Tips on how to help your dog cope with allergens

Are you sensitive? Do you easily get allergic to things around you like dirt, dust and some types of food? Did you know that your dog is likewise prone to allergies? Dog allergies, just like in humans come from many sources. If you can then make your home allergy free, your dog will benefit on this as well.

Please note that allergies in dogs may cause infections that will definitely hurt your dog. This is the reason why you need to know what is causing allergic reactions.

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Below are some useful tips on how to help your dog cope with allergens.

Symptoms of dog allergies

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Watery eyes
• Itching
• Chewing
• Biting
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

This is only a short list of possible symptoms. They are however the most common manifestation of a dog allergy. It is always best to consult your veterinarian if you notice your dog having some sort of difficulty due to allergies.

Causes of dog allergies

• Inhalation of household chemicals, i.e., carpet cleaner, detergent, air freshener
• Inhalation of dust from the air or his own beddings
• Pollen, during the spring and fall season your dog may catch many types of allergens
• Fleas, they cause extreme discomfort
• Dog Food i.e., beef, dairy products, wheat, corn and soy beans

You may not easily detect what may be causing your dog to become allergic. Thus, if you suspect that your dog is having discomforts because of allergy, immediately bring him to the veterinarian. Tests will determine what is causing your dog’s allergy.

If you have recently offered a new dog food, or a new dog bed or even a new dog shampoo and notice allergy symptoms, they may be the cause. In that case, stop the use of anything new and see how the allergy reacts. If the itching or red skin disappears, it is more than likely an allergic reaction.

Tips to help avoid dog allergies in your home

• Bathe your dog at least once a week. Cool bath with oatmeal may help soothe itching if fleas and mites are the problem.
• Vacuum and dust your home as frequently as possible. Please note that summer season is flea season. Spring and fall on the other hand may cause inhalation allergies.
• Plastic eating bowl may likewise cause allergies, if you can convert your dog to steel, glass, or ceramic bowl. This could be helpful.
• Wash dog beddings frequently. If he is sensitive, avoid bring him out until you know what is causing his allergies.

Treatment for dog allergies

• For an all natural dog allergy treatment, you may introduce a dog vitamin supplement.
• Veterinarians may advice antihistamines or other drugs such as benadryl.
• Medicated shampoos and sprays may also help lessen the itching. Oatmeal works well.
• Flea products may also be helpful. You may however need to avoid putting topical flea product on broken skin.

After series of tests, your veterinarian may advice avoidance of particular food or giving your dog nutritional supplement that will help increase his resistance to allergens.

Photo source:healthcasual.com

Puppy worms are very common

Many people do not realize that worms in puppies can be fatal. Puppy worms are very common, so there is no need to be stressed if you notice your puppy does in fact have worms. If you notice worms in your puppy, try to get him to the vest ASAP for exact diagnosis and deworming.

There are many ways for puppies to get worms:

• From his mother.
• From contact where traces of old puppy feces are found.
• From contact with other puppies infected.
• Fleas that are infected with tapeworms.

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Common Puppy Worms

• Roundworms
• Hookworms
• Tapeworms
• Whipworms

Signs of puppy worms:

• Biting or licking around the anus
• Anemia and pale gums
• Swollen belly
• Vomiting
• Poor growth

The most common worms in puppies are roundworms. Most all puppies get roundworms at some point in their puppyhood. Roundworms are in the intestines of puppies often causing a big bloated fat belly and poor growth.

Tapeworms can be a major problem when flea infestation is high. Tapeworms are a small intestine parasite. They look like grains of rice when dried and can normally be noticed in the dog’s stool. Over-the-counter wormer is not recommend as tapeworms require a different wormer than most puppy worms. If you suspect your puppy has tape worms, it is suggested you seek vet care.

Hookworms are small, thin worms that are found in the small intestine and suck blood from your puppy. Severe hookworm infestation are lethal to puppies. Signs of hookworms include diarrhea, weight loss,  and weakness. Diagnosis is made by examining the feces, so your vet will need a stool sample.

Whipworms are substantially smaller than most worms and are not saw without the aid of a microscope.  Occasionally adult whipworms can be seen in the stool when the infestation has already caused some debilitation or weight loss in the dog. A few whipworms generally do not pose a problem for a dog but if large numbers of worms are present in the large intestine tissue, inflammation can result leading to a bloody diarrhea.

Proper care for your puppy is necessary to prevent and treat puppy worms. If you suspect your puppy is infected with any worm, it is best to seek the help of a vet for proper deworming.

Photo source:webanswers.com/pets/dogs

Improving welfare of your dog determine best dog foods

Many of us worry constantly about the welfare of our dogs. We want to ensure that they get all the benefits they can out of the dog foods they eat. So many re-calls in the last 5 years have made it difficult to determine which dog foods are best for our dogs.

While we don’t know when or if the particular brand we use will be subject to recall we must simply hope that we check it out thoroughly before giving it to our pets. Researching the signs and symptoms of problems that may arise in our pets when eating tainted foods is a good start and you can also check for various recalls periodically without the year.

Keeping a keen eye on your animals can help you detect problems early. Paying attention to various differences in behaviors like: social interactions sleep patterns, or eating habits can help you see trouble before it gets to your door.

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Some signs of damage due to affected foods are:

• Loss of Appetite
• Persistent vomiting
• Blood in stool
• Diarrhea
• Frequent urination-discolored urine

Some recent recalled dog foods are:

1. Eukanuba Dog- List Codes {Code Dates: 6312-7073} Plant # 4197
2. Western Family U.S.: Beef Cuts/ 12x 13.2  code 154009067
3. Western Family Canada: Country Stew Cuts

Other brands like: Natural Life, Nutri-Plan, Paws, and Springfield Prize. If you wish to obtain additional information or are looking for more on the list you can access it at: www.menufoods.com/recallproduct_dog.html

As of December there have been additional recalls for the dog food company which makes Diamond, country Value and Professional. Look for dates ranging from 3/1/07-6/1/2007.

Looking for periodic updates on recalls are wise, keeping an eye on your dogs will help you get the help you need early so the damage is limited. Know your dog and their behaviors and stay healthy.

Photo source:dogfoodcouponsfree.blogspot.com

Latest holistic  herbal remedies for dogs

Many dogs owners worry greatly when their dog gets sick and just like with our kids we are up pacing the floors when our dogs are not quite their self. Some of the latest holistic remedies today are herbal and work excellent on dogs!

There are many benefits when using holistic herbal remedies on our dogs. Herbal remedies are excellent ways to help problems at home the natural way.

So here are a few herbal remedies that will help your dogs that we have used many times.

Aloe Vera: This wonderful oil has been used over centuries as a natural healing medicine. Many soldiers have used this wonderful leaf to speed up the healing process; as I am sure many of your mothers did as well. Putting a little of the Aloe Vera in their drink will help with things like arthritis and digestive disorders: IBS, or upset stomachs.

Black Walnut: is used to help you de-worm your pet and get rid of fungal infections.

Peppermint oil: This great oil is good for your pet if they get upset because of thunder or are over active. This oil helps to calm your dog it is not recommended for use with cats. Simply apply to the feet of your dog.

Tea Tree Oils: are great for cuts and sores. This oil can also help with your dogs ear mites.

There are several forms of remedies that are good for your dog and 100% natural with little to no side effects. Remembering to research all herbal remedies before you use them on your dog is important. There are some remedies are not recommended for all pets. You want to ensure that you are applying each herb right. Keeping up with the latest remedies will ensure your pet stays healthy.

Puppy Mills are puppy farm commercial dogs

Puppy Mills are place where puppies are breed for pure profit. The breeders house hundreds of dogs here so that they can produce more puppies to sell. There are many reasons why puppy mills should be band or eliminated. The puppy mills give the puppies very poor and in adequate care throughout their lives. If they are not sold they are kept as breeders.

When adequate breeders care for their puppies they provide the puppies with daily food and nutrition, grooming, medical care, exercise and give the puppies love and attention. If a puppy is not socialized when they are young they have a hard time adjusting to new situations. Puppy mill dogs are not shown the necessary amounts of attention from birth. If they are not sold by the age of 10 weeks they usually have no socialization skills. This would make them unable to be placed with a home safely. The puppies learn how to interact with others at this stage and can be mentally scared. Many also have severe changes in temperament when reaching sexual maturity since no social connection was made.

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Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills!

Disadvantages of the Puppy Mills:

Puppy mills provide little food and water or may provide good amount some days and slack on others to save money.

Puppy mills keep puppies in overcrowded cages for weeks or months at a time.

Puppy mills don’t provide the puppies with adequate exercise on a daily basis (if ever)

Puppy mills don’t give the puppy’s adequate medical treatments-to save on expense.

Puppy mill dogs usually have many physical or mental defects as a result of their treatment and care. Puppy mill dogs are usually discarded when they no longer need them, or can not have anymore puppies to cut down on the costs.

Puppy mills provide horrible conditions and severely in adequate care for puppies. Stopping them and enforcing stricter punishments for such actions should be known on a wider scale. Contact your local shelter and see what you can do to help stop puppy mills!

If there is a puppy mill in your area and you have not been able to get any help, or if you can’t get local help for a situation, please contact the HSUS at stoppuppymills@humanesociety.org.

Photo source:dogpup.net

We all love our pets. They’re part of the family and life wouldn’t be the same without them. Pets give us unconditional love, companionship and bring great joy into our lives. All they ask of us in return is that we love them, feed them and look after them in sickness and in health.No one plans for accident or illness to harm a pet – it is important to have protection for when the unthinkable happens. Pet insurance offers a way to plan and budget for your cat or dog’s accidents and illnesses.Thanks to a special offer from PETCO.com’s partner, PetCare Pet Insurance, you can provide your cat or dog with top-quality pet insurance and peace-of-mind. Your first month is only $1!PetCare Pet Insurance is the fastest growing pet insurer in North America and offers a flexible range of affordable programs. Get a no-obligation quote now!