Training is basic obedience. It’s teaching your dog to sit, stay, come, and heal. When your dog learns to listen to you, you can do a lot of fun things together. Best results are achieved with training between eight weeks and seven months of age.
Most puppies respond best to praise, positive reinforcement, lots of love and rewards. Once you understand how your puppy learns, then try to figure out what he likes and doesn’t like.
The main sign of epilepsy is seizures, which are caused by abnormal electrical activity that begins in the brain. Most seizures last from one to three minutes, with the average time being 90 seconds.
Male and female dogs are sexually mature and can reproduce between the ages of six and nine months.
If your housebroken dog starts having indoor accidents, a medical problem called urinary incontinence could be responsible.
The kidneys serve many vital functions. They filter and remove toxic wastes from the body via the urine, regulate calcium and vitamin D levels
The Hormonal or Endocrine System is made up of seven glands that release substances called hormones which travel in the blood stream and go to other parts of the body in order to stimulate a response.
Well over three million dogs have some form of acquired heart disease and may be in heart failure. Heart failure results when the heart is unable to pump blood at a rate necessary to meet the body’s needs. As the heart tries to work harder, further damage occurs.
Of the 62.4 million dogs in the United States, 18 million are age seven and older, therefore they qualify as “Seniors”. This represents almost one-third of our canine population. In fact, over 75% of our dogs and cats have passed middle age and are entering their “golden years”.
How do you know if the food you are buying is really any good? And can it be fed appropriately to your pet? To address these issues, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) was founded in 1909.
Lymphosarcoma is also known as lymphoma or non-Hodgkins’ lymphoma. It is one of the most common cancers treated in practice. Many different species develop Lymphosarcoma.
Interdigital skin is the skin between the toes. Allergies, irritants, bacteria and fungi, and parasites can infect this area. Dogs with Allergic Inhalant Dermatitis usually lick their feet excessively
Pedicures for pets are important because overgrown nails can cause painful infections. Some dogs are active enough to wear their toenails down
Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs. Half of all dogs over ten years old die of cancer and the incidence is increasing.
Dogs Can Get Sunburn Too
Excessive exposure to sunlight not only causes painful sunburn, it also increases the risk of skin cancer. Cutaneous Lymphosarcoma is a type of skin cancer. Lymposarcoma is the third most common cancer in dogs.
Bacterial Skin Infections – Dogs
Bacterial skin infections are the third major cause of itching in dogs. Most of these infections occur when the immune system is compromised by allergies, illness or stress. “Pyoderma” is the medical term used for bacterial infections of the skin and literally means “pus in the skin”.
More on Dog Allergies
Allergic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that occurs after exposure to an allergen. An allergen is something to which the body is allergic. The number-one sign of allergies in pets is itching.
DOGS WITH DRY SKIN; WHAT YOU CAN DO
Dry skin is common, especially when the weather gets cold and we have to turn the heat up indoors. Dry skin is flaky and often has white scales that resemble dandruff.
Canine Mange
There are two types of mange that affect dogs. Demodectic mange, also called “Demodex”, is caused by microscopic mites that normally live on the skin and in hair follicles.
Dog Grooming
Regular grooming helps keep your dog’s skin and haircoat healthy. It helps eliminate mats and tangles and gives you a chance to check for ticks and fleas as well as lumps and bumps.
Dog’s Skin and Hair
Skin diseases are very common in dogs. They can occur because of bacterial, viral, fungal, allergic, parasitic, and hormonal disorders. In older dogs skin cancer and cysts are not uncommon.
Canine Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused by worms called Dirofilaria immitus. These worms are “spaghetti-like”, grow up to 12″ long, and reside in the heart.
Canine Intestinal Worms
The most common intestinal parasites affecting dogs are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. In addition, roundworms and hookworms can be transmitted to humans.
Dog Obesity
Over half of our dogs are clinically obese, which by definition means they are 15 percent or more above their ideal weight. Being 10 percent overweight decreases a dog’s life span by one third and predisposes them to heart, liver, and kidney disease as well as arthritis.
Dog Scooting
Anal sacs are structures located on either side of the anus. They contain a semi-liquid, vile-smelling material that is normally expelled passively when dogs defecate. Sometimes anal sacs don’t empty properly because of an infection, impaction, an abscess or even a tumor.
Food Allergies Common in Dogs
A food allergy by definition is an abnormal reaction to an ingested food or a food additive, which is often a protein source. Actual food allergies are responsible for ten to twenty percent of allergic (adverse) skin diseases in dogs and cats and adverse skin reactions are less common in dogs than in cats.
Dogs Get Bloated Too-but it can be dangerous for them
Bloat is a true life-and-death emergency in dogs. The stomach fills up with air and/or fluid (simple bloat) and may or may not rotate (complex bloat).
What You Can do When Your Dog Has Constipation
Constipation occurs occasionally in dogs. Constipation is defined as infrequent or absent defecation with retention of feces in the rectum and colon. Older and less active dogs are most prone. Signs that your dog may have constipation include straining to defecate, with or without dry feces.
Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment of Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea consists of the abnormally frequent passage of loose or soft stools, and is one of the most common signs of disease in dogs. It occurs when dissolved substances within the intestine cause excess water to move into the intestine.
Causes of a Dog’s Vomiting and What You Can Do
Vomiting that occurs occasionally in an otherwise healthy dog is generally not a cause for concern. By far the most common cause of vomiting in dogs is eating indiscriminately.