Friday, 27. November 2009
Dogs are considered to be like best friends to many pet owners. These pet owners might not even think about the quality of the food that they serve their dogs. Many pet owners are confused by the health issues that their dogs face. A lot of times the owners have no idea why the health problems occur.
Fortunately, there are alternative options for those in search of dog information regarding a healthy diet. For one, you could opt to make your own dog food. If you want a healthier dog, and are trying to improve your dog’s energy level and appearance, you should try Flint River Ranch dog food.
A number of people will turn to professionals for dog information. Sometimes, the first suggestion will be supplements or pharmaceuticals. However, this may be unnecessary. If you have been feeding your pet grocery store brands, all you may need to do is switch to a premium food. The results will be quickly apparent. Many dog foods contain the scraps and waste left from food processors. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, and is not considered the healthiest type of food.
There are alternatives for those dog owners that are seeking dog information regarding a healthy diet. One option is to make your own dog food. You can use the foods you prepare for yourself and your family. Simply cool the food to room temperature in the refrigerator before feeding it to your pet. Nevertheless, there are some drawbacks to be aware of regarding this arrangement.
Most importantly, unless you are knowledgeable regarding dog information and nutrition, there’s no guarantee that your dog is getting the proper nutrients from your diet. Additionally, it can be time consuming and costly to feed an extra mouth at your table. A dog food containing human grade, natural ingredients would be a good alternative. The food for pets given by Flint River Ranch, is made under controlled conditions.
This food is digested easily and contains high degree of important vitamins and minerals. The dog food prepared by Flint River Ranch is of good quality that a person’s dog would enjoy eating. Consider Flint River Ranch pet foodstuff if you want to perk up your dog’s physical condition, liveliness levels and looks. The owners of Flint River Ranch not only offer superior product quality but also have solutions and give support to pet owners who want the most excellent, healthiest existence for their pets.
Great dog information online, includes information on homemade dog food, or the excellent dog food known as Flint River Ranch.
Posted in Pets by Jennifer Poultson -
Saturday, 31. October 2009
Are you giving the proper attention to your dog’s oral hygiene needs?
Periodontal disease is the most common oral problem that dogs face. Adversely affecting the tissues that support and surround the teeth, periodontal disease is usually the result of excessive plaque buildup. As plaque accumulates on the teeth, it gradually hardens into tartar.
When plaque accumulates on the teeth it provides a perfect environment for the growth of bacteria. The bacteria cause irritation to the gums. The irritation causing the gums to swell and eventually bleed. As the inflammation worsens, additional bacteria are produced. This causes the gums to recede and exposes the tooth’s root. It also results in bone tissue loss causing the teeth to become loose in their sockets. If left untreated, the teeth ultimately fall out.
The symptoms of periodontal disease include brown or yellow stains on the teeth, consistently bad breath, reddened gums and exposed tooth roots. In addition if your dog seems to have difficulty chewing, excessive drooling, a reluctance to eat or mouth pain (as evidenced by pawing at his mouth or rubbing his face on the ground) the problem may be periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is quite painful and may result in tooth loss. However, the condition can cause additional, even more serious, health problems. The accumulation of bacteria may result in bacteria entering the blood steam. Once in the blood it can migrate to the urinary tract, heart valves, and other systems of the body. This chain reaction, starting innocently enough as a result of inadequate oral hygiene can ultimately lead to life-threatening complications.
While all breeds of dogs are at risk, periodontal disease is more commonly found in dogs with flat faces and short muzzles. Additionally, senior dogs are also at increased risk. Dogs whose diet is primarily moist, canned dog food are also more at risk than those who are usually fed dry dog food.
Treatment of periodontal disease is dependent upon how far the disease has progressed. In less severe cases, brushing your dog’s teeth on a regular basis may eliminate it. For more advanced cases, the dog’s teeth may have to be descaled. This is usually performed by your veterinarian with the dog sedated under general anesthesia. If it is found that the disease has progressed to a very late stage, a specialist may have to perform advanced dental surgery.
As with most health issues, prevention and early detection are essential. Regular brushing of your dog’s teeth will help fight the buildup of plaque. Additionally, regular visits to your veterinarian for a periodic check-ups can identify hidden damage to the teeth before a problem grows more serious.
Help your dog maintain overall health through regular veterinary check-ups, providing a healthy diet, brushing of your dog’s teeth, and giving him the occasional chew toy. He’ll appreciate your efforts to keep him from growing “long in the tooth”.
Jim Navary has been a freelance writer and researcher for over thirty years encompassing a wide range of topics. He has also been a dog lover for longer than he’d care to remember. 
Please check out his DogBurg web site for canine friends at DogBurg.com. Once there, sign up for his newsletter for dog lovers and receive the free ebook, “Pamper Your Dog: 130 Recipes for Your Canine Friend.”
Posted in Pets by Jim Navary -
Friday, 18. September 2009
The Anatomy of the Canine Ear
Dogs, just like humans have ears that function to hear sounds in the environment. The difference is that while the outside of a human ear is straight, a dogs ear can be floppy or straight. This area is referred to as the Pinna. Its main function is to funnel sound into the ear canal. A dogs ear canal is “L” shaped while a humans is straight. A dogs ear canal is made up of the descending canal or vertical canal and the horizontal canal which ends at the eardrum or tympanic membrane. A canine eardrum is clear and separates the external, middle and inner ear.
Common Causes of Dog Ear Infections
The most common ear infection in dogs is an infection of the external part of the ear including the horizontal and vertical canals. This type of infection is called otitis externa. Otitis externa in dogs is really only caused by three things, namely ear mites, bacteria and yeast.
Ear mite infections are caused by the mite Otodectes cynotis. Ear mite infections are seen more in puppies than adult dogs, but any dog can get ear mites. A dog gets ear mites from other infected dogs. Ear mites can live in the ear and on the head and neck.
The bacterium most commonly involved in ear infections is Staphylococcus and the yeast most commonly seen is Malassezia. Bacterial and yeast infections are more common in dogs than ear mite infections. Even though there are only a few causes of ear infections, many things predispose a dog to getting an ear infection. Some of the most common predisposing factors are:
Malformed Ear Canal – When a dogs ear canal is too long or too small, this provides ample opportunity for moisture and debris to become trapped leading to an infection.
Excessive hair in the ear canal – Excess hair in the ear canal can trap water and debris leading to an ear infection.
Residing in Humid Climates or Swimming – In a humid environment, water from the air can become trapped in the ear. In addition, a dog that swims can end up with water retained in both the horizontal and vertical canals, both of which can lead to infection.
Folded or Floppy Pinna – If the pinnae are folded over or cover the vertical ear canal, debris and water can become trapped, thus resulting in infection.
Food Allergy – When a dog is allergic to certain foods, skin reactions can occur as well as changes in the ear canal environment. When this occurs, water is retained and the ending result is an ear infection.
Inhalant and Seasonal Allergies – These are also referred to as Atopy and include reactions to dust, mold, trees, grass and other environmental factors. Not only will your dog experience skin irritations, the environment in the ear canal will change resulting in moisture buildup which then leads to ear infections.
Systemic Disease – Hypothyroidism or other diseases that affect the endocrine system hamper the immune systems ability to fight infection. When both of these afflictions occur, an ear infection is inevitable.
A Growth or Foreign Object – If there is an abnormal mass or some kind of foreign particle in the ear, it can trap debris and moisture causing an ear infection.
Over Ear leaning – If a dog’s ears are cleaned too often, excess water and cleanser can be left behind. These two things can trap debris and eventually lead to an ear infection.
Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian who loves to share her knowledge about Dog Diseases Symptoms. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where you can find more of her articles about Dog Ear Infections Causes.
Posted in Pets by Heather Fox -
Tuesday, 15. September 2009
Premium dog foods are most certainly better than an economy dog food. But it’s sometimes hard to figure out the difference between a premium dog food and the rest. Do you go by price alone? A lot of companies are betting on it. Does it say premium on the bag? What makes a premium dog food premium?
The main difference between premium and economy dog foods is the quality of the ingredients and the amount of actual nutrients digestible by your dog. Ignore any of the fancy wording or delicious looking pictures on the bag of food. Look, instead, at the dog food ingredients first.
The first 2 ingredients tell you a lot about the dog food you are about to purchase. The difference between an economy and premium food are the quality of the grains and meats used. Premium dog foods list an animal meat as the first ingredient. Economy dog foods, and premium dog food impostors, will list grains and meat by-products as the first two dog food ingredients.
Grains: Premium dog foods will use better grains (rice, oats) than economy foods (corn, soy, wheat). Why are these better? Because your dog can digest and metabolize the nutrients from these grains better. Grains are top ingredients in the economy dog foods, not in premium ones.
Another problem with the type and quality of grains/carbs used by the economy dog foods is that they are common sources of food allergies for dogs. They are also usually the by-products of the grain, not the whole grain itself, and thus has virtually no nutritional value to your dog. The grains/carbs really turn out to be nothing more than a way to make your dog feel full.
Meat by-products are not a top 2 dog food ingredient in premium dog foods. Meat by-products are the slaughtered meat carcass parts that are left over after all the usable meat has been removed – like bones, necks, intestines, etc.
Again, like cheap grain by-products, meat by-products are just not an equal substitute for real animal meat for your dog. They are used to boost the protein percentages in the dog food and make pet owners feel like they are feeding their dogs animal meat.
Premium dog foods almost always have a meat or meat meal as the first ingredient, unless it is a special need dog food. This is because dogs need animal protein – plain and simple. Meat by-products just don’t cut it.
What about price? Is that a good indicator of the type of dog food? Not really. Of course if you see a really cheaply priced dog food, it is probably an economy food. But just because the food is expensive, does not automatically mean it is a healthy, premium dog food. Again, you need to take a peek at the dog food ingredients list to really know what you are getting.
And now there are more types of dog food, like holistic and organic. For more information about the different choices available for your dog and how to carefully select the best premium dog foods for your particular pet at the Healthy Dog Food blog.
Posted in Pets by K.C. Jones -
Wednesday, 9. September 2009
Canine eye problems are a common reason for veterinary visits. Some common canine eye problems include dry eye, conjunctivitis, and dog cataracts. Certain eye problems are common in some dog breeds.
A common sign of dog cataracts is the appearance of opaque spots on the lens of the eye. Large cataracts or cataracts invading the dog’s field of vision can block a dog’s vision. Late onset cataracts typically develop in the late adulthood of the dog, but younger dogs can have cataracts due to genetic causes.
One serious eye condition that can result in blindness is glaucoma. A decline in vision, redness, eye cloudiness, and a dilated pupil that does not respond to light our signs of glaucoma.
Like people, dogs can get conjunctivitis or pink eye. Conjunctivitis and dogs is often caused by allergies. The symptoms of conjunctivitis are redness, itchiness, and tearing eyes.
A condition that causes the eyes not produce enough tears is called dry eye. Dog breeds that have protruding eyes such as Pugs and Shih Tzus are susceptible to dry eye. Dry eye can be a serious canine eye problem for dogs with protruding eyes.
Cherry eye is a canine eye problem that most commonly affects cocker spaniels, poodles, and bulldogs. Cherry eye is characterized by a prolapsed gland of the third eyelid. Dog breeds prone to entropion include Rottweilers, Labrador retrievers, Shar Pei, and cocker spaniels.
An inward folding of an eyelid which caused the eyelashes and hair on the eyelid to rub against the eye is called entropion. This condition is most common in Cocker Spaniels, Shar Pei, Rottweilers, and Labrador Retrievers.
Ectopic cilia is a condition that causes an eyelash to grow abnormally and cause an ulcer on the cornea of the eye. Another condition that affects eyelashes is distichiasis which causes the eyelashes to grow along the eyelid too close to the eye. Eye lashes with abnormal growth or placement on the eyelids cause irritation to the eye.
Puppy strangles, also called puppy pyoderma, is a condition that can cause abscesses on the eyelid.Dermoid is another condition that can cause ulcers. Dermoid is a canine eye problem with the genetic cause characterized by hairy skin on the eye.
If a dog gets dirt or debris in its eye, the dog owner can flush out the eye with sterile saline. Any inflammation, soreness, swelling, or sores on or around the eye needs to be examined by a veterinarian. Any changes to a dog’s eyes or visual ability should prompt the veterinary visit.
Moses Wright believes in giving dogs a balance diet. He provides more information on homemade dog foods and natural dog treat recipes to help dog owners give a healthy diet to their dogs.
Posted in Pets by Moses Wright -