Pampered Dog Blog

One of the common problems that dog owners have to deal with is dog worms. These parasites infest our pets and pilfer nutrients from the food they consume. Some even cause more severe illnesses, and others can cause death if left untreated.

It therefore pays to be forewarned and in this article we’ll be discussing the signs and symptoms of dog worms and what you should do about them.

There are actually several species of worms that infect dogs, including roundworms, hookworms, pinworms, tapeworms, whipworms and heartworms. The most common of these are roundworms and hookworms. These parasites carry the additional danger in that they are zoonotic, meaning they can also be transmitted to humans, with children particularly at risk.

If that doesn’t motivate you to take immediate action, bear in mind that, far from being benign, worms can cause numerous health problems for your dog. These can range from relatively minor problems like diarrhea, to tissue damage, organ failure and ultimately death.

But how do you know if your dog has worms? The most common symptoms are weight loss, lack of appetite, a dull coat, lethargy, coughing, diarrhea and vomiting. The dog may also have a noticeable “pot-belly” if he has worms.

If your dog displays these symptoms you should get him to the vet right away for accurate diagnosis of the problem.

Fortunately, most dog worm infestations are relatively easy to treat. Your vet may prescribe medication, and there are also a number of over-the-counter medications that are very effective in getting rid of internal parasites. You should be aware though that these medications contain a mild pesticide, so using them too often may result in other health problems.

Instead of using a chemically based medication, you may prefer to use a natural alternative. In recent years several companies have introduced herbal remedies to the market. These naturally flush the parasites from your dog’s system and may have other health benefits for your pet as well.

So far we’ve only talked about treating your dog after the fact. However, there are things you should be doing to reduce the risk of a worm infestation. For starters you can ensure that your dog is kept free of fleas, a major vector for tapeworm.

In you live in a heartworm area you should also, definitely ensure that he gets a preventative. Heartworms are one of the most dangerous dog worm species, as a severe infestation can result in death.

You should also take care to keep your dog’s living area clean, and pick up faeces from your yard and garden as soon as you can.

One final point, have a word with your vet before giving any deworming product to your dog, even a natural one.

Find out more about dog worms, dog grooming, dog health and other helpful dog advice at http://www.dogsanddogtraining.com.

Owners are worried modern heartworm protection medications might no longer be the, reliable therapy because of a heartworm resistant strain. Currently, reports have definitely not located a resistant strain of heartworms – but the American Heartworm Society as well as Companion Animal Parasite Council concur that there’s some data that a hereditary deviation in certain heartworms is linked with a lessened vulnerability to heartworm preventives. Nonetheless, the guidance is overwhelmingly that pet owners should never stop giving heartworm preventative.

Regular monthly heartworm treatment wipes out the larvae inside the bloodstream. This medication must be given each and every month. If this type of standard protocol isn’t implemented, it will be possible for the pet to be afflicted. An existing court action against a heartworm treatment product is mainly responsible for growing fears amongst pet owners. Even so, heartworm resistance is actually not established. The chances are greater the medication dosage of regular monthly treatment methods are inadequate within parts of the globe in which mosquito population is actually rising or perhaps the pet owners failed to dispense the medication dosage effectively.

Research has revealed that 50 % of owners that give their own pet dogs regular canine heartworm medication don’t provide the medication as advised. This will likely be the cause of a substantial number of pet dogs which are afflicted with heartworms although the pet dogs are provided the regular monthly heartworm treatment. Vets and research workers have examined the life cycle of heartworms and believe passionately that the heartworm treatments can’t bring about heartworm resistance. It’s considered a lot of afflicted pet dogs were being afflicted because treatment had not been used appropriately.

The simple truth is more pet dogs are getting to be afflicted with heartworms and plenty of these pet dogs got the regular heartworm protective. Most of the time, the dog owner just didn’t observe the correct routine or even failed to ensure the pet consumed the full medication dosage. On top of that, a good number of instances are typically in locations like the Gulf Coast in which the mosquito population has grown substantially in the last ten years. If heartworm resistance is definitely developing, it has definitely not yet been determined. A lot more studies necessary to determine whether heartworm resistance is really the main cause of growing heartworm infections.

It’s important for pet owners to make certain the regular preventive medication is given each month. On top of that, it is essential for pet owners to be certain the pet dog takes in the full medication dosage. At the moment, the heartworm prevention medication failure rate is below one out of one million. Although you could have fears concerning heartworm resistance, you need to continue to treat your pet dog by using a regular heartworm protection schedule. Meanwhile, research in to whether any type of heartworm resistance has developed continues inside the Veterinary and wider research community.

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Dogs throw up quite often. This is just natural canine behavior, and can have a number of underlying reasons.

So before you get yourself into a blind panic and rush off to the vet, stop for a while! There’s probably nothing to worry about. Throwing up is just your dog’s natural way of clearing something from his system.

Of course, I’m not suggesting that you ignore it completely, because sometimes vomiting does suggest a more serious problem. But you’ll need to observe the dog for other symptoms, for example, If the vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea, loss of appetite and general listlessness.

If these symptoms accompany the vomiting then the safest course is to take your dog to the vet. Most likely though, the problem will be something minor.

Here are some common reasons why your dog may be vomiting;

Eating too fast – Many dogs tend to woof their food down, a throw back to the days when they could be attacked while eating. Feeding 3 to 4 smaller meals rather than one large meal may sort out the problem and will also protect against bloat, a potentially deadly condition.

Consuming Grass – Nobody really knows why dogs eat grass, but many of them seem to love it. Some experts believe they eat grass to induce vomiting, while others say that eating too much grass makes them vomit. Either way, eating grass often makes a dog throw up.

Eating the wrong foods – A dog will eat just about anything, so it’s up to you to ensure that your dog gets a healthy diet. Dogs that live on junk food and table scraps are always going to throw up. Ditto, dogs that make a habit of raiding the trash.

When should I be concerned?

Usually, vomiting is down to one of the 3 reasons I mentioned above. But if it becomes a recurring problem, say once a day or more, you’d be well advised to make your dog checked by a vet.

Also look out for other symptoms, like those mentioned earlier, as well as other unusual signs. Be particularly watchful for blood in the vomit or any strange coloration. If you see this, get your dog to the vet right away.

Vomiting may also have a more immediate cause – your dog may have ingested something poisonous, like a household detergent, a toxic plant, or even a large amount of chocolate. If you believe this to be the case, get your dog to the vet immediately.

How To Prevent Your Dog From Throwing Up

Dogs will always throw up, but with a few commonsense measures it is quite easy to reduce the frequency of your dog’s vomiting.

To begin with you cut cut out all the “human foods” you give your dog, including junk food and table scraps. You can also secure your trashcan, so that the dog can not get at it. Then you can reduce the size of your dog’s meals, but feed him more frequently. Lastly, you can add a fiber supplement to your dog’s food, so that he will reduce his intake of grass.

In most cases, these simple steps are enough to sort out the problem. If however, your dog continues to throw up, you should speak to your vet.

To find out more about dog vomiting, dog care, dog health and other useful dog information go to www.dogsanddogtraining.com

Many dogs enjoy munching on grass, in fact some make a habit of eating it and show few ill effects. Yet this canine behavior is worrying to a lot of dog owners.

If you are concerned about your dog’s grass eating habit, this article will clear up a few common misconceptions for you.

Do Dogs Really Need Greens In Their Diet?

Dogs eat a variety of foods and, as omnivores, need to eat meat as well as vegetables. As grass was the most common vegetable matter around, it formed an integral part of their ancestor’s regular diet. In fact, it may even have had some medicinal value for them.

You may have noticed that even if your dog doesn’t normally eat grass, he’ll look for a clump of grass to munch on when he’s feeling unwell. Veterinarians are divided as to why this is. Some believe that dogs eat grass because their stomachs are upset, others insist that their stomachs become upset after eating grass.

Is Eating Grass Dangerous For Dogs?

Lots of dog owners worry about this, particularly as their dogs often throw up the grass they eat. There’s really nothing to worry about, eating grass is a natural canine behavior and something that wild dogs have always indulged in.

In fact, a recent study showed that up to 80% of dogs regularly consume grass or other plants. The study also showed that dogs that eat grass regularly are in no way less healthy that dogs who don’t.

Why Dogs Eat GrassSome believe dogs eat grass when they are feeling unwell, but the evidence does not support this. Most dog owners surveyed reported that their dogs showed no sign of being ill prior to eating grass. And it seems unlikely that dogs eat grass to make themselves throw up – less than 25% of dog owners surveyed noticed their dogs vomiting after eating grass.

There is, however, evidence to suggest that grass provides an essential source of fiber for dogs. For example, it has been noted that where fiber is added to a dog’s diet, he reduces his grass intake or stops eating grass altogether.

Is Eating Grass Healthy For Your Dog? Okay, so grass isn’t bad for a dog, does that mean it is good?

Grass offers very little nutritional value. Cattle and other herbivores that rely on it as their primary source of food have to eat tons of the stuff just to get the nutrients they need.

It is doubtful whether the small amount a dog eats has significant nutritional value. But, as omnivores, dogs do need to consume vegetable matter, so it is likely that grass offers at least some benefit.

So if grass is good for dogs why does it sometimes make them throw up? Even the experts don’t agree on that one. What they do tell us though is that it is not harmful for a dog to eat grass.

Visit www.dogsanddogtraining.com to learnmore about why dogs eat grass, dog care, dog health and other helpful dog information.

Getting out into the great outdoors with your canine buddy is one of the great joys of dog ownership. The woods, the sunshine, the fresh air, your dog will love it, and so will you.

But tread carefully, there’s danger up ahead. No, I’m not talking about bears or snakes or even wolves. I’m referring to ticks!

Ticks are freeloading little arachnids, parasites who suck the blood of warm blooded animals and who seem to have a particular liking for dogs. If your dog spends time running in woodlands or fields, chances are he’ll pick up a few ticks.

These little suckers are pretty clever too. They climb onto a long stalk of grass and wait for a likely host to come by. Then they hop on, hide themselves under the animal’s fur, sink their teeth in, and start feeding.

They even inject a numbing agent into the wound, so that the dog does not detect their presence. And they are voracious feeders. A tick can suck up to 100 times its own body weight in blood.It is therefore important that you regularly check your dog for ticks. Make this part of your regular routine.

You’ll generally be looking for two types of ticks. The hard-bodied type is normally brown in color and resembles a small round spider. The soft-bodied type is larger and grey in color. They may be flaccid, or distended, depending on how much blood they’ve consumed.

Ticks are a serious threat to your dog’s health, spreading some pretty nasty diseases like Lyme disease. They are also known to attack humans and I should know. I’ve been bitten by a tick and I can assure you, it is very unpleasant, with severe headaches, nausea and pain.So how do you get rid of these leeches? Everyone has a theory but unfortunately few of them work. For the record, avoid burning the tick with cigarettes and matches, or using petroleum jelly, or alcohol.

The right tool for the job is a fine-pointed pair of tweezers. Position the tweezers around the tick’s head, as close to the dog’s skin as you possibly can. Now, grasp the head and pull back gently, giving a slight twist of the wrist as you do. Keep it slow and steady, because you don’t want the head to break off and remain in the wound and become infected.Spray a hydrocortisone spray around the bite wound to take care of any irritation.

Place the tick in a bowl with some undiluted household bleach to kill it. Of course, if you’re squeamish you could just flush it down the toilet, but it will probably just go on to prey on some other poor animal.

If your dog spends a lot of time in open fields or woodland you should consider using a vet approved preventative like Frontline Plus. This will kill ticks already on the dog and prevent new ones from attaching.

If you want to find out more about dog ticks, dog care, information on dogs and other useful dog information drop by at www.dogsanddogtraining.com

You could be un-aware about many of the various troubles which pets typically experience if they are not protected against an invasion of parasites. All of the itchiness and scratching brought on is something which everybody is aware of, although you will find many other, more severe issues too.

Dermatitis

This is the most common problem experienced by just about any pet dog who’s not given a good flea protection treatment and which gets plagued by fleas. Numerous dogs may have a hypersensitivity to flea spit. The spittle will stay on the skin of your dog that’s been attacked by fleas. While many dogs might have a very minor response, numerous dogs suffer from excruciating dermatitis. An indication that your dog is hypersensitive, will be constant scratching as well as licking. Due to this repeated licking and scratching your pet might really cause bleeding along with a wound which will become irritated and also infected. For more information on the subject of heartworm and flea prevention, the web page link provided is going to take you to a useful article on the subject.

In severe allergic reactions your pet dog might suffer loss of hair. This hypersensitive reaction is certainly unpleasant for pets plus in numerous cases can be very painful. If the dog experiences these symptoms, you may want to see your veterinarian at the earliest opportunity. The vet will prescribe an antibiotic and skin salve. In addition, your veterinarian will certainly suggest a product for efficient flea protection and management.

Anemia

While fleas are tiny, they’ve got an insatiable appetite for blood. If your dog carries a significant flea infestation, it can cause your pet to get anemic. Dogs which spend a significant amount of time outside the house are susceptible to infestation and the resulting anemia. Unfortunately, this type of anemia isn’t just common, it’s also tricky to identify. Numerous dogs can get weaker and lethargic. In numerous cases, vets will find the anemia via blood tests. If the dog is suffering from this, prescribing heartworm medications including a flea treatment and protection element will deal with the issue.

Tapeworms

Fleas tend to be hosts to numerous parasitic organisms. While some parasitic organisms do not have an affect on dogs, one of the most common enteric parasites they carry inside their bodies will be tapeworms. If a dog has fleas, your pet will scratch and also lick to ease the itchiness. As the pet licks, fleas adhere to the dogs tongue. As soon as your pet ingests these fleas, the tapeworm eggs will hatch within the pet’s digestive tract. These tapeworms will affix to the digestive tract and will eventually reproduce by laying eggs.

The eggs will be discharged while the pet has bowel motions. This is a continuous process unless of course your pet is medicated for tapeworms. The very first manifestation of tapeworms will be little, off-white eggs which look comparable to spaghetti. Pet dogs who have contracted tapeworms might look weakened or exhausted. In addition, tapeworms might cause your pet to be sick often.

It’s important to take care of your pet with a flea protection and control product if he’s got an infestation, nevertheless, it’s also essential to take care of the home to eradicate these parasites. The vet will suggest home treatment products that are nontoxic for people as well as dogs. In addition, you will want to clean all pet bedding plus it might be beneficial to get in touch with a pests control expert to take care of the external backyard region.

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As a dog owner, I’m sure you would never deliberately feed your dog poison. But that is exactly what has happened over the last few years. In a number of high profile cases, contaminated dog food has led to the death, or severe illness of hundreds of dogs. Yet, pet owners continue to feed these products to their dogs. Many believe there is any alternative.

If you’re in that group, read on as this article provides some useful advice on how to make homemade dog food.

It is pretty much accepted that commercial dog food companies fill their foods with all kinds of junk. Some of these ingredients, like the processed grains used as filler, have little nutritional value and are responsible for a whole range of dog allergies and skin ailments.

Worse still, their are the artificial flavorings and colorings. These are generally chemical based, and in some cases have been proven to cause diseases like cancer.Even where meat is included in these products, it is of extremely poor quality and often unfit for consumption.

Now while this may not be true of all commercial kibble, it certainly is true of the budget store bought brands that most dogs are fed. I’d therefore strongly recommend that, if you have the time and inclination, you consider a whole food diet for your dog.

Here are three quick tips to get you started;

Feed your dog a diet of unprocessed meats, vegetables, eggs, whole-wheat grains, and brown rice. Avoid junk food, table scraps, and white bread or white rice.

Remember that dogs are omnivores, so don’t feed only meat. As a rough guide you should feed one third protein and two thirds vegetables and grains. You can feed slightly more protein, but always keep it to at least on third protein, which is very important in the canine diet.

Keep it bland and simple. Dogs don’t need flavoring and seasoning on their food and highly flavored foods can actually cause diarrhea.

Also keep in mind that some of the foods that we eat are not good for dogs.

It’s common knowledge that chocolate is dangerous, but it doesn’t stop there. Many other human foods are harmful, even deadly to your dog.

Things like onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts are just some of the common foods that can harm a dog. You should also avoid feeding your dog table scraps and any form of human junk food, like pizza. These foods are generally high in fat and can lead to obesity.

Also be careful when giving your dog bones, as these can splinter and cause intestinal damage if swallowed. Raw bones also carry the risk of salmonella poisoning.

While feeding a whole food diet is a wise choice, it makes sense to get as much information as possible, so speak to your vet and do some research online.

To read more about homemade dog food, dog care, dog breeds a-z and other helpful dog information go to www.dogsanddogtraining.com

Dog vaccinations have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent times. Some experts are of the opinion that annual booster shots should be dumped in favor of a three year cycle. Others contest that annual shots as a must to ensure that a dog is protected against communicable diseases.

While the ideal frequency may be debated, few dispute the fact that vaccinations are a must. Millions of dogs all over the world are vaccinated every year, and only a tiny percentage have any adverse reaction.

The current crop of vaccines we have available may not be perfect, but they do protect your dog against the major diseases. An unvaccinated dog on the other hand is almost certain to become ill at some time, so why risk it? Until there is evidence to support the view that vaccines are ineffective or dangerous, it is definitely a good idea to have your dog vaccinated.

Dog vaccinations protect against the most common canine diseases including, parvovirus, distemper and rabies. The initial shots are given to a puppy between the age of 6 and 8 weeks. Thereafter shots are given at scheduled intervals until the pup is 15 weeks old. Booster shots are then given annually, although some veterinarians recommend once every three years.

The core vaccines are given in combination and are normally referred to as a 5 in 1. This protects against the following diseases;

Distemper: A deadly disease that causes convulsions, seizures, and failure of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It is highly contagious and spread via contact with discharge from the nose and eyes of an infected dog.

Canine Hepatitis virus: A fast-spreading disease that attacks the abdominal organs, usually causing death within 6 – 10 days. Normally spread via the urine, faeces or saliva of an infected animal.

Leptospirosis: A bacterial disease that causes severe damage to the digestive tract, liver and kidneys. It is transmitted via infected urine and has an extremely high mortality rate.

Parainfluenza: A form of kennel cough that is spread by contact or through the air. Highly contagious.

Parvovirus: An extremely contagious viral disease that has a particularly high mortality rate among young and old dogs. Parvo mainly attacks the intestinal tract, lymphoid tissue, and immune system, usually resulting in death if not treated.

In addition, the dog will normally receive a rabies vaccine, which is normally administered bi-annually.

Why Dog Vaccinations Are Important

There are a number of reasons why vaccinations are essential. The main one, of course, is your dog’s well-being. But there are other important reasons too, and even some legal requirements.

Many city ordinances require it, and if you intend to travel with your dog, particularly abroad, you will need to provide proof of vaccination. If you want to take your dog to obedience classes, or put him into kennels, or doggy day care, you’ll need to provide a vaccination certificate. Ditto if you want to take your dog to a pet friendly hotel or resort.

These are all valid reasons for having your dog vaccinated, but the most important reason of all is still the quality of life of your pet.

Learn more about dog vaccinations, dog care, information on dogs and other helpful dog info at dogsanddogtraining.com

Lymphoma is a very serious disease, a cancer that targets the lymph tissue. As this tissue occurs in just about every major organ, the disease can spread rapidly and, if it is not treated, almost always results in death. It is the most common form of cancer affecting dogs.

Common Symptoms of Lymphoma in Dogs

Symptoms depend largely on which systems the cancer attacks. The most common forms of the disease affect the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory system. In the case of the former, the dog may show loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. In the latter case, you may notice that the dog has shortness of breath and a muffled heart beat. Lymphoma can also attack the heart, bone marrow, eyes, skin, and the central nervous system.

Diagnosing Lymphoma

If you suspect that your dog may have lymphoma it is important that you have him checked by a vet as soon as possible.The vet will run a series of tests, starting with a biopsy of the affected nodes and organs. He may also do further test to determine how far the cancer has spread. These can include x-rays, ultrasound, blood analysis and a bone marrow biopsy.

Without treatment, a dog with lymphoma will usually die within 2 months of the initial diagnosis, so the treatment has to start immediately if the dog is to have any hope of surviving.

Treating Canine Lymphoma

As with human cancers, lymphoma in dogs is treated primarily by chemotherapy. Be forewarned that dog’s suffer from similar side effects to humans, including severe nausea and infections. In rare cases, the dog may even need to be hospitalized during treatment. If the disease is first detected at an advanced late stage, then chemotherapy may be ineffective, and the focus needs to be on making the dog’s remaining time as comfortable as possible.

There is a school of though that suggests that fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can retard the spread of cancer cells, but there is no actual clinical proof to support this idea.

However, recent studies suggest that in most cases the dog does not die from the lymphoma itself, but rather from liver or kidney failure. Changes to the dog’s diet can certainly have an impact on the health of these organs.

Outlook for Dogs with Lymphoma

In many cases where there is early diagnosis, chemotherapy can have a beneficial effect, adding months, if not years to the dog’s life.

Unfortunately, that may not be the end of the story, as lymphoma often comes back. If it does, a second round of chemotherapy can be given, but it is usually less effective than the initial dose.

Bear in mind also that chemotherapy treatment can be very expensive, especially if you don’t have dog health insurance. Even though the chances of your dog getting lymphoma are very slight, pet insurance is always a wise investment.

Want to find out more about lymphoma in dogs, dog care, dog walking and other helpful dog info? Visit www.dogsanddogtraining.com

Tapeworms are segmented, flat, white worms that live in the small intestine of dogs and other animals, including humans. These parasites, called Dipylidium caninum scientifically, can grow up to 20 inches in length.

They survive by attaching themselves to the intestinal lining and then feeding off the nutrients in the food the dog eats. As they mature the tail segments, containing tapeworm eggs, break off. If the dog has tapeworm you will clearly see these, which resemble grains of rice, in the faeces.A dog cannot become infected by eating the eggs directly, but only by swallowing a flea containing the eggs. The usually happens when a flea larvae eats the tapeworm eggs. Later the flea matures and lives on the dog.

The dog may chew at an itchy spot on his skin, and swallow the flea. The tapeworm eggs then hatch and the immature tapeworms attach themselves to lining of the dog’s small intestines. As the tapeworms mature they release their tail segments containing the next batch of eggs and the cycle begins again.

If you can get past the “gross out factor”, tapeworms are not actually harmful. These absorb a miniscule amount of nutrients and often cause no irritation at all. In some cases though, the infestation can be severe, and the dog may even begin to show signs of weight loss. It is therefore advisable to treat the dog if there are any signs of tapeworm.

The clearest indication is tapeworm eggs in the faeces. A common belief is that a dog that scoots along the ground has tapeworm, but this is not usually the case. The behavior is more commonly due to skin irritation around the anal are, or to blocked anal sacs.

The good news is that tapeworms are quite easy to get rid of. Simply treat your dog with a prescription, or over-the-counter de-wormer. You should be aware though that some commercial products contain mild pesticides, so using them over a prolonged period may cause other health problems.

Veterinary medicines work in a different way. They dissolve the tapeworm’s protective outer layer, so that the worm is digested and then passed from the body.

Most dogs will get tapeworm at some time or another, but there are some things you can do to reduce the chance of your dog being infected.

For starters, you should give your dog a vet approved de-worming medication every 3 months or so. This will protect your dog from tapeworm, as well as other common internal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms.

Keeping your dog free of fleas will also help. If no fleas are present the tapeworm infestation cycle cannot be completed, so keep your dog, and his environment free of these pesky insects.

Bear in mind also, that although it is extremely rare, some tapeworm species can be passed from dogs to humans. And as they’re so easy to control, why take the risk?

Want to learn more about tapeworms in dogs, dog care, facts about dogs and other interesting dog information? Visit dogsanddogtraining.com