PETS AND HEALTH

Archive for December, 2009

The new owners probably did not mind it then and cleaned it up with much less fuss. But as the day progressed this was becoming the major problem because the pup which was growing fast was still using the inside of the home for its toilet needs. Dogs grow up quite fast and in less than a year most attain full growth and become adult dogs. During this period the dog picks up plenty of habits good as well as bad. But you can relate every one of them to their human owners/handlers. Dog’s behaviors are direct reflections of what their human owners did with them or did not do with them.

The general complaint is that my dog pees and poops whenever he wants inside the house, most of them will add to it by saying that they take their dogs for regular walks and while the dogs do not do their job outside but the moment they come in the house they mess up inside the house. This will include places like carpet, couch, bedroom and it is a long list. many a times the owners are frustrated with their dogs and some of them take out all the frustrated anger on their dogs. Let us take a few step try to understand this problem as how it started and developed this way. this takes us back to the first day of pup’s arrival. When the new pup arrived then everyone in the home was excited and i am sure that the pup was pampered. For the pup it was a new environment new people and in the process of settling down it must have started peeing and pooping whenever and where ever it wanted to inside the home.

Both CHINESE and WESTERN herbal therapies can be useful in treating the atopic animal. It is necessary to try with different herbs or combinations in order to match the correct therapy to the dog. Most of them have had most experience with Chinese herbal formulas. Although we can cure dogs without herbs, some owners prefer herbal medicine and some cases require atrial with herbs if they do not respond to other therapies. several herbs that may be helpful include scutellaria, tribulus, anemarrhena, and capillaries. Because atopic dermatitis is a heritable condition, affected dogs should not be bred. Decreasing the gene pool for this condition will do a great deal in decreasing the number of allergic dogs produced in the future. Although there is no best treatment for atopic dermatitis in dogs, there are a number of options. But remember: what works well on one dog might not work on another one. Hopefully, by working with your doctor over time you can find what works the best for your pet . The goal of the treatment is to reduce itching and to do so with a minimum amount of medication. Realistically, however we will probably never completely eliminate this annoying condition.

Allergic skin disease, also called atopic dermatitis or simply atopy, is extremely common skin disorder in dogs. In practice, it is probably the most frequent skin problem we treat. Many of the affected dogs not only have atopic dermatitis but other problems that occur in allergic dogs, including staphylococcal bacterial dermatitis or malassezia yeast dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is also called inhalant allergic dermatitis to signify the animals reaction to foreign proteins that are inhaled. In people, common indications of inhalant allergies include sneezing, runny eyes and nose, and wheezing. In dogs, while these symptoms are seen more often, the most common signs are manifested in the skin. Veterinarians now believe that dogs absorb a large amount of allergens through the skin, rather than inhaling them through respiratory tract.

Homeopathy involves the use of extremely diluted substance to heal the body through the release of vital energy. The rule in homeopathy is that “like treats like” so a thorough history, examination and laboratory testing are needed to properly choose the correct remedy. There are a number of remedies that can be tried in allergic dogs. Usually remedies of high potency are prescribed. the following remedies may prove helpful : sulphur, arsen alb, rhustox and hepar sulph. By stimulating specific acupuncture points, doctors can help stimulate the dogs immune system and reduce itching and inflammation associated with allergic dermatitis. The first case treated with acupuncture was a dog with atopic dermatitis that had failed to respond to other complementary therapies. the dog, a boxer responded after three treatments and was maintained over a year with treatment every three weeks before developing another problem which required additional treatments.

Warming up will not tire the reasonably fit dog, but rather it increases blood circulation and warms up the muscles ensuring the joints are lubricated and more supple. Now the dog is ready to perform. After warm up you could also easily test your dog’s mobility using eight common stretching techniques. You should be sensitive to your dog’s signals. The dog should not experience any discomfort. If it does, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian. After completing the competition or active session let the dog wind down and then do some stretching exercises carefully then when you get home reward your dog with massage and you will get a happy performing dog, ready for new challenges. Massage and stretching is essential and a low cost investment in your dog’s health and will improve the quality of your dog’s life.

Higher doses of vitamin C, E and A offer relief for some atopic dogs. These vitamins function to detoxify histamines, optimize adrenal function, decrease skin-cell destruction and optimize function of immune system. Because antioxidants can alter blood levels of cortisol and thyroid hormones, a blood profile checking for adrenal and thyroid disease is important prior to administration. Although hypoallergenic diets can help dogs with food allergies they are not routinely prescribed for atopic animals. a trial dose using one of these diets might lower the itching in dogs with both food allergy and atopy; diets with fatty acid supplement might also help atopic dogs. Finally most doctors who work in complementary therapies would suggest a trail dose of homemade rather than processed food, or at least a “natural” processed food. The preservative-free diets can reduce itching in some cases. At some point in the treatment, before giving up and resigning the dogs to a life of corticosteriods, try a homemade diet using fresh ingredients. Some pets respond dramatically to just this simple step.

Warming up can involve walking with dog on lead for 10-15 minutes before allowing it to run freely. In this way the muscles are allowed to soften up, ready for physical activity. Competitive or working dogs should warm up in a more goal-oriented way. Below you can find a checklist that might come in handy while warming up. First remember that the dog should have warmed up and exercised before a competition or a active session. I also strongly recommend that you allow your dog to wind down after competition or an active session before any stretching activities. Here is a check list that could be used before competition or a active session: Let the dog walk slowly for a while and then increase the tempo for 2-3 minutes. let the dog trot for 2-3 minutes. Let the dog gallop for one minute. Then let the dog do some explosive moves. Let the dog wind down a little by going back to trotting and then walking.