Thursday, January 10, 2008
As a loving pet owner, you want your dog to live a great life. You can do this thanks to the many advances in veterinary medicine. Dogs can live longer and healthier. And, the quality of your dog's health is all about how well you and your vet work together to make it so.
Your first vet visit should be within the first ten days that you own her. In this time period, the vet will get measurements and weights for her. They will also check the blood and stool of the animal to insure there are no health concerns there. It is also important for you to get some basic education on modern pet care from your vet during that first appointment. The vet will be able to tell you how to brush the dog's teeth, how to clean his ears as well as how to clip toenails. Just ask.
The next thing that you should keep in mind is your dog's food. A well balanced diet will include foods that are good quality and in the correct amounts. Your dog needs the right nutrients to sustain a healthy lifestyle. You can always ask your vet which is the best food for your dogs as well as understanding how much to feed them. You don't have to purchase the highest priced product on the store shelves either. Some of the most costly are not even that good for your dog. There are great inexpensive choices for you as well.
You need to give your dog exercise. It helps to strengthen muscles and keeps her weight under control. It helps with the immune system of the pet as well. You may actually have to encourage your dog to be active. If a dog seems to be a couch potato type animal, you need to find a way to get them moving. Other dogs are naturally active. You should put some time each day aside for the exercise of your pet.
Your dog will need to be seen by the vet at least once per year. This will allow the vet to insure the dog's health as well as test for parasites that may be there. Blood and stool samples will be used for this. It is important to do this so that the vet can spot and treat problems before they threaten your dog's health severely. You should also mention anything different that your dog is doing during this time. For example some pets will lick paint or will eat strange substances. These are signs that something is medically wrong and you should bring it to your vet's attention.
Also important during this visit is that the vaccines will be updated. This is very important to your dog's life. And, in some areas, it is required by law to have them done.
Lastly, you'll need to know how to choose a vet. Do it the same way you would choose your own doctor. They should be someone that you trust and feel comfortable talking with. The vet should encourage your questions and support your needs.
Best Dog Health Information is a resource which will help you find infomation, hints and tips to keeping your dog happy and healthy. http://www.best-pet-health.info
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and live links are included intact.
Is Your Dog Annoying The Neighbors? How To Deal With Excessive Barking
Along with a baby's crying, the persistant barking of a dog is one of the most annoying sounds. But is there anything you can do as a dog owner to 'persuade' your pooch to stop barking? Here are a few suggestions from an experienced dog owner.
The bark. It can be annoying. But, in effect, it is the way the dog is communicating to you. For example, it can mean, 'hello' or it can mean 'go away.' It can mean that they want to play or that they are protecting their territory. You may think your dog is barking too much, or your neighbors may think so. But, before you can put an end to your trouble, it's best to figure out why she is barking in the first place.
Some dogs have been breed to bark so it is instinctive that they bark endlessly. For example, the beagle is a hunting dog and was trained to bark when it spotted the prey. Another example are some toy dogs which were bred to be a warning signals of invasion. Even so, some dogs within these breeds bark more than they should, some more than others.
Did you encourage this behavior in your dog? If you give your dog a reward for barking then they are thinking it's a good thing. Not necessarily a treat, the reward may have been attention. Even if you think it was a scolding you gave her, she saw it as attention. Are you trying to quiet her? Did you bend down and pet her, sooth her or just talk to her? Yes, this is attention. You are actually encouraging this behavior when the dog barks and you react like this.
There are several ways in which you can work with your dog to stop this behavior. One of those ways is to use a bark collar. These collars all work in different ways but they can disperse a citronella scent that the dog doesn't like or they can even provide a small shock when the bad behavior occurs. But, this will not work in all cases and some do not like the idea of 'hurting' the animal even though the dog is not harmed at all. Another solution would be to use a professional trainer or to pick up a few books that are how to's on training your animal and work one on one with the dog to stop the behavior.
When a dog barks, he is protecting you or just warning you. The dog is trained by ancestors to do just that; to warn people. It makes sense then that the dog would be a little upset at there is a man approaching the house even though he visits daily with the mail. The dog wants you to know that the man is there and that you should react to the mailman. Those dogs that do bark too much may need some help. You can find a lot of help on training your dog to stop barking in books or with professionals. Use training as well as patience to help your dog learn when its okay and when it is not.
Best Dog Health Information is a resource which will help you find infomation, hints and tips to keeping your dog happy and healthy. http://www.best-pet-health.info
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and live links are included intact.
Why Does My Cat Bite My Hand When I Stroke Her?
You have settled into your favorite armchair, perhaps reading the final chapters of a gripping novel. Suddenly you are aware of the imploring stare of your cat sitting at your feet. You invite her onto your lap. Gently you begin to stroke her and your cat signals her appreciation with an audible purr.
One hand holding your book the other hand continuing to pet your mouser, you again get lost in your novel. All is well in the world with you and with your cat.
Suddenly your cat bites your hand!
Why did kitty do that? Why did she bite the hand that strokes her?
The experts don't agree on exactly why it is that some cats enjoy being petted, but end up biting. One thing that they do agree on is that when kitty bites at you, it's a sure sign that she has decided that she's had enough stroking.
Cats differ in the amount of petting they will accept, and not all cats respond by biting when they have had enough. Some cats simply jump from your lap and saunter off to investigate interests anew. But many cats will nip you and your animal is one of them.
Could you have known that a bite was on its way? Yes, there are often signs that cats give before biting. And, if you had not been so wrapped up in reading your novel, you may have paid heed to your little pets warning.
If kitty's tail begins to twitch, in a rolling flick, watch out! She's getting ready to chomp at your hand.
If your cats ears start turning towards the back of her head, or flatten against her head, that's a warning a bite is coming.
If your cat suddenly becomes restless, or stiffens and stares at your hand, she could be about to nip you.
If you noticed any of these signals, simply stop stroking your cat. Your pet will either stay on your lap or jump down and walk off, whichever happens you don't get bitten.
What you should not do is punish your cat for biting your hand. That simply does not work. Cats are more likely to identify the punishment with you rather than with their bad cat behavior. If you miss a warning sign and kitty manages to get her jaws around your hand, try to resist the temptation to pull your hand away or push your cat away. Simply freeze. Chances are that your cat will not sink her teeth in, she has got her message across, and you have stopped petting her.
If you try and push your cat away it is likely that she will fight with your hand resulting in skin punctures for you. (An animal bite can become infected quite easily, if your cat does draw blood clean up the wound scrupulously and seek the advice of your doctor.)
Why do some cats behave in this aggressive way? The degree of tolerance to petting may be genetic, or it may be learned behavior. If when your cat was a kitten you allowed her to chew on your hand in play, she learned that biting human hands was an OK thing to do. So, when she feels that she has had enough stroking (she's the boss remember,) she will bite at your hand to let you know - if you ignore her warning signals.
Some experts recommend the use of healthy tidbits, as a reward, in order to increase the time your cat will tolerate stroking. At the first warning signal offer kitty a treat, continue to stroke your cat gently for a time and offer her another reward. It is said that your cat will learn to connect petting with the tidbits and may, with patience, allow you to pet her for longer periods.
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