The Joys of Owning a Dog

A lot of people are having second thoughts about adopting a dog. Owning a dog entails big responsibility. It is much like taking care of a child in so many ways.

And like a child, dogs can bring delight into a family. I know because I own one. My dog is a cross breed. She’s a fun-loving creature, always ready to play with me once I’m seated at the cozy chair. Her favorite toy? A run-down teddy bear similar to what Mr. Bean owns. In fact, It has got its seams open from her constant biting.

I use to throw that bear across the room and she’ll go fetch it for me. Then I’ll throw it out again because she’s begging for it. Until I’ll get tired of the routine and give up. Apparently, she never will be, even if we do the throw and fetch game all night.

My dog is a year and a few months old. I must admit I didn’t have to go through the aches of teaching her house training. She’s one intelligent pet. She even learned our small game on her own.

I’d say I’m lucky. Not only to have her as a dog but to even have a dog for that matter. Cindy, as I fondly call her, isn’t my first dog. I used to have many in the past and I’m willing to adopt more in the future. But for now, I’ll enjoy Cindy. She’s the best companion I have around these days.

Tags: dog, dog care, dog ownership, dogs, pet, pets

Ear Infection in Dogs - An Overview
By Cristian Stan

Ear infection, no matter how mild, requires a veterinarian’s attention. While some infections can possibly heal on its own, the vet should always be consulted so that the right treatment therapy is provided to your pets. The cure of dog ear infection should start the moment it is diagnosed. Otherwise, the condition may worsen. Ear infection is one health concern that all dog owners should be well-informed about because of its high number of noted cases.

There are different types of dog ear infection- the outer, middle, and inner ear infections. The primary symptoms of this disease are foul-smelling wax discharges, swelling, redness, pain, and inflammation. Oftentimes, the cases of inner and middle ear infections are a lot harder to treat than that of outer ear infections.

If your dog is suffering from this health concern, you will find it shaking or cocking its head frequently and at an unusual angle. It may also rub its ear incessantly because of irritation. In worse cases, dogs would develop balance problems and hearing impairment due to the disease.

There are different reasons why ear infection in dogs develops. Sometimes, it is due to bacterial and yeasts finding its way in the dog’s ears. Mites may cause this disease as well. So if your dog has some parasites, be sure that you do what it takes to eliminate them from your pet’s body. Allergies, underlying diseases, and foreign objects may trigger the problem as well.

If your dog is suffering from ear infection, anti-bacterial medications and ear drops are usually the foremost cures. However, it is strongly advised that you don’t just buy over-the-counter medications as they may not necessarily help your pets. Instead, talk to the vet, ask for a prescription, and follow his advice.

For milder cases of ear infection, there are home remedies that you can use to help alleviate the discomfort that your dog goes through. Sometimes, it is necessary to provide your dog with both the medicines prescribed by the vet and the remedies found around the house to achieve fast relief from ear infections.

But more than treatment, dog owners should be more concerned on how to prevent ear infections. Regular grooming and proper hygiene can help a lot. For as long as you know how to take care of your pets properly, infections and all types of diseases shouldn’t be a concern for you.

If left untreated, ear infection could pave the way to a host of complex health concerns for your dog. Aside from deafness, your dog can develop tumors and diseases that are hard to treat. The bottom line is that simple ear infection can develop into diseases with complications are next to impossible to reverse. And these diseases shouldn’t have occurred in your beloved pets, if you were only there to give them the necessary medical attention.

So the next time you see your pets irritable, scratching its ears often, and has abnormally high ear wax excretion, better be ready for an appointment with the vet. Keeping your dog’s health problems at minimum could help both of you greatly in the long run.

Visit us at EarInfectionInDogs.com and read more about the dog ear infection, the main causes and symptoms of ear infection in dogs and effective treatments for dog ear infection.

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First Aid For Dog Diarrhea

By Cristian Stan

If your dog is suffering from diarrhea, it is not right to just let the condition take its toll. While diarrhea may heal without you doing anything about it, that path is a very dangerous road to take. Pet owners should always be aware of what their pets are going through for their own benefit. Certain diseases prove to have irreversible effects. And you don’t want your pet to die from a health condition if you can help it.

The case is very true with dog diarrhea. Dog diarrhea can cause dehydration or loss of fluids. And this condition is not only fatal to dogs but to humans as well. Therefore, dogs with diarrhea should be given first aid so as not to worsen the situation.

Diarrhea in dogs occurs because of many reasons. However, the most common one is when your dog gets in contact with spoiled food, the trash, and insecticides around the house. You must make sure that your pets never get hold of these items as the end result is most likely to be diarrhea.

They symptom of diarrhea in dogs is usually watery stool. If you see that there are rarely solids in the wastes of your dog, there are high chances that it is suffering from diarrhea. This can be coupled with other symptoms such as lost appetite for food and lethargy.

If your dog has diarrhea, it most likely has parasites in its stomach. Therefore, your first job is to flush it out. You can do this by giving your dog water during the first 24 hours you noticed the problem. Give your dog nothing but water for a day. This will help in the removal of all the bacteria, fungi, parasites, or even viruses that may be present in its stomach. Furthermore, water may counter the dehydration caused by the disease. It could also help alleviate your dog’s condition.

You have to observe whether there is blood in your dog’s stool. The presence of blood is an indication that your dog is suffering from a severe case of dog diarrhea. You should take your dog to the veterinarian for further check ups. The vet may also require a stool sample from your pet.

First aid for dog diarrhea would also require you to feed your dog with a bland diet. This means boiled rice and skinless chicken for the time being. The foods you should give your dog must be totally free from oil, preservatives, and salt. It should be something that your pet can easily digest because the stomach of your dog is still recovering from irritants.

Certain antibiotics may also be required by your pet. Your veterinarian should be able to help you on this. If your dog had suffered from diarrhea before and you have left over medicine, it should suffice. However, you should continue observing your pet because the medicine you give it may or may not be effective for this particular case. Keep in touch with your veterinarian for further help.

Visit us at DogDiarrhea.org and find information and resources about the dog diarrhea condition and dog diarrhea treatments.

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Treating Bladder Stones in Dogs With Diet
By Cristian Stan

Dogs are very prone to developing bladder stones. This disease in dogs is very much like the bladder stones that are suffered by humans. In dogs, certain minerals block the flow of urine in the urethra, causing pained exertion of liquid wastes. These solidified minerals are alternatively called uroliths, stones, or calculi.

Dogs with bladder stones may develop cystitis, a condition wherein their urinary bladder gets inflamed, all because of the small stones present in the dog’s urinary tract. These small stones can be made up of calcium oxalate, struvite, cystine calculi, and ammonium urate.

Once these small stones form in the urinary tract of your dog, your pet would show the symptoms of the disease. Such symptoms are frequent urination, decreased amount of urine, and straining. You may also see blood in your pet’s urine every now and then. Male dogs are more likely to be affected by bladder stones because of their narrow urethras.

There are different ways to treat bladder stones in dogs. However, the proper treatment is carried out only after the veterinarian had found out what type of stones had formed in your dog’s urinary tract. As stated earlier, there are many types of stones that could possibly form. And each of those stones requires a different set of treatment strategy.

Bladder stones can be treated with the right diet. Veterinarians may prescribe an acidic diet so that the dog’s urine would have a higher pH level. At that state, the bladder stones would get dissolved and the dog would be cured eventually.

There are also certain dog foods that are especially created to treat bladder stones in dogs. Your veterinarian would know if these foods are going to be helpful to your pet or not. It is very hard to give dogs acidic juices or the fresh juices of fruits. But if the foods are scientifically prepared to contain the needed acids, it becomes much easier to feed them to your pet. Of course, it is also important to give your dog the proteins and the nutrients it needs to sustain life.

However, the treatment of bladder stones through diet is only effective for struvite uroliths. These are the type of stones that can easily be dissolved with acids. But even so, it would take several weeks to more than two months before the diet would prove to be effective and potentially treat your dog. Surgery is still the best way to treat bladder stones in dogs. Ask the help of a qualified veterinarian to determine whether this treatment process is the best one for your pet. Otherwise, you have to submit your pet to other treatment procedures that would remove the stones in its bladder in the shortest time possible.

Dogs with bladder stones tend to become irritated, excrete less amount of urine but do it very frequently, and exhibit pain while urinating. If you observe your dog to be suffering from these symptoms, it is best that you take your pet to the veterinarian right away for proper diagnosis.

Visit us at BladderStonesInDogs.com and find information and resources about dog bladder stones and symptoms of dog bladder stones

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