chasing that is shown when the dog is playing should not be a cause for concern. Dogs love to run and to chase because they are natural hunters. On the other hand, if the tail chasing behavior of the dog becomes excessive it will become a problem especially when the dog is injured because it can no longer be stopped from chasing its tail. For sure dog owners would not laugh if the tail chasing pet falls down from the stairs and seriously injured.

Tail chasing or the constant and repetitive whirling movement can be due to behavioral or medical causes. No specific cause was given for the dog’s tail chasing behavior but it is commonly believed that boredom and anxiety triggers this bizarre behavior. Being social creatures, dogs would crave for attention. Dogs are intelligent animals and it seems that they know that tail chasing is a no-fail method of gaining the family’s attention. Whirling around to chase the tail would bring forth laughter from the family. Realizing that it has gained the family’s attention, the dog would continue to chase its own tail.

Another reason for the dog’s bizarre behavior is boredom and anxiety. Dogs that are cooped inside the house for the better part of the day with no toys and no other dogs to play with will find any kind of activity to while away the time. For lack of something better to do, a dog will chase its tail to combat boredom. Anxious people waiting in line for a job interview or a dental appointment would either twirl a lock of hair or bite a nail. The dog’s tail chasing behavior is also attributed to anxiety.

A medical condition can be the reason for the dog’s odd behavior. The dog may be infested with intestinal and external parasites or may have an impacted anal gland. Flea bites on the dog’s tail will be extremely itchy. The discomfort can be caused by an impacted anal gland or worms in the dog’s rear end. A dog trying to ease the discomfort arising from these conditions will chase its tail.

Sarah’s Dogs provides more information on why dogs chase their own tails as well as why dogs wag their tails.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: animal, dog, dog behavior, pet, why do dogs chase their tails Comments off

Bad Behavior in Dogs and How to stop them

21 Feb 2011

Stop Bad Behavior in Dogs

A poorly trained dog can embarrass its owner and offend other people–or even make them feel threatened if you can’t stop bad behavior in your dogs. To raise a well behaved dog, enroll him or her in an obedience class at a young age.

Preventing or having them stop biting is good way is a good way to stop bad behavior in dogs. Dogs bite because they’re teething, they feel threatened, they’re injured, they’ve been abused or, sometimes, if the dog is in heat. Provide dogs plenty of chew toys. If a puppy nips or bites, use a can or bottle filled with coins or rocks as a shaker, and shake it at them while saying “no” firmly. The shake will startle them. Dogs that are injured should be muzzled until they’ve healed to prevent biting.

Rebellious dogs, especially ones with bad behaviors often root around trash and leave a big mess for you to clean up. Dogs usually mess about with your trash because you didn’t feed it properly or it simply smelled something inside on the bags that it fancies. This can easily be fixed by properly disposing of your waste bin and making it hard for your dog to dig in and mess about. For extra measure, spray some bitter apple so it’ll be more reluctant to try and invade your trash.

Biting is also a bad behavior that is commonly found in dogs. Dogs bite only because they’re either threatened, teething or have something in their mouth that they can’t get off properly, like a piece of meat or a splinter. To cure their biting problems, purchase toys that they can freely chew and bite down on.

A general tip for making your pet dog behave to is to ignore it or not have eye contact with it. Since dogs are attention seekers, they might feel discouraged when they misbehave since it doesn’t seem to get your attention. Discourage your pet from any further bad behavior by saying “no” while ignoring it when it refuses to stop it’s bad behavior.

Click here for more information: stop dog barking, Dog Training Barking and Crate Training Dogs

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The Electronic Dog Fence Uses and Considerations

18 Feb 2011

Over the past 25 years or so, The dog fence has evolved a great deal. When you’re dealing with a large area, a standard chain link fence may be a difficult route to take. The material is not exactly very easy to transport or work with, unless you want to pay a professional to do it for you. However, you’re still stuck with a very noticeable eyesore on your property. Well, with the electric dog fence this has all changed for the better.

Besides the difficulty of working with the old fashioned type fence, Rover may be adept at digging under it or jumping over it. Either way, we need to keep the dog in the yard, not outside where he’s exposed to danger. The old fashioned dog fence is definitely losing place in many parts of the country to the more modern technology.

Another big problem with the older type of dog fence is that it takes away that sense of natural openness, and spaciousness, the is so comforting to dogs and to people.

If you think about it, dogs are naturally built to run and be free. When they’re confined to a small area, they can often feel boxed in and behavior problems can result.

What course of action is the best, in light of these facts? You need to protect your dog from getting out and getting into trouble or getting hurt or killed. It’s truly remarkable, the number of choices that we have in this modern age of advancing technology.

The modern dog fence is something that Great Grandpa, and Rover both would have loved. Now, due to the emergence of the electric dog fence, many of the problems of past generation can quickly and easily be solved.

There are basically two types of electric dog fences. The in ground, or buried wire dog fence and the wireless dog fence. After installation of the electronic wire dog fence, there really is no trace that the fence is even there, preserving a nice wide open look and feel for the property and your dog.

It can be a big relief to a pet owner, when you don’t have that damage from excessive digging at the perimeter area.

You can now have the peace of mind, knowing that your best friend is safe in their environment and they are now much less likely to be able to get past your electric dog fence. Nobody wants to wake up in the morning and see that their dog is missing.

Nobody wants their dog wandering down a busy street, exposed to danger. because drivers are often distracted and not always paying attention to what’s around them, obviously you don’t want your dog anywhere near an open highway.

The underground wire dog fence can be great aid in the training process, as another tool in the obedience training process. And everybody knows that an obedient dog is a safe dog, both to himself and humans.

In the face of a potentially dangerous situation, a stern command can make the difference between life and death for your dog.

The modern electric dog fence is very versatile. Whether you’re strictly interested in dog containment, or you would rather go with the contain and train feature, there is a product for every type and size of dog.

Make sure you deal with an online store that can offer you the versatility and choices to pick the proper fence for your dog.

If you choose the right fence for your dog and your situation, you could easily enjoy many years of trouble free enjoyment from your dog fence and your favorite best friend as well.

For the best dog fence selection online, visit now. You’ll find plenty of help and information to help you choose the proper dog fence for your individual needs. See you inside.

Category: Miscellaneous Dog Info Tags: dog fence Comments off

Archive for » 2011 «

A Quick Look At Dog Allergies Treatment

Why do Dogs drool

Raw Dog Food Vs. Processed Dog Food

Some Factors About A Wireless Dog Fence

Stripping – A Dog Grooming Procedure

Managing Dog Shedding with Good Grooming

Why do dogs need their teeth brushed

Why do dogs chase their own tails

Bad Behavior in Dogs and How to stop them

The Electronic Dog Fence Uses and Considerations

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