The Causes of Worms in Dogs

There are a variety of worms that cause illness in your dogs such as: heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms. What causes worms in dogs? Let’s take a closer look.

Hookworms are predominately found in dog feces. If your dog eats these feces they can develop this condition. Look for the following signs: loose stool or blood in the stool, the dog seems bloated, gas, has an unusual appetite, and his coat seems to be on the dull side.

Roundworms come from dogs ingesting the egg of the roundworm. In puppies, they may become infected through the mother. Signs that your dog has roundworm may be exhibited as follows: vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and an unusual appetite.

Heartworms are usually developed from mosquitoes. This condition can result during warm months when dogs are more exposed to these pests. Signs your dog may have heartworm includes: lethargy, coughing, appetite loss, difficult breathing, and may become more tired than usual after exercise. This condition requires immediate treatment from a vet.

Tapeworms are caused by dogs eating fleas. A regular inspection of your dog’s rectum to detect if there are any white rice-like parasites will clearly indicate your dog has tapeworms. Other signs may include: itching in the infected area, inability to digest food,
loss of weight, and stomach pain.

Whipworm is caused by dogs that eat other feces that have been infested with worms or if they happen to step in feces and lick their paw. A dog with this condition will have a bloody stool, unusual appetite, will become bloated, experience cramps, and have a dull coat.

There are other serious conditions which can affect a dog’s health, particularly puppies. While these are not attributed to worms, they should nonetheless be noted. Coccidia are parasites which are caused by digesting feces. Signs of this condition includes: loose stool, vomiting, loss of weight, and bloating. Coccidia infect the intestines of the pup.

Another parasite which can affect pups is called Giardia. Found mostly in areas where water is abundant, the ingestion of these parasites can cause loose stool, loss of weight, and bloating. These parasites feed on the small intestine.

Detection and early prevention can alleviate the symptoms affecting your dog or puppy.
A regular check-up will give a vet the opportunity to check for worms and other conditions by taking stool samples. If you find that your dog’s behavior or habits have changed in any way, make an appointment with your vet to ascertain the problem so that treatment can commence immediately.

Note: Some parasites can affect small children. To prevent this from occurring, ensure that your child does not come into contact with the dog’s feces. After your child plays with the dog, make sure he or she washes his hands thoroughly each and every time.

Dog Obedience Training: Get an Early Start

Dogs are known to vary in size as well as shape though they all have a propensity to dig up the earth in order to bury their bones and this characteristic in a dog can cause total ruination of your well laid garden or backyard. In addition, this habit of digging can prove to be bad for the discipline of your dog and so as a concerned dog owner you will need to first of all understand why your dog is digging up the earth and then find a way to solve the issue.

Often dogs will dig up the earth in order to give you a message such as asking for attention or indicating the need to get some more exercise. It could also be that your dog is trying to make a shelter for him or to create space to bury their food. To ensure that your dog does not persist with this and other bad habits you will need to understand what dog obedience training is all about.

When it concerns proper dog training you should keep the old saying “to err is human, to forgive divine” in your mind. Your dog will have a few bad habits that need to be eliminated and so, when you start with dog obedience training you need to ensure that you don’t make some common mistakes that are made by many dog owners.

A very common mistake is that dog owners do not take the trouble to learn about the lineage of their dog which is not good because some dogs happen to be very aggressive while others might be reticent. The thing that decides whether your dog turns out to be aggressive or reticent is their genes and so, before applying dog obedience training techniques you should keep in mind the genetic makeup of your dog.

Dog obedience training can also often turn out to be harder than you expected and the best way to ensure that the training succeeds is to develop a good relationship with your dog. Basically, all dogs are wild by nature and they are also pack animals; each pack has a leader who is the unquestioned authority figure which means that all other dogs will bend in front of the pack leader.

By ensuring that you become the pack leader you can make dog obedience training easier as well as more effective. In addition, you need to reward your dog every time he follows the dog obedience training commands as this will motivate him to obey you.

If you are dog lover then dog obedience puppy training must be a subject that is sure to make you feel very enthused. Bringing home a new puppy often has the same sentimental value as the birth of a newborn baby. It is therefore necessary that you understand the value of starting dog obedience training at as early a stage as is possible in the life of your puppy or dog as it will ensure easier training as well as eliminates the need to rectify bad habits that have been allowed to develop.

You Need to Spay or Neuter Your Dog

What is the importance of spaying and neutering your dog? According to the Humane Society, approximately three millions dogs or more are euthanized each year. Remanded to shelters because they have been abandoned or because their owners can no longer care for them, the over-population of dogs in animal shelters has reached major proportions.

While the aforementioned statistic is hard to imagine, it is nonetheless true. This is why animal advocates constantly remind the general population to have their dogs spayed or neutered. There are other reasons why this method is recommended.

Dogs have an innate desire to breed. It’s just a fact. More importantly, however, spaying and neutering can prevent cancer. In addition, neutered male dogs will less likely want to run away or engage in rough-housing with other male dogs. Male dogs are inherently territorial. If he isn’t neutered, then he will use his dominance over other dogs particularly when a female is involved.

Spaying and neutering your dog does not mean they will become lazy, gain weight, or have a personality change. All the procedure does is to prevent your dog from seeking out other dogs to mate with. According to the Humane Society, “…. in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies.”

Imagine if you will that there are millions of pet owners. Now imagine if each pet were not spayed or neutered and the offspring were thrown in garbage bags, left by unscrupulous owners to fend for themselves, or bred in puppy mills to make a quick buck. There have been countless incidents which bear out these facts.

Unless you are a breeder, there is no reason not to have your dog spayed or neutered. The result would reduce the number of homeless dogs lying in wait for someone to adopt them, reduce the number of dogs roaming the streets for scraps, and reduce the likelihood that dogs will attack pets.

Owning a dog comes with a responsibility to ensure the pet is happy, safe, and lives in a welcoming and caring environment. Conversely, a dog that is put to sleep due to over-population could have been someone’s life-long companion. This is why adoption is preferred.

Although puppies are the first to be adopted in shelters, it is often the case that adult dogs can only be kept for a certain amount of time due to the over-population of dogs in this country. Thus, they face a grim future.

In an effort to reduce the number of dogs, a spaying and neutering program has begun in some cities and has resulted in a 30%-60% decline in euthanasia.

While this is good news, it is up to all individuals across the nation to not only spay and neuter their pets, but adopt them as well. What other choice do we have?

Get a Good Vet for Your Dog

Just as humans need to have a regular doctor in case of illness, so too a dog needs to have a qualified vet to take care of him in case anything goes wrong. How to find the right veterinarian for your dog requires a bit of research and careful consideration.

There are several ways in which you can find the right vet. First, ask neighbors or friends who are dog owners to give you a recommendation; Second, talk to pet groomers in your area to find out who they use; Third, check online by going to: http://www.pets911.com/services/veterinarians/ where you can find a qualified vet in your area.

If you do check online, make a list of the vets in your area and call to make an appointment in order to determine the following:

* Are you greeted in a kind and professional manner by the staff?
* Are the waiting rooms and general surroundings clean?
* Do you find the staff to be qualified and knowledgeable?
* When you called to make the appointment to visit, were they genuinely courteous?
* Do they have parking on location?
* How many technicians and support staff do they have?
* How many vets are assigned to the clinic?
* Does the area where dogs are kept clean and relatively conducive to keeping sick dogs comfortable?
* How much does it cost for their services, i.e., vaccinations, treatment, etc.
* Do they perform emergency services?
* Obtain the names of the vets so that you can check their credentials online or through the American Veterinary Medical Association.
* Do you feel comfortable at this facility?
* Has the vet answered all of your immediate questions?
* Do they have an emergency telephone number; are they on call and what are their hours?
* Ask the vet if you can observe him with a patient so that you can ascertain how he handles and interacts with the dog.

There is another factor that you should know about when dealing with a vet. Oftentimes, and depending upon the vet, they may advise you to buy certain dog food at their premises; whether it’s due to a condition your pet is experiencing, or for some other reason.

It should be noted that the cost is quite high. If the vet indeed tells you to use a particular brand, do not buy it from him but go to your local pet store or a club outlet where you can purchase the food in bulk. Dog food is quite expensive and sometimes vets prescribe a certain food because they are getting a percentage of the sale.

While we, as humans, can change doctors if we do not care for the way they practice medicine, dogs can’t tell us if they are not being treated well. Finding the right veterinarian is not only important for you, but for your dog as well.

Giving Your Pet Organic Dog Food

When it comes to taking care of the health and well being of our pets, many people feel that they must go with natural organic dog food in order to make sure that their dogs are healthy. This does not mean that those dogs that are not raised on organic dog food are unhealthy, but those who are raised on it have less of a chance of getting ill because there is not a lot of artificial ingredients and such.

Even if you have not raised your dog on the organic stuff, you can still make the switch and give them something new and different.

Any change for the better is one that should be welcomed, even if you are not used to giving your dog organic food. You will want to keep in mind though that this type of dog food is probably going to cost a lot more money then you are used to spending each week on meals for your dog.

It is truly worth it in the end though if the health of your pet improves and they are less likely to need expensive visits to the vet’s office. In the long run going with better tasting and high quality dog food is the way to go because it will make a real difference in the life of your dog.

If you are used to shopping in the grocery store or your local department store for your dog food you may find that you will have to start shopping other places. There are some department stores and grocery stores out there that carry organic dog food but there are not many of them simply because the demand from pet owners is not yet that high.

For now you may find it best to head directly to a pet supply shop where you will be likely to find a large variety of organic dog food. Even though it is going to cost you extra money, especially considering where you are going to have to do your shopping, you just have to keep in mind that it's worth it.

If you are on a tight budget then you are going to want to try to find yourself as many discounts or coupons as you possibly can. This will help to make sure that the cost is kept down somewhat for you. Head to the web site for the brand of organic dog food that you prefer as often times there will be coupons there that you can print out. Sign up for their mailing list and you will probably be sent coupons from time to time. Also be sure to look for general store coupons that can be applied to the purchase of the organic dog food.

A Guide to Healthy Homemade Dog Food

Recently, many pet foods were recalled from the market because of dangerous ingredients contained in them. There has always been some controversy around ready made pet food. Many people believe that they don't contain sufficient nutrients for a pet's good health. As well, it is believed by many that commercial dog food is unhealthy for dogs as the meat used in those foods is considered unfit for human consumption.

These factors have led a lot of pet owners to look for guidelines for preparing healthy homemade dog food. However, homemade dog food ingredients must be chosen carefully so as to provide a well-balanced diet.

For many years, it was believed that canines were carnivores. However, at one time many dogs fell ill from eating an all meat diet. It is now believed that canines are omnivores. This means that they need both plant-based food and meat in their diet to remain healthy.

It's important to keep in mind that dogs need a source of protein containing ten amino acids. Corn is the main ingredient of most commercial pet foods, but though it is a protein, it has only four of these amino acids.

A healthy homemade dog food must be meat-based, along with good quality proteins such as chicken, beef, egg white and fish, and some carbohydrates such as oats, corn, rice, wheat, soy and barley. It is also important to add some vegetables for energy, minerals, fats and vitamins. Grind up some eggshells, and add them to the dog’s food as well.

Your dog’s diet must consist of 40% meat, 30% vegetables and 30% starch. Such a diet can be easily prepared at home using human quality foods. And the ingredients can be varied so that the dogs get an array of nutrients. Following this formula will ensure that your canine is getting a well balanced diet.

There are a few foods that can cause some serious health problems in your dog, and hence must be avoided. These foods include chocolates, macadamia nuts, avocados, garlic, grapes, mushrooms, onions, and all kind of spicy and greasy foods.

Always cook meat before giving it to your dog. Organ meat such as kidney, liver and eggs are very good for the health of your dog. Refrigerate after preparing and don't keep it for more than three days.

If you have been feeding your dog commercially prepared food, you are advised to check with your vet before switching over to homemade dog food. Most veterinarians agree that healthy homemade dog food is ideal for your pet in the long run.

Vegetarian Dog Food Recipes: Safe for Your Dog?

The idea of a strictly vegetarian diet for dogs and cats is met with a lot of skepticism from pet owners. However, if you follow vegetarian dog food recipes with the nutritional balance necessary, it is possible for your dog to be satisfied and healthy on a vegetarian diet.

Dogs are omnivores like humans. In the wild, they eat a lot of plant-based foods. Sure, they also eat meat in the wild but they generally eat mice, birds, and other small animals. With good, nutritious vegetarian dog food recipes and nutritional supplements, your dog can get all of the nutrients he needs from a vegetarian diet.

Your dog may be very used to eating commercial food so it could be hard for you to wean him. You can start by incorporating vegetarian food into his diet and then taking out the meat-based products little by little.

Use vegetarian dog food recipes that include tomato sauce, olive oil, powdered kelp, and nutritional yeast, which are food items dogs tend to enjoy. Veggie burgers, mashed chickpeas, and melon are also very popular with dogs.

The health of most dogs improves after switching to vegetarian dog food recipes but watch your pet closely regardless. Note any changes in his skin, fur, or gastrointestinal problems. There are times when dogs do not thrive on vegetarian diets so if that is the case, put some meat back into his diet.

You can prepare vegetarian dog food recipes for your dog by yourself or you can buy commercially prepared food. If you choose to prepare food on your own, make sure to read about the nutritional requirements of dogs and follow them carefully when preparing meals.

A dog can get sick if he doesn’t receive enough Vitamin D, protein, or calcium in his diet. Look for a supplement that contains these nutrients as well as essential amino acids to ensure that your dog gets enough of the nutrients he needs.

You can buy a book with vegetarian dog food recipes or come up with your own. Remember to use a variety of different ingredients and use a lot of protein-packed grains and legumes. Chickpeas, quinoa, amaranth, and kidney beans are examples of healthy, protein-packed ingredients you can give to your dog. If you want to use a dry dog food recipe, try mashing together ingredients like beans, corn, and potatoes and then baking small biscuits.

So there you have it. A vegetarian diet may not be right for every dog out there but it is possible to have a healthy vegetarian dog. Remember to study the nutritional needs of your dog carefully and consult a veterinarian for advice. It’s possible for your dog to get all of the nutrients he needs from a carefully planned vegetarian dog food recipe.