How to Choose the Right Dog Breed for You
02 Apr 2010
Choose the right dog breed for you to make a sound decision about the pet you bring into your home.
Duration :
0:1:49
Pet turtles may react to the owner's presence, especially if they are fed often by the same person. Discover common pet turtle behaviors with tips from the owner of a reptile store in this free pet care video.
Duration :0:1:16
Expert: Tim Cole
Bio: Tim Cole has kept reptiles for more than 40 years. He has professional experience working with zoos and scientific field studies. Cole is the owner of Austin Reptile Service.
Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA
Why Do Dogs Throw Up?
02 Sep 2010
Dog owners are exposed to the vomiting bouts of the pet one time or another. The expulsion of food from the dog's stomach can be due to a variety of reasons. Similar to humans, dogs vomit if they have eaten something that does not agree with their system. It is not surprising for a dog to have an upset stomach because this voracious eater would eat anything from spoiled food to inedible objects.
Nature has given dogs an effective way of purging the stomach of objects not accepted by the dog's system. All the dog need to do is eat grass and all the things ingested that were not accepted by the dog's system will be thrown up. Vomiting will occur if the dog has eaten substantial amount of food and has drank water quickly. The vomiting can be the result of the new dog food. Although quite uncommon, stress can make the dog vomit.
A dog that was taken to a new home where there are already other pet dogs will vomit. The situation becomes highly stressful if the nervous or shy newcomer is introduced to a large and dominant old pet. An owner has to deal with the inconvenience for a while but as soon as the dog has adapted to its new environment the stress induced vomiting will be gone. After the vomiting bout, the dog will be its normal energetic self. Owners of healthy dogs with normal energy levels and good appetite need not be too concerned with the pet's vomiting. Pet owners can usually manage this kind of vomiting at home. To prevent the dog from vomiting repeatedly, food must not be given for 24 hours.
However, a dog's vomiting may not be due to dietary indiscretion. Vomiting is not considered a disease in itself but an indication of an underlying illness. A pet parent should be vigilant and carefully observe the condition of the vomiting dog.
A dog owner has to act at once if the repeated vomiting is accompanied with diarrhea, fever and the dog is noticed to be lethargic. The vomiting of the dog may be caused by a poisonous substance that was ingested by the pet. Vomiting can be due to parasites infestation or infectious diseases such as parvovirus. A dog with bloody vomit may be suffering from intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis, kidney problems and stomach ulcer. Immediate medical attention must be given to a pet that has been vomiting for 24 hours more so if the dog is unresponsive and lethargic.
Want to know more about why dogs vomit and first aid for dogs? Sarah's Dogs is where you want to go.
Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks
02 Sep 2010
Dogs have great appetites and these animals have the inclination to eat questionable (at least to us humans) things. Dog experts call this habit of ingesting non-edible things as pica. Although dog owners find it hard to understand the dog's propensity to eat non-food items, pica is a normal behavior of dogs. Most dogs would love to gnaw and eat rocks.
Puppies are more inclined to eat rocks. Puppies have a very curious nature and the mouth is used to learn about their environment. These "baby" dogs would chew rocks as if the stony fragment is a fruit flavored bubble gum. Eating rocks though is dangerous. The soft tissues of the mouth can be wounded by the hard rock. Moreover this object is not meant for the dog's delicate digestive tract as ingestion can result to diarrhea. A blockage in the throat or on the intestinal tract that can be created if a large piece of rock is swallowed can be the cause of death of the pet.
Dogs are voracious and indiscriminate eaters. Pet owners would do anything to have the most well behaved pet but of course this is not possible as dogs are known to adapt dangerous and abhorrent behaviors. Nevertheless we would still be puzzled why dogs eat rocks. A brain disease can be one of the reasons why the dog eats rocks. If an underlying medical concern was ruled out, the rock eating habit of the pet can be attributed to behavioral problems.
Boredom, stress or anxiety can urge a dog to feast on rocks. Being social animals, dogs would need interaction with the family. If contact with humans or with other animals are not provided the dog will be bored. Bored dogs will develop destructive behaviors. Bored dogs eat rocks. Eating rocks can be the dog's effort to get the attention of the master.
For proper diagnosis, humans have to have a series of laboratory tests. Dogs don't need any of these test as these animals can recognize what is wrong with their system. Rock eating is associated with the effort of correcting a nutrient deficiency. The habit of eating rocks can be the dog's way of calling the master's attention to the nutrient deficient diet or to the attention that is being missed by the dog.
Learn more about why dogs eat rocks, first aid for dogs and other interesting dog behaviours.
The Not So Colorful World Of A Dog
31 Aug 2010
The world as seen in the eyes of a dog will be in white and in different shades of grey. This is due to the fact that dogs are believed to have no ability to see colors. Dogs have ultrasensitive senses. Dogs are renowned for being outstanding guard dogs because of their very sensitive scenting and hearing abilities. Sighthounds are breeds highly valued for their excellent vision. It is generally believed that human's best friend has the knack of seeing better in the dark . Humans therefore can sleep soundly at night, unmindful of intruders as long as there is a dog is in the house.
With these ultrasensitive senses, it is surprising to note that dogs are believed incapable of seeing colors. Dogs can see color but the colors they can distinguish are fewer than what humans can see. The fact that dogs can see colors was proven by a study on canine vision conducted in the University of California. Due to the dog's less detailed vision, a new red chew toy may not be appreciated as in the dog's eye the color of the toy will either be black or grey.
Humans and dogs are very similar in genetics. The cone photoreceptors that catch light and control color sensitivity in human eyes are found in dog's eyes too. A dog's eye only has two cone photoreceptors while humans have three. The three cones in our eyes delivers 100% full range vision while dogs have approximately 20% range of color vision as they lack on cone. This makes a dog's vision about six times inferior than what we humans have.
In the eyes of Fido the rainbow colors would be blue, light blue, grey, light yellow, brownish yellow and dark grey instead of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This means that in the eyes of a dog, the world is basically colored in blue, grey and yellow. In spite of the limited colors seen, a dog has the surprising ability to differentiate the subtle change in colors that creates various shades of violets and blues.
Humans do not have this ability because the human eyes have a yellow pigmentation that reduces the sensitivity of the eye to blue and violet lights by blocking the short wavelengths. The absence of the yellow pigmentation in the dogs eyes enables our four legged friend's eyes to be more sensitive in identifying the different shades of violets and blues.
Find out more about how dogs see color and dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.
Why Does My Dog Lick Me
31 Aug 2010
Gee, my dog is licking my face again. Dogs are well loved pets and this baby certainly receives much love and affection from me but the icky drool in my nose, ears and lips is simply disgusting. Of course I know that licking is an innate behavior of dogs as their tongue is used to discover their environment but this dog is really a compulsive licker.
The habit to lick was learned by dogs from puppyhood. Mother dogs would lick the puppies clean. The puppies will be licked clean by the dam after they have pooped and peed. Mother dogs licking is aimed to aid in the circulation and digestion process of the puppies. Puppies that want to nurse would lick the mother dog. Puppies will be seen licking the mouth of the dam to encourage regurgitation. Obviously, the most common reason for licking is to show affection. The instinctive licking of the mother dog to a pup that has crawled away is a visible sign of affection. Puppies would lick not only the dam but also their siblings.
Licking as a manifestation of affection is perfectly normal. Dogs are affectionate creatures that consider humans as their family. Humans become the family of the dog thus, the licking that is a manifestation of affection will now be given to the family. This is one of the reasons why your pet licks you. It will be noted that dogs that do not receive the same care and affection from their owners would not have the inclination to lick their owners.
Dogs are pack oriented animals. Being pack oriented, the dog would have to look up to the leader of the pack. The dog will lick you as a sign of submission. Licking can also be the dog's way of gaining your approval or attention. This is most common in households with two or more dogs. Licking can be the strategy of one dog wanting to get an edge over the other pet for the master's affection.
You may be annoyed by the dog's licking behavior because you know that the pet also has the habit of eating disgusting things like feces and rotting animals. Dogs also have an unaccountable fondness for the water in toilet bowls. Train the dog to develop another way of showing its affection as you really need to stop his licking habit.
Learn more about why dogs lick and dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.
Learning How To Shave A Dog
30 Aug 2010
A beautiful coat is one of the reason why dogs are admired however, some dog owners would opt to shave the pet. Shaving the dog is usually done in summer so that the pet can better cope with the heat. A dog will be shaved if the owner is concerned with excessive shedding, with hot spots and fungal infection of the skin and finds the need to regularly groom the pet a tedious task. A long coated dog may be too old to tolerate a good brushing thus an owner would shave the dog to minimize the need to groom.
Dog owners would opt to shave the dog for different reasons. To have the dog shaved by a professional groomer, a dog owner has to pay between $40 to $80. Shaving the dog yourself though would be fun.
If you have decided to shave the dog, the task would be much easier (and kinder on the clipper) if the hair is clean and tangle free. Bathe the dog to remove dried up feces and other dirt clinging on the coat. The coat must be thoroughly dried and combed to remove tangles. The shaving task would be easier and of course kinder on your back if the dog is positioned on a table but ensure that the head of the pet is loosely fastened to an overhead support to prevent the dog from jumping while being shaved. A dog that will be shaved for the first time must be accustomed to the humming and the vibration of the clipper thus before the starting to shave lay the turned on clipper against the body of the dog.
To shave the face and the area between the eyes, use a #10 blade. Be careful not to prod the eyes with the blade of the clipper. From the eyes, run the clipper carefully down to the face. Shave the hair under the ears of long eared breeds.
Move on to the armpit area. Raise the dog's leg but be sure that the pet is not uncomfortable. Move down to the anal area. Shaving this area is actually necessary for long haired breeds so as to prevent feces from sticking to the hair every time the dog defecates. Change the blade with a longer one and shave the rest of the body. Use continuous strokes to shave the hair on the head, neck and sides of the body . Pull the loose skin of the belly to make shaving easier. Last to be shaved are the legs and feet. All done - give the dog a good hug for being a good sport.
Learn more about how to shave a dog and dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.
Reasons Why Dog Salivate Excessively
30 Aug 2010
Some dog breeds like the Bullmastiff, the Saint Bernard and the Bassethounds are noted to be drippers. These dogs cannot contain the enzyme rich saliva in their mouth because of the short snout and the loose pendulous skin of the mouth. Due to excessive drooling, owners of these dogs would have to tie a bandana around the dog's neck or have an ample supply of paper towels ready to avoid disaster.
Drooling, especially for dog breeds with short snout and loose skin around the jaws is not an abnormality. Drooling as a reaction to the sight of food should not be made a concern of pet owners given the fact that dogs are food motivated. A dog owner should be concerned if the dog that is not an excessive droller would suddenly droll excessively.
Dog owners should take notice if the normally non-drooling dog have suddenly become an excessive dripper because the situation can result to dehydration. The excessive drooling of the pet can be associated to a situation that has disturbed the pet emotionally. The rolling sounds of thunder, fireworks or even unfamiliar sights can trigger a nervous reaction in dogs and frightened dogs are known to salivate excessively. Motion sickness can also make a dog drool. Dogs are inclined to put anything in their mouths and because of indiscriminate eating habits, it would not be uncommon for dogs to ingest poisonous substances. Hypersalivation can be a sign that the dog was poisoned.
Excessive salivation can also point to a health concern. The life threatening twisting of the stomach that traps the air and the contents of the stomach is called bloat (Gastric dilatation volvulus. The dog's hypersalivation can be a symptom of bloat. Ear and urinary tract infections, rabies, liver diseases are common causes for the drooling of the dog. However if it is apparent that the dog's salivation is not caused by the above mentioned situations, a dog owner has better open and examine the mouth of the pet.
Gum problems, chipped tooth and other periodontal diseases can be the cause of the dog's drooling. Dogs are curious by nature and as they don't have hand, the mouth is used to investigate their environment. The dogs inclination to chew and ingest anything can result to injuries to the tissues of the mouth. A splinter stuck on the mouth tissues, an object lodged between the teeth will cause pain and discomfort thus the dog will be seen salivating excessively.
Read all about dog drooling and why dogs drool at Sarah's Dogs.
