Dog - Healthy Skin From Deep Within

The most common complaint that veterinarians face in their daily practice is skin trouble! Dry, itchy skin, redness, sores, little bumps, pustules, falling hair, typical 'doggy' odour are some of the usual signs. Owners tend to give a lot of importance to their pets 'skin and coat condition mainly because skin rashes and falling hair affect the appearance of the dog. What few people realize is that the skin often shows the first signs of ill health. This, the first article of this series, will focus on internal problems that manifest as skin disorders. Diet for good health Your dog's diet affects every aspect of his health including alertness, skeletal and muscular development and general vitality, but the first and most common sign of nutritional deficiency is a dry, itchy skin. Unfortunately, Indian dog owners are yet to wake up to the fact that feeding a good commercial pre-formulated dog food is best for the dogs. Only when your dog is on a 100% diet of a good pre-formulated dog food (without any addition of home-cooked food) can you be certain that he is getting all his nutritional requirements in the correct amount and proportion. It is important to understand that feeding an imbalanced diet will lead to serious health problems, some of which may become evident much later in the dog's life, and are often difficult to treat, like joint disease. Consult your vet on a regular basis to determine the most suitable dog food formulation according to his growth and life stage. How does diet affect the dog's skin and coat? Simply put, certain nutrients in the daily diet are essential for maintaining a healthy skin and coat, mainly essential fatty acids (e.g. linoleic acid), vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, calcium and biotin. Certain amino acids, the basic 'building blocks' of proteins, also play an important role in skin health. Your next question may be that if your dog is on dog food alone, does he need additional supplementation? I usually do not recommend popularly prescribed supplementation of calcium + phosphorous + vitamin D. There is always a tendency to over supplement these minerals, resulting in some very serious, irreversible bone and joint defects. If you are feeding your dog on 100% dog food, your dog's coat may still benefit from correct supplementation. Research done at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, UK, concluded that even dogs fed with 100% dog food show further improvement in skin and coat health when their diet is supplemented with certain nutrients. A good supplement enhances the coat softness and feel, increases coat gloss and helps in better coat scale. Apart from diet, other internal factors also affect the condition of the dog's skin and coat, which have been summarized in the form of a table. Deworming do's and don'ts A dog who is not dewormed regularly also suffers the same problems as a dog with nutritional deficiencies. Internal parasities 'eat away' certain nutrients from the dog's digestive system. The deworming schedule that I recommend is once a month for pups up to the age of 7 months, every two months for pups between 7 and 12 months and thereafter, every three months. Dogs fed home-cooked food, especially meat, will need to be deworned more frequently. It is best that you consult your vet for a deworming schedule specifically designed for your dog. The 'itch-scratch' cycle The reason why skin conditions take so painfully long to treat, is because of the 'itch-search' cycle. Any of these conditions can make a dog feel ' itchy' dry skin, allergy, the presence of loose hair, ectoparasities (ticks, fleas, mange, etc). Every time the dog scratches, he causes mild to severe abrasions or scratches on his skin and also introduces infection-causing organisms into the layers of the skin. As these abrasions and scratches on the skin begin to heal by the process of granulation, it causes an intense itching sensation, which starts the whole vicious cycle all over again. Therefore, when treating any such skin condition, it often becomes essential to give the dog a good anti-histamine for a few days, only to break the 'itch-scratch' cycle and give the treatment enough time to start acting. It may become necessary to give an antibiotic. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best course of action for your dog. A beautiful skin and healthy coat starts from inside. No amount of external applications with the best products can give a healthy luster to an unhealthy dog. We are INDIPETS remember and visit us. Bulk importers and wholesellers click here to buy in wholesale http://www.indipets.com/wholesale, Retail buyers can visit the site http://www.indipets.com/irb. Those who want to see a one page product details on dog products can see it at http://www.geocities.com/presencemakessense. If you require to buy chihuahua pups visit us we ship chihuahuapups from our facility in Arizona , USA. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Babu_Banik

Dog - FDA Halts Protein Imports After 2200 Dogs Die

As the worldwide pet and dog food recall expands to ever more dog food brands, the FDA has issued an alert halting the importation of all vegetable protein from China that is suspected of killing more than 2200 dogs. The contaminated dog food brands that have been tainted with a variety of vegetable protein additives, includes in part: wheat gluten, rice gluten, rice protein, mung bean protein, corn gluten, corn by-products, corn gluten meal, soy protein, soy gluten, soy bean meal and soy bean powder. Some list, and it seems to expand weekly. The FDA describes these "ingredients" now commonly found to be part of many dog food brands to be a "Poisonous or Deleterious Substance- Unfit For Food-Unsafe Food Additive". Unfit, unsafe, poisonous, these are the words of the FDA used to describe what dogs eat who are fed many commercial dog food brands. The pet food industry recently made a very bold claim that their products are safe. This in light of an official death count of dogs alone totaling 2,200 according to the FDA. Some reports suggest the count may be higher. These unsafe and poisonous "ingredients" have infiltrated dog food and now the human food chain as well. So, what to do? It may be some time before there is a definitive resolution of the current dog food recall crisis. The FDA and dog food manufacturers have a long way to go to convince dog guardians that these products are not tainted with unregulated poisons such as melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and at the center of the ongoing disaster. Unfortunately, the melamine tainting of dog food is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unhealthy and life threatening ingredients regularly included by dog food companies in diets they tout as safe and healthy for your dog. A partial list of inclusions in many dog food brands includes the rendered tissue of euthanized dogs and cats, parts of dead , dying, diseased and downed animals, feathers, toxins, carcinogens and blood. The recent dog food recall has captured news headlines worldwide because of the rapid and widespread reports of kidney failure and death in dogs who have ingested this poisonous food. That your dog may have been eating a brand that has been slowly killing her has been an untold story in many circles, until now. You can find out what is included in commercial dog foods by visiting : http://www.dogs-4life.com/dog-food-that-kills.htmll For the time being, you should consider buying only holistic or organic dog food, safe for human consumption. Better yet, why not consider making a natural home made dog food for your dog. You'll sleep better knowing that your dog is safe from poisoning and save money as well. My small 8 year old dog suddenly became ill and no vet could determine the cause. Her life expectancy was 25 years. Don't let anything happen to your best friend. Learn more about the benefits of feeding a natural diet to your dog at: http://www.dogs-4life.com/raw-vs-kibble.html This article may be reproduced unedited with the author's link displayed Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Bruno

Dog - Dog Clothes And Small Dog Clothes - Matching Owners, A New Concept For Fall

Many dog parents that dress up and pamper their little furry babies like to wear clothing and accessories that coordinate with the dog clothes. A lot of the canine apparel available, however, does not necessarily match with what's out there for people. Some designers that specialize in small dog clothing have made owner and pet matching outfits, but as many designer label items go, they are quite expensive. This fall, owners no longer have to search their closet to find something to go with their dog's outfit, and they won't have to spend a bundle of cash to get it, either. This adorable trend has now become available to the everyday dog lover through affordable winter apparel. Even though a hound has a natural coat, cold weather causes many pet owners to bring out a sweater and coat for their pooch before heading out for walks. It is in this particular niche of sweaters and jackets that dog owners can enjoy the stylish new trend of dressing up with their dog. Now retailers have scarves and other accessories with matching color patterns to dog sweaters and even toboggans. Obviously, this is just a first small step in a great direction, and owners can expect to see this continue on for other styles and well as all sizes. For those with the smaller breeds like Chihuahuas and Yorkshire Terriers, these matching tiny outfits will be a bit easier to come by, but that's always the case no matter what kind of canine apparel one is shopping for. Soon, you'll be able to get a matching set of turtleneck sweaters for you and Fido. Grant Carroll proud father of four dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with a wide array of adorable dog clothes for any pampered hound. Come visit Little Pampered Pets.com to find small dog clothes for your not so big breed canine. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Grant_Carroll

Dog - Training Your True Companion - Dogs

It is essential to have a dog that knows how to follow the right rules and how to live around your house. To achieve this, dog training must be considered. Most people think that training a dog is hard and expensive. Moreover, dog training requires a lot of patience and creativity for your dog. We have to remember that dogs may be intelligent but they can not be as intelligent as us. The article provides some of the basic things dog owners need to know. What are the differences between a submissive dog and a dominant dog? A submissive dog normally: Avoids eye contact, Rolls on its back, Crouch down ears back and tail lowered and it's comfortable on its back in your arms. On the other hand, a dominant dog: Maintains eye contact, it's unwilling to move from his place on the couch, dislikes grooming and petting and it's possessive of dishes and toys. Training your dog requires kindness and consistency. In many dog training schools, classes for puppies are available. Young dogs are taught to get accustomed with other dogs and people using limited trainings. However, there are areas that do not conduct formal obedience training unless the dog is at least half a year old. Always remember that a dog is never too old to benefit from training when a good trainer is available, or if the owner is fully committed to the task. Here are the recommended ways of training your dog 1. Reiteration or Repetition Reiteration is the name of the dog training game. In here, dogs are asked to do a task over and over again to achieve mastery. Dog tricks are best learned when reiterated and reinforced through rewards. 2. Persistence Patience is a virtue that requires you to tolerate hardships. Persistence is trying to be patient for a longer time until a goal is achieved. Apparently, dog training requires a lot of persistence from the owner or from the trainer Physical and psychological aspects of the owner and/or the trainer must be sound. 3. Commendation and Amendation Simply put, if a dog does the right thing, it should be said aloud. Otherwise, the dog should hear, "No, that's not it!" when the trick is not complete or appropriate for the command given. These words reinforce correct responses and diminish the unwanted ones. 4. Rewarding Bits of cheese would really be good treats for dogs who responded correctly to a given command. Other food can be bought at pet stores. However, if you are able to get the respect of your pet, commands will be executed even if there are no longer involved treats. Likewise, these things reinforce warranted responses. If your lifestyle permits being in charge of training your own pet, you can do the training as long as you have gathered enough patience and commitment by: 1. spending time grooming your dog. 2. having regular training times on the leash. 3. stroking its belly and toes and rolling it on its back. 4. hand feeding some food to ensure that the pet is taking treats gently and slowly. In asserting dominance, always practice consistency and firmness. Afterwards, you can be a master and a dear friend to your own pet. Razak Ariyo is a computer scientist and lover of dogs. Learn more on how to stop the annoying behavior of your doggie and have it trained perfectly at my blog http://master-dog-training.blogspot.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Razak_Ariyo