Posts Tagged ‘dog health’

Following an illness, injury or disease, canine rehabilitation is necessary. This is best described as a series of treatments designed to help facilitate a dog back to health and in as normal a condition as possible.

The number one aim in early rehabilitation is for the reduction of pain, swelling and complications that could arise. The muscles need to be preserved and improved as well as the joint functions and nerves. In addition to this, the range of motion is improved; there is increased strength, and better cardiovascular fitness.

Dogs which benefit from rehabilitation come from varying backgrounds. Therapy dogs, guarding dogs, search and rescue dogs, competitive sports dogs and even pet dogs, all will potentially need rehabilitation or physiotherapy, in some form or another, at some point throughout their life. As they age their bodies change and need tending to just like their human caregivers. Dog health care becomes increasingly important now.

All of the following will benefit greatly from rehabilitation. Is your dog one of them?

Pre-operative patients

Post-operative recovery

Obese dogs

Neurological canines

All Osteoarthritic dogs

Orthopaedic dogs

Geriatric dogs

All Juvenile dogs

Traumatized canines

All Disabled dogs

The speed of recovery for the dog is increased by a rehabilitation program. It is a non-invasive approach, decreases the need for NSAIDs and reduces costs to the owner. Both the owner and the dog are helped psychologically by this program. They each have an increased sense of well-being and enjoy an improved quality of life.

Canine patients who need long term rehabilitative treatment are the ones with the following conditions, for they will obtain the best quality of life and potential recovery by such a program:

Cainines with Degenerative CDRM (chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy)

Conservative and post operative canine spinal patients

Fracture healing in canines

Tissue healing in canines

Chronic arthritis

Contractures in canines

Vestibular or stroke in dogs

The range of rehabilitative exercises stretch from physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, massage, therapeutic and functional exercises, acupuncture, water and land treadmill, proprioception and balance exercises to numerous other complementary land based forms. In the beginning stages of rehabilitation, we need to break down the stages into small attainable steps. It is critical to keep your dog motivated and interested, participating willingly. If they get bored and anxious they will not be receptive to the program.

Rehabilitation equipment is designed to concentrate on specific groups of muscles. Some are used for balance, co-ordination and strength, and others are used for gait and movement retraining. Not all exercises will work for every dog. The dog's size, temperament, attitude, degree of injury, stage of healing, intelligence of the dog and owner will determine the type of rehabilitation program is best.

Canine anatomy, bio mechanics, disease processes and surgical intervention are all important knowledge necessary for a successful outcome. Although many of the methods seem easy to apply, it is the clinical reasoning, skill and good judgment that are detrimental to a successful outcome.

Helga Schmitt has been avidly studying and researching Dog Health, physiotherapy and rehabilitation hands on for the past 20 years. She is a Registered Canine Hydrotherapist, Chartered Herbalist, Holistic Nutritionist, and has a Certificate in Homeopathy. She educates dog owners about complementary health choices. For a free Older Dog Tips Guide, and read more on Canine Rehabilitation at Health-for-Dogs.com.

A lot of dogs suffer from arthritis, and thus have trouble moving around easily. It can begin early in their lives, though it typically emerges during their senior years. The disease grows progressively worse as they continue to use the affected limbs. Eventually, it impairs their movement to the point where it impacts their quality of life.

In some cases, the pain of moving around is very mild; symptoms may be negligible to a canine's owner. In other cases, when the disease has reached an advanced stage, symptoms are obvious. They include a discernible limp, an unwillingness to climb stairs, and stiffness after resting.

Many veterinarians prescribe medications to ease arthritic dogs' discomfort. While such medications are often useful, the following suggestions focus on providing an environment that slows the deterioration of your canine's cartilage.

Invest In A Dog Ramp

Owners are accustomed to their pets jumping up to reach higher surfaces (e.g. bed, couch, getting into a vehicle, etc.). This can be difficult for an arthritic dog. The impact on his joints is likely to be painful, and will wear away the remaining cartilage more quickly than necessary.

Buy your pet a ramp that gives him a slope to climb and descend. That way, he can access higher surfaces without the pain of jumping.

Provide A Warm Sleeping Area

Warmth helps to reduce inflammation that is characteristic of arthritis. This is true for people and their pets. For this reason, give your dog a warm place to sleep and rest. If the weather is cold, close the windows of your home, and raise the temperature a few degrees. He'll feel more comfortable, and find it easier to move around your house.

Help Your Canine Lose Excess Weight

Weight control is critical since extra pounds place excess pressure on your pet's joints. In fact, many veterinarians recommend helping your arthritic dog lose weight before tackling anything else. Consider it a priority.

The challenge with helping canines with arthritis lose weight is that many are unable to move well. This means a rigorous exercise routine is not an option. That said, you can modify your dog's diet to reduce the number of calories he consumes. Even if he's unable to participate in strenuous exercise, he'll still shed a few pounds.

Provide Low-Impact Exercise Each Day

Intuitively, you might think exercise will erode your canine's cartilage. In reality, low-impact exercise will help him build muscle while providing his joints with valuable motion. Plus, if he's burdened with a few extra pounds, the activity will help him lose weight.

Walking is excellent for sore joints. So, too, is swimming, and even light jogging. Avoid activities that place too much stress on your dog's limbs.

Create A Relaxing Environment

As your canine grows older, he'll become less inclined to be around constant activity. If he has a crate, you'll notice him retreating to rest. A senior dog with arthritis will be even less tolerant, partly because he won't have the ability to easily get up and retreat elsewhere.

If there are children in your home, ask them to give your canine sufficient space to rest in relative peace. If you're entertaining guests, allow your pet to spend the time away from the party. While providing a relaxing environment won't directly address his arthritis, doing so will lower his stress level, and make his home more comfortable.

As mentioned earlier, your canine's arthritis can be treated with medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Deramaxx, Meloxicam, etc.), corticosteroids, and aspirin. Many veterinarians will also recommend vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, and other supplements. While these can prove helpful for relieving your dog's discomfort, they will not directly address the deterioration of his cartilage. For that, implement the tips provided above.

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Canine allergies are responsible for much of the chewing and itching of dogs everywhere. Just like people, dogs may be allergic to food ingredients, to pollens of grass, weeds and trees or to mold and dust mites in their environment. Although there are many shampoos and sprays advertised to stop skin itching of dogs, these commercial products have limited effectiveness. They may provide some short term relief but if the source of the allergen is still present, the itch will quickly return.

Atopic dermatitis is an environmental allergy that is quite similar to human allergies. Dust mites, grass and tree pollen and other airborne particles are the cause of atopic dermatitis that affects almost 10% of dogs. Symptoms of atopic dermatitis are paw licking and chewing, paws that appear reddened and tender, fur loss and an itch so persistent it interferes with the dog's sleep. An effective medication is Atopica which can safely be used long term. Atopica does not contain steroids or cause drowsiness in the dog. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have never owned a puppy before, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed with the sudden responsibility of caring for the wellbeing of your new pal. In this article you will learn about the basic health responsibilities you should attend to and how you can go about doing so.

Your puppy’s diet is first on our list. Puppies are on their mother’s milk until they are about six to eight weeks old. This weaning age is usually when breeders allow the puppies to be taken home by their new owner. Ask your breeder what the pup is currently eating and continue to feed him that. Usually they will be eating a soft canned food mixed with puppy milk replacer. Use less and less milk until your puppy is on pure canned food. You can do the same when switching to dry food by mixing in a little soft food and then cutting back a little each day until the puppy is on dry food only. Dry food is recommended as the best type of food for dogs as it has less fat content and keeps your dog’s teeth strong and free of plaque build up. This should happen gradually over the course of about 7 – 10 days. You should never feed your dog human food (i.e.: table scraps) at any time during his life. A dog’s diet requires a specific balance of certain nutrients and feeding your dog table scraps will upset this balance. Also remember to keep a water bowl filled for your pup at all times.

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Does Spot seem to be sporting quite a belly these days? As a dog owner, it can be very easy not to realize a decline in your pet’s health until the damage is already done. Obesity is a very becoming a very real concern for pets and it’s up to us pet owners to do something about it. This article is going to discuss a few tips for recognizing obesity in your dog and how you can help get him back into shape.

You must realize that all dogs require exercise. Whether you have a Pomeranian or a Great Dane, every breed and size of dog must maintain certain levels of activity on a daily basis. Think about your dog’s average day from beginning to finish. If you can’t bring it to mind, keep an eye on him for a few days and write down his usual activities. For my dog, I drew a time line of his average day. In my timeline I wrote down when he woke up, his meal times, his usual trips outside, nap times, etc. This really helps to put into perspective whether your dog is truly lacking exercise or if a change of diet is required.

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Dog and puppy owners need to be sure they understand a few dog health problems basics so they can help their pets if by chance they contract one of the common dog health problems. There is an old canine folklore held and believed by people from long ago saying that a cold and wet nose on a dog is a sign of good health. The plain truth here is that no one can tell with any scientific certainty from how cold or wet a dog's nose is, whether or not the dog has any hereditary heart issues, parasites, worms, deafness or any other health condition.

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