tiloo
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Oct 24, 2004, 2:51 AM
Post #23 of 44
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No lah, your questions are not silly at all!! In fact even though I grew up with dogs, there's still so many things to learn about them; and this forum has helped also. Okay to answer your questions, by the way, to all, please add on if you have more info : 1. Milk : Dogs and cats do not have the proper enzymes to properly break down the sugar in milk which is called 'lactose.' You may have heard of people who are lactose-intolerant. They are also missing these digestive enzymes. If the proper enzymes are not present, the lactose remains undigested and tends to ferment in the intestine and cause diarrhea. Some pets can tolerate a little milk, others, none at all. If your pet enjoys and appears to tolerate milk, you can give your pet small amounts. Better yet, give your pet one of the special cat or dog milks on the market that have had the lactose removed. 2. The puppy’s feeding schedule will be somewhat dictated by your own personal schedule. We do not want to leave food out for the puppy so that he can eat it whenever he wants. You need to be there for the feedings because you want the puppy and his entire body on a set schedule. This is best accomplished by feeding the pup what he will eat at specific times on a specific schedule. Puppies under six months of age should be fed three times daily; between six and twelve months old, two times daily; and once per day after twelve months of age. Puppies maturing into adults will naturally decrease the number of feedings per day on their own. By feeding on a set schedule, the dog will then go to the bathroom on a more set schedule and make housetraining easier and faster. Make it a habit to give the puppy some quiet time after the meal. Do not let the children romp and play with him for the first hour to an hour and a half after eating. This can lead to some stomach upsets that can sometimes be very serious. The puppy will probably need to go to the bathroom, however. 3.Mosquitoes can cause heartworm, following is the damage that can be caused by heartworm: The adult worms can obstruct the different chambers of the heart and the various large blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs. First, the right pumping chamber (ventricle) of the heart and the large pulmonary artery leading from it to the lungs becomes enlarged as the worms take up space. If worms die, they may follow the flow of blood into smaller vessels in the lung and obstruct those vessels. In severe infections, the worms can also block the large vein (vena cava) bringing blood to the right side of the heart. As the blood backs up, the liver becomes enlarged and damaged. In a tropical climate like ours; all dogs should be treated with heartworm preventive medication year round for life, I only know of 3 types a) Heartguard b) Interceptor (I'm using this for leeloo but a bit pricey) c) Heartworm jab (If you scroll through this forum under health I think, you should be able to read about it, there are many pros and cons but be sure to read up about it and ask your vet to see which type of Heartworm prevention suits your needs best) BTW, these medications also prevent other worm infections such as hookworm, whipworm etc. You can refer to the box. Puppies normally qualify for heartworm prevention at the age of 5-6months? not sure, anybody help!!! Or you can ask your vet, also be sure to ask abour deworming and how often should you deworm your puppy. 4. Trimming nails : I normally cut leeloo's when I hear her nails clicking on the tiles. She needs to be trimmed about once every 3 weeks because she stays indoor. Once your puppy is fully vaccinated, and you're able to take him out for walks, or stay outdoors,his nails will wear down naturally by the road etc. Be careful though if you're doing it the first time because, dobes have black nails. A bit difficult to see the quick of the nail. Get your vet to do it and explain to you how to gauge the position of the quick. (this was what i did the first time I needed to trim nails!!) 5. Sufficient feeding : The amount of food given with each meal should never be dictated by what is on the back of the puppy food bag. That is a good place to start, but from our experience, many puppies need less than what is on the bag, and a few may need more. Adjust the amount fed to maintain your puppy at an optimal weight. Your veterinarian can help you determine the proper amount to feed. Remember to have water available with or immediately following the meal. One of the biggest complaints that veterinarians hear from dog owners, especially those with animals less than 18 months of age, is that they never eat enough. The owners feel the dog is not putting on weight or growing as fast as they think he should. They are tempted to somehow encourage their animals to eat more. Do not do it. The growth rates and appetites of young animals on a good quality food are primarily dictated by their genetics. Do not try to make your dog grow faster than he should or into something he is not. This will only cause problems. Artificially accelerated growth leads to bone and joint disorders. Feed them the amounts they want and let their bodies dictate their needs. Please check out this website for questions, I find that it's splendid and has helped a lot especially when dealing with leeloo's Hip Dysplasia. http://www.peteducation.com/ Hope I helped a bit with your questions, and others please add on any additional info u may have.
(This post was edited by tiloo on Oct 24, 2004, 2:54 AM)
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