Constipation can occur in dogs, particularly as they get older. Constipation occurs when defecation becomes difficult or is absent. When feces stays in the intestines longer than is necessary, too much moisture is absorbed from the stools, causing them to become dry and hard. This makes the stools difficult to expel. As a result, your dog or cat will strain to defecate and may not have a bowel movement for several days. If this condition goes untreated, the lower bowels may eventually become severely and irreversibly stretched, causing them to lose their ability to expel feces. This condition is known as "megacolon”.
Causes
There are several possible reasons for constipation. Diet appears to play a significant role. For example, when a dog swallows foreign materials such as hair, bones, garbage, cloth or rocks, it can lead to constipation. Prolonged lack of exercise, a change in surroundings, or a change in daily routine (i.e. stress) can lead to constipation problems as well. In these cases, pets may become reluctant to relieve themselves and become constipated. Some medical problems such as infected anal glands or a fractured hip can cause painful defecation and result in constipation. Some pets may have an intestinal obstruction or a nerve or muscle disorder. Continue Reading…
To stop puppy biting there are numerous do’s and don’t you want to be aware of. Puppy’s bite for various reasons and despite these reasons there are common things that should never be done, as well as things that should be done to assist in the process of inhibiting your puppy’s biting.
First and foremost NEVER under any circumstance use physical force as a form of corrective action. This type of negative reinforcement is not only unnecessary but will in most cases encourage the very behaviour you are trying to stop. As your dog wants to please you, the most effective method of showing your displeasure is the cold shoulder treatment. If the nipping continues after this you may need to move on to the time out method, this involves the use of the puppy’s crate as a way to isolate them for 5 minutes or so. When you bring puppy back out to play, remember to tone it down a bit and not get her all revved up again, remember, nipping is natural and if you get them over excited they are only doing what comes natural. Don’t encourage contact play with dogs that are quick to nip, encourage games that involve their toys instead, catch with a ball or a Frisbee would be ideal.
There are many do’s and don’ts to stop puppy biting. Those listed here are by no means an extensive list. The biggest things to remember are to never hit your puppy and avoid getting a nippy dog over excited. You can always find alternative ways to play with puppy.
All Bulldog owners know the importance of maintaining its good health, the benefits of doing so, and how it works as an advantage for the relationship between them. A healthy dog is a happy one, keeping it in that state will make it love you more, strengthening its bond with you. This also lessens its chances of contracting diseases, which can be minor or fatal. A healthy pooch will of course lived longer than the other pooches that are usually neglected or deprived of basic needs. Maintaining its peak condition as much as possible will grant it more years to live.
Nutrition plays a major part in a Bulldog’s health. There are many owners who feel that giving it the leftovers from meals three times a day will be enough, but it never is. Filling its stomach till it isn’t hungry anymore just doesn’t cut it. Like people, they too have daily nutritional needs which has to be complied. Instead of feeding it table scraps, you can feed it commercial dog food instead. Read the nutritional facts on it and see if it’s compatible with your dogs nutritional diet as suggested by your veterinarian. In general, feeding it three times a day is recommended, rather than giving it one mountain meal a day.
Make this a habit, and remember never to overfeed your Bulldog. Having a stuffed balloon-like dog can be very cute and works well with catching the attention of others for your own personal benefit, but it can have many bad effects on the pooch. Overfeeding can cause it to bloat, which can lead to all sorts of problems that can be fatal if left unattended. Continue Reading…
If you have dog barking problems how should you train your dog or puppy? There are a number of things to think about before you decide to get a puppy or adult dog but once you have one how do you train it correctly? Barking dogs are a common problem for owners and some neighbors!
Firstly you have to understand what sort of breed of dog you have and what it is bred for? For example a German shepherd is bred to be a guard dog so will bark as a warning of danger. If you understand why the dog is barking you have a start to solving any dog barking problems.
If you want to stop dogs from barking all together you will be unsuccessful! You should not be trying to stop dogs from barking all together. Dogs are naturally designed to bark, that is obviously how they communicate. The main problems occur when there is nuisance dog barking behavior.
You are the boss and have to make sure your dog is aware of this. This does not mean you have to use force or punishment as a form of training but you do have to be consistent. Your dog will naturally bark to warn you of any danger. This is not bad behavior. If your dog continues to bark however, this is when you have to be firm with your dog. Do not be bullied by him. A happy and well behaved dog is one which knows its place in the pack and that is naturally below you. You are the one who has to assert themselves or you will be bullied by your dog.
The secret to dog training and to alleviating dog barking problems is to be consistent as I said previously. If you have a new puppy you will be able to commence this training as soon as the puppy arrives in your home. To stop puppies barking it is important to reinforce your position as head of the pack. Praise your dog or puppy for warning you of some perceived danger but if the dog or puppy continues to bark after you have praised it then you must stop reacting to the puppy or dog and even turn your back. This may seem harsh but using your body language is part of the training you have to adopt to train your dog or puppy effectively.
Most dog barking problems are due to the owner not understanding their dog and not understanding why the dog is barking. All dogs want to please the head of their pack, that is you and you must understand your dog. Only consistent training will achieve this.
Everyone has heard that dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate but has anyone heard of onion toxicity?
There are a number of foods that can create serious health problems for your dog and unfortunately not many people of aware of this. These foods include cooked as well as uncooked chocolate, onions, bones, mushroom, macadamia nuts, garlic, avocados, grapes, raisins, and all spicy or greasy foods.
Most pet owners have, at one time or another, fed their dog foods containing onion such as pizza, hamburger, general table scraps or gravy. A small amount is not likely to cause a problem since onion toxicity depends on the quantity of onion ingested. However, onions in any form including cooked, raw, dehydrated or powdered can create a serious life-threatening form of hemolytic anemia in dogs.
All red blood cells carry a protein called hemoglobin which delivers oxygen to our tissues and organs and our dog’s tissue and organs. Onions contain a substance called thiosulphate which dogs and cats are unable to digest. Garlic also contains thiosulphate but in much lesser amounts. Thiosulphate causes oxidation of hemoglobin in your dog’s red blood cells, which then forms lumps and weakens the cell membranes. These lumps, called Heinz bodies, protrude from the cells and eventually cause the cell to rupture and die. When enough red cells are destroyed the body becomes starved for oxygen and goes into a state of anemia. Continue Reading…
