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Natural Health For Dog And Cat Article

Understanding Dog Health

Does your dog have lively eyes, full energy and lots of vitality? Is your dog's coat shiny and bright? These visible signs of a healthy dog are pretty easy to spot. And, as a dog owner, your role in getting your dog into this healthy state and keeping your dog in this condition is important.

The most basic way to keep your dog healthy is through food. Every animal requires water and food to live. We realize from a human standpoint the importance of a healthy diet and how food affects our energy. These conditions are important in a dog's diet too or else they encounter malnutrition. Our much-loved dogs require a diet full of vitamins, minerals and canine nutrients for a proper diet. Since the majority of today's top brand-name dog foods are complete with these ingredients, this health requirement for our dogs is easy to fulfill. Steer away from cheaper brands as they often contain too much cornmeal and little nutrition.

It is also now well known from human experience that it is possible for animals to overeat and become obese. This never happens in the wild - an animal that is so out of shape that it cannot fend for itself does not last long - in fact we only ever see obesity in humans and in their pets. It may be something that kind hearted owners do to their pets, thinking the dog will be happier if it eats plenty. But they should remember that overweight pets do not live as long as their lean counterparts, and (like humans) they are more susceptible to heart disease, respiratory problems, arthritic pain and diabetes. What's more they are more likely to die if they have to be put under anaesthetic for surgery (again, this applies to obese human beings too). Feeding your dog the right food, and at the right amount, is the first key to keeping your dog healthy.

As attentive owners there are several things we should be on the look out for that can be seen on a dog's fur, skin and stools. Fleas and tics can both cause dog illnesses so should be treated. Flea collars are not great at treating fleas, but there are any number of good powders and spray that will do the job - the only thing is that you must follow the instructions exactly. If you have had a flea problem it is vital that you thoroughly clean all the areas where the dog hangs out - if you vacuum carpets empty the bags outside straight afterwards, if the dog lounges on the bedding, wash it. This is so that you dog is not immediately re-infected from the fleas or eggs in the carpets and fabrics around the house.

Be careful to check your dog's fur after a walk in the country, since this is when they are most likely to have picked up ticks. Finally check your dog's stools for evidence of worms. Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms all can infest a dog's intestinal tract, though not all are visible to the naked eye - this is why a regular worming schedule needs to be followed.

These few steps create a much healthier and happier dog. Further steps like keeping veterinarian visits and keeping your dog's vaccinations up to date also increase your dog's health factor. By following these caring and healthy steps, you are creating a fit and content dog that is sure to live a much longer and healthier life.

About The Author

Copyright 2005 Sally Ricco. All rights reserved.

Sally Ricco's internet site Pet Dog Health is an informative site which has topics about common dog health problems and more serious ailments such as canine cancer. View her complete archive of articles here: http://www.petdoghealth.com/

Written by: Sally Ricco

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Natural Health For Dog And Cat Article

There are numerous poisonous substances that can be fatal to dogs and cats, but accidental poisoning can be avoided in most cases if we remember to keep as many of these substances out of reach of our pets. If you suspect that your dog or cat has been poisoned take a moment to try and retrace their movements to detect what type of poison they were exposed to, and then get the animal to the veterinarian at once. No matter what remedies may be suggested here or from other sources, always take the affected animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible, as this may be the only way to save your pets life.

Food poisoning is probably the most common because dogs are not discriminating in the selection of substances they eat if they find the smell attractive, and if their owners want to give them a �treat� in the form of table scraps, leftovers, candy, and drinks, (this is especially true around the holidays). Vomiting and diarrhea are common complaints in the vets office around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The rich food, spoiled leftovers, non digestible bones, candy, and drinks can�t be tolerated by most pets. Spoiled food contains bacterial toxins produced by salmonella and pets suffering from bacterial toxemia must have veterinary treatment in the form of intravenous fluids and antibiotics just to survive.

Chocolate contains Theo bromine and caffeine which are both toxic to dogs and cats. Baking chocolate contains more of these chemicals than milk chocolate does, but both forms can be potentially lethal. A small dog can receive a lethal amount in only two or three squares of baking chocolate. Tea and coffee contain the same chemicals, and can also be lethal depending on the amount ingested. Warning signs include excitement, nervousness, muscle spasms, seizures, and increased body temperature. Veterinary treatment is recommended as soon as possible.

Poisonous plants in the home such as amaryllis, asparagus ferns, crown of thorns, ivy plants, and chrysanthemum plants are toxic to dogs and cats. Signs of plant poisoning are vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors, convulsions, and increases respiratory rate. Outdoor plants such as castor beans, daffodils, bittersweet, Indian tobacco, azalea, cherry laurel, hemlock, oleander, and yew are also toxic to pets and will produce the same effects. Only veterinary treatment will be effective.

Chemical poisons can include dish water granules, oven cleaners, furniture polish, toilet bowl cleaner, shoe polishes, floor polishes, bleach, ammonia, detergents, drain openers, kerosene, paint stripper, and paint removers, paint thinners, gasoline, wood preservatives, antifreeze and most other petroleum based products. Most cleaning products will destroy bodily tissues by acid or alkaline burns in the mouth and throat, accompanied by damage to the stomach, intestines and other internal organs. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that dogs and cats will lick. A dog that consumes only a half teaspoonful of antifreeze per pound of its body weight will have severe damage to its nervous system and kidneys. Signs of poisoning by chemicals are loss of coordination, vomiting, collapsing, convulsions, and coma. Veterinary treatment must be started immediately, and do not induce vomiting.

Pesticide poisoning occurs daily due to the extensive use of pesticides used around our homes and business�s. Ant poisons contain organophosphates or carbonates, both are toxic and can cause muscle tremors, nervousness, and convulsions. Snail baits and pellets contain the toxic metaldehyde causing tremors, rapid breathing, convulsions, coma, and death. Emergency veterinary treatment is required for both ant and snail poisons.

Rat and mouse poisons are typically the most lethal of all commercially used pesticides. Toxic chemicals in these poisons include warfain, sodium fluorecetate, strychnine, ANTU, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, phosphorus, red squill, zinc phosphide, and aluminum phosphide. By design, these poisons work in one of three ways, as anticoagulants, causing death by internal and external bleeding, signs include nasal bleeding, vomiting blood, blood in urine, weakness, poor coordination, abdominal pain and rapid breathing.

Poisons that do not contain anticoagulants effect the nervous system, causing hyper excitability, muscle tremors, seizures, and kidney and heart failure. The last group is the phosphorus containing poisons that damage the liver. Early signs are vomiting, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and a yellow color to the skip and mouth. Phosphorus poisoning is usually fatal due to the irreversible internal damage done to the animal.

To summarize, learn to recognize the symptoms of poisoning, acute abdominal pain, crying and whimpering, vomiting and retching, panting, curling up in a dark corner, blood in urine, vomiting blood, bloody diarrhea, tremors, excitability, and poor coordination. Take your pet to the Veterinarian immediately as most poisons can be fatal, and little can be done by the owner to neutralize or remove the poisons once the ingestion occurs.

About The Author

Brent Jones and his partner Randy Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed the website http://joncopets.com/ on the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest trendy items for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://joncopets.com/.

Written by: Brent Jones

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