Dog Health Blog

When dog owners attempt pet grooming at home, there are several common mistakes that are made. Pet grooming is a skill, but with the right equipment and patience it can become a household duty that will save both time and money. You have to be careful. A slip of the clippers can cause injury to your animal. This is not only physical injury, but emotional. Trust is loss once pain is inflicted and your pet may not treat you the same afterward.

The first common mistake is getting to close to the skin while shaving. The clippers can leave a nasty razor burn that can open its way to later infections. If you accidentally give your pet a burn while grooming, stop and apply first aid. Put on some anti-bacteria salve and if possible clean the wound. Hug you pet and let it know that you are sorry and it was an accident. Though they might not understand the words, your pet will understand the tone and will react accordingly. The emotional pain is just as bad as the physical. Watch the wound carefully and if it becomes red or issues puss, contact your veterinarian immediately. If the animal licks or otherwise irritates the wound, you might want to get a protective plastic collar to stop the behavior.

Another mistake in novice pet grooming is getting shampoo or other chemicals in your pet’s eye. Either from your mistake or from the animal’s head movement soap can splash. This unintentional act will sting your pet’s eyes and lead to an unpleasant pet grooming experience. Wash the soap out with water or saline solution and dab the corners of the eye with a sterile cloth. Sooth you animal and try to take the focus off their eyes and maybe gain their attention by showing them a favorite toy or ball. Hold the toy up so the pet can see it. Move the toy back and forth. As your pet tracks the toy, look into their eyes for signs of irritation.

A possible fatal mistake in pet grooming is leaving your animal unrestrained or loose during grooming. Some animals, especially cats hate baths and will run at any opportunity. Your dog and cat can put themselves in dangerous situations by trying to escape the pet grooming activity. They may run out in the street and be hit by a care or be attacked by a stray animal. Make sure your dog is at least on a leash. You may even want to put a muzzle on your pet to protect both you and them. If you wash your dog outside, wash it in a fenced yard so that the temptation to run will be short lived and safe.

Pet grooming is best left to a professional. The temptation to do it yourself may lead to a successful experience that will be cheaper. The bonding time with the animal is another perk to grooming your pet yourself. It can be rewarding for both parities involved if the proper safety tips are followed and you as the owner fill comfortable in the enterprise.

There are many benefits in giving your dog the right toys to play with.

While most people think that dog toys are only to relieve boredom this is not the only use for these toys.

Sure dog toys are excellent for relieving boredom and are especially good where you might have to leave your dog on it’s own for periods of time, but there are other reasons why you should consider buying your dog toys.

Some dog toys are designed to boost their intelligence where they will only get a reward after they have performed certain tasks.

These toys are a very effective method of training.

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Other toys help a dog to know what they can chew and in doing so you can save yourself a lot of expense by not having to replace expensive items throughout the house that can be destroyed at the teeth of your pet.

There are chewing toys that will help your dog strengthen and keep their teeth clean and there are toys that will help teach your dog with retrieval training.

You really need to decide what you want the toys for before buying and also to determine what the personality of your dog is before you can get the right toys for it.

Some toys are designed to last for a short period of time when they will be replaced by new ones, and these are often the chewing variety.

Some toys of the chewing variety are flavored so you will need to check first to see what ingredients they have used for the flavoring or you might be buying a toy that your dog is allergic to.
These toys with flavoring often have preservatives in them so beware.

With such a wide variety of toys available on the market these days there is certain to be something that your dog will enjoy and make their life all the more happy.

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Every year billions of dollars are spent on dog food and veterinary care. It is a huge market and the people who are selling goods in this market are constantly trying to offer better products at better prices. This is great for dog lovers like us as we benefit from the competition.

The Internet has added to that competition to deliver the best dog products as more and more online pet stores compete for our dollars. With reduced overheads and the ability to source a bigger range of products in recent years, there has been a big increase in online sales of pet products.

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Some of the biggest online pet stores offer prices that the local pet stores just can’t compete with any longer and they all offer the best guarantees and returns for products that you might not be satisfied with.

Along with this they have regular overnight deliveries throughout the country and they can even deliver worldwide.

It is always good to check the prices of the online pet stores and compare with what you might be paying elsewhere as you can save quite a lot of money by doing so.

While it is essential that you have a good relationship with your local veterinarian and they know the history and health of your dog. Items such as dog toys are generally better to purchase from the Internet and there are also many people who will buy all their dog vitamins and food via the Internet due to the savings that they are able to achieve.

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Dogs can suffer from similar ailments that we get as we age, including arthritis and pain in the joints.

Some breeds of dogs are more prone than others to getting certain ailments and you need to be aware of the possible problems that your particular breed of dog might get as it grows older.

By giving your dog a warm place to lie when it sleeps you might be able to ward off arthritic pain.
By keeping the body weight down to acceptable levels for dogs that are prone to overeating and weight gain might stop your dog from developing other symptoms that can affect the quality of life.

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It is far better to control things that can affect the dogs health during the course of their life than to make them, and you, pay for ill health as they age.

According to many dog experts our pets should be living for a lot longer than the current life expectancies that we have come to accept.

With good medication we can expect to enjoy more years with our dogs but it is just as easy to add many quality years to their life by ensuring that they get the optimum nutrition and suitable living standards during the course of their life.

Most dogs are very hardy but even they will benefit from additional comforts and care.

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As a 10 year old child, I watched helplessly one hot August day as my beloved boxer, Duke, died in my arms. Four decades later, I still have that memory painfully etched in my mind. We didn’t learn until after the fact that Duke had died of a heat stroke. Even more painful was the realization that, had we known what to look for, we could have taken measures to possibly prevent his death. In honor of his memory, I want to share vital information that may keep your dog from suffering Duke’s fate.

What is heat stroke?

Too much time exposed to the dangerous combination of increased temperature and humidity can lead to a heat stroke. A mammal’s body (and that includes humans, too) can only tolerate temperatures up to about 107 degrees before cells start dying. The higher the temperature, the faster this occurs. The longer the body remains at an elevated temperature, the less chance there is for recovery. Heat stroke can occur very quickly, given the right set of circumstances, and if too much time has elapsed, even your best efforts may not be enough to keep your dog alive.

Is my dog at risk for heat stroke?

Any dog can fall victim to heat stroke, but hot weather is especially hard on puppies and older dogs, (they have a harder time regulating their body temperature), short-nosed breeds, (like pugs, pekes, boxers and bulldogs), overweight dogs, those with heart or lung problems, and dogs recently moved from a cooler climate. These risk factors increase if your dog doesn’t have enough water, if he’s in an enclosed space or is exposed too long to direct sunlight.

How can I recognize heat stroke?

Heat stroke causes dogs to pant rapidly and heavily, the body’s defense in an effort to lower the core temperature. Their eyes may be open abnormally wide, and they may appear to stare blankly, ignoring your commands. They may drool excessively and stagger weakly. The gums will appear pale and dry and eventually, if left untreated, the animal will collapse into unconsciousness.

What should I do if my dog has a heat stroke?

If you suspect your dog is suffering from heat stroke and you’re close to a vet or animal hospital, put him in the car, crank the air conditioning all the way up and get him there as soon as possible. They’re the ones best equipped to handle your dog’s recovery. If that’s not possible, you must try to reduce your dog’s temperature yourself. Get him to a shady area and either put him in a tub of cool (not cold) running water, or spray him with a hose. Be sure the water penetrates his coat and wets the skin beneath. Run it over his tongue and mouth, inside the legs and on his stomach. Remember that small dogs will cool down more quickly than larger breeds. Take your dog to a vet as soon as you can.

Hopefully your dog will never suffer a life-threatening heat stroke. If he does, at least now you know the signs and symptoms to be aware of, and the measures you can take that will offer him the best chances for a full and total recovery.

About the Author

Honey Wesley is the owner of http://www.justsaydogs.com, a fun, innovative and informative website dedicated to dogs and dog lovers everywhere. Send a blank email mailto:Bou@justsaydogs.com. You’ll get “12 Ways to Keep Your Dog Safe this Summer”