Category Archives: Dog Health

How much should I feed my puppy?

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Well, actually I don’t have a puppy. Our family includes a 12 year old canine contributor and the smartest dog we know. But I imagine our readers would like to know the answer to this question. I received an email the other day from Rob at BetterPet.com. He offered to share a Guide to Puppy Feeding. It says you can keep your furbaby healthy, happy, and nourished with these puppy feeding tips, techniques, and advice.

The article on betterpet.com discusses the essentials for feeding your puppy. The size and age of your dog will be an important factor in determining how to feed your little friend. To calculate their daily food intake take note of your dog’s age, physical condition, and weight. Puppies need two to three times more calories per day than older dogs. So it will be good to feed them more often than adult dogs. Be aware that every puppy is unique so talk to your vet about your dog’s nutritional needs.

So, what am I supposed to feed my little puppy, you ask. Keep in mind your dog’s breed, medical conditions, and activity level. Dr. Jennifer Schott gives this advice:

The most important thing to look for is that the food is labeled for growing puppies. It’s also important that your puppy will consistently eat the food! I typically recommend foods from Purina, Hill’s, or Royal Canin as they consistently make good quality products and have multiple puppy formulations based on size and breed.

For more information about how much to feed your puppy, check out the article How Much to Feed a Puppy, Backed by Vets at betterpet.com.

3 Ways To Make Your New Pet Comfortable When You’re Starting a Business

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Guest Blog Post By: Brandon Butler

Dog in home office.
Photo by UpSplash

When you’re an entrepreneur, life can be a nonstop whirlwind of meetings, calculations, website updates, and social media management. You may plan to be a “solopreneur” with no outside help, or perhaps your aim is to run a small startup that’s mostly internet-based with a few freelancers. If you’re considering welcoming a new pet into this mixture of excitement and chaos, ensure that your new animal friend will feel safe, secure, and loved by implementing the following tips.

Keep Your New Pet Close

New mothers often “wear” their babies, and while you don’t have to strap your new dog or cat to your chest to attain a sense of closeness and security, you may want to take a page from the attachment parenting handbook and keep your new animal as close to you as possible during the day when he first comes home. Make sure to speak softly, offer as much physical affection as your new pet wants, and give him plenty of verbal reassurance and treats throughout your workday.

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How to Turn Your Home into a Pet Paradise

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Guest Post by: Dirce Guerra

If you consider yourself a pet lover, there’s no doubt that you want the absolute best for your furry, finned, or feathered pals. Whether you have dogs, cats, birds, or other animals, it’s important to make sure that they are safe, happy, and comfortable. After all, your home is their home! Make sure you take a few simple steps to turn your home into a paradise for your pets so they can thrive. When pets are comfortable and happy, they’ll be healthier and likely live longer, too. Read on for some tips that will help you make a few simple changes to create the ultimate pet paradise.

Dogs

Happy dog.

Dogs are man’s best friend, and that’s why it’s vital to keep them comfy and happy at home. Here are some tips for setting up a pooch paradise:

  • Designate a dog-friendly resting space: Dogs like soft, comfortable areas where they can sleep and feel safe. Create a sleeping spot in your home that’s up to their standards, such as a cozy corner of the living room or perhaps even a spot near your own bed. Dogs prefer natural fabrics like cotton, so look for dog beds made of this or other organic materials. The softer the dog bed, the happier they’ll be.
  • Keep their space tidy: Your home is your dog’s territory, so it’s important that they feel free to move around. Keep your home free of clutter, and don’t block your dog’s line of sight. Dogs need to be able to see through doorways and out of windows. A neat, clean space will make your pup comfortable and help them to feel like they’re able to protect their home since they can see any activity that’s going on around them.
  • Don’t use cleaning chemicals: Heavy-duty household cleaners often contain harsh, potentially toxic chemicals that can cause health problems in dogs (and other pets). Use cleaners that contain natural ingredients that won’t be dangerous if they’re ingested or breathed in. This won’t just benefit your dog – it will also benefit everyone else in the household, too!
  • Avoid using essential oils or strong fragrances: Essential oils can make your home smell wonderful, but they can also be highly toxic to dogs and other pets. Stay away from using any essential oils that can be accidentally ingested or breathed in since they may cause a number of serious health problems for canines and many other animals. Stick to other means of freshening the air in your home, like potpourri or scented candles made without essential oils as fragrance. Certain scents like citrus, ammonia, and perfumes can be upsetting to dogs, even if we humans aren’t bothered by them.
  • Designate a place for food and water: It’s in your dog’s instinct to protect his food and water. To make him feel comfortable, select a place in your home that will be used solely for feeding. When you create a “dining space’ for your dog, they’ll feel comfortable and in control of their environment and won’t have to worry about potential “predators” sneaking up and stealing their food.
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Pets With Anxiety: How to Help Before, During, and After a Move

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Guest Writer: Sarah Hollenbeck

Moving is an exciting time and a fresh start for many. However, with an anxious pet, it can be difficult to ease their nerves in an unfamiliar environment. Your new home might be overwhelming to them, causing an increase in anxiety and bad behavior. Thankfully, there are various ways to help your furry friend feel at home when moving. Below is a guide from the team at MyMove on how to move pets safely before, during, and after your move. 

Before the Move

  • Make sure your home has sufficient space so that your pet has room to run and get in exercise.  
  • Before the move, try and set up their bed and play area beforehand to decrease stress when your pet arrives. 
  • If you can, consider bringing your dog to the new home early on to explore the area. This way, when it comes time to move, they will already be familiarized with the location.  
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Summer Safety Tips for Your Pet

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Guest Post By: Hannah Stevens

Dog on beach
Image courtesy of Pexels.com

Summer is usually a great time to enjoy ourselves and spend time out with our favorite companions. However, spending long sunny days with our pets can spell danger to them. Dogs usually do not cool off quickly in hot conditions. Therefore, it is wise to learn the necessary precautions from animal experts.

Keep Your Dog Cool

To prevent dehydration, ensure that the furry companions take plenty of fresh, clean water and stay under a shade or in cool places to help them regulate their body temperature. Also, avoid over-exercising them in scorching weather. Similarly, know how to tell the symptoms of overheating such as;

  • Difficulty in breathing and excessive panting.
  • Increase in respiratory and heart rate.
  • Mild weakness and drooling, stupor and sometimes collapsing.

These symptoms can escalate to bloody vomit and diarrhea and sudden shot in their body temperature.

Never Leave Your Pet in a Car

Not only is leaving your dog in the car dangerous, but it is also illegal in some states in the United States. Dogs love riding in the car but certainly would not enjoy being stuck in there on a hot summer afternoon. Though it may seem as if a short while is harmless, dogs can suffer severely from 10 minutes in the car, deliberately inducing heatstroke. It’s advisable to search for the owner immediately if you see a dog left in the car or call the police.

Do Not Shave Your Dog

You may need to trim off long hair on your dog, but you should never shave them. The long coat acts as a cushion against overheating and sunburns. The fur on your pet also helps it keep warm during the freeze. It is advisable to leave it an inch long every time you are doing the routine pet grooming.

Adhering to grooming schedules despite the season also enables you to monitor any infestation of pests, thus prevent them from spreading. Make sure that any insect repellant products and sunscreen that you apply on the pet are explicitly authorized by a vet. A well-groomed and insect free dog will lead a healthy life and enjoy quality sleep.

Mind the Paws

When temperatures rise, hot floor surfaces will cause a dog to heat up pretty fast since their system picks heat from the ground. Despite the pooch heating up, the paw pads can also be injured. Minimizing walking at this time or avoiding asphalt and cement which heat up quickly. Driving around with your dog on the back of a truck can also cause the paws to burn from the hot metal. However, if you have to have the company of your dog, doggy boots can come in handy to protect the paws.

Encourage Swimming

Like human beings, dogs can enjoy a swim on a hot afternoon as well. It could be dangerous since not all dogs can swim so dress them in a life vest. The vest’s color should be bright enough to be noticed in case riptides, and intense storms sweep them away. Make sure you always keep watch when in the water.

Snake Bites: How to Protect Our Pets

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Guest Post by Rachel Hudson

adorable dog
Photo by Bruno Cervera from Pexels

Description: When warmer periods arrive, most of us feel way more energetic, and we want to spend every spare moment walking, hiking or simply playing outdoors with our four-legged friends.  But what we rarely think about is that during warm months there is a higher risk for our dog to be exposed to snakes bites. 

You might wonder, why there are more snakes in spring and summer as well as why on earth would a snake bite a dog?  Well for starters, snakes hibernate during winter, so they also feel more energetic as the sun begins to warm up. They are also searching for food to fill their empty stomachs because they have digested all the food they had eaten before hibernation. There are greater chances to encounter a snake in your garden while hiking or anywhere else for that matter.

That wouldn’t be a problem if our pets would have the same sensation regarding snakes as we do. However, no one has told dogs that snakes might pose an immediate danger in some cases as our parents or grandparents told us. For dogs, a snake on the road or in the backyard is just another animal. Dogs are by nature curious and playful creatures, and when they meet other animals, they like to sniff and get to know a potential new friend.  Some dogs can be too persistent in their curiosity or emotionality and won’t leave the snake in peace. This is when snakes bites occur.

 On the other hand, snakes are timid and cautious. Since they have no limbs or claws, the only way they can defend themselves from what they consider to be the dangerous situation is biting. You must know that both venomous and nonvenomous snakes bite. It is crucial that you immediately get your pet to the vet so it can get proper care to prevent any consequences. 

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