Friday, July 19, 2013

Tips To Control Your Dog's Shedding!


One of the biggest pet peeves dog owners have is unwanted pet hair and fur all over the house. It doesn't matter if you have a Golden Retriever or a Yorkshire Terrier, every dog sheds to some degree - the only difference is how much. The age, weather season, and the health of your mutts also play a huge part in how much hair loss they go through.

While shedding is quite normal for even a young, healthy dog, here are some ways to help control the unwanted hair from getting all over:
  • Brush your dog daily - There's just no short cuts around it: brush your dogs' body daily! This will help tremendously with getting rid of excess hair/fur for you and your dogs' comfort. Keep in mind: finding the right brush is also going to help.
  • Eating a balanced diet - The food you feed your mutts also impact the quality of hair/fur. Feeding your dogs a healthy balanced diet will help with (1) giving your mutts a healthy coat and (2) preventing them from getting sick. Sometimes excessive hair loss is the result of parasites, kidney and liver disease, cancer, sunburn, and/or fungal and bacteria infections.
  • Bathing your dogs during the summer - A lot of dogs will grow a thick coat during the winter months and shed it all off during the summer months. So keeping your mutts' hair/fur clean on a regular basis is another way of stripping their loose, dried, and damaged strands away. Using an oatmeal shampoo will help prevent your dogs' skin from getting too dried.
  • Keep up with regular check ups - Be sure to take your mutts to the vet on a regular basis to ensure that they are not losing their coat because of more serious internal healthy issues.
  • Environment control and cleanliness - If worse comes to worse, vacuum your house often put blankets and covers over the furniture you don't want dog hair on.
For other tips on how to better manage your mutts' shedding, consult your trust vet. 

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Tips on How to Spot Fleas & Ticks on Your Dogs


During the summer months, your beloved pups are more prone to getting fleas and ticks on their bodies. These insects feed on the blood of your mutts and may cause several health problems ranging from allergic reactions to tapeworm infections to other serious tick-driven illnesses.

Here are some tips as to how you can spot fleas and ticks on your dogs:
  • Look through your dogs' fur and see if you can spot any small black specks. If there are a lot more than just a random few, they may be flea droppings.
  • If you see small little white specks around the same areas as the flea droppings, those could be flea eggs nestled in your dogs hair. 
  • You may notice your dog is scratching or licking its body excessively. If this is happening, keep and eye out for other flea/tick symptoms.
  • You may also want to keep an eye out for more than normal scabbing or hot spots on your dogs' skin.
  • If you and your family members are getting excessive bug bits on your feet and legs, this is definitely a huge warning sign that you may have fleas and ticks in your house. 
To learn how to safely and surely get rid of fleas and ticks in your house and on your dogs, consult your trusted vet.

Keeping your mutts happy, healthy, and hearty!