A to Z Dog Care Guide

First steps in grooming

Hi, Are you a dog owner or caretaker? Or have you decided to bring home a new member cute puppy or somewhat grown dog? 

If yes, then you must read this entire article on dog health, dog grooming, dog diet, and dog behavior tips that will help you cater to the best possible care for your cute puppy/dog.

Grooming is one of the very important activities to be known well by the dog owner or dog caretaker. If the dog owner or dog caretaker is not aware of the dog grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of problems and diseases. 

The first step of grooming involves activities like maintenance of dog coat, nails, and ears dog. The maintenance of the coat majorly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by hairdryers, and many more. 

The dog needs not to be bathed every day and this helps to protect the dog’s skin’s characteristics like insulation feature. 

Use conditioners and shampoos that are made exclusively for dogs. Be careful at any point of time don’t use human shampoos and soaps the chemicals used in shampoos and soaps made for human use may harm your pet (Dog). 

Combing needs to be carried out with a soft bushel comb made for dogs. There are different varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of the dog breeds, one can use the specific brush. 

This grooming of the dog coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen dog hair if any needs to be immediately placed in the dust bin every time you comb. 

Otherwise, when someone switches on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of people and pets present there. Always be careful don’t clip too much as this may lead to injuries of the dog’s nail most of the time. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure. 

Use a sharp clipper designed exclusively for dogs. It is convenient to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the dog is easier for the clipper. Dog’s ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. 

Grooming of dog associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners and dog caretakers. 

Dog’s nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of dog grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light-colored than the reddish area of the dog nail in a higher position. 

During the holding of your dog's feet by you, always have a firm grip of the dog. Otherwise, the dog will take an upper hand while the clipping and some injury may occur to the dog or you. 

Tips to Consider When Discovering Your Puppy Dog's Diet 

You may have recently welcomed a fresh cute and cuddly puppy into your home. A healthy diet is essential for Puppy Dog for a long, happy life together. 

What things do you need to keep in mind when selecting your puppy dog's diet? 

Always talk to your veterinarian about a proper puppy dog diet as it differs from the dog breeds. Don’t forget that a puppy dog's diet is not the same as an adult dog's diet. 

Avoid shopping at the grocery store to grab a bag of adult dog food to feed your young puppy. Many times this will not meet the nutritional needs of a healthy puppy dog diet.

You can choose to feed your new puppy dog one of several options. Natural and organic puppy dog diets have become more popular in recent days. Some pet owners prefer to feed a raw diet to their cute puppies. 

Many people choose to use kibble as the main component of the puppy dog's diet. For this reason, I will recommend primarily on this choice. 

As you wean the puppy dog, a high-quality puppy dog food with tiny kibble is best. A puppy dog's diet should involve all the essential vitamins to create a healthy diet for the excellent growth of the puppy dog. Feed your new puppy dog three or four times a day. 

Your puppy dog's diet should contain puppy food moisten with added water. Do remember not to moisten the puppy food with milk. The milk works as a laxative in your puppy dog's diet. The water will make a softer, more palatable cuisine for your pet puppy dog. 

As the new puppy dog grows and becomes habitual to eating the kibble as a regular part of his or her diet, you will want to gradually lessen the amount of water. If you have planned to feed dry dog food in the future, expect to transform the dog's diet earlier than later. 

Continuing to moisten the dog food may make the transform to dry food more difficult later in life. By six weeks of age, your puppy dog's diet should be solid kibble. 

Your puppy dog should be allowed all the kibble he or she wants during the initial phase of the weaning process. Make sure you feed the puppy the new diet of puppy food at regular times. 

Around twenty-two weeks of age, your puppy dog's diet should decrease to only two feed times for a day. By this time, you can establish a specific quantity of food per day to ensure a healthy diet and to keep a healthy weight for your dog. 

Talk to your veterinarian about how much to feed your new puppy dog. All puppies look cute, round and cuddly at some point during their first few months of age. It can be difficult to know when your puppy dog is overweight. 

If you keep in touch your veterinarian will help to advise you on this issue. It is a good idea to open up the door of communication between you and your veterinarian now. Both veterinarians and owners only want what is best for the new puppy dog.

Feeding your new puppy dog a healthy diet does not have to be difficult. Talk to your veterinarian for advice and more information. Always opt for a portion of quality food as the foremost source of nutrition in your puppy dog's diet. A healthy diet for your puppy dog will set the stage for a healthy dog in the future years. 

Make a Natural Dog Diet at Home for Better Health of your Dog

Who can predict what is really in that bag of kibble at the grocery store? 

You have turned over the box package and read the ingredients written on it, but still, it seems baffling sometimes. 

What do all of those lengthy, scientific words really mean? 

The only way to genuinely know what your dog's diet consists of is by way of making it yourself at home. 

Is there any difficulty to make a natural diet from home for your dog? 

No, a little bit of time and knowledge will result in your dog's diet healthy and nourishing. And, the best part, you will always know what your cute dog is eating.

Customizing a healthy diet for your dog at home will open you the opportunity to take charge of your pet's health. Many options are available for you when picking the specific amount and ingredients for your dog's diet. 

You can talk to your veterinarian about what to feed your pet. Your veterinarian will help you to decide what products and foods are best to add or remove in your natural dog diet. Also, they can share their knowledge about any supplements that may be a good addition to your dog's diet to maximize the health potential of your dog. 

You may consider the raw diet for your pet dog. Raw dog diet comprises of raw meat, vegetable juices, and grains. The idea behind this dog diet is to back to the diet nature intended. Getting your dog's diet back to the basics will help to manage good health. 

An organic dog diet is easily prepared at home with the purchase of organic meats, vegetables, and grains. If you have access to homegrown organic foods in your local area, this may be the best option for your pet dog. 

If you have the time and space, you can consider growing your own organic vegetables for use for self and in your dog's diet. Isn’t it the better way to keep your dog's diet on track?

So, you have planned to go natural? Good choice. Now that you have turned away from the processed foods, what options are available for treats? 

You can make your own natural dog treats at home for your dog. Simply offer your dog a baby carrot or piece of apple as a natural treat. All Dogs love ice cubes as a snack and this will not alter his or her diet at all.

The dog's diet can include homemade treats like frozen vegetable juice or dog biscuits made from organic ingredients. Do keep in mind to subtract the number of treats from the daily regimen at mealtime to keep the dog diet balanced properly. 

For instance, if the dog's diet typically includes six baby carrots a day, you may want to subtract this from the meal and use them throughout the day as treats in alternate times.

Take control over your pet dog's health by making your dog's diet at home. Avoid as much as processed food that is not as healthy for your pet dog. Many natural diet options are out there. Speak to your veterinarian about which natural dog diet is best for your pet dog. When the quality of your pet's health is a priority, a natural diet for your dog is the only way to go. 

Feeding Schedule Importance in Your Dog's Diet

What your dog's diet comprises of is very important. Your dog's overall health and well being are fuelled by excellent food and resources you offered to it. 

Have you know that your dog's diet should be followed by a feeding schedule?

Feeding your dog on time is as important as what your dog eats. Similar to us humans, your dog needs to eat timely. Nutritious meals and snacks should be scheduled as part of your dog's diet. Spacing out mealtimes and snacks or treats on a feeding schedule is a great idea.

Depending on your dog's age and health, you will have to devise a feeding schedule that supports your dog's diet and nutritional needs. Adult dogs may only need to eat at one time during the day, but two mealtimes are preferred. 

Aged dogs rarely need to vary from the typical adult dog feeding schedules, although the dog's dietary needs change over time to time. 

Puppies require more mealtimes and snack times throughout the course of the day. Nursing pups should be allowed to nurse on demand. As you alter your puppy dog's diet from milk to dog food, you will need to offer food four to five times a day. 

Once the puppy has become weaned and adjusted to the new diet, you may reduce the feeding times to three times during a day. 

Your dog's diet should be presented to your pet dog at regular times during the day. The specific time to present your dog's diet is it’s up to you, but be certain to establish a schedule. Avoid drastically varying your pet's feeding times. 

For example, if you feed your adult dog before work at about 6:30 AM and then again at 6:30 PM, try to stick with this schedule throughout the period.

Do not be getting surprised if your dog starts getting antsy at 6:00 in the morning in anticipation of breakfast. Your dog's diet is important to him and he is anxiously waiting for its feeding. 

Even the treats you hand out as part of your dog's diet will become part of your dog's daily feed routine. If your dog knows that every morning just before or while your lunch, you offer a chew bone, he or she will await the daily ritual of the same. 

Establishing a feeding schedule supports to keep your dog's diet on track. It is easy to get in the habit of feeding your dog on time regularly. Along with this, scheduled feeding times will help to predict your dog's potty (elimination) schedule. 

When you are potty training a puppy dog or housebreaking an adult dog, it can be helpful to have an idea of when your dog wants to go out. Maintaining a healthy diet and feeding schedule will make your job much easier in dog care. 

This is also very useful when traveling with your pet dog. If you know to expect your dog's elimination schedule, you will be able to plan appropriate potty stops for your dog. In addition, you can know if your dog is feeling stress by changes to his schedule. Try to manage normalcy and routine as much as possible.

Probably when you think of your dog's diet, you consider what food dog consumes, but remember when you present your dog's diet is just like a priority. A dog will come to expect his or her daily feeding schedule and routine. 

Signs of dog's ill health

Signs of dog's ill health are the most important signs of the health status change in your dog. For example, if there is a continuous nasal discharge in your dog, that indicates the appearance of nasal congestion and if the discharge is a bit thick, most of the time, the dog may have symptoms of pneumonia. 

If your dog vomits once or two times occasionally, this may not be taken as a serious sign of ill health of dog but if the dog continues this vomiting, then this is something serious to be looked into. 

If your dog has continuous itching, then one needs to examine the dog first by closer observation and examination of the skin by separating the hair material especially in case of little long-haired breeds. You may also come across a lot of ticks or lice on the skin, which may be seen apparently normal at a distance. 

If the dog passes loose stool for one or two times in a day, this need not be given more importance but if there is continuous passing of loose stool, then the dog is understood to suffering from bowel disorders. If your dog does not pass stool for two to three days, the digestive upsets need to be diagnosed carefully.

Just patiently observe the dog’s walking movements and find out any abnormal movements in the dog. If the dog is limping, the dog may have foot lesions. Similarly, if the aged dog has reluctant walking and low feed intake along with repeated vomiting, then acute renal disorders like nephritis need to be diagnosed.

If there is whiteness in eyes of dog, suspect the corneal opacity that may occur in diseases like trypanosomosis in dogs. When the dog becomes anemic, the mucous membrane of the eyes becomes paler and in maximum cases, this may have a wall white color. 

If the dog bites chain and owners or caretaker or others, look for behavior disorders and rabies needs to be diagnosed.

How often should a dog or any pet be examined?

Most of the dog owners are eager to find the answer to the above question in a serious manner. Whatever the schedule we have for the examination of your dog or pet animal, if there is any abnormality noticed in your dog or pet, without delay, you need to subject the dog or pet for a thorough clinical check-up. 

It can be advised that even before the purchase of a puppy dog or any pet, just consult a pet animal care specialist and try to understand about the schedules to be maintained for the examination of the dog or pet. This will help a lot in resolving many health-related problems in the concerned dog or pet. 

Though once in three or four months is the general schedule for the routine check-up of the dog, as soon as the puppy is procured the dog needs to be taken to the veterinarian for a thorough check-up. 

Hence, the health care measures related precautions will be taken in time. Most of the time, the puppy dog is to be taken to the veterinarian at the sixth or seventh week of age because in this period only, the vaccinations against diseases will be systematically carried out for the puppies. 

The period of vaccination in the first year will be carried on up to the sixteenth week of age and the schedule has to be maintained accordingly. 

However, if you have a pregnant dog, the pregnant dog should not be stressed by long-distance based transportation for routine examination purposes. Hence the way is, consult the veterinarian by phone and try to reduce the travel for the pregnant dog.

However, veterinary guidance needs to be obtained in terms of the health measures. If the dog has met with an accident either during travel or during routine movements, the dog needs to be taken to the pet hospital immediately for Medicare.

Though no disease is evident, it does not mean that the dog is very healthy. There are occasions wherein the dog may look like a normal dog but may have some internal diseases, which can be found out while the routine health checkups. 

Hence, the owner or caretaker has to decide on when to take the dog to the hospital depending on necessity and availability.

When to Change Your Dog's Diet

It is very important for you to keep your pet happy and healthy. 

How do you decide when it is time to change your dog's diet? 

Who can you talk to in order to know more about your dog's diet? and 

What needs to be altered?

It may seem that your dog is doing just great on whatever bag or can of dog food flops into your cart at the grocery stores or online shopping carts, but 

How do you judge that your dog's diet is right on track? 

Make note of simple things about your dog. The dog's diet affects all aspects of a dog’s life, so simply observe your dog before jumping to any conclusions.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when trying to decide if your dog's diet needs any change. 

How does my dog act? 

Is your pet always scrounging all over the house for crumbs and scraps? 

Can your pet rest comfortably after a meal? 

A dog that is full and content, will be less likely to scavenge and will be able to take a nap after a good meal. 

Are your dog’s outputs runny, thin, or firm? 

A dog's input diet will dramatically affect their outputs. You will be able to judge if your dog's diet is appropriate for them by watching potty stops. 

If your dog is regularly feeling under the weather or becoming ill, you may have to consider what is in the dog dish. The dog's diet is what feeds the immune system and keeps your dog feeling healthy. A diet lacking appropriate vitamins and nutrition will not keep your dog functioning at its best. 

As your dog grows and matures, you may need to alter your dog's diet. A puppy dog has different health requirements in regards to diet than does a young dog. Older dogs may require senior diets to help battle weight or medical issues. 

How much is your pet's energy level? 

Does your dog seem very lazy or high strung? 

The dog's diet may be influencing these behaviors. If your dog and you take walks for several miles, you may want to adjust the dog's diet to suit the higher level of activity.

Whether you keep your dog inside or outside of the home may also make a difference in your dog's diet. Dogs staying outside in the winter may need additional food and more calories to stay warm during the cold winter months. 

If you are ever in dilemma about what type of diet is perfect for your dog, talk to a professional. Your veterinarian should always be guiding you of any medical or health concerns. He or she will be happy to discuss with you various dog diets and their specific advantages and disadvantages. 

Nobody knows your dog better than you and your veterinarian. Work together to determine if your dog is showing signs that the dog's diet needs a change.

Many factors can impact the need to alter your dog's diet. Health concerns, age, and even the weather can be cause for your dog's diet to require alteration in its diet. Speak to your veterinarian about the best diet for your dog. 

Good observation and knowledge will help you to decide if your dog's diet is right on track.

Why are regular check-ups important for dogs?

Why are regular check-ups important for dogs? 

Every dog owner looks for answers for this type of question, often. If you ignored to do the regular check-ups, then the dog may end up having some major diseases or health problems that you don't know about. 

Hence then, you need to pay a lot of money both to the veterinarians for consultancy and for the required medicines useful for the therapy of the clinical condition and also an un-needed pain for your dog.

One may not be able to find out the very commonly arising clinical conditions in the case of their dogs because of less experience and knowledge with dog diseases or dog rearing. This is why checkups are really important. 

For example, if the dog has a potbelly, the condition may not look abnormal for many times. But if the dog is subjected to the routine check-up, then the veterinarian immediately identify it out and gives the appropriate treatment. If not, the animal may have to suffer diarrhea and dehydration. 

If the dog has any signs of illness, then don’t wait for the routine check-update. Instead, you need to approach the veterinarian immediately or as earlier as possible. 

Checkups if done in a routine manner will help to give vaccinations against canine distemper, parvovirus, coronavirus, rabies virus, hepatitis virus, and more.

Booster vaccinations will be carried out in such problems without any delay in the injections and this supports improving the immunity level of the dog against such diseases at a remarkable level. 

Regular check-up is the necessary one with proper stool checkups. Hence, the deworming may be carried out with drugs like fenbendazole, albendazole, etc. 

Abnormalities like signs of pain may be diagnosed during such examinations. If not, helminthiasis may affect the dog, and diarrhea may occur in addition to the other types of digestive upsets and anemia. 

Regular examinations will help to diagnose the external parasitic conditions like lice or tick infestations. Dental problems are also cured during the regular checkups in reputed veterinary hospitals. 

The Perfect Resource to Educate You about Your Dog's Diet

Whether you have recently been blessed with a new puppy dog in your home, or you are a seasoned dog handler, it is wise to speak with a veterinarian about the best diet for your doggy. With so many ideas, diet plans, and dog food varieties on the online and offline market, how do you decide 

where to start? 

Begin with your veterinarian. A trusted veterinarian tells only what is best for your dog. Just like you, he or she wants to find and discover what is perfect for your dog's diet and health. Discuss all aspects of your dog's diet. 

Your veterinarian can advise you on the basics of a dog's diet. Often, your veterinarian may recommend a dry dog food. Dry food as the priority component of your dog's diet will increase the likelihood of good dental health for your pet, but this varies depending on specifics. 

Treats are another area that you will need to discuss with the veterinarian. 

Do they encourage specific verities of treats? 

What snacks are discontinued for your specific dog?

Each animal is different and you and your veterinarian know your dog better than anyone else. Working together, you will find what aspects of your dog's diet work best, and what needs to be altered. Some breeds, for example, will commonly have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. For this reason, 

your veterinarian will recommend a smaller portion for your dog's diet than the recommended amount on the side of a dog food bag. If your older pet has a chewing problem, specific types of dog food may be helpful as a part of your dog's diet. 

Your dog's diet plays a significant role in the health of your dog. Your veterinarian can inform you about any supplements if needed to boost your dog's outlook for a happy and healthy life. 

Glucosamine is one item that is recommended by most veterinarians to promote healthy joints. This is especially true for dogs of larger in size breeds.

The next time you are in the vet's office is a great time to bring up your dog's diet. Your vet will be able to weigh your dog to see if weight is an issue with it. He or she can take a look at the overall health of your dog. 

For example, if your dog has a dull coat, your veterinarian may suggest a different type of dog food or to add an egg to your dog's diet. Precautionary measures required. 

During the lifetime of your dog, your dog's diet may need to be changed to suit his or her needs from time to time. Puppies and older dogs may require additional amounts of protein or other vitamins and minerals. If your dog is bred, your vet may recommend other alternations to your dog's diet. 

With all the hype about what is healthy for your dog's diet, do not decide to go at it alone and inadvertently choose a poor diet. Speak to the vet about your dog's diet and educate yourself on what is best for your beloved dog. 

A healthy diet is key to the longevity of your dog. Both you and your vet want to see your dog live to be happy and healthy for many years, and providing a nutritious diet for your dog is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal.

Summarised Nine Tips for Better Dog care

Communicate with your dog and build a bonding. As per studies, Dogs are social creatures and they need to interact with their owner and caretakers. Quality time with a dog will help you get to know your dog and understand the needs; In addition, time spent in developing a bonding will help prevent many unexpected behavioral patterns of the dog. 

Provide a safe and hygienic living environment for your puppy dog. Shelter and hazards, as well as good hygiene food, are the basic requirements for the quality life of your dog. 

Keep fresh water at the shelter. Managing optimal hydration is very important for the health and energy of dogs.

Train and motivate your dog to follow simple commands and signs. For this puppy and dog training classes may be very helpful. The better your dog is at following basic and necessary commands and signs, the greater the opportunities are that your dog will live a safe and long life.

Provide a quality diet and avoid obesity. Overweight in dogs can adversely affect health in many ways. Follow the dietary recommendations by your veterinarian to the nutritional needs of your dog, on the basis of size, age, level of activity, and breed. Always provide healthy treats instead of table scraps, as rewards.

Provide more opportunities to exercise for your dog. Make sure your dog gets the regular exercise required to enable it to be fit all time. By being in perfect shape, your dog may be participating in the activities that it enjoys.

For Dogs dental care is very important. Many dog breeds are prone to gum disease, which can have serious implications. Infection arising from this condition leads to premature tooth loss for dogs, and can generally cause infections in major organs, including the heart valves of the dog. 

Get your dog examined by a veterinarian on a routine basis. Your veterinarian will educate you with the information on vaccination schedules, deworming, and external parasite control. Keep a note of your dog’s vaccination records handy. Contact your veterinarian if you notice that your dog may be ill, injured, or if something just doesn’t seem right. 

Don’t ignore grooming and nail trimming. Long coated dogs are prone to developing coat mats and ice balls in their hair. Overgrown nails are very common in aged dogs and make it very difficult for those dogs to walk. In addition, such long nails are much more prone to breaking, which can be quite painful for dogs.

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