Dog Worming

All dogs need a routine worming program to stay healthy. A stool sample should be examined by your veterinarian at least once a year to help identify if parasites exist and the type of worms present in your dog.

Although it is not difficult to worm your dog yourself, it is sometimes hard to diagnose which type of worm has infected your dog, it is therefore best to leave this task to a professional veterinarian.

Regular worming is essential to protect your dog against internal parasites. Medication can be in tablet (dry) or liquid form. Worming tablets can be bought cheaply at your local supermarket or pet shop, so there is no excuse for not treating your own dog on a regular basis.

Worms are not serious if you treat them promptly and correctly. Adult dogs should be wormed at least once a year, and at least once every 6 months if they are in contact with children. Please take note that some parasites can be passed on to humans especially young children so if your dog shows any signs of infection, he should be wormed immediately. All breeding bitches should also be wormed prior to mating, another time after giving birth and once again shortly before the puppies are weaned.

The most common worms in a dog are roundworms, tapeworms and whiteworms. The symptoms include a swollen stomach (especially in puppies with a potbellied appearance), persistent vomiting, loose bowels, runny eyes or nose. Some dogs will drag their bottoms along the floor or try to bite at their tails. This normally indicates that worms are irritating your dog?s rectum and he is trying to remove the worms or scratch to relieve the irritation. If you see any worm segments in your dog's faeces, treat it as soon as possible. Sometimes you may see sections of tapeworm around the dog?s bed or clinging to his coat around or close to the tail area in the form of brown pieces of dried rice. Weight loss (these parasites live off the host dog and affect its nutritional intake), poor coat of fur and having blood in your dog?s faeces may also indicate the presence of worms.

Roundworms - Several of these parasites affect dogs but the most important are the ones that belong to the Ascarid family that live in the small intestines of the host dog. Other roundworms infest the large intestine, blood vessels and respiratory tract. Ascarids feed on digesting food in the dog's gut, and are particularly harmful to puppies. They penetrate a puppies gut wall and pass via the blood to the liver and then to the lungs. From there they crawl up the trachea to be coughed up and swallowed, again ending up in the gut. Infected puppies may develop hepatitis, pneumonia, fits, and obstruction to the gut, so regular treatment is absolutely crucial. As the puppy gets older most of the worms travel to the muscles where they form cysts. These lie dormant until the puppy bitch becomes an adult and is pregnant. They then migrate to the puppies? lungs, and this is why virtually every puppy is born with roundworms, and must be wormed regularly.

Roundworms can infect humans and in a very low number of cases, cause disease. Good hygiene and common sense concerning children and puppies should control the problem. As adult roundworms can be found in a puppy as early as 2 weeks of its age, this is usually the time when you should start your de-worming program.

To help reduce the chances of worms and other various diseases such as Parvo and Distemper, the following steps should be taken:

* Maintain a strict treatment program. Talk to your veterinarian. * Collect all droppings. * Reduce exposure to other animals and areas frequented by other animals.

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Is a Raw Diet For Dogs Really Better?

Is a raw diet for dogs really the answer to concerns over commercial dog food? Ask yourself this: What does a dog in the wild eat? Of course, domesticated animals tend to live longer than their counterparts in the wild. But this is mainly due to the fact that in the wild animals have to compete with others for a sometimes very limited supply of food.

Here's an even more important consideration when considering a raw diet for dogs: dogs in the wild, at least what researcher have been able to find, do not suffer from chronic disease like so many domesticated dogs do. Dogs in the wild don't get diabetes or arthritis. This would lead you to believe that it is what we feed our pet that is responsible for their poor health in quality of life in their later years.

We conclude that a raw diet for dogs is indeed much better than commercial dog food. However, there would not be a whole lot of difference if you were to cook that food as well. The key is that the ingredients are fresh and as close to organic as possible.

Please remember, though, that there are some loop holes in the law that allows food producers to slap the 'organic' label on food that really isn't organic. Do your homework.

Benefits Of Raw Diets For Dogs

Many dog owners have noticed considerable improvements in various aspects of their dog's health when fed a raw diet. For example, dull coats and skin were observed to become more shiny and healthy looking. The notorious bad breath that dogs was cleared up and became fresh and clean-smelling. Allergy symptoms were seen to decline or completely disappear. Better digestion and healthier looking stools have also been observed in dogs fed a raw diet.

So what kinds of food are part of a good raw diet for dogs? Any part of a chicken is good for your dog. However, do not give your dog chicken bones. These can splinter and harm the stomach and intestines. Turkey, hens and quail are also good. Like chicken, you should remove the bones from these animals before giving them to your dog.

Beef and buffalo are also good parts of a raw diet for dogs. Feel free to include the bones. They are ok for the dog to eat and digest. However, DO NOT give your dog cooked beef or buffalo bones. These can splinter and harm your dog.

A raw diet for dogs is not complete with just meat and protein. Your dog will be nutrient deficient if you don't also feed him or her vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Experiment with various fruits, vegetables and grains until you find all the ones your dog enjoys eating.

The Dangers Of A Raw Diet For Dogs

If your dog will not eat fruit, vegetables and grains, then you must supplement their raw meat diet with a healthy commercial dog food that doesn't use meat by-products, but rather real meat. Your dog will not get the proper nutrients they need to be healthy on meat alone.

Of course, cooked meats are a good alternative to a raw diet for dogs. The damage commercial dog food does to our pets is not in the cooking, it's the heavy processing. Lightly cooking meats before feeding them to your pet is ok.

Raw diets are appropriate for puppies, as well. However, be careful giving bones to a puppy. They can't deal with bones like an adult dog can. Raw diets are gaining popularity with pet owners who are concerned with the harm commercial dog food can do to pets. Raw diets allow your dog to live a happier and healthier life.

Is a raw diet for dogs healthy for your pet? How do they compare with commercial dog food? Are they safe for your pet or can they cause more health problems? What are the dangers of feeding your dog a raw diet? Here are the benefits of a raw diet for dogs and some precautions you should take when implementing them.

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