Home » Writer's Blogs » Debra-Carrigan

It's All About The Dogs

Debra Carrigan ⁽³³⁷⁾ United States

http://www.goodpoopy.com

Dog Worms: What's the Big Deal?

Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 (1 year 270 days ago.) Viewed 1,551 times.

Dogs get worms. These are not the fishing kind or the brown ones found in super soil. These worms are parasites and live inside your dog. They feed off your dog and make them very sick.

Some worms are zoonotic and can be transferred to humans. Be especially mindful of worms if your dog is ever around children. Children often will allow a dog or puppy to lick their face and if your dog has worms, has recently licked themselves and then "kissed" a human, the worms could transfer over. Worms in humans can cause blindness, fatigue, immune dysfunction and anemia.

One of the most common dog worms is the roundworm. These creatures live in the intestines. If not treated, they can cause pot belly and stunt the growth of a puppy. These worms look like spaghetti and sometimes show up in feces or vomit. If you see these spaghetti roundworms, don't touch them. Put a baggie around your hand, pick them up and throw them away. Sterilize the area with some bleach water and get your dog to a Veterinarian for treatment.

Another type of worm is the hookworm. These parasites set up house in your dog's small intestine and feed off of their blood. Hookworms can be caught from contaminated soil and not just stepping into or ingesting infected dog feces. These blood suckers, if not treated, can cause anemia, intestinal bleeding, diarrhea and severe abdominal pain.

Hookworms are zoonotic (transferable to humans) and are commonly referred to as "cutaneous larva migrans." In other words, these worms creep/migrate just under the human skin causing all sorts of problems. These cannot be seen by the naked eye. To be diagnosed requires a fecal test and microscopic viewing.

Tapeworms are another intestinal parasite. Your dog picks up these body buddies from eating fleas who are carriers of this worm. Dogs that live in rural areas and/or hunt, often eat wildlife that have fleas who carry the tapeworm. Tapeworms look like rice and show themselves in your dog's feces and around their anus. If you see these worms, get your dog in for treatment.

Whipworms are another parasite that can infest your dog and can only be seen under a microscope. These hearty worms require special treatment. The regular "Drontal" dewormer will not kill these fellas. Whipworms can cause severe diarrhea, flatulence, weight loss and a dog who generally doesn't feel well.

Heartworms are another real threat for your canine family member. These killer worms are carried around by mosquitoes. If your dog is bitten by a carrier mosquito and has not been protected by a heartworm preventative, death is nearly always imminent

The bottom line is worms are treatable and preventable. .

All puppies need to be de-wormed several times over a few months beginning with their first Veterinary visit. All adult dogs need a worm fecal test at least once a year at their annual physical check up.

If you suspect your dog has worms, get a fecal test. A typical cost for this is about $15-$20. If your dog does have worms, treatment is very affordable.

Prevention and treatment of worms is easy, affordable and your precious dog is worth it. If you have questions or concerns about worms, please talk with your Veterinarian or Veterinary Technician.

Permalink Comments (0)

Dog Nail Trimming

Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 (1 year 270 days ago.) Viewed 115 times.

Part of your dog's good hygiene is keeping their nails trimmed. One of the main reasons to keep your dog's nails trimmed is so they have proper traction. If their nails get too long, your dog may change their gait which affects their legs, shoulders, hips and back. This may lead to other skeletal problems.

Long nails also scratch up the floor (even if it's carpeting). When your dog has an itch they scratch and could lacerate their skin, ears or bellies to bleeding. Long nails can also scratch their human.

Many Veterinarians will trim your dog's nails for free. If it's not free, it costs about $10-15. If the thought of trimming your dog's nails stresses you out, take your dog to the veterinary office about every 3-4 weeks. It's o.k. to pamper yourself and your dog with this service. Make it a major event and take along their favorite treat.

If you're willling to venture into the land of dog nail trimming, here are a few tips: First and foremost, get some dog nail trimmers. Buy the good ones. Spend the $15-$25 on your dog. The trimmers don't need to be the platinum edition but they do need to be sharp. Also, the better quality trimmers last longer and many come with styptic powder (more on this later).

To get the most cooperation from your dog for nail trimming, start out slow. Remember you're training your dog to get a mini manicure. Have paw caressing sessions for several days to get your dog comfortable with you touching their paws. For the nervous, skittish or anxious dogs, take more time. Every time your dog allows you to touch, caress or massage their paws, praise them the entire time and give them a treat at the end. Positive reinforcement works wonders and food is a major motivator.

When you trim your dog's nails, take off the tip only. This is about 1/8" TO 1/4". Start with the smaller trim size; you can always do more. Be careful. If you trim too much and cut the quick, there will be blood and it'll hurt (this is exactly like cutting a human nail too short). If this happens, don't panic. Be calm and praise your dog for trusting you. You want to get the nail into the styptic powder immediately. Often this comes in a container along with your trimmers. If you don't have any styptic powder, use corn starch (put the corn starch in a shallow cereal bowl).

To get the powder or corn starch to stop the bleeding, gently put pressure on your dogs paw to extend the bleeding nail. Dip it into the powder which will adhere to the wet surface. Leave the styptic powder or corn starch on until it falls off by itself. While you're doing this praise your dog for being such a good boy/good girl. Remember their nail is sore and they need reassurance that you'll take care of everything.

Don't stop your session. Finish trimming your dog's remaining nails and take off a bit less than the one that was cut too short. Continue to praise, praise, and praise. After you've completed trimming your dog's nails, give them a treat. Maybe a few treats. The association your dog makes between letting you trim their nails and them getting a treat will make subsequent sessions easier.

If your dog has super long claw type nails, you can either trim every 2 weeks the 1/8" to 1/4" until they're the desired length or take your dog to a veterinarian's office and have their nails dremeled. (a fancy word for an electric spinning nail file). Dremeling will cost anywhere from $45-$75. This includes the knock out juice (puppy valium), the dremeling itself and a kennel for a day. This is a great alternative for people who want the nails trimmed now.

Whichever avenue you choose, be sure it's the best for your canine family member. As always, if you have questions or concerns regarding your dogs nail care, please consult your Veterinarian or veterinary technician.

Permalink Comments (0)

What's A Dog Emergency

Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 (1 year 270 days ago.) Viewed 406 times.

You know your dog. You know when your dog is just not feeling well. But when is it necessary to get them to an Animal Emergency Hospital ? First, stay calm and focus. If you panic, so will your dog. Be gentle, loving, and compassionate. Your dog knows you'll do your very best to care for them.

The following is a list of symptoms and/or situations that require an Animal Emergency Hospital room & Veterinary care pronto!

*Difficulty breathing, noisy respiration, gasping for air or shallow breathing.

*Blue tongue.

*Bleeding from anywhere that doesn't stop. (get a clean, lint free cloth; apply some pressure and go to the E.R.)

*Hypersensitive or a bloated belly.

*Your dog tries to go pee or poop and can't or they're in obvious pain when they go.

*Uncontrolled urinating or pooping in an otherwise potty trained dog.

*Bloody pee or poop.

*Heatstroke.

*Heavy panting that doesn't stop.

*They're obviously weak; your dog can't get up or falls down when they get up.

*Fever--104 degrees Fahrenheit is a canine fever.

*Difficulty in labor or delivery of puppies.

*Contractions lasting more than an hour.

*Labor pain lasting longer than 15 minutes.

*A puppy fetus or its membrane is showing.

*Any seizure, tremors, coma, staggering, convulsions or sudden blindness (running into things).

*Head tilting or snapping at imaginary objects.

*Sudden & severe behavior changes--withdrawal/depression/aggression.

*Chronic crying/whimpering or obvious pain.

*Any major trauma: vehicle accident, fall, porcupine encounter, gun shot wound, broken bone, venomous/poisonous snake bite.

*Rapid heartbeat.

*Disorientation, having a bewildered look, your dog doesn't recognize you.

*Pupils are dilated.

*Exposure to poison: fertilizer, herbicide, certain plants

*Ingestion or exposure to common household cleaning supplies like cleanser, pine cleaner, borax, window cleaner, and bleach. (bring the suspected poison container or plant to the E.R.)

*Puncture wounds from a dog fight or running into a sharp object. (these wounds can go deeper than you think & injure internal organs. They also become infected easier than a scrape.

*Prolonged vomiting or diarrhea--especially if there's any blood.

*Refusal to eat or drink for more than 1 day.

*Limping; can't put weight on a leg.

*Green goopy stuff/crustiness in or around their eyes.

*Swelling or redness around the eyes or snout (dogs sometimes eat a bee, hornet or wasp and must be seen immediately).

*Redness or hotness of ears: Especially if they're scratching or have constant head shaking (ear infections, mites and fox tails happen fast).

*Any chronic, severe itching or patchy red spots on the skin--self mutilation is soon to follow & can cause more infection.

*Your dog is acting really weird.

If you're unsure of what's going on with your dog and if it's an emergency, call your Veterinarian (many Veterinarian's handle all their own emergencies) or call the nearest Animal Emergency Center/Hospital.

Often times, at an Animal Emergency Hospital , you can speak with a highly trained veterinary technician, triage intake worker or the Veterinarian. These incredibly dedicated people will help you assess whether your dog needs to be seen immediately, sometime today, or if it can wait until tomorrow.

If you have any doubts, call a Veterinarian. Whatever you do, remember you're caring for a family member who doesn't understand what's going on. Your dog is scared and confused. Be calm. Be brave and do the very best for your cuddly canine. The rewards are endless.

Permalink Comments (0)

Archives:

November 2009
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30
« Oct

All Posts by Debra Carrigan

It's All About The Dogs

Dog Worms: What's the Big Deal?

Dog Nail Trimming

What's A Dog Emergency

Archives:

Previous Posts:

Related Posts: