Dogs

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You suspect you’ve got some kind of insect sitch going on in your bed—but are we dealing with fleas or bedbugs here? We never thought we’d utter these words, but you should probably cross your fingers and hope for a flea problem. Dr. Mader says it’s almost impossible to eliminate bedbugs from your home without a professional exterminator—plus you’ll have to basically soak everything you own in hot water—whereas fleas can be dealt with in a more DIY fashion if the infestation is not too advanced. (More on this below.) So how do we establish the difference and suss out what we’re dealing with so we can treat effectively? According to Nicole Savageau, VMD, an Austin, Texas–based veterinarian with The Vets, we need to take a closer look at the bites:,Jump to section Flea Bite or Bedbug Bite? Check Your Pet’s Skin and Coat for Fleas 5 Signs You’ve Got Fleas in Bed How To Get Rid of Fleas in Your Bed How To Prevent Fleas in Bed

WRITTEN BYJessica Vogelsang, DVM Veterinarian Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, is a person who loves too many topics to be able to stick to one descriptor: writing, dogs, communication, cats,…,Since dogs can’t talk, we spend a great deal of time trying to interpret other signs of their health. How is he acting? How is his appetite? And how is his poop? Your dog’s poop can give your vet a tremendous amount of information about your dog’s digestive and overall health, which is why your vet’s office will routinely ask you to bring a fecal sample along to office visits. Even if you’re not planning on going to the vet, as a pet parents, it’s a good idea to pay attention to your dog’s poop. Is it changing color or consistency? Does it smell foul, or contain streaks of blood or mucus? Are some variations in a pet’s stool normal? Is there such a thing as a stool emergency? Here’s what you need to know about your dog’s poop. The Four C’s of Poop When it comes to evaluating poop, your vet will be looking for the four C’s: color, consistency, content, and coating. Color Under normal circumstances, dog stool is a chocolate-brown color. During normal digestion, the gallbladder releases bile to aid in the breakdown of food. Bilirubin is a pigment in bile that affects stool color. The stool may have some minor deviations in color due to diet, hydration, or dyes, but you shouldn’t see substantial changes. Abnormal color patterns that should catch your eye include: Black stool: bleeding high up in the digestive tract may result in tar-colored stool Red streaks: this indicates bleeding in the lower digestive tract Grey or yellow stools: may indicate issues with the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder If abnormal colors persist for more than two stools, call your veterinarian.

When figuring out how often to feed your puppy, there are two main factors to consider: your puppy’s age and size.,Puppies grow FAST, so it’s perfectly natural to wonder if they’re getting all the nutrition they need to become happy and healthy adult dogs. Figuring out how much to feed a puppy and how often to feed a puppy are key parts of the equation, but those numbers depend on a lot of factors, including: Age Breed Size Pet food they’re eating Medical issues Body condition score (skinny, fat, or just right?) Activity level Whether the puppy has been spayed or neutered With that said, figuring out how much and how often to feed a puppy who is healthy and living a typical puppy life isn’t all that hard. We’re helping you figure out the right numbers with some simple puppy feeding charts. First, let’s take a look at some questions.

Training a blind dog does not take any special skill or magic. Blind dogs are still dogs, and they are more than capable of learning. Just last week my dog Asher, a 12-year-old Rottweiler, missed his turn and plowed into a wall. I had noticed changes in his eyesight over the past month or so. Heading out into the yard, I gave him a couple of hand signals. He only responded to one of the three. That one was the signal I gave while he was right in front of me. Then he was off running in the yard again. This time I repeated the same cues verbally, and he got them all. Asher is my retired show dog. So although we do not train to compete anymore, we do train for fun. He still loves to work and loves our training time together. Now it will simply be a matter of adjusting how I work with him. Jimmy was an older male rescued Pit Bull who I had the pleasure of working with. Blind when he was rescued, Jimmy did not know that he was any different. He needed to learn some basic manners and needed behavior modification for separation anxiety. Again, with just a few adjustments he was quickly learning what his new family was teaching him.

Especially prevalent in older dogs, arthritis is something many pet parents eventually must address. And while the condition typically cannot be cured, dog arthritis natural remedies can provide afflicted pets with improved mobility and quality of life. A combination of holistic remedies helped Roz, a female Pomeranian dog living in Costa Mesa, California. “At about 5 years of age, and after gaining a couple of pounds, Roz began favoring her back legs when walking,” says her dog mom, Marilyn Iturri. “Sometimes she’d hold up her left hind leg and put no weight on it, and sometimes it was her back right leg.” Her veterinarian diagnosed Roz with bilateral patellar luxation, a condition in which the kneecap dislocates from its proper position, and which can cause arthritis, Iturri explains. Like an increasing number of pet parents, Iturri says she started her dog’s arthritis treatment with less invasive and less expensive therapies than the recommended corrective surgery. “First, I started limiting her food intake to lose the weight she had gained,” she says. “She thought she was starving—and still does. “We put her on a daily dose of glucosamine … and added Carprofen short-term for pain,” she continues. “I also massaged the muscles around the knees a few times a week for general comfort.” Her veterinarian also recommended Adequan injections. Within six weeks of adding Adequan, Roz stopped favoring either leg, Iturri says, even at the dog park where she exerts herself most strongly. Since then, Roz remains quite comfortable. “I have seen her limp only once since the treatment, and that was for only a few steps,” Iturri says. “She is happy and always looks forward to her walks.” Many pet parents like Iturri who are dealing with dog arthritis seek out natural remedies for managing their dog’s condition. “They generally are trying to avoid using chemicals produced synthetically that may have more side effects,” says Judy Morgan, DVM, an integrative veterinarian and owner of Clayton Veterinary Associates and Churchtown Veterinary Associates, both in New Jersey. “Natural remedies also can have side effects, but generally they are less severe.”

A healthy dog is a happy dog. And while there’s no guarantee that any dog will be free from illness their whole life, there are dog breeds that face fewer health problems overall. The healthiest dog breeds have a long lifespan and are less susceptible to getting sick. This, when coupled with maintaining an appropriate weight and keeping up with exercise, means pet parents can ensure their dogs have the best life possible.

In This Article What To Look For in a Kidney Diet for Dogs View 5 More +

Nothing beats a trip to the water park on a hot, summer day. Although you might hit up the water park with friends and family, your four-legged companions usually can’t tag along. So, when the pavement heats up during the dog days of summer, spoil your pooch by transforming your backyard into his personal dog water park. Even better, create his own “Backyard Water Bark.” Whether your dog’s a swim-aholic who loves to dive right in or a reluctant water hound who prefers to only get his paws wet, there are many ways to create a splashing good time for your furry best friend. At-home water park adventures with your dog are just a hose hook-up away.

Planes, trains and automobiles and … dogs! Increasingly, pet owners are taking their dogs along for the ride, whether it’s a short trip, a family visit or even an extended vacation. But do you know how to travel with a dog in the safest and most stress-free way? About 45 percent of pet owners travel with their pets every year, mostly by car, up from 19 percent a decade ago, according to the 2019–2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). And while automobile remains the overwhelmingly preferred option, pet parents also travel by plane and train with their pets. However, it’s not as simple as loading your dog up and taking to the sky, rails or roads. Follow these tips for traveling with a dog by car, plane and train, and you’ll set both you and your pet up for a smooth ride.