Posts Tagged ‘health’
I’m a new mother again. My daughter just gave me an early Christmas present, a puppy. So over the course of the next few articles we will touch on puppy care. Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day usually bring an increase to a few families. No doubt there may be a few other families needing some pointers in the near future.
Owners of newly acquired pets should obtain the medical history of the pet and contact their veterinarian to set up a schedule for worming and vaccinations. Some breeders and pet stores have already started the worming and vaccinations prior to the adoption release and will provide you with the information. All pets adopted from the SPCA have been wormed and given vaccinations. They will also recommend you contact your veterinarian to follow up on worming and vaccinations.
Most reputable breeders initiate worming treatments at 2 weeks, and repeat at 4, 6, and 8 weeks, just prior to releasing the pet for adoption. On a newly acquired pet that has no history of de-worming contact your veterinarian to set up and immediate schedule of de-worming While consulting your veterinarian on basic worming schedules, you should have your pets stool examined for tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, and a blood test done for heartworms.
There are several types of tapeworms, the most common is the flea tapeworm. This tapeworm is most common in residential or urban areas. Dogs ingest it during grooming. The other types are usually transmitted to dogs through eating rabbits, rodents or uncooked meats. Tapeworms look like flattened pieces of rice in your pets stool or attached to the fur in the anal area. Dogs may drag their behinds as an indication of infection. Don’t allow your dogs to ingest raw meats or hunt rodents thus eliminating the opportunity for infection.
Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it not only sucks up blood but baby heartworms in the blood. This gets passed along to the next dog the infected mosquito bites. An infected dog may show signs of a chronic cough, laboured breathing, listlessness, and is easily tired during exercise. Once your veterinarian has determined your dog is free of heartworm infection he/she will begin a regular preventative medication program.
Roundworms live in the dogs intestines and live by sucking blood. Puppies often are infected through the placenta of the mother. This is why de-worming is usually begun at 2 weeks into the life of the puppy. Pets infected with roundworms usually have bloated bellies and rough looking coats. Your pet may show signs of vomiting, diarrhea, and colic. If left untreated a severe infection could damage the brain, liver, or lungs.
Hookworms attach themselves onto the intestinal lining with hook-like teeth. As this worm feeds on your dog’s blood, it moves around continually leaving bleeding sores. Bloody, mucus-laden diarrhea is an indication your dog may have a hookworm infection. This worm infection can cause anemia, weight loss, skin problems, rough coat, weakness, and impair the growth and physical development in puppies.
To prevent infection of any type of worm it is important that you do not let your dog drink stagnant pond water, ingest other dogs feces, rabbits or rodents, raw meats, garbage, or bones it may find on walks. Also, do not let your pet play in possible areas infected by mosquitos or other dogs. And last, but not least, have your dog examined and put on a regular preventative treatment program by your veterinarian.
Posted in Puppy Care | 
Tags: Article, Basis, Care, health, Importance, Regular, Worming | 
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Most dog breeds possess a breed specific health problem usually to do with the way their bodies are designed. The Dachshund suffers from back problems due to its low set back and the short-necked breeds such as the Bulldog can be prone to breathing difficulties.
The Labrador Retriever is no exception to the rule and probably the most common health issue this dog encounters is hip dysplasia. Canine hip dysplasia is an issue for many dog breeds. The problem lies in the dog’s hips basically there is a problem when the joints that normally make the hip work effectively become loose.
Labrador Retriever information pertaining to the dog’s health will all mention hip dysplasia. Basically the femur does not sit snugly within the pelvic socket as it once used to, the condition can vary considerably from dog to dog. It could be deemed as very mild right through to the other end of the spectrum and be very serious.
Occasionally a Labrador Retriever may have hip dysplasia but not really display any symptoms for awhile, then as time goes by the dog may start to show signs of arthritis. A dog might show difficulty in rising from a sleeping position and they may ‘telegraph’ their legs, meaning that they will hold the affected limb out straight. This will be done in an effort to ease the discomfort felt in the limb. Information on Labrador Retrievers very often touches on the subject of hip dysplasia.
Generally speaking hip dysplasia is an inherited health problem for dogs however the problem can be encountered for other reasons. Younger dogs can also suffer from it especially if they enjoy a life of jumping over fences, walls and other various obstacles. The problem arises in Labrador Retrievers under the age of two years because their actual joints within their hips have not yet developed properly.
When the dog jumps a lot it is literally over stretching its hip joints and they are being worked by the dog way beyond the Labrador Retrievers capability. Generally speaking, and I stress this is only a general observation, the Labrador Retriever will begin to display signs of hip dysplasia prior to it reaching a year old.
The dog may limp every so often or appear stiff when rising. If a dog is affected at a reasonably young age then the chances run high that they will suffer from arthritis when older. A dog’s hips can actually be x-rayed at the age of four months although most vets prefer to leave this until the animal is at least two years of age, this way the Labrador Retriever’s hips are completely developed.
You can request to view a puppy’s registration papers prior to purchasing as these will show that the puppy has been hip scored and graded accordingly. There are treatments available to help dogs suffering from hip dysplasia just simply research some Labrador Retriever information specifically relating to the topic. Just make sure to buy from a breeder who screens their puppies for hip dysplasia and gives a puppy warranty.
Vets enlist owners of 20,000 pet dogs for health research
Researchers are to chart the lifestyle of up to 20,000 puppies in an attempt to boost the health of dogs.
Read more on Yorkshire Post
