Three Common Health Problems in Dogs and How to Prevent Them

Title: Three Common Health Problems in Dogs and How to Prevent Them
Author: Janet Nusbaum

Three Common Health Problems in Dogs and How to Prevent Them
Life with your dog can be fun and exciting. There are times
when this excitement can take a turn in the wrong
direction. This is when your dog gets sick. There will be
times in your dog's life that he will become ill. It is for
this reason that it is important that you are aware of some
of the common health problems in dogs. There are the big
three that you should be aware of when it comes to taking
care of your dog.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is not just a health problem for humans. Dogs
can suffer from this health concern as well. Heart disease
in a cat can be present at birth or it can acquire through
his lifetime. There are two basic types of heart disease
that your cat can have. One is where the walls of the
arteries thin out. The other happens when the valves to
properly close and affect the flow of blood through the
heart.

Heart disease in a cat can lead to heart failure. Just like
in a person, heart disease can be a precursor to a failure
of your dog's heart. This happens when the heart can not
keep up with the blood needs of the body. There are few
warning signs of heart failure in a dog. It is important to
have your dog checked out often by your vet to keep tabs on
this health problem.

Heartworm

Heartworm is one of the most well known health problems
that a dog may have. Mosquitoes are the culprit that can
cause your furry four legged friend to get heartworm. There
is a greater risk of getting heartworm for dogs that spend
time outdoors. It is not unheard of for an indoor dog to
get heartworm.

When it comes to heartworm, the most important word is one
of prevention. Treating heartworm in a dog can be very
expensive. It is for this reason that vets concentrate on
heartworm prevention. There are few different preventatives
that are used. Many are oral pills that the dog will take
daily or monthly.

Canine Distemper

This is one of those health problems that a dog can get
that is often tracked back to being around other dogs. This
disease is spread through contact with other dogs'
secretions. There are a few symptoms of canine distemper to
watch out for. They are pus coming out of the eye, loss of
weight, and diarrhea. Distemper is usually prevented
through a simple vaccine that your vet can give your dog.

Keeping your dog healthy and around for a long time lays
firmly on your shoulders. It is up to you to know when
something is wrong with your dog and to seek the proper
medical attention that he needs. This is why it is so
important for you to be aware of the many common health
problems that your dog may face.

About the Author:

E-PETSTUFF.NET is your on-line destination for Pet Stuff!
From articles on pet health, care, training, behavior and
breeds, and product listings and reviews about all things
domestic pets, http://www.ePetStuff.net is designed by pet
lovers for pet lovers.

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Dog Food Nutrition Part 1: Reading and Understanding Dog Food Labels

Title: Dog Food Nutrition Part 1: Reading and Understanding Dog Food Labels
Author: Josh Paul

Dog Food Nutrition Part 1: Reading and Understanding Dog Food Labels
Trying to read and understand pet food labels can be quite
difficult and be very time consuming. There are many things
to consider when buying pet food: age, health, digestive
system and teeth. There are a lot of different varieties of
both wet and dry food for both cats and dogs. There are
even snacks that have labels that are hard to read.

The FDA states that pet food labels must give the minimum
percentages of protein and fat as well as the maximum
percentages of crude fiber and moisture. There are other
manufacturers that do list other ingredients as well. Dog
food labels do not usually state the minimum percentages of
calcium, sodium, phosphorus or linoleic acid. Cat food
labels normally list taurine and magnesium, two necessary
nutrients for cats.

The amount of moisture in pet foods is different in all
foods. Dry food does have the least amount and canned food
has the most. Make sure when comparing food, compare canned
food with canned food and dry food with other dry food.

There are three basic rules to pet food labels:

1- The 95% rule: If a product has a name like 'Beef for
Dogs' it has to have at least 95% of that product that is
names. With these, it is the beef and tuna and does not
include any added water.

2- The 25% rule: If there is a qualifying word in the
label, such as 'Dinner", 'Entree' 'Platter' or 'Formula'
there has to be at least 25% of the ingredient named on the
label. An example would be 'Shrimp Dinner'.

3- The 3% rule: If the label has the word 'with' it only
has to have 3% of that product named.

'Chicken Dog Food'- 95% rule applied 'Dog Food with Tuna'-
3% rule applied

It is also important to look at the entire list of
ingredients in pet foods. They are listed in descending
order. That being the first ingredient should be the
highest quality ingredient, such as meat. You should be
careful when purchasing food that contains 'animal
by-products' because they do not give any nutrition to any
dog.

It is best to choose food that is appropriate for your
pet's life stage. Some foods are just for 'puppies' or
'seniors'. these are formulated for a pet of a certain age
and stage of their life. Food for adults is not appropriate
for a puppy that is growing. If a food label states "100%
nutritionally complete" then the food is good for all ages.

About the Author:

http://www.joshyblog.com/dogfood-dangers/ is committed to
informing you on the best nutritional choices for your dog.
Josh Paul, admin@joshyblog.com

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Coping With the Death of a Pet

Title: Coping With the Death of a Pet
Author: Mike Vines

When most of us think about the death of a friend we think
about someone that we worked with, that we went to school with,
or became acquainted with in some way. In short, we think about
our human friends who have passed on. Dealing with the death of
the people you know and love is difficult, but so to is the loss
of a pet. Many people don't realize that the loss of a pet can
be as painful as the loss of a friend or family member. It
sounds silly to those that do not have the love of that special
dog, cat, bird, ferret, or another furry animal, but the love
that you share with these animals is unlike the love that you
will ever share with a human, making the loss of our animals
difficult.

Don't Play Down Your Pain

If your pet has just passed away you'll be feeling immense
grief, so don't play down your pain. A lot of people are
hesitant to share with their friends and family members exactly
how much they are hurting as their pet ages, gets sick, and
dies. You need to express these feelings to those that share the
love of your animal, or even those that are just good listeners.
This is a difficult time, just like it would be if you had lost
a person who was close to you.

Perhaps what makes dealing with the death of a furry friend
more difficult is that our time with animals is relatively
short. The average dog lives just 10 to 12 years, a mere
acquaintance in a human life. Many have said that the reason
that we live so long is because it takes us at least one
lifetime to learn how to love unconditionally. Animals don't
have to live that long because they are born knowing trust and
love and are here to teach us.

If you have had to make the difficult choice to put your pet to
sleep, this can create a whole new level of grief. Here is your
best friend and they need your help and the only thing that you
can do for them is make them comfortable while they pass on.
This is difficult, but you should know as a pet owner you have
made the selfless decision to put your pet out of their misery
before it got really bad. Don't allow yourself to feel guilty
for doing this, as it is often the best and only choice for a
humane pet owner.

When dealing with the loss of an animal you will likely go
through the same grief process as you do when you grieve for a
human being. You may feel shocked, sadness, anger, and then
slowly you'll come to accept it. Someday in the future when you
have gotten over the worst of the pain you will consider getting
a new pet. There is nothing like the love our animals give us,
and for pet owners it is often the desire for that unconditional
love which has them going back for more, even after losing one
of their beloved furry friends.

About The Author: Mike Vines, in association with
http://GriefManagement.org and http://GriefManagement.org
Forums, seeks to provide a safe and congenial home to those
suffering from grief, along with the hope and understanding from
a community of concerned individuals willing to share their own
experiences to help others through the difficulties of life.

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The Tips and Tricks to Keeping Your Akita Dog's Coat Looking Its Best

Title: The Tips and Tricks to Keeping Your Akita Dog's Coat
Looking Its Best
Author: Nick Jameson

When it comes time to groom your Akita there are several things
to keep in mind that are breed specific. Most Akita dogs don't
care about how they look like as long as they are happy rolling
on the ground or on something stinky they found destroying the
beauty in their coat. However, dog owners do not want this and
as much as possible, they would like their Akita dogs looking
their best. This is where experts come into play by creating dog
grooming salon. Dog grooming salons are experts in keeping their
coats looking shiny and healthy. The cost of dog grooming in pet
salons is reasonable because the professionals will take care of
all the fuss. However, for numerous reasons, not all people
choose to use this routine, some don't even bother bringing
their dogs into a grooming salon because they would rather do it
themselves.

If you are one of those people who would rather groom your
Akita dog by themselves, there are some things that you should
keep in mind in order to keep your dog's coat looking their
best. The first thing is that Akitas ; especially those with
long hair should be combed and brushed two to three times a
week. Akita dogs that possess thick undercoats must be combed
out weekly. This will speed up the process of shedding and may
avoid the hair from falling into the furniture and carpets. Dogs
that have shorter hair need to be brushed frequently also to
keep their hair healthy. It is also important that the fleas be
treated at this time.

The best thing to use in combing your Akita dog's hair and
undercoat is the shedding comb. It has a tooth design with long
teeth that pull the dead hair and the undercoat. It also has
small teeth that collect the loose hair of the dog and it also
the best tool to remove the matted hair. You may also use an
undercoat rake for Akita dogs that have thick coats.

Another thing to remember is bathing. Though bathing is very
important in keeping your dog's coat fresh, this should not
always be done. Veterinarians suggest that an Akita dog be
bathed not more than once a month because over bathing can cause
the dog's skin to become dry and may lead to itching which
eventually may lead to infection. If you want to bath your dog
more than once a month, it is necessary for you to use an aloe
shampoo with conditioner.

The dogs coat should also be checked frequently to see if they
have cuts, fleas, rashes, ticks, burrs and bumps that might
attack their coats. There is a need to treat this with
appropriate application of medication or antibiotics. Flea and
allergies should be treated as soon as possible because this can
cause them skin eruptions. It should also be kept in mind that
healthy skin and coat starts with a good diet. If the coat of
your Akita dog is dull or the skin of the dog appears itchy, the
dog might need to change their diet however, fatty supplements
and vitamins will eliminate such problems.

As mentioned, professional groomers are available for grooming
your dog. They also clean ears and clip the dog's nails. If you
can't maintain your dogs coat by yourself, you can bring them to
pet salons where there are experts to do this job. Your Akita
dog only asks for a little in exchange for the limitless love
and loyalty they give. Helping them become healthy is the least
you can do for them.

About The Author: Nick Jameson writes for the Akita Dog
Training and Care site http://www.AkitaAnswers.com. Check the
site out for more information on buying, training and caring for
the wonderful Akita dog breed.

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