Saturday, January 10, 2009
Caring For Your Dog's Health When He is Not Eating
By: Mike Long
Everyone knows that dogs love to eat. They almost always have very large appetites and they will hardly ever reject a treat or extra meal. Given this, it should certainly be alarming if you find that your dog is not eating. Your pet's dog health could be in danger if he is not eating, so it's important that you know what to do in such a situation.
Your dog's overall health when he is not eating is something that you as an owner should definitely be concerned about if you observe behavior like this. Dogs that do not take in a proper diet will eventually begin to lose their energy and active nature. Their coats will start to lack luster and they might even refuse to engage in exercise or physical activity.
Your dog's health will definitely suffer when he is not eating. The reason for this behavior could be a variety of different things - the most common being that your dog is sick and not feeling well. As a result of this, his appetite is down.
The best remedy for improving the situation is to consult with your veterinarian. However, there are some initial steps you can take. First, never force food on your dog; instead, allow him to skip a meal and simply wait until he is ready to take in even just a bit of food.
It's also important to note that your dog could not be eating because they have found another source of food. It can be the garbage bin or even your neighbors who have taken the liberty of feeding your dog from time to time. Worry about your dog's health if this is the case, as you don't know where their food is coming from.
As an owner, you should definitely be concerned about your dog's health when he is not eating. Take action right away to find out what the problem is before it escalates into a more serious complication.
In fact, if you would like to learn more about your dog's health when not eating and other ways to "get inside your dog's head", then I encourage you to download my FREE ebook - 'Top Secret Techniques To Keeping Your Dog Happy, Healthy and Safe' at http://www.UltimateDogCare.com.
Labels: pets/dogs
Friday, January 02, 2009
3 Things You Should Never Feed Your Dog
By: Mary Hickman
As much as you love your dog and want to share your food with him, you need to be careful as to what you are giving him. Many human foods are dangerous or even toxic to dogs, which is why you should know what you can and cannot share with him. There is a long list of things that should not be fed to your dog; however, there are a few items that are more risky than others. These three things are important for dog owners to know about to avoid their dog from getting extremely ill or even dying.
1. Chocolate, coffee, tea, or other caffeine products. Most people have heard that chocolate is extremely dangerous to dogs, and the rumor is true. Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. When affected by an overdose of chocolate, a dog can become excited and hyperactive. Due to the diuretic effect, it may pass large volumes of urine and it will be unusually thirsty. Vomiting and diarrhea are also common. The effect of theobromine on the heart is the most dangerous effect. Theobromine will either increase the dog's heart rate or may cause the heart to beat irregularly. Death is quite possible, especially with exercise. If your dog gets a hold of some chocolate, take him to your vet immediately.
2. Onions or garlic. Onions and garlic are another dangerous food ingredients that cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger. Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet's red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness. While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness. It is important to keep your dog out of the kitchen while you are cooking with onions or garlic, or at least keep a close eye on him.
3. Grapes and raisins. You may think that fruit is not toxic to your animal because it is good for you. In this case, that is incorrect. Grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs and can cause kidney failure. If your dog has ingested a large amount of grapes or raisins, he will show signs such as vomiting repeatedly, and will become extremely hyperactive and jittery. After about 24 hours, the dog will become lethargic and depressed. He may experience abdominal pain and may stop urinating, drinking, and/or eating. He will also become dehydrated. His breathing may become irregular, and he will also become hypercalcemic (high calcium concentrations) and hyperphosphosphatemic. If your dog has ingested grapes or raisins, be safe and take him to the vet.
Mary Hickman is the owner of selectpetcare.com and offers dog walking Plano, TX. Visit http://www.selectpetcare.com for all of your pet sitting needs.
Labels: pets/dogs
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