The Ongoing Process Of Dog Health Care
Keeping Dog Health Care Up-To-Date
The old saying goes that ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’; this isn’t necessarily true when it comes to the subject of dog health care.
Dog health care isn’t something that only becomes an issue when your dog starts to display symptoms of being unwell, as this article will explain. Keeping the health care ball rolling is imperative in maintaining a healthy, happy dog.
Lack of Symptoms
Dog’s health needs to be checked regularly because in many cases an illness can exist without any symptoms. For example, dogs will only display the symptoms of worms when they are in their latter stages of development.
Dog Health Care Diet
The easiest way of managing a dog’s health is through prevention, not waiting to need a solution.
As an owner, you play a major part in the prevention of diseases that can inflict your dog’s health. Part of this is ensuring your dog has a nutritional diet.
A dog’s ideal diet depends entirely upon its age. Puppies, adults and senior dogs all have different nutritional requirements. A healthy diet will make a world of difference for your dog’s health.
Regular Checks
A dog needs a yearly ‘MOT’ regardless of its age and health, just like a car. Make sure you take your dog to the vet yearly; it will also ensure all their vaccinations are up-to-date.
You can also play a role in making sure your dog is healthy. Keep an eye on your dog’s eating, drinking and toilet habits for any abnormalities. Watch your dog’s eating, drinking and toilet habits for anything unusual. Two things you can also do is check their skin for lumps regularly and check their nose, eyes and ears for any unusual discharge.
You know your dog better than anybody, so if they’re not acting their ‘usual self’, take them to the vets.
A Guide To Nutrition and Dog Health Care
Fulfilling your dog’s dietary requirements is an important part of the dog health care process.
A dog’s nutritional requirements differ depending on their age, so managing their diet is not as straightforward as it initially appears.
This guide will inform you as to how you can tailor your dog’s diet to make sure it is benefiting their general health. The cornerstone of successful dog ownership is a good diet.
Feeding Adult Dogs
Dogs are similar to humans in that the most important aspect of their diet is balance. Protein is the cornerstone of this balance. It is recommended their protein content is 20 to 30 per cent, so be sure to include protein rich foods in their diets, such as chicken, salmon and lamb.
Carbohydrates such as rice, cereal and pasta are also a crucial component of their diet, as they supply the dog’s energy. You can ensure smooth bowel movement by complementing their diet with plenty of fibre.
You should feed your dog twice a day, at the same time, with similar portion sizes.
Feeding Puppies
The dietary needs of a puppy are very similar to those of adult dogs, with the major difference being that the food needs to be easily digestible and higher in energy. Because puppies have smaller stomachs, you will need to feed them less, more often.
There are some foods you cannot give to a puppy that you would be okay giving to a normal dog. An example of this would be table scraps, because they can be particularly difficult to digest.
Senior Dogs
Older dogs are less active and have a slower metabolism; therefore their nutritional needs are different from adults and puppies.
It is imperative to keep the calorie levels of an older dog down, as well as giving them food that is easily digestible. Their aging joints can be supported by giving them vitamins C and E.
As dogs begin to age, their ability to chew effectively lessens. For this reason you should keep their portions smaller and avoid meals with large pieces of chewy meat.
Worms in Dogs: Protect the Whole Family
In the UK, worms in dogs are a common issue. They can lead to ill health and distress in our pets and can re-infest them at any time. Across the entire world there are many types of parasites which are grouped under the term ‘worms in dogs’ but in the UK we deal primarily with just two. These are the tapeworm and the roundworm.
Roundworms cause difficulties when they are passed from one dog to another and more so when most puppies are born with an infestation. This type of worm resembles short lengths of spaghetti. Fully mature worms live in the dog’s intestines and feed off its contents. This means that the partially digested food is eaten by the worms, forcing your dog to share its dinner. The amount of worms present depends on whether the infestation is very severe or not, but it is possible that dozens of worms could be present at any one time. Obviously when a dog is sharing its food with dozens of parasites it is not uncommon for it to become undernourished. Severe infestations can lead to loss of energy and a dull coat. Other symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. In puppies, roundworms may cause a distended abdomen and delayed growth. Untreated roundworm infestations could actually kill a puppy by blocking their intestines. However, do remember that worms in dogs do not always cause the appearance of symptoms. Regular worming treatment should still be used.
In adult dogs, some worm larvae can migrate around the body, settling in muscles and forming cysts. In this form, even worming treatment cannot remove the larvae. The larvae has the ability to lie dormant in the adult dog’s body until a time of stress reactivates them. They normally become active during pregnancy and infest unborn puppies by migrating to the womb. This means it is very important to worm all puppies.
Worms in dogs can actually cause problems for people as well. Children are especially at risk because they are more likely to come into contact with worm eggs in soil whilst playing. Worm larvae can migrate through the child’s body and have been known to cause lasting eye damage if settling near the back of the eye. Regular worms in dogs treatment therefore protects the whole family and not just our pets.
Dog Health : How to Treat Vestibular Disease in Old Dogs (Video)
Vestibular disease in old dogs is typically treated with an anti-inflammatory to decrease swelling in the infected area, as well as a good antibiotic. Learn about the physical symptoms that vestibular disease can cause with help from a veterinarian in this free video on dog health and vestibular disease. Expert: Gregory McDonald Contact: www.petpointers.com Bio: Dr. Gregory McDonald earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ohio State University in 1979.
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