Dog Lover Community

Pets continue to be popular in our society, yet the reasons we have them is changing. No longer are our dogs, cats, and horses “working” for their keep, they have become trusted companions and family members. They enjoy the comforts of our homes, and in recent years the benefits of improved health care and specifically holistic veterinary care.

Holistic veterinary care, like that of human care, looks at the “whole”, not just isolated parts. It focuses on resolving the cause and the problem, not just alleviating symptoms. Overall improvement of the quality of life and living is the goal. In addition to western approaches, such as antibiotics (drugs) and surgery, holistic approaches include acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, herbology, Bach flower remedies, and nutritional therapy.

A major key in holistic veterinary care is that the doctor looks at the whole picture. Most will take a detailed background of the animal–medical being just a part. They will look at the environment the animal came from and where it is now, any recurrent problems and their pattern, and the pet’s relationship with its owner (and family members). From this information the veterinarian, with the owner, can work to pinpoint causes and develop appropriate and feasible treatment plans. The plan may include several approaches and phases with optimum health as its goal. An example may be that the pet receives an antibiotic for a severe infection, acupuncture for improved healing and well-being, and an improved diet.

Holistic veterinary care in the Western world is still in its infancy. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, based in Maryland, was just founded in 1981. And more recently in 1988, acupuncture was recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Both veterinary acupuncturist and chiropractors have formed their own organizations to help educate and create awareness of the alternatives available in veterinary care. Homeopathic veterinarians participate in the National Center for Homeopathy.

Holistic pet care has come along way in just a short time, but it still has a way to go to be accepted and utilized by more pet owners.

Marian Brown has been active in holistic health care for over 15 years. She is editor of Holistic Health News. Visit our site at http://www.hhnews.com to join our free email newsletter.

Tags: care, cat care, cat health, dog care, dog health, holistic, holistic pet care, natural pet, petcare, cat care, cat health, dog care, dog health, holistic, holistic pet care, natural pet, pet

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Your dog’s health is a very important part of overall care, and when you have a dog: Worms are a common problem. Puppies tend to get worms more often than grown dogs do. Here are common types of worms puppies and dogs get, and the various side effects that can result:

In general, puppies or dog’s with worms can become sick. Symptoms include weight loss, weakness, being listless, having an upset stomach, not growing well, and sometimes even lung and breathing problems.

A puppy who’s extremely thin could be having health problems with worms. A very shoddy looking coat is another sign of health problems, and even a potbelly could be an indication the puppy is worm infested.

Grown dogs may not show any outward signs when they have worms, but unfortunately they tend to spread them more than puppies do, because they pass large amounts of worm larvae, or eggs, through their feces.

There are several different types of worms that can jeapordize your dog’s health: Tapeworm, roundworm, ringworm and heartworm are the most common.

Tapeworms have flat, segmented bodies and can sometimes be seen as rice-like segments or chains in the droppings of your dog or puppy. These are a common type of dog health problem, and they tend to be combined with flea infestations. Because of this, you’ll often find dog health remedies that treat both fleas and tapeworms together.

Roundworms (toxocara) live and produce hundreds of eggs in the intestine, and are easily passed onto children.

Roundworm eggs are very hardy, resistant to heat and cold, and can survive up to 7 years in the soil. The eggs can pass on to children through ingestion and cause them to fall sick as well.

As a precaution, it’s a good idea to train your dog or puppy to use a bathroom area which is not played in by children. Having a specific area also makes it easier for you to pick up and dispose of the droppings safely. Also be sure to have children wash their hands after handling puppies, and teach both the children and puppies to not lick on the hands or face.

All dogs and puppies should be “de-wormed” every 6-12 months, depending on the area you live in. Consult with your veterinarian for the best schedule in your area.

A variety of all natural health care pet products are available as well. See http://www.mypetanimals.com/Pet-Health-Care/ for additional information and resources.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard

This article is provided courtesy of The My Pet Animals Pet Shopping & Information Portal - This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the links are live, and this notice is left intact.

Tags: care, disease, dog, health, puppies, puppy, wormscare, disease, dog, health, puppies, puppy, worms

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In this guide I will go through general dog care for a first time dog owner..

Grooming your dog

Dogs require regular grooming, how much grooming depends on the type of coat. Some breeds of dog only require grooming once every few weeks. Other breeds require daily grooming. Breeds such as poodles must have there coats cut as there fur never stops growing so this is a big issues when considering one of these breeds. When having your dogs coat cut its always best to go to a professional dog groomers as they usually don’t charge all that much and make a good job, its not as easy as it seems.

Cutting your dogs claws.

Dog claws usually need cutting around every six months. To clip your own dog’s claws you will need dog claw clippers. The biggest factor in deciding if to clip your own dog’s claws or have a groomer do it is the color of the claws. If you dogs claws are white its easy to tell where the nerve is where as if there black it’s very hard to find the nerve. In white claws the nerve will appear pink making it easy to avoid when cutting the dogs claws. In white claws the nerve will be showed as pink as long as you do not cut with in 1mm of this pink the claws will be clipped fine. If you cut the claws closer than this they will hurt the dog and bleed.

Brushing your dogs teeth

The main reason to brush your dog’s teeth is to keep them healthy in later life. Many older dogs have teeth and gums problems witch can be very painful. To brush your dog’s teeth all you will need is a dog tooth brush and some dog tooth paste, Please note brushing with human tooth paste can be very dangerous to a dog.

Bathing your dog

Dogs should be bathed around every six months. Bathing your dog to much can cause problems and make the dog smell more than it would without being bathed. The reason for this is dogs coats contain naturally oils to help clean and protect there coats. Excessive bathing can cause these oils to be removed from the dog’s coat. You must use dog shampoo or just water when bathing your dog. As human shampoo can damage the coat or if it gets into the dogs eyes be extremely painful.
I hope this guide has covered some basic dog care tips and techniques that will help new or existing dog owners to care for there dog.

Ashley Peach - owner of Dog toys, Dog accessory and Dog coats.

Tags: care, dog, guide, toycare, dog, guide, toy

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