Dog Guidance Blog

If you are living in an apartment and plans to get a dog as your new companion, you might want to consider Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. With this breed, wide yard is not necessary since Cavalier King Charles Spaniels can stay active indoors. Thrilled with the idea? Many people are thrilled with the idea of having a small yet active dog as companion, right? But their living condition is not the only basis whether or not this breed is for you. Before you head to a breeder nearest you, it is a great idea to make a little research about Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

– Is this breed an official American Kennel Club (AKC) breed?

Yes. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, falls under toy group category, was recognized by AKC in 1995.

– Are they good with children?

Being playful and extremely patient lap dogs, a Cavalier is a trustworthy companion and playmate for children. However, young puppies are not suitable to families with children under the age of five. Get an older puppy or adult dog instead.

– How about the elderly?

These ultimate lap dogs enjoy spending their time sitting on their owner’s lap.

– Are they easy to train?

This breed is quite intelligent thus making training easy. With appropriate training method along with his favorite treat, a cavalier can easily learn tricks such as lay down, roll over, shake and so on within a day or two.

– What kind of grooming does a cavalier needs?

Cavaliers are naturally clean dogs. Some can be seen cleaning their own paws, just like cats. The long coat needs daily or at least once a week brushing to prevent knots and tangles and to make sure foreign objects such as grass and sticks are not entangled in the feathering. They should not be bathed more than once a week and ears should be checked. The nails should be clipped and the hair between their pads should be trimmed at least once a month.

– What are their health issues?

Two genetic diseases common in cavaliers are mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. They can also suffer from keratoconjunctivitis sicca and other eye disorders, luxating patella, ear infections and sometimes hip dysplasia. Vets and other dog experts recommend to check the medical history of previous generations and to buy from a reputable breeder to make sure that you are getting a puppy with a healthy back ground.

– How much exercise does a cavalier needs?

Cavaliers can get their exercise indoors through playing and going up and down the stairs, however, this cannot fulfill their primal instinct to walk. They need daily walk or running in a fenced in yard.

Cleaning your dog’s ears can be a very frustrating experience. But by changing how you do things you can make the whole experience at least a little more enjoyable for you and your dog.

Dog’s are prone to a wide range of ear problems. In fact it is estimated that at least 20% of the cases a veterinarian sees is related to ears.

One way to prevent and treat ear infections is through regular cleaning of your dog’s ears. Here are some quick tips to make this more enjoyable.

1. Only use cotton balls to clean your dog’s ears. Never use cotton tipped wooden sticks. This can break off and cause severe damage in your dog’s ears. Only your veterinarian should do deep ear cleanings.

2. Find a good ear cleaner and fill your dog’s ear canal. Then close the flap and massage it into the ear canal for at least thirty seconds or as long as your dog allows. Then let your dog shake its head. This massaging and shaking action and loosen a lot of debris making the cleaning so much faster.

3. Use friend to help you do this. Many times dog owner’s become frustrated because they have trouble holding onto the dog and doing the cleaning as well. Using two people to accomplish this makes the whole job go faster and easier.

4. If possible elevate your dog. Squatting down on the floor to try and clean ears is hard on the knees. If you happen to have a grooming table or some other elevated surface to use that is great. When you are in a comfortable position not only will you do a better job, but you will enjoy it more.

5. Do not pluck the hairs in your dog’s ear canal. When a hair is plucked from the ear canal a drop of serum forms. This serum is a great place for bacteria and yeast to grow. This is why you often see ear infections in Shih Tzu and other dogs that have been recently groomed. Hair in the ear canal should only be plucked if there is a medical reason to do so.

Remember if you think your dog has an ear infection or other problem, see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

I hope these 5 tips make cleaner your dog’s ears easier for you. The most important thing to remember is to be very careful and to do no harm to the ear canal.

Chihuahua teacup puppies are the extra small Chihuahuas. There is no minimum size of breed standard Chihuahuas. So many people like the extra small little version of the Chihuahua. Do always remember that any Chihuahua dog is very small. Extra small dogs face more challenges in life and so do their owners. Here are 5 tips for raising Chihuahua teacup puppies.

1. Extra small dogs are fragile.
If you or someone else in your home sits on your puppy, that puppy can be badly injured or even killed. The same goes for stepping on the pup or even dropping him or her. A tiny dog is fragile and you must be very careful to protect your pup. Small children probably cannot be trusted around one of these little dogs. Because of their small size, the puppies are often frightened and may become extremely neurotic because of this fear. Keep the stress level low and help your pup stay safe and calm.

2. Health issues.
Consult your vet about vaccinations recommended in your area. Not all areas have the same diseases. You should protect your dog from the diseases and parasites that are likely in your location. Also consider how the weather affects your puppy. Chihuahuas are inside dogs. The hair is thin and the size is so small that your dog cannot deal with cold weather. Your pet must have protection from cold and especially wet weather.

3. Potty training a Chihuahua puppy.
Make sure your puppy is old enough to control elimination before you start potty training a Chihuahua puppy. Some people use paper training. Others use a crate in training. Several methods work well, but the key is to closely watch the dog and at the first sign that it’s time to go, it’s time to go!

4. Choosing Chihuahua food.
Feeding Chihuahua teacup puppies properly is critical. Small Chihuahuas usually do best on a meat based diet. But over feeding is a great danger. Too much feed can produce fat and lead to diabetes eventually. Carefully regulate the amount of food.

5. Training a Chihuahua puppy.
Training a Chihuahua puppy can build your dog’s confidence and relationship with you. Even the most basic training is helpful. Chihuahuas are not the easiest dogs to train. Gentle but persistent training can help your dog to learn and be a happier pet.

Miniature teacup Chihuahua dogs are so popular because they’re so cute. They face some serious challenges because of their small size. Learn how to care for your puppy and you can have a healthy and happy pet for many years.

Just about every city and town across the nation has animal shelters, where you can choose a loving, caring pet that needs a new home. These dog adoption centers may benefit non-profit pet service organizations like the Humane Society, or they may be private non-profits that rescue specific breeds. All of these centers have one thing in common. They love animals and they hope to find them the best homes possible.

What should you look for when you choose a dog from dog adoption centers?

1. Make sure the facility and the pens are clean, with proper amounts of food and water for the dogs. If the facility is not clean and fresh, the animals could be suffering from diseases, pests, or other problems, and you might be stuck with high vet bills to clear up these problems.

2. Find out what types of services they offer, such as neutering and micro-chipping the dog before they adopt them out. Many dog adoption centers now perform many of these services as part of the adoption fee, so it makes sense to adopt from a center that offers the most services for the dog you plan to adopt.

3. Ask about others who have adopted from the center and their satisfaction. If the adoption center can’t provide a few people as references, it may not be the right dog adoption center for you.

4. Ask about fees, and guarantees up front. How much do they charge to adopt a dog, and do they guarantee the health of the dog? Do they know the background of the dog, and why it was surrendered for adoption? If not, the dog may have behavioral issues that are more than you can handle as an owner.

5. Look for a dog adoption center that asks a lot of questions of you, the prospective owner, too. Good dog adoption centers screen potential pet owners to make sure you’re ready and able to care for a new pet.

The best dog adoption centers have good local reputations, and truly care about the health and well being of the dogs they adopt out. They should check your background and pet knowledge before you adopt, so be prepared to answer questions about the size of your home and yard, how many pets you own, how long you’ve owned pets, and other things that are relevant to the health and happiness of your new pet.

Don’t choose dog adoption centers by fee only. Be sure to check out the reputation of the center, where their money goes, and how many animals they have ready for adoption. Some centers may charge lower fees, but may not offer as much for your adoption dollar. The best centers offer spaying or neutering, microchips for identification, a clean bill of health, and even free food or other incentives when you adopt. Others only offer spaying or neutering, or discount coupons for you to have your new dog spayed or neutered at a local vet. Make sure you get the best value for your adoption dollar, and know that the money will be well spent helping more dogs who need loving, caring homes.

The number one tip for bathing your dog is this: do not bathe him too often. Once every two or three months is a good rule of thumb. A dog’s skin is very thin and excessive bathing will make him dry and itchy. If he gets too smelly, sprinkle some baking soda on his coat and rub it into the fur gently. Then, brush it out. He should smell better quickly.

The shower is a better choice for bathing your dog than the tub. One reason is that when he shakes off the excess water, the water lands on the shower walls and not your bathroom walls. If you must bathe him in the tub, do not fill it with water. They do not usually like to stand in water.

Use pet shampoo and not what you use on your own hair. Pet shampoo is made especially for your dog and will not irritate his skin. It comes in different formulas such as flea and tick shampoo, etc. Start with his back, tummy, legs and feet first. Then, use a rag to clean his head and ears. Make sure the rag is not too soapy. Do not pour water over his head because he really hates that! Be careful not to get any water in his ears because it can cause an ear infection.

If you prefer to bathe your dog outside, make sure that the outdoor temperature is real warm. Make certain that there is not a chill in the air. You will want to bathe him quickly if using a garden hose because that water can become really cold in a short time.

After his bath, rinse all the shampoo out of his coat completely. A hand-held shower head works best. Rinse and rinse until you have no doubt that there is no soapy residue left on his coat. If you do not rinse well, the residue will irritate his skin and make him itch.

When you are done, wrap him in a towel and hug him. Speak softly to him and lead him to a big blanket which you have placed on the floor. The blanket protects your floor from dog hair and moisture. Use as many towels as necessary to get him as dry as possible. Some dogs will tolerate the use of a blow dryer if it is not too loud. Turn it on low and do not get it too close to his skin.

Be very gentle when bathing him because most dogs do not enjoy bath time. If you are gentle and speak softly to him in the process, he may decide that it is not so bad after all. Gathering everything you need for his bath in advance helps you stay calm because everything is within your reach.

If you go in prepared and calm, there is a chance that your dog will not become overly anxious or fearful. Do your best to make it a good experience for both of you.

The Yorkshire Terrier, or “Yorkie” breed, originated for hunting and ratting purposes. They were perfect for the job because they are small enough to work themselves into fox holes and badger burrows. Later on, the Yorkie puppy became extremely popular as a companion animal and pet due to its small size, attractive features, and easy going demeanor. Despite their small size, the Yorkie is an excellent as a guardian for a home and family. Yorkie puppies are so much fun to own, many families keep tend to keep getting more of them.

Once you have decided to bring home your own Yorkie puppy there are some considerations and preparations that need to be made to ensure that your home is ready to care for this new puppy. First of all, you need to plan ahead to have a veterinarian for your Yorkie puppy and this should be someone that you can trust and feel completely comfortable with. It may be a good idea for you to consult other local Yorkie owners in your area to find out which veterinarians have experience treating the breed.

The next consideration that you need to make involves preparing for the Yorkie puppy’s homecoming. Your home needs to be puppy proofed, which means that anything your Yorkie puppy can get into needs to be put away or removed from the home. The consequences can be detrimental if your puppy should happen to get into something bad for it. There are numerous things in your home that are deadly to your Yorkie puppy including household plants, Tylenol, mothballs, chocolate, mouthwash, and bleach.

Once you are sure that your home is safe for your puppy, you need to work on educating yourself about Yorkie puppy health problems and other issues that can affect your Yorkshire Terrier. When you are properly informed about health problems and other ailments, you can catch them more quickly should they arise. The sooner you properly diagnose and treat such a health problem, the sooner your Yorkie will be able to recover.

As soon as you bring your Yorkie puppy home you should contact your veterinarian to set up a basic checkup appointment. Within the first week that you have your Yorkie puppy is the most ideal time to visit a veterinarian for a basic exam. This will give your puppy a few days to acclimate to his or her new surroundings. Yorkie puppies can be affected by stress easily, so it is vital that you work to keep the stress level in your home to a minimum to keep any health problems from cropping up unexpectedly.

Your Yorkie puppy should acclimate to its new surroundings within a couple of days. If your puppy seems disinterested in eating or drinking water, is listless or seems nervous and unfriendly after a few days, it would be wise to schedule a veterinary appointment to make sure that nothing is wrong. Continue to feed your Yorkie puppy the same food that was fed by previous owners for at least two weeks before beginning to mix in your own food if you are keen on changing the brand.

Your Yorkie puppy will probably like to eat between three and four times a day, so make sure that food is always provided for him or her. It would also be wise to create a regular grooming schedule because Yorkie puppies do best when they are properly groomed and have clipped nails and cleaned ears. Keeping your Yorkie puppy healthy and happy will not be difficult with the right information, and your Yorkie will grow up to give you many happy, healthy years of love and devotion.

Grooming is essential to a healthy cavalier King Charles Spaniel. In addition to looking good, regular grooming keeps your Cavalier clean, healthy at the same time prevents problems caused by fleas, ticks, matted hair, uncleaned teeth, excessive buildup of earwax, dirt and bacteria.

Grooming a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel may not be very difficult given the fact that these little creatures are extremely social and enjoy constant companionship from humans and other dogs alike. However, a supposed exciting process may turn into a disaster if appropriate measures are not taken. In order to make grooming easy at the same time fun for you and your dog, here as some tips you might want to consider:

1. Before the process starts, gather all necessary requirements first. You will be needing different tools to clean the eyes, ears, brush teeth, bathe, dry, trim nails as well as hair. Make sure you have all these things before doing anything else.

2. Before bathing your dog, you need to brush and comb away mats and dead hairs as this become tight and unmanageable when wet. Dogs with long coat, such that of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, require daily brushing to make sure that the coat does not get matted and that foreign objects such as grass and sticks do not become entangled. Comb or brush your pet from top to bottom using the appropriate comb/brush for his coat. Different types of comb are combs with fine teeth, with medium teeth, with coarse teeth and combs with or without handles. There are also brushes with short metal pins, slanted metal pins, with flexible plastic pins, oval-shaped brushes and rectangular brushes.

3. Avoid wetting your pet’s ears, eyes and mouth. Clean your dog’s ears regularly to prevent excessive buildup of earwax. Some dogs, such as the cavaliers have excessive hairs growing on the ear canal. You might want to trim this however breed standards for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel demand that this must be kept long. Ask your vet or groomer about this.

4. Begin shampooing at the neck and move downward. Pay careful attention around the nose, mouth, ears and eyes. After shampoo, rinse your dog thoroughly because shampoo residue will cause hot spots, an irritating spot of bald, itchy, red skin.

As soon as bathing is over, dry your dog as best as you can. If you need to blow dry your dog, choose a good quality dryer to eliminate or minimize the risk of burning your pet.

Canine roundworms are parasites that take up residence in your dog’s small intestine and feed on bodily fluids and tissue. These worms, which can measure up to six inches, look like big pieces of spaghetti. They can be life-threatening to puppies and may also be transmitted to people.

Transmission

Most dogs get infected with these worms from their mother. An infected mother can pass them along to their puppies even before birth. Also, the larvae can travel to the mammary glands. This allows them to infect young puppies via the mother’s milk. Dogs also become infected if they ingest eggs that have larvae.

Symptoms

Roundworms can be fatal to puppies in large numbers. Mature dogs normally don’t suffer many problems from canine roundworms unless they get to be too numerous. In these cases, your dog may experience lethargy, weight loss, and a pot belly. Some dogs also experience diarrhea and vomiting.

The worms can also travel to the lungs and cause respiratory problems. This includes nasal discharge, difficulty breathing, and coughing. They can even cause your dog to develop pneumonia. In drastic cases, a large infestation can cause an intestinal blockage which can lead to death.

Diagnosis

Roundworms expel a medium amount of eggs. Therefore, the veterinarian will examine your dog’s stool to see if he is infected. Since a large amount of eggs aren’t expelled, the veterinarian may have to examine multiple stool samples. Some dogs also pass mature worms out of their body through vomit or stool.

Treatment

If your dog is infected with canine roundworms, he will need to take one of several medications. Some medications simply anesthetize the worms so they will pass out through the stool. Other medications kill the worms while they’re still in your dog’s small intestine. Your dog will need to take up to three rounds of these medications.

Many of us think about alternative medicines for ourselves, but you can use alternative medicines for dogs too. Ian has written a post just about this.

Trying Alternative Medicine For Dogs

Just like human medicine, veterinary medicine has been in a constant flux the past years and decades. With new ideas and perspectives, new ways and means have been found for the treatment and care of our beloved dogs. More options are available and each offers a different technique, philosophy and methods. In fact, alternative medicine for dogs has been developed to challenge the traditional veterinary medicine associated with clinics, vaccines and pharmaceutical companies. The following are areas by which alternative veterinary medicine has tried to provide for new options and possibilities:

1. The first is the idea and concept of vaccines where alternative medicine for dogs has suggested that instead of vaccinations, what can be used are nosodes, which is a homeopathic mixture. This however has not been tried and proven on scientific grounds on whether it really prevents infectious diseases. But studies have been published that suggest that these nosodes have decreased active diseases and can prevent their spread. The use of this alternative medicine may imply that vaccinations are no longer needed but as to its implications, no study has yet been conducted.

2. Another area which is looked at by alternative medicine for dogs is the use of chemical in controlling fleas and ticks. These fleas and ticks are the primary issues of many pet owners. Alternative veterinary medicine suggests that instead of chemical use, one can use garlic, different herbs and a brewer’s yeast. Some have even developed a natural insecticide in the daisy family called the pyrethrins. But of course, nothing can still beat the proper care and grooming of your pet dogs like giving them the right hygiene, right diet and right care. You have to continually clean the area where they would sleep or where they would stay. You have to check if their shampoo is right for them, including their grooming powder.

3. With regard to allergies and arthritis, an alternative medicine for dogs can be the use of anti-oxidants and preparations such as chondrotin sulfate and glucosamines and Omega fatty acid supplements. The use of these is an alternative to the use by many of different pharmaceutical products in healing the allergies of the dogs and the arthritis for some.

Nothing will prevent you from trying alternative medicine for dogs but you have to ensure you that you have to talk to your veterinarian who will diagnose your pet’s illness and whether she can suggest for alternative medicine. If you want alternative medicine, find for a qualified practitioner and not just any fake practitioners. What is at stake here is the condition and the health of your favorite pet. And if you try alternative medicine, do not expect quick and extensive results because these only offer simple and modest results. The best solution perhaps is to integrate alternative medicine to the traditional medicine and treatment of dogs. Dogs are man’s best friend so you have to give the best medicines and treatment for your dogs.