Senior Dog Health – Great Ways to Keep Your Senior Dog Healthy

By Michael Lee
Senior dog health is something that you should be concerned about, especially if you own an older dog. A senior dog’s needs are different from that of younger dogs, and its energy level is much lower, too. As a dog owner, you’re going to have to be more careful about handling senior dog health.

A dog is considered senior at different ages, depending on the breed. Smaller dogs may reach their senior years at the age of 10, and bigger breeds can be considered senior as early as five years old.

To be sure, consult your veterinarian about this matter. If your dog does indeed fall under the category of senior, then you should start being more aware of its needs and taking note of any developments. You may notice that your dog may be moving more slowly than it used to, and it is less resistant to diseases and may be having frequent bowel movements and urination.

As your pet grows older, you should look into a different kind of food for him, one that is specially formulated for older dogs. This kind of dog food can help maintain your dog’s weight, keeping it from tipping the scales, unlike those containing lesser nutrients that may make your pet vulnerable to diseases.

Even though your dog is aging, this doesn’t mean that you should just leave it alone and keep it from moving. Exercise is especially important for senior dog health, because simply having your dog do nothing but lie around will not help it in any way, and may even accelerate its body’s deterioration.

As part of being aware of senior dog health, you should also bear in mind that your dog will be susceptible to certain diseases.

If your dog suffers from arthritis, you will notice that its movements are stiff, and it may even have difficulty keeping up with you during walks. You can help ease this condition by helping your dog lose weight or through recommended medication.

If your dog’s hearing and vision are deteriorating, you should consult the veterinarian to find out what causes these changes. In the meantime, make sure you pet is kept out of harm’s way.

Periodontal disease is another sign that better attention must be given to senior dog health. Its symptoms include the buildup of plaque and even gingivitis. In this case, you should have your dog’s teeth cleaned regularly and don’t forget to give it chew toys as well.

You should remember to stay on top of senior dog health and always be alert when it comes to any changes taking place in your older dog. Schedule regular checkups with the vet and make sure that your senior dog still gets enough exercise. Your dog may be getting on in years, but this is no reason for you to stop enjoying its company and making sure it stays in good condition.

About the author:
Prolong your dog's life and know the life-saving secrets that most dog-lovers will never know about detecting bad dog food and solving dog health problems at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/dogs-exposed.htm

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Spoil Your Chihuahua Dog With These Things

By Richard Cussons
There is an endless list of things to make your Chihuahua dog's life happy as well as healthy. Some of these things are really necessary while some are just mere decorations. The market for dog stuff is getting bigger and bigger as the demand for these things are increasing. It is important that you are well aware of what comes first in making your Chihuahua dog really happy.

Dog bed
To us humans, our bed is one of the most comfortable places inside the house. Same with dogs, their bed is something they can call their own and where they are safe. When purchasing a dog bed, make sure to consider your dog's size. Decorations and style doesn't really matter when choosing which one is right for your dog. Choose one that perfectly fits your dog, not one that is too small for him.

Dog bowl
Dog bowls should always be included in the list of must-haves when it comes to dog supplies. Fancy or elaborate ones are not really necessary and can be very costly. Just get one that is sturdy, unbreakable and has a steady base. Choose a heavy bowl to prevent your dog from moving it around the house and save yourself from hunting it every feeding time.

Collars
There are various types of collars to choose from. It could be made of nylon, metal, cotton or leather and could be plain or highly adorned. Dog collar should fit your dog properly, shouldn't be too tight or too loose. Try to fit the collar on your dog before you purchase it and check if you can fit two to four fingers between the collar and your dog's neck. Ask also for instructions as to the proper use of the chosen collars because some collars when misused can damage your dog's neck or trachea.

Leashes
Leash is an ideal aid especially when training your dog or just when taking him for a walk in the park. A leash is used with a collar. Leashes are available in pet stores, grocery stores, on the internet, from the vet or from other retailers. Ask the vet or the pet store staff for the proper size.

Crates
A crate is another place for your dog to relax and feel safe. Usually made of metal, wire or plastic and should fit your dog perfectly. Some thinks that placing your dog inside the crate is inhumane but that is not how dogs see it. The dog will see the crate as his haven where he is safe and he can call his own.

Toys
Toys will make your Chihuahua dog happy and will also prevent him from feasting on your furniture, shoes, socks or rugs. Choose toys that are safe and unbreakable to prevent your dog from choking or ingesting foreign objects. There are various types of toys to choose from, chew toys, fetch toys, plush and stuffed toys, rope toys, kongs, interactive toys and toys good for dental health.

About the author:
Richard Cussons is a writer and a dog expert. Learn more about Chihuahuas at this site dedicated to Chihuahua dogs.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Using Bird Dogs

By Bryan Benson
The literal meaning of a bird dog is a hunting dog used to find and/or retrieve birds while hunting. In the real estate business, a bird dog is someone who finds prospective properties that otherwise would not be found. These people get paid to bring leads to the person that they work for. They usually will put that property in contract to be passed off to someone who intends to repair and resell the property and make a profit.

Payment for bird dog services is something that is worked out between you and the bird dog and there is no standard pricing industry wide. It can be as little or as much as you agree to. You have to really be tight on your bird dogs, though. It is not uncommon for them to hand you junk leads, homes that appear to be vacant and aren’t.

Some have opted to go by the plan that the bird dog only gets paid if you purchase the property and not just paying them for the lead. In the past when people have chosen this plan, the leads tend to dry up because they are not really being motivated to bring the leads. When they are paid per lead, that is real money to them and they tend to work a little harder.

But then you may run into the bird dog that continuously brings you junk leads. In this case, set a criterion for him. They have to be vacant properties, they don't have to be grown up, they don't have to be ugly, but they have to be vacant and there cannot be any realtor sign in the yard. Setting these expectations makes things more difficult, but at least you will get better leads.

Then you have the Fiz-bows (these are for-sale-by-owners, also known as FSBO’s) that some bird dogs will target. Be sure they are not looking these houses up at a fiz-bow website of some type, driving by the property and snapping a picture and then expecting you to write a check. Give your bird dog explicit feedback on each lead… reasons as to why you’re not interested. Pretty soon he's not going to include the bad leads anymore because it's not worth his time.

And then there is the other side… if you’ve just made fifty thousand dollars on a sale that a particular bird dog lead you to, then you may want to give him one or two thousand dollars. This is done after you’re holding all the money. Because in reality, if he's uncovered one he may have just stumbled on it. But he or she may also understand something that the rest of the bird dogs don't understand so you want to keep him motivated.


About the author:
For additional information on real estate investing and the hot foreclosure market, I recommend joining Ron LeGrand's Millionaire Maker Newsletter The newsletter itself is loaded with great tips and resources, and he's usually giving away something free like a CD or something that generally has a lot of great information on it.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Dog Intussusception

By John Williams
Dog intussusception can be quite a painful experience for your dog, can be an irritating nuisance cause them not to eat or drink and make the generally feel unwell, and can be easily mixed up with many other more common conditions such as dog constipation or straining to pass feces.

As complicated as the name might suggest this condition is, in simple terms intussusception begins with a mild case of diarrhea or vomiting. This in its self is normally harmless to your dog long term and nothing more would be thought of this in any normal dog home, but as the contractions of the vomiting or diarrhea get worse it is possible that the muscles in the lower intestines contract so hard that they overlap each other or go inside each other.

This happens because within the lower intestines there is a series of smaller muscles that contract and detract so that the food is slowly passed along the intestines. But when your dog has the unfortunate condition of diarrhea or vomiting caused by another none related and usually common condition, it contracts rapidly as the body panics to try and get rid of the offending items or poisons.

After the overlapping process has happened it then causes more trouble because the following food that is being passed through the intestines becomes trapped in the alcove o the overlapped part. Then as you might expect the food pushes and pushes away at the sides making the alcove bigger and bigger containing all the stale and hardened food as well as causing blood flow problems and irritation.

This is not a very common occurrence in dogs but is none the less very irritating and painful for the dog in question and may cause constant retching to vomit and pass waste along with generally feeling unwell and uncomfortable enough to not eat or drink in most cases.

Surgery is usually the way your vet will fix dog intussusception by going into the effected area and pulling the two overlapping part apart and releasing and removing the contained waste to ensure a normal passage in the future.

This procedure should always be dealt with by a vet or professional in the dog health area, if you suspect this then ring your vet and ask for further advice and guidance which usually results in a check-up to identify the condition and deal with it appropriately.




About the author:
For more information on Dog Intussusception and health, or web link exchanges visit the dog-behavior-training.co.uk website at this link..Dog Training

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com