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.

Dear Diary,

Today we took Bruno and Angel to the desert. They absolutely loved it there. As it is scorching hot during afternoons in Dubai, we took them to the desert at around 4:30-5:00pm hence the weather was pleasant. We took them off their leashes, so they were extremely happy. It was amazing to watch them dance around kicking the soft sand behind them. It was purely magical. They ran around the area like free birds. After their over excitement and joy they began to calm down and become more peaceful. They had occasional sips of water, and we gave them treats because they were so hungry after all the running. For the rest of the evening they sat near the car for shade and rested. Occasionally they would go for another run and return extremely exhausted. They enjoy these trip immensely, but they also get very tired easily because of their old age. The next day, I’m guessing their limbs hurt because they refused to walk around much and they spent their time sleeping around the house. When we were at the desert there was another group of people enjoying Dubai’s evening air. Angel, being the naughty little dog decided that she wanted to join them and began running towards their area. We had to chase her and catch her before she ruined their picnic.

Exercise is extremely important for the well-being of a dog. Make sure your dog gets at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Exercise can improve bone and joint health. Heart and lung function can improve. Sport and working dogs need the right exercise to be able to perform well. On the other hand, Excessive or inappropriate exercise can damage a dog's body and mind. Jumping high in the air to chase a toy and landing awkwardly has crippled many dogs. The best type of exercise includes short walks, a healthy game of tug and war or catch-catch (with tennis balls).
Keep the weather and surrounding temperature in mind when you exercise your dog. Dogs can experience heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Unlike humans, dogs do not have an efficient body-cooling system. Young dogs and old dogs have poorer temperature regulating abilities than dogs in the prime of life and the peak of physical condition. Dogs with shortened muzzles are at an enormous disadvantage in heat tolerance. Black dogs in the sun are at greatly increased risk of overheating, as are long-haired dogs whether in sun or not.

This post includes a compilation of the various dog breeds.

Dear Diary,

We give Angel pedigree and Bruno food from Royal Canin. Bruno’s food is prescribed by the vet and he eats that to avoid renal failure. He is at risk of renal failure because his health is deteriorating as he’s getting quite old now. They are fed twice a day, once at 8 in the morning and once at 8 in the night. Both Angel and Bruno get treats occasionally. Additionally to improve the way their breath smells we also give them chewy treats. These chewy treats come in different flavors. On special days like their Birthdays we give both the dogs cake. This cake can be bought from pet stores as cakes that contain cocoa beans and sugar that are harmful to their health. When Angel was a baby, she would teethe a lot so to keep her mouth busy we would give her treats that were very thick and would take her at least 3 hours to completely demolish. Until Bruno was around 5-6 years old his diet was restricted to only yogurt and rice. Surprisingly, he has grown up to be one of the strongest, most muscular dog I have seen.

Thinking about what to feed your dog, and about the various nutritional foods is an important aspect of raising a dog. Mentioned below are tips that you should keep in mind while choosing an appropriate diet for your dog.

1.       Harmful food for dogs:

Avocado, Alcohol, onions and garlic, coffee and tea, grapes and raisins, milk and other dairy products (though it is alright to dilute milk and give that to your dog, dairy products may cause diarrhea), macadamia nuts, candy and gum, chocolates, fat trimmings (from meat), persimmons, peaches, plums, raw eggs, raw meat and fish, salt, sugary goods and drinks, yeast dough and your medicine.

2.        When choosing a diet plan for your dog keep his/her weight, size, breed and age in mind. Additionally stick to this diet and if you do plan on changing it gradually bring it into your dog’s diet.

3.       Refrain from giving your dog table scraps, not only is it unhealthy for your dog but it also results in an undisciplined dog.

 “’Cleanliness is godliness” Ever since I can remember, people have always told me this saying. It is important to follow the rules of hygiene and groom your dog. Dogs can be bathed by being sprayed with a hand-held shower head, or doused with water from a bucket. Use warm water to bathe your dog. While bathing your dog, it is important wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty in. I warn you bathing a dog is not for the weak hearted. It makes your job easier if you use hand scrubs to scrub your dog’s coat. When it comes to using shampoo, there are different kinds. I would suggest you use a sweet smelling, fleas repellant and anti-tick shampoo. This guarantees cleanliness. Also note that when you wash your dogs’ face make sure to be careful because if water gets into your dogs ears it can be extremely harmful. Additionally make sure you rinse them well because if any shampoo remains on their body, it can cause irritation. Most dogs hate baths (I know mine do) but later being wrapped up in a warm towel is the best thing for them. Angel and Bruno have their own towels that they absolutely adore.

 Brushing your dogs’ hair is also an essential part of grooming. It gets rid of loose hair, enables you to find any insects residing in the comfort of your dogs’ fur and guarantees a silky coat. You should also make sure your dogs’ nails are trimmed by professionals (to make sure they’re done properly). This gives them more comfort while they are walking, and ensures their sharp nails don’t harm you.

These are the tools you might use to groom your dog:

1.       Nail clippers

 

 

2.       Shampoo

 

 

 

3.     Brushes