|
How to Treat Hot Spots
Hot spots are painful to look at and irritating to your dogs. They start by your dog licking, scratching and chewing at the same area until their skin is red and raw, Ouch! What are they and Where do they come from? Pyotraumatic dermatitis also known as a Hot Spot, can develop within a few hours and can have different reasons as to the cause of the lesion. Could be from an insect bite, activity they were involved with, contact with allergens-outdoors, inside or food, or an underlying skin disorder. Dogs with allergies already have sensitive skin prone to itchiness making them more susceptible to hot spots. What are the Symptoms of Hot Spots?
Treatment for Hot Spots Ideally the best treatment involves treating the lesion and removing the underlying cause. You must stop the need to lick, chew and scratch in order to break the cycle. Your dog may stop for awhile, but if you do not find the underlying cause, its only a matter of time before they begin licking, chewing and scratching again. Hot spots left untreated can become infected and then require more intensive treatment to include antibiotics. As soon as you notice your dog developing a lesion as described above then it is time to take your dog to your veterinarian. The lesion can develop quickly after the initial breakthrough of the skin and depending on how persistent your dog is, their lesion can develop in one day of licking. By seeking treatment and receiving medications quickly, the prognosis of recovery should be a good one!
0 Comments
Does your dog react to fear from events they may have experienced in the past?
A very fearful dog may never be normal if they have been abused, that's why its so important in how you discipline your puppy growing up. So, keeping a realistic expectation can be very helpful and may help your dog improve in situations where your dog is nervous or skittish. Keeping your dog comfortable and trying your best to minimize exposure to frightening situations. Providing a good diet, exercise and mental stimulation may help your dog deal with challenges they may encounter. The use of modification techniques known as desensitization and positive conditioning can treat all sorts of phobias, fears and anxiety disorders. You may even benefit from a certified behaviorist if fears are extreme. Talking with your veterinarian about possible natural remedies could be helpful. Pheromones may help dogs feel more relaxed. If afraid from thunderstorms, there are wraps that can help keep a anxious dog calmer in that situation. No matter what has caused your dog to become fearful there are a number of treatments worth giving a try in helping your dog recover and possibly overcome the traumatic events they encountered in the past. Unless your pet is a very active outdoor dog their nails will need to be trimmed on a regular basis, anywhere from once a week to once a month. Nail trimming is one activity that are often feared by both the owner and your dog, but it doesn't have to be. The best way to calm your fear is to ask someone to show you the proper technique and best time to start is when they are a puppy! Types of Nail Trimmers There are many different types of nail trimmers. Buying a good quality trimmer that is sharp, comfortable and designed for the correct size dog is important. They should be concave at the cutting edge to avoid crushing the nail. Blunt or poor quality nail trimmers will split the nails. If the nails aren't that long, but are sharp, you can simply file the nails or use a pumice stone to smooth them down. If you decided to use a Dremel this can be a more gradual way of trimming the nails. How to Trim the Nails The first step is to get some treats. You want to make the whole experience a positive one. Don't try and trim all the nails at once, you want your dog to get use to you trimming their nails. If is best to start this while puppies, from the time you pick-up your first puppy. Start with one nail, reward and come back later if you find your puppy is nervous. Dog's nails grow at an angle, this makes trimming the nails a easy task (once you know how). The method is to aim to cut at a 45*angle, after visualizing the quick (the dogs nerve ending and blood vessel of the nail).  Working with Black Nails
If your dog has black nils then seeing the quick is not visible, but you can look at the underside of the nail and you will notice that towards the tip of the nail it separates out into a triangular shape with two out spots. It is at this point there are no quick and it is safe to cut the tip of the nail off. Otherwise, you can use a technique of simply cutting straight across from the pad (dogs pad of paw) where the nail starts to curve rather than attempting to cut a 45* angle. What if I cut the nails to Short? If you accidentally cut the nail to short you can use "styptic powder" to stop the bleeding or you can use a clean bar of soap. The soap will plug the vessel and stop the bleeding. Usually if you have made your dog bleed they will be a bit nervous next time you go to trim their nails. So, its best to take your time and go slow to avoid accidentally cutting into their quick. Older dogs tend to end up with long quicks and elongated nails that are often extremely hard making trimming a little tougher. Nails can also grow back a bit deformed if there has been some sort of trauma to the nail beds. If you don't feel comfortable trimming your dogs nails then you can have a groomer or your vet to happily do this for you. Whenever you trim your dog's nails (generally bi-weekly) remember to make the whole experience a good one and if your happen to have a very patient dog, go ahead and give them a puppy pedicure with a splash of nail polish! Dog's nails look cool painted! Milk Teeth
Puppies start to grow their puppy teeth, also called deciduous, milk, or baby teeth, between the 2-4 week period. Typically, all of the milk teeth will have come in by the 5-6 week period and most owners of a new 8 week old puppy will see that they have all 28 milk teeth present at that time. I say most because all breeds are different in the emerging of milk teeth depending upon the breed, size and whether they are purebred, crossbred or a mix of several breeds. Change over from Milk Teeth to Adult Teeth At the age from 4-5 months, puppies will begin to lose those milk teeth. These teeth will be replaced with 42 permanent teeth usually at 4 months the incisor teeth will come in. At 5 months the canine teeth will come in and at 6 months the molars will erupt. Between 8-10 months, the puppy should have all their permanent teeth fully grown in. With that said each puppy is unique, so some can be very late or very early bloomers. However, if your puppy has not grown their puppy teeth in by the age of two months or if adult teeth have not started to come in by 6 months then it's time to take your puppy to your veterinarian so that a check-up can be performed to see if any potential issues with their teeth, gums, bite, bone structure and/or growth rate can be the reason for the delay. Sometimes a puppy can have a double row of teeth, if a milk tooth is stubborn and stays in place while the canine tooth is trying to emerge then removal by a veterinarian may be necessary. This is relatively a simple procedure since the puppy tooth will be small with a thin root. If this done early enough then the larger permanent tooth will usually move into the proper position. The importance of regular dental care is important because decay, plaque and tarter build-up can affect the proper alignment and health of the permanent teeth. Great Teething relief Toys:
You will want to buy toys that have several qualities for teething to be effective:
Keep in mind that the discomforts in teething puppies are:
You will want to atleast get a toy that a puppy can maneuver into just right places at one given time. For this reason, a couple toys that might be flavored can be the one thing to draw a puppy in and keep them chewing on that toy vs your shoes or cords etc. Remember, to be patient the teething stage for dogs is relatively short! |
AuthorThis page is dedicated to be just "Informational". A place where I periodically post topics that may be beneficial Thanks for stopping by! ArchivesCategories |
RSS Feed