Tag Archives: dog

Firework noise phobias in dogs

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Bonfire night is fast approaching with the associated fireworks and this is the time of year that we get lots of enquiries about how to manage dogs that are fearful of fireworks.

My tips are

  • Give your dog a safe area to go to such as a crate or cupboard under the stairs, and provide plenty of bedding to allow him to burrow in.
  • Leaving a loud radio or turn the television up  can help also, or play classical music.
  • Use dog pheromones – a spray , plug in diffuser or collar are available which emit a scent that reassures and calms the dog. This is called DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) and can be purchased at the veterinary surgery. The plug in diffuser should be placed near the safe area.  Your dog can also wear a DAP collar, so that the calming scent accompanies him if he moves around.

  • Dog appeasing pheromone

  • Ensure that your dog does not get extra attention when acting in a frightened manner. This can make the problem worse in that he may think that by acting frightened he will get more attention. You should continue with your normal routine, and only give him reward with attention after he has calmed down.
  • Provide toys or chews as a distraction.
  • Take your dog out early to toilet before the fireworks begin.
  • Close the curtains, and put on lights to reduce flashes from the fireworks.
  • Finally it is possible to try to desensitize your pet to noises, by using various CD’s such as Sounds Scary, or soundtherapy4pets.com, which start off by playing noises at low volume and gradually increasing the volume. This can take many weeks or months and is best started early in the year well before bonfire night.
  • For contact details of your local surgery see www.youngvets.co.uk

Dog ear infections and causes

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Dog ear infections are commonly seen in many breeds but why is this ?

ear anatomy

Certain breeds such as those with long floppy ears may be more susceptible, but we do see ear infections in all breeds with all types of ears.

The main causes are

  • Bacterial or fungal infection– if the ear becomes full of wax, it blocks the air flow into the ear, and it becomes hot and sticky. The normal bacteria or fungi that live on all skin can then grow rapidly and cause an infection. This often causes the ear to give off a pungent smell.

Treatment involves a visit to your vet to confirm the infection and then usually a course of  antibiotic containing ear drops, possibly with an ear cleaner and  oral antibiotic tablets.

Prevention- keeping the ear free from a build up of wax is the most important way to prevent ear infections. You can use an ear cleaner which helps dissolve and move the wax out of the ear once or twice weekly.

ear cleaning solutions

  • Allergies–  unfortunately allergies are common in dogs to a variety of indoor and outdoor allergens. The commonest  allergen is the house dust mite,  however other allergens such as  pollens and grasses can occur.  Food allergies are rarer but do sometimes occur.  All of these allergens can cause inflammation and redness of the outer ear and ear canal lining. This causes increased secretion of wax and a secondary infection often follows.

Treatment involves investigation of underlying allergies with possibly exclusion diets, or blood tests. The allergy will need to be treated as well as the ear infection, to prevent recurrences of the ear infection.

  • Ear mites can be the cause of an infection, but as they are passed on by close contact between dogs such as grooming each other, they are much more common in young puppies. If your puppy has noticeably waxy ears you should ask your vet to check him for ear mites.

Treatment may involve ear drops for some weeks and a spot on treatment such as stronghold.

  • Grass seeds can lodge in the ear canal and cause acute onset head shaking as well as secondary ear infections. They are mainly a problem in the summer months.

Treatment usually requires either heavy sedation or anaesthetic to remove the grass seed as it often passes deep down to the level of the ear drum.

Puppy training tips

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Puppy training is  essential for all, and time taken early on with the basics will go a long way to prevent behavioural problems developing later in adulthood.

Rottweiler puppy

  • Remember that there are only two basic training techniques-
  1. reward  for good behaviour, and
  2. being ignored if badly behaved.
  • Always reward your puppy/ dog with verbal praise FIRST and a small treat such as a dog biscuit SECOND, for any good behaviour. It is important that you consistently keep this order so that the dog can learn that verbal praise is likely to be immediately followed with a treat.  Treats should ONLY be given as rewards for good behaviour not just for being “cute and cuddly.”
  • Over time you should start rewarding good behaviour with praise only sometimes, and do not give a  treat every time, but this will only work if you have followed the guidance above regarding the order of rewards.
  • You should still follow praise with treats often enough to make the good behaviour for praise only, worthwhile to your dog. The combination of praise plus treat , and praise only, for good behaviour is more effective as a training method than giving a treat every time.
  • DO NOT shout or try to tell your dog off if badly behaved. They will think the attention they are getting is a reward, so your effort will be counter-productive.
  • If your puppy or dog is badly behaved, they should be ignored, and you may want to put them out of the room, or if using a crate you could put them in the crate.
  • Dogs behave like pack animals, and in any pack there will be a leader. The leader receives the most attention.
  • As your puppy grows into adulthood, sometimes they may try to become higher up your “family pack” and become dominant over one or more people in the house.
  • Male dogs can be prone to this type of behaviour. To prevent this happening it is important not to give immediate attention when they want it particularly when returning to the house or first thing in the morning.  I would suggest you make a drink and wait a few minutes for your dog to calm down and THEN turn around and greet the dog.
  • In this way attention is always given on your terms, and this reinforces the fact that your dog is the lowest member of your family pack. It is important that ALL family members follow this advice.
  • Finally puppy classes are excellent and important ways to socialise your puppy with other dogs and people and are best done at 10-16weeks of age.

Dog nail clipping

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Dog nail clipping is possible at home  but you need some knowledge of how to do it correctly.

  • What type of clippers should i use ?

dog nail clippers

These are the type that i use most commonly in practice, which have a scissor action. There are larger and smaller ones depending on the size of dog, generally use the small type if your dog is less than 10kg, and the large ones if they are more than 10kg.

I would not recommend the “guillotine” type of clippers as dogs seem to resent the crushing action that occurs with this type, and it is more difficult to see exactly what you are cutting.

  • How do i cut the nails?

There is a lot of variation in the pigmentation in dogs’ nails, from completely black nails, to the whiter type through which it is possible to see the pink colouration associated with the blood vessels and the quick. The quick is the sensitive part of the nail that contains the blood vessels and MUST be avoided.

dog nail

The dotted line shows the level to cut the nail approximately parallel with the bottom of the pad. If in doubt just cut the sharp tips off the ends of the nails to avoid the quick.

  • what if i cut the quick?

Dogs generally have a very good blood supply to the quick, and if cut can bleed profusely. I would suggest applying pressure to the cut surface of the nail with cotton wool or a pad of kitchen roll for 3-5 minutes. You can also use  silver nitrate or a styptic pen if available. You may have to use a light bandage to apply pressure on the cut end of the nail and bandage the whole foot, if it is still bleeding after applying pressure.  If the nail is  bleeding after 10 -15 minutes, you’ll need to call your vet.

  • How often should i cut my dog’s’ nails?

If your dog walks on concrete or other hard ground regularly, this should wear the nails down naturally, and they may never need clipping. Other dogs may need them cutting more frequently if walked only on soft ground, every few months.

  • Can i just clip my dogs dew claws?

Yes you can, as these may not wear down as quickly as the other claws, and may need trimming every 3 months.

  • Do the back paws need trimming as much as the front paws?

No, the nails on the back paws often wear down more than the nails on the front paws, and so usually don’t require as much to be clipped off.

Don’t forget clipping dog’s nails, can be tricky, so if in doubt then take your dog into your vet.