Teach your Dog how to SWIM

Summer is here and you want to teach your new puppy or your dog how to swim.  There are several techniques that can be used depending on the age of your dog.  First things first, you must protect your dog from the sun.  They are at risk from sun cancer just as much as you are so it is important to use a good sunscreen product to keep them safe from the suns harmful rays.

Start by having your dog stand on the first step of the pool.  Some dogs are comfortable with doing this but others will need you to to keep them on the step.  I would sit on the pool deck with my dog on the step and just let them sit or stand there for about 10 min. at a time.  I would repeat this for a few days if you have a scared dog.  After your dog is comfortable on the first step, move your dog to the next step if your dog is able to keep his/her head above water on the second step.  This system works mostly on large dogs.  If you have a small dog you can start to hold your dog in the water to get him used to the sensation.  If you have a friend or neighbor that has a water dog I would invite them over for a doggie pool party.  Dogs teach each other better than we can teach them.  You can also buy a life vest for your dog to help them stay buoyant.

If your dog is like most dogs, he/she loves to chase a ball.  Throw a ball or other floating toy to encourage them to swim out to get it.  You can hold your dog a few feet away from the steps and let your dog swim to the steps. Throw the ball to the steps so your dog can get the reward of the ball when they reach the steps.  Do this over and over again until your dog has the hang of it.  Make sure not to let your dog get over tired and make sure to check your dogs paws to make sure that there are no soft spots from the pool surface.  Your dog can get sore pads on the bottom of their paws if they are in the water too long and if he/she keeps pushing off the steps.  If you have several different exit points in your pool it is a good idea to show your dog the different seats or steps that are in the pool.  If your dog ever falls in he/she will be able to remember where to swim to get to safety.

 

Once your dog has mastered swimming, the fun starts.  Now that your dog is comfortable in the water and swimming effortlessly you can try and teach your dog to jump in the pool.  Some dogs will just do it automatically and others will need your assistance.  You can put your dog's leash on him/her and run and jump in with your dog.  I would try and throw the ball so that your dog will want to jump to get the ball.  If you have a friend who's dog will jump in after the ball then use that dog to teach yours how to do it.  They learn by watching each other and some healthy competition in getting to the ball first usually helps.

It is important to not stress out your dog during the teaching.  You do not want your dog to become afraid of the water and you need to maintain a calm attitude.  Your dog will sense if you get frustrated and then you will not get much accomplished.  Just make sure that your dog is having fun and is comfortable in the water.  Do not push your dog to do something that he/or she is totally afraid of.  In time with patience, love and understanding you will have a fun filled summer in the pool, lake or beach with your dog.  Don't forget the sunscreen and make sure your dog has plenty of water to stay hydrated as they are swimming.  Have a great summer!
If you would like more info you can visit www.basicsofdogownership.com See you there.

Demodicosis "Red Mange"

I wanted to get this information out there about Demodicosis which is also called Red Mange.   We rescued Bella (our Pit Bull puppy) January 24th 2010.  At the end of Feb 2010 she started to loose her hair on her belly and sides.  It was very patchy and you could tell that something was going on.  We took Bella back to the vet (this is a new vet we tried for Bella) and they informed us that Bella had Demodicosis.  Demodicosis or Red Mange is diagnosed by scraping the skin at the level of the hair follicle in various locations.  If mites are found, then the dog can be classified as having one of two types of mange: localized or generalized .  Localized mange is a mild disease. This is the form that Bella had fortunately.  Generalized mange is a severe, debilitating disease that can involve hair loss and skin infections of the entire body.  There is a hereditary predisposition to developing the generalized form: these dogs should be neutered as soon as their skin clears up.

Red Mange is caused by a microscopic mite (Demodex canis) that normally feeds and reproduces in hair follicles and oil-producing glands of the skin.  Most of the time it lives in harmony with your dog.  However, when your dog's immune system is not working properly they seize this opportunity to reproduce uncontrollably and cause inflammation and secondary bacterial infections within the skin.  There are numerous factors that can trigger suppression for your dog's body defense mechanisms such as breed predisposition, stress, hormone imbalances and cancer therapy.  Puppies and older dogs usually get this mange as their immune systems are new or shutting down.  Pit Bulls are one of the breeds that tend to have a predisposition to this.

This mite is transmitted from the mother to her nursing puppy and is NOT CONTAGIOUS to humans and other animals.  This means that neither you nor your other pets have to worry about contracting this from your dog.

With all that being said, the new vet prescribed a product called Promeris which is in the form of a Frontline or flea product which you snap the tube and put it in between your dogs shoulder bones.  She was also given puppy shots that day along with a sheet letting me know that she could be experience side effects from the shots.  We put the promeris on her and it smelled so bad it took your breath away.  We noticed that she was acting funny but chalked it up to the puppy shots.  We were to do the dosage that day and then do it again two weeks later and then once a month.  Two weeks go by and she looks to be kind of improving but we were told it would take a while.  Second dosage almost put Bella into a coma.  As soon as we put it on her within 5 minutes she looked like she was going to die.  She stood with her head against the wall to help hold her up. She started drooling like crazy and she was just not the same puppy.  Needless to say we were washing off this horrible product at midnight and praying that she would be ok by morning.  This stuff is like poison and they don't even put warnings or adverse reactions on the packaging.  I found out how bad this stuff is through a google search at midnight trying to do what we could for Bella.

Next day we took her to a different vet and started treatment on her with IVOMEC which we had to give her nightly for 45 days.  This is a cow de-wormer and we were told it tasted nasty but that it would work and not make her sick.  She did not like the taste but she got a big treat every night after she took it.

It has cleared up and her hair is mostly back now.  We might have to put her back on it for a few weeks as she was spayed two weeks ago and the vet said that the surgery could possibly make it come back.  So far so good as we just got the stitches out on May 14th 2010 from her spaying. You have to keep watch in of the changes in your dogs skin and try and catch anything out of the normal as quickly as possible.  If you catch things soon enough then you can get them back to health quicker.  It has been an experience.