Pet Care Tips, Advice and Information

1. A pup will prove to be an excellent companion for a pet cat.
Since a small puppy has lot of curiosity, he is likely to provoke even a docile and mild-tempered cat. In these circumstances, the family members should take care for some time to protect the puppy, which may stand the risk of being seriously injured. After sometime, the dog and cat are likely to become friendly. Cats are more territorial and take longer to adjust. On the other hand, introducing a kitten to an adult dog in the family does not cause much of a problem.
An interesting illustration of the compatibility between a dog and a cat can be seen from the following example:
The author’s family once had a bitch and a female cat. Coincidentally both gave birth to pups and kittens, respectively, with a difference of only two or three days. Occasionally, the pups were put to feed on the teats of the cat and vice versa, and both the mothers fed the little ones happily without the least apparent feeling of disturbance or abnormality. There is no harm if a dog and a cat share food from the same bowl, but we must realize that both species have different nutritional requirements.
2.  Chasing his own tail is a pup’s form of play.
This may be very normal when the puppy is excited and in a playful mood. However tail-chasing and biting may also be due to irritation in the anal glands. It is, however, desirable to get the pup checked by your veterinarian if the tail-chasing is repeated many times for a day or two.
3.  Dogs are incapable of finding the homes of their previous owners once they have been away for a while.
Amazingly there are cases when dog owners had to leave their dog with some friends, when they had to shift to another town more than 100 miles away, as it is not possible for them to keep the dog in their new home. The owner of one such dog received a letter from the dog’s foster home that the dog had disappeared. The dog, which had no idea where the owner’s new home was, reached in a badly emaciated condition.
Research needs to be conducted on how dogs can sometimes accomplish such incredible feats.
Various species of birds that migrate are said to rely on the sun and at times, the stars for navigation purposes, but this is not known about dogs. Man is said to possess an internal biological clock which takes several days to reset when he travels long distances by jet plane. Perhaps dogs also possess an innate time sense or some latent abilities for navigation, but nothing is definitely known as yet. Some dogs may have a greater potential in direction than others. Even amongst human beings, some people get lost in the streets of the city where they have lived for many years, while others have an uncanny ability to get around even in strange cities.
4.  Dog-training should be started at the earliest.
When you get a puppy of about 8 weeks of age, he is already ready to learn house-training. Some animal psychologists state that puppies can begin more difficult training when they are 7-8 weeks old. Some special techniques are required for this training, but since they are still experimental, they should be left professional trainers. Basic training like walking on a leash, SIT and LIE DOWN commands and coming when called, can be started at the age of 3 to 4 months, by that time the pup should have his vaccinations. Most pups under 3 months of age have less power of retention. We have to be extra patience with a pup less than 3 months of age to win his confidence. However we should not begin serious higher obedience training before the dog is about 4 months or older.

Not only are there definite signs of old age, there are certain problems which an old dog may have to face.
Impaired Hearing:
As the dog ages, his hearing becomes poor, and may ultimately lead to deafness. Disregard of your commands may be due to hearing loss. If his sight is still good, hand signals can become a substitute – a deaf dog is often found to be looking instead of listening for commands. One sure sign of a hearing problem is when your dog does not greet you at the door when you come home and ring the bell. If you suspect a hearing problem, take the dog to your veterinarian to see if he can help in any way. A deaf dog should never be let off the lead unless he is in a safely fenced area. A deaf dog can feel vibrations, and you should tap the ground when you wish to draw his attention. Even stamping by foot can be a recall signal.
Failing Eyesight:
As a dog becomes older, his eyesight suffers, often not necessarily due to local irritations but due to manifestations of developments elsewhere in the body. Many older dogs begin to develop opacity in the lens of one or both eyes called cataract. Sometimes diabetes may cause eyesight problems. Before an old dog becomes completely blind, he cannot see objects clearly, but this may remain unnoticed in the house on account of his familiarity of things in the house. If the arrangement of furniture in the house is changed, we may find such a dog stumbling. As long as a blind dog can smell, hear and feel the members of the family, he gets around by memory. Only a veterinarian can diagnose the exact problem. The owner can, however, help the blind dog by not taking him off the leash outside the house and by avoiding any major rearrangement of furniture in the house, including his food and water bowls.
Arthritis:
This is a common problem in older dogs and may be due to many factors like degenerative processes, nutritional factors or lack of exercise. The onset is generally gradual and the owner notices the dog facing increased difficulty in getting up, walking and moving about in general. Consultation with the veterinarian is of course essential. In the meantime care should be taken to keep the dog inside the house where the temperature is neither too high nor too low and there is no direct draft and dampness. To leave the dog outside during the cold winter months can aggravate the problem. Moderate and regularly done exercise through walking is helpful.
Incontinence:
Another common problem with older dog is incontinence or the inability to control movement of the bowels and bladder. A dog suffering from incontinence should be walked more frequently and be confined to a particular place, where cleaning is comparatively more convenient. If the problem of dribbling his urine around the house becomes a daily occurrence in spite of veterinary advice and treatment, the humane alternative is to partially paper-train him as in the case of pups. Do not punish him for these mistakes. A change in diet and medication by the veterinarian may help.
Kidney and Liver Disorders:
These are other problems with older dogs. Old dog may not eat properly. Sometimes there is retention of urine and/or the presence of calculi in the urinary tract. The dog may drink an excessive amount of water and urinate frequently. A visit to the veterinarian is a must for these disorders; he may advise medication and changes in the diet.
Heart Diseases:
Any symptoms of coughing, breathing difficulties and fatigue could be due to heart problems. These are not uncommon among older dogs. We should not view these symptoms as minor respiratory diseases in such dogs, but take veterinary advice at the earliest. X-ray and diagnostics tests may also be required.
Tumors:
Tumors are a common problem that afflicts ageing dogs. Initially a growth may be very small, but may gradually begin to increase. Tumors may be found on almost any part of the body, but tumors of the breast or testicles are more common. In fact no growth should be disregarded, whatever be the age of the dog. if neglected for any length of time, it may spread not only in size at that spot, but may even become malignant and spread to other organs of the body. About half of the mammary tumors are harmless. Tumors in the breast or testicles often develop among dogs in old age if they have not been spayed or castrated. It is best to get these tumors surgically removed in their earliest stages by the veterinarian.
Obesity:
Another common problem with old dogs is obesity, which is more common among females than males. Overweight dogs experience somewhat similar health risks that overweight humans do. Such dogs get tired and experience short breath very soon. Overweight dogs are more liable to die young. They are more likely to develop heart and lung diseases, arthritis, diabetes and liver disease. Performing surgery, especially that which involves general anesthesia, on fat dog, is sometimes risky. Such dogs also suffer from reduced resistance to infections and impaired reproductive efficiency.

The early signs of ageing can be noticed in the dog’s physical appearance. We may notice grey hair around his muzzle, along with a comparatively duller and drier coat. He is slow to get up in the morning, taking a few stiff steps before he starts to walk normally. In general he is less active and does not even respond to his name as readily as he used to earlier. He sleeps a great deal of the time. When the dog was young, he might not have minded if someone accidentally bumped into him while he was resting. Similarly he might have tolerated his food bowl being taken away or a small child physically pestering him. But in his old age, he may be irritable, and such trifles may cause great annoyance to him. He may sometimes even growl at small things, which he never did before. This change in his behavior may annoy the owner, who may sometimes want to hit him. This is a very wrong attitude, as the failing senses, combined with possible stomach, kidney and other infirmities associated with old age, may be the cause of such changed behavior.
Consideration and toleration for the old dog is imperative to allow him to pass his old age comfortably and to help him live longer. A little patience in picking up his bowl till he has finished his food, training children to avoid pestering the old dog…. these little things will go a long way.

There are certain diseases which are primarily of human origin but are acquired by animal like dogs. Among such diseases of major public health significance are tuberculosis of the human type and several animal parasites, including amoebic dysentery.
Mumps:
The chief reservoir of the virus of mumps is man himself. Animals may be a factor in the spread of the disease from time to time. Dogs also may acquire the disease, though only a few cases of mumps in dogs have been reported. The author however knows the case when a young dog was allowed the freedom of going not only into the sick room but even on to the bed of the patient when the latter was suffering from mumps. The dog was reported to be ill with swollen parotid glands; he experienced difficulty in swallowing and the mumps virus showed up in his saliva. After a few days the dog died. Another case of a similar type recovered after two weeks.
Measles:
Measles is another highly communicable disease caused by a virus. Man is the chief reservoir of infection and the disease spreads by droplet transmission of nasal and throat secretions of infected persons. The role of animals in the spread of this disease is not considered of importance. However the viruses of distemper (fatal disease afflicting dogs) and measles have been shown to share identical antigenic components. When scientists infected some dogs with the virus, fever and coryza along with rash were noticed in quite a large number of them. The virus was isolated from them. The relationship between the virus of canine distemper and measles has been used in the development of heterotypic vaccination procedures. Dogs immunized with measles vaccine are subsequently protected against clinical distemper. Even today measles vaccine is available for use in pups of less than 12 weeks of age, but its use is not advisable in pups over 12 weeks of age. Diphtheria and streptococci may also infect dogs.

A dog enjoys a more intimate contact with man than with any other animal, sharing not only his dwelling, but being his close companion. Under such circumstances, the dog can transmit several diseases associated with dogs are very rare or are not of much importance or are not generally recorded in India. Hence only those which occur often are being discussed here for the interest and benefit of dog owners.
Diseases Transmitted by Dogs:
Roundworms and hookworms are common intestinal worms that afflict dogs. In turn dogs are capable of infecting and inducing disease amongst human beings who accidentally ingest eggs of roundworms, or have direct skin contact with hookworm larvae through any stuff contaminated with stools of infected dogs. Since roundworm infection is transferred from the mother to the pups before or immediately after birth, infection is often established in pups during the first month of their lives. To avoid the risk of transmission to human beings, early deworming of pups and paying attention towards sanitation is very important.
Thus the ideal approach as recent research work is that prophylactic deworming should be initiated two to three weeks after pups are whelped, and this should include the nursing bitch. Treatment should be repeated every two to three weeks until the pups are three months of age, to eliminate successively maturing larvae. In addition to deworming, simple hygienic practices are essential to avoid the risk of dogs infecting human beings.

Coughing is a problem dogs often face. Persistent coughs should not be neglected.
Causes and Symptoms:
There are numerous causes of coughing in dogs. Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, cardiovascular diseases and allergies are some of the options which could cause this problem.
Sometimes the animal may vomit following a bout of coughing or retching. Dog owners should be careful not to regard retching and the attempt to vomit as gastrointestinal problems always, as it could actually be a form of coughing.
Treatment and Prevention:
The veterinarian can diagnose the cause of coughing by perusing the dog’s history and a physical examination.

A seizure or fit involves an involuntary, sudden, recurring disturbance in the normal functioning of the nervous systems on account of some kind of metabolic disturbances in the system.
Causes and Symptoms:
The exact causes of the above conditions are not yet fully understood. Sometimes less sugar in the blood and kidney diseases may be the contributory causes of the problem. Generally there is one kind of condition of recurrent seizures – a transient disturbance of the brain function that may be manifested by loss of consciousness. A convulsion indicates a seizure manifesting muscular activity.
Treatment and Prevention:
Your veterinarian should be able to help and lots of cases are cured. In some cases medication may have to be continued for a long time.

Fever refers to the elevation of body temperature above the accepted normal temperature of dogs.
Causes and symptoms:
The thermoregulatory center of the animal is located in the brain. Heat loss is accomplished through dilatation of superficial blood vessels of the skin, panting and, to some extent, on body posture exposed to a cooler environment. Some degree of higher environmental temperature can be taken care of by the thermoregulatory center, but when there is inadequate heat dissipation, the dog may suffer from heat stroke. Similarly excessive exercise may result in elevation of body temperature.
Fever is a kind or reaction of the body to various environmental and other abnormalities which result from several infections and other innumerable factors.
Mild or moderate rise of body temperature is not generally fatal, and, in fact, may be rather beneficial to the body. However, fever on account of various bacterial, viral and such other infections can be fatal.
Treatment and Prevention:
Your veterinarian should be able to diagnose the cause of fever on obtaining the complete history, a physical examination and various other factors. Dogs rarely have temperature elevation beyond 41 deg C or 107 deg F. if the temperature rises beyond this, there can be a possibility of permanent damage to the brain, kidney and liver. Occasionally it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of fever. Cardiovascular collapse and shock can often occur when the temperature is very high.

As opposed to diarrhea, constipation refers to the infrequent and increased straining in passing of stools, which may be hard or dry. Sometimes the owner feels that the dog has constipation if the dog has not passed stools for one day. There is nothing to worry about if there is no other symptom and the dog is not uncomfortable. However it is important to ascertain that there is sufficient bulk in the food to form stools.
Causes and Symptoms:
Eating bones or too much meat can cause constipation. Dehydration, lack of exercise, too much indigestible bulk, rectal pain due to inflammation, a tumor in the intestinal tract, debility and medicinal iron preparations are some of the causes of constipation. Sometimes the dog may eat a small piece of cloth or plastic, which could cause constipation – like symptoms and even intestinal obstruction.
Constipation is generally recognized by mild to severe straining while passing feces. The abdomen may be enlarged and hard.
Treatment and Prevention:
Habitual constipation can be avoided by training the dog to have regular bowel habits, balanced feeding and proper exercise. The food should contain a reasonable amount of fiber and bulk to help in the formation of formed feces. As a home remedy, an oral dose of liquid paraffin – about one teaspoon to five tablespoons – depending upon the size of the dog, is a safe laxative. If constipation persists, veterinary assistance is highly desirable.

Diarrhea involves increase in frequency, fluidity or volume of bowel movements. It is quite a common complaint amongst dogs – both pups and adults.
Causes and Symptoms:
Diet is the main factor that influences the normality or abnormality in the consistency of passing of feces. The more frequent the defecation, the more loose the consistency of the feces, as less time is available to the dog for absorption of water in the intestinal tract. Simple diarrhea may be due to dietary changes which may end in diet restriction or may even be self-limiting.
Simple diarrhea can also result from nervousness, fright or excitement. Contaminated or spoiled food may cause this problem.
If the diarrhea persists, it may be due to several diseases like worms, distemper, parvo virus disease or corona virus infection, depending upon the dog’s history and other symptoms. It is important to keep in mind that diarrhea is a sign or symptom of a disease and not a specific disease process. Sometimes current drug therapy like certain antibiotics can cause diarrhea.
Treatment and Prevention:
As a first aid for diarrhea, food should be withheld for 24 hours. Loss of water and other electrolytes through the process of diarrhea should be replaced, if possible by mouth, or else by intravenous injection.
If diarrhea persists in spite of withholding food and giving electrolytes for about 24 hours, and especially if the feces are foul smelling or blood streaked, veterinary help should not be delayed.