Natural Pet Health

As a dog owner have you ever noticed that some visitors often complain about the ‘dog smell’ that pervades in your house? It takes some time to get used to dog smell and unless you own a dog it is difficult to get accustomed to it. Dog breath can also sometimes give out an offensive smell and can be extremely embarrassing.

Although bad dog breath occurs mostly due to improper dental care, it can also be a result of stomach problems or certain metabolic diseases. Flatulency may lead to gaseous emissions from your dog’s mouth as well as anus.

You can look for a good Dog Breath Freshener to get over such problems in the short term. However, these should be considered as temporary solutions and cannot be expected to address underlying stomach or metabolic problems.

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Although you can get commercial food for your dog, the ideal way to feed is to use a combination approach of both commercial food and fresh people foods. Most commercial food is good for your dog, although it lacks nutrients and vitamins that fresh food has. Vets will tell you that fresh food is good, providing you don’t overdo it. All dogs love fresh food as well, as they can smell it a mile away. If it smells good to them - they’ll want it.

Most commercial foods will offer your dog great sources of protein and vitamins, although fresh food contains far more essential sources. Chicken and meat for instance, have far more protein and minerals than any type of commercial dog food. Fish is another great choice, as it contains a lot of the protein your dog needs to maintain a healthy brain.

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Stuffy dog noses make dogs want to blow out as if Sneezing. Simply put, if your dog appears to be all plugged up, it is not a good sign. There is very little that you can do about a dog cold on your own as it may be due to a variety of reasons. If your dog is old then a blocked and stuffy nose can even be indicative of a heart ailment.

Stuffy dog noses may be due to any of the following conditions:

* A foreign object that may have stuck in the dog’s nose causing irritation. The snorting or Sneezing that may ensue may actually be your dog’s efforts at trying to expel it.
* Stuffy dog noses can also be caused due to an infection or a tooth problem. Nasal infections in dogs can be either viral bacterial or fungal.
* Allergies, either dietary or environmental or due to an allergen are also causes of a stuffy dog nose.

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Canine or feline urinary incontinence presages other ailments that could be worse and difficult to treat. There is a strong possibility of Diabetes or other endocrinal disorder co-occurring with canine and feline Urinary Infection.

If the bacteria travel beyond the urethra or bladder, Urinary Tract Infection in dogs also carries the risk of spreading to organs like the kidney and even the heart.

It is therefore extremely pertinent to understand how Urinary Tract Infections can be prevented. Detection of symptoms at an early stage also helps since UTI is easily treatable with antibiotics. if the condition is attended to in time, critical damage to other organs can be avoided.

Early detection is possible if you keep a look out for the initial signs of Urinary Tract Infection in dogs, which include:

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Dog owners have to get accustomed to normal dog breath. At the same time, dog Bad Breath can become intolerable at times.

Canine Bad Breath is normally a result of improper dental care. Most dog owners tend to ignore dental care while grooming. Lack of proper dental care results in food particles, bone splinters and other substances that remain stuck between the teeth and gums causing decay over a period of time.

The resultant abscesses and Inflammation becomes a welcome home for bacteria. Untended, they invite more bacteria, which ultimately results in periodontitis, a teeth and gum disease that can progress and infect other parts of the body.

Dental care is as important for dogs as it is for humans. If you want to avoid dental problems like periodontitis, you need to brush the dog’s teeth, just as you do yours. The only difference is that you may have to learn how to brush your dogs’ teeth.

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The symptoms of mild Kennel Cough are likely to disappear on their own within a fortnight. Although the duration of Kennel Cough in dogs is limited it can be extremely painful for the dog and frustrating for dog owners. The dry honking cough may not let you or your dog sleep peacefully for 10 to 12 days at a stretch.

Even though cough suppressants provide temporary symptomatic relief, they restrict the phlegm from coming out and therefore prolong the duration of a self limiting disease. The longer the condition continues the greater the risk of the disease progressing into pneumonia.

Your dog’s body is capable of combating most infections on its own. The immune responses of the body quickly come into play and safeguard against infections. However, this protection is available only when these safeguards are not damaged and the Immune System is in perfect condition.

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Canine Bad Breath is a common occurrence and most owners struggle with offensive dog breath at least once. If your dog has Bad Breath here is what you can do:

If you have not been brushing your dog’s teeth, learning to brush your dogs’ teeth is the first thing that you should do. Brushing dog teeth is not difficult to learn and only takes some patience and practice. You do need to ensure that your dog gets used to the process. You can look for one of those flavored toothpastes that your dog may readily accept and in no time he may even start looking forward to it.

Regular brushing will take care of tartar build up, which is one of the major reasons behind the development of dental problems. You can also look for a special Dog Breath Freshener that can restrict the build up of tartar. However, this special freshener should not be considered a substitute for brushing.

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The respiratory system of dogs is almost similar to humans and comprises of openings in the nose, the sinuses, the larynx (air passages), the trachea (wind pipe), the bronchi and the lungs. As such, any ailment that affects these organs is termed as a respiratory disease. Canine respiratory diseases may be caused by infections, Parasites, Cancer, trauma or infections.

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Kennel Cough in canines is as common as head cold in humans. It is caused by a number of agents - viruses as well as bacteria. The most common agents that cause Kennel Cough are parainfuenza (viral) and bordetella bronchiseptica (bacterial).

Kennel Cough is a Respiratory Infection of the bronchi and throat that causes a prolonged dry hoarse cough. The infection as such is neither serious nor painful to warrant panic but long spells of honking cough can be extremely frustrating for the owner and uncomfortable for the dog. Medically, kennel cough in dogs can potentially lead to weakening of the Immune System and secondary infections like pneumonia.

Common symptoms of kennel cough include fever, listlessness, spasmodic and prolonged cough, lack of appetite and nasal or eye discharge. The severity of the infection determines the level of symptoms that are manifested. In most cases, your dog may behave normally with a dry cough as the only apparent symptom.

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Nearly the same antibiotics used to treat Urinary Tract Infection in humans are the ones that are used to treat canine and feline Urinary Tract Infection. Several Natural Remedies and Herbs can also used to help boost the Immune System and to resist such infections.

However, before any treatment starts, it is useful to get the condition duly diagnosed since the early signs of Urinary Tract Infection in dogs and cats could be signs of some underlying endocrinal disorders like Diabetes. It is also necessary to rule out the presence of Bladder Stones, identify the location of the infection and identify the location of the disease-causing- bacterium that responsible for it. This necessitates a urinalysis and a urine culture.

The root cause of the UTI can be diagnosed in most cases and only a small proportion is idiopathic or without any known cause. The causal factors can help in identifying the right antibiotic and in providing quick relief to the suffering animal.

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