Dog health needs careful supervision

By David Yuri
Dog health is a domain that has developed considerably. Specialists have traced new affections and have established new, corresponding treatments. Meals should provide your pet with all the necessary vitamins, proteins, carbs, minerals etc. in order for the dog to develop harmoniously and grow up to be healthy. Dog food has come a long way and the newly appeared products on the market are the results of years of research of the necessities of canines.

Most people consider that a dog eats almost anything and there is no need to pay special attention to what they put in the pet’s bowl. Some still feed their dogs with leftovers from their own meals and expect it to be enough. Sadly, it is this kind of reasoning that leads to common dog health problems such as obesity, malnutrition and various malfunctions like arthritis, lack of energy, or hypersensitivity. A dog diet should comprise all the elements that make a human organism work, including water. Water is underrated when it comes to animals, but what these people do not know is that animals can resist for some time without food, but they resist a lot less without water. Since their body includes water too, in quite a high percentage, people must remember that water is essential for a dog’s health.

Along the years, dog food has evolved. Now, those who care associate it to how many calories the dog needs to make it through the day. Depending on the type of activities that the dog undertakes in a day’s time, its meals will contain more proteins or more vitamins etc. Usually, nowadays, a common dog diet includes mostly dry food. Served in the appropriate amount and at the right time, this type of dog food can be the complete meal for the dog.

The amount of food that should be fed to a dog, per day, is calculated considering the dog’s weight, health and physiological condition. Therefore, things are not so simple and leftovers are not the right type of dog food. The physiological condition refers to how active the dog is, how much exercise it does, what stage of life it is in and other factors such as breeding. After the evaluation of all these things, one is likely to be able to compose a proper dog diet. The dog health system can do so much for you and your pet. In order to get all these equations interpreted correctly, as a pet owner, you should undoubtedly visit the vet. At the vet’s office, you can have a complete check up for the dog and buy your dog the food recommended by the specialist. Maintaining a permanent contact with the vet can help you have a great looking and healthy dog.

Many companies produce dog food and all sorts of products under one label. This is to emphasize that each dog is different and needs a personalized dog health program. It is important to observe your dog’s weight and do your best to help it avoid obesity. This has become a widely spread problem among the canines. Usually, one should be able to feel the dog’s ribs and easily mark out the waistline and hips. In case this is not possible, you should probably know that your dog suffers from obesity.

If your dog is lazy, refuses to jump, oversleeps, and there are changes in the alertness, you can suspect arthritis, a dog health problem not related strictly to age, as believed. One can maintain carefully the dog’s health by a close collaboration with a veterinarian. The program for recovering from arthritis is complex and it involves keeping your dog’s weight in-between normal limits, the walks – regular and short; the dog’s bed should be soft and warm and besides all this, there are therapies and drugs that you should administer to your pet. This illness does not have a direct connection to the dog’s food, but the right amount and composition of dog food can help prevent obesity conditions that bear a relation to arthritis.


About the author:
Dog food has come a long way and you should make sure that what you are currently feeding your dog is the appropriate thing. Dog health specialists can help you take proper care of your best canine friend.


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

Dog Diarrhea-Causes and Prevention

By Craig Elliott Elliott
As pet owners, one of the most frequent problems we have to deal with is diarrhea, especially with dogs. While dog diarrhea is not an illness in itself, it's a symptom of another underlying problem. In many cases, canine diarrhea is not a sign of a serious condition, but in some circumstances diarrhea can indicate the presence of a more severe and dangerous medical problem.

What is Diarrhea?

Typically, healthy adult dogs will defecate once a day if fed once a day or twice a day if fed twice a day. Puppies, on the other hand, tend to defecate more frequently. In either case, normal stools are firm; however, when a dog is suffering from diarrhea, its stools will be loose and soft due to the presence of excess water. Diarrhea also often increases the frequency of defecation as well as urgency. Dog diarrhea may also be accompanied by additional symptoms such as flatulence, a bad odor, abdominal pain, and matted hair beneath the animal's tail.

Causes

One of the reasons that dog diarrhea is such a common and frequent problem is that it can be caused by numerous different factors and conditions. Canine diarrhea can be triggered by problems originating within the digestive tract or from another part of the dog's body. For instance, ulcers, cancer, food allergies, toxins, foreign bodies, and worms are examples of problems within the digestive tract that can lead to diarrhea. On the other hand, liver disease, kidney disease, Addison's disease, and anxiety are problems not related to the digestive tract that can trigger diarrhea. Clearly, the potential causes of dog diarrhea are extremely numerous and also range in severity from relatively minor problems to life-threatening ones.

Puppies versus Adults

The common causes and frequency of canine diarrhea tend to vary somewhat between puppies and adult dogs. First of all, puppies typically experience diarrhea more often than adult dogs do. A major reason for this is related to the difference in common causes of diarrhea in puppies versus those that are common for adults. Puppies are more likely to eat garbage, swallow foreign objects, and experience intussusception, which involves the bowel folding been back upon itself. In contrast, adult dogs are more likely to experience diarrhea as a result of diseases such as liver or kidney disease. Since the latter triggers of diarrhea are less common, puppies tend to suffer from diarrhea more often than adult canines.

Chronic Versus Acute

When your dog is suffering from diarrhea, it's important to keep in mind that there are two different types of diarrhea -- acute and chronic. Acute diarrhea involves sudden onset and resolves quite quickly while chronic dog diarrhea is an ongoing problem that can last for weeks or even months. While most cases of canine diarrhea are acute and non-severe, in some circumstances veterinary care is necessary. With respect to acute diarrhea, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately if the stools contain blood or are accompanied by other troubling symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or abdominal pain. With regards to chronic dog diarrhea, veterinary care should be sought out in all cases.

Diagnosis

Since there are more than a hundred potential causes of dog diarrhea, pinpointing a trigger in a specific case can be quite difficult. However, there are a number of different diagnostic tests that can be conducted in order to narrow down and hopefully identify the underlying cause. These tests include fecal analysis, blood tests, x-rays, and abdominal ultrasounds. While fecal and blood tests can reveal the presence of parasites, infections, or allergic reactions, imaging tools such as x-rays and ultrasound can reveal the presence of foreign bodies or of physical abnormalities suggestive of diseases such as cancer.

Treatment

When an adult dog or puppy is suffering from diarrhea, the necessary treatment will depend upon the underlying cause. More severe cases of canine diarrhea will often require hospitalization and intravenous fluids. Also, more specific treatment steps will be required to deal with the underlying condition or problem. However, for mild cases of dog diarrhea that can be treated at home, certain dietary changes can be very helpful. In some cases, reducing food intake or providing a bland diet for a few days can help relieve diarrhea. Also, it's important to provide the dog with plenty of fresh water in order to prevent dehydration. There are also several natural supplements and homoeopathic remedies available that can help relieve diarrhea. These natural products are particularly popular with pet owners who prefer a more holistic healthcare approach for their canine companions.

Prevention

Although dog diarrhea is a very common problem, there are ways to lower the chances of your dog suffering from it. To begin with, it's important to ensure that your dog has a clean living environment and clean water in order to prevent infections. It's also important to be aware of any food allergies that your dog may have and to prevent your dog or puppy from eating garbage or rancid food as much as possible. Other good prevention techniques include reducing stress and anxiety and promoting your dog's overall health and strength through the use of natural supplements, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. When your dog is happy and healthy, diarrhea will cause fewer, less frequent problems for your beloved canine companion.

About the author:
About Author:
Tiffany Doggett is a freelance writer who writes about topics concerning pet care such as Dog's Cushing Disease | Dog Diarrhea | Dog Liver Disease

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

Is a dog kennel really worthy?

By Ken Wilson
No matter how much you love your pooch, the wise thing to do is to get it its own kennel. The ideal situation is not to have it snuggle up beside in you in bed, but for you, as a dog owner, to provide a terrific and correctly designed dog kennel which will become the perfect place to keep your dog.

The issue of hosting your dog inside of a kennel is quite multifaceted. Many dog owners see a dog kennel as a method of confinement, similar to freedom lacking cages for birds or the animals in a circus. But things are not so drastically merciless; not at all. In fact, canine specialists recommend, in all honesty, using a dog kennel, if you have the required space in your garden. In many ways, a kennel is a good thing not only for your dogs, but also for you as dog owners.

Buying a dog kennel is a less expensive method of providing an area for your dog to run. This way, the dog owners don not have to fence the entire yard in order to be able to let their dogs to run outside. More than that, you can rest assure that no accident would happen to your beloved pooch. A dog kennel gives their “residents” the opportunity to exercise, relax and see other things in motion around them, like kids running or playing football, cars, cats or birds flying, which might draw their attention. All these are possible incentives to start running for dogs in a loose. In their frenzy, dogs will not pay attention when crossing the street, so risky accidents may happen, which could sometimes be fatal for your pet. Not to mention that walkers by can get scared when seeing a dog heading directly towards them, even if they are not the target.

Buying a kennel for your dog is also a basic element of being a responsible dog owner, beneficial for the dog, for you, as its owner, and for your neighbors as well. The outdoor dog kennel can be very well used to protect the neighbors or other people from dog aggression, in case your have an aggressive dog breed or simply a dog with an acute sense of property; to prevent fights between your dog and the neighbors’ dogs or other loose dogs roaming around; and to protect unsprayed bitches.

Dogs are by nature territorial creatures and for this reason, most of the dogs do not welcome strangers stepping on “their” property. From this point of view, dogs confined in a kennel are not a threat for someone coming up the walk; they are only an alarm for the owners. In other terms and different circumstances, a dog in an outdoor kennel is a much better burglar alarm or deterrent than if it was when sleeping inside the house, dreaming happily about a juicy bone.

In addition to preventing fights between the owner’s dog and the neighborhood dogs, a dog kennel has another benefit. Dogs confined in a kennel cannot be chased by people from animal control, being taken for a transgressor by mistake. This way, owners whose dogs have their own dog kennel have one concern less: their dogs cannot be picked up from the street as transgressors, being accused of having attacked somebody. Animal control services usually target dogs that are free to roam around the neighborhood or dogs that have been reported to be particularly aggressive with people or with other dogs.

About the author:
So, the conclusion is that yes, a dog kennel is really worthy for a responsible dog owner, who thinks not only of himself and his neighbors, but mainly to his dog health and needs. A well-designed kennel provides a comfortable home for your best friend.

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