How To Be The Right Kind Of Dog Owner

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Dogs are wonderful companions, and any dog owner will attest to the happiness they bring. They’re called man’s best friend for a reason, after all. 

But these dependable companions, while able to keep you entertained and comforted for hours on end, also have their own needs, and entirely rely on you for their care.

This is why it’s not only worthwhile to ask if a particular dog is right for you, but if you’re right for the dog. In this post, we’ll discuss how to become the right kind of dog owner, and exactly what it is that defines such an approach:

Good Nutrition & Healthcare

Providing a healthy environment and balanced diet for your dog is a crucial part of being a responsible dog owner. Note that sometimes, this “healthy environment” means putting up fences around your garden so they can’t escape out of curiosity, and other dogs can’t run in. You don’t have to curate a utopia, but investing time and effort into their comfort and health helps.

This includes giving them plenty of fresh water to drink, ensuring they receive plenty of exercise and playtime, and making sure they eat well-balanced, healthy meals. It also means ensuring comforts, like a good dog bed, or making sure they sleep in a warm room of the house. It's also crucial that you take your dog in for checkups at the vet on a regular basis and get them the appropriate vaccines to ensure their health and the health of other dogs in the area. 

We love our dogs, but they’re not exactly the most hygienic of pets unless you help them stay clean.

Your Pooch & His/Her Social Development

Providing training and socialization for your dog is another crucial part of dog ownership.

This includes socialization with a variety of people, animals, and situations, as well as the teaching of basic commands and good manners, to ensure they do not develop a fear of or aggression toward humans or other animals. 

Effective trainers will help you with this. We’d even suggest a service like that isn’t optional, but an essential element of good ownership. A well-trained and socialized dog is a joy for everyone in the household and the neighborhood. They don’t have to perform every trick known for man, but a healthy respect for boundaries, a familiarity with other dogs, and seeing you as the authority helps.

Being Accountable For Your Dog

Becoming a responsible dog owner includes prioritizing the health and safety of your pet and people who might interact with it on any day. This includes giving your dog a safe and clean place to reside and keeping it on a leash at all times when in public. It also means being realistic about the needs of others, for instance, having a place to keep your dogs to prevent them from barking at or jumping at temporary guests can be a good idea.

This also involves being alert to and cautious against any risks that could lead to harm. Just because you’re a great owner, it doesn’t mean others will be. In some cases, optional alternatives can be worth your time too, for instance, if you’re going on vacation then putting them up with the best dog boarding service can help you avoid leaving them home for hours on end, as even if they’re being regularly checked in on and fed by a neighbor each day, this is cruel.

With this advice, you’re sure to be the right kind of dog owner.

The Truth About Dogs and Heart Disease

Dogs are known as "man's best friend" for good reason. They are loyal, protective, and always happy to see their owners come home. But did you know that dogs can also suffer from heart disease? In this blog post, we will discuss the signs of heart disease in dogs, how to prevent it, and how to treat it if your dog does develop a problem.

Photo by Ivana La on Unsplash

What is Canine Heart Disease?

Canine heart disease occurs when there is a problem with the structure or function of the heart. This can be caused by an infection, an underlying medical condition, or even genetics. It can affect both puppies and older dogs, so it's important to know what signs to look for in your pet.

What are the Symptoms of Canine Heart Disease?

The most common symptom of canine heart disease is a decrease in energy level and exercise tolerance. Other symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, fatigue, fainting spells, collapse, and an enlarged abdomen due to fluid buildup. If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, it's important to take them to the vet right away for a full examination.

How to Prevent Canine Heart Disease

The best way to prevent canine heart disease is to make sure your dog gets regular exercise and a balanced diet. Also, make sure they receive all of their necessary vaccinations, as some forms of heart disease are caused by viruses. Finally, it's important to have your dog examined regularly by the vet in order to identify any potential problems early on.

How is Canine Heart Disease Treated?

If your dog has been diagnosed with canine heart disease, there are several treatment options available. These include medications such as diuretics or ACE inhibitors which can reduce fluid buildup around the heart, surgically implanted pacemakers for cases of arrhythmia, and lifestyle modifications such as restricted exercise or a special diet. Oxygen for dogs with congestive heart failure is also recommended. Your vet will help you decide which treatment is best for your dog's condition. For example, some medications have side effects, so it's important to discuss these with your vet.

How to Give Them Extra Care

When your dog has been diagnosed with a heart condition, it's important to give them extra care and attention. This may include more frequent trips to the vet for checkups and monitoring, as well as an adjustment in their activity level. Additionally, be sure to keep them away from stressful situations, provide plenty of comfortable places for rest, and give them lots of love and affection. For example, you can try playing with their favorite toy or taking them on more leisurely walks.

It's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of canine heart disease, so you can take swift action if necessary. With proper care and treatment, your dog can still live a happy, healthy life. So don't worry about having a best friend who is suffering from heart disease - just make sure to get them the help they need!

Here's a great guest post about understanding joint pain in dogs. This relates to cats also. During emergencies its good to know what may be causing our pet's stiff joints, especially if they are under the stress of evacuating or a big storm.

How to Naturally Treat Joint Problems in Dogs

Follow these tips to help your aching dog.

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Dogs' joints experience degradation from running and jumping all around. For some dogs, that's a problem. Frequent and high-impact use of joints may lead to joint-related problems in dogs such as ACL tears and osteoarthritis. To learn more about the condition your dog may be experiencing and how to relieve your dog's pain best, read our guide below.

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis, or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), is the inflammation of the joints caused by the degradation of cartilage. In dogs with osteoarthritis, cartilage cushion in the joints breaks down over time due to old age, repetitive stress, or disease.

• Without the protective cartilage in joints, your dog may experience pain, inflammation, a decreased range of motion, and the development of bone spurs. 

• Any joint in your dog's body can develop osteoarthritis. However, the condition most commonly affects the lower spine and the joints in the limbs.

What Are the Signs of Joint Problems?

Most of the time, owners notice that their dogs are moving less or are having more difficulty with their day-to-day activities. For example, your dog may have problems jumping up on to the couch, going up the stairs, or boarding your car. Athletic dogs experience joint problems as well. Perhaps your athletic dog is no longer keeping up with you during your morning runs or no longer wants to play at the dog park.

What Causes Osteoarthritis in Dogs?

Developmental and degenerative problems are the two leading causes of joint problems.

• Developmental problems may manifest themselves through hip or elbow dysplasia, wherein joints no longer develop correctly.

• On the other hand, degenerative joint problems may manifest themselves in the form of cruciate ligament problems, wherein ligament degenerates over time and causes instability.

How to Prevent Joint Injuries

You can prevent joint injuries in your dogs even before adopting them. If you're buying a purebred puppy, be sure to research the health problems that are associated with the specific breed. Most joint issues have some hereditary component to them. If you don't care about the breed, consider adopting a mutt. Mutts are less likely to develop joint problems. The genetic diversity in mutts dramatically limits the chances of orthopedic issues.

If you already have a dog, it is crucial to keep your dog at a healthy body weight throughout his or her life. Be sure to provide your dog with healthy food and sufficient exercise to keep him or her lean and in good condition.

Lastly, have your veterinarian evaluate your dog's joints and general health at least once a year. A lot of joint problems can be prevented if you catch them early enough.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, unfortunately, is a progressive disease with no known cure. The best thing dog owners can do is to prevent the development of osteoarthritis through diet, exercise, and supplements.

If osteoarthritis has already developed in your dog, you should shift your focus to controlling pain, decreasing inflammation, slowing the development of the disease, and improving quality of life.

Natural Treatments

1. Weight Management 

Keeping your dog at a healthy weight reduces the load that your dog's joints need to carry. It also decreases joint inflammation caused by fat.

2. Strengthening

A stronger and more muscular dog is a healthier dog. Muscle tissues protect your dog's joints. 

You can strengthen your dog through regular and safe exercise. If you'd like to take this a step further, you can consult a dog physical therapist.

3. Food & Supplements

Many food and supplements contain ingredients that can improve joint health for your dog. These supplements and ingredients may include:

• Turmeric

• Glucosamine

• Chondroitin

• Boswellia

• Astaxanthin

• Collagen

4. CBD Oil for Dogs With Joint Pain  

CBD shares metabolic pathways with anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore, it can effectively help treat certain inflammatory conditions.

Osteoarthritis, or simply arthritis, is one of the most common inflammatory conditions that dogs develop. One in four dogs experiences osteoarthritis in their lifetime.

Studies have shown that CBD oil may provide substantial and long-lasting relief in dogs with osteoarthritis when given twice a day at appropriate doses.

When to Visit Your Vet

If your dog is suffering from severe joint pain and none of the above remedies seem to work, you'll need to bring your dog to the vet for x-rays and proper evaluation.

Your veterinarian may order scans of both of your dog's hips or take scans of both sides of your dog's body, regardless of whether your dog experiences pain in only one side.

Dogs are naturally stoic and rarely display signs of pain. Instead, they may show signs of discomfort by sending you subtle signals in the form of behavioral changes. You know your dog best, so only you will know when your dog is acting strangely.

Look out for behavioral changes, such as your dog sleeping more than usual or displaying a shift in attitude. Your dog may also express a loss of interest in playing or other regular activities. Many of these signs may be subtle, so it's essential to pay close attention to your dog.

If anything looks out of the ordinary and natural remedies don't seem to work, contact your vet immediately.

References

Allen., M. (2013, October 16). 8 Ways to Treat Dog Joint Pain. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.petcarerx.com/article/8-ways-to-treat-dog-joint-pain/1403

Dog Joint Conditions: Hill's Pet. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.hillspet.com/health-conditions/dog/dog-joint

Eckstein, S. (2009, July 06). Dog Joint Health: Painful Joint Problems. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-joint-health-pain-osteoarthritis-and-other-joint-problems

Elizabeth Racine, D. (2019, July 28). Osteoarthritis in Dogs - Signs and Treatment. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/osteoarthritis-signs-treatment/

Pet CRP Course from Dr Libbie Fort

Freddy says learn CPR!

Buy or Read for Free on Kindle the Family Disaster Dogs Books click to my Author Page

Hi everyone,

One of the most important skills we can learn to be ready for emergencies is CPR. ( Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) This emergency lifesaving procedure is performed when the heart stops beating.

Studies and practice have proven that Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. A heart does not have to have medical issues to stop beating, some animals can die of fright or from trauma. Rabbits and some birds are super sensitive and the shock of a traumatic situation has been known to bring on death. CPR immediately does work, I have used it on newborn pups with success too.


CPR can be preformed on dogs and cats too, in a very similar way as human CPR with the right positioning of the animal and the number of compression and breaths.


I wrote an article about K9 CPR back in 2012 at the time, there wasn't as much information about how-to do K9 CPR as there is today. I encourage you to make sure you have an educated source to teach you because so much on the internet is fake.


I'm happy to update you and others about the correct way to preform this life saving maneuver.

Today, I want to share some very valuable information and a course with you about how-to perform CPR on your dog from veterinarian Dr. Libbie Fort DVM


On her blog this week she is sharing an introduction to canine CPR where she tells us about the three major things we need to know for successful canine CPR.


Here's what Dr. Libbie wants us to know;


"I summarize the three things that you must understand. The three concepts that will benefit you or your dog-- if you know and understand these concepts prior to learning canine CPR.


Knowing how to perform EFFECTIVE canine CPR is an essential skill and a vital tool to have in your tool box, because we do not have 911 for our pups. We do not have emergency medical services... yet."


So click here to head on over to the blog and read about the three core pillars to effective canine CPR. And get excited to learn doggo CPR in the weeks to come!!

Inside this live training, complete with a PDF workbook and a Q & A at the end I will walk you through:

• An easy to understand introduction to canine CPR where we define our goals and our role as a first responder- so you fully understand the method behind the madness, which promotes retention
• Step by step initial assessment- so you can diagnose the need for CPR quickly and accurately
• The latest recommended technique- including chest compressions, mouth to snout, and how to monitor.... so you know without a doubt if it is working
• An easy to remember roadmap to canine CPR success- I am taking away all the guesswork with this one!
• And finally... continual access to a password protected members area where you can watch the replay at your leisure for review... I will also be posting updated recommendations in this area so you stay current!
• **JUST ADDED** A wallet size downloadable canine CPR reference card- to jog your memory in the moment when seconds matter.

Feel free to reach out with any and all questions.


Cheers!


Libbie Fort, DVM

Thanks for visiting Family Disaster Dogs


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