Dog Advice

Far from just sitting under the dinner table and hovering up the dropped scraps of food, the odd vegetable or scrap of meat if they’re lucky, our doggie pals have been known to take a liking to consuming the strangest of objects which as you’d expect often result in a bad belly and a trip to the vet. Funnily enough though, despite the old excuse, there are no recorded cases of finding homework in a dog’s stomach.

From child’s toys and golf balls to cutlery, we now take a look at just five of the strangest things to be found in the stomach of a dog….

Homer Simpson

While it’s a well-known fact that chocolate can be lethal to dogs, this 10 year old Dalmatian collie couldn’t resist tucking into a chocolate egg, after all why can’t dogs enjoy Easter just as much as humans?

What Dixie didn’t realise was the surprise hiding inside the egg, a figurine of cartoon favourite Homer Simpson.

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So you’ve picked your puppy from the litter and now you have the joy of bringing it home to meet the family. You’ve stocked up on puppy food, toys and a brand spanking new cosy bed for it to sleep in, booked the vet for its shots and bought your pet insurance policy. Yet despite getting all this there’s still one thing nagging away at you... What are you going to call your new furry friend?

Do they look more like a Bruce than a Bouncer or a Molly than a Missy? Don’t worry though; help is at hand with the Pet Name Generator from Confused.com.

It’s as simple as answering five questions and your new canine friend will have a brand new name to adorn their collar.

To see it in action, let’s take this cute puppy as an example...

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National Microchipping Month is June 2012. This campaign encourages and promotes responsibility within pet ownership by supporting microchipping as a preferred method of permanent pet identification.

According to recent stats, 126,000 stray dogs were handled by authorities in the last year. Unfortunately 7.5 thousand of them had to be put to sleep and it was reported that 77% of those lost had not been microchipped.

The first country to put into practice microchipping was Denmark, they made it compulsory to have all puppies microchipped before they left their mothers at the age of 8 weeks old. By 2012 there were no stray dogs and only a couple of hundred that were lost.

The other countries that have also made microchipping compulsory include Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland and Spain. In the UK it is still being considered.

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Everyone loves summer, dogs and humans alike. It is a great time to play outside in the nice weather and go on glorious long walks by the beach or across the country side.  It is however, crucial to ensure you keep your dog cool throughout the hot weather. While humans have the ability to keep themselves cool in a manner of different ways,  dogs don't have this option and therefore need your help in maintaining a good body temperature.

Dogs sweat a small amount through their paws but they mainly cool off by panting. Unfortunately when the temperatures are very hot and humid then panting is not enough.
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Nothing is more important than the health and happiness of your dog. As the two often come hand in hand, it’s important to maintain the health of your dog to make sure that he is the happiest that he could possibly be. As with humans, dogs can suffer from common illnesses and conditions, and like humans, it is important to look out for them to make sure that they can be treated as early as possible. Below are some of the most frequent illnesses and conditions that dogs commonly suffer from.

Joints

It is a little known fact that one in five dogs suffer from Arthritis at some point during their lives. As the disorder can be extremely painful for your friend, it is important to look out for the signs of the onset of arthritis. If your dog seems stiff or sore whilst walking or sitting down, or favours one limb over another, this could be the sign that your dog is suffering from arthritis. A simple x-ray at the vets will be able to confirm if your four-legged friend is suffering from the disorder. Larger breeds such as Labradors, German Shepherds and Collies tend to suffer more from the disorder.

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Walk your dog Regularly

Once that you are in the care of a dog, it is your duty to love and care for them. This also means that you have to help maintain the health of your dog so that they live a long and enjoyable life.

Whilst no dog is the same, and each dog has his or her own personal needs, there are a few ways to help give your dog that extra little boost. Walking your four-legged friend is important, not only should it be a source of enjoyment for the both of you, but it also yields a whole range of health benefits and can serve as a remedy for diseases and disorders.

Arthritis

Arthritis for example, can be a major problem for dogs and is a painful disorder that can start at any point during a dog’s life. Once arthritis sets in, the disorder will become chronic so it is vitally important for you to get your friend treated straight away so that pain can be minimised. There are certain signs to look out for if your dog is suffering from arthritis:

• Dog seems stiff and sore
• Dog favours one leg more than another whilst walking
• Dog suffers from mood changes
• Difficulty in overall mobility, sitting or walking up or down stairs.

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Dog's Teeth

Looking after and maintaining your dog’s teeth is important. Human teeth and canine teeth are very similar in that they will have two sets of teeth during a lifetime. We aren’t as lucky as sharks who can replace their teeth over and over again!

Like most mammals, puppies are born without teeth, as it is not necessary to have them during the suckling stage of their lives. These come in much later at around three to six weeks. Although this may seem exceptionally hasty, it is important to remember that in the wild, survival is the key objective for any animal, so a good set of gnashes is imperative. This is also why it is merely a matter of months until adult teeth begin to emerge along the gum line.

Teething

During this time of a dog’s life it is important to remember that like human babies, teething for puppies can be just as painful so you may expect the odd bit of nibbling amongst your furniture and possessions. Most people may regard this as bad or unruly behaviour but it is merely your puppy trying to aide his teeth along their painful process. If you are worried about your favourite slippers getting chewed up during this time period, you will be glad to know that there are a variety of dog toys available online especially for this purpose; to help aide your puppies teeth along and divert his attention from your brand new sofa.

Once your youngling has chomped his way through his last slipper, he should have around 42 fully formed teeth and now that they are there, it is time to start looking after them. Around 80% of dogs have some form of dental disease that can not only lead to smelly problems, but can also affect key organs such as the heart and kidneys.

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This post was posted in Dog Advice and was tagged with dog, dogs, dog breed, choosing the right dog

There is nothing nicer than strolling along a beach with dogs running around you along the sand and in the shallow waves playing and having a great time. Some beaches however do not allow dogs and some are next to busy roads or pebble beaches (not nice on the paws!). Now Christmas is over every dog will be wanting to take their new frisbee or ball to the beach to chase around and splash in the sea with, so we have compiled a list of the top 10 dog friendly beaches in the UK for you.

Top 10 Beaches:

1. Perranporth, Cornwall - This beach is a great for a bit of rest and refreshment. 3 miles of surf for your dog to play in.

2. Babbacombe, Devon - This is a small sheltered beach with a beautiful little path winding down to the sand and shingle below.

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When winter comes around, we are not only more regularly faced with rain, mud and cold weather but as well it seems that Britain is soon to be experiencing The Big Freeze all over again; leading to very snow covered, mucky pups!

Caring for your dog is always hugely important, but in winter it takes that bit more effort to keep them warm and clean. No doubt, of course, that they will still trail mud everywhere and leave puddles as they dry off but hey, that’s all part of having a dog!

To help you keep your dogs frost free and dry, we have put together a list of pointers to help you out while caring for your dogs this winter:

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