If you have a dog then you ought really to have a first aid kit for them. When we go camping we put 2 first aid kits in the car - one for us and the other for our dog. As you know dogs can do some silly things sometimes and certainly our dog has no concept of danger if there is a cat to chase or something else interesting around. Unfortunately for us out dog suffers with grass pollen - I'll write about that later - so we have to have quite a few things for skin rashes and cleaning eyes.
Cuts and wounds
We had one occasion when she stood on some glass and so needed to stop the bleeding before we could get her to the vet. Therefore we always put some gauze and tape in the doggie first aid kit. Apparently hydrogen peroxide is very good for cleaning wounds but I haven't used that myself.
Dog in shock
If you have a dog that has gone into shock then as with humans you must keep them warm so keep a clean large towel or blanket in the car just in case.
Bites and stings
Always include some antihistamine in case your dog gets stung and you can also get antibiotic gels and eye washes. You can always prepare your own emergency eye wash using boiled water (cooled) and salt.
General items
Cotton, gauzes and cotton pads are good for mopping up and removing dirt. Having had a holiday in a location where there were lots of ticks we now always have some tweezers and TCP in the kit. Scissors (safer with rounded tips), syringes for giving medication by mouth and elastic bandages are also a good idea. I know some people keep a rectal thermometer in their kit but I don't personally - I'm not happy about doing that myself!
We also have a Labrador care book that we take with us. Its full of great information and advice with examples of first aid. Remember to have your vets number on your mobile or if you are in a different place look one up and put it in your phone temporarily.
Some dogs can be aggressive when injured or scared so depending on your dog it might be a good idea to put a muzzle in your kit. Having said all this I hope you don't have any occasion to use your dog first aid kits.
My dog is sick after drinking or eating. This is how I have stopped her vomiting. Also general dog health issues.
Showing posts with label dog care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog care. Show all posts
How many times a day should you feed your dog?
Usually you will find information about this on your dogs food but often it will state an amount for the day and not if you should divide the amout up a number of times each day.
By the time you are allowed to take your puppy home it will be on solid food and the breeder should tell you what food it is having and how many times a day it has some. If the breeder doesn't give you this information then ask for it because changing a dogs diet suddenly whatever the age of the dog can cause stomach upsets and illness.
Most dogs get fed 2 or 3 times a day. Use your common sense. We used to give our labrador 2 meals a day but this proved no good for her as her stomach couldn't cope with that quantity of food in each meal. We now fed her 3 times a day as she is fine with that.
Fortunately food in the pet shops will state how much you should be giving your dog to eat and also what type of food depending on their age and how active a breed you have. Different dogs have different nutritional needs so make sure you get the right food for your dog.
By the time you are allowed to take your puppy home it will be on solid food and the breeder should tell you what food it is having and how many times a day it has some. If the breeder doesn't give you this information then ask for it because changing a dogs diet suddenly whatever the age of the dog can cause stomach upsets and illness.
Most dogs get fed 2 or 3 times a day. Use your common sense. We used to give our labrador 2 meals a day but this proved no good for her as her stomach couldn't cope with that quantity of food in each meal. We now fed her 3 times a day as she is fine with that.
Fortunately food in the pet shops will state how much you should be giving your dog to eat and also what type of food depending on their age and how active a breed you have. Different dogs have different nutritional needs so make sure you get the right food for your dog.
Giving your dog a bath
You may think that giving your dog a bath is straight forward and no harm can be done. Well that's not true! If you are careless you could end up giving your dog a nasty infection. For a start did you know that you should put cotton wool balls in your dogs ears to prevent water entering the ear canals? That sounds strange especially if you have a Labrador like me - they love water! I guess sea water or fresh water is different to soapy water.
How often should you give your dog a bath? That depends on the breed of dog you have. Hairy dogs like a cocker spaniel need a bath once every 6 to 8 week. Too often and the essential oils in the dogs coat get damaged and it looses its protective properties.
The other day I saw a special glove in the pet shop that enables you to wash your dog without the use of shampoo - good for dogs with sensitive skin. Dirt and grim is attracted to the material. I've bought one as my dog sometimes gets dandruff and I'm sure its something to do with the shampoo.
If you do use a shampoo then make sure you buy one that is recommended for your dog breed and also fur colour.
When you decide to give your dog a bath get everything you need ready (glove, shampoo, towels, leash etc.) and available to hand. If you have a long haired dog then conditioner might be helpful for brushing afterwards.
Make sure its a fun activity. My Labrador loves being sprayed with the hose and drying her becomes a bit of a tug of war game. Needless to say I get soaked!
How often should you give your dog a bath? That depends on the breed of dog you have. Hairy dogs like a cocker spaniel need a bath once every 6 to 8 week. Too often and the essential oils in the dogs coat get damaged and it looses its protective properties.
The other day I saw a special glove in the pet shop that enables you to wash your dog without the use of shampoo - good for dogs with sensitive skin. Dirt and grim is attracted to the material. I've bought one as my dog sometimes gets dandruff and I'm sure its something to do with the shampoo.
If you do use a shampoo then make sure you buy one that is recommended for your dog breed and also fur colour.
When you decide to give your dog a bath get everything you need ready (glove, shampoo, towels, leash etc.) and available to hand. If you have a long haired dog then conditioner might be helpful for brushing afterwards.
Make sure its a fun activity. My Labrador loves being sprayed with the hose and drying her becomes a bit of a tug of war game. Needless to say I get soaked!
Stop giving your dog table scraps
Why do dogs have to look so cute when they are begging for food from the table? I'm sure we've all done it though and accidentally dropped food on the floor! The truth is that human food is not good for a dog! Our dogs nutritional requirements aren't anywhere near the same as ours. If you read the labels on our food you will find loads of stuff in there and a dog does not need all thees extra things that are put in our food. (We probably don't either........!)
As with us, dogs can also suffer from obesity. I get really sad and cross when I see a dog so fat that they can't play ball anymore. If your dogs food is made up of your leftovers it is likely that your dog'll have difficulty keeping a healthy weight especially if they have been spade or neutered. My vet says that even a few extra pounds can make a real difference in your dogs length and quality of life.
One of my friends has chocolate Labradors too and they let them eat all the leftovers. Its like their dogs are moving garbage bins. Needless to say both their dogs are very overweight. I have mentioned it but its hard when they are your friends. Whats important to remember is that some people foods can actually make your dog ill. Most people know that chocolate is toxic for dogs but did you know that grapes have caused serious illness for dogs, even death. Any small bones like chicken bones can cause choking as can popcorn. (see my post for advice on stopping your dog choke ).
How many times have you picked up your dogs poo and noticed they must have got hold of something they shouldn't! If you notice any of these it could indicate that your dogs diet is not what is should be.
Bigger poo size, worse than usual smell and more messy.
So giving a proper diet will be beneficial not only for your dogs health but also to you picking up the poo on your walks!
Sometimes it might be necessary to give your dog a supplement if recommended by your vet but not in excess. Bizarrely some people just have to give food to their pet at the table! If this is you then try this. Give your dog ice cubes or bits of carrot to chew on. You could but a little treat inside the ice cube! Just make sure you are not to blame if your dog is sick - do your best to give them a high quality diet.
You might also be interested in:
My dog is sick after drinking
Dog vomiting and diarrhea
Diet and Oral Health
As with us, dogs can also suffer from obesity. I get really sad and cross when I see a dog so fat that they can't play ball anymore. If your dogs food is made up of your leftovers it is likely that your dog'll have difficulty keeping a healthy weight especially if they have been spade or neutered. My vet says that even a few extra pounds can make a real difference in your dogs length and quality of life.
One of my friends has chocolate Labradors too and they let them eat all the leftovers. Its like their dogs are moving garbage bins. Needless to say both their dogs are very overweight. I have mentioned it but its hard when they are your friends. Whats important to remember is that some people foods can actually make your dog ill. Most people know that chocolate is toxic for dogs but did you know that grapes have caused serious illness for dogs, even death. Any small bones like chicken bones can cause choking as can popcorn. (see my post for advice on stopping your dog choke ).
How many times have you picked up your dogs poo and noticed they must have got hold of something they shouldn't! If you notice any of these it could indicate that your dogs diet is not what is should be.
Bigger poo size, worse than usual smell and more messy.
So giving a proper diet will be beneficial not only for your dogs health but also to you picking up the poo on your walks!
Sometimes it might be necessary to give your dog a supplement if recommended by your vet but not in excess. Bizarrely some people just have to give food to their pet at the table! If this is you then try this. Give your dog ice cubes or bits of carrot to chew on. You could but a little treat inside the ice cube! Just make sure you are not to blame if your dog is sick - do your best to give them a high quality diet.
You might also be interested in:
My dog is sick after drinking
Dog vomiting and diarrhea
Diet and Oral Health
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