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Tips on Caring for Dogs & Veterinarian Selection
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Tips on Caring for Dogs & Veterinarian Selection
In discussing dog care for the beginner or for
someone THINKING of getting a dog for the first
time, there are some main points that I would
like to get across. These points are things that
I learned, but most of which I did not know before
becoming an animal control officer.
1. Dogs are easy to take care of because of the
length of time that they have been domesticated.
They are MADE to live in our homes with us. They
are quite hardy in makeup. Whenever you find yourself
spending a lot of money on special dog foods,
vitamins, minerals, glossy coat items, etc., remind
yourself.......A stray dog can successfully raise
a healthy litter of puppies in a junkyard, living
on cheetos and other refuse. Of course, that is
not ideal, but dogs are survivors, there is nothing
fragile about them.
2. Dogs are a pain in the neck until they are
between the ages of 1 1/2 years and 2 1/2 years,
then, they are SUDDENLY ANGELS for another 10
years! So the trick is to get through those first
couple of years without dropping them off at the
pound. To keep problems at a minimum, you keep
their mouths busy and their legs tired. (Don't
go overboard with exersize, though.) This is easily
verified if you note that the average age of dogs
at your local pound/humane society is usually
between the cute baby puppy age and the nice,
calm grownup age. The only exception is the unneutered
male dog, which sometimes never becomes an angel.
Unneutered male dogs frequently get hit by cars
because they can smell female dogs in heat from
a LONG ways away.
3. Dogs are social animals. They do not feel secure
when they are alone. If you are not home much,
you should get two littermates to play and wear
each other out. This really pays off on guilt
relief when you go on vacation.
4. Dogs like to be in a pack situation, or with
their families. A dog in a secure kennel cannot
do anything but bark if someone intrudes upon
your home. Only an indoor dog can really keep
you safe. Dogs need A LOT of attention, but every
bit you invest is paid back with security and
affection. I live in an area where illegal aliens
manage to come through by the thousands. I have
seven dogs and have never even seen an illegal
alien on my property. (No robberies or burglaries
either.) No one I know who has dogs has been burglarized.
As a matter of fact, Elizabeth Smart's cousin's
kidnapping was prevented by a dog. (Elizabeth
Smart's family now has a dog.)
5. The 4th of July is the most dangerous holiday
for all pets. At animal control, we had to staff
extra officers on the 5th of July and New Year's
Day and after Hot Air Balloon events because the
effect of fireworks and loud noises is to shake
up and redistribute all the pets in a city. Because
of the great fear incurred, dogs that had never
jumped fences before are able to scramble over
them, leaving humans at home saying "My dog
was stolen." Bottom line, dogs aren't stolen
very often and people do not look for their pets
if they think they were stolen. Tell them to look
anyway.
6. Some breeds of dogs were raised originally
to be food for humans while the vast majority
were raised to help humans procure food. There
is a big difference in the personalities of these
dogs. Food. Dogs need good dry food. If you feed
them poor quality dry food, you are the one who
will suffer, as they have increased gas production
and increased waste production! I feed Pedigree
Small Bites dog food. It is easy to find, reasonably
priced and avoids the two problems mentioned.
Other foods may be just as good. Once a day, all
of our dogs get part of a small can of cat food
mixed with their dry food. This is the most exciting
part of our dog's day and costs us about 25 cents.
We feed adult dogs once a day, in the evening,
and be sure to let them out before bedtime.
Most small dogs cannot make it through the night
without an outside visit to relieve themselves.
The bigger the dog, the longer they can hold it.
Also the bigger the dog, the faster they seem
to be housebroken. They can't stand their own
offensive odors.
Even if the mother dog is worm free, the puppies
can be born with worms. Checking one puppy's stool
is as good as checking the whole litter's. If
the mother dog had worms when SHE was a puppy,
she can pass them on. The wetter the climate,
the more of a problem worms are. In Arizona, many
dogs never have any worms their entire life. Unlike
in horses, once you kill dog worms, you should
be set. You do not have to worm on a schedule.
Unlike other intestinal worms, tape worms do not
lay eggs, which means
1. tests cannot detect their presense in a stool
sample and
2. only one treatment will kill them all.
Hookworms are a very serious matter, left best
only to a veterinarian to treat.
Vaccinations may have no effect until the age
of 4 months, so they MUST BE REPEATED periodically,
according to directions. I learned this lesson
the hard way, with an English Springer Spaniel
puppy named Molly Brown. Dog shots can be purchased
at feed stores or online but you must be sure
the temperature of the shot itself does not exceed
certain limits. When I buy shots at a feed store,
I either bring a frozen ice pack with me or ask
if they have one I can take with me. Then I go
directly home with the shots and put right into
the refrigerator. Otherwise, the shot may be no
good. Rabies shots have no value unless they are
administered by a veterinarian, legally. In most
places, the first rabies shot lasts 1 year and
subsequent boosters last 3 years. Rabies vaccinations
to domestic pets provide a barrier from the wild
animal population to humans, mainly because most
humans are not tempted to chase foxes and skunks.
Keep you proof.
Flea and tick prevention has improved dramatically
with the drops you apply to the back. I have found
that I can buy bigger poundage than my dogs require
and split the liquid into smaller poundage, for
example, buying a 30 lb dosage and dividing it
by three using a pipette into three (3) 10-lb
dosages. I cannot recommend that, as it does not
say you can do that on the package. Look online,
and make sure it kills ticks, not just fleas.
I keep the original packaging, writing each animal's
name and the date applied in magic marker. If
I sell or adopt out an animal, I give them the
original vaccination or flea and tick prevention
packaging, so that they can show it to their veterinarian.
The drops do not work on the fur, they must be
applied to the skin. I hope I do not sound condescending,
I am trying to help a beginner decide if he or
she can handle the responsibility of a dog!
The best things about dogs are that they make
you feel safe and they love you unconditionally.
Email any questions or for my opinion, but remember,
I am not a veterinarian and I have GREAT RESPECT
and AWE of their knowledge, gained by years and
years of schooling and also remember that things
change rapidly in any scientific or medical field.
If you find something in my blurb that you disagree
with, please let me know. I will reconsider it.
Nancy Casurella
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