Dog Health, Nutrition, Grooming

No matter what breed you chose, every dog requires at least a little grooming on a regular basis. Nutrition and health goes hand in hand with a good diet and regular vet check ups.

A Good Diet

It is common knowledge and generally agreed upon by experts that dogs and cats are meat eaters and have evolved through the ages primarily as meat eaters. Although now "domesticated", our pet dogs and cats have not evolved rumens along their digestive tracts in order to ferment cellulose and other plant material, nor have their pancreases evolved a way to secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules, nor have dogs and cats become efficient at digesting and assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein. Herbivores do those sorts of things. That’s how Nature is set up at this time.
On the other hand, some plant material such as rice, soybean meal and corn have some, although limited, usefulness in the meat eater's diet. Corn, wheat, soy, rice and barley are not bad or harmful to dogs and cats. These plant sources are simply not good choices for the foundation of a diet to optimally nourish animals that are, have been, and for the foreseeable future will be meat eaters.

According to Case, Carey and Hirakawa in Canine and Feline Nutrition, page 174,
"In general, high-quality animal source proteins provide superior amino acid balances for companion animals, compared with the amino acid balances that are supplied by grain proteins. The protein in grains is not as balanced or available as the protein in high-quality animal sources…"

By high-quality they are referring to meat, poultry and fish products that are derived mainly from muscle and organ tissue rather than "meat and bone meals". Some types of animal-derived meals are not considered to be high quality because of the processing they undergo.

Poisonous Plants

Some very common house plants are poisonous to pets and even humans. Here are a few species I know of, but if you are in doubt about any of your houseplants, either get rid of the plant or keep it where you know your pet can't get to it. If you suspect that your pet has eaten any of these plants, get him or her to a vet immediately.

Other Hazards
Draw cords for window blinds can be a hazard for children as well as small pets. Many people will cut the loop at the end to prevent  a child from accidentally hanging themselves, but small pet's can be even more mischievous then children and can get tangled in the cords themselves with disastrous results. Looping the end back up over the top of the window may help keep curious pets away.
Electrical and phone cords are another dangerous problem. Before getting ANY pet, you should make sure that any cord with power running through it is kept covered, out of reach, or simply unplugged.
Other hazardous materials that your pet might find attractive might include rubber bands, paper clips, thumb tacks, broken balloons, and anything else he might get tangled in or choke on. Use a little foresight before getting a new pet, and make sure that your family understands where items like these belong, so they don't accidentally end up in your pet's jaws.

Caring for a Sick Dog

Like any human patient, a sick dog needs careful nursing to help him get better, but try not to fuss over him too much. Sleep is vital and he should be left in a quiet atmosphere with lowered lighting. Give the dog a comfortable bed out of the way of draughts (especially at his eye level) and a good arrangement is to provide him with a tea chest or similar box.
Make the bed cozy with old blankets and newspapers, and change these when they get soiled. Keep the dog warm with a well-covered hot water bottle (kept hot), or a heating pad (again well-covered so the dog can't burn himself).

If the weather is not too bad, and the dog not too sick, you could let him out of doors to relieve himself, but always keep him on a lead and wearing a coat. If possible, you should try to arrange out-of-door toilet use, as this is not only more pleasant for you but a house-trained dog may suffer mentally if he has to relieve himself indoors. If he can't go out, you'll have to protect the floor of the room with thick layers of newspaper laid on top of old vinyl floor covering. Clean the room and bed frequently, remove any excreta at once and, if possible, groom the dog daily.

Newspapers or blankets provide suitable bedding but only use blankets if the dog is clean. In any case they should be covered by an easily washable and renewable sheet. If the dog is incontinent put newspaper under his rear end to keep the bed dry, with cotton wool between his thighs and under the tail. Sponge with weak antiseptic and warm water several times a day and sprinkle his rear end and abdomen with talc. Use zinc ointment in the same way if the dog has diarrhea.

Change the dog's drinking water frequently and, if the vet approves, offer him some of his favorite tidbits to tempt him to eat. You may have to force-feed if he simply refuses to eat. If necessary, bathe the dog's eyes and nose with warm salt water and, if the skin on the nose gets cracked, a little cod-liver oil smoothed on should help.

A very sick dog is best confined to one room or a small area, but when he is a bit better you can let him wander freely round the house if the vet approves. Most really sick dogs will be hospitalized by the vet.

Housetrain Your Puppy in 7 Days