Dealing with a Dog Food Allergy?
Dealing with a Dog Food Allergy?
Just as humans allergies can show up as a sneeze or rash, your dog's allergies can manifest as itchiness -- or even ear infections. In fact, if your dog's allergic to his food, it can cause him to scratch himself constantly, even with no obvious parasite problem.Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention. Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your dog's scratching habit.Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let them help "clean up" the kitchen after a meal. Little do they know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it's best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they clearly adore and want what we're eating!Narrowing Down the ProblemTo determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you'll notice the effects. And if you still haven't found the right (and wrong) ingredients, you'll have to repeat the process all over again.So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes -- give your dog a brand or type of food he's never eaten before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of protein source he hasn't been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog food that doesn't contain any of the ingredients you saw listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison -- great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common proteins.Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog's allergies is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you'll know exactly what he's getting and what he isn't -- something that's extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag. Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets. To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb -- so long as your dog isn't already eating lamb and possibly displaying a reaction to it.Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic reactions don't disappear overnight, you'll need lots of time and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem -- but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will probably make it all worth it.About the AuthorBlake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog.http://www.poodle-oo.com/
Weaning Puppies Is Only Natural
Weaning Puppies Is Only Natural
Weaning puppies is a perfectly natural process. Mamma dogs have been doing it successfully for ages, so how hard can it be, right?But humans, not being dogs, can sometimes forget the natural part, and get confused about it.Fact is, weaning puppies is an easy, logical process.When you're ready to begin weaning your new puppies, keep in mind that this should be done gradually, in small steps. You can't rush it, and you definitely don't want to begin when the puppies are too young.Sometimes people get impatient and try to begin weaning puppies before they're three weeks old. That's too early. Their bodies need to develop the ability to handle solid food, and that takes time. Wait the three weeks -- it's not really so long.The first step in the weaning process is to take the mother away from the puppies at least an hour before it's time for them to eat. This gives the puppies a chance to get good and hungry. They'll be more inclined to try the new, alternative food you offer them.Remember, when it's time for the puppies to eat, the mother should be nowhere around.The alternative food you offer them should be liquid or semi-liquid so it's easy for them to swallow and digest. Solid food won't work for them yet.You can make a gruel of commercial dog food mixed with water or baby cereal thinned with water. Another option when weaning puppies is to use diluted strained baby food.Put any of these mixtures in a small, shallow dish. Some of the puppies will have no problem eating. They'll catch on immediately. But there may be a few that just don't get it. So they'll need some encouragement. The easiest way is to put a little of the mixture on the tip of their nose or on their tongue.When weaning puppies you'll also need to decrease the amount of food you're giving the mother. This causes her to produce less milk. At the same time, you can gradually begin increasing the amount of food you give the puppies, and over the next several days make it less soupy. As they grow and their digestion matures, their food should slowly become more solid, day by day.Weaning puppies at this point becomes easier because, as the solid food grows more familiar to them, they learn to enjoy it more. Let them eat as much as they want as long as they don't become bloated.If you approach weaning puppies like this, the process should be simple, painless and easy. Expect to see them completely weaned by the time they're six to eight weeks old.Puppy-Toy-Tips.comLearn great ways to use puppy toys for training and socializing your new pup. Make sure you're on the right track when training your dog. Also, be sure to get the free eBook of puppy coloring pages for your kids.
How Many Dogs Are Too Many?
How Many Dogs Are Too Many?
I'm a pariah among the dog fanciers in my community. Why? Because I testified in support of a new regulation to limit pet ownership to no more than a total of three dogs and/or cats, older than six-months of age, in one household.The reason for the age threshold is to give people time to place any puppies or kittens that their family pet has.Every major dog/pet organization I'm familiar with opposes such regulations or laws. That includes not only the animal rights people but mainstream groups such as the American Kennel Club (AKC).So why would I break ranks and support it? Reality.I support limitations on the number of pets in one household for the following reasons.1. Nuisance laws are difficult and expensive to enforce.In one instance in my town ? that has laws on nuisance dogs ?
the city police had been to a house three times after calls from neighbors. In each instance, the dogs were quiet when they arrived and no ticket was issued.That's the problem with the type of enforcement other dog-owner groups want. It requires catching the animal/owner in the act. Then both have the right to protest and appeal any fines or other punishments.How much of a city's budget should go to this type of effort?
It is much more cost effective to enforce limits on the number of pets as this can be more readily identified and controlled.2. The worst pet owners are beyond caring about the law.They fall into two categories. One is the drug addict, gang members or other criminal who breeds big, dangerous dogs for protection. An example is a homeowner who had 14 Pit Bulls in his metropolitan home.The other is the disturbed pet collector such as a woman who had
40 cats in her suburban house. She had no recognition of why this should be a problem and was surprised that her neighbors called the police because of the odor from her house.Neither of these types of pet owners are going to be deterred by a misdemeanor fine.3. Dogs in packs are difficult to control.The more dogs in the home, the more problems you have. Initially it may be as the dogs joust among themselves for positions in the pack. Even once that's been settled, outside events ? such as a dog coming back after a hospital stay ? can trigger another round of fighting for position.There's always a danger the dogs may get lose. Having three or more dogs in one backyard can be intimidating to neighbors and other small pets in the adjoining homes.A neighboring community has a dog park near a beach and people are often knocked down by packs of dogs. The dogs aren't attacking them; they're just running together and oblivious of their impact when they knock down a little one or older person.When dogs are in groups, they work together and mob psychology rules. They may attack and kill smaller animals not for food but for sport or territory. Even dogs that live with cats will kill other cats when working in a dog pack outside the home.4. Dogs in packs are more susceptible to illnesses.As a former breeder, I truly appreciate how difficult it is to prevent the spread of diseases when you have many dogs in one home or kennel. There's a reason it's called "kennel" cough.5. Some dog owners have lost perspectiveOne of the objectors to this new rule participates in a rescue organization. She had six people testifying on her behalf as to how needed her service is (I agree) and how well she manages her household of dogs.None of the six people, however, live near her. When her neighbors testified, it was another story. She had started her rescue work by telling the homeowners group that she would have no more than six dogs at one time.In one instance when the police were called to her home after a loose dog attacked a neighbor's pet and discovered she had 23 dogs there. This is just a typical suburban home ? not a rural or country area.I'm sympathetic to wanting to care for abandoned and mistreated dogs but neighboring home owners have rights as well. If you've paid $600,000 for an 800-sq ft home in California (as our Sunday newspaper stated), you are going to be very concerned about maintaining property values.Too many dog owners are oblivious to the rights of other people. Just walk in any city park and see how many people don't pick up after their dog.I love dogs but I wish I could have more confidence in their owners. I recognize that I may be assigning many strays to an early death, but I can't waive a magic wand and make all pet owners responsible owners and care givers.Limiting the number of pets in a household is a cost effective measure to solving true problems.Louise Louis is a certified canine specialist and the
creator of http://www.ToyBreeds.com, your online resource to
Toy dog breeds.