What's the Best Way To Trim Your Dog's Nails?

A major aspect of grooming your dogs is keeping their nails at an appropriate length. Here are some tips on how to safely trim your dog's nails.

There are a number of things that can go wrong if you let your dog’s nails grow too long.

➤ First, your dog won’t be able to walk or run properly.

Imagine trying to walk around with your toes curled under your feet. When the dogs can’t walk properly, it puts a lot of unnecessary strain on their muscles and their spine.

➤ Can Become Ingrown Nails.
 
If the nails grow too long, they can become ingrown, and those ingrown nails are prone to infection and cause your dog a lot of pain.

➤ It’s very important that you start trimming your dog’s nails when they’re a young puppy. 

If you get them comfortable with having their nails trimmed early on, it will make everything much easier moving forward.

To get your puppy comfortable with having its nails trimmed, you should first get them comfortable with the sight and sound of the clipper. Give them some peanut butter, and clip the clippers near their paws without actually trimming their nails.

After some time doing this, they’ll be happy to see the clipper.

➤ Take It Slow.
Make sure you take things slow, because you don’t want to make your puppy afraid of the clippers. When clipping your dog’s nails, it’s very important that you don’t clip the quick.

The quick is the part of the nail that is colored differently and closer to them. On some nails, the quick will appear pink and the actual nail will appear white, while on others, it may appear black on black.

If you clip the quick, it will not only cause tremendous pain to the dog, but the cut will also bleed for hours.

➤ Make Small Clips.
Avoid clipping the quick by making multiple small clips and making your way up before you go too far.

Dog’s nails should be trimmed whenever they get too long, no matter how old they are.

To tell if your dog’s nails are too long, you can see if you hear their claws click against the floor when they walk.

If their claws are clicking against tile or concrete floors, they need to be trimmed. You can also tell by holding up their paw and looking to see if the nail comes down beyond the pad of the paw.

You can choose to use nail clippers or nail files to shorten your dog’s nails, depending on which you feel more comfortable using. The clippers are quicker, while you’re less likely to have an accidental cut with a file.

What Is Canine Reverse Sneezing?

If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably experienced your dog having what is referred to as a canine reverse sneezing fit.

It can be incredibly worrying for a first time dog owner, because it sounds so scary. You might mistake it for an asthma attack, or even worse - a choking fit.

You might think you need to rush out to the veterinarian and have your dog checked out. However, there’s no need to panic or break out the Heimlich maneuver, because reverse sneezing is completely harmless.

➤ It will happen to puppies, adults, and senior dogs of all breeds. 

It is known to occur more often in smaller breeds and flat faced breeds, like Chihuahuas and Shi Tzus.

➤ Despite how horrible it sounds, reverse sneezing is a very simple thing.

Instead of expelling air out like a sneeze, they take air in very quickly. It’s caused by the same things that cause a sneeze, like dust, powders, and other outside particles. Dogs may also begin to reverse sneeze after getting too excited.

➤ You’ll know your dog is reverse sneezing when you see them inhaling rapidly and snorting. 

A reverse sneeze is basically a spasm fit, and there are actually a few ways to help your dog get through it quickly.

When you notice that your dog is reverse sneezing, you can try moving them to an area with fresh air. This helps because there will be less particles in the air to disturb their respiratory system.

➤ Here's What to Do
Then, you can try blowing on their face, and if that doesn’t work, try holding their nostrils shut for a split second and massaging their throat gently.

This will make them calm down and swallow, which will most likely stop the fit.

You can decrease the chances of your dog getting in these fits to begin with by not using perfumes or carpet cleaners around them. Again, it’s completely understandable that owners would be worried by reverse sneezes.

They can occur in the middle of the night in any part of the house, out on walks, or in the car. These fits will probably scare any children around, as well. You just have to remind yourself that this is nothing to worry about unless your dog already has other major issues.

As long as you have a healthy, stable dog, reverse sneezes are nothing to worry about. Veterinarians may prescribe antihistamines if your dog experiences reverse sneezing episodes extremely frequently, especially if they’re brought on by allergies.

Tips On How To Keep Your Dog's Ears Clean

Dog’s ears are extremely prone to having dirt, debris, germs, and infections. The more you clean your dog’s ears, the less likely they’ll be to have infections and other issues. However, it’s not too hard to do it yourself instead of going to a vet or groomer regularly.

It requires very few tools, and it can be a bonding experience for you and your dog. 

First, you need to know how to tell if your dog’s ears need cleaning or not. Then, you need to know how to clean them.

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There are a few ways you can tell if your dog’s ears are dirty.

➤ 1. Smell Your Dog's Ears - Yep, that right 😀
The first way might sound strange, but it’s by smell. If your dog’s ears are healthy, they will have no odor at all. However, if they’re dirty, you’ll notice they smell off.

➤ 2. Are The Ears Red?
Another way you can tell is by color. If the dog’s ears are whatever color they normally should be, then they’re probably fine. But if you see that they’re red, that means they’re ready to be cleaned.

➤ 3. Other signs include sensitive ears, swelling, and discharge.

➤ Products You Should Never Use
When cleaning your dog’s ears, there are a few products that should never be used.  For example, you should never use alcohol to try and disinfect their ears, because that may dry out their ears.

You should also never use Q-tips or similar cotton tipped sticks, because that will only push dirt and debris farther down into the ear. You should use a pair of hemostats, which are like medical pliers, and a cotton ball.

➤ How To Clean Your Dog's Ears
First, you want to take some dog ear cleaning solution and apply it inside their ears. Then, massage the base of their ears for about half a minute. Once you’ve let the solution sit, let the dog shake the solution out.

Now you can use your hemostats and cotton ball to clean up the inside of their ears.

If you have a puppy, they will be hesitant to let you clean their ears. Coax them into letting you clean them by giving them treats and touching around their ears.

They will eventually be comfortable with you touching their ears and allow you to clean them.

You should give your puppy a treat once you’re done, so they’ll be excited to have their ears cleaned again next time.

Continue treating them as normal when they’re more grown up, but be gentler with them as they grow older, and treat them more often.

Does Your Dog Show Aggresion During Feeding?

Some dogs will show aggression over their food. This can begin when a dog is a puppy and remain through his senior years unless it’s corrected.

Dogs show aggression over their food because it’s their way of keeping it safe from other animals and from anyone who might take it away.

This behavior is done because it’s rooted in fear of the dog losing his food. Some dogs become anxious over the thought of not getting food. They’re fearful that they won’t be able to eat.

This can be both an instinctual and a learned behavior. 

Dogs will often growl, snap or even resort to biting an animal or a human who comes near him while he’s eating. This behavior must be corrected or the dog can become too dangerous to yourself, family members and visitors to keep in your home.

➤ Puppies Are Easier to Correct.
Puppies who show aggression over food are easy to correct, but you must swiftly correct it so that it doesn’t grow into a worse problem.

If your puppy growls at you when you come near his bowl, don’t leave him alone right away.

If you do that, he’s established himself as alpha over your actions. Get his attention, say a firm no and then stay near while he starts to eat. Talk to him in a soothing tone, then walk away.

➤ Feeding On Time Helps
When an adult dog knows that the food is always going to be given to him on a regular time table, that alleviates his anxiety over food.

Do whatever you can to make sure that your dog is always fed on time.

➤ Hunger Makes them Snappy.
Just like humans get snappy sometimes when they’re hungry, hunger can cause a dog to become snappy. Stay in control of your puppy, adult and senior dog at all times even during meal times.

Never let your dog run at you while you’re getting his food ready. Don’t let him jump on you, nip at you or try to force the food out of your hand. This behavior can quickly turn aggressive.

➤ Teach Your Dog to Be Still When Feeding.
Instead, regardless of his age, teach your dog to be still while you’re fixing the food. Command him to sit and order him to stay until you put the food in his bowl and placed the bowl in his regular eating spot.

Don’t leave the bowl, even after you give the command to come. Once your dog starts eating his food, then you walk off. It teaches your dog that it’s okay for you to be near his food.

➤ Be the Alpha Member.
With puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs, you always need to be the alpha member. If you’re not in control during meal times, then your dog will take the lead. You can stop food aggression behavior by training your dog to eat what you hand him and take it directly from his food bowl.

He’ll see that you’re giving it to him and not taking it and he’ll learn that it’s okay for his human to touch and be around his food. If you have an adult or senior dog with food aggression, you can still retrain them.

One of the ways that you can do this is by adding some food to his bowl before he’s done eating. He’ll quickly learn that you’re adding delicious stuff to his bowl, not taking it away.

With puppies, when they start eating, you need to break his concentration by giving him something that he really likes such as a bite of meat. He’ll learn that leaving his food is a good thing and that when you interrupt him, he might get a treat. If you train your puppy this way, then when he’s older, he won’t show signs of food aggression.

Does Your Dog's Coat Shed Too Much? | Dog Shedding Tips

As your puppy grows and changes, grooming is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that they grow up healthy. Dog coats shed naturally to get rid of old, damaged hair.

However, if your dog’s coat sheds too much, that may be a sign of a few ailments, depending on how old your dog is. It may be something having to do with your dog’s health, or it may have something to do with you not taking proper care of your pet.

Either way, if you’re unable to diagnose the issue at hand, be sure to take it to a vet so they can check your pet out.

➤ First, you can try to rule out grooming issues.

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If your dog is still a puppy, and they’re shedding excessively, that can just mean that their adult coat is coming in, and you need to continue brushing them thoroughly every night so that their puppy coat will eventually be replaced.

In fact, once some dogs begin to mature, their owners get their old coat trimmed to expedite the process.

           

➤ Another grooming issue could be that you’re using chemical-based shampoo.

Chemical-based shampoo can lead to faster hair loss in older dogs and irritation in younger dogs. If it’s not a grooming issue, it can be a number of ailments causing unnatural hair loss.

Other Causes Of Unnatural Hair Loss In Dogs.

➤ Check For Parasites
First, check to see if there are any parasites on the dog. Parasites such as lice, mites, and fleas can cause excessive shedding very easily, and they’re fairly common. It may also be from a bacterial skin infection, such as mange.


➤ Check Medication
Some medicine can also cause hair loss as a side effect especially with the overuse corticosteroid drugs. Should your dog be shedding his fur and he is on any form of medication, it's best to visit your vet for a check up.

➤ It Could Be Something Serious - Visit Your Vet.
It could also be something more serious, such as disease or skin cancer. If your dog’s fur is coming off in dry clumps, take them to the vet immediately so they can be diagnosed and treated.

➤ Preventing Excessive Shedding.
To prevent excessive shedding in your dog, there are a few things you can try.

⧫ First, be sure to bathe them regularly. Baths help wash away any old, dirty fur so it doesn’t end up around your house or on your clothes. 

⧫ You should also brush your dog regularly, more frequently for longer haired breeds, so you get all of their shedding out at once.

⧫ Go over their fur once with a wire brush to get out tangles and mats, and then with a softer brush made from bristles. 

⧫ There are even some silicon mitts on the market that are great for grooming shorter haired dogs.

First Aid Kit All Dog Owners Must Have Always

For any dog owner, it’s important that you always have a first aid kit if anything goes wrong with your dog. Items in first aid kits will mostly help with flesh wounds, but there is some medication that you can keep in your kit to help your dog as well.

Watch the video above as Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Wooten reviews some basic supplies for your dog first aid kit. this kit will be useful in an emergency either at home or should you take your dog along when hiking and camping.

First aid kits allow you to quickly treat your dog in a dire emergency, before you can take them to an emergency or regular veterinarian.

If you don’t have any medical experience, it would also be beneficial to take a first aid class, so when the time comes that you need that kit, all of the tools won’t be useless.



➤ First, you’re going to need items for any cuts, gashes, or nicks. 

For this, you don’t want to use regular adhesive bandages like Band-Aids. You want to use the non-sticking bandages that you can wrap around the wounded area, so when you or the vet takes it off, it won’t take a big clump of fur with it.

➤ Be sure to have gauze in case of any bleeding injuries. 

➤ You should also have some blood clotting solution or powder, so you can stop the bleeding faster. One good product for stopping bleeding is ClotIt, who actually sells a full animal first aid kit in addition to their blood clotting products.

➤ Bleeding More Serious In Puppies.
It’s also important to take your dog’s age into consideration. For puppies, bleeding injuries are more serious, because they have less blood in them. It’s extremely important that you stop any continuous blood flow immediately on your puppy.

➤ Mild Tranquilizers Are Helpfu.
Puppies may also be more likely to have a conniption when you’re trying to treat them, so a few tranquilizers may be useful as well. Be sure that the tranquilizers aren’t too powerful - you don’t want your dog to overdose on medications that were meant for 100+ pound dogs.

For adult dogs, tranquilizers shouldn’t be necessary if you’ve raised them to be calm. However, if they’re still rowdy and rambunctious, have some appropriately dosed tranquilizers in your kit.

Tranquilizers can help you wrap wounds where your dog may not like being touched. For example, if your dog is sensitive about having its legs touched, then it may bite and be uncooperative when you’re trying to wrap it while they’re scared and in pain.

For older dogs, it would be best to just add on to your adult dog kit, and bring some medications for them if they get sick.

Is Raw Food Diet Good for Your Dog?

You can feed your dog a variety of diets and one of those is the raw food diet.

Deciding whether it’s a good choice for your pet or not will depend on a number of factors such as the dog’s age, his health and whether or not he currently has any conditions that must rely on a certain nutritional balance.

When feeding your dog a raw food diet, it means that you’re going to focus on foods like fruits and vegetables, lean raw meats and some types of dairy.

Certain types of dogs do well on raw food diets, but others don’t. 

Take a few minutes and watch what 7 experienced vets have to say about a raw food diet for dogs..

If you decide that you want to do this, then you need to understand the right balance for your dog. There are many benefits for your dog from a raw food diet. You’ll notice that he has more energy, that his coat looks better and that he seems healthier.

The closer dogs can eat to the way of their ancestors is good for them which is why some dog foods are so bad. They contain far too much grain and dogs are carnivores. If you choose this type of diet for your dog, you’ll need to buy meats like beef or liver, pork, chicken and bones.

➤ Be Careful With Bones
You have to be careful with bones because dogs can get them lodged or injure their mouths. Dogs can have certain types of food like raw eggs or yogurt on this diet. The diet, when done correctly can help your dog live a long and happy life.


➤ Raw Food - Not For Puppies
It’s not a good idea if you have puppies to put them on a raw food diet. Because they’re in a stage of constant growing, you can unintentionally rob them of the nutrients they need to grow healthy muscles, strong joints and bones.

If you feed a puppy a raw food diet, you have to be sure that they’re getting the right amount of calcium. But it’s better not to give a puppy a raw food diet. Adult dogs, however, can benefit from eating this way.


➤ Senior Dogs - Depends On Health
You can give them more spring in their step, fewer gastrointestinal issues than they get with processed food and a stronger immune system. Feeding senior dogs a raw food diet will depend on the dog.

If your dog is struggling with his health, he could probably use the more natural way of eating. It could help improve issues that he might be having. Raw foods are often much easier for them to be able to digest than commercial dog food diets are.

If you choose to feed your dog a raw food diet, regardless of his age, you’ll want to introduce it slowly to give his system time to adjust to the new change in his way of eating.

Three Dog Potty Training Issues That Are Easily Solved

There are three dog potty training issues that always go hand in hand with trying to train a puppy, adult dog or senior dog. Some older dogs never had the training, so they never ended up housebroken.

But regardless of age, any dog can be trained to do his business outside.

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➤ Start Here - Crate Training Is The Best Way
Crate training is the best way to train any dog, so you always want to start there. The reason that this method is so effective is that dogs are extremely reluctant to go to the bathroom where they sleep.

If you have a dog that’s constantly relieving himself in his crate, it’s because the crate that he’s in is too big. He has room to go relieve himself in one area and turn around and lie down away from his elimination.



That means that your crate needs to either be downsized or you need to use a crate divider to take away some of his room. If you do that and your dog is still using the bathroom in his crate, it means that you’re not taking him out often enough or he may have a medical condition and can’t hold his bathroom needs as long as other dogs can.

➤ When Your Dog Relieves Himself in the House.
Another common potty training issue is when a dog relieves himself in the house. If he’s gone through crate training, then this shouldn’t be an issue. But it can happen with puppies if they end up drinking something or eating something.

Their systems are small and fast. They usually need to relieve themselves within a half an hour after eating or drinking. Adult dogs have potty training accidents when they eat something that upsets their system or when they’re left inside for too long.

➤ Senior Dogs Can Have Accidents
With senior dogs who have potty training accidents inside, it’s usually because their system isn’t what it used to be. They may have trouble holding their urine or they may have digestive problems that make them need to eliminate quickly after eating.

The solution is to watch your dog more closely when he’s sick and make sure you let the dog out more often when he’s prone to having accidents.

Keep him on a schedule and that can help stop accidents.

Also, dogs that have potting training issues could pee inside your home if they’ve done it before because of the scent that’s left behind. Even if you’ve cleaned up their accident and you can’t smell it anymore, it doesn’t mean they can’t.

Their noses are more sensitive. You have to use a product that can completely remove the scent.

➤ Distractions and Anxiety Can Cause Issues
The third potty training issue you run into with dogs of all ages is they don’t use the bathroom when they’re outside even when you know it’s time for them to.

The causes of this are anxiety or they get distracted by a bird, a squirrel, the sound of someone or something else. Sometimes dogs will need to go, but dart back inside without going because they want the calmness and security of being in the home which they see as their den.

The solution is to walk out with your pet and stay out in the yard with him until he goes. You can help him not be distracted and your pet feels more secure when he knows you’re with him.

Stop Your Dog From Digging Up Your Yard

Your yard can quickly become a landscape of one hole after another if your dog has a digging habit. It can destroy the soil balance, kill the grass, uproot flowers and lower your home’s value if your yard looks like a dug up mess.

Dogs Dig for Different Reasons.
Dogs of all ages dig for different reasons and if you sort out the particular reason that your dog is digging, then you can end the behavior.

Puppies dig because they have short attention spans.

They get bored pretty easily - especially if they’re not with playmates. So when they’re outside they’ll start digging as a way to entertain themselves.

Adult dogs dig because they’re bored but they also dig when they catch the scent of prey.

Small animals like to burrow under the ground and when your dog smells them, he’s going to frantically dig up the yard trying to locate that animal. Senior dogs often dig holes because they’re looking for comfort.

Lying in the cool, soft soil eases their bones and provides cushioning.

Many dogs are just more prone by their nature to dig than other dogs are. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t stop the behavior.

Ways to Train Your Dog To Stop Digging and Protect your Yard. 

➤ Make sure that your dog gets plenty of activity so that he doesn’t dig just because he’s bored. If your dog is a natural digger, then you may want to assign him a spot in the yard where it’s okay for him to dig.

➤ You can teach him to go to that area only.

➤ Dogs also dig holes because they want to bury their toys or anything else that they deem important to them.

➤ Sometimes dogs dig because what’s on the other side of the fence seems a lot more exciting than the yard that they’re in.

➤ To stop a puppy from digging, you have to constantly watch him until he’s trained to know that his actions aren’t acceptable to you. The second he begins to sniff around and begins to scratch at the grass, interrupt him.

➤ You can use a training whistle, coins in a tin can or some other object to get his attention. When he stops digging, give him something else to do like play with a toy or play a game of fetch.

➤ Adult dogs who dig may be doing it because they’re after an animal or want out of the yard. If that’s the case, you have to interrupt that behavior every time he digs. Make sure that your yard is eradicated from burrowing animals.

➤ Some owners set up a sandbox for their dog and allow him to dig only in that. Your dog can quickly get used to digging only in that restricted area.

➤ Remember to always reinforce good behavior but stop bad behavior immediately.

➤ Train your dog to come the second you command him. So if he starts digging, get his attention and order him to come to you. When he obeys, give him a treat.

➤ If your dog is a senior dog digging holes for comfort and to cool off, then give him a way to stay cool and comfortable when he’s outside.

Parvo - How To Prevent Your Dog From Contracting Pravo

Parvo is a very serious infection that can occur in puppies, with a mortality rate of about 90% if not treated. 

Video: 8 Tips on how to prevent your dog from contracting Pravo.

Parvo is a viral illness that is extremely contagious, so if your dog is afflicted with it, you should take them to the vet ASAP where they can be treated properly and separated from other dogs.

➤ Parvo is particularly common in puppies.
The chances of dogs getting parvo decreases significantly as they get older. Most cases of parvo were found to be in dogs from six weeks to six months old. 

➤ Puppies are to be vaccinated for Parvo.
This should be done at regular intervals between 6 and 12 weeks. After those vaccinations, they shouldn’t get the disease, though it is still possible.

➤ Pravo Symptoms.
It shouldn’t be too hard to notice something’s wrong with your puppy when it has parvo.

The puppy will experience terrible symptoms like bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and unhealthy weight loss.

Parvo weakens your dog’s immune system greatly, and this can lead to further complications.

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➤ Visit Your Vet ASAP
When you notice your dog begin to exhibit these symptoms, take them to the vet immediately to get proper treatment.

The puppy will need plenty of water, because in addition to the vomiting, the disease interferes with the dog’s ability to absorb water and nutrients.

➤ Dogs contract Parvo fairly easily. 
When dogs infected with parvo defecate, their feces contains an extremely high concentration of the disease. If your healthy puppy so much as sniffs it, they can contract the infection.

Parvo has also been found to be able to live within soil for up to a year. So if your parvo afflicted dog defecates, be sure to pick it up and then bleach the spot. Bleach is one of the few chemicals known to be able to actually kill off parvo.

Parvo is so infectious, that if you step in some parvo-riddled feces and walk inside, your dog can contract it from sniffing your shoe.

➤ Some breeds are more susceptible than others to Parvo. 
These breeds include German Shepherds, Dobermans, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Labs. 

There are precautions you can take to prevent your dog from contracting parvo. Most importantly, make sure that they get their shots, and that they don’t interact with other dogs until a few weeks after their final shots.

For the breeds mentioned above, you may want to consider additional shots, to ensure that they’re fully protected from Pravo. You should then continue to get booster shots around every three years to make sure they’re still protected.