Can I Keep My Dog Medicine-Free?
Today I brought home a new puppy and am beyond happy. He’s an absolutely adorable Cocker Spaniel named Zeus. Of course, before buying Zeus I looked up all of the relevant Kentucky dog laws. It was no shock that certain vaccinations are legally required here. It makes sense–rabies can easily jump to the human population, and it’s just acting as a good community member and neighbor to have your dog vaccinated. But after I wrote down the legal requirements I had to take care of for my new puppy, I did some research on some other pet care basics, including what other dog meds I’d have to get him.
I really hate the idea of giving my dog medications. I try to live a very natural lifestyle myself. I never take medication unless it’s really an absolute necessity. I don’t even keep ibuprofen or cold medicine in the house. We’ve been around on the Earth for a long time without needing many of these medications. And frankly, it seems like most people overmedicate themselves, taking eight Advil or running to the hospital every time they have the littlest ache or pain. So now that I am a pet owner, I’m shy of having a different set of principles for my pet than I have for myself. It’s only in modern history and only in super developed/wealthy countries that dog medications have come into style. Canines have managed to live healthy, happy lives on their own for centuries. So why all of a sudden does half a pet owner’s budget have to go to medicating their dog?
I had no problem with getting Zeus his vaccinations. They are obviously necessary on both a medical and cultural basis. I’m not a religious zealot or anything. If my appendix goes wrong or I have a super high fever, I’ll go to the doctor and take all the help I can. But giving my dog regular prescription medicine from the very start with no sign of an issue seems going beyond this. The only medications that I know everyone recommends are some type of heartworm preventative, like this one, and Frontline Plus or another flea medicine. So far it looks like pretty much everyone and their mother says you should get heartworm medication, since the condition is so widespread and deadly. Fleas, on the other hand, don’t seem to be as much of a menace. I’m continuing to look into the situation, but that’s what I’m thinking so far.
Dog Fur Maintenance
Your dog’s fur is a very important aspect of your dogs life, keeping it clean and in good shape is a good way to keep your dog happy, healthy, and clean. If you don’t keep your dogs fur in good shape it will only be a mater of time before tangles and knots appear in your canines coat picking up insects, pests, and causing discomfort for your pet.
Different dogs have different types of fur and with so many cross breeds and different looking dogs, naming all the different types of fur would be impossible. There are many different types of dog fur, some will look after themselves more than others but the general rule is that a longer coat will normally tangle and know easier than others.
To maintain your dog’s fur and keep it looking as it should, lots of grooming may be needed so this should be taken into account when buying a new dog. But grooming does not need to be a chore you have to do for your dog because grooming is proven to be a great bonding between owner and dog and creates trust and comfort for your dog making them a lot easier to train.
Step one is to get a good comb for your dog ensuring that there are no sharp edges and that your dog is comfortable with you using it without hurting him/her. Your vet or local pet shop many be able to help you and give you advice with choosing the correct comb but this will be a deciding point in whether your dog will enjoy you doing it or not.
After you have chosen your comb, grooming should happen often and you should do it thoroughly each time, ensuring all knots and angles are removed, if you haven’t yet combed your dog’s fur then it may be difficult to start so do a bit at a time to ensure you don’t discourage your dog and make them not like the grooming process.
After the initial combing, the more often you groom your dog the easier it will be, leaving it for long periods of time is not advised because this means it is more likely to hurt your dog when it eventually does get done. If your dog is finding it tough going then maybe a dog bath is needed to make it easier to detangle and add to your dog furs health.
stop dog whining
So you want to learn to how to stop you dog whining? There’s anything about the sound of a dog whining that irritates most people. Whining can be a normal conduct that dogs use to whining to communicate that there is certainly a thing that they want. Puppies whine for the mother once they are hungry, and she returns to the litter to let them to nurse. Mature dogs, when and if they discover that humans can be trained to identical way will use whining to acquire what they want.
If your k9 is a whiner it’s important to take note of what you are performing if your dog starts to whine. It may start to whine when:
You are eating something the canine wishesThat you are outdoors or inside along with the dog desires in or out for being with youSet inside kennel or crateWhen it needs to visit externalAlmost certainly most owners agree that whining to go outdoors to toilet may be the only acceptable whining on the list. For this type of whining immediately let the pet external to go to the bathroom. Don’t engage in any supplemental play, but it could be acceptable to praise the puppy mildly for letting you realize that it desired to visit outside. Attempt to monitor this closely and anticipate once the dog requirements to toilet in order to avoid beginning a whining behavior.
Stopping your dog from whining. Removing this habit from your dog’s tendencies is extremely similar to the way you cease a kid from whining, ignore the dog while it really is whining, and attend to it when there is silence. Even telling the dog to stop are going to be giving attention, so totally ignoring is very best.
Moreover try:
Give numerous commands in a very row like sit, come, remain, down and so on to obtain the dog focused on a productive and favourable pattern. Reward the canine for completing the actions and devote some time with all the pet soon after he or she is quiet.Position the kennel or crate inside a room which is distant from you. This will stay away from the temptation of responding on the whining either verbally or by offering in.Make the kennel or crate a positive position. Place toys and secure blankets in it to produce it a pleasant place to get. Start out with short session and operate to longer so the k9 becomes accustom to becoming crated. In no way leave the puppy inside the crate or kennel for prolonged periods of time or being a punishment.Should the puppy only whines in specific cases appear closely at the scenarios to determine what is bothering the puppy and adjust them if achievable. Reward the dog for becoming in the situation with out whining.Devote added time with the pet when it is quiet. This reinforces the good habits.In the event the dog whines for no apparent purpose, or begins whining when eating, heading towards bathroom or when moving, instantly have a vet check the dog. Whining can be a sign of pain.Probably the most critical factor is to stop offering into the whining tendencies. If, at any time, you do respond to the dog when it’s whining, the k9 purely understands that it may be rewarded for the behavior. Stay firm and respond only once the k9 is behaving quietly.
Hope this helps you to stop dog whining. Thank you for reading
Ruchi Vasishta
Make Your Puppy Obey
Puppies are so adorable. They love to frolic and play and can capture your heart before you know it. Sometimes they act like children with their antics. It is important though that you make your puppy obey your every command.
Obedience must be built into your puppy daily. As you go about instilling obedience, you are also learning about your puppy. The things that make him tick. They have personalities also. Take the time and observe your puppy at play.
Watch your puppy closely. Guide him; help him to develop a non-aggressive temperament. Make your puppy obey your instructions at all times. In many instances, its not aggressive dogs, its aggressive owners.
Owning a puppy can be a rewarding experience. I firmly believe that the key to owning an animal is being totally responsible for that animal. Depending on its breed, some puppies will grow into fearsome dogs.
This fact should always be taken into consideration. Puppies that grow up to be big dogs need to really be properly trained during its early life. Don’t be fooled though. Not only does a big dog bite.
Dog owners need to be prepared to give up their time when raising their puppy. The puppy will have to be fed and given water regularly.
Also your puppy has to be groomed, exercised and then there is the constant petting. But more importantly, during all of this, you must make your puppy obey. He must be properly trained.
The puppy you see today will not be the dog you’ll see in a few months. They grow quickly. The other thing they love is routine. If you are an habitual person; your puppy will love you. As he follows you around he’ll get to know your habits.
It has to be remembered, we do not have total control over a dog’s instinct. An attack cannot always be predicted. You can train your puppy using passive techniques.
That’s always good because you provide your puppy with non-aggressive options.
Whichever technique you adopt though, please be aware. It is imperative that you make your puppy obey your every command at all times.
I’m usually careful whenever entering someone’s home and a dog is present. The dog owner usually says that he doesn’t bite.
I always respond, “does he have teeth? Then he bites.”
While on the topic of dog bites, here is a Dog Owners Guide, (DOG).
I like to include at least one DOG tip:
Never leave your dog unsupervised around children. No matter how
domesticated you may believe your family dog to be, don’t do it.
Rambunctious children may spark a dog to attack in order to protect
the quieter child. Dogs play in different ways. Some are rough, others,
not so rough. To an infant rough play could be deadly.
So please parents and guardians of small children. If you must move
away from the children, take the dog with you.
A Guide to Worms in Dogs
Dog owners should be familiar with the risks of worms in dogs; not only to themselves but to other people too. Worms in dogs can cause ill health in both canines and humans: they are internal parasites.
Although worms in dogs do cause damage to their health, there are often no symptoms until the damage is already being done. Although worms in dogs are hard to spot, the symptoms to look out for are general loss of condition, sickness and diarrhoea. Roundworms and tapeworms are the two types of worms in dogs.
Roundworms
Pale white or beige in colour, roundworms look as though they are coiled like a spring and may grow up to 100mm long. They might be visible in your pet’s faeces or vomit. Roundworm larvae find their way into the dog’s body when they are ingested and adult worms then develop inside the dog’s body. Later, new eggs are passed through the dog in his faeces, restarting the chain again. Unfortunately, the most common type of roundworm is dogs is Toxocara Canis and it can have devastating effects on human children. If children eggs through contact with, for example, contaminated soil, the resulting larvae can move through their bodies. If they reach the eyes, the larvae can potentially damage the eyesight. This is one of the main reasons why dog owners should always pick up after their pet.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms look like flat segments filled with moving eggs which resemble grains of rice and which you may be able to see in your dog’s faeces or around his anus. Fleas carry tapeworm larvae so dogs become infected when they swallow fleas whilst grooming. Inside the dog, tapeworms can grow as long as 5m.
With worms in dogs, as with many conditions, it is true that prevention is better than cure. You should make sure that your dog is wormed every three months. Young puppies require worming even more regularly than that. Effective worming medication can be bought at either a pet shop or a veterinary surgery, but you should ask your vet to suggest the most appropriate one.
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