One of the most important parts of being a new pet owner is doing the research in how to be a responsible pet owner. Make sure you learn the proper feeding and grooming techniques to care for your little one. Many long-haired breeds require special and constant grooming. Consider whether or not you’re going to groom them yourself or take them to a professional. Remember that smaller breeds need to have their teeth cleaned often, as they are susceptible to tooth decay. Be sure to budget all of this first as it can become very expensive. Most importantly, make sure that your family is pet ready. Take care to especially educate younger children in proper pet care.
There may be a need or a special diet, so learn all that that entails. Puppies always require a special diet of higher calories and protein. Seniors and overweight dogs also have special diets made just for them. It may help to research the breed you are getting and many breeds are predisposed to being overweight. Also, there are some genetic problems associated with many breeds. For example, Chihuahuas have been known to be born with hip and spine defects. Basset Hounds are predisposed to being easily overweight. Finally, don’t forget to pick a cute name!
Grant Carroll proud father of three dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with Dog Clothes and Small Dog Sweaters
Visit Elizabeth Austin Wholesale for Wholesale Dog Clothes and Wholesale Pet Supplies
Tags: dog owner, kitten, kitten health, new kittens, new pet owner, new puppies, pet health, puppy, puppy health
Chew treats. You’ve probably given dozens of them to your dog and they love them. They clean their teeth and keep them occupied for hours. Its a perfectly harmless canine treat right? Wrong. Chew treats can harm or even kill your dog. If you are concerned about your dogs health read on.
Why are chew treats dangerous?
The two most popular kind of edible chew treats are those made of rawhide and those made from compressed vegetable protein. When your dog chews these treats, they may swallow large pieces of them. These pieces of chew treat cannot be digested by your pet and they can become lodged in their intestines. Intestinal blockages can kill your dog in hours. They can cause a condition called intestinal strangulation which is when blood flow is cut off to the intestines. The intestinal tissue then begins to die and rot.
How do I know if my dog has a blockage?
If your dog has a blockage, you may see some of the following symptoms. They may vomit, refuse to eat, regurgitate food, have diarrhea or abdominal pain. If your dog has any of these symptoms, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. If they get a blockage, it will not clear itself. They will require surgery.
Should I stop giving my dog chew treats?
You do not have to stop giving your dog chew treats altogether. You should however monitor the use of these treats. When you can not be around your pet, take the treats away. When your dog has worn the treats down into small pieces, replace them.
Remember, as a pet owner it is your responsibility to look after your dog’s health. We all love out pets and it would be a shame to lose them over something as simple as a chew treat. So keep a watchful eye on your pet and help them live a long and happy life.
For more information visit the Dog Boarding Directory.
Tags: chew toys, chew treats, dogs, pet health, petsKnowing how to treat dog worms is very important and is essential to the proper care of your pet. Treatment for worms should begin with heartworms as some medicines and herbal remedies for treating heartworm are also effective for hookworms, roundworms and whipworms. The only untreated worm left would be the tapeworm.
Some of the traditional medicines are Heartgard Plus, Interceptor, and ProHeart. Heartgard Plus has a combination therapy of ivermectin and pyrantel pamoate, two powerful dewormers that are usually used as stand-alone treatments for specific worms.
There is something important to consider for those who want to know how to treat dog worms: not one wormer will kill all worms.
Roundworms can be treated with pyrantel pamoate suspension (or Nemex) or Ivermectin.
Drontal Plus, Vercom Paste, and Panacur kill roundworms, and also kill hookworms and whipworms. Drontal and Vercom kill tapeworms, but Drontal cannot be given to dogs or puppies that weigh less than two pounds or are under three weeks of age. Vercom and Panacur need to be given three days in a row for full effectiveness, then repeated in two to four weeks. A stool sample needs to be taken to ensure the worms are gone.
Natural Treatments
There are certain foods that help such as
Grapefruit seeds are a natural for killing, weakening and repelling parasites. Grind up seeds from fresh grapefruits, oranges, lemons, limes, or any other citrus fruit and add to food.
Cayenne pepper is hated by parasites so adding a half capsule per 50 lbs of body weight to food daily. This can be stepped up to a half capsule per 25 lbs of body weight twice a day for one week for faster results.
Another herbal method for treating dog worms is to grind up a bunch of fresh parsley in a quarter cup of water and cook for three minutes. Strain and freeze in ice cube trays and add 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight once a day. Keep the rest in the freezer and use as needed.
Additional methods that are nutrition-based treatments
Add finely grated, raw sources of Vitamin A, such as carrots, beet greens, collard greens, pumpkins and sweet potatoes, to your dog’s diet for two to three days and then repeat every six to seven weeks Vitamins and minerals from these nutritional sources are essential to cleansing the digestive tract of roundworms.
Try grinding up pumpkin seeds and add a quarter teaspoon for each 10 - 15 lbs. of body weight daily. Do this for two weeks and then add wheat bran to the dog’s diet; soak the bran in water and add an eighth teaspoon per 10 lbs. of body weight to larger animals and just a pinch for smaller ones.
The most important thing to keep in mind when treating dog worms is to opt for methods that remove the worms safely and effectively, while maintaining your dog’s health. To learn more about natural and herbal remedies that eliminate dog parasites and worms such as Tape Worm, Heartworm and Roundworm, visit: how to treat dog worms
Pat Welch is an editor at herbal-alternative-remedies.com
For information on other natural and herbal treatments for dog worms visit: how to treat dog worms
To learn about herbal remedies for pets visit http://www.herbal-alternative-remedies.com
*** Attention Webmasters / Website Owners ***
You can reprint this article on your website or ezine as long as you do not modify any of the content, and include our resource box as listed above with all links intact and hyperlinked properly.
Tags: cleanse parasites on dogs, deworming, dog worms, heartworms, parasites, pet health, tape worms