Having a dog as a home companion is a great responsibility. Caring for dogs at home takes time and goes far beyond providing food and water. Take care of your dog by providing him with a home, healthy and healthy food, exercise and recreational activities and regular visits to your trusted veterinarian.
Whether you have just welcomed a dog at home, or if you are about to do so, you want to be clear about these 8 tips and tricks.
1. IDENTIFY YOUR PET
You can identify your pet in several ways, the best known and most fundamental are two:
Identification tag. On the collar or harness that you put on your dog, you can include a metal tag with his name and your phone number. Even if you have educated him very well and take extreme precautions, your dog can escape. To stay calmer, make sure that it is identified with this type of badge so that anyone who finds it can easily locate you to return it to you.
Microchip. It is as necessary as it is fundamental. Unlike the veneer, you cannot put it on yourself at home, you must go to the vet. In this way, you take advantage of its presence in the consultation and some practical advice to take care of your dog.
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2. DO NOT LEAVE DANGEROUS OBJECTS WITHIN REACH
We could say that a pet is like a small child. You have the urge to explore everything and put it in your mouth. To avoid accidents at home, take care of your dog and do not leave anything that could cause harm to him. Eliminate sharp or sharp objects, toxic plants, delicate objects that can break easily such as porcelain or glass …
3. OFFER A QUALITY DIET
Your dog needs to be well fed. The number one rule for caring for dogs at home is to offer them a varied and healthy diet. you can opt for dry or wet diets, even for a natural diet and cook your own recipes. The important thing is to choose a high-end, complete food, whose ingredients are of quality. Only then will you ensure that your dog grows up healthy and happy.
4. WASH AND BRUSH REGULARLY
Hygiene is another aspect that you should not neglect. Brush your dog daily, or several times a day if he has a lot of hair. With this gesture, in addition to eliminating hair and dead skin, you close ties with your dog and strengthen your bond. Take advantage of and take care of your dog to the maximum: talk to him with affection, pet him, let him feel all your love and respect.
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5. TAKE HIM TO THE VET REGULARLY
Visits to the vet should only be routine. Nobody wants to rush to the vet in an emergency. Although accidents do happen, avoid diseases or parasite infestations in your dog with good hygiene habits, proper nutrition, and regular visits to the vet.
6. DON’T LEAVE HIM ALONE
Never leave your dog alone, anywhere, much less in a car during the central hours of the day. If you have no choice and you must leave it alone at home, make sure it is not too long. They exist, if you can’t leave it in the company of another person, think about the options you have. There is always an alternative!
7. REWARD HIS GOOD BEHAVIOR AND PET HIM
If your dog does well and is well-behaved, reward him. You can not only do it with treats for dogs. You can reward his good behaviour with caresses, encouraging him with motivational phrases and reminding him whenever you can how much you love him.
8. EDUCATE YOUR DOG AND BE PATIENT WITH HIM
One of the best things you can do for your dog is to educate him. Teach him to relieve himself in the right places, to socialize with other people and animals. It is very important to do it while it is a puppy, and that it is lifelong learning. If you are educated, it will be easier to walk with him, take him to the park, to the vet or even on a means of transport.
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As you can see, the tricks to take care of dogs at home are simple, but they require effort on your part. Don’t skimp on resources and do your best. Take care of your dog so that he is happy! In this way, you will ensure a healthy coexistence.
If you want to learn how to groom your dog at home, you need to know the basics, such as how to cut a dog’s nails. I’ll show you exactly what you need to do and how to do it safely so that know one gets hurt.
Cutting a dog’s fingernails might sound scary but there’s nothing about it that’s difficult. You just have to be careful and know what you’re doing .
You should start off by collecting all of the supplies for this task. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Nail Trimmer
- Scissors
- Styptic Powder (optional)
Now that you’ve got your stuff together, it’s time to get started.
Step 1: Make Your Dog Comfortable
First, make sure your dog is relaxed and comfortable around you. Do this by giving him a treat or two before starting. If possible, start this process after they’ve eaten their meal to help them feel extra sleepy and calm! For anxious dogs, you can even try CBD Oil for Dogs.
Step 2: Prepare The Paw
Second, lift one of your dogs paws into your hand and press gently on the pad of the paw while looking at the tip of each nail. You’ll be able to see where your dog’s skin is and if you cut it, he will bleed and it may hurt him.
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That’s why we use a nail cutter, so we don’t have to worry about hurting our dog when trimming their nails.
Step Three: Secure The Paw
Third, you can feel free to push down on the pad of their paw if it’s more comfortable for you. If your dog is wiggly when you’re trying to hold his paw, you can try this instead!
Step 4: Apply The Cut
Fourth, once you’ve identified where the quick ends in each nail, go ahead and cut just past that point. You’ll only want to cut into the pinkish area on the end of his nail, not into the black part. If you do accidentally cut into this black section, use an absorbent cotton ball to stop the bleeding. After it stops, apply some styptic powder to help the blood clot faster and prevent infection in your dog’s paw. You can then apply some CBD for Pets to promote healing as well.
Step 5: Repeat on All Nails
Fifth, keep trimming until all their nails are the same length.
Step by Step Instructions for Trimming Dog Nails
- Pet your dog and make sure they’re comfortable with you
- With one paw in each hand, feel for the end of each nail to know where to cut
- Cut just past this point (only into the pinkish area)
- Keep cutting until all of the nails are the same length
- If you accidentally cut into the black part, apply some styptic powder to stop the bleeding
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Now that you’ve learned how to cut your dog’s nails, you can feel confident doing it at home! If this process continues to be too stressful for either of you, then why not try bringing them to a groomer?
If you want more information on how to do this and other dog grooming basics, check out the video linked below:
Whether or not dogs dream isn’t known with scientific certainty, but it sure is difficult to imagine that they don’t. We’ve all watched our dogs demonstrate behaviours in their sleep that resemble what they do in a fully awake state. Paddling legs, whining, growling, wagging tails, chewing jowls, and twitching noses inspire us to wonder what our dogs are dreaming about.
What we know about dogs and dreams
While our knowledge on this topic is very limited, the following known information helps us believe that dogs do indeed experience dreams. According to MIT News, Matthew Wilson, a professor of neuroscience at MIT, and Kenway Louie, a graduate student in 2001, have studied the relationships between memory, sleep and dreams. They found that when rats were trained to run along a circular track for food rewards, their brains created a distinctive firing pattern of neurons (brain cells). The researchers repeated the brain monitoring while the rats were sleeping. Low and behold, they observed the same signature brain activity pattern associated with running whether the rats were awake or asleep. In fact, the memories played at approximately the same speed during sleep as when the rats were awake.
Can we apply this to dogs?
Can we take what is known about dreaming in rats and humans and apply the information to dogs? Wilson believes that we can.”My guess is — unless there is something special about rats and humans — that cats and dogs are doing exactly the same thing,” he said, according to USA Today’s website.
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It is known that the hippocampus, the portion of the brain that collects and stores memories, is wired much the same way in all mammals. According to healthday.com, Professor Wilson says, “If you compared a hippocampus in a rat to a dog; in a cat to a human, they contain all of the same pieces.” He believes that as dogs sleep, images of past events replay in their minds, much the same way people recall experiences while dreaming.
In people, it is known that most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. Dogs also experience periods of REM sleep. Psychology Today’s website says that during REM their breathing becomes more irregular and shallow. There may be muscle twitching during REM and, when one looks closely, rapid eye movements behind closed eyelids can often be observed. It is during REM sleep that behaviours thought to be associated with dreaming (legs paddling, twitching, vocalizing, etc.) are most commonly observed.
What we want to believe about dog dreams
When we observe our dogs as they sleep, it’s just about impossible to imagine that they are not dreaming. Just like the rats studied by Wilson and Louie, it is tempting to believe that our four-legged best buddies are reenacting their recent experiences; playing at the dog park, sniffing in the woods, chewing on a treasured bone, and chasing squirrels.
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The National Institutes of Health says that Sigmund Freud theorized that dreaming was a “safety valve” for our unconscious desires. Perhaps he is correct, and, when our dogs sleep, they dream about catching the neighbour’s pesky cat, continuous belly rubs in conjunction with unlimited dog treats, and stealing the Thanksgiving turkey from the dining room table.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
Did you know that some authorities feel that 1 out of every 100 dogs that reach 12 years of age develops diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a hormonal problem where the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, the hormone that helps push sugar (“glucose”) into the body’s cells. Without the insulin, the body’s cells are starving for sugar; unfortunately, this then stimulates the body to produce more and more sugar (in an attempt to feed the cells). That’s why your dog’s blood sugar is so high (what we call a “hyperglycemia”) with diabetes mellitus.
Without insulin, the sugar can’t get into the cells; hence, why you need to give insulin to your dog with a tiny syringe twice a day. In dogs, this is a disease that can be costly to treat and requires twice-a-day insulin along with frequent veterinary visits for the rest of your dog’s life.
So how do you know if your dog has diabetes? Clinical signs of diabetes mellitus in dogs include:
- Excessive drinking
- Excessive urination
- Urinary accidents in the house
- Dilute urine
- Overweight or obese
- Muscle wasting
- Ravenous appetite
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Weakness
- Unkempt or poor hair coat
- Blindness secondary to cataracts
- Neuropathies (nerve problems)
As your dog gets older, it’s worth talking to your veterinarian about doing routine blood work to make sure your dog is healthy. This blood work will help rule out kidney and liver problems, anaemia, infections, electrolyte problems and diabetes mellitus. The sooner you recognize the clinical signs, the sooner your dog can be treated with insulin and the fewer complications we see as a result.
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So, if you notice any of the signs above, get to a veterinarian right away. Now, continue on for 5 important reasons to test your dog for diabetes:
1. Your dog will live longer
Diabetes mellitus can shorten the lifespan of your dog, as secondary complications and infections can occur. With diabetes, the body is immunosuppressed and more likely to develop diabetic complications which cause long term harm to your dog.
2. Your dog will be able to see
Did you know that the majority of dogs with diabetes eventually go blind from cataracts? Even in well-controlled diabetic dogs, the excess sugar in the body can have secondary effects on the lens of the eye; it causes more water to influx into the lens, which disrupts the clearness of the lens. As a result, cataract formation occurs, resulting in eventual blindness and secondary inflammation in both eyes. While cataract surgery can (and ideally, should) be performed, it can be costly.
3. You’ll save a lot of money
Treatment for diabetes mellitus includes twice-a-day insulin treatment, insulin syringes, prescription diets, and frequent veterinary trips for blood tests. Also, as diabetic dogs can’t go without their insulin, it may mean hiring house sitters or pet sitters to treat your pet while you are on vacation.
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4. You’ll have fewer urinary accidents in the house
One of the biggest signs of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus is excessive drinking, urination and having urinary accidents in the house. Because of hyperglycemia, dogs are also at increased risk for urinary tract infections, wreaking havoc on your carpet. The sooner you can treat your dog with insulin and get diabetes controlled or regulated, the less your dog will drink and urinate, making your dog more comfortable too!
5. You’ll have more peace knowing that your dog is healthy
As a veterinarian and dog owner, I want to make sure my dog is as healthy as possible. You might already be talking with your veterinarian about vaccines each year in a dog that is older than 7 years of age; next, talk to your veterinarian about doing an annual exam and routine blood work too. It’ll pick up on medical problems sooner, so you can rest assured that your dog is going to live a longer, happier, healthier life!
Having a diabetic pet is also a big commitment, as it requires dedicated pet parents who can give twice-a-day injections of insulin. Caring for a diabetic dog does require frequent trips to the veterinarian to regulate blood sugar. That said, dogs can live with diabetes for years with appropriate care and treatment. When in doubt, make sure to monitor your dog carefully for the signs of diabetes, and seek veterinary attention sooner rather than later to help test for this ever-growing problem!
