Dog Care: Top 10 Ways to Keep your Dog Forever Young
There is a large disparity between the life spans of dogs and humans. After having loved a pet and lost one, it seems unfair. The best we can do is to keep our friends as healthy as possible and “forever young.” Here are My Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Dog Forever Young:
1. Know When Your Pet is “Old.” The time when your dog is considered a “senior” depends largely on his or her breed and size. According to Dr. Johnny Hoskins in Geriatrics and Gerontology of the Dog and Cat, small breed dogs (less than 20 pounds) are in their senior years around nine to 13 years of age. Medium sized dogs (21 to 50 pounds) around nine to 11. 5 years; large breed dogs (51 to 90 pounds) around 7.5 to 10.5 years and giant dogs (more than 90 pounds) between six and nine years. In general, smaller breed dogs live longer.
2. Wellness Exams. When your pet is considered a senior, you should bring your dog for regular geriatric examinations. These examinations help identify early diseases or problems in older pets. Exams should include a history and physical examination with evaluation of the teeth, listening to the heart and lungs (by stethoscope), abdominal palpation (feeling of the abdomen) and inspection of your dog’s ear and eyes. Weight monitoring, parasite check (fecal examination) and blood work and urine tests are also often recommended. Other tests may be indicated depending on your pet’s symptoms.
3. Watch for Illness. Careful observation at home is extremely important. By nature of survival, dogs are very good at hiding their illness until it is too late. Take time to examine your pet. Feel him or her for masses and indications of weight loss or loss of musculature. Things to watch for include changes in water consumption or patterns of urination, poor appetite, weight loss or gain, coughing or difficulty breathing, changes in activity level, vomiting, diarrhea and skin lumps or masses. If you have questions or concerns about your pet, play it safe and have him or her evaluated by your veterinarian. Early diagnosis is vital to the success of treatment.
4. Weight Control. Obese dogs have shorter life spans than non-obese dogs. Obesity may lead to a number of health problems. Excess weight puts excess stress on your dog’s heart. When the heart doesn’t function properly, other organs may suffer including the brain, lungs, liver and kidneys. Over time, these problems may become severe enough to cause life-threatening conditions.
5. Keep Close Tabs. In general, “outdoor” free roaming dogs have shorter lives than indoor animals. Infectious diseases, poisonings and trauma are common killers. Senior dogs have decreased reflexes and may not see and hear as well as they used to. This makes them vulnerable to outside dangers such as predators or cars. Keep dogs on leashes or in fenced-in yards.
6. Monitor Your Environment. Keep poisons up and out of your dog’s reach. Common toxins include antifreeze, rat poison and slug bait. Keep trash out of reach. Don’t count on your pet to “know better.” It doesn’t take a large amount of a dangerous substance to make your dog seriously ill.
7. Nutrition. Feed your pet a premium high quality diet supplements such as Hill’s Science Diet®, Iams® or Eukanuba®. Feed low fat and high fiber foods since high fat and/or low fiber foods are thought to decrease life expectancy. Minimize treats and make them nutritious and low in calories. Air-popped popcorn is often a good treat for dogs. With your veterinarian, you should discuss the merits of a diet formulation for your senior dog.
8. Exercise. Exercise helps to maintain a healthy body weight, strengthens joints and muscles and provides mental stimulation for your dog.
9. Spay and Neuter. Spayed and neutered dogs tend to have fewer health problems. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Without these organs, ovarian cysts, uterine infections and cancer of the reproductive tract are no longer a concern. Studies have shown that dogs spayed before puberty have a significantly lower chance of developing breast cancer than unspayed dogs, or dogs spayed later in life. Health problems that can be associated with birthing are also eliminated with spaying. Neutering is the removal of the testicles. Without these organs, testicular cancer is no longer a concern and the risk of prostate problems is reduced. In addition, the desire to “wander” is diminished, which lowers the chance of your dog running away and suffering trauma, such as being hit by a car.
10. Mental Stimulation. Provide your pet with toys, games and quality time. Most pets are never too old to play. Encourage mental stimulation. It is never too late to teach old dogs new tricks. Follow these top 10 tips, and you’ll keep your dog forever young.
Dr. Debra Primovic
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-care-top-10-ways-to-keep-your-dog-forever-young-103575.html
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Puppy And Dog Information
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever makes a great family pet. She is a good watch dog but a poor guard dog. She is not a barker, but will let you know when strangers are about. She is generally good with other dogs and pets. She loves children and absolutely lives to retrieve a ball. They are said to make great house dogs. 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 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is 17 to 21 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 37 to 51 pounds.
*Special Health Considerations. Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is no exception. Although considered to be a very healthy breed, be on the look out for Canine Hip Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), eye problems, auto immune problems and thyroid problems. 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. They have a double coat of medium length and medium soft outer hair and a soft, dense inner coat. Bath her rarely as this strips her protective oils from her coat. She should be brushed regularly. 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 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.
*Life Span. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever can live between 12 and 14 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.
*History. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is from Nova Scotia, Canada where they were used to help hunt ducks by luring them with their antics. They may be a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. They are listed with the American Kennel Association.
Litter Size: 4 to 6 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppies
Category: Gundog.
Some Registries:
* Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of USA
*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
Terms To Describe: Intelligent, outgoing, alert, loving, affectionate, agile, want to please
*SPECIAL GOOD POINTS
Good watch dog.
Easy to train.
Very playful, loves to retrieve, especially in water.
Not a big barker.
*SPECIAL BAD POINTS
Poor guard dog.
*Other Names Known By: Little River Duck Dog
*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/nova-scotia-duck-tolling-retriever-puppy-and-dog-information-90098.html
You Never Have to Have Any Dog Health Problems
While any dog owner recognizes that there are certain chores that he must leave strictly to the veterinarian, he wants, at the same time, to be given at least some idea of the role he can play in preventing dog health problems. Below are a few tips owners can use to avoid problems common problems.
Feeding Your Dog To Keep Optimum Health
The basic principle to be understood in the feeding of dogs is that, with only minor variations, they have the same nutritive requirements as man. A dog apparently has less need for starches and its digestive juices do not handle fatty foods well. Thus, the dog`s meat should always be quite lean, otherwise it will commonly cause a stomach upset with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea
Most animals will get along perfectly well on dry or canned commercial dog foods. Great strides have been made in the improvement of commercial dog foods in recent years. Their formulae are specially prepared by trained scientists to meet all of the dog`s needs and the federal government, on the basis of careful experiment to furnish normal maintenance diets, guarantees all nationally known brands. This means that the dog can live its entire life without eating anything but dog food.
While some companies will claim that their biscuits are a complete food and are often justified in their claim, most experts agree that the large majority of the biscuits that are manufactured serve best only as a supplementary food
Caring For Your Pets Eyes To Prevent Illness
In the general care of the eyes, the average dog owner can be advised to keep them clean. This can be done by washing them once a day with a lukewarm solution of boric acid (made by dissolving one teaspoonful of boric acid powder in a glass of hot water) or by the application of boric acid eye ointment direct to the eyeball.
The care of any significant eye diseases is strictly a job for the veterinarian. For safety`s sake, any injury to the eye should be considered an emergency and the veterinarian should be contacted immediately. Professional attention should be given even to very mild eye irritations that do not readily respond to simple treatment with washings of boric acid solution or applications of boric acid eye ointment.
How To Prevent Ear Ailments
Proper ear hygiene consists in keeping the hair of the ear clean and thoroughly combed out, free from parasites at all times and in maintaining the cleanliness of the inside of the ear. To clean the inside of the ear, dampen a piece of absorbent cotton with alcohol, squeeze out the excess moisture and clean out all the accumulated scurf as far down into the ear as the finger can conveniently reach.
Have no fear of doing damage to the inner ear, for the finger simply cannot penetrate that far. The cleaned surface should be dried with a piece of cotton. The next step is to put some boric acid powder on the back of a spoon handle or other convenient object and dump the powder into the ear. Then manipulate the ear so that the powder will penetrate as far into the ear canal as possible. After this is done to both ears, allow the animal to shake out the excess powder.
If this procedure is followed about two or three times a week, it is very unlikely that the dog ever will be affected by the common ear ailments.
Prevention Is The Best Cure
By taking steps to avoid dog health problems, you are less likely to have to suffer the consequences of an ill pet. If you are concerned about your pet or notice any strange symptoms, you should consult your veterinarian immediately. Regular check ups will also help detect potential illness or health problems early. Check ups should be given about every 6 months.
Jimmy Cox
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/you-never-have-to-have-any-dog-health-problems-77025.html
Breeders….what have YOU done for your breed, or dogs in general?
Looking over the past year, how have you contributed to dogs?
I’m not talking about breeding and showing, or what you do for work (if you’re employed in the animal industry, including shelter workers). I’m talking about what you’ve done above and beyond, to contribute either to your breed or to dogs in general.
For example, in the past year I’ve done the following:
For my breed:
Fostered a rescue
Donated to my local rescue
Edited and produced our club’s magazine
Donated to the parent club’s health research fund
For dogs in general:
Contributed to the Wendy Willard defence fund
http://forum.bassetnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=840
(although the dogs in question are Basset Hounds, this case could set a precedent that could affect all dog breeders, especially those with hunting dogs).
Donated to the CKC Foundation
http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=345
My mom is the president of the capitol bulldog club (which she volunteered to do after my mentor got sick and no one else would do it), we are always donating to bulldog health research and weimaraner health research. At our specialty we have a raffle where most if not all of the funds go to health and rescue, this year we will be raffling off two ramps made by my dad. We donate to our local rescues of both weims and bulldogs. When I get enough space I would like to foster for rescue, but I just don’t have the space at the moment. My mom writes/edits the bully pawprint newsletter for the local club, always includes stuff about donations. At our local weim specialty, spring specialty, we always donate a lot of money to the raffle all that money goes to help the rescue.
I volunteered at my local elementary last year to give a talk about responsible pet ownership and what you can do constructively with you’re dog to some 3-4th graders. They highly enjoyed it and learned a lot, my mom did it weeks before for career day and a couple classes asked if I could come in because they did not get the chance to see it. The dog I brought was the one in my avatar. My oldest bulldog got to be in their annual school picture one year. I believe I have the pict somewhere on my computer.
I got stopped at a show by a tour to talk a little bit about the weimaraners, I did not have much time so I could not talk a lot about them, I wish I did but it was the last day and we were on our way to get some food before hitting the long trek back home.
can you use SeaBreeze astringent on dogs with skin problems?
My golden retriever has skin problems. She always is itching and nothing really works. The vet has given us medicine and allergy shots we also give her benadryl. Seabreeze helps my head when its dry and itchy so i was hoping it’ll help poor Daisy. I just want to make sure its safe for her.
No! You’re only going to make her problems a lot worse than they already are. If the treatments aren’t working, tell the vet to try something else!
Pitbull terrier/American bulldog medical problems?
I have a beautiful pitbull terrier/american bulldog mix dog; he’s the love of my life. He’s still young, but I’m just wondering about his future and how I can prepare now for any medical problems that might be genetic. Are there any reoccurring medical problems in his two breeds? If there are, what are they?
Thanks so much in advance! Ten points for good answers with good sources.
If you are concerned, I’d get pet insurance. Being a mix, there’s no telling what medical illnesses your pet will be pre-disposed to.
How can I get my dog to like/obey me more dog health advice plz?
I live in a house of 5 people (mum, 3 brothers and me). I believe my dog like me as much as my mum, but no-where near as much as one of my brothers.
She does obey most of my commands and is very compassionate towards me, however whenever that brother is home she’s stuck to him like glue. I am currently not working and so have lots of time to spend with my dog.
I cannot get the dog to go on walks with me though – that brother always has to come with me. And because of that my dog is starting to put on some weight.
Also my dog keeps licking her paws for hours and sometimes it seems she’s chewing them and she makes them bleed. The vet says she’s allergic to something but nothing he gives her works.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
That’s kind of the same situation I’m in. It’s just that I’m the brother that the dog usually sticks to like a glue, I have no idea why really, from the day we brought her home, she sticked to me. However, it’s maybe because I’m usually the one that pets her the most, I take her out for walks, my walks are the biggest she gets out of my other family members, and I’m the one that feeds her (Changes her water, her food, etc) I would say that if you keep that dog with you and next to you all the long while your brother is away, the dog could have more compassion to you as well. Giving your dog some cookies throughout the day helps a lot, however, remember not to over feed it with them, as they contain flour which isn’t the best thing for dogs. It’s usually up to 3 treats per day for a small dog, 5 a day for a normal sized dog and up to 8 per day for a big dog. I have a normal sized dog (German Shepherd) and I usually give her only 3 a day maximum.
Does anyone know of a good dog training class in the Horfield/Filton area of Bristol?
I have just adopted a second dog and would like to find a good training class to take both of them to. I live in Horfield, Bristol so anything close to there would be great. Thanks.
I was hoping for some recommendations rather than picking one from the internet or yellow pages.
I have attempted to train my dog 3 times in the last 3 years.
Pet Smart, and two private trainers. Nothing worked!
My dog, Barley is overall a great dog. He is a Wheaton Terrier. There were just a few problems that we have been unsuccessfully working on such as him bolting out the door if it’s open and by the way he is faster than a speeding bullet!
Also, he would love to jump up on everyone that he gets within a foot of.
I finally stumbled across the Secrets To Dog Training! This really was amazing! This was something I did at my own pace. Although Barley’s main issues are no longer issues, I still apply the techniques that I learned from Secrets to dog training almost everyday.
You’ll find Secrets to Dog Training to be the easiest system to follow on the market today for learning how to train your dog and change its behavior. It is jam-packed with information, including:
A comprehensive book that teaches you how to solve over 25 dog behavior problems including numerous photos and step by step instructions at over (at over 260 pages, this is your essential reference).
A 30-minute downloadable video puts you right in the picture with real-life examples of how YOU can become the top dog and stay the top dog! Plus… also covered are sure-fire house training methods and how to stop your dog pulling on the leash.
Real-life case studies
The best dog training techniques
Unlimited dog behavior consultations with the Secrets to Dog Training team
Loads of photos that will boost your learning AND step-by-step instructions… all within one instantly downloadable package.
Secrets to Dog Training will teach you how to train your dog like a professional trainer , so you can have your dog obey you no matter what the situation and solve any specific problems that you may have with your dog – this is truly cutting-edge material!
Whether your dog is a puppy or an adult, it doesn’t matter, The video will show you how in minutes a day, you can transform your dog’s behavior. The information and techniques apply to all breeds and all ages of dogs.
Forget hiring a professional dog trainer. I spent over $300 combined with Pet Smart, and two professional trainers…..So if I can give you any advice at all…CLICK THE SOURCE LINK BELOW and….Save hundreds of dollars and learn how to effectively train your own dog in just minutes a day. It will be most rewarding experience of all.
I hope this helps.
How many of you know to use the green bar at the top of the page before posting a question?
There are many questions that are ask several times a day.
Name my puppy?
Do dogs have periods?
How to stop my puppy from biting?
What dog should I get?
What is your faviorte dog?
Medical problems?
If you use the green bar at the top of the page to search your question You will find more answers there than if you post your question. Try using it & see what I mean.
No criticisms intended. Just trying to get information out there so that people know their options. Also trying to give people a larger knowledge base.
This is constantly said over and over again, but apparently people do not get the point. That, or they are just too lazy to search for the answer and would rather others do it for them. What is really annoying is how people ask questions that can easily be found if you just did some research through a search engine (medical problems,best foods, etc.). In my opinion, YA is for people’s opinions and experiences, not a place to get others to do the work for you.
My service dog and I got kicked out of the mental health?
My chocolate lab retriever 10 years old Shae and I got kicked out of the mental health. All because she bark and growl at other service dog. My dog is never mean to people. She get along with my younger dog at home. But any other dogs she’ll bark and growl. They said we are not allowed back to the mental health because my dog bark and growl at other service dog. Shae is on the leash, I have her with me all the time. Do you think the mental health can do that? She my service dog to help with my panic, anixtey, depression. Without her I’ll go in attacks. Beside she doesn’t really run into service dogs that often just once in a great while.
Well a service dog is supposed be trained to be sociable with everyone, I would take Shae to either a trainer who specifically handles correcting problems or you can even bring her to someplace like Petsmart where they have Socialization classes as well. Also take in to consideration that Shae is getting older and maybe that alone is a reason behind it. Try retraining, that should help and then you can decide if you want to return to the same facility for counseling or choose another one. Best of luck & God Bless.