Puppies and Worms

If you have a puppy you may need to deal with an annoying, but very normal, problem - worms. These nasty little parasites set up residence inside your precious puppy, usually in the digestive system but sometimes (and more dangerously) they can invade other organs such as the heart. Having worms can cause all kinds of problems for a puppy, ranging from vomiting to more serious illnesses such as anemia or possibly even death. Although they can be worrying, treating puppy worms is fairly straightforward and generally very effective. There are 5 main types of worms that are usually seen, these are

Roundworms

Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs

Roundworms are the most common kind of puppy worms and many puppies are born with them as an infected mother dog can pass them onto her puppies' in-utero. They can sometimes be seen in your puppy's feces, and are most often transmitted through contact with the worm eggs or larvae in the contaminated stools.

Roundworms can be passed onto humans, and children are most at risk as they tend to play close to the ground where they can come into contact with infected soil, grass or even the feces themselves. A child's tendency to put their hands in their mouth, and to be less stringent about personal hygiene makes them an easy target.

A fecal exam performed by your veterinarian can detect the presence of roundworms, and appropriate medications usually cure the problem fairly quickly.

Tapeworms

The most common type of tapeworm is spread by fleas. You can often see tapeworms (or segments of them) in your puppy's feces. They look like small grains of rice and are white in color. They are generally not easily transmitted to humans but good hygiene is still important.

In addition to any medication your veterinarian may prescribe to treat a tapeworm problem, using a regular, monthly flea and tick preventative is a good way to avoid an recurrence of the infestation.

Whipworms

Whipworms may be more common that generally thought, but they are difficult to detect. If your pup has these parasites he may show few symptoms early on, but regular (and often repeated) fecal exams are necessary to make sure he's whipworm-free and to head off any future problems.

Hookworms

The hookworm is a very, very tiny but still pretty nasty little puppy worm. They do best in warm, moist soil and actually penetrate through your puppy's skin and then travel to his intestines.

Humans can also pick up hookworms in the same way, so it's best not to run around barefoot if your puppy has hookworms. A fecal exam and the appropriate medication is the answer to a hookworm infestation.

Heartworms

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and they're the most deadly of the puppy worms. Heartworms (as their name suggests), take up residence in your puppy's heart and can cause serious health problems. If a heartworm problem is left untreated, it's quite possible that the puppy or dog will die.

A preventative medication (such as Heartgard), given regularly in strongly recommended as treatment for heartworms is long, complicated, expensive and not always successful.

If you have a new puppy be sure to have your veterinarian give him, or her, a fecal exam to check for worms at his first check-up. If at anytime you notice worms in your puppy's feces, or see symptoms that suggest a worm problem, talk to your vet straight away.

Don't try to treat puppy worms with over-the-counter-medications. They're generally not very effective and can have unwanted, even dangerous, side-effects.

Puppies and Worms

Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs

My Dog is Having Puppies! Now What?

Most of us really do not know too much about a female dog having puppies and so I thought I would gather some information so that if you ever have to care for a pregnant female dog, you will have some knowledge of what to expect and do.

A female dog comes into heat (or an average sized dog) about every six months and for large dogs about every 8 to 10 months. The heat period lasts for up to three weeks. The first sign might be a swollen vulva and then sometime during the first week your female will start to bleed. Then comes the call of the wild and the male dogs will descend upon your property with total determination, so be prepared for lots of company.

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Unless you are a breeder it is advisable to have your female puppy spayed as soon as it is possible. However, once in a while in our busy lives, we may forget to have it done and lo and behold we have a pregnant dog on our hands.

Pregnancy can last anytime between 60 to 67 days with the average being 63 days. If possible keep track of the date the neighborhood male visited your dog. About three weeks after that take her to the vet to have the pregnancy confirmed.

If your dog is pregnant she will begin to eat more than she usually does (approximately 1 1/2 times more). Be certain to feel her a high quality food. There are foods available at pet stores or your vet for pregnant females, however if you choose not to go that route, be certain to feed her quality dog food.

During the nursing period she will eat even more. Do not withhold food, as she knows what she needs. It might be wise, if advised by your vet, to feed her vitamins and supplements.

From the time of breeding many dogs tend to go through behavioral changes, some will become a great deal more affectionate, while others might get a bit more irritable. Some believe it or not even suffer from morning sickness, followed by a huge appetite.

The pregnancy begins the moment the male's sperm reaches the female's eggs. As I said the average pregnancy lasts about 63 days. In the beginning the puppies are just a series of fertilized eggs that soon begin to divide into cells. They start with two cells and finally dividing into 16 cells which is what it takes to make a puppy.

From the 9th day to approximately the 20th day these fertilized cells change into am embryo and attach themselves to the wall of the uterus. By the 25day your vet or breeder can begin to feel the embryos and confirm the pregnancy.

By day 28 the embryo begins to resemble a puppy and is about 2 centimeters long, By day 30 all kinds of interesting things begin to happen, the legs and paws are beginning to form, the embryos begin to open their mouths and stick our their tongues and seem to be panting. The central nervous system begins to form and the puppy's sexual characteristics begin to form, also.

By day 35 the eyelids fuse to protect the forming eyes from contamination. The fetus is officially formed by this time and is about the size of a billiard ball.

From day 45 to the day the puppy is born all kind of wonderful things are gong on. The calcification of the bones now enables your vet to X-ray the puppies and see how many there are.

By day 55 the puppy has a full coat of hair, nails and paw pads, the baby teeth are formed but will not be visible until a few weeks after birth.

By day 57 they are completely formed and are beginning to develop a sense of smell.

Day 63 or there about the birth will happen and comes in 3 stages, the cervical stage, which lasts anywhere from 6 to 12 hours. The puppy will be born between 10 to 20 minutes after the female begins straining and it usually will take an hour or more between each puppy's birth. Most puppies are born head first, but sometimes mother nature pulls a trick and a puppy can be born breach with the legs or tail coming out first.

Most females will remove the birth sack by themselves, but if she does not it is up to the human to do so. In this case, I hope you have had a conversation with your vet on what to do.

Prior to the birth you should have prepared a whelping box for your female so that your female knows where to go. Many females want their humans with them at the time of birth and some will not deliver unless the human they love is there.

Line the whelping box with lots of newspapers to absorb the fluids and have it in a secluded place so that the mother feels safe. Keep little children away unless well supervised and quiet.

This is just a birds eye view of what to expect if your female is pregnant. I most urgently advise you to have several talks with your vet regarding the upcoming birth and if you possibly can, have someone who is familiar with the birthing process with you to help if needed.

Puppies are such wonderful critters and such a joy to have around, but spaying your female is really the best way to go.

My Dog is Having Puppies! Now What?

Dog Food

The Best Dog Food For Puppies

Is there anything that is better in life than having a new puppy? They give us so much love right from the start, and there is so much affection in their sweet little faces. From the start we become so attached to them, and are looking forward to a long and healthy life with them at our side. With so much affection between our puppies and us it is not surprising that you would want to take the best care of your new furry friend as possible, and that would include looking for the best dog food for puppies that is out there.

dog food storage

There is almost no end to the choices that we have when choosing the dog food for puppies that we will feed our new pet. The stores are usually full of isles upon isles of choices, each of them in a colorful package that happily lists all of the benefits of that food to your puppy. The problem is that those dog food companies are not actually concerned with the health and welfare of your new puppy, they are concerned about making money and keeping their stockholders happy. Here is the real truth behind the dog food for puppies that you find on the shelves.

Dog Food

Dog food is not regulated the same way that people food is regulated. For example, if you see on the package that it says chemical free, or no chemicals added it actually is telling you that there were no chemicals added to the puppy food after it entered the processing plant. Before it got there it could be hormone ingested and chemical laden and they do not need to disclose that. Add to that problem the fact that most dog food companies use byproducts that include road kill and diseased carcasses and the bodies of euthanized animals that are brought from the shelters, many times thrown into the mix with collars, tags and even the plastic bags that they are kept in.

The Best Dog Food For Puppies

Dog Food

Dog Food For Puppies - What Do They Need And Why?

A healthy and nutritious dog food for your puppy is more critical than an adult dog food is for an adult. A puppy's development and overall longevity is dependent on the proper balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates your dog is fed.

dog food for sensitive stomachs

Hopefully this article will be of great interest to you. We sincerely hope the following will be a great and simple aid to you in selecting the right dog food for your puppy.

Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs

Why is it so essential that your puppy be fed such a food? Because when they are a puppy, it is mandatory that they get the nourishment and necessary vitamins, minerals and wholesome ingredients, during their process of maturing into adulthood. Their beginning years are formidable as they transcend into adulthood. Just like a new baby, their formula and proper administration of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, catapults a baby into a healthy adult. An adult with all the antibody's and necessary good things it needs to resist illnesses. Well, your puppy deserves the same treatment.

A diet that has been specifically formulated to meet the needs of a puppy, as compared to an adult dog are higher in fat and protein. A puppy's life stage requires more protein and fats than does an adult dog, mainly, due to their overall energy and the fact that they grow so quickly. They need a puppy food that can fuel these needs while providing the proper nourishment as their digestive system breaks down their food very quickly. They have less time to fully absorb the nutrients through the normal process of digestion. This means that you have to become an earnest and knowledgeable label reader, carefully examining the ingredients used in the puppy food you may be considering.

You must now be wondering how you are going to accomplish what seems to be a Herculean task, especially when you browse the isle at your super market or pet store. Just how will you know what the right ingredients are, and how valuable or harmful will they be to your puppy? The answer to this question is much easier to get than you think it is. Arm yourself with the proper guides and then take the time to read the ingredients listed on the label. Your task will be an easy one once you know what to avoid, and what your puppy really needs.

As a rule of thumb, after ruling out the bad ingredients, all you have to do is find the proper balance in percentages, of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Again, ruling out the bad ingredients is very, very easy. There are many articles available to demonstrate what to avoid. As good practice goes, find a food that has no more than 25% protein, and that the protein is easily digestible. When you read the list of ingredients, you will see which are the good protein sources, and which are the cheap and harmful bone meals offered by so many of the puppy food manufacturers of today. Also, remember to avoid fillers. They are just that, fillers, and are a waste of money and a non nutritional source for your puppy. In some cases, fillers may even cause gastric and digestive problems in your puppy.

Look for products that meet the minimum necessary ingredients that your puppy needs. This would be a line of dog food that offers a wide variety of all natural, organic, raw dog meals all blended into a very healthy and nutritious diet. Would you eat food that was not of high quality and nutrition, of course not? So don't give your puppy this kind of food. Instead, the brands that manufacturer the kinds of products mentioned in this paragraph, usually follow a human grade and quality standards of care and processing. In short, they care as much for your pets welfare as you do. Well, almost.

Remember to tailor, your puppy's life stages to its food. Their needs constantly change as they progress closer and closer to adulthood. A good meal, consists of carbohydrate's, vegetables, fruits and chicken and turkey free of grains. These are the kinds of diets that are highly recommended by veterinarians, and is what they generally feed their puppies. You will also find that a gluten free meal works very well for a puppy with a sensitive stomach.

Again, remember to avoid the highly advertised and highly promoted commercial dog foods, unless, you have diligently checked the ingredients being used. If they are very low on nutrition and quality ingredients, then avoid these manufacturers as they are only interested in high company profits, and not the welfare of your dog.

Dog Food For Puppies - What Do They Need And Why?

Dog Food For Sensitive Stomachs

3 Raw Dog Food Recipes for Puppies

Raw diets are excellent for dogs. They boost your dog's energy. He will not need supplements or vitamins anymore. He will stop smelling like a dog. Raw dog food means also healthier teeth, skin, less digestive problems and fewer visits to the veterinarian. Raw food is particularly important for puppies because it allows them to follow their natural course of growth. Believe it or not, raw food is also cheaper than commercial dog food, considering your dog is healthier and you stop paying pricey vet bills.

dog food dispenser

The only trick with raw dog food is that you have to very careful with the freshness of the ingredients. Never feed your dog old food and carefully wash the meat and the vegetables before preparing any recipe. I am going to present you 3 raw dog food recipes that you can prepare very easily for your dog or puppy.

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1. Natural Mix

¾ lbs minced raw organs (chicken liver, heart, kidneys, or a mix of these) ¼ freshly grated carrot 1 small cup of grated zucchini ½ cup of chopped broccoli 1 teaspoon of olive oil

First mix the vegetables and the olive oil and then add the meat. Serve the food! Note that zucchini can help your dog lose some weight as they are low on calories.

2. Sushi Delight

¾ lbs salmon (boiled or steamed) 2 cups of boiled white rice (you can use brown as well); ½ grated carrot 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 raw egg

Mix the rice with the carrots and the oil (you can add other veggies like grated zucchini or minced steamed broccoli). Add the raw egg and mix until you have a consistent mixture. Shape the mixture into small sushi-sized pieces. Cut the salmon into appropriate slices and place it over each rice piece. Serve the sushi!

3. Chicken Breast & Green Beans

3 cups of minced raw chicken breast ½ cup of grated carrots 1 cup of steamed green beans (minced if the dog is small-sized) 1 medium-sized steamed sweet potato (minced) 1 teaspoon of oil (olive or flaxseed)

First you have to mince and steam the green beans and the sweet potato until they become tender. Then mix the chicken with the carrots and the oil. Add the steamed vegetables (they shouldn't be hot) and mix with the other ingredients. Serve the food!

Starting your puppy on a raw diet might seem hard at first. If you have doubts, you can boil the meat a little and steam the vegetables before preparing any recipe. Also, it's best to consult with your vet before starting your puppy on a specific diet.

3 Raw Dog Food Recipes for Puppies

Dog Food