Health

Diabetes in dogs? Yes, they acquire it too…. Diabetes is an endocrine disorder, and like humans, dogs too can acquire diabetes. Once your pet is diagnosed, the pet parent should take complete care. What is diabetes? Diabetes occurs due to malfunction of the endocrine glands. Once the pancreas fails to secrete the right level of insulin needed by the dog to utilise all of the glucose produced by…

Is your dog expecting or are you waiting for your new puppy to arrive? If so, Royal Canin has developed its Birth & Growth nutritional solutions, specially formulated to make the critical period from birth to weaning safe for your dog and her puppies. It is very important to take care of the nutritional needs of the mom dog and pups. The five key stages of their life together include:…

How would you feel if you can determine whether your canine would suffer from canine dysplasia or not? Yes, hip scoring techniques just do that. But, if your canine is already suffering from this painful disease, there are ways to control them. Let’s see how. The basics Assessment of the coxo femoral joint (hip joint) for its congruity, conformity and the contoural landmarks of the femoral head…

The arrival of a litter of puppies is always an exciting experience and to make everything go well, you can rely on your vet’s experience and ‘Birth & Growth’ programme from Royal Canin. You need to provide the mother, and the litter she is carrying, with a range of nutrients essential for development. They must be found in her diet, otherwise your female dog’s body will draw on its own…

The fact of the matter is that no dog naturally becomes pregnant without going through a heat cycle. During this period, she will display swelling of the vulva, bloody discharge and behavioural changes best described as 'flirting'. During the fertile stage of the heat cycle, usually during the second week, the ovaries release a number of eggs for fertilization. Breeding that takes place during…

How do you know your dog is ageing? Here, we have to remember all symptoms do not appear together, it is, thankfully a gradual and slow process, but for an observant and alert pet parent these are not difficult to notice. When your dear pooch starts showing some of the below mentioned symptoms, gradually after 5 to 7 years, one can say that he/she is ageing: Hair on the face and paws start…

Young vs old The requirements of a dog are different at various stages. Their body structure changes and so does their activity and physiology. In old age, they may either put on weight or become lean as they are entirely dependent on you. Taking care of food Since the movements of dogs are restricted in old age, they require less calories. Here’s how to manage their diet. Provide him food with…

Changes in sexual behaviour – About twice a year, when females come on heat, males and females are strongly attracted to each other and show great ingenuity in finding ways to get together and mate. This behaviour is highly likely to lead to an unwanted pregnancy. Figures also show increased risks of straying and car traffic accidents at this time. Neutering a female dog stops her having seasons…

Cystitis and bladder stones are two of the most common urinary diseases and lead to various clinical signs that are sometimes poorly understood by the owner. The main role of urine is to eliminate body wastes and toxic products that accumulate in the bloodstream. It also plays a role in maintaining the body’s equilibrium by regulating the quantities of water and minerals that are excreted.…

Urinary incontinence or the loss of voluntary control of micturition is mostly seen in older dogs. Here’s how to diagnose and treat it. What is urinary incontinence? Urinary incontinence can be defined as the loss of voluntary control of micturition. It occurs for a varieaty of reasons, and treatment should be based on an accurate diagnosis. In the dog and cat, urethral closure is not…

There’s a new hope for paraplegic dogs who can lead a normal life…thanks to the ambulatory carts developed for them! A paraplegic dog… A variety of disease conditions affect the spinal cord, resulting in severe neurological deficits, disability and paraplegia. The most common causes are fractures of the vertebrae, disc prolapse and degeneration of the spinal cord. Dogs with acute spinal cord…

At birth, the puppy’s immune system is not fully developed. Rather, it matures during the first few months of life. The immune system is important for protecting puppies from disease and infection. A mature immune system is necessary for an effective response to vaccination. The immune system can be divided into two major components: Cell-mediated Immunity: Cells (T- and B-lymphocytes and…

Our doggies too suffer from dreaded viral infections. One of the highly contagious viral diseases is caused by Canine Parvovirus-2. Here’s how to prevent, diagnose and treat it. What is parvovirus gastroenteritis? Canine Parvovirus gastroenteritis is a viral infection caused by Canine Parvovirus-2 (CPV-2) in dogs. It is a serious and highly contagious viral disease that occurs in…

Weaning is a dramatic period for puppies. It is probably the most demanding few days in the first six months of their rapid development. They need to go from a 100 percent liquid diet (mother’s milk at 77 percent moisture) onto a 100 percent solid diet (at 8 percent moisture). Eukanuba offers Puppy Small Breed, which makes weaning easier for the lil one.   Why do you need a weaning product? The…

Being a dog owner is a rewarding and pleasurable experience but it carries with responsibilities particularly with regard to pet’s health. Dogs play a major part in the family household and bring in a lot of love and life to the family; therefore they need to be fit and healthy. Worms can be a real threat and hence our pooches need to be dewormed regularly. Worms and infections Several species of…

Ever so often we can observe a dog day dreaming about his next meal? Head on paws, eyes wistful and tongue lolling… the picture is hard to ignore. But be warned, dogs don’t dream about the same food that we do. They don’t wish for tubs of ice-cream or bars of chocolate. Dogs need healthy nutritious meals that suit their metabolism. Feeding behaviour Dogs are carnivorous by nature, although they…

Traditional concept of nutrition, i.e. developing, sustaining and providing energy to the body, now has a preventive and, in certain conditions, a curative dimension. This new dimension marks the birth of health/nutrition. Read more about the objectives of Nutrition and the Commandments for feeding your pooch, just the right way. Nutrition aids in body development and maintenance, provides…

Doctors in India and the USA collaborate to cure the deadly Canine Distemper, a first of its kind in Bangalore, and saved a twelve-week-old stray called Muttumani. Me and Muttu… In early January 2010, I found a little stray puppy outside my home. She must have been all of nine weeks at the time (a little over two months old) and looked like she hadn’t eaten for days. I fed her some biscuits and…

Everyone desires of a well built, healthy and good looking dog. The primary requirement to achieve this is good nutrition. Often the nutritional demands of dogs are explained in a very complicated way, making things difficult to understand. Through this article an attempt is being made to simplify the subject of dog nutrition so that pet parents can make a right regimen of food to keep their dogs…

Even the most established behaviour problems can be resolved through the Tellington TTouch, which helps in releasing tension from the body…thereby diminishing the behaviour problems. Come let’s know more about this wonder touch. Did you know a dog who carries tension through the hindquarters is more likely to be sensitive to noise and lack of confidence than a dog who has free movement through the…