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Archive for September, 2011

Using reward-based training, the whole family can be involved as the methods are fun and easy. Follow these simple principles of reward-based training. These are the golden rules for teaching your dog.

Start now The best age to start training is now. However young your puppy is, however old your dog is, it is never too early or too late.

Learn from your dog Training should be a two-way communication. You must be willing to learn from your dog. The more you learn about him, the easier training will become.

Have short sessions Do not expect your dog to concentrate for long. Like us, the more difficult something is, the shorter the time he can concentrate. At first, aim for sessions of between half a minute and two minutes. As you and your dog begin to understand each other better, the time can be extended so long as you are both enjoying it. Lots of short sessions throughout each day will help your dog learn much more quickly than one long session where you both become tired, confused and bored.

Have fun Dogs are like us in that they learn best when something is enjoyable. Make sessions fun and rewarding, and you and your dog will want to learn together. If you start, then realise that you or your dog is simply not in ‘the mood’, expect less and end the session early.

A stressed dog will not learn If your dog is feeling anxious, he will not be able to learn. especially if you are expecting too much of him. If he is in an environment that worries him, such as close to a bouncy dog, heavy traffic or too many people, he may find it difficult to cope with.

Begin and end on a good note As your training sessions become a little longer, always start with something familiar to your dog, to help him settle. Similarly, do something easy or enjoyable before finishing a session.

All the family should be involved In the days of old, only one person was advised to train a dog to avoid confusion. However, we need a pet dog to respond to all members of the family. Therefore, everyone should be involved to whatever extent is appropriate, under close supervision when necessary. If someone in the family is not involved with training the dog, do not be surprised if the dog does not respond to them.

Be consistent Dogs cannot learn what we want if we do not teach them. If we vary the words we use, and different people have different expectations, our dog will simply become confused and disinclined to play this training game with us. He will begin to make his own decisions or try to guess what we want. We owe it to him to make it as easy as possible for him to understand.

Teach – do not expect him to know Dogs do not understand English, therefore they cannot know what we mean unless we have taught them. If you feel that you have taught something and your dog is still not responding as he should, instead of blaming him for being naughty, ask yourself how you can teach him more effectively He obviously has not learned what you wanted, so start again to help him.

Many dog owners are unaware that canine bladder enlargement can pose a serious problem if left untreated. Health issues associated with canine enlarged bladder problems can range from urinary incontinence to complete blockage of the urinary passage. In all cases, from mild to severe, your dog will be uncomfortable and, often, in pain.

There are several causes for canine bladder enlargement. Two of the more common ones are infections and bladder stones. Infections of the urinary tract can take place anywhere along the tract, and when the bacteria reaches the inner bladder, it can produce irritation. This irritation often results in canine bladder enlargement. Stones that form within the canine bladder also will cause inflammation and irritation, thus leading to canine enlarged bladder issues. Knowing the cause of the irritation is the first step to treatment.
 
Dogs suffering from infections are most often treated with antibiotics, dietary change and natural dietary supplements. Owners must keep in mind that once a treatment of antibiotics to fight bacterial infection is prescribed, it must be taken for the full course. In other words, do not stop giving your pet its medicine just because he or she begins to look better or act healthier. Your pet must get the full dose of medicine to ensure that the bacteria causing the infection are completely destroyed. Failure to do so can result in the infection returning, often in a more severe form than before.
 
The key to flushing bacteria from your dog’s system is a normal schedule of urination that is done with the required force. If there is nothing blocking the urinary system and everything is functioning properly, then more water and possibly a supplement can help. For example, an easy way to get your dog to drink more is to switch to canned food since this type of dog food has 80% more water than dry kibble. Supplements known for urinary support can help to correct the PH balance of the urine. If the urine doesn’t have the right PH, it can’t keep bacteria from colonizing as easily as dog’s that have the right PH.

Canine bladder enlargement that is caused by stones is treated differently. There are different kinds of bladder stones that can affect your pet. One type, canine struvite bladder stones, can be dissolved through various treatment options including changing the diet of the animal. A typical change will be to a Prescription Diet such as Hill’s u/d.  The other type of stone, oxalate, cannot be dissolved and usually requires surgical removal. In either case, if the stones become too large, they will not be able to pass through the urinary tract. This can lead to blockage of the tract and is considered a serious health issue as it can be life-threatening. In addition to this, your pet will be in severe pain, and this pain will only increase as time goes by. Large stones, particularly canine oxalate bladder stones will need to be removed surgically.
 
Like a canine urinary tract infection, a canine enlarged bladder due to stones can be prevented by helping the urinary system function properly. Diet and natural supplements will also help the urine flush crystals which get trapped and then form into stones which in turn can cause canine bladder enlargement.   Natural supplements such as Berberis vulgaris can help to restore the bladder and urinary tract by working as a natural anti-inflammatory.

Because canine bladder enlargement can be life-threatening, it is imperative that your vet see your animal as soon as you believe there is a problem. There is simply no way that you can determine the cause of the problem on your own. Lab tests such as urinalysis and x-rays are the only sure way of revealing the underlying cause and the only sure way to ensure the proper treatment is given.

What are heartworms? Heartworms are large parasitic worms that live in the hearts of dogs, cats, and some wild animals. Heartworm larvae make their way to the heart of the animal within about 70-90 days. Providing both male and female worms are present, they will produce their own larvae within 6-7 months following the initial insect bite. Symptoms Your pet will show no early symptoms once infected with heartworms. Blood tests will return normal results. In mild cases of the disease, the animal will develop a cough. Any abnormal persistent cough should be checked by a veterinarian immediately. As the disease escalates with the growth of the heartworms in both size and number, the symptoms increase as well. In cases of moderate infection, your pet will exhibit a cough, intolerance to exercise, reduced appetite, lethargy, and weight loss. A check up at the vet will show abnormal lung sounds while blood tests will show evidence of kidney and/or liver damage. Once a heartworm infestation reaches the severe stage of disease, the animal is dying. Prevention and Treatment If you own pets in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, seek your veterinarians advice regarding heartworms. Heartworms can be prevented with a once a month chewable tablet that will protect your pet from these as well as other parasites. There are a few options for treatment for heartworms. After the evaluation of heart, kidney, and liver functions to determine if the pet is strong enough for treatment, they are often given an arsenic-based compound to kill the adult heartworms in their system. For advanced infection where the animal is in critical condition, the veterinarian may opt to remove the worms with surgery through the jugular vein. This procedure only removes enough worms to restore blood flow. Following treatment, the animal will be placed on restricted exercise for an extended period of time so the animal’s body has enough time to absorb the dead heartworms without complication. Once heartworm tests return a negative result, then the treatment is considered a success. Conclusion The American Heartworm Society (AHS) states that only 55% of dogs in the United States receive regular preventative care for heartworms leaving 27 million dogs at risk for the disease. Remember, that when it comes to heartworms, prevention is more effective and a lot less expensive than treatment.