Tips on Keeping Dog’s Teeth Clean

Are you worried about your dog’s dental health? Here are a few tips to keep their teeth and gums looking great.

Try to come up with a routine for brushing its’ teeth. There are toothbrushes and brushes that go on your finger like a finger puppet. You can also purchase a baby toothbrush to use on puppies. Be careful using human toothpaste as it may ingest more than recommended. Dog toothpaste is also available and can make the tooth brushing process easier with their chicken and beef flavors.

If you can’t stick to a great brushing schedule, there are dental treats available like DentaStix, Busy Bone and Dental Fresh, which dogs love. These treats help remove plaque and stimulate the gums. There are various brands, sizes and favors, so it’s easy to find a brand that works well.

If it appears it needs a dental cleaning, you can take it to the vet. I recommend trying to keep up with a schedule that enables you not to do so. Dental cleanings can be very expensive and a lot of times they put the pet under to perform the cleaning, which is sometimes dangerous for puppies.

A friend of mine has come up with a routine that she stands behind. In order to make sure she keeps its teeth healthy, every time she gives him a bath she makes sure to brush his teeth. This ensures that his teeth are cleaned at least once every two weeks. She follows up his day of cleaning with a DentaStix. Between bath days, she brushes his teeth whenever it pops into her head or gives him a DentaStix. If she does see any tartar build up, she removes it with a tooth cleaning utensil.

If you are worried about the dental health, check to see if there is any tartar along their gum line or any loose teeth. Excessively bad breath is also an indication of poor dental health. Keeping your dog’s teeth healthy can be easy and inexpensive if you stay proactive.

Treating Your Dog

Everybody loves to treat their dog, and we all know dogs love treats. With all the options out there, how does one figure out the best way to treat his or her pooch?

Vet
If your dog has any health issues, including illnesses or obesity, talk to your vet about what treats would be best. Different treats are better-suited to different dogs and different health concerns.

Dog Treats are for Dogs
It is best to avoid people-food all together when it comes to giving your dog treats. There are many human foods that can make your dog very sick. The easiest way to avoid someone giving your pooch a dangerous food is to have a strict “no people food” rule. This is also a big help when it comes to maintaining your dog’s trim waistline.
Mind Meal Times
Don’t go heavy on the treats close to meal times. Letting your dog fill up on treats can spoil his appetite. This not only means that he misses out on important nutrients, but it also skips a chance to reiterate discipline and maintain routine.

Multi-Purpose Treats
It is great to take advantage of treat-giving by providing treats that are also beneficial to your dog. Dental treats, like Greenies, are fantastic because they clean your dog’s teeth and freshen his breath. Any biscuit-like, crunchy treats will help to scrape plaque from the teeth for better dental health and fresher breath too.

Fruits & Veggies
Fruits and veggies make great, healthy treats for your pooch. Try sweet potatoes, celery, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa, carrots, zucchini, apples, pears, oranges, and grapefruit.

Count Calories
Remember that treats count toward your dog’s daily calorie count. If you give your dog treats every day, you should subtract from the amount of food he gets each day as well. This is not to say Fido has to skip dinner if you give him a biscuit, but dog owners must remember that treats are a part of his daily food intake, so they should make it count with healthy treats and not too many.

Training Treats
Using treats is a great way to keep your dog interested in training-time. However, as mentioned above, these treats do count towards daily calorie totals. So, if you are conducting daily training sessions, consider dividing your dog’s food into small portions and using those portions in your training.

If your dog doesn’t get very excited about his usual kibble, training treats are the best option. Good training treats have a strong scent to entice your dog. They are also small and soft. Small soft treats are easy to eat quickly so your dog’s mind doesn’t have a chance to wander away from the task at hand while he’s busy chewing.

Why Feed with Organic Dog Food

Certified Organic food is produced under stringent standards that ensure safe and natural farming practices and ecologically friendly methods within guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The organic food movement is gaining more and more support as green living finds itself at the forefront of our society’s consciousness. Today one can find the organic version of most products, including dog food and treats. So, why should you feed your dog organic food?


Organic food is made with no additives, chemicals, colorants, pesticides, or bulk fillers. This means the products on which you’re spending your hard-earned money are natural, high-quality foods. When you buy organic, you truly know what you’re getting, and what is being consumed by your beloved pooch. The USDA strictly monitors the production of organics. A company cannot legally advertise its foods as “certified organic” unless both the place of production, and any other location or company that handles its products between production and sale have been certified by agents of the USDA’s National Organic Project (NOP). There is much comfort to be found in the fact that the food you’re giving your dog has been certified by the United States Government as completely organic.

Organic food, by the very nature of its production, is healthier for your dog. Since the standards under which organic foods are produced are so strict, one need not worry about the risks associated with contaminants finding their way into products. Animals raised organically are free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and other artificial drugs. In fact, a company cannot boast that its meat is organic unless the animals eat nothing but organic foods themselves. Again, this ensures that you know exactly what you are providing your dog when you feed with organic dog food.

Furthermore, it has been concluded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science that organically grown foods have higher nutritional value than those grown in standard, industrial environments—namely, more vitamins, more antioxidants and lower levels of nitrates (which can form cancer-causing compounds). Non-organic dog foods are choc-full of sodium, preservatives and artificial colors, none of which are healthy for your dog. Organic food, however, includes nothing but actual, wholesome, food products. Feeding your dog an organic diet is believed to boost the immune system, thus lessening the risk of infection and various diseases.

The health benefits associated with eating foods that are literally more nutritious cannot be ignored, but that’s only part of the multifaceted argument for buying organic. If you’re interested in a greener lifestyle, organic is the way to go.

The farming industry uses 12% of the US energy supply, more than any other industry. Due to production, transporting, processing and marketing, non-organic farming is extremely dependant on fossil fuels. Organic farming, however, requires 70% less energy.

The lack of pesticides and herbicides on organic farms safeguards groundwater, topsoil, habitats and neighborhood health. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that agriculture is responsible for 70% of the pollution in US rivers and streams. It is believed that pesticides contaminate the groundwater in 38 US states. These dangerous and often carcinogenic chemicals are making their way into our drinking water, and, in much greater volume, into the bodies of farmers. Farmers are six times more at risk for cancer than any other profession.

Buying organic benefits the community by supporting the avoidance of dangerous chemicals in farming, and it also gives local economies a leg-up. According to the USDA, 50% if farm products come from 1% of farms. This is one of the reasons that the US has lost more than approximately 650,000 family farms in the last ten years. Supporting the smaller, more efficient farms that produce organic products means supporting small business, family farms, and the wholesome lifestyle that goes along with the two.

One of the most feel-good reasons to buy organic is that organic food has been scientifically proven to taste better. Organic farming actually improves the soil. Soil quality has been proven to improve quality, taste, and storability of foods.

So what are you waiting for? Do your part for farmers, the economy, the environment, and your dog—Go organic for your dog’s food!

Dog Clothes

Furry dogs are as stylish as they come but humans have infectious fantasy world of their own and even dogs take on some of the spirit of their owners and like to wear clean beautiful outfits sometimes. The dog clothes must be easily washable and should not shrink easily. Fabric is very important and if you can sew a little, it can save you much money and come up with better designs and patterns to suit your tastes and your dog's comfort. Avoid using choking hazards to decorate dog clothes such as attractive buttons, sequins or glittering objects that may motivate the togs to chew upon the clothes. Velcro snaps are much better to be used in dog clothes, as they are self-sticking and are quite adjustable to allow for the perfect fit. The clothes should also have a slit or a buckle at the back to allow the leash to be attached to it. The distance between the cuts for the paws should be comfortable for your dog.

Clothes for active dogs and outdoor wear for dogs should be safe and warm. They should be sturdy enough to keep of cuts, scratches and bad weather from affecting your dog while on adventure. Dog garments can be of many types such as dog coats, dog vests and dog booties. They should be able to keep your pooch dry, warm and save it from rain, wind and storm. Latest style of dog clothes may also include reflective materials that make it easy to search the dog and stitching that is not visible on top. Clothes for active dogs are designed especially to keep them from getting scratches and cuts in the woods by the sharp bushes and splintering brambles. Even the long furry dogs may need coats to protect them from chilly winds in cold weather.

The clothes for dogs should have a good fitting. Their coats, vests, boots and hats should not be very tight but should remain securely in place while the dog is on hunt or a hike with you. Rough bushes and elements of weather can be as much a pain in neck as they are to you, so the clothes for outdoors must be sturdy enough to protect them. The type of coat also determines the types of clothes chosen for a dog. Dogs with short hair may suffer more from rain and cold while thick fur may absorb lots of water. Fleece dog clothing is suitable for cold windy days but are not good enough for rain and thorns. For maximum protection, you may choose a dog coat with a warm fleece lining and a durable nylon shell.

A raincoat for a dog can protect him from the rain and cold too. Choose a raincoat with a hat with flaps to cover the ears. A coat that extends to the underside of the dog must have a hole at the rear end to allow the dog to urinate. Thorns and bugs away from the long fur of your canine pal is quite a bonus too. The clothes should allow a full range of motion and should not restrict its motions, especially those of legs. Garments must have clean lines and invisible close stitching that won't get caught easily or may not prompt dog to chew upon. Clothes for particular breeds of dogs are also available at bigger pet stores. They are specially designed to suit their needs and comforts.

Dog Allergies

Dogs may suffer from various kinds of allergies. The food allergies are difficult to determine, as dogs are usually allergic to only one ingredient and not to the whole diet. So, isolating that particular ingredient becomes a long puzzle. Traditionally, it is said that a diet that a dog never eaten before, should be given to him as they will not cause the allergic reaction. People used to give lamb and rice to dog at first but since they are now part of most of the other dog foods, one can try rich-protein diet such as ostrich meat, alligator meat, duck, venison and rabbit along with rich-carbohydrate diet such as potato, peas and rice. Food ingredients such as beef, chicken, milk and wheat can be added back into the diet one at a time to see the reaction of the dog. If food allergies reoccur then, the ingredient added last is taken to be the culprit.

To avoid these allergies, try the following:

• Hyposensitization - Injecting minute amounts of allergen to the dog so that a tolerance to the substance develops. It should be tried on young dogs only, as they respond better to it.
  
• Rinse the ears of your pooch with white vinegar mixed 1:1 with water, once or twice a week, to reduce infections.
  
• In case of inflammation in ear, use Synotic (Rx) or another corticosteroidotic preparation to control secondary infections. Oral corticosteroids have more systemic side effects.
  
• Antihistamines help to reduce ear infections too.

The best allergy test is intradermal skin testing, which can be done by a veterinary dermatologist or an experienced general practitioner too. It has an accuracy rate of about 70 to 80%. Another testing method that can be used for inhalant allergies is blood testing, which an accuracy rate of about 60 to 70%.

How To Care For Dogs

Dogs and humans have been best friends for long. While dogs give unconditional love, loyalty and friendship to their owners, the owners are, in turn, responsible for their proper care, food and water, shelter, safety, regular veterinary care and exercise. In fact, if you do not undertake proper care of your dog, it is not only likely to suffer from physical problems, but behavioral problems as well. In this context, there are some dog-care basics that you need to follow. In order to help you out in the task, we have listed a number of dog caring tips, in the lines below.

How To Care For Dogs

• Collar your dog and attach an ID to it, with the dog's name, your name, address, and telephone number written on it. The ID will prove to be a great help if, and when, your dog ends up getting lost. Through the information provided on the ID, someone will able to bring your pet safely back to your home.
  
• Bathing your dog at regular intervals is necessary. However, giving it a bath on an exceedingly frequent basis can dry out its skin and coat and result in skin infections. The best bet would be to bathe your dog once in a month. In case it gets too dirty in-between, rub it with a damp towel or wash just the paws.
  
  
  
• While bathing the dog frequently is not advisable, you should definitely groom it on a daily basis. Move a brush or comb through the hair of your dog, ensuring that its coat remains smooth and free of tangles. Grooming of a dog can be started when it is 3-4 months old and continues throughout its life.
  
  
  
• It is necessary to undertake a proper physical examination of your dog on a monthly basis. Check the pad of its feet for any injuries and also undertake an oral examination of its mouth. At the same time, make sure to keep its ears as well as teeth clean. You need to take your dog for regular veterinarian check-ups as well, say every 2-3 months.
  
  
  
• One of the main points that you need to keep in mind, while taking care of your dog, comprises of its diet. Remember, a nutritionally balanced diet, with constant access to fresh water, is as good for your dog as it is for you. Before deciding on the proper diet for your dog, it is advisable to consult a veterinary doctor.
  
  
  
• If you want your dog to remain fit and healthy, then you need to make sure that it gets a lot of exercise. Keeping its busy physically will also help keep behavioral problems at bay. You can take him for walk twice a day or play with him. In this context, remember that the level of exercise that your dog should get depends upon its breed and age.
  
  
  
• While some people prefer to keep their dog free throughout the day, others prefer to keep it tied for majority of the time. It is advisable not to keep your dog constantly tied up, as this will lead to boredom and result in bad temper of the dog as well. As much as possible, keep your dog free of the leash.
  
  
  
• If you do not want to breed your dog, get it neutered, after consulting a veterinary doctor. It will help the dog live longer, be healthier and have fewer behavior problems. You should also get your dogs vaccinated against rabies and other diseases. It is necessary to ensure the health of your dog as well as those who come in contact with it.
  
  
  
• You need to provide proper shelter for your dog, mainly in the form of a dog house (and fence yard, in case of large and active dogs). However, most of the dogs crave companionship and do not like to be alone for long periods. So, try to spend as much time with your dog as possible and make it go into the dog house at night only.