Getting a Tick Off of Your Dog

If your dog spends time outside in areas where ticks like to hang out, a tick check should be part of your daily routine.Even the best repellents may not prevent these parasites from latching onto your pooch. And since it can take 24 to 48 hours for an attached tick to transmit an infection to its host, it's important to promptly and properly remove these parasites.

Check, please!

First, run your fingers slowly over your dog's entire body. If you feel a bump or swollen area, check to see if a tick has burrowed there. Don't limit your search to your dog's torso: check between his toes, under his armpits, the insides of his ears, and around his face and chin.Don't limit tick checks to your canine family members. Dogs can't directly transmit tick-borne illnesses to people, but ticks can move from host to host. A tick may enter your home on your dog's back and move on to another pet or human, or a tick could hitch a ride on you and then move on to one of your pets. A good tick prevention strategy includes checking all family members for these parasites, especially after outdoor activities in wooded, leafy, or grassy areas.

Is it a tick?

Ticks can be black, brown, or tan, and they have eight legs. Ticks are arachnids and related to spiders, not insects. They can also be tiny—some tick species are only as large as the head of a pin—so look carefully.In some areas of the United States where there is no real winter, ticks are active all year, not just in the summer months. Even in areas where there has been a killing frost with the approach of winter, ticks can become active again if the weather turns warm for more than a day or two.

If you find a tick on your dog, don't panic! Follow these quick and easy steps to safely remove the pest.

Step 1: Get your gear

• Pair of gloves
• Clean pair of tweezers or a commercial tick remover
• Antiseptic
• Isopropyl alcohol

Step 2: Remove the tick
Wear gloves while removing the tick to avoid contact with your skin (ticks can transmit diseases to people, too).

If you're using tweezers:

• Grasp the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible, but be gentle! Try not to pinch your dog's skin.
• Pull outward in a straight, steady motion, making sure that you’ve removed the entire tick, since anything left behind could lead to an infection.

If you're using a tick remover:

• Gently press the remover against your dog's skin near the tick.
• Slide the notch of the remover under the tick.
• Continue sliding the remover until the tick is caught in the small end of the notch and is pulled free. (The tick will remain in the bowl of the remover.)

Step 3: Store the evidence

Drop the tick into a small container that contains isopropyl alcohol (the alcohol will quickly kill the tick), and mark the date on the container. If your dog begins displaying symptoms of a tick-borne illness, your veterinarian may want to identify or test the tick

Allergies to Pets

The benefits of having a pet usually outweigh the drawbacks of pet allergies for many people. You'd be surprised to know how many people, with non-life-threatening allergies, live with pets despite having allergies to them!

It's not you, it's me

Any and all cats and dogs may cause reactions for people who are allergic to animals. Cats tend to cause more reactions than dogs for allergic people, although some people are more sensitive to dogs than cats. Contrary to popular belief, there are no "non-allergenic" breeds of dogs or cats; even hairless breeds may cause symptoms.Dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair—like Poodles or the Bichon Frise—may be less irritating to some individuals, although this may be because they are bathed and groomed more frequently. One dog or cat may be more irritating to an individual allergy sufferer than another animal of the same species.

What to do

If someone in your household has been diagnosed with a pet allergy by an allergist, carefully consider whether you can live with the symptoms before you bring a new pet home. Except in the case of children, who sometimes outgrow allergies, few people with allergies become accustomed to pets to whom they are allergic. Too many allergic owners obtain pets without thinking through the challenges of living with allergies.If your or a family member's allergies are simply miserable, but not life-threatening, take these five steps to reduce the symptoms:

1. Create an "allergy free" zone in your home—preferably the allergic person's bedroom—and strictly prohibit the pet's access to it. Use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner, and consider using impermeable covers for the mattress and pillows.

2. Use HEPA air cleaners throughout the rest of the home, and avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains and blinds and carpeted floors. Clean frequently and thoroughly to remove dust and dander, washing articles such as couch covers and pillows, curtains, and pet beds.

3. Bathing your pet on a weekly basis can reduce the level of allergy-causing dander (shed old skin cells). Cats can get used to being bathed, but it's critical to only use products labeled for them; kittens may need a shampoo safe for kittens. Check with your veterinarian's staff or a good book on pet care for directions about safe bathing, It's a good idea to use a shampoo recommended by your veterinarian or other animal care professional.

4. Don't be quick to blame the family pet for allergies. Ask your allergist to specifically test for allergies to pet dander. Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to more than one allergen. Reduce the overall allergen level in your environment by concentrating on all of the causes, not just the pet allergy.

Why is Puppy Socialization and Training Important?

So you've made a decision to get a puppy, you have evaluated your choices of breed and are ready to bring your puppy home. This is a commitment and one that should be happy and loving for everyone involved. When your puppy is not trained or socialized that relationship becomes strained and begins to lose its fun. Over the course of your dogs life it will meet many people and other animals, it'll be exposed to people walking their dogs, bike riders, baby strollers, other dogs and cats as well as situations that may cause stress and fear so it is necessary to begin puppy training to socialize them and keep them and you happy and healthy.When a puppy is not trained it begins to form its own habits based on its environment. Some of these habits may turn into negative behaviors like being protective of food and toys, growling at strangers or even biting them, fighting with other dogs, urinating and defecating in the house, begging at the table and other bad habits that could have been avoided with puppy training.

Puppy training can begin with the breeder. Puppies 8-12 weeks are particularly absorbent when it comes to training. Even at birth they have instincts that kick in and begin to learn how to interact with their litter mates, mother and people who handle them. As they grow they go through an imprinting stage when puppy training is more easily accepted. There are four main commands that every puppy should be taught. They are sit, stay, come and no. It is important to keep puppy training and socialization experiences positive. Introducing your puppy to people is a good way to start the socialization and is fairly easy. After all, who doesn't like a puppy?By introducing new people, places, things and other animals to your puppy you can prevent a lot of negative behaviors that may develop over time. Through puppy training and socialization, your puppy should learn that you are dominant over them. They should be friendly towards those who you let into your home and not be afraid of them (particularly people with beards and hats). You should be able to take food, toys and dangerous objects out of their mouths. They should not be fearful or aggressive. They should be comfortable on a leash. They should be housebroken. They shouldn't suffer from separation anxiety and understand that you will come back. Puppy training your pet to be confident while you are away, not to chew on people or destroy property, to come when called and stay when needed among other things will help to keep your sanity.

Puppy training is important to start your relationship out on a good note and keep a better bond between you and your dog for many years to come. Puppy training is essential to your dogs care and the training should continue and be reinforced throughout their lives. Puppy training and socialization is also important in keeping your dog happy, healthy and safe. When they know how to react to certain situations there is less of a chance for a negative incident to occur.

The Job of Calcium in Your Dog's Diet

When we consider calcium, strong teeth and bones come to mind. Your dog's diet should be rich in calcium to support healthy teeth and bones, but a fine balance exists in correlation to calcium and your dog's diet.
It is achievable to have too much or too little calcium in your dog's diet. When a dog's diet contains too little calcium, your dog may cultivate a state referred to as rickets. This condition creates soft bones that bow under the weight of your dog.
In contrast, too much calcium can generate bone abnormalities, as well. Big breed dogs, for example, who are given too much calcium as puppies in their diet, will build up large bones that are low in density. Strength is a problem with such bones due to the large amount of calcium supplements.
When your dog's diet contains proper levels of calcium, such bone abnormalities occur rarely. This is just one more reason to cautiously decide on an appropriate diet for your dog. Always consult your veterinarian to settle on the best quantity of calcium in your dog's diet.
Calcium plays an important job in your dog's diet, but other vitamins and nutrients work hand in hand with calcium. Some minerals are interdependent. Calcium happens to be one of such mineral nutrients.
Calcium works in sync with phosphorus. A balance of the two nutrients calcium and phosphorus must be present in a healthy ratio to make sure a dog diet that will make the most of the potential advantages for your pet. Studies involving animal nutrition show that a ratio of 1.0 to 2.0 parts calcium should be coupled with 1.0 part phosphorus. When calcium and phosphorus ratios vary greatly from this range, bone issues result.
Dog diets consisting solely of meats will not supply the proper quantity of calcium and phosphorus to make healthy bones. Such a diet results in a ratio of about 1.0 part calcium to 18 parts phosphorus. The range of absorption is where the problem starts.
Vitamin D is another nutrient that influences the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. If a dog's diet lacks the appropriate amount of vitamin D, the other nutrients will not provide all the benefits to your pet. Excessive amounts of vitamin D can have negative effects on your dog. It is imperative to sustain appropriate levels of vitamin D in your dog's diet. Again, feeding your dog food from a reputable company will allow you trust in knowing that your dog's diet is healthy.
During pregnancy or when your dog is nursing, elevated levels of calcium are essential in your dog's diet. At this time, feed your pet additional amounts of a balanced dog food. You should not have to supplement your pet at this time.
Milk fever, or eclampsia, cannot be avoided with calcium supplements. Eclampsia is not a nutritional deficit, but a metabolic condition that affects the dog once the pups have been born and start nursing.
Stay away from supplementing your dog's diet with calcium or other nutrients without specific dialogue with your vet. When calcium, for example, is out of balance, health can truly be effected harmfully. Feeding your dog a balanced diet is critical. Reputable dog food companies have researched animal nutrition to make certain the best possible health for your dog. Providing your dog's diet in a nourishing, balanced formula can be the best approach to take care of your pet.