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.

.

__,_._,___

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

.

__,_._,___