What You Need to Groom Your Dog – Supplies

Grooming a dog before bathing it is vital as it removes dead hair and matting and allows the water and shampoo to penetrate freely onto the skin. On the other hand, cutting the toe nails should be done after bathing as it leaves the nails pliant and easier to cut. Bathing is a must for every dog. Some dogs enjoy the water particularly during hot weather while others detest getting wet regardless of reason. You should train your dog to accept baths or you will be undergoing an ordeal every time you give your dog a bath.

The experience may be so exasperating that you might stop giving the dog a bath and that is not hygienically good for the dog. One of your main responsibilities as a dog owner is to ensure the dog is properly groomed and hygienically clean. There are many products in the marketplace that you can choose from.

Shampoos and conditioners are essential grooming supplies. Some dog owners might even share their own shampoo and conditioner with the dogs. This is not advisable as the chemicals suitable for humans may have different effects when applied to the dogs. With a large variety of brands, choosing your special shampoo and conditioner might not be so difficult. If you have specific breeds, consult with the veterinarian. They have experiences with different breeds and may be able to help you select the appropriate brand. Some products combine the shampoo and conditioner as one.

This is cheaper and may be just as effective. Some shampoos and conditioners have additional chemicals to fight against ticks and fleas. Other shampoos and conditioners come in a variety of fragrances and strengths and claim other uses such as whitening, color enhancement, sensitive skin, moisturizing, flea and tick removal and repellent, and other purposes. Be cautious and objective. Observe your dog as to whether they react adversely to the brand. Keep shifting brands until you are comfortable with the products you purchased. Be on your toes as adverse reactions can occur even if the dog has been using the product for some time.

Although it is convenient to get a shampoo/conditioner that can be applicable for other purposes, take note that the strength might not be as expected because of the other chemicals reacting together. If necessary, get separate bottles to ensure you are provided with the appropriate mix and strength. Remember that puppies are more sensitive and will need a lower mix than a regular dog. You will notice their skin becoming red or developing rashes if the shampoo or conditioner mix is too strong for them.

There are other parts of the dog that need attending to, such as the teeth, eyes, ears and feet. There are eye and ear supplies available in the market. Check with the veterinarian on the type of product, its purpose and the manner of applying them. Some ear products include lice or tick repellent. As you clean the ears of dirt and smudge, you are also applying a repellent against lice and ticks.

Remember that their sense of hearing is their second most powerful organ and should be handled delicately. Some ears get clogged with soap water if you don’t give them a thorough rinsing during their bath. There are medications to remove the clog and clear the passageway. A dog’s eyes are hard to administer if they keep moving and twitching their eyes. Use a soft sponge to wash the sides of their eyes gently and remove any dirt that may have gotten stuck while they slept.

There are special toothbrushes and toothpaste for dental care of the dogs. You need to train the dogs to open their mouth and allow you to brush their teeth since they may feel strange having a foreign object inside their mouth. Some dog owners prefer leaving this aspect of cleanliness to a dog clinic to ensure a thorough cleansing of the dog’s teeth.

Regardless on how well you personally take care of your dog, always bring them for regular checkups to a dog clinic and the veterinarian. Have them inspected and checked as part of an annual routine.

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Dog Diseases – Rabies

When we think of rabies, our dog comes to mind. We imagine a raging dog with a foaming mouth. Rabies is a viral disease that can infect any warm-blooded animal. This includes dogs and humans. Rabies is spread through the infected saliva or tissues of an animal carrying the virus. Wild animals are normally the carriers of this virus and when they bite other animals, the virus is transmitted through the saliva onto the open wounds of the other animals. It is possible that these wild animals might bite some stray dogs that in turn may transmit the virus to other dogs and so it passes from animal to animal.

The virus enters the dog via the infected saliva and travels along the nerves to the spinal cord and brains. During this period, the dog cannot infect others since it has not yet reached the brains. Once it reaches the brain, it becomes present in the salivary glands and the dog becomes contagious and capable of passing the virus to others. Rabies can cause aggression and erratic behavior in the animal. Any bite or even scratch from a rabid animal is dangerous as it can pass on to the next victim through their saliva.

Rabies affects the nervous system, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord resulting in abnormal behaviors. There are three stages of infection and each stage has its own symptoms and indications. The prodromal stage is the first stage. It lasts for 2-3 days. The dog exhibits either aggressiveness or timidity. The dog may have fever and slow eye reflexes. You might notice some scratches or bites on the dog that they are being chewed or licked by the dog. The second stage which lasts for 2-4 days is referred to as the furious stage.

The dog will show erratic behaviors such as restlessness, incessant barking, random roaming around, and attacking inanimate objects. They may become disoriented and in some cases experience seizures. Be very careful if you approach the dog as the dog might attack you unintentionally due to their disorientation. The third and final stage is the paralytic stage. Lasting for about 2-4 days, paralysis begins to set in starting at the part where the dog was bitten or scratched.

This is the stage when drooling and foaming at the mouth begin to happen. Paralysis of the face and throat can cause a distortion in the dog’s facial features, making it appear as a face of terror and anger. It is very hard to control the dog and you can accidentally get bitten or scratched by the dog’s violent movements. Death normally occurs 3-7 days from the time the symptoms start showing in the dog. Do not go near the animal. Contact a veterinarian or animal control officer to handle the situation.

There is no test or method to conclusively diagnose rabies in dogs. Once a person is bitten by a dog, or any animal for that matter, it is advisable to capture and cage the animal for observation of any symptoms and signs of rabies. The animal will be kept under observation for a period of time. Some people take anti-rabies immediately as a precaution rather than wait for the observation period to be completed. Others may opt to kill the animal and conduct an autopsy to determine if there is rabies. Unfortunately, this approach requires killing the animal and if the results are negative, the animal is already dead.

Rabies is a deadly and vicious viral disease which can affect animals and humans alike. There is no known treatment for rabies when it affects the dogs. The dog can either fight the disease through their immune system or be put to death. Since there is apparently no cure for rabies, the next option is prevention. Fortunately, anti-rabies vaccines have been developed that can prevent rabies from affecting the dogs. These vaccinations stimulate the development of anti-bodies to fight off the rabies virus but are effective only if applied before the animal contracts the disease. Vaccination should be done regularly as they lose their potency after a period of time. Do not allow your dog to chase or disturb wildlife. Keep away from animals that appear to behave oddly.

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Your Dog is Lost, Now What?

Your Dog is Lost, Now What?

Dogs become lost for many reasons including an open door, a disaster such as a fire, tornado, vehicle accident and you want to know that if this happens to your pet, that you can find your dog. Here are some tips for finding lost dogs.

Losing a dog and not knowing where it is and if it is warm, scared, hurt or hungry can be a very traumatic experience. You just want to find him/her immediately! There are some proven ways to locate your dog and plenty of support that can be found in your community. Keep reading to discover what are your best chances for finding a lost dog.

Tips for finding a lost dog:

The first thing that you should do is to contact all local animal shelters, animal control agencies and vets in your local and surrounding areas (60 mile radius of your home).

Visit all local shelters on a daily basis and leave your contact information along with a recent picture and description of your dog with the shelters.

Leave a recent picture and description of your dog with local vets too because people who find dogs on the street may bring them into a local vet for care.

Search your neighborhood on foot and by vehicle calling your pets name. Enlist neighbors, friends and family members to help in the search. Post notices on neighborhood poles, bulletin boards and store bulletin boards. Don’t forget to post notices at the vets, pet supply stores, radio and TV stations. Make sure the notices describe your pet including the dog’s age, sex, weight, breed, color and any special markings. ALWAYS leave out one special identifying mark so that you can ask the person who finds the dog to describe this special not advertised feature so that you can be sure that any dog found is indeed yours.

There are pet-recovery scams that you need to be aware of and never give money in return for the safe delivery of your dog.

Never give up searching for your dog. Pet owners have been reunited with their dogs after months of searching.

To help reduce the chance of your dog being lost and not returned always make sure that your dog and other pets have ID tags with current information on them. Many communities have microchip programs, which is an excellent form of identifying your dog that can aid in the return of your dog if he/she becomes lost.

Your vet, humane society, dog shelter can give you more tips regarding how to find a lost dog as well as how to help prevent your dog from being lost. A collar with ID tags is a must for any pet, especially a dog that goes outside. A dog can easily be lost when out for a walk, while outside in a fenced in area, during a move, while being cared for by a pet sitter, or when someone forgets to close a door correctly. Pet owners rarely intend for a dog to become lost but dogs are lost everyday. Statistics show that the rightful dog owners recover less than 16% of lost dogs.

The majority of lost dogs are found just down the street, or within a mile of home. Sometimes a lost dog can travel for miles before being picked up by a caring individual. Even if your dog is picked up just a small distance from your home, the person who picks him/her up may take your dog to where ever that individual works or lives and the dog is now further away from home than what it could get on foot in the amount of time it has been lost. Your search efforts need to encompass all these possibilities.

When you have a lost dog, your neighbors may be your best bet of getting the dog back. The chances are good that someone in your neighborhood saw or heard something that can lead you to the recovery of your dog. Someone in your neighborhood may even have been the person who saw your dog and has him in his/her house.

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