This is one of the most common dog health questions that come up. After all, you don’t want to appear like a hypochondriac parent nor do you want to be a slack one who’s dismissed important signs as just a tummy ache that will go away. In general, you know your dog best and if your gut feel tells you something is amiss, I’d say to play on the safe side and go in for vet check up. That way, you will sleep easier knowing full well that your dog’s health isn’t compromised. Having said that, there are many dogs (generally the larger breeds) who are terribly stoic and will not let on that they are sick till they are at death’s door. If you have one of these, then I’d say any small sign eg going off his food, looking depressed is reason for you to take him into the vet. So the rule of thumb is know your dog and be alert to any changes in general appearance, behavior, feeding/drinking habits or voiding. These are the common signs that something is not right with your dog:
* inappetence ie stops eating.
* changes in water consumption ie drinks a lot
* changes in consistency of feces ie starts getting the runs. Note that puppies dehydrate easily and even a mild case of diarrhoea could be life threatening.
* vomiting – if it persists then it’s time to take the dog in for check up. If it’s just one episode after eating garbage then I’d say it’s probably something he’ll get over.
* changes in behavior – stops playing with the ball, moping around, refuses to go for walks.
* losing weight for no apparent reason
* urinates a lot more Of course there are other more obvious signs you get which are indications of you dog being sick eg whimpering in pain and limping, but the above should alert to you take further action to seek help from your vet.
Description
The Polish Owczarek Nizinny is a medium-sized, strong, muscular, shaggy dog with a long coat that covers its eyes and body. Usually its tail is docked, but it is not unusual for the puppies to be born without a tail. Its willingness to please and devotion to its family makes it a great companion. It is a superb watchdog, always on the alert for strangers. This is an obedient, intelligent, affectionate, and highly lovable dog.
Other names:
PON, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Nizinny
Country of Origin:
Poland
Height:
16-20 inches (41-51 cm.) Continue Reading…
Questions about this often pop up. I find it hardest to convince clients to neuter male dogs because they feel that it’s not something that inconveniences them as much as an unneutered female dog who comes on heat every 6 months. If you aren’t planning on breeding from your dog, then I’d highly suggest you neuter it. There are too many ‘surrendered’ unwanted puppies out there, we don’t want or need anymore. There are obvious health advantages to neutering your dogs. Males that are neutered are less aggressive and it reduces their prostate and testicular cancer rates to near nil. The health advantages to female dogs are even more pronounced – it reduces their risk of mammary cancer to nearly nil, they don’t get womb infections (pyometra) which their entire female cousins get if they aren’t bred, they are at a lower risk of getting a form of diabetes plus you save on the hassle of having all the local male dogs congregating at your doorstep whenever she does come on heat!
Neutering is usually performed at 6 months of age, but some vets perform it in young pups. Many shelters are now taking this option as they find that increasing numbers of people opt not to bring their adopted puppies back for the operation at the appointed 6 months of age.
Generally for most dogs, it’s a yearly visit for their annual vaccinations. With puppies, it’s often a bit more frequent initially as they require their vaccination boosters. Of course if you dog has an ongoing medical problem which needs to be addressed then your visits would be more frequent. As your dog ages (after 6 years of age is a good estimate), you may decide to take him in bi-annually ie twice a year for a thorough check up to pick up any conditions that he could have at an earlier stage so that treatment options are greater.
Description
The Anatolian Shepherd is large and powerful and is commonly used as a guardian dog. It has very similar traits as the Kuvasz and Great Pyrenees, but is more agile and tends to have a slender body type. The muscles on this dog are thin but supple, giving it freedom of movement and efficient hunting and racing skills. The Anatolian Shepherd is consequently capable of great speed and endurance, and can be trained to become a racing or hunting dog as well.
The blunt profile of this dog is often black, and the rectangular muzzle is considerably shorter than the skull. The skull is wide and round, and may have a slight stop. The lips are usually black-edged and will hang down slightly below the upper lip. Continue Reading…
