Caring for an old dog Dog Bath Ear Problems Teeth and gum care
At the outset, we wish to thank you for your patronage and applauding response.
As of now, we have attempted to make you familiar with certain important issues like maintenance of your pet against Sunburn, Breeding Management, Certain Dog Diseases, Train your dog and Bird as pet, a different topic. In this issue we are covering, information on taking care of old dog, dog bath, Ear problems and Teeth and Gum care
The dog, a lovely animal is man’s best friend. They walk with you, play with you, listen to you. Taking good care of the dog is very essential especially as they grow old. As the dog grows old it becomes our duty to take care of it. It is necessary to keep in mind that aging dog gets tire easily. Keep with the dog’s pace and don’t get frustrated if his interest in the activity disappears. Try not to bathe unless necessary. If you do, use warm water and mild shampoo, Towel dry thoroughly, keep nails trimmed and eyes clean. Keeping teeth clean is also important. Do not give big bones as they may break their teeth. Alongwith old age complications can arise in dog’s health. Some of the common ailments include hepatitis, renal failure, indigestion, posterior weakness etc.
Nutrition is another important factor. The caloric intake of an aging dog versus young dog is considerably less. As your dog ages, his metabolic rate goes down. His all activities gets reduced therefore, he requires less to eat. Try to avoid over feeding, as obesity in an aging dog is dangerous. This will greatly shorten his life. Feed your dog twice a day with the recommended amount of food. Be sure to brush your dog on regular basis.
The skin is very sensitive part of body and a perfect dog bath is key to stimulating blood circulation and keeping the skin healthy. Improper bathing can cause a matted condition in the coat which is uncomfortable to your dog. The first step in the perfect dog bath is a good brushing. For short-haired dogs brush in a circular motion with a comb made of rubber with teeth cut into the edges. It will pull dead coat out. Start on the legs and hold the outer hair so that you can brush from the skin outward. For fine-haired dogs use a natural bristle brush. Moisten the area to be worked with a dog coat conditioner. For long-haired dogs use a pin brush if the coat is not tangled. The right way to bathe a dog is determined by the texture and length of the coat. Short-haired dogs are washed with a vigorous circular motion which will pull out the dirt.
Procedure to give bath:
1. Rinse the dog completely with luke warm water.
2. Apply the shampoo along the back, working up as much as possible; do the
same on the belly, legs and tail.
3. Rinse the coat with one hand to run water on the dog and the other hand
in a kneading fashion to allow the soap out. Make sure that the soap is out,
as dried soap will dull a coat and cause skin problems.
4. Before towel-drying, squeeze as much water out of the coat as possible by
pulling the hair straight out and squeezing at the same time.
5. Avoid getting water in dog’s ear. Moisture inside the ears provides
the conditions for fungus infections.
6. Towel dry your dog and use a hand-held hair dryer on thick-coated dogs but
never use a human hair dryer as they run too hot and can damage the coat.
Under normal circumstances a dog's ears will not become a problem as long as they are kept clean. To ensure the cleanliness of your dog's ears, it is easiest to establish a routine that whenever you groom your dog (at least once a week), you check your dog's ears for waxy buildup, excessive matting of hair in the external ear, redness or inflammation around the ear, retention of dirt, foreign material, or objects, in the ear canal. Even a little burr can cause a great deal of discomfort to your dog. The presence of a sour, cheesy odor is usually indicative of a problem. Check for a dark, waxy secretion as well. Mites, fleas and ticks like the dark, somewhat moist and inaccessible area of the ear. If you think that a problem may be present or developing, consultation with a veterinarian is imperative as soon as possible. A severe infection, or deafness, can result by neglecting a problem, thinking it will go away eventually.
Some indications of problem:
There are some things that you should avoid doing,
Method to Clean Ear :
* Clean the wax / debris with the help of dry cotton.
* Use Savlon, 1:4 ratio (part of savlon, 4 parts of water) to clean
* Wipe out the inner part of ear cleanly.
* Use antibiotics containing drops to control the infection, for 3-5 days, depending on the severity.
Dental disease is as common in dogs as it is in human being. The most common form of dental disease in human being is decay, in the dog the most common problem is periodontal disease. Tartar builds up and causes irritation of the gums around the base of the teeth, the resulting inflammation is gingivitis.
How does tartar form, and what does it do?
Plaque is an invisible bacterial coating that forms on the teeth within a few
hours after a meal. Within 24 hours, plaque starts to harden into tartar.
If tartar is allowed to remain on the teeth, several things may happen.
How can one prevent tartar formation on dog's teeth?
There are several things you can do to reduce the rate of plaque and tartar
build up.
Brushing of the teeth is the most effective means of removing plaque before
it turns into tartar. Special brushes are made that make this task easier.
It is worth using a finger brush, at first as most dogs accept this better
than a normal brush. Do the front teeth first then, as the dog gets used to
the brushing, gradually progress to the back teeth. Unlike us brushing of the
outside of the teeth is all that is really required. A dog's tongue is sufficiently
mobile that most of the plaque is removed from the inside (lingual) surface
of the teeth automatically. DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTES, these are foaming
products and are not meant to be swallowed and will be resented by the dog.
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