How Much Water Does Your Dog Need?

I want to share this article I read on how much water a dog needs to drink to maintain good health. I found it very helpful. I hope you do too.

The amount of water a dog needs to drink is a tough question, but water is very important to your dog's health. It helps digest food, carry and absorb nutrients, flushes out waste and controls body temperature.

Next to oxygen, water is the most important nutrient in your dog's body. Dogs can go for days without food. A dog's body can lose all of it's fat and up to half of protein and still sirvive, but when a dog loses just 10% of his body's water, bodily functions shut down causing serious illness, and 15% loss of water will kill him.

So how much does your dog need to drink? It depends on his stress level, how active he is, his size, his age, his health and the kind of food he eats. Even the weather can be a factor.

The is no set rule. In general, animals should take in 2-1/2 times more water than food. Another useful guideline for a dog weighing 20lbs or less is that they need about 1 cup(8ozs) of water for every 5lbs of body weight. So a healthy 15lb. dog would need 3 cups of water a day.

Dogs don't have to drink their daily fill of water, they also get water from the food they eat. Wet food has alot more water than kibbles or dry food. Snacks like apples are also a great source of water.

When fresh water is available, a dog will generally drink what he needs to survive. The fresher the water, the more they will drink. Make sure you wash the dog's bowl daily and disinfect it regularly to control bacteria. You might want to try bottled or filtered water, or purchase a small water fountain for dogs. Dogs also prefer cool water.

So if you want to keep your dog healthy, make sure they always have clean, fresh water available at all times.

Chewing Behaviors in Dogs

Chewing Behaviors in Dogs

Begging Dogs

Does this look familiar? I have 2 Golden retrievers that are guilty of begging. Here are some signs of a begging dog and some ways to prevent it. If you have a begging dog you probably already know the signs.


Signs:
Dog habitually eyes, jumps toward or grabs food. Sits expectantly while you are eating. Follows and persistently blocks path of people holding food. Noses or paws a person's hand, arm or leg demanding a treat, petting, play or other attention. Dog begs, pushes for play by repeatedly dropping ball or toy in front of owner or in their lap.

Causes: Attention Seeking.

Corrective Actions:
Work with positive obedience training methods to establish yourself as leader, to let the dog know that you are Dominic over them. As long as the dog shows no signs of aggression, when he attempts to block your path, just continue walking so you gently bump him out of your way. Ignore gentle pawing, nosing or pushing. Take charge of toys used for games, such as ball, or flying disc and bring them out only when you want to play and put them away when finished.

Table feeding:
Dogs who beg from or push at people for treats during meals do so because their annoying behavior previously earned tidbits.

Corrective Actions:
Everyone must stop handing the dog food while eating. If family members, such as children drop morsels of food on the floor, confine dog away from the table to prevent accidental rewards that encourage begging. At first sign of begging, confine the dog away from the table. Never let the dog lick dinnerware and clean up scraps after meals.

Free Treats:
Dogs who constantly receive treats for no reason often demand them throughout the day.

Corrective Action:
Dogs must be taught to earn treats by doing something good to deserve them.

Sharing Snacks:
This will surely encourage him to beg for food.

Corrective Action:
Never share your snacks or allow others to share their munchies. If resistant children are too young to understand, separate the dog from kids while eating meals or snacks.

Treat Fixation:
Food based training is an effective is an effective positive method for encouraging proper behavior, but failure to reduce treats into randomly given rewards, rather than for every performance can result in a dog who expects a treat for every command given, and ignores you until he is given a treat.

Corrective Action:
Avoid using treats to bribe the dog into performing a command. The treat should always follow a behavior as reward. Combine praise with treats early in training to increase pleasant impact of praise. Study positive training methods or work with a professional to learn how to correctly fade treats while maintaining obedience. Don't fall into habit of giving a dog a treat despite an incorrect or half-hearted performance. Insist the dog complies with command as trained.

Territorial Dog

Territorial Dog

Natural Flea Control

Natural Flea Control

Spring Has Sprung And So Have Fleas And Ticks!

Spring is here officially today and it is time to start protecting your dogs and cats against those blood sucking fleas and ticks. Have you bought your prevention medicine yet? I have. I don't want my dogs to be infected by those bloodsuckers! With Spring comes warmer weather, and fleas and ticks emerge.

This year fleas and ticks may be even worse than ever due to the warmer than usual winter. Veterinarians are predicting an extremely bad year for them.

Did you know one flea in your house can become as many as 100,000 in just 30 days? I certainly didn't. That is a scary thought.

I read an article that said the full life cycle of a flea begins when the temperature is above 70 degrees and the humidity increases and peaks when the temperature reaches 70 to 85 degrees and high humidity is 70%. We have already reached those temperatures here in Southeastern Indiana. The article said an adult flea can lay 15 to 20 eggs a day and over 500 in her lifetime. After the female lays eggs, they emerge as adults in 14 days during peak.

The only way to protect your pets and your home from being infected is to treat your pet with a preventative medication, before they get a chance to get into your carpet, sofa, clothing and even in your bed. Once they invade your home that creates a much bigger problem.

If you have ever had them in your home, you know how hard it is to get rid of them. I know from past experience. When I moved from my old house to our farm and everything was out of the house I went back to shampoo the carpets and when I walked across the carpet , those little varmints jumped on my socks. There is something about white socks that attracts them. I didn't even know they were in the house, because I never saw any signs of them. Needless to say, I had to bomb the house a couple of times to get rid of them. I guess if you want to make sure if they are in your home, just put some white socks on and walk across the carpet. I know it sounds crazy, but it is true.
In my older posts I talked about fleas and ticks, so you might want to check that out. This is just a reminder to let you be aware that spring is now upon us and it is time to get your preventative medicine for fleas and ticks. Both of them can be harmful to your pets and like I said before, create a much bigger problem and much more costly if they invade your home.

Enjoy your Spring! Oh yeah, remember to either purchase medication from your vet or check with them, before you use any product on your pet. There are some over the counter products that can be toxic and can even kill your babies!

Dogs I've known

Dogs I've known

Ear Infections In Dogs

Do you see your dog scratching his ears, shaking his head or is irritable with his ears? Chances are he has an ear infection. cause for ear infections could be mites, bacterial infection, food allergies, unhealthy environment or improper hygiene. If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, it calls for medical attention from your veterinarian.

Types of Ear Infections:

Outer Ear infection- Easy to tell if your dog has an outer ear infection, their ears will be inflamed and have a foul smelling wax discharge.

Middle and Inner Ear Infections- Both are regarded more severe than outer. These types require help from your veterinarian, because they can easily get worse and often not curable unless special treatment procedures are carried out.

Floppy eared dogs like Golden Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels are prone to getting fungal infections, because air fails to circulate freely in their ears. Air circulation is crucial in maintaining health in a dogs ears. In case of floppy eared dogs, small follicles of hair grow in the ears and block air from coming in.

Ear infections can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics and ear drops prescribed by your veterinarian. Don't use over the counter remedies unless approved by your vet.

Check your dogs ears on a regular basis to see if a discharge or foul odor is present. Also clean your dogs ears regularly with a cleaning solution from Vet Clinic. Don't use Qtips to clean their ears. Put a couple of drops in each ears and massage gently and then wipe out with cotton ball.

This is important especially if you have a dog with floppy ears.

I clean my Golden's ears with solution on a regular basis and don't have a problem with their ears.

If You Plan on Breeding Your Dog

If you are planning on breeding your dog for the first time, I posted a video on what you will need to do. As the video states, most dogs do not need any assistance, but there are some dogs that don't, so this video will give you suggestions as what to do just in case she needs some help. It also explains how to determine date of birthing and how to prepare a whelmping area for her to give birth. It is quite amazing.
Hope the video is helpful if you plan on breeding and have never experienced it before. I wish we would have had access to a video when I bred my Golden Retriever years ago.

How To Deliver Puppies

Warning to Dog Owners!

I am just writing this post in regards to an article I read yesterday. If you have a paper shredder, make sure it is in a place where your pets and children can't have access to it. This is a heart wrenching story about a dog who somehow got it's tongue caught in a paper shredder and the dog actually bit it's own tongue off to get free.
The owners of the dog immediately rushed the poor dog to the animal hospital. The vet told them, even if they reattached the dog's tongue it probably would never be able to eat or drink normally, so the owners made the choice to euthanize him.
What a horrible story, but maybe this is a warning to the rest of us with pets and children.
I must admit, reading this article really upset me. I expected it to have a brighter ending. I thought if they just reattached the dog's tongue, everything would be okay, but they wasn't the case.

Pet-loss Support Resources - Hobby Farms

Pet-loss Support Resources - Hobby Farms

Marvelous Mutt Meatballs - Hobby Farms

Marvelous Mutt Meatballs - Hobby Farms

Ask Martok: Farm Dogs and Snakebites - Hobby Farms

Ask Martok: Farm Dogs and Snakebites - Hobby Farms

Trimming Dog Nails

Trimming Dog Nails

Several pets missing after tornadoes hit southern Indiana - WAVE 3 News - Louisville, Kentucky

Several pets missing after tornadoes hit southern Indiana - WAVE 3 News - Louisville, Kentucky

10 Things That Will Poison Your Dog

10 Things That Will Poison Your Dog

Heartworms, Heart Aches

Heartworms, Heart Aches

OK, What Do I Do About This Lump on My Cat's Tail?

OK, What Do I Do About This Lump on My Cat's Tail?

Dog Medical Conditions: Seizures in Dogs

Dog Medical Conditions: Seizures in Dogs

Golden Retrievers - Golden Retriever Puppies for Sale

Golden Retrievers - Golden Retriever Puppies for Sale

Dog Medical Conditions: Lumps and Bumps

Dog Medical Conditions: Lumps and Bumps

Mixed Breed Saves Family From Fire

Mixed Breed Saves Family From Fire