Dog Yellow Teeth

Dental hygiene is an important part of the health of a dog but this aspect is neglected by many pet owners and not taken care of. Dog’s teeth are normally whitish yellow in color but if they appear as dark yellow then it is a possible symptom of calculus being built up. Dog’s gums should also be pink in color which is an indication that they are in good health. Dog yellow teeth are the result of plaque that settle down on the teeth and turn into tartar. The reason for this built up could be many and this needs to be treated early as it will eventually cause diseases of the gums. Moreover, it not only affects the teeth but may also affect certain other parts of the body. A lot of pet owner brush their dog’s teeth on a regular basis after seeing their yellow teeth but that does not help to get rid of the yellowness but will only help to prevent any more accumulation. Dog gum disease is a common occurrence that all dogs suffer from at some point in life and older dogs are prone to it. There are two main types of dog gum diseases and they are gingivitis and periodontitis where the former is a condition that causes loss of gums and the latter leads to not only the loss of gums but also loss of bones. Canine tooth abscess is another problem that can appear if there is an infection in the tooth that is the result of bacteria.

Thus, dog dental care become important so that your dog does not have any problems and frequent trips to the veterinarian are avoided. You can also take your dog to the vet for examination where he will advise you on whether they need to be cleaned or no. Observe their teeth regularly to look for any signs and symptoms that indicate teething problems. Bad breath, difficulty in chewing, sore gums that have turned red, gums that bleed and teeth that have become loose or are missing and dog yellow teeth are indications of unhealthy teeth and should be treated immediately. You need to brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis with toothpaste that is especially available for dogs. If this is not possible at home, you can take them to the veterinarian to get their teeth cleaned. Also, feeding them with raw food enables to keep the teeth clean in a natural way.

Smallest Dog Breed

Dogs are considered to be one of the most common pets all over the world and are probably only rivaled for the title by cats. However, most dog lovers would argue that the canines are the better pets because of their loyalty as well as constant show of affection. Unlike dogs however, cats are usually not too bothered about whether their master shows them affection or not and are usually quite content to laze around the whole day as long as they have access to their food and water. Dogs, on the other hand, are very loyal and protective of their masters. Even the smallest of dogs will attempt to fight for their master if they sense any danger – in spite of facing an opponent two or maybe even three times their size. Given the fact that there are hundreds of dog breeds available in today’s market, every dog lover has the option of choosing the type of dog that best suits his or her personality. Small dogs are one of the latest fashion trends with a number of movie stars choosing to sport them as pocket dogs that fit snuggly into their handbags. Although that should not really be the purpose of housing a pet, the trend seems to be increasingly popular, also increasing the demand for small dogs. The Chihuahua is considered to be the smallest dog breed in the world and is considered to be native to North America. The breed has a life expectancy of up to the mid teens and will weigh in between 2 to 6 pounds and have a smooth or long coat with feathered ears, neck, feet and tail.

A breed is considered to be part of the small dog classification if most of its members measure at less than 22 lbs in weight and 16 inches in height. Even though some dogs of the same breed may be a little higher and heavier than the measurement, they may still be considered to be small dogs if their breed average falls under those readings. There is no single breed considered to be the best small dog breed and some of the benefits of housing a small dog lie in the fact that they are rather easy to train and pick up on commands rather quickly. Moreover, the fact that they rarely shed any hair makes them very low maintenance animals to take care of.

Read on dogs that stay small

Puppy Eats Poop

A very annoying habit that a dog can have is to eat his own poop or other animals poop. Even though this is a very common problem for a dog eating his poop it could cause health hazards to the dog. This habit of dog eating poop is known as Coprophagia. It is the ingestion of poop that is neither accidental nor incidental but is deliberate and habitual. Dogs are not humans and so their sensibilities are very different from us what taste good and smell good for them may not for us.

There are many reasons why puppy eats poop; stress, boredom, or a nutritional imbalance. Some puppies could be eating their poop so as to keep their area clean or rather the hose clean. It could be a genetic issue as well or maybe just the taste for them is good. It could also be because your dog has got worms or parasites as these suck out the nutrients from the food your dog has eaten your dog could feel hungry more often. Another reason could be if your puppy has pooped in the house, he could have eaten it to avoid you from getting angry at him. A mother who has just given birth to her puppies cleans their whelping area so her puppies do not suffer from any health problems.

If you see your dog eating feces try and consult a veteran immediately to know the exact cause or even for consultation on how to stop this problem. If it due to worms that the dog has you could give him a de-worming tablet after consulting a vet.  In case it is due to nutritional imbalance give your dog dry kibble which is high in nutrition’s. Also if it is due to stress or boredom try and spend some quality time with your dog by playing with them talking to them. If you take you dog out for a walk use a leash and pull him away when he goes near any poop so as to make him aware that it dirt or wrong. Do this until he stops this habit. Keep the dog area clean and tidy. Adding a little bit of pineapple, pumpkin or spinach to their food will be good as these things taste horrible in their poop. So they will stop this habit. It is however best to consult a vet before adding anything to your dog’s food to check what will suit your dog best.

Read on how to stop dog eating cat poop.

Selecting Vet

When we choose a doctor that we are going to depend on to take care of our medical complications, we usually put a lot of thought into it. The same goes with identifying the best possible doctor to take care of our near and dear ones. As a result, it is equally important to identify the best and most effective veterinarian to look after our pet canines because of the fact that they are likely to be as much a family member as our siblings, parents or offspring. Most families will readily accept that the household pet is an active member of the family because of the affection and companionship that dogs usually afford their masters. Choosing the best vet for your pet health care can be something as simple as word of mouth. As a few of the dog owners and lovers in your area for their recommendations or experiences when dealing with a few of the local veterinarians in order to be able to make an informed decision.

When choosing a veterinarian, it is important to make it a point to visit the facility in person in order to make sure that the vet takes good dog care that are sent to him or her for care. Making an appointment to visit the clinic will help you get a first hand view on factors such as whether the facility is clean, well organized and comfortable, the kind of equipment present as well as the hospitability of the staff. Moreover, gauging by the size of the staff, one can get a rough idea about the number of clientele that the veterinarian has to deal with – chances are, the more clients the vet has, the more renowned he is. Certain factors such as whether X-rays, blood work, endoscopy, ultrasound or EKGs are performed in house or referred to a specialist will also play a role in how fast your animal is treated when suffering from a severe condition and should be kept in mind when making your final decision. Make sure that the dog first aid services are well organized and, most of all, that any treatment fits into your budget. It also helps to know if the veterinarian provides any discounts when dealing with senior citizen or even with multi pet households. As important it is to choose a vet who you feel is most capable, it is equally important to be able to identify when to let go of the old one. If the veterinarian is not helping the animal substantially, it may be time to look for one that is more effective – being able to make that decision is extremely important for the health care of your pooch.

Kinds of Dog Food

The kind of food you feed your pet is going to play a very important role in the quality of life the animal leads. Apart from the fact that the kind of nutrition generates the energy the animal is going to require over the course of the day, it also plays a significant role in the aesthetics of the animal where the gloss and sheen of the coat are very dependant on the nutrient and vitamin intake from the animals diet. As wit almost all health related questions about your dog, asking your vet to recommend a good dog food quality can help you narrow down the best options available in your local market. Moreover, the fact that your veterinarian will also have first hand information about how beneficial different types of food act on different types and breeds of dog will help considerably.

However, it is also important to keep in mind the fact that most vet recommended dog food also contains a number of substances that can be harmful to your canine pet. A homemade dog diet is probably the best option as, considering the fact that you are preparing it yourself, there is little or no chance of any synthetic based proteins and preservatives being added to the animal’s diet. The best proportions to maintain when making a natural dog food would be to maintain about 40% of meat, as this will provide the animal with the required amount of protein; while the vegetable content should be at about 30% and the remaining 30% should be of starch.

For a more appetizing version of homemade dog food, you can try creating a mixture of ground turkey, carrot and rice or even create a meal of ground beef, brown rice and carrots along with some brewer’s yeast. When deciding to feed your pet primarily homemade dog food, it is important to know what types of foods and ingredients should be strictly avoided. Xyltiol is an artificial sweetener that is often used in the production of chewing gum and, when ingested by a canine turns into a very toxic substance within the animals stomach, causing death almost instantaneously. Even a small amount of the substance can have very tragic outcomes. Chocolate is another substance that should be kept away from canines because of the fact that it turns into a poison in the animal’s stomach. Also be careful of mushrooms, mustard seeds and raisins.