Arthritis Symptoms in Dogs
If you are noticing that your dog is limping when he plays fetch these days, or that he isn't chasing squirrels they way he did when he was younger, there may be something going on with his joints. When your pet is showing less interest in his usual playful activities you may want to make a trip to the veterinarian to check for arthritis in his joints.
Arthritis is an inflammation in a joint. This inflammation can result in changes to the joint cartilage, the joint fluid, and the bones that are involved with the joint capsule. This inflammation or swelling leads to pain and stiffness when your dog tries to move. The most common type of arthritis in dogs is osteoarthritis. It involves the degeneration of the articular cartilage followed by remodeling and new bone formation.
Since dogs can not communicate with you directly to tell you what his ailments are, we pet owners must watch for warning signs of our dogs health. Symptoms are: weight gain, depressed mood, decreased interest in playing, if he favors a leg, difficulty standing or sitting, a desire to sleep more. If any of these symptoms persist for more than two weeks is an indication that your dog has arthritis. Early detection is the key to getting your dog help so that further damage can be minimized.
There are several medications and
treatments for arthritis in dogs. Believe it or not, one of the best things to do for arthritis besides supplements is exercise. Short walks several times a day while maintaining a healthy weight are excellent ways to ease the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Anti-inflammatory drugs are excellent when monitored and used wisely, however try to keep drug usage at a minimum. Herbal supplements are another way to help improve join inflammation along with acupuncture. Acupuncture can be very beneficial to this disease.
Causes of arthritis are varied. Many times it is the result of a past traumatic injury resulting in joint instability. Overweight dogs puts an overage of weight on joints and can cause the joint to be unstable making it open to arthritis. Genetics often play a role in arthritis as in the case of some breeds having hip dysplasia such as German Shepherds. Lastly, a failure of proper bone development as a young dogs.
If you have any questions on
Dog supplies or
Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251 or visit us at "
http://www.poshpamperedpets.com". Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Dallas TX, Houston TX, New York NY, Denver CO, Chicago ILL, Seattle WA, Kansas City MO, Miami FL, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Los Angeles CA, Fayetteville AR, Philadelphia PA, Phoenix Arizona, San Antonio TX Texas.
Cat Arthritis
In truth only your veterinarian can officially diagnose cat arthritis, but there are many signs and symptoms that can help you determine if your treasured friend is suffering from this
disease. The most common form of arthritis in cats is osteoarthritis. Symptoms are sometimes subtle and other times very obvious. Obvious pain when walking; reluctance to jump as they did before; displaying stiffness upon arising from a nap; an unusual or funny gait; personality changes in aggression or depression are some of the signs that your can is feeling out of sorts. Constant pain can be extremely frustrating and exhausting to live with and therefore your pets mood will reflect his pain in his every day personality.
If your cat is overweight, more stress is put on the joints than is normal and will cause more pain. Keeping your cats weight down helps to alleviate some of his pain. Exercise is doubly good for your cat as more movement of the joints helps the joint pain and then also helps keep the canine's weight in control at the same time. In the winter time, when getting up in the morning can cause anyone's joints to ache upon waking, its a great idea to have a nice warm comfortable place for your cat to rest. There are
heating pad made especially for cats with safety in mind that will make a big difference. There are also
supplements for cats that can make a huge impact on your cats discomfort from arthritis.
There is much you can do to improve your cats joint health and help reduce his pain due to this illness. Help them to live their lives to the fullest and get back to being your best friend. Your veterinarian will perform a physical examination along with a detailed history of your cats symptoms. Other tests may be needed to make the determination as there are other diseases that can cause lameness and these will need to be ruled out.
If you have any questions on
Dog Supplies or
Posh Pampered Pets, please call 979-221-7251 or visit us at "
http://www.poshpamperedpets.com". Our home office is located in Waller, Texas, with warehouses located throughout the United States such as Detroit Michigan (MI), Indianapolis Indiana (IN), Jacksonville Florida (FL), San Francisco California (CA), , Kansas City MO, Miami, Florida (FL), Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (NC), Washington DC, Los Angeles, California (CA), Fayetteville, Arkansas ( AR), San Francisco California (CA), Columbus Ohio (OH).
Obesity Problems in Dogs
Adults are more aware than ever of our health and the severe problems that are caused by obesity in the United States. Studies in the last twenty years have proven that America is getting fatter and more unhealthy as the years progress. Becoming aware doesn't mean however is only the first step to the problem. The danger to ourselves is reflected in the increasing obesity in our beloved dog and cat friends.
Dogs are scavengers by nature. An empty bowl can often trigger the pleading behavior but does not mean that they are necessarily hungry. Learn not to give in to the whining or begging for food. Feed them appropriate snacks and stay away from unhealthy food such as pizza, potato chips and such. There are healthy alternatives such as specialty dog snacks and
natural food formulas.
How do you know if your dog is overweight? Overweight dogs have a deep layer of fat over their ribs and generally have no waist or tuck-up. Heavy fat will be found along the spine, around the tail and over the ribs. If your dog is morbidly obese, they will have protruding abdomens and fat deposits all over their bodies. Owners can examine their own dogs for the most part to tell whether or not they need to put their dogs on a diet. The breed characteristics have much to do with a dogs build. Some breeds have more prominent ribs and tuck-ups when in perfect condition. Dogs such as Labrador Retrievers, Dachshunds, Spaniels, Shetland Sheepdogs, Labs and Beagles have a tendency for thickening waistlines.
The good news is, as a pet owner, you can control your pet's weight by feeding healthy food and portions. Our pets are dependant on their owners for food and exercise. There can be no question that owners are responsible for their pets obesity. Take it upon yourself to help keep your dog or cat able to fit in to the cute
clothes that keep your dog warm in the winter and just plain cute at all other times.
Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise. Prolonged exercise a couple of times a week will help keep the weight down. Play sessions, long walks and then strenuous playing such as fetching a toy for thirty minutes in the park goes a long way to help keep muscles in shape and their bodies functioning properly. Just letting your dog out in the backyard really won't do the trick as many dogs will simply go out and lay down again. You must participate with him to really get the maximum benefit of exercise. Of course, before starting any vigorous exercise plan, make sure your dog is healthy enough to participate first.
The Cherished Pug Breed
One of the oldest breeds, Pugs can trace their roots to China, Tibet and then Japan and Europe. When a silver pug name Pompey saved his masters life, the pug became the official dog of the House of Orange in Holland in 1572. The story goes that the pug heard soldiers approaching, licked his master William's face and barked loudly to wake William up. William did wake up and he and Pompey ran to safety.
Some experts of the breed think that pugs are miniaturized from Mastiffs over 2400 years ago. Pugs have graced England for generations including the wife of Napoleon who is said to have been bitten by the pug on their wedding night. From Holland to France to England, pugs have held a place in the monarchy.
Pugs are best known for their unusual noses. They have a flat snub nose that frequently develops respiratory problems and is sensitive to extreme cold or hot temperatures. It is best to only exercise him during the cooler morning hours or the evening when the heat won't bother him as much. Pugs have short, good looking coats that shed quite a bit and require lots of brushing to keep it looking good and keep the skin healthy. They are also known to she a lot, so the brushing keeps the hair more contained in the brush than in your house. Pugs have loose skin so keep the area between the folds of skin clean.
Clean your pugs ears often. Check them for debris and make sure the ear is not sore or inflamed. If you do need to clean the ear, use a product made for pets with a cotton ball or Q-tip.
Pugs love people. They are simply content to just be in your presence for the most part, but don't forget to make activity part of their every day lives. Their propensity to gain weight demands lots of exercise to keep them from getting overweight and unhealthy.
Gaining weight is one thing that you must worry about with pugs. Make sure they have a nutrient rich diet of 40 to 50 nutrients. As with all animals and people too, a good diet is key to good health. Once you have established the food you will feed them, do not change. Changing food to often will result in an upset stomach or an imbalance. Fresh water is a must.
If you are not a breeder, it is always best to have your pug neutered. Neutering makes for a healthier, better adjusted pet especially for pugs who need to be kept indoors out of the heat.
Spayed or neutered pets are less prone to ovarian, mammary, prostate, and anal cancer. Also, it will prevent unwanted litters with other breeds.
DNA Breed Testing for Dogs
With the marvels of our modern age, we have now found a way to find out what exact breeds are found in your special mutt through DNA testing. Mutts of vague or unrecognizable ancestry now have the opportunity to be linked with two or many many different breeds. Developed a year ago, this new product has gotten lots of consumer interest and is growing so fast that manufacturers are hard pressed to keep up. Everyone is running to develop their own version of the product. The main interest in this test is just good old fashioned curiosity. Have you rescued a dog and it has become part of your loving family but you are unsure of its breed? Maybe he looks like a particular breed but acts like another. You can actually perform the dog DNA test right in your own home with today's tecnology. Dog DNA testing will show you what breeds are in your dog's genetic background. Although knowing the breeds in your "mutt" is good just for your own information, having a DNA test done will also give you a better understanding of possible health risks may come in the future. Simply swab the cheek of your dog with a foam collection device. Check to make sure you've got a successful collection, and then send the Dog DNA test ID card, along with the customer information card in the Lab of your kits choice. You will have the results of your dog DNA test in approximately two weeks. You can also obtain your DNA test results via email immediately after processing. Your dog's Ancestry will have all the breeds that exist in your dog's DNA from the most prevalent to the least. Usually a certificate is sent to you with this information.Basset hounds, corgis and dachshunds are prone to be obese. Golden Retrievers have lots of different skin ailments. Boxers have cancer tendencies. So, knowing the breed of your mutt can help you prevent problems rather than to treat them later.Along with the breed results you can ask to receive a breed behavior report, Health and Personality Summary and a DNA ID Card from the company you buy your test from. The dog DNA test summary report you will receive from will detail certain character and health traits to expect from your breed of dog.
The Farrier and Your Horse
Finding a good Farrier is a job in itself. A good Farrier will not give you the time of day, if your horse cause more trouble than other horses, and he will charge you much more for using up added time. Sedation is one answer but it is not a permanent answer to the problem.
One of the most important aspects of your horses care is hoof care. In order to receive proper care from a Farrier you must give your horse a certain amount of training so as to make him job easier and make it easier on the horse. Many untrained horses will pull their feet away from the farrier and will lean their weight on the farrier will he is trying to work on their feet. In the worst case the horse will kick out at the farrier possibly causing injury. So you can understand the dilemma of the farrier.
It is best to start from a colt and teach foot care to your horse early making it a natural occurrence to have their feet lifted and trimmed. It is the responsibility of the owner to make sure this is done. If the horse is already older and still untrained then training can be done fairly quickly by being patient and not asking for too much too soon.
Five to twenty minutes twice a day is sufficient to start with. Once a day will also give some results, but will end up taking much longer. Work with the horse untied as confining him could cause panic. Begin with the front legs and rub him on the neck. Slowly make your way down the shoulder and if he is okay with that then keep preceding to the foreleg and eventually to the hoof. Keep repeating this procedure for a couple of days and then on the third day start to try to lift his leg up by tickling the back side of the foot. After the horse finally gives you his foot, lean in to his shoulder a bit to make him shift his weight to his other legs. This shifting will give him more balance and be comfortable. Do not let the horse take his foot back. It should be your decision to put his foot down, not his.
Keep repeating this procedure until you can take his foot and stretch it forward as a farrier would do. By the time the farrier comes to trim and shoe your horse you will have already "desensitized" your horse to having his legs handled.
Controling Your Horse
Those that love to horseback ride are truly in to nature and animals. There is a special feeling you get when riding a horse through trail rides just as they did in the old days. Learning to control your horse with ease and comfort is very important. Everyone agrees that galloping or loping your horse is the most fun of all as over time, the rider and the horse become one.
Your body and your horses body changes when you are galloping. The mechanics for both of you change completely. In this position, it is most difficult to handle your balance and your horse at the same time. The horse's back drops down and he lifts all four feet off the ground at once. The rider comes up in the saddle a little and pushes down in to his stirrups for balance. For those times that your horse may get spooked and take off running with you, you need to know how to get your control back.
If your horse starts to take off with you, don't panic. Go with the gallop but instead of just letting the horse head straight on till he gets tired, pull him on one rein and put him in a slow circle and lead him back around to where he started. If you continues to run, then continue to make him circle, making it tighter each time. He will soon learn that he is not getting his way and is returning to the place where he was fleeing anyway and he will stop. This will tell the horse, that you are still in control and he is not getting what he wants, while at the same time you are not making a huge ordeal and punishing him in a way he won't understand.
Since it is always easier to learn anything new at a slower pace, practice the correct form in a canter verses a gallop. Put yourself in the two-point position. Concentrate on keeping the reins secure in your hands. Some actually place their hands on the mane of the horse and grab hold of some hair. When your horse starts to move forward, push down in your stirrups and lean forward while lifting your bottom up off of the saddle seat.
First learn the mechanics of a proper gallop. You and your horse will learn together so that whether or not any mishaps occur, you can remained calm and balanced in the saddle enough to teach your horse a lesson.
The most important thing is to relax and enjoy. Your horse will read your feelings of fear if you are not relaxed and happy. In other words, go with it and have fun!
