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Your Dog's Teeth
Dogs need regular dental care. Buildup of tartar can cause inflamed,
swollen gums and secondary infection that can lead to serious health
problems. Dogs, one to three years old, should have their teeth
brushed once a week. Dogs over three years old should have their teeth
brushed three times a week.
Use a toothbrush that is made especially for dogs. They have long
handles which allow you to brush the dog's back teeth. Never use human
toothpaste, use an enzyme toothpaste specifically made for your dog.
There are specially treated dental cleaning pads which can be wiped
over the surface of the dog's teeth. The enzymes in the pad do the
cleaning.
Ear Care
Ear care is an often overlooked, but important area. Dirt and debris
in the ear canal can lead to inflammation and infection. Routine ear
care, using products which cleanse the ear of debris, help to dry the
ear canal and assist in preventing otitis, a chronic inflammation and
infection of the external ear canal.
Ear mites are small parasites which can invade your dog's ears. These
mites typically cause a dry, dark brown debris to form in the ears of
dogs. Ear mite treatments kills only the adult mites, not the nymphs,
(pre-adults). Effective ear mite treatment includes an initial series
of treatments to kill the adult mites followed 10 to 14 days later by
a second series of treatments to kill the newly matured adults.
Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements
On occasion your dog may benefit from vitamins and nutritional
supplements. Older or sick pets may not consume enough food to provide
adequate nutrition. Dogs recovering from surgery or chronic illness
may need nutritional supplements in order to heal well. Even hard
working dogs, such as guide dogs, may require supplements to say at
their best level of fitness.
Sore and Irritated Skin
Dogs can suffer from skin problems associated with allergic reactions,
skin diseases or wounds. We recommend the use of a "complete healing
system" to provide deep healing for sore or irritated skin. This
system is as follows:
Your dog should be shampooed with an anti-itch shampoo to cleanse and
soothe the affected area and to prevent the spread of skin disease
through bacterial infection. To start the healing process, it is vital
that the scab or flaking skin be gently removed by using a medicated
cleansing product. Trimming the hair from around the area allows the
medication to reach the skin.
Watch for the formation of new tissue which will appear shiny and pink
in color. This is an indication that the healing process is well under
way. However, as the skin begins to heal, itching will increase. Use a
skin relief spray to stop the itching and pain so that the delicate
new tissue is not damaged by scratching.
Continue to promote deep healing with the use of hydrocortisone cream
containing aloe vera and vitamins B and E which soothes and nourishes
the healing skin.
Hot Spots
Hot spots are localized areas of acute, moist and inflamed skin. Hot
spots are usually set off by flea bite irritation, allergies or Survey
with an irritating substance such as chemicals or harsh soaps. These
spots are extremely itchy, causing the dog to constantly lick and
scratch, making the spot worse.
The most important step in treatment of hot spots is to immediately
stop your dog from further licking and chewing of the spot. A skin
relief spray will help stop the itching and pain.
Moderate to severe hot spots, as well as re-occurring hot spots
require veterinary attention.
Note: You should not rely on
the veterinary advice or information provided on this site for
diagnosis or treatment of any specific situation. Always consult your
own veterinarian for specific advice concerning the medical condition
or treatment of your own pet or animal |
