Pet/animal Care Forum Online veterinary advise

[kashvet 0]

Hi I am A veterinarian and would like to offer through this forum an online tutorial and consultation service... For a start lemme tell you something about training, feeding and breeding your pets...

 

Training Pets Training pets

 

Dog training is an art and science. It is very important for your dog to be trained at least to the extent of obeying your basic commands. The training must be methodical and must be regularly carried out. An obedient dog is an asset and also required for the owner?s safety. An untrained adult Alsatian or Doberman can be quite lethal to your guests or some times to your own family. Choosing the breed is most important. No breed is the ?best? but Alsatians and Boxers are easy to train. Some breeds like the Dalmatian may be stubborn to train initially. Cross breeds may tend to be more difficult to train but they too are definitely trainable. Age of the dog too is an important attribute for training and pups are easier to train than adult dogs. Ideally I prefer the dog to be around 6 months when the training should start. The Indian Army starts training the dogs when they are 9 months of age. An extremely nervous pup is not suited to be trained. The first step in training begins at home and involves socialization with the family i.e. teaching the pup it?s name. The next step is to show the pup it?s immediate family and to make the family interact in a friendly manner with the pup. Remember the first impression often is the last impression. Then comes teaching the pup to walk properly on a lead and to answer its natures calls also on the lead. Just as all children do not learn equally fast there may be a difference in the learning aptitudes of your pup, so patience is of utmost importance. The main policy experts advocate in training is the ?Reward and Punishment? system. Punishment must be instant for the dog?s memory span is just 3 ? 5 seconds and any punishment after this serves no purpose and only confuses the animal. Reward on the other hand must be profuse and elaborate. Either *BLEEP* bits or soothing speech or lots of patting all serve the same purpose. It is better that only one member of the family train the pup initially and once the pup has learnt all the commands then other members can follow suit. Split the training into individual units and teach the dog the basics before going in for advanced training. Never insist on making the trainer teach advanced commands like ?attack? unless you are confident that the basic command ?come? has been perfected. This could lead to disastrous consequences in breeds like the German Shepherds. The training ground must be an open area free of distractions. The dog must associate pleasure with training or else you might have a dog, which refuses to even go for training. Never correct a dog more than it is needed, and remember that the dog cannot understand your language just as you cannot understand theirs. So don?t expect miracles and be patient.

 

 

 

Feeding pets

 

 

 

Dogs are monogastric animals like man and have a single stomach. All members of this particular family were carnivorous i.e. meat eaters. With centuries of domestication dogs have become omnivorous i.e. can survive on either meat or vegetarian food. Dog feeding seems to be more problematic to the owners than to the dog itself !

What amount, type, duration of feeding are the questions pet owners ask most commonly. My stock answer is that there are no hard and fast rules but then certain thumb rules can be laid down. First the feeding schedule for dogs is five meals a day from the age of two months. Then with every increase of age by three months reduce one meal. Therefore at the age of one year the adult dog needs to be fed only once a day. As pups the energy requirement is twice that of the adult. The adult dog must therefore necessarily be given a lesser amount of food or they tend to get obese. However the pregnant *BLEEP* in her last term needs to be fed more often with a diet which is low in quantity yet rich in quality. The food you provide your dog can be either fresh home made or dry pet foods. In case you decide to keep your pet on pet food then there are numerous types available at pet shops. These feeds are available in accordance to the age of the dog. These dogs need to be given long bones or chew bones to prevent accumulation of tartar. In case you decide to keep your dog on home made food which is the general practice in most households, then you can include eggs (boiled and never raw ), boiled meat, soyabean nuggets, hard vegetables e.g. carrots, boiled rice, bread, milk, curd, cottage cheese ( paneer ), boiled and mashed potatoes, etc. Pups need to be given multivitamin and calcium supplements till they complete their growth. Pups are better off with liquid or semisolid food. There is no specific amount of food to be given and your pup is the best judge to this. The pup should be slightly hungry at the end of the meal and eagerly accept the next meal. Most owners adjust to their dog's feeding requirements in a few days. One important point is that if the food is too much the pup will just leave it or ignore the next meal. Food provided must be warm and in a clean container. This will stimulate the sense of smell and increase the appetite. Cool potable water must be available at all times. A pup must be fed every four hours. The first meal being as early as possible and the last meal as late as you can so that the pup?s stomach does not remain empty for too long. In summers feed the dog during the cooler parts of the day preferably in the early mornings. The adult dog must be fed at least five hours prior to the household sleeping so that the dog has digested the food and is alert by the time the family is asleep. Dogs tend to eat more in winter and less in summer. There is a difference between in appetence and anorexia. The former indicates that the dog eats less while the latter refers to the dog being totally off-feed. Food must be kept in front of the dog for a maximum of 15 minutes especially in summer to prevent flies from sitting on the food. If the dog is active and alert and shows in appetence then there is no cause of concern. Some breeds are ?greedy eaters? by nature. The prime candidate for this title is the Labrador. Others like the Spitz tend to be choosy eaters. There are certain myths involving dog feeding. The first is that no salt or sugar is to be given. These may be given but in moderation. The second is that dogs must be given meat. Quite a few vegetarian families keep their pets on a vegetarian diet and the dogs are equally healthy. These owners can supplement their pet?s diet with some nutritional supplements. The third is that dogs must get milk all their life. This is probably the most common view held by people but most research shows that dogs do not need milk after the age of one year and do better off with yogurt or cottage cheese. There are certain points the owner must keep in mind. Firstly never feed the dog before you eat yourself. This is because dogs are pack animals and in a pack the leader always feeds first. Therefore to maintain your leadership always feed your pet after your meals. There should be no sudden diet changes as dogs prefer routine. Never feed your dogs chocolates as cocoa is toxic to dogs. Chicken bones too must be avoided as these may get stuck in the dog?s throat. *BLEEP*-bits and table-scraps are also best not given to them. If your pet is eating mud or stones increase the calcium and also get it de-wormed. If your dog is eating grass, it probably has some irritation in the stomach. It is normal for them to eat grass and vomit it out thereafter enabling them to cleanse their own system. Never let your pet run or jump after a heavy meal especially the larger dogs as this can cause the stomach to twist which may be potentially life threatening. Dogs can be made to take a walk to answer their routine nature calls. Dogs eating clothes etc. indicate a lack of fiber in the diet that needs to be supplemented. Chewing furniture is however a sign of teething and is normal. Careful regulation of your pet?s diet will keep it healthy all it?s life. You and your pet are the best judges to what your pet needs. In case your pet is putting on weight then reduce the diet and increase the exercise. Alternatively your vet would be the best judge to help those pets that are under-weight. A nutritionally balanced diet could then be prescribed keeping the individual pet in view.

 

 

 

Breeding pets

 

 

 

Perhaps one of the main problems faced by pet owners is in regard to the reproductive behaviour of dogs after they attain sexual maturity. Although here as everywhere, individual modes of behaviour differ, there are a few general patterns followed by all breeds. The females reach sexual maturity by eight months and the males by one year. Once the dog reaches puberty, they may develop some peculiar behaviour patterns. The most common of these are flashing and masturbation. These are perfectly normal and can be controlled by a stern reprimand and a period of isolation. If these are not controlled at an early stage, it can become quite embarrassing once the pup becomes an adult. The females are better not bred in the first cycle, as the reproductive organs would not have developed fully. The males are also better used for stud purposes after the age fifteen months. The female is best bred between the age of eighteen months and seven years and that too not more than once a year. The larger breeds that tend to produce large litters must not be bred until they recover their health. There is a basic difference in the reproductive patterns of the male and the female. While the male is opportunistic and ready to mate all the year around, the females come to heat only twice a year. External factors like weather, health and nutritional status will affect its periodicity. The heat lasts for two weeks. Even during this period they accept the male only during last stage of the heat. There are two types of breeding: In-breeding and Out-breeding. The former is when two close relatives are bred. This is not advised. This happens quite often by accident in those households, where two pups are got from the same litter. Out-breeding refers to the breeding between two unrelated dogs of the same breed. As the parent?s genetic make-up will influence the pups, one has to be careful in selecting the male. The stud dog must have been fully vaccinated, free of ticks and other skin problems. The female must be given a broad -spectrum de-wormer prior to mating. For successful mating to occur, the owner must be careful to observe the first day of heat. The owner should look out for the beginning of bleeding in the *BLEEP*. The female must then be bred to the stud on exactly the 9th, 11th, and 13th day after the heat has started. After the 15th day, the female will shun the male. One important point is that it is essential to take the female to the house of the stud dog and not vice-versa. Also those dogs suffering from genetic conditions like hip-dysplasia or epilepsy are better not bred. The period of mating is usually half an hour in dogs from when they form a coital lock and they must be left in an isolated area during this period. In case your pet has got into an unwanted coital act, then also it is advisable to wait for the dogs to dismount voluntarily. Disturbing them at this stage will be cruel as it will cause terrible pain and will also damage their genitalia.

 

The duration of pregnancy is two months, but it is normal for the pregnancy to last up to sixty-five days. The growth of the fetus is fastest during the last twenty days of pregnancy and therefore the nutritional supplements must be increased during this period. At five weeks of pregnancy external signs could be visible like abdominal enlargement. Generally the breed size determines the litter size. Large breeds may have up to 12 pups, whereas smaller breeds have up to 5 pups.

 

The *BLEEP* will begin to show nesting behavior as it nears its term. This includes activities like digging up the garden, collecting old clothes etc. Just prior to the actual delivery, the *BLEEP* is restless and will go into isolation. At this stage, the owner is advised to provide some warm milk and to leave the female totally undisturbed. A gap of two hours between the delivery of each pup is normal. A time gap longer than this may need veterinary intervention. The *BLEEP* generally licks the pup clean and severs the umbilical cord itself, but ?first time? mothers may need help.

A common problem owners face is about their pets having unwanted pregnancy. Often, even with all precautions, the *BLEEP* may cross with an undesired suitor. This problem can be handled by consulting your vet within the first forty-eight hours of the incident occurring. False-pregnancy is another problem where the *BLEEP* shows all signs of pregnancy, but is not actually pregnant. This is a normal physiological process and will settle down with time. This does not need any treatment unless the *BLEEP* is troubled with the presence of a lot of milk in the mammary glands.

 

 

Notice from dundun2007:

The majority of this post has been copied from http://pets.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1063096921.cms you have been warned and text has been quoted.

 

 

Post your queries and i will reply to themm...

I will be putting up pet care tutorials from time to time

Edited September 13, 2005 by dundun2007 (see edit history)

[jfk 0]

Ok. I've got a small cat (7 week old) and he is very playfull, courious and do all kind of things small cats do. I feed him 4-5 time a day with junior food and i gave him a fresh water with every meal. It's healty cat without any parasites (actually i don't see any of them). The only problem (i think it's a problem, but i hope it's not) is, that my cats nose is often wet. Like he is ill, but he's not (no sings for illnes). I visit a veterinarian and he didn't want to vaccinate my pet, because he's not old enought (he sould be at least 8 weeks old with 800g of weight; i don't know if that's true), and i went home without any medications or pills for inside parasites. So i'm afraid that before he will be vaccinated i could bring with shoes in my home some virus, and that's deffinatley not good for a cat, especially for a yungster. Thanks for help

[kashvet 0]

No need to worry.......A young animal during the first three months of its life is actually more well off than the period after it... Thats because after its birth it recieves a special milk from its mother called colostrum.This milk in short makes it as immune to diseases as its mother is (well almost)However after three months the effects of this milk wane off and the animal is left to fend and defend for itself..Thats when vaccines and medicines come inAs far as the wet nose is concerned, the pets usually have sonewhat moist noses, infact a dry nose is cause for concern...If there is no discharge from the nose and its just moist...dont worry

[wild20 0]

I have a question. Do you need a prescription for the antibiotic, Streptomycin? I have a chicken that is fighting bumblefoot. I changed perches and every day, I have been putting on new wrappings after cleaning the foot with Hydrogen Peroxide, than putting neosporen on under neath. There is no more puss and the foot has not swelled anymore. It seems to be healing well. Can you help me?

[kashvet 0]

Bumble foot or pododermatitis refers to inflamation and infection of the foot usually on the underside....

 

 

Its good to keep the foot dry and well padded... If you cant manage that all the time try bandaging it.......

 

Im not so sure about ur treatment regimen, i would advice you to stop using hydrogen peroxide in excess coz it interferes in healing, try chlorhexidine or simple iodine (povidone iodine) also try clotrimazole cream which will give your chicken antifungal cover also....

As far as streptomycin is concerned, you would need a prescription, however, if you want to use it in ur bird for bumblefoot, im sorry i would recommend using Amoxyclav (amoxicillin +clavulinic acid) or Amoxyclox (Amoxicillin +cloxicillin) instead, which you can give orally to the bird.....

 

Moving on, I suppose you guys know the importance of vaccination and deworming of your pet

 

These things would ensure not onley the health of your pet animal but also your own health and well being....

 

Do you know there are hundreds of diseases that are communicable to man from animals......

 

Rabies, hydatidoses, leptospirosis, to name just a few

 

Prevention is better than cure....

 

For your benefit a chart of vaccinations is given below

 

Anti Rabies Vaccine

Age at first shot: 16weeks, Booster shot: 12months and revaccinate annually

 

Combined vaccine or paired vaccines

 

Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo virus, Parainfluenza, corona virus:

ist shot: 6-8 weeks, 2nd shot:9-11 wks 3rd shot:12-14wks 4th shot:16-17wks revaccinate annually there on...

Bordetella (intranasal)

Ist dose: 16 weeks

Revaccinate every 6 months

 

Stay healthy

 

 

Notice from Becca:

NO double posting..I don't know if you were trying to bump this topic or what but just don't do it. If you need to add something to the post you make, that is REALLY important then ask a moderator to do so.

[wild20 0]

Hey listen, thanks for your help. I actually have checked the foot and continue the daily changing of wrapings. I don't use hydrogen peroxide a lot, just once a day during changes so as to clean the foot. I also use rubbing alcohol once a day, as was suggested by a bird expert in the poultry site forums. I then, as usual, put the neo on, then wrap the foot back up. Its lokking good. I may not need the antibiotics. I heard that early treatment like this can stop the infection. Thanks again,-Wild20

[kashvet 0]

No prob, just remeber to keep the litter (floor) of your pet cage dry and change it regularly...to avoid such problems in future.... Hope you and ur pet have a wonderful time together.....Hey this forum would cater to help with other animals also like horses, sheep/goat, cattle, birds, poultry, and wild animals please feel free to post any query whatsoever

Notice from Becca:

Could you please STOP double posting.l

[jlhaslip 4]

Okay, Originating Poster requests to close this posting, done.

[iGuest 3]

Question: We have a Doberman that is now to years old. He is very stubborn - not to mention is now expressing sexual habits. He is not neutered, however I would like to get him neutered. My question is, will neutering him change his sexual habits as well as his overall behavior - even if - he has already reached sexual maturity?-Christine

[iGuest 3]

Ok I have a cat that is licking the same spot over and over. Its getting very raw. I think she's go mililira dermatitis. Something like that. I was told to use neosporen. How do find that and where. I am in a small town that has a pharmacy and grocery store. thats it. I won't be going to a bigger town for another week. Its 45 minutes away. Could you suggest something around the house for this.-diane couture

[iGuest 3]

My%20dog%20do%20not%20eat%20properly......why%3F%3F%3F

Pet/animal Care Forum

 

I have 2 year old German Shepherd dog. It is not eating properly even meat...Can you suggest why it is?? is curd rice suggestible for dogs as food??

 

 

-Balaji

[iGuest 3]

kitten diarrhea

Pet/animal Care Forum

 

4-mos old has diarrhea for a month of dec-07

he has been worm. My vet has give up.

He play drink water and all that but still has diarrhea.

Help, celeste

 

-reply by celeste defreese

[iGuest 3]

Cellulitis

Pet/animal Care Forum

 

We've put a deposit on a Rhodesian Ridge back puppy, he is now 4 1/2 weeks old, the breeder just informed us he is on medication for cellulites because of a low immune system.

 

She says the vet said he is doing great and there should be no side effects in the future. Should we be concerned?

 

-question by Renae

[iGuest 3]

what to do?

Pet/animal Care Forum

 

Hi there we have a 12week old jack russel and has been treated 4 worms at 6 weeks. We found worms in his stool this morn.He is vomiting,got the scoots,wont eat nor drink. My ? is how can I rehydrate him and is it ok to treat him 4 worms again?

[iGuest 3]

Anal Abcess/Tears

Pet/animal Care Forum

 

By chance tonight, I noticed an area which at first I thought was a growth on my German Shephards anal cavity. After lifting his tail, it proved to be much more. I found what looks to be a very large raw area on his anal which he was obviously in discomfort by when I lifted his tail to take a picture.

 

I have hosted the picture at the link below on imageshack. Please look and tell me your ideas and thoughts with this. It certainly has me terrified, and as far as diagnosis ... It will help me greatly to know what I may be looking at potentially with cost before making an appointment with my vet.

 

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/404.png

 

Thank you for your time in this matter.

 

Amanda

 

-question by Amanda