Dog Care Tips

How Often Should I Feed My Dog?

Puppies should be fed two to three times a day until they are at least six months of age. Adult dogs should be fed once or twice a day, and fresh water should be available at all times.

Exercise

Exercise is essential to keeping your pet healthy and happy. Dogs need exercise every day to:
1) keep their weight moderated,
2) keep their muscles and respiratory systems working at proper levels
3) keep them from getting bored out of their minds.

The amount of exercise necessary varies from dog to dog, but walking is an excellent way to bond with your dog and meet its exercise needs.

Grooming

Grooming is important to your dog's health and happiness. Your veterinarian can give you advice on how often to bathe your puppy, and on what type of shampoo to use.

Comb or brush your dog's coat frequently to remove matting and knots. Some breeds will require daily brushing, and even regular clipping. Brushing/combing your dog can be a nice relaxing time for you both.

Inspect your dog's paws on a regular basis for foreign objects, splinters, etc.

Long toenails can cause problems for your dog. Ask your vet how often you should trim your dog’s nails if you know correctly how to cut the nails.

Special toenail clippers are required to clip the nails. Cutting the "quick" (nerve and vessel of the toenail) may result in considerable bleeding. If bleeding does occur, use flour or baking soda and a bandage will normally stop the bleeding. Your veterinarian can show you how to properly trim the nails, or you can ask your veterinarian to trim the nails for you.

Pet Identification

Proper identification can mean the difference between life and death for your dog. Provincial law requires animal shelter operators to take reasonable steps to find and notify the owner of any found dog or cat that has a license tag, microchip or other means of identification. However, fewer that 40 percent of dogs in shelters are ever recovered by their owners, because they are not identified.  

If you have a municipal dog license tag, attach the tag to your dog's collar immediately. Increasingly, pet owners are having their pets micro chipped. A microchip is a tiny chip that is inserted beneath the animal's skin by your veterinarian. The microchip is permanent, and cannot be lost. If the animal is lost and recovered by an animal shelter, the shelter will scan the dog for the chip. When the chip is scanned, the shelter will be able to find out the name and address of the dog's owner.

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Beware of These Dog Heath Hazards

• Never leave your pet in a parked car on a warm summer day. Within minutes, the temperature inside the car can reach a scorching 120 degrees. Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke, which may kill or seriously injure your dog. Signs of heatstroke include hard panting, difficulty breathing, vomiting, and rapid heart rate. If you suspect that your pet has heatstroke, try to cool your pet down, and see your veterinarian immediately!

• Be aware of the plants you have in your home and yard. Eating of azaleas, oleanders, mistletoe, sago palms, Easter lilies, poinsettias or yews, to name just a few, can be fatal to your dog.
   
• Never allow your pets to have access to the areas in which cleaning agents are being used or stored. Cleaning agents have a variety of properties; some may only cause mild stomach upset, but others can cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth and stomach.
   
• Many other common household items can be lethal to animals. Mothballs, potpourri oils, coffee grounds, homemade play dough, fabric softener sheets, dishwashing detergent, batteries, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks and hand and foot warmers are all highly toxic, even in small quantities. Antifreeze and rat bait are particularly appealing to dogs, and should be kept out of your dog's reach.
   
• Make sure your pets do not go on lawns or in gardens treated with fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides until they have dried completely. It is preferable to keep pets off treated areas for several days. Always store such products in areas that are inaccessible to your companion animals.
   
• Chocolate should not be fed to dogs, as it may contain Theo bromide, which can be toxic to your pet.

Neutering and Spaying - When and Why

Male dogs need to be neutered by 5-6 months of age, not just because of over population but because:

Female dogs need to be spayed by 5-6 months of age as there aren't enough homes for the puppies and full-grown dogs that are already here.

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