Dog care and health

Some dog health care tips

2008-07-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

Your Dog's Teeth

Dogs need regular dental care. Buildup of tartar can cause inflamed, swollen gums and secondary infection that can lead to serious health problems. Dogs, one to three years old, should have their teeth brushed once a week. Dogs over three years old should have their teeth brushed three times a week.

Use a toothbrush that is made especially for dogs. They have long handles which allow you to brush the dog's back teeth. Never use human toothpaste, use an enzyme toothpaste specifically made for your dog.

There are specially treated dental cleaning pads which can be wiped over the surface of the dog's teeth. The enzymes in the pad do the cleaning.

Ear Care

Ear care is an often overlooked, but important area. Dirt and debris in the ear canal can lead to inflammation and infection. Routine ear care, using products which cleanse the ear of debris, help to dry the ear canal and assist in preventing otitis, a chronic inflammation and infection of the external ear canal.

Ear mites are small parasites which can invade your dog's ears. These mites typically cause a dry, dark brown debris to form in the ears of dogs. Ear mite treatments kills only the adult mites, not the nymphs, (pre-adults). Effective ear mite treatment includes an initial series of treatments to kill the adult mites followed 10 to 14 days later by a second series of treatments to kill the newly matured adults.

Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements

On occasion your dog may benefit from vitamins and nutritional supplements. Older or sick pets may not consume enough food to provide adequate nutrition. Dogs recovering from surgery or chronic illness may need nutritional supplements in order to heal well. Even hard working dogs, such as guide dogs, may require supplements to say at their best level of fitness.

Sore and Irritated Skin

Dogs can suffer from skin problems associated with allergic reactions, skin diseases or wounds. We recommend the use of a "complete healing system" to provide deep healing for sore or irritated skin. This system is as follows:

Your dog should be shampooed with an anti-itch shampoo to cleanse and soothe the affected area and to prevent the spread of skin disease through bacterial infection. To start the healing process, it is vital that the scab or flaking skin be gently removed by using a medicated cleansing product. Trimming the hair from around the area allows the medication to reach the skin.

Watch for the formation of new tissue which will appear shiny and pink in color. This is an indication that the healing process is well under way. However, as the skin begins to heal, itching will increase. Use a skin relief spray to stop the itching and pain so that the delicate new tissue is not damaged by scratching.

Continue to promote deep healing with the use of hydrocortisone cream containing aloe vera and vitamins B and E which soothes and nourishes the healing skin.

Kids and Dogs Safety Tip Sheet

2008-05-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Teaching children the do's and don'ts regarding animals is among one of the most important lessons you'll ever teach them. Animals are everywhere and though many are domesticated, this does not automatically make them safe. For example, in the US alone, 1-2 million dog bites occur annually.

Today many homes are raising children along with the family dog. Naturally kids delight in hugging, petting, and playing with their pets. But unfortunately, many children grow up believing that all dogs are gentle and friendly like their pets, and commonly fall victim to a dog attack, simply because they'd never been taught when it's not okay to approach a dog.

Start teaching your children the following safety guidelines regarding dogs when they are quite young, and continue reinforcing these precautions frequently.

Never run up to a dog.
Never attempt to touch a neighbour's dog through a fence.
Never touch a dog that is growling, showing his teeth, or barking hysterically.
Young children must never approach dogs without a grown-up's supervision.
Always hold your hand out first and allow the dog to sniff your hand.
Never grab at a dog.
Don't approach a dog that is a watch dog protecting his property.
Never attempt to touch a dog that is eating or in possession of a bone or a treat of some sort.
Never hurt the animal by pulling it's tail or fur for example.
If the dog is leashed, ask the dog's owner permission to pet the dog first.
Keep your face away from the dog's, when approaching or playing with them.
Don't make loud noises or sudden moves when approaching a dog. Speak softly to it.
If a dog is chasing you, stop running, as this encourages him to chase you.
Avoid eye contact with an aggressive dog, and back off slowly and non-threateningly.
Do not touch, or attempt to touch, the animal's eyes.

Diabetes in Dogs

2008-05-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Diabetes Mellitus can affect both cats, dogs and humans. It can be a debilitating disease if left untreated, managing it can be a challenge! Imagine having to chase around your cat and dog on a daily basis because they didn't like their shots, and who can blame them. Once an effective treatment for this disease is established cats and dogs can go onto live long, healthy and practically normal lives.

When most people think of diabetes, they think of diabetes mellitus. This is a common disease that is very easy to diagnose in both cats and dogs, but can sometimes prove difficult to manage.

Diabetes Mellitus Type I is a condition in which not enough insulin is released by the pancreas, so glucose cannot be utilized by cells for energy. Insulin acts as a transporter to carry glucose into cells. An insulin deficiency means the glucose stays in the blood instead of passing into the cells. This usually occurs when the beta cells (the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin) have been destroyed. If enough glucose builds up in the blood, glucose will eventually start coming out in the urine, causing your cat or dog to drink large amounts of water and to urinate excessively.

There is also a Type II Diabetes Mellitus that occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin and/or the beta cells of the pancreas are dysfunctional. Obese patients are particularly susceptible to this type of diabetes.

Dogs and cats develop diabetes mellitus for many reasons. Dogs can get it because of immune mediated disease in which the dog's own antibodies attack and kill the pancreatic beta cells. Cats often get the disease from the accumulation of a special kind of protein around the beta cells. Both dogs and cats can develop the disease because of inflammation of the pancreas (called pancreatitis), hereditary defects of the pancreatic beta cells, obesity, other illnesses, and infections. All dogs that develop diabetes must be supplemented with insulin. For around a third of all cats with diabetes, the disease may be managed through other means, such as dietary changes.

Excessive urination and water consumption are probably the most well known features that accompany all forms of the disease. Other signs of diabetes mellitus include a ravenous appetite and weight loss in spite of excessive food consumption. Because the cells of the body are not receiving nutrients, the animal is really in a state of starvation, so the brain sends signals to the animal's body to tell it that it is very hungry. In the meantime, the body begins to break down its own resources to survive (i.e.muscle and fat) and weight loss ensues.

Another problem associated with diabetes is cataracts, which can develop because hyperglycemia (excess glucose in the blood) can cause water to accumulate in the lens of the eye, causing swelling and disruption of the fibers of the lens. This process is irreversible and can lead to blindness within a matter of days in more severe cases.

Diabetic patients are also predisposed to urinary infections because the excess glucose in the urine may cause bacteria to grow more readily.

Diagnosis of this disease is made through observing the signs of the disease, detecting excess glucose in the blood, even when the animal has not eaten anything, and noting glucose in the urine. These lab results are easily obtained and can give a quick and definitive diagnosis.

The goal of treatment of the diabetic patient is to reduce the clinical signs and to prevent any complications of the disease. Sometimes successful treatment of diabetes can be as simple as feeding a high fiber diet and controlling the animals weight.

When insulin is required to control the diabetes, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the right amount to give. If too much is given, then the animal may become hypoglycemic (too little glucose in the blood), which could have life-threatening effects. If too little is given, the diabetes will remain uncontrolled. The only way to accurately determine the correct level of insulin is to feed the animal, give the insulin and then take blood samples every two hours until the level of glucose in the blood peaks and goes back down as the insulin has its effect. This is called a glucose curve. This can prove to be frustrating and time consuming in the first instance but it is really the only accurate way to tell if the insulin is working as it should.

If you suspect that your pet may be diabetic or you have more questions regarding diabetes mellitus, please contact your local veterinarian.