Your Vet Knows Best - Diet Advice

When we got our dog she was 10 weeks old and the breeder told us what food they were feeding her and that it was best if we kept to the same as a sudden change in diet can cause sickness. The first thing we did was to take her to the vet to be checked out. As it happened the vet recommended the same food that the breeder had been giving her so we were happy to carry on using it.

If you have recently got a puppy or dog or you feel that the diet for your dog isn't right the first place to go is the vet. There are so many varieties available and each one seems to provide the best for your dog - according to the suppliers anyway.

Your vet has no hidden agenda they want whats best for your dog. Isn't it lovely that vets become vets because they love animals - shame the same can't be said for our doctors! Your vet will want to discover your dogs perfect diet.

Most vets recommend a dry food and there is good reason for this. (see my post). Having dry food as your dogs main diet will help provide good dental care for your dog.

Did you know that treats can be good for your dog and some treats are specifically better for certain breeds? I didn't know that.

Since each dog is different your vet needs your input on what best to advise. Your dogs lifestyle will affect whats best. How much exercise they get or whether they are a working dog is important for your vet to know.

Some breeds are known to be prone to putting on weight - hmm I wonder if my greedy Labrador is one of those! Also after being neutered or spayed a pet is more likely to put on weight.

Therefore its possible that your vet could recommend smaller portions than they suggest on the packet of your dogs food. Older dogs can often have trouble chewing and so need a special diet.

Supplements
I would never give my dog supplements without first asking my vet.
I'm sure most of us have heard of the benefits of Glucosamine for healthy joints but even this I would first check with the vet.

Remember that you need to think about your dogs diet every now and then to make sure it is right. No dog eats the same food through out its life. Their needs change. Our dog was 8 last year and officially is considered a senior (shame she is going grey too!) and so she now needs a different diet geared towards an older dogs nutritional  requirements.

If in doubt speak to your vet and make sure you know what to look out for that might indicate a change of diet is needed.

Weight gain
Dull coat
Teeth problems
Going off food
Sickness

These could all indicate that all that is needed is a change of diet.

Clipping dogs nails and coat

Clipping Dogs Nails

I really don't like clipping my dogs nails. I'm so worried that I'll cut too far and it will start bleeding. I've come to realise that it is actually an art! If it isn't done correctly your dog can suffer from skin and nail injury. My dog doesn't enjoy it when her nails have to be clipped and she tries to take her paw away as I do it which of course makes it more difficult for me.

Here's my advice. Make sure your clippers are the right size for your dog and that they are sharp! Try to use the clippers that have a movable metal strip the other side of the clipping bit as this helps prevent you from cutting too short.

If your dog is unwell then be nice and don't subject him or her to any type of clipping.

Clipping Dogs Coat

If you have a dog with a long haired coat then clipping their coat can help get rid of dirt, knots and more importantly parasites. Fortunately with a labrador I don't have to bother with coat clipping. My Aunt has spingers and so has to keep them clipped regularly. She takes them to a pet health parlor. Doing it yourself would I imagine be rather scary. I cut my husbands hair (with clippers) and although I say so myself I think I do a good job. He doesn't complain and no one laughs at him! But I don't think I'd have the courage to clip a dog. They move!

Each dog breed and coat is different and so requires specific clipping. If the coat is clipped badly, your dog could end up with skin problems or skin disease. Just a build up of dust can cause this.

So I would recommend coat clipping is done by the professionals.

First Aid Kit For Dog Owners

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.

Lump on dogs paw

We found a lump on our dog paw a few months ago. It was very small so we didn't take much notice of it and thought perhaps she had been stung. After about 2 months we noticed it had started growing so decided to take her to the vet. The vet looked at it and thought it was most likely fatty tissue but said it ought to be removed because of its position on the paw meant that there was little skin available to stitch together and if it grew any bigger it could be a problem.

 So in she went the following day - as usual very excited and happy until we had to walk away and leave her. The vet phoned us later that day to say the operation had gone well and she had been surprised at how large the lump was underneath the skin. Fortunately she had been able to remove the whole of the lump which was enclosed within a sac. They sent it off to the lab to be analysed just to be sure it wasn't anything nasty.

About half an hour later the phone went again and it was the vet to say that our dog had woken up and was being very vocal about how she wanted to go home! I could hear her in the background crying.  We collected her and she was still really dopey from the aneasthetic but she wouldn't settle when we got her back until she had had something to eat - which wasn't allowed until the evening! You know, she is so greedy that even though she was dead tired she would not let herself fall asleep!

Anyway the results came back fine but what they found was that the sac contained millions of really nasty bacteria and if it had burst at any stage our dog would have ended up with a very serious skin infection. I was quite shocked. So if she ever has a lump again I shall definitely go to the vet straight away and not wait to see if it grows.

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.

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!

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