My Doggy Dog World

Fleas are parasites that feed off your dog’s blood. Flea eggs can be found almost everywhere – in your couch, carpet, etc. so the likelihood of infection is very high. To know if your dog has fleas, look for flea excrement – small, dark, curly dots that are also known as “flea dirt.”

To do this, brush your pet’s coat with a white cloth or sheet and look for these black specks, which contains digested blood that looks reddish brown when wet. If your dog has a darker coat, eggs that resemble dandruff is visible when a magnifying glass is used.

Dangers of Fleas

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Studies show that all 50 US states have reported cases of heartworm infection, a condition that can affect all dogs regardless of sex, age or habitat. The highest incidence for dogs not taking preventive medicine rises to a high of 45%, including areas from the Gulf of Mexico to New Jersey, while some areas record rates of 5% and below for the canine heartworm disease.

The difference is due mainly to mosquito, environmental and dog population factors, although all dogs in affected regions are still seen as at-risk animals that need to be monitored regularly by veterinarians and covered by prevention programs.

Dogs become infected when they are bitten by mosquitoes with infective heartworm larvae. The infection is transmitted, with the larvae eventually growing into adult female and male worms that live not only in the heart, but also in the lungs and related blood vessels. The offspring, called microfilariae, are released by the female heartworm into the bloodstream.
Practically all experimentally infected dogs were found to have adult worms, with up to 250 worms possible for one dog.

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Dental hygiene is important beyond having healthier teeth for dogs. Gum and teeth infection, broken teeth or tooth loss, and related periodontal problems involving connective tissue in the dog’s mouth can lead to bacteria making its way into the pet’s bloodstream. This can lead to infection of the heart, lungs, liver, intestinal tract, kidney and other internal organs and other side effects.

Dental pet care experts say that up to 80% of dogs manifest signs of dental diseases by three years in the absence of proper oral hygiene. Getting dogs accustomed to dental care as early as possible is crucial to ensuring their long-term health. With regular check-ups, cases such as bad bite or malocclusion, gingival irritation, deciduous teeth and tartar formation can be spotted earlier. This will prevent the situation from worsening and help save the dog’s teeth.

In some cases, veterinarians may advise pre-anesthesia blood work, or an overall health check to determine if the dog’s kidneys and other internal organs are functioning properly and if blood count is normal. The process will also help establish any potential risk before anesthesia is applied.

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Constant scratching, tail-chasing, coughing and wheezing, eye and nose discharges – if these symptoms can be observed on your pet dog, chances are very likely that he/she is suffering from allergies.

Yes, dogs, just like their masters can suffer from allergies. Roughly about 20 percent of the dogs living in our homes suffer from some allergy type. Major classifications of canine allergies are atopic dermatitis, flea allergy, food allergy and inhalant allergy.

Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is skin allergy disease caused by hypersensitivity developed by your dog’s immune system to several and very common substances like molds and dust mites.

If your dog scratches and licks himself very often (particularly licking and chewing the paws, abdomen and legs), and his/her ears are hot to the touch, he/she may be suffering from atopic dermatitis.

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When purchasing a puppy, it is important to take special care in ensuring that you make the right choice. This is a pet that it likely to be part of your family for a very long time. It is important that a puppy is purchased in such a way that you have really thought about the choice to follow through on the purchase. An animal should never be purchased on a last minute basis. Pets must be trained, and there are special considerations that need to be taken into account. One of these is proper puppy training techniques.

Having a pet is a wonderful experience for all members of the family. However, training a pet can prove to be extremely challenging. This is even true when it comes to individuals who have years of experience in training a pet. One of the main things that directly affect the success of the proper puppy training techniques is the general temperament of the breed of dog that the puppy is. Temperament can also be affected by the area in which the dog was residing prior to your purchase.

There are many different types of attitudes displayed among dog breeds. If you are looking for a puppy that will grow to be loving and protective, you may opt for any of the following dog breeds:

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How and what we feed our dog has a big effect on our pet’s health and over-all behavior. There are so many commercially available dog foods to choose from that making the right decision can be somewhat impossible. But let’s tackle the problem nonetheless.

For a change, look beyond the labels and advertisements and look into what exactly your dog food contains. What follows is a partial list to help you find out if your dog is getting what he needs in the right amounts.

If your pet dog has large, smelly stool, is gaseous, burps often, sheds constantly, is prone to ear and skin infections, has either no energy or is hyperactive and if his immune system is weak, something may be wrong with your pet’s diet. Although any or a combination of these symptoms may occur occasionally, having them recur often is a cause for concern and reviewing your pet’s diet is one of the first things you should look into.

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TREAT ME KINDLY

Treat me kindly, my beloved friend,For no heart in all the world is more
grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick,For though I should lick your hand
between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly
teach me the things you would have me learn.

Speak to me often, For your voice is the world’s sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tailwhen your footsteps fall upon my ears.

Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, For I am a domesticated
animal, no longer accustomed to the bitter elements. I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth.

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