Common dental problems:

1.       Plaque and Tartar: Plaque and tartar begin to build up on your pet’s teeth, affecting not only the tooth itself but the tissue around your pet’s teeth. Tartar and calculi appears as tan or brown colored deposits on your dog or cat’s teeth.

2.       Periodontal disease: Periodontal disease begins to occur and affects the tissues surrounding your pet’s teeth. Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) is one of the first changes to occur. However, the majority of dental disease occurs below the gumline.

3.       Toothache: the discomfort (due to dental disease) can be severe enough to cause your pet to stop eating and even begin to lose weight.

4.       Systematic illness: dental disease can also cause more serious systemic illnesses, such as kidney disease and possibly heart disease.

5.        Bad breath: (halitosis) is one of the first signs of dental disease in pets.

6.       Retained baby teeth: Also known as retained deciduous teeth, retained baby teeth are commonly seen in dogs, particularly in small breed dogs. If these baby teeth do not fall out normally and are allowed to remain in your dog’s mouth, they can cause crowding because of the extra teeth and can even make it difficult or impossible for the permanent teeth to erupt properly.

7.       Stomatitis (mostly common in cats): The inflammation of a pet's oral mucuous membranes, also known as stomatitis, can affect wide portions of the mouth and can be quite painful.

Oral care for dogs

It is important to make sure you take care of your dog’s teeth and that you regularly brush his/her teeth in order to prevent illnesses or diseases that are associated with a dog’s mouth. It is also important to regularly visit the vet for checkups and to make sure that your dog’s teeth are in great shape.

Common dental problems:

1.       Plaque and Tartar

2.       Periodontal disease

3.       Toothache

4.       Systematic illness

5.        Bad breath

6.       Retained baby teeth

7.       Stomatitis (mostly common in cats

I will be describing each of these dental problems in my next post so keep an eye out!!

Dental sticks for dogs:

 

 

Dog toothbrushes and toothpaste:

 

 

 

 

TOILET TRAINING

Toilet training is another important aspect of raising a dog. You definitely don’t want to be spending your time cleaning up your dog’s mess for the rest of his/her life. Puppies learn fast by forming habits. Toilet training is solely based on helping your puppy create this habit. If you have a garden then make that your pets’ toilet area permanently but, if you don’t have a garden then you can pile up some old newspapers in one area and that should be designated as his/her toilet area.

It would be useful to keep a record of when your puppy eats sleeps, urinates and defecates so that it becomes easier for you to make sure when to let your puppy out into the garden or when to take him or her towards the pile of newspapers. If you don’t have a garden and you don’t feel comfortable with using a pile of newspapers you can take your puppy for a walk after he/she eats. Puppies tend to urinate a lot (every 1-2 hrs) and additionally also may urinate when they get excited. Dogs usually urinate around 15 mins after food and defecate around 30 mins after food.

How to toilet train your puppy: common errors

Source: - See more at: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog-or-puppy/general-advice-about-caring-for-your-new-puppy-or-dog/toilet-training-for-puppies/#sthash.3wyBh2Ds.dpuf

Unfortunately there are many reasons why 'toilet training' might not go as smoothly as it could, so make sure you do not make any of the following mistakes:

Over-feeding.

Feeding an unsuitable diet or giving a variety of foods.

Not feeding at regular times. Feeding at the wrong times (which could cause overnight defecation).

 Punishing the puppy for its indoor accidents (which can make it scared of toileting in front of you - even outside).

Feeding salty foods (e.g. stock from cubes) which makes them drink more.

Using ammonia based cleaning compounds (which smell similar to urine).

Expecting the puppy to tell you when it needs to go out; this is unrealistic, so it is better to take them out at regular intervals.

Leaving the back door open for the puppy to come and go as it pleases (a puppy will think that the garden is an adventure playground, rather than a toilet area.

Also, what is a puppy meant to do when the weather gets cold, and it is faced with a closed back door?). Leaving the puppy on its own too long, so that it is forced to go indoors (which sets a bad precedent, or even a habit of going indoors).

Mistakenly associating the words 'good girl' or 'good boy' when they toilet, as opposed to the specific cue words. Guess what could happen the next time you praise your dog? Access to rugs or carpet (which are nice and absorbent - just like grass).

Laziness on your part, resulting in more wees indoors than outdoors.

Leaving the puppy alone in the garden, so you are not there to reward it for going outdoors… how is it meant to learn that it is more popular and advantageous going outdoors, if you are not there to show your approval?

Submissive or excited urination on greeting (if this occurs, take your puppy outside before you greet it and tone down your greeting so it is less exciting or overwhelming).

It is unfair to expect your puppy to go right through the night when it is very young.

Making the puppy in a crate or puppy pen can help with house training but you should let it out in the garden to relieve itself during the night.