Care to Your Dog!

Have you ever tried to give your pet a pill?

Sure can be tricky…and scary too!

But when your pet is sick, it often has to be done.  That’s all part of pet heath care.

Next time you have to give your pet a pill, here are the 3 best, proven methods and some tips and tricks for each to make the job easier – for both you and your pet!

Method 1.  Encapsulate the pill in food.  If the medication can be taken with food, this is generally your best bet.  The best foods for dogs are butter, cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, lunchmeat, liverwurst, bread, and bacon.  For cats, butter, tuna, cream cheese, baby food, and canned cat food work well.  Liverwurst works for cats too.

Experiment with different foods until you find something your pet likes and always praise them when you give it to them.  With the right combination, your pet may actually look forward to pill time.

Use a small bite-size amount of food.  Don’t bury the pill in your pet’s full meal portion because if he doesn’t finish it, he may not get the medication.

It’s often a good idea to occasionally give your pet the food without the pill, so he gets used to eating it quickly.  What you want is for your pet to gulp it down without a second thought.

Method 2.  Grind up the pill and blend it into some moist food.  Again, ensure that the medication can be taken with food.  Also, check with your vet to make sure crushing is OK.  The crushed pill will dissolve much faster in your pet’s stomach and some medications are intended to be digested slowly.

The best foods are those that are a little sticky and have a strong flavor of their own.  These include cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, liverwurst, and honey.  Again, use only a small portion size.

You can have your pet lick the food containing the ground medication off of your finger, or you can put it in their food dish, or spread it on a treat you already know they like.

Again, experiment until you find something your pet really likes and occasionally give them some of the food between pills.  Praise them lavishly whenever you give them the food, making it seem like they are getting a special treat.

Method 3.  Feed the pill to your pet directly.  Use this approach if the pill must be given on an empty stomach or if the pet won’t accept the pill hidden in their food.  Be careful though, as some pets can react badly to having the pill force-fed to them.  With cats, it is generally a good idea to wrap them in a towel to protect against getting scratched.

First, tilt your pet’s head back slightly, then carefully open their mouth and place the pill in the back part of their mouth.  Gently hold their mouth closed and slowly stroke them on their throat or blow on their nose until they swallow the pill.  With cats, it is a good idea to follow the pill with a small amount of water given from an eyedropper or syringe (no needle please).  This helps them to swallow the pill and protects against the pill abrading their esophagus.  Always be calm and gentle.  This will help your pet remain calm.

Whatever method you use to administer the pill, always check to make sure your pet has swallowed it.  Pets can be pretty clever in disposing of the pill when you aren’t looking, so never just assume it went down.

Important:  Learning how to administer pills is an important part of pet health care.  Find a method that works for your pet and always make sure your pet gets his or her meds on time every time.  As a pet owner, that is your responsibility.

Animal massage can benefit all animals from companion pets such as cats and dogs to horses and livestock and even zoo animals. The benefits of massage for animals mirror those for people, including decreased stress and improved circulation.

For many, pet massage sounds like a luxury for pampered pets only. However, many canines receive massage to help recover from surgery or injury and athletes such as racehorses or agility dogs receive sport massage to improve performance. Service dogs and dogs used in police or military service have high stress jobs where massage can mean the difference between early retirement and more time on the job.

Many studies have been conducted to verify the benefits of massage. For instance, massage has been proven to lower blood pressure, increase appetite and reduce the perceived pain and discomfort of arthritis.

For those with aging dogs and cats, animal massage therapy provides one more tool in the management of age-related conditions and helps to improve the quality of their pet’s life. Pet health care has moved beyond the age of grocery-store dog food and once-a-year vaccinations. Today, pet health supplies include vitamins, specialty food and treats, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and chiropractic and, yes, pet massage therapy.

The focus of animal massage for many years was horses, particularly racing and show horses. The benefit of massage for horses is well recognized among horse owners. Massage certification has been offered in equine massage therapy for years, but only recently has the focused turned toward pet massage certification. With literally billions of dollars flowing into the pet care industry and pets living longer and more active lives, pet massage therapy is now being offered at veterinarian clinics, grooming salons and doggie daycare establishments all over the country.

One of the benefits of massage for animals mentioned was improved circulation. Better circulation can contribute to improved digestion and better metabolism, a tremendous benefit for the large number of pets suffering from obesity and gastrointestinal disorders. Additionally, improved circulation can slow the degenerative process of arthritis and improve energy levels in geriatric pets. Better circulation means better immune function, helping to reduce the risk of infection or illness and assisting in the rapid recovery from injury or illness. Better blood flow also contributes to improve healing post-surgically.

Two of the most common conditions plaguing our dog population today are hip dysplasia and soft tissue injuries to the knee such as ACL tears (ruptures or strains of the anterior cruciate ligament in the stifle joint). Both are generally corrected by surgery and, particularly in the case of ACL tears, have a high rate of reoccurrence and post-surgical development of arthritis. Pet massage therapy can play a crucial role in optimal and rapid recovery from such surgeries and may play a role in reducing the risk of re-injury. Post-surgical confinement also causes boredom and restlessness for many animals and diminished the health of the immune system which is dependent on activity for optimal health. Animal massage can be used to reduce boredom, decrease stress and increase relaxation for dogs and cats during periods of confinement.

Equine massage therapy has a long history in the United States and abroad. For racehorses, massage can mean reduced recovery time between races and reduced incidence of injury due to improved flexibility of soft tissues. For investors, time off for recovery or lay-up due to injury is expensive and can reduce the career of a horse dramatically. In this case, the benefits of massage for animals is not only physical and psychological, it is also economical.

Even exotic species and wild animals have experienced benefits from animal massage therapy under the skilled hands of specialized animal massage therapists. The benefits of massage for animals in a zoological park fall under three categories: training, enrichment and health. Veterinarian staff can use massage to minimize the time that an exotic species spends in the hospital following surgery or illness, a critical element in the success of the animal’s return to the wild or onto exhibit. Specific massage techniques can be used to improve the production and movement of lymphatic fluid and assist in metabolism of anesthesia and related medications.

Animal trainers can use certain massage techniques as reinforcement for performed behaviors when food rewards are not safe or effective. Massage can improve nerve function and brain function as well, making training easier. Enrichment involves providing activities to captive animals that stimulate them physically and psychologically and improve their quality of life. Studies indicate that enrichment programs in zoological parks may contribute to the longevity of individual animals and may reduce safety concerns with animals that may become aggressive due to stress or boredom. Massage can be a valuable tool in enrichment programs for many species.

In closing, the benefits of massage for animals are as numerous and varied as those for people. In the last decade more and more people have added massage to their own health care regimen and seen tremendous benefit. Many of these same people have seen the power of massage add quality and time to the lives of their adored pets. Considering all that animals contribute to our lives through companionship, sport and service; a massage now and then serves as a powerful sign of gratitude.

All pet dogs should be treated as members of our family and adequate attention must be paid to the canine’s health. Sometimes dogs become sick but may not look so. It is very important to recognize and understand dog illnesses symptoms.

Since prevention is a better cure, we must learn something about dog illnesses and symptoms so we can better understand their conditions. This will help us recognize some common dog illnesses. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to the puppies, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented.

Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs take a lot of sleep but their sleep is marked by alertness. If a dog is sluggish then there may be various causes contributing to it, right from anemia to old age. If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. Check out for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.

The appetite of the dog is bound to be affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. An important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. A pronounced weight loss is also an indicator of ill health. Check the eyes for any ulcers, discharges, veins or sores.

The mouth of a healthy dog is pink. There should not be any discoloring or cavities in the teeth. Look for signs of discharge from ears. It is advisable to clean the ears from time to time. The dog’s head should be regularly checked for sore patches, hair loss, or deep wounds.

Investigate the limbs and trunk for the same signs. If the dog is vomiting, there may be various underlying problems. If the body temperature of your dog is not between the range 38 to 39 Celsius it is an indication of some kind of illness. Check the female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs attention of a vet.

The symptoms of pain and discomfort experienced by a dog can give us many clues about the possible underlying illness. If the dog is suffering any abdominal pain, it may be due to canine hepatitis, enteritis or it can be a simple case of constipation. The abdominal swelling dogs indicate canine bloat and roundworms in puppies. Aggression of the dog may be caused by rabies. Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms my cause anemia in dogs. Any behavioral changes in dog can be an indicator of hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, canine arthritis, heart disease, canine, or parvovirus.

Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in urine. Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke, allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs.

There are various reasons of sudden change in weight of dogs like heart disease to heartworms. Hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons of coughing in dogs. Cannine parvovirus can also cause dehydration in dogs. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or cushings syndrome.

If dog indicates any signs of failing genital bleeding, persistent constipation, projectile vomiting, fainting, hair loss, seizure, stumbling, trauma, trembling, mouth bleeding, rectal bleeding, lethargy, shaking, urinating problems contact a dog care specialist.