dog eating a snail

When the wet weather arrives it might be good for the garden but there is also the onset of slugs and snails to contend with. Slugs and snails are a nuisance at the best of times, but dog owners in particular worry about them as a dog can become very ill after eating them; as dogs tend to do.

A dog that has come into contact with snails, or even their trails of slime, is open to contracting diseases such as lungworm; however, a few tips listed below may help prevent this:

Food that has been left on the floor after a barbeque, or pieces of bread for birds, should be swept up as slugs and snails will help themselves during the night. This will leave your garden covered in their trails, and your dog vulnerable to his curious nature.

If you have plant pots, glue a strip of copper around the base; slugs will not climb over copper. You can also place clumps of (more…)

A dog that has a problem with his gums is just like any human. He can suffer from gingivitis, which is a well know gum disease. This disease is most likely to affect a mature dog rather than a puppy.

If your pet dog has bad breath, it can be caused by a stomach problem. His digestive system could be upset or it could simply be that his teeth may need cleaning.

It is not very pleasant when your dog suffers from dog breath, so it is important that you take your dog to his local vet to make sure he receives the correct treatment. A vet will apply an antibiotic gel on his gums to help kill off any unwanted bacteria that may be lurking there. The medication will have to be repeated until his mouth and gums are as they should be.

However, any further neglect of care with your dog’s teeth could see the return of the disease, and the end result could be the loss of all his teeth.

Any dog that is fed a daily diet that consists of soft dog food, without having (more…)

When you are watching your dog and he is pawing his ears in an irritable way, followed by a licking of his claws, it could be down to the fact that he has dirty ears.

There are many reasons a dog could end up with dirty ears, and they will try to remedy the problem themselves.

There are many reasons why a dog could have dirty ears. It could be because the dog has too much ear wax; this will need medication to help to loosen the wax for easy removal. It could be down to too much hair growing in the ears; this is easily resolved by a dog groomer who will remove the offending hairs.

A breed of dog that has long hair may have sweaty ears or smelly ears; sometimes it just takes their owners to hold their ears to dry them out.

On a more serious note, if your dog has (more…)

However much we love and care for our dog, there is a chance they will contract a parasite at some stage; which is normally diagnosed when clearing up their mess.

A Tapeworm is a parasite that most dog owners are aware of. They tend to be noticeable in the hair around the anus; not a nice thing to have to think about but your dog will appreciate you checking them out every now and then.

The roundworm is the most common parasite. It has a lifecycle which needs a complete worming session 15 days apart; one to remove the adult roundworms and the next session to (more…)

There are thousands of dog owners who try to have as much information as possible about puppy and dog care. Just knowing about the correct way to care for your dog is going to help keep him stay in good health throughout his lifetime.

Dogs give back their love and affection in return for their happy lifestyle, each one having a personality and character that is reflected in how they are treated within their home environment.

Taking time to look at manufacturers labels on pet food for a puppy, adult dog or senior dog will show you how much of each ingredient is in the dog food, the ingredients with the higher amounts will be at the top of the list.

A dog requires a balanced pet food that is low on fat and salt. However, some dogs prefer (more…)

Most puppies are slow with their first training routine, but they soon catch on and learn a set of expected training commands such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘basket’.

Toilet training a puppy might have taken a ‘wee’ while longer (sorry about the pun) but as time passes an adult dog is capable of keeping to an established toileting programme. However, when a house move is on the cards, the whole business can be scary and stressful for consenting adults, for a pet dog it is worse; they pick up on their owner’s emotions and worry if they are the cause of this turmoil.

Top tips:

While you are moving your stuff into the removal van, place your pet in an empty bedroom with his favourite toy, dog bed and one of your old jumpers to give him the same smell of reassurance that you did when he was a puppy. Leave his dog bowls nearby as well.

A dog should travel with you in the back of your car to his new home. To help him to feel confident, take him (more…)

One of the most painful irritations that a puppy or adult dog can suffer from is earache. A dog will let you know he is suffering by scratching his ears to the point that he will make slight tears to the skin tissue in an attempt to stop the pain.

Dogs can also rub their ears on the ground or, if the ear canals are totally blocked, they will not be able to stand up; it is the ear canals that connect to a dog’s sense of balance. When the owner of a puppy or dog bathes their pet, water could have penetrated the ear canals causing dampness and earache; long eared dogs in particular tend to suffer from this problem.

When a dog is being dried off, use a cotton bud and gently stroke the tip across the ear, not within the ear itself. This action will take away (more…)

When your first purchase a dog bed, basket or dog mattress it will be lovely and warm for your puppy or adult dog. It is a great place to have available for him to rest his head when he has had enough of us humans and wants to spend some time by himself.

A washable dog bed, especially at puppy stage, is a blessing. It means that if there are any puppy accidents you are able to quickly wash and dry it out. However you must make sure the inner stuffing is completely dry for your dog before he gets back into it.

A dog who is taken out to a park or wood on his daily excursions, once trained, will love to be allowed to run around free and nose about; the different smells he finds will be an intoxicating aroma to your dog.

Dog beds however are not going to smell great for long if, on entering the (more…)