Dog Dry Skins – Tips and Treatments

Shiny coat is a sign of healthy pet. Dogs can have all sorts of skin problems and they range in severity from benign to very serious. As Winter approaches and the temperature begins to drop, you notice a new behavior with your dog: he is constantly scratching, biting or licking his fur. As each day grows cooler, his behavior worsens. Winter is also a time when we experience dry hands and feet, and as such we require extra treatment during this time to keep our skin moist and healthy. Any dog can have dry skin; it is not an exclusively human condition. Just like us, dogs need good skin care to prevent itching and flaking.

Is your home dry in the winter? If so, this could be causing dry skin itch. Use a room humidifier to moisten the air. Also, try a moisturizing shampoo from the pet store. Do not bathe your dog too often; keep his coat clean but that is all--this will help with the scratching and, also, keep them from being uncomfortable during winter months. Water and winter do not mix well with your pet. When you must bathe your dog, be sure to use a dog shampoo. A dog's ph level is different from our own and human shampoos can be harsh on their skin. Instead, buy a dog shampoo that can offer moisturizing effects. Besides providing moisture, many shampoos can also offer flea and parasite protection, which can also help lessen scratching. Some of the more promising cures are herbal extracts such as horsetail, dandelion, spirulina, and fucus, which can help maintain skin and fur health, improve digestive health, and promote general well-being in dogs and cats. Brush your dog often to remove dead hair and dander; if possible, a quick brushing every day will help your pet immensely. Healthy skin, ultimately, reflects a dog's lifestyle. By using quality foods and adding fatty supplements to their food (oil, etc), you can guarantee your dog to have a flake-free coat.

But when your dog skin is flaky, red and irritated or some noticeable bumps, rashes or other unusual inflammations, this could be a sign of something serious. Others see some open sores in dog body or dog's hair is falling out excessively, your dog needs to see his vet. He could just be allergic to his fleas or something in your home. It’s important to get some sort of flea control. Your vet can help you determine and eliminate any other allergens that are causing your dog trouble.

Also dog hotspots are very common, they are typically a bacterial infection. They might have started out as just an allergy, but as the dog scratched, he broke open the skin and introduced bacteria into the sore with his dirty paws. The bacteria grows and causes further irritation to the skin. The vet will want to clear up the initial allergy as well as treat the new infection. He may also prescribe a pain reliever. Most of the time, your dog’s skin troubles can be solved using a variety of treatments. Some are topical like creams and shampoos. Others are pills or injections. Be patient though, not all dogs respond similarly to treatment. It may take a while to find what works.

Common tips to prevent and treat dog skin allergies is to give the right and healthy food. Premium dog foods like Wellness, Royal Canin and Science Diet are balanced nutritionally, with less grain and more meat. One way to determine the quality of a dog food is to look at the first few ingredients, which should be a meat, rather than a grain. Fresh foods like meats and vegetables are high in nutrients and vitamins, which will help to improve a dog's skin and coat by improving overall health. Consider adding fresh meats, and vegetables and fruits like carrots, celery, broccoli, apples (with no seeds), and greens like kale to each meal. Always introduce new foods gradually to avoid stomach upset. A dehydrated dog is going to be prone to dry skin, among other health problems, and some dogs simply don’t drink what they should. Provide extra fluids by serving wet food or by hydrating dry food. Add hot water to kibble, allow the kibble to sit for about ten minutes – this should cause the kibble to swell with water, providing extra fluid with each meal. Fresh vegetables also have high water content, aiding further in providing moisture to the dog's body. Oils can greatly improve the condition of a dog’s itchy or dry skin. So once daily, soak one or two pieces of bread with olive oil and serve with each meal. Or add the oil directly to the dog’s meal by providing a teaspoon of olive oil for each 15 pounds of body weight.

Choosing a right dog – Tips and Things to Consider

Tips When Considering and Choosing a Pet Dog

As we see healthy and lovely dogs around, it really seemed so exciting and so much fun getting in-love to have one. It was really nice feelings to have a loyal companion and friend that is always there to cheer you up. But before you decide what kind of dog want to be with, it is always better to be well-prepared and make best decisions to ensure a good quality of life for you and your pet. There are thousands and millions of dogs suffering and being euthanize around and it is really hearth-breaking, so instead of becoming part of a problem, let us be a part of solution. Be responsible enough and equip ourselves with good information and education. A dog is a part of the family for a dozen or more years; the commitment to feed, shelter, and nurture a family friend for that amount of time should be based on rigorous analysis of an appropriate breed for the family circumstances.

Here are some points to consider when choosing a dog that's perfect for you. First is the size, a large dog is not suitable for an apartment, for elderly owners, or for mild-mannered women because of their strength and incredible energy and exercise need. Large, agile dogs adapt well to apartment or condo living as long as they get a daily walk, and some are gentle enough that anyone with a firm voice and manner can easily handle them, they are good for house with children. Small dogs may be unsuitable for families with active children or elderly or infirm relatives who could trip over a small, bouncy critter. Some dogs are lethargic and others are very energetic and needs enough exercise a day to let these energy settle down. Those who fail to give enough exercise for very energetic dog, dogs tend to bored and divert it on unnecessary behavior like being too destructive, aggressive and many other behavior problems. Active families would be happier with a pet that can jog, hike, and play ball, and more sedate folks would most likely prefer a quieter animal. Basset Hounds, Dachshunds, and Corgis are not jogging companions, and Airedales, German Shepherds, and Border Collies are not typical couch potatoes, they love to walking and usually likes to perform agilities around. All dogs need some exercise to stay healthy. Most adult dogs will not exercise themselves, so time for walks and other activities is important. Some breeds are fairly easy to train, and some are quite difficult. If you lack time and patience to deal with a dog that is difficult to train, then an older dog from a rescue service may fit your bill as well as a pup of a breed that is traditionally easier to train. Intelligence is not necessarily an indicator of trainability; smart dogs often have their own agenda and require firmness of purpose on the part of their owners. Smart dogs bored easily, specially on activities that are repeated, have some different routines and activities to do, or a higher level of training like on agility training class where they can show what really they got. As a rule, terriers, hounds, and northern dogs are tough to train because of their intelligence and independent natures, and sporting and herding dogs are easier to train. The sharpest-working obedience breeds are Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Shetland Sheepdogs, breeds that developed to closely with humans.

Dog barks, they range from a lovely small bark of a puppy into annoying barks that are so embarrasing and might turn into hating neighborhood, too much barking can lead to noise laws or even pet limit laws. Terriers and scent hounds use their voices to broadcast their progress in chasing prey animals. Shelties and Collies bark to tell the sheep to git back to the barn. Canaan Dogs bark to alert their families to potential intruders. Barking dogs do not endear owners to their neighbors in apartments, condominiums, and close-knit suburbs. Dogs bark if they are too bored so ensure you have enough time and ability to train, walk and have playtime with your pet. There are some special collars available to deter barking dogs and some training methods that can help in some cases, but if potential owners take the noise factor into consideration, problems are more likely to be minimized. Owner's capabilities and commitment always have a dog with good behavior and temperament. Breed and group temperament can be described, but there is latitude within that description for individuality. Thus Akitas are declared to be tough animals, loyal, aloof, dominant, aggressive to other animals, and often challenging. However, many Akitas are sweet and cuddly, love small critters, will climb in laps if allowed, and are anything but aloof and dominant. Terriers are scrappy, yappy, tough, and independent, but Airedale Terriers bond very closely to their humans and are somewhat protective. Hounds follow their eyes or noses and are often oblivious to human presence, but Dachshunds bond closely with their families and Greyhounds and Whippets are sweet, gentle pets.

Meticulous housekeepers and folks with little or no time for grooming will be happier with dogs that don't accessorize the living room with dog-hair dust bunnies a couple of times a year. Double-coated dogs may also have longer, stiffer guard hairs that can penetrate bare feet like splinters. Long-coated and double-coated dogs shed, shed, and shed some more, leaving tufts of hair to float about the house and land everywhere. Dogs with oily outer coats can develop a doggy odor that can be unpleasant, dogs with heavy coats may suffer in southern climes, and dogs with short coats may shiver in the north. Brushing is needed to remove the dead hair from wire-coated terriers, poodles, and poodle relatives, and professional grooming is necessary to maintain texture and color in wirehaired terriers. These breeds are generally better than heavily shedding breeds for owners with allergies. Your environment, dogs can be destructive to gardens, lawns, and landscape plantings. Common problems such as urinating on lawns or shrubs, roll in flowers, chomp on vegetables and branches, dig holes, and generally cause havoc unless they are restrained from doing so. Sturdy fences will keep dogs from entering gardens if they are tall enough so dog owners use underground radio fences or wireless fences.

On health, have good knowledge on what to feed for your dog. Ask or look for some comments or testimonials about certain dog food before giving it to your dog. Dogs in the wild naturally eat raw food, it was natural, healthy and cheap so consider them, ask your vet about it. A good vet will say about dog raw food, if they always recommend those process food then look for a new vet that could suggest. Although purebred dogs are sometimes denigrated as harboring all sorts of genetic abnormalities and mixed breed dogs are sometimes claimed to be healthier than their purebred cousins, the truth is that all dog have the same range of health problems. Some of these problems are genetic, some result from exposure to disease or parasites, and some are the result of non-inherited birth defects or injuries. Joint problems, including hip and elbow dysplasia and loose kneecaps; eye problems; cancers; skin diseases; heart and other organ diseases; and more affect canines of every size and background. Some dogs have additional problems caused by short muzzles, long backs, giant or diminutive size, or other physical features. When you finally decide on what kind of breed, research everything about this breed. Make sure you get the dog on the right place, visit first rescue or shelter house where then can study if the dog will be perfect for your lifestyle. Also make sure you are getting the dog on true responsible breeder, they should have all the papers and required shots, etc.

Dog Sudden Change Behavior - Signs and Tips

Since we got our beloved dogs, we do our best to give them the best care and training so he/she can be as friendly, as behave and as lovely for everyone. But it is sad that we could never stop them to change behaviors as they age. Sudden aggression, in moods or other unnecessary habits could lead your dogs to bite and hurt others, hence bring other problems such as vet bills and lawsuit.

Aggression in dogs is defined as a threat of harmful behavior directed at another animal or person. It may involve snarling, growling, snapping, nipping, biting, or lunging. A dog may act aggressively for either behavioral or medical reasons, or a combination of both. Proper petsafe and immediate recognizing such dog behavior change and equip enough knowledge on how to deal with these changes appropriately will be the best solution. On some research, the signs could vary depending on dog gender, to their possessiveness, territoriality, dominance or fear while on older dogs, certain hormones or lacking in hormones could be the cause of sudden change in habits and behaviors, and could be signs on illness. It is first recommended to seek medical attention immediately. Take the dog to a veterinarian to diagnose the source of pain and administer treatment, if needed.

The common signs of aggression are growling, snarling, barking, curled lips, lunging and an overall menacing posture, where the dog is tensed and ready to snap. There are other indications, such as jumping or mounting, or even standing in your way that are much less of a problem and often go ignored when not accompanied by the other more severe signs. One of the most often misunderstood forms of aggression is that which arises in older dogs all of a sudden, especially when those dogs have been docile, even submissive, for most of their lives. Older dogs in particular may enjoy puppies, but because of their increased age and decreased endurance, they will only tolerate them for a time. After a self-determined grace period, they will let the puppy know they have had enough in a firm and forceful way. In most cases, this message is sent with a snap that is all bark and no bite. Try to slow down the younger dog, teach him to be gentle with others especially with older dog, this could help.

The most common hidden causes of aggression in older dogs is the onset of arthritis, which makes them not only less able to engage with other dogs, but also potentially vulnerable and defensive as a result. Arthritis in dogs is unfortunately very common, a result of genetic factors, diet, or even over-exercise. If arthritis is causing a dog pain, then they can lash out not only at other dogs, but also at you. It is recommended to walk and exercise dogs with arthritis in the morning and in the afternoon while the weather is not hot. Also find the dog a cool and safe place in the house to rest and sleep to lessen the arthritis pain and also, away from being touched by others, but be ware, don’t let him feel to be isolated. Have regular medication on arthritis and also tale control on the dog’s weight. See your vet if arthritis is a possibility, as there are plenty of steps you can take to address the problem, from dietary supplements to massage and acupuncture, and a revamped exercise regimen. Anti-inflammatory drugs are effective but best left as a last option, make sure to visit an expert vet, this medication could cost a good bit and they can be rough on the dog’s stomach, and includes such side effects. Dog crates are also recommended.

Fear induced aggression is one of the more common types of aggression that pet guardians will experience. A fearful dog will strike preemptively if they perceive a dangerous situation. Look for a fearful dog as a dog who displays a tucked tail, pulled- back ears, horizontally retracted lips or an averted gaze. He or she might lick his lips or yawn. If you see this, keep your dog away or approach very carefully. It is possible to appease a dog’s fear, but a bouncy large dog might scare a fearful dog into an attack. If you have a fearful dog, a dog park is not a good place for him or her. Consider teaching your dog confidence in very controlled situations with friendly calm dogs before you expose them to the wilds of a dog park.

Medical issues such as hypothyroidism, epilepsy, seizure, hydrocephalus and trauma are highly observed conditions on dog conditions, usually dogs in these states should always be handled cautiously as they are not fully aware of what are they doing. Predicting aggressiveness in these behaviors may be difficult. This is because aggression involves emotions and a dog’s emotions vary depending on the situation. And, there is even “appropriate aggression”. Seizures and hypothyroidism are both know to cause aggression in previously social dogs. If your pet suddenly becomes aggressive to other dogs, be sure to have a veterinarian check him or her out before you deal with the behavioral issue.