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arent for sooner or later they get sick to some degree and your chances of prompt attention are better if the vet already knows your pet about the author randy jones and his partner brent jones have been in the pet industry for a long time recently they formed joncopets com on the site customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest fancy dog collars dog dresses fancy dog beds and more for their best friend feel free to check out the site at http www joncopets com randy jones posted by dogstuff filed in dogs comments off on june 2 2006 your dogs health the basics every dog owner should know this article describes things about a dogs health that every dog owner should know after reading this article dog owners should know more about diagnosing their pet your dog is probably stronger and healthier than most humans that you know however by taking him from his natural environment where only the strongest survive to the artificial one in which most pet dogs live we have exposed him to an entirely new set of dangers which their instincts are not designed to cope with a dogs health is influenced by the genes inherited from his parents and by the care given to his mother during the prenatal period as well as to the puppy during his first 2 or 3 months of life a puppy whose mother was properly cared for during pregnancy will be more able to handle the hazards of growing up the majority of dogs lead perfectly healthy normal lives they overcome occasional skin rashes chills and upset stomachs recover from cuts and bruises with ordinary care sensible first aid when necessary and professional diagnosis and treatment of serious ailments chances are that if you give you dog a normal diet a healthy home environment a well balanced life you will only need to see the vet for check ups and vaccinations a healthy dogs temperature taken rectally when he is rested is about 101 2 degrees in an adult dog 102 in small breeds and 102 5 in a puppy it can fluctuate one way or the other being lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon long coated breeds have a slightly higher normal temperature than short coated ones his pulse is taken at the femoral artery high inside the thigh there is no normal pulse rate for dogs it can range from 120 beats per minute in a young puppy to 70 or 80 in an older dog count the beats during 30 seconds and multiply by 2 normal respiration ranges from 20 or 30 respirations per minute for a puppy to 16 per minute in an older dog a normal eye is bright and clear although the lens becomes pale blue as he ages his nose is moist and cool most of the time but a dry warm nose doesnt always mean a fever or illness his tail wags and he carries himself normally his coat is shiny and sheds normally he eats his meals without gulping compulsively and without being coaxed drinks a normal amount of water after meals and exercise and more during hot weather his bowel movements are regular and well formed his urine is clear and both processs are painless as a puppy he sleeps most of the time but as an adult only about half the time and he is generally friendly alert and inquisitive a sick or ailing dog will have a temperature over 102 degrees a sign of fever or under a 100 a sign of weakness if it does not return to normal within 24 hours call the vet if his temperature is as low as 99 or as high as 104 call the vet immediately his pulse may be weak or irregular his respiration at rest may be irregular or labored panting or weak his eye may appear dull red or yellow with a sticky discharge his nose may be dry and hot also with a discharge his tail may be immobile carried stiffly or between the legs his coat may be dry and stand up when it should lay flat the skin may be itchy and flaky and there may be bald spots or red patches he may eat with a good appetite but usually doesnt want food at all and is usually reluctant to swallow any water his bowel movements may be abnormal in form or color have a bad odor and contain blood or mucus or he may be constipated with no movement at all the urine may be dark cloudy or painfully produced he may sleep all of the time and hide in dark corners his breath may have a bad odor and be labored he may show very obvious symptoms of disorder such as swellings protuberances lameness pain prolonged wheezing or coughing and unusual sensitivity in some part of his body his overall general behavior will be lethargic and unresponsive when he is normally friendly and active or nervous and excitable when he is the quite type with snapping or snarling for no apparent reason the symptoms offered here which are fairly obvious and not too far from our own human symptoms good and bad its the severity of the symptoms for an ailing dog that will determine whether you should call the vet far sighted dog and cat owners select a veterinarian as soon as they become a pet parent for sooner or later they get sick to some degree and your chances of prompt attention are better if the vet already knows your pet about the author randy jones and his partner brent jones have been in the pet industry for a long time recently they formed joncopets com on the site customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest fancy dog collars dog dresses fancy dog beds and more for their best friend feel free to check out the site at http www joncopets com brent jones posted by dogstuff filed in dogs comments off on june 2 2006 your dogs emotions things every dog owner should know your dog is more similar to you in their emotions than in their mentality some of their emotional reactions are so much like ours that we tend to humanize them the dogs emotions are visibly expressed in his eyes and face his ear and tail movements his posture and general behavior sometimes they are vocally expressed as well your dog can feel and express the same emotions as we do love hate joy sorrow grief anxiety jealousy remorse anger fear and even more subtle ones such as distrust and resignation pet dogs have an endearing tendency to imitate their owners emotional reactions which may not weigh much in an argument but it certainly offers much in moral support they are no more individual in expressing their emotions than we are dogs approach and seek contact with objects and beings that inspire friendly feelings and avoid or shy away from those they fear often a dog will pretend not to see a person or animal he dislikes a crouching position and a watchful eye mean that he has not yet made up his mind to trust or distrust some facial expressions are much like ours worried frowns angry glares adoring gazes suspicious squints questioning looks seductive glances humor and even genuine smiles a smile accompanied by half closed eyes and ears held low signifies intense pleasure dogs express their feelings thru body language more so than facial expressions a wagging tail and friendly grin are invitations to approach and perhaps make friends while a snarl a fixed stare stiff straight legs and tail are warnings to keep your distance the question of distance is important to the dog because of territorial concerns and of survival instincts dogs usually give voice to the emotions and their meanings are generally clear a happy dog gurgles or squeals with pleasure a gentle whine says please and snarling is definitely hostile dogs yelp from pain or fear whine from frustration or pain and sigh for the same reasons we do puppy cries are easiest to interpret they scream when they are too hot whimper when cold and protest loudly when hungry barking is usually done to attract attention or to work excess energy if the dog is constrained such as in a kennel dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions body postures and gestures an owner who takes the trouble to observe his dog and pay him the courtesy of listening to him can establish a simple two way communications system with his pet canine messages are usually very elementary as he asks much less of us than we do of him im hungry im thirsty i need to go out or come with me are among the messages he manages to convey very well considering his limited means his most eloquent utterance is perhaps the emotional gurgle or barks that mean to say its about time you came home ive missed you about the author randy jones and his partner brent jones have been in the pet industry for a long time recently they formed the website http joncopets com on the site customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest trendy items for their best friend feel free to check out the site at http joncopets com randy jones posted by dogstuff filed in dogs comments off on june 1 2006 your dog s health why dog breath is no laughing matter your dogs health is important to you you show her how important by keeping her well fed and groomed making sure she gets plenty of exercise and providing a collection of fun safe toys for her entertainment you don t skimp on the quality of his food and to reward good boys and girls there are always lots of delicious treats in the cupboard but if he has bad breath you could be overlooking a serious problem with your dogs health dog breath is such a common condition that we make jokes about it sometimes we even tease our human friends using dog breath in play ground style name calling although hopefully this is limited to teenage boys and i know many pet owners who comment that they love their dog or cat like a child but just can t stand the smell of the animal s breath well guess what dog breath isn t normal it s estimated that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over the age of three suffer from the periodontal disease a serious deterioration of the gums and supporting bones of the teeth yes it s periodontal disease that s responsible for dog breath but the problem doesn t confine itself to your furry baby s mouth it s an infection and the tiny creatures responsible for it can break loose and enter the bloodstream once they do they can infect vital organs such as the liver and kidneys endangering your dogs health by causing a far more serious illness the best way to insure your dogs health especially where periodontal disease is concerned is with prevention it can make all the difference periodontal disease begins as gingivitis which is virtually harmless and completely treatable if allowed to move to the next stage periodontitis it can be stopped but not cured and the worse it gets the faster it progresses this applies to all animals two legged and four legged alike think of a car parked at the top of a hill the emergency break is released and the car begins to roll downhill now if you hit the breaks right away no harm done but the farther the car rolls the faster it goes and the more momentum it builds it gets harder and harder to stop it by the time it s halfway down the hill you could be headed for disaster you can maintain your dogs health nicely with proper home care but like the rolling car if disease is already present stopping and controlling it is a bigger job prevention involves above all regular veterinary checkups and professional cleanings beginning early in your dog or cat s life i ll show you how you can help maintain oral health at home but it s impossible to do a thorough cleaning on an animal who s awake trust me on this it s hard enough to do a thorough job with a cooperative human patient when we re talking about animals who don t understand what we re doing or why forget about it most veterinarians recommend annual cleanings but more frequent or involved treatment may be needed depending on your animal s condition please no matter what you re doing at home follow the vet s recommendations as for your part introduce your dog or cat to the idea of having his teeth brushed as early as possible i know it s not easy and it takes time and daily conditioning to get your little guy or gal used to it but your dogs health is worth it so how do you prevent the most common of threats to your dogs health brush her teeth of course every day just like you would your own twice a day for you and floss too this isn t easy but it can become an expected part of your dog s routine if you do it right here are some suggestions 1 start when your dog is a puppy the earlier the better 2 at first you just want her to get used to you handling her head and looking inside her mouth practice lifting up her lips and looking at her teeth and gums front back and both sides of her mouth 3 now begin gently touching the gum tissue with your finger and rub along her gums and teeth as if your finger were a toothbrush let her get used to the sensation this is exactly the way you would introduce a human baby to brushing beginning with just her gums even before there are teeth there are harmful bacteria so don t worry about a tiny puppy who doesn t have a full set of teeth yet rub her gums swab out her little mouth with your finger and get her used the this kind of contact from her owner 4 your next step is to wrap gauze or a soft washcloth around your finger and rub the gums on both the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth 5 finally introduce a tooth brush in one small area as your dog gets used to the brush you will be able to use it in place of the gauze or washcloth remember to brush the inside surfaces a little brushing a day beginning with the first step and working your way up gradually will eventually lead to a one to two minute session your dog will learn that it doesn t hurt and that she gets a couple of minutes of your undivided attention every day it generally takes 8 to 16 weeks to get there but in the end your dog will accept brushing as part of her daily routine if a little brushing is done every day at a set time eventually your pet gets used to it and some will even look forward to it it will take most pet owners from 8 16 weeks until the pet accepts it readily now the pet realizes it doesn t hurt and that it will get 1 2 minutes of your undivided attention your pet enjoys your attention and will eventually wait patiently for you to brush his teeth there s a toothbrush with three heads that will allow you to brush all three surface of the tooth at one time which makes life a lot easier for both of you it also has nice soft bristles so you won t harm your pet s delicate gum tissue there are also products that can be rubbed on the gums and added to the drinking water to help reduce bacteria in an animal s mouth and promote the dogs health and healing bad breath is actually a by product of the bacteria that populate the mouth they break down proteins and carbohydrates from your dog or cat s diet and produce something called volatile sulfur compounds or vsc s it s the sulfur that make the breath smell extra special certain dental products have an agent that neutralizes the vsc s many owners have commented that their cat or dog seems to like the drinking water better whe...