Do I have the time to pay attention to a puppy with my busy lifestyle?
What kind of grooming does my choice of dog breed require on a daily basis and during shedding seasons?
What about barking? Will my neighbors get upset when he barks too much?
Do I have time to put into training and socializing my new pet?
Am I willing to tolerate dog hair around the house?
If you don't already have a fenced in yard, are you willing to put one in?
What type of costs will I have to put out for spading, neutering yearly checkups and immunizations.
These visits can be budgeted, but it is the unexpected visits that can be hard to deal with. These unexpected visits to a vet could mount up fast. But Investing in a pet insurance program can help ease these expenses with a single small payment each month.
Why do I need Pet Insurance?
Advances in the field of animal medicine have been exponential in past decades allowing veterinarians to successfully treat conditions that were previously considered untreatable. However with these advances comes an escalating cost of veterinary care. It is estimated that North American pet guardians now spend over $10 billion a year on healthcare for their pets.
Consider these facts:
One in three pets will need emergency veterinary treatment every year. Two out of every three pets experience a significant health problem during their lifetime.
Feeding your new puppy.
When you first bring your puppy home, the breeder will be able to tell you what food to buy. It is advisable to make certain you do not change the food for at least a month until the puppy has settled into his new home.
When you do switch dog foods be cautious and check into which one will fit into your budget and check the label to ensure the ingredients are of good quality. The first ingredient should always be meat for top nutritional value.
Do not change the food in one sitting. Make sure you start with small amounts of the new food and work your way up to the full portion over a period of about two weeks. If you switch the food too quickly , your pet could get sick. The most common side effect of a quick switch is diarrhea.
Dog Food Bowl & Water bowl
In my opinion the best type of bowls to use are the stainless steel ones. Stainless steel bowls are easier to clean and most importantly cannot be chewed by the puppy. There are numerous styles and shapes of bowls that once again you can research on the many links within this site that will suit your budget.
Dog treats For puppies, choose small easy to chew treats and as the puppy grows you can add more sizes and types of treats. To help keep your puppies teeth clean and healthy, a good treat are the Dent-a-bones that you can purchase at most pet stores. One treat that I believe should never be given to a puppy or an adult dog is the pig's ears and calf hooves. These do not dissolve when eaten and can cause your pet a lot of pain and of course large vet bills for you. A lot of dogs have had to have surgery to remove these types of bones from their stomachs or have been known to cause damage. Please research and buy with caution. Household Chemicals and Poisonous House Plants
Most household cleaning products can have a dangerous effect on your pet. Products like floor cleaners, furniture sprays, and chemical treated carpeting to name just a few. There are a number of garden and houseplants that have been reported as poisonous to pets. Dogs love to eat grass because it helps their digestive system. But be careful of pesticides. If you have had your lawn fertilized don’t let your dog eat the grass and if they must walk on it, make sure to clean their feet and don’t let them lick their feet. There is no specific season where plants can be poisonous, but specific agents do have seasonal peaks. Watch for the signs that you’re pet has been affected. If they have diarrhea and are vomiting, don’t hesitate to take your pet to the vet. It’s best to discuss these with your vet.
Human Foods that is good for your dog.
There are a number of human foods that dogs really love. Raw Carrots and cheese are the ones they like the most. If you are cooking vegetables for your family, before you put that butter on them, put some aside to give to your pet along with his dog food. Human Foods you should never give your dog.
Alcohol can cause your pet to go into a coma and die.
Poultry and Fish Bones can splinter and cause the stomach wall to tear.
Chocolate is extremely dangerous for a dog to ingest and will most certainly create many side effects to their nervous system and heart.
Dairy products cannot be broken down by a dogs system.
Mushrooms can cause shock and death.
Pine needles or water from a Christmas tree may cause diarrhea, vomiting, mouth sores and appetite loss.
Pymetra in female dogs
This is a condition that usually shows up in older dogs that have not been spayed and have been bred. This condition usually appears about two – three weeks after their heat cycle and if not treated immediately can cause death. This condition isn't always noticeable to pet owners. You will notice that your pet will drink constantly and become quite lethargic almost overnight. They sometimes will have a smelly discolored discharge and their vulva will be quite swollen. A trip to the vet is essential as this condition can cause your pet’s health to decline rapidly and they may not survive. There is medication that can help but the most effective solution is spaying.
Pet Microchips
What happens when your dog is lost and you can’t find him? How do you ensure that if he does get lost and has a medical problem that needs daily medication or special diet. The newest form of pet identification especially in dogs is called a Microchip. The Microchip process was first developed for farmers to keep track of their livestock. These chips were in the form of tags on their ears. Over the last few years, these chips have been shrunk considerably to be able to fit into smaller animals like cats and dogs by a very simple and painless procedure performed by all vets. This procedure is very similar to your pet receiving their annual vaccinations and takes only seconds to complete.
Pet Microchips were designed to be inserted just under the skin usually between the shoulder blades. The chips are the size of a grain made out of silicon and are sealed in a hermetical glass container. Each chip has its own unique identifier that is registered by you with your pet’s name, type of food, medical history, vets name and of course your name, address and telephone number and this information is stored in the microchip companies data base.
Pet Microchipping will provide your pet with permanent identification whereas tags on collars can be removed and lost, tattoos are very hard to read and see especially on long haired dogs. The Microchip can be accessed by all vets, humane societies and local shelters by way of a special hand held electronic reader that even the extremely stressed out dog can still be read quickly and without any added strain to the dog. Once this information has been recorded, the pet facility can simply call with the number and then matched to the dogs file to obtain the information required to return your pet to you his loving owners.
Pet Quality or Show Quality
The Kennel Clubs outline the breed standards for the ideal dog. But no dog is perfect. Breeders are always working to improve on quality. It also determines which puppies are classed as Show or Pet quality.
When you have decided to purchase a puppy the breeder will normally introduce you to the puppies they have determined are for pet homes only. Don't feel you are getting a lesser quality puppy, its just the breeder will keep these puppies to improve their breeding program as well to meet the Kennel Club standards.
Discussing the breed standard with your Breeder will help discourage the fear and put things into perspective. Its always best to find a breeder that you feel comfortable with.
Watch how the breeder handles the dogs and how the dogs react with the breeder. As a breeder I would always watch how the puppies reacted with a buyer and found most of the time a puppy would pick out there new family. Here are a few questions you may want to ask a breeder.
How long have you been breeding?
Do you show/trial your dogs?
What are your goals for your breeding program? What traits do you want to improve on?
Show Quality vs Pet Quality. How do these dogs differ.
Do you have memberships in clubs? Which ones?
What type of puppy buyer are you looking for?
Do you have the parents? Can I see them?
Can you give me names of previous puppy buyers that I can talk to?
Once you have asked your questions, take the answers into consideration along with your impression of the breeder's kennel and trust your gut feelings or instincts whether or not to buy a dog from that breeder.
How about a rescue or dog from the pound
Some dogs aren’t this lucky and are just abandoned somewhere or left outside to fend for themselves.
Fortunately for some of these dogs they are lucky enough to be rescued by animal protection or are taken to the SPCA or a breed rescue location. A dog rescue is usually run by a group of breeders or people who just love that breed, like Greyhound rescue, Rhodesian ridgeback rescue, Sheltie rescue, and then there are other groups for any pure breed, mix breed or any other animal that comes their way.
The other known program being your local SPCA who normally have limited space, will do their best to find a home for these animals but may have to euthanize them if they stay to long. The dogs who end up at the end of a needle tends to be the older dog as people look at them as being on the downside of their life and may just become an expense.
But, look at the other side they still have lots of love, are house trained, and you could be saving a life, his life and what he will give back may save yours.
Common dog health issues you need to prepare for:
Fleas
Fleas can be quite bothersome especially when they get into your carpets and furniture as well as your dog. There are a number of ways to make sure you can avoid these pests. One is Flea shampoo, a flea collar (which in our opinion isn't the best idea because children will touch it as they pet the dog), the most effective is the flea pill given once a month during the summer. No need to use flea stuff during the cold winter months.
Heart Worm
Heart worm is just that a worm that gets into the heart of your dog and multiplies and then fills the heart cavity up. This can be prevented with a simple yearly blood test and monthly medication during Mosquito season (May – Oct) and is usually combined with a flea medication as well .
Dental
To help your pet have a healthy life you will need to brush their teeth with special Dog Toothpaste. The tothpaste is specially formulated to taste good and is very safe for the dog. DO NOT use human toothpaste for your dog. There are a number of specially designed toothbrushes for dogs, so choose the one that is most comfortable to use for both you and your pet.
The dental bones will also help between brushing since the bones are soft helping move the tarter off the teeth. The dental bones can be used just like a treat, but are not a replacement for regular brushing.
The link below is a great example of all natural ingredients - and no wheat or corn. Consider them a natural version of the popular Greenies dog treats, but one that lasts up to 4 times longer.
When changing the water for your pet you can also add a dental care liquid for dogs its a safe, effective formula that has been formulated to promote fresh breath, clean teeth and healthy gums. Given daily, the dental care liquid for dogs helps maintain good oral hygiene. The liquid formula is easy to use by adding to your dog's drinking water.
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