Teach Your Dog

Heartworm in dogs in one of the most dangerous conditions that a dog can get. The worms can block a dog’s blood vessels and badly damage the heart. The infected dog can have all types of symptoms: weight loss, shortness of breath, cronic cough, heart failure, and then, death.

Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms are noticed, it’s too late to cure most dogs. Treatment must be started as soon as possible so watch for the following signs:

1. Your dog coughs frequently without any apparent reason. This cough is different than the “kennel cough” that some dogs get when you adopt them from the dog pound.

2. Your dog seems to tire easily with very little activity. He is gasping for breath and he will be panting almost constantly.

4. When you walk with your dog, he can’t keep up with you and needs to rest more often. He will often just lie down and stay down even when you call him to get up.

5. Your dog’s weight has dropped dramtically. By the time you notice her weight loss, it is usually too late for treatment.

6. By the time your dog has reached the end of her life, she is convulsing and has vision problems.

You can now see why a dog must be treated, but how did he get heartworms in the first place? From mosquitos.

Mosquitos feed on the blood of the dog around the muzzle, the ears, and on the stomach where there is the least amount of hair. They infect the dog while they are feeding on the dog’s blood.

Treatments for heartworms is almost as dangerous as the heartworms themselves. The chemicals that are used must be very strong to be effective.

There are two ways to go with chemical treatments. The first is by smaller dozes given over a longer period of time. This isn’t quite as dangerous as giving just one massive dose when a large amount of chemical is given. If the heartworms all die at once, the corpses travel through to the dog’s lungs. This would cause immediate death.

Treatment for heartworm should never be given by anyone other than a highly qualified veterinarian.

There are also drugs available for heartworm prevention. These drugs kill the heartwarms before they get to the adult stage. Dogs can still get infected during mosquito season but they don’t develop heartworms.

Preventative heartworm drugs can’t ever be given to dogs that already have heartworms. Only a veterinarian can determine if a dog is already infected with heartworms. Blood tests can show if a dog has heartworms and to what degree.

You should make sure that your dog has a protected place to sleep during mosquito season. Bring him or her into the house, garage or a screened porch. Mosquito repellent is also available but it’s not very effective.

Take your dog to the vet for frequent checkups so that heartworm infestation can be caught before it gets a good foothold. The veterinarian will be able to see the symptoms of heartworms long before you do.

Heartworm in dogs can be treated, but treatment must be started as soon as possible.

Author Info:

Jude Wright is the owner of multiple websites. Learn more about taking care of your dog at http://dogandpuppycare.com.

Do You know how much food your dog really needs?

Dogs are suffering from obesity just like humans from eating the wrong food and eating too much food.

You need to control the amount of food your dog is eating and you must watch the weight of your dog
on a regular basis to make sure that he does not become overweight.

Dogs can suffer, as humans do, from a variety of ailments due to obesity, including diabetes.
There is an increasing number of dogs suffering from this disease and in most cases, it can be
avoided through the correct nutrition and monitoring the amount of food your dog eats.

A dog with diabetes will need medication to assist in the maintenance of their blood sugar
levels. Obviously, this involves additional inconvenience and expense, but there is also the
risk of death if the insulin levels are incorrect.

Just like humans, dogs should only eat what is good for them and in quantities that won’t
result in health problems later in their lives.

Dogs that work will need a bit more food for the energy that they will expend in the course of
their day, but a dog that lays around all day and doesn’t exercise much will not need to eat the
same portions of food.

Again, you should check your dog’s weight regularly and see if it is gaining or losing weight and
adjust the amount of food accordingly.

Author Info:

Patricia Reed is a successful Webmaster and publisher of many articles and newsletters involving dogs and other pets which you can browse on her website http://www.dogs.netbizconnection.com

This article seeks to give you a solid knowledge base regarding the healthiness and safety of yor dog’s food, no matter what your previous experiences on the topic.

With the issue of the healthiness and wellbeing of your dog’s food inside the last 12 months, the question still stands. How healthy is your dog’s food?

The other issue with dog food is will your dog eat it and will they get tried of eating the same food every day through out their life. I know of numerous dog owners that did just that, fed their dog the same food through out the dog’s adult life until the dog has been eating the same food for over ten years. Then marvel why their dog stops eating their food and start eating table scrappes.

Many world-renowned Doctors of Veterinary Medicine and Published “Dog Care Experts” universally allow any dog that eats commercial dog food is at a much serious threat of failing prematurely and by the time symptoms are noticeable, it’s regularly too late to stop an agonizing death excluding by lethal shot.

We hope that you have gained a clear grasp if the subject matter presented in the first half of this article.

World-Renowned vet and dog care novelist Alfred Plechner, says the meager nutritional politeties of commercial dog food inevitably advance to disease.

Raw Ingredients vs. Cooked Ingredients: People who supply their dogs raw food diets feel that nature planned for animals food vs. cooking human food. That all of the nutrients are still active in cooked food providing healthy meals for animals.

People who consider in supplying their dogs raw food feel that no additives are wanted and that their animals are receiving all of the nutrients they oblige. They feel that the commercial food companies use additives to enhance the palatability of their food effectively “addicting” a dog to it.

Commercial food advocates say that additives such as omega 3 and 6 greasy acids are central to the dog”s health system, while raw food is gone some central vitamins and minerals.

It is little things, such as this that may aid you in your search. So, sit down and decide which avenue would be best for you to take for your dog health.

Jeffrey Wolf is affiliated with: thedogfoodconspiracy.com

Millions Of Pets Are Euthanized Every Year, Simply Because People Never Learn How To Choose And Care For A New Animal In Their Home

(New York) Dec.4 — Owning a pet is as American as apple pie. Whether people choose to bring a dog or cat into their home for companionship or protection, pet ownership is a high priority for a majority of people.

So, why is it that, according to the American Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals between 5 and 9 million pets are euthanized in animal shelters every year?

While the raw diet for dogs is becoming a more and more popular topic among dog owners lately, it’s really not anything new as many pet owners might think. It has gained a renewed awareness and found its way into the spotlight recently due partly to the many recalls of commercial dog food in the past year.

Anxious for their dog’s health, pet owner’s have begun the search for healthy alternatives to commercial pet food and the raw diet for dogs has become the fervent topic.

The raw food diet for dogs, also called the B.A.R.F diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food), is relatively effortless and it basically mimics what your dog would normally eat if it lived in the wild: raw meat, raw meaty bones and raw vegetables.

If you are considering putting your dog on the raw food diet, here is some important information to keep in mind:

Changing from commercial food to the raw diet for dogs, it may be best to start with just the meat and bones for the first few days until your pet gets habituated to it.

Raw meaty bones that can be consumed include beef, chicken backs, necks, wings, or turkey necks. The chicken and turkey bones are soft enough for a dog to chew and eat and they provide and exercise for your dog’s jaw and upper-body muscle. It is very important to learn that the bones give your pet are raw. Cooked bones can splinter easily and these shards can cause severe internal damage to your pet.

After your pet has becomes accustomed to the meat and bones, you can then start adding in some of the more plain vegetables like carrots. Once your dog has become adjusted to mild vegetables, the other kinds of vegetables you want to give your dog are completely up to you. However, besides understanding the basic nutritional value of vegetables, you should make yourself conscious of any unwanted side effects they might cause.

For example, carrots are wonderful because of their vitamins, potassium and calcium. Watercress and mustard leaf help clean out the intestines. On the flip side, potatoes are not easily digested, large amounts of onions can cause stomach problems and broccoli and cabbage can increase the frequency of your dog’s gas.

Some of the rewards pet owners report as a result of putting their pet on the raw food diet for dogs include: lower veterinarian bills, better smelling breath, improved skin and coats and an improved immune system due to the balance of pure nutrients and fatty acids.

Is the raw diet for dogs appropriate for your pet? While it has its advantages, no one diet is correct for every dog anymore than any one diet is correct for every human. You should fully explore dog diets and nutritional needs and carefully weigh your options based on your pet’s individual needs.

Author Info:

Ron King For more about dogs, visit Raw Diet For Dogs. Also check out Diet For Dogs.

For Ron’s website, visit .Raw Diet.

To enjoy your pets longer, to be able to play and cuddle them, pets should be free from parasites. Of course, no pet owners would allow their children to play with pets full of ticks and fleas, and hug unsightly appearing animals. Proper safeguards on pet care starts from knowing the symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Dogs suffer from common parasites such as fleas, ticks and heartworms. Unlike fleas and ticks, heartworms are unnoticeable unless symptoms show on dogs. Veterinary reports show how to rcognize their symptoms, how to effectively eliminate sources, and to prevent them from infecting your pets.

Dogs with worm infections has symptoms of diarrhea, and sometimes blood in the stool. The dog starts to lose weight, has dry hair, loses appetite, has a distressed appearance, and shows worms in his vomit. Newly born puppies may inherit heartworms from the mother dog that has worm eggs dormant in its body and transmit it to them upon birth.

Fleas and ticks are common to dogs. Fleas stay on the animals, while the flea eggs are found in carpets, beddings, and grass. It has been reported that for every flea found, thousands of eggs lie somewhere in the house and in the yard.

To start with any preventive control to eliminate heartworms, flea and ticks, some kind of treatment must be initiated. Dog owners must make a thorough examination of their breeding places.

Heartworm infections of dogs are said to be transmitted through mosquitoes, and clearing of mosquito breeding places should first be done.

First, dogs must be examined for the presence of adult worms by a Veterinarian. If found positive for worms, treatment through medications should be done. Treatment takes several weeks depending upon the degree of infections. After treatment, two to three weeks after, the Veterinarian will initiate prevention of heartworms eggs to mature into adult eggs. Preventive medication takes about one month, while for some kind of dogs; Vets recommend continued preventive medication, for at least one year.

It is best that after 6 months, another examination for presence of heartworm in dogs be done, because the infection is not manifested in the outer appearance of the dog in its initial stage.

For fleas and ticks, dog owners should start in eliminating and controlling the eggs and larvae of the fleas and ticks in the environment and start wih treatment of the pet.

For flea control inside the house, a frequent vacuuming of places where the dog sleeps and plays should be done to remove flea eggs It should be discarded immediately into a plastic bag and properly sealed. Then use an adulticide to kill remaining adult fleas and larvae. There are many adulticide available in the market in the form of sprays, powders and foggers.

Ask a veterinarian in choosing the proper adulticide in places where there are children, sick person or other animals that may be affected.

In outdoor areas, fleas like to live in moist, warm places where there are organic rots. These are the places where dog owners should start cleaning and using adulticide to kill fleas and larvae. These places in the house are porches, patios, dog houses, and gardens. Foggers and sprayers are best used in these open areas as these can reach a larger space, cracks and corners.

Ticks can also be controlled through this method, as there are insecticides that have a combined effect to treat both fleas and ticks at the same time. Vets may recommend such solutions or may suggest available products in the market.

Moving towards prevention should first start with treatment. And once cleared, maintenance and preventive measures should be thoroughly followed to avoid recurrence.

Author Info:

Robert Thomson is writing articles about dog heartworm and heartgard on his heartworm protection website