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HEALTH PAGE 2

 
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Introducing our Health Adviser

Teeth Pyometra is the "Silent Killer"

Health Check When Grooming Your Dog

Nails Liver Disease

Visit to a Grooming Centre

Ears GASTROENTERITIS

Grooming the Long Coat

DIABETES

 

A DOG'S TEETH

A dog's teeth were designed for specific purposes. There are four types of teeth in the dog's mouth that are as follows:

THE CANINE TEETH These are designed to bite, catch and hold the prey.

THE SMALL INCISORS designed for nibbling the meat off bones and for grooming the coat and skin

LARGE CARNASSIAL TEETH designed for ripping the meat into manageable pieces

MOLARS designed for the chewing of the meat especially the fibrous tissue and bone.

THE TOOTH STRUCTURE is composed of blood vessels and nerves and lays down dentine throughout the lifetime of the tooth. Dentine forms the main part of the tooth. Enamel is the substance that coats the dentine with a hard, protective cover. Cement covers the dentine of the tooth root to fix it into the jaw.

TO ENSURE HEALTHY TEETH & GUMS train your pet from an early age to let you look into his mouth. Gums should be a healthy pink, with no redness or bleeding where they join to the teeth. The teeth should be smooth and white with no dull yellow plaque formation on them. Plaque can cause gum disease in dogs. It is a mixture of bacteria and food that sticks to the teeth. It causes gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis, which is the most common dental problem in dogs. If untreated, it will eventually mean that the tooth will be lost.

PREVENTION is simple and effective. Take your dog to the Vet where any plaque can be removed. Keep your dog's teeth clean by brushing them. Use a soft toothbrush with either specially formulated toothpaste for dogs, which are available from your local pet shop, or from your Vet, or use a dilution of salt with water. You could also feed your dog types of chews especially designed to clean their teeth. If you are already adding biscuit mixer to your dog's diet, these are a good form of abrasive for the teeth.

Puppies are not born with teeth, and they appear between 3 - 4 weeks of age. They are replaced by the permanent teeth from 11 weeks onwards.

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NAILS

Clipping your dog’s nails is something that is probably best left to either the Vet or the Dog Beautician - both will be willing to see to your dog’s nails for a small fee.

Normally your dog would not need his nails clipped until he gets older, but some dogs do need their nails clipping on a regular basis.

If you decide to take on the task then you must be shown how to do it PROPERLY. Ask your Vet or Parlour to show you.

THE QUICK
This is a black coloured nerve plus blood vessel that runs down the centre of the nail. If the nails are pink you can see the nerve, but if the nail is black, then you have to be very careful as to how much you clip off the nail.

If you cut into the quick, it can cause a considerable amount of pain and it will also bleed. If this happens, it can make the paw tender and the dog lame. It is best to clip a little at a time off the nails.

 

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THE ELDERLY DOG AND THE NAIL

As our dog grows older, his exercise slows down and this can give the nails chance to grow beyond their normal length. This can cause serious problems if left unclipped. The nails can curl round and go undeerneath the paw making it painful to walk. There is no excuse for your dog suffering crippling pain. So be aware and do your weekly health check and this problem will never surface.

INJURY TO THE NAIL

This can happen at any time. The nail can be broken often while exercising. The nail can become caught and if the dogpulls the paw away suddenly, then the nail can be ripped out of the nail bed. Injury to the nails can be very painful.

As a temporary measure you can bandage the paw to support it until you get to the Vet. Make sure the bandage is not too tight as this can make the whole leg swell causing even more problems. Pad the underneath with cotton wool or lint to make a cushion and then bandage.

Injured nails do need to bne looked at by your Vet. If the nail is ripped and bleeding, it can be a source of infection.

FURRY SLIPPERS

Long coated dogs do have ‘furry slippers’! The fur grows inbetween the pads and underneath the paw. This can grow to be very thick and as a result the nail is not worn down and can grow very long. With the ‘slippers’ it is hard to see the length of the nail.

As a precaution, trim the fur around the paw and inbetween the pads and this allows the nail to be worn down.

image to come

 

DEW CLAWS

These are the claws that are on the side of the leg just above the paw.  They are rather like a thumb.  These can cause discomfort if allowed to grow too long.  I have known the hind dew claws grow into the pad or protrude outwards.  They can then become caught in fences, carpets, furniture and cause injury to the claw.

So all things taken into consideration, they are best taken off at birth, especially the hind dew claws.  BUT with some breeds, dew claws are part of their Breed Standard.  This means that the Kennel Club have stated that these breeds MUST have dew claws for whatever reason and if they are removed then these dogs would be penalized at a dog show.

Pyrenean Mountain dogs are one of these Breeds.  Quite a few of the mountain breeds have dew claws.  They are used in snowy conditions to give them extra grip.  So if you want to show your dog at pedigree Shows, you must check the Breed Standard with the Kennel Club before you make a decision to remove the dew claws.

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THE EARS

Within the weekly health check is the ears. They can get dirty, especially the flaps.

Never poke anything down your dogs ears and never put anything into your dogs ears unless it is drops that are made for the internal ears.

The first signs of ear problems is usually the dog shaking his head and holding his head on one side. Also scratching of the ear and whining.

I would say that the person to deal with this is your Vet. If you look inside the ear, it can look red and inflamed. Most times, you cannot see anything at all, but with the obvious signs, Veterinary attention is needed. Long eared breeds can suffer if they are not kept clean!

Constant head shaking can cause damage to the ear flap and a blood blister called a hematoma, and can be the end result. These can be quite large and surgery is often needed.

It is needed to release the blood and to stitch the flap flat so that while healing, the ear flap does not shrivel and become mis-shapen, hence the phrase 'cauliflower ear'.


WARNING ~
Watch out for vigorous scratching, head tilting, clumsiness, walking in circles or drooping eyes. These are signs of an inner ear infection which must be treated by a Vet.


With your weekly health check, you will be able to keep them clean. If the ear flaps are dirty, then warm water with a little baby shampoo will get the dirt off the flaps. Squeeze some cotton wool dipped in the solution until almost dry and wipe the ear flap away from the ear to avoid any water going down into the ear. (Also ear wipes you can buy from your pet shop are ideal.)

 

If your dog has been shaking or scratching his ear, or if they look waxy (this is a brown discharge on the ear flap or just inside), then go to your Doggy Bag and use the ear drops - these can also be bought from your local pet shop - which will work to soften any wax or dirt inside the ear and bring it to the surface.

To remove this, put some cotton wool around your finger and gently clear the discharge away. NEVER poke any kind of instrument inside your dog’s ears. Dogs can jump up quickly or try to shake their ear and the implement can become jammed down the ear, causing severe pain and a fight with the vet to try to look at the damage. Also cotton wool buds can dislodge and become stuck down the ear.

If your dog is still showing signs of ear irritation after using the ear drops, then pop him to your Vet and let him have a look.

There could be a grass seed inside or any foreign object, especially if you have a very young child, you would be surprised at what has been found in dog’s ears!

LONG EARED BREEDS

Their ears need special attention. The air doesn't get to them and they can become damp and smelly with a discharge.

Keep them clean. Use a little olive oil - half a teaspoon at blood heat and pour this into the ear. Gently massage the ear and any discharge will come to the surface where you can gently wipe it away with cotton wool or ear wipes.

Remember do not poke anything into your dogs ears.

With long eared breeds, tufts of fur can grow in the ear and these should be removed.

Get hold of the fur and tug it out. You must keep the ear free of excess fur to keep them healthy.

 

Symptoms of ear problems should never be ignored.  Home remedies are limited - they can ease the condition if caught early enough and at times can cure the condition.  But earache is very painful and it will make your dog very miserable.  It can become serious if left - it is your responsibility to make sure your dog doesn't suffer unnecessarily, so contact your Vet if in doubt.

 

 

© Janet Wesley

If you have any problems, email us for advice. Training@worldofdogs.cc

 

Contact Details
Head Trainer Janet Wesley
Tel: 0115 8462031
email: JanetWesley@worldofdogs.cc

 

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