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How to Avoid Bloat in Dogs |
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The Importance of Avoiding Bloat Bloat can kill your dog in just a few minutes. The dangers of bloat take almost no time at all. Even if you manage to diagnose bloat early, it only takes a few more minutes before its effects become irreparable. Bloat occurs when excess air or fluid manages to enter your dog’s stomach, causing it to swell. Severe bloat can eventually lead to complete obstruction of the abdomen, thus cutting off the blood flow. It can also affect the other organs near the stomach. In just a few minutes of contracting bloat, your dog will start twisting and showing extreme discomfort in the stomach region. Bloat is known as the second leading cause of death in dogs. This is why in the case of bloat in dogs, the saying “prevention is better than cure” applies critically. What You Can Do to Prevent Bloat Familiarizing yourself with the causes of bloat is necessary in bloat prevention. You need to work towards preventing the causes so you can also prevent bloat. Bloat is brought about by a problem in digestion, so most cases of bloat have something to do with a dog’s eating habit. To protect your dog from bloat, keep it from strenuous activities before and after eating. This includes exercising, running around, rolling over, and jumping around. Also, while your dog is eating, if possible, try to pay attention to it. Some dogs tend to eat rapidly, and this can cause problems in digestion, or worse, bloat. It would also be better if you can train your dog to control its eating habits by itself. Feeding your dog a lot of food can also be a cause for bloat. Balance the meals that you prepare for your dog. It is wiser to give it meals twice in a day than give it just one big meal. Other than that, stress is also closely associated with bloat, so what you can do is avoid stressing your dog out. Dogs are very sensitive. They can be stressed out by the littlest things, so try to avoid placing your dog in situations that you think will cause anxiety to it. The Big Don’ts in Bloat Prevention If there are things that you can do to avoid bloat, there are also some things that you should always remember not to do. First, don’t feed your dog dry food all the time. Try to balance it out. The quality of the meals should also be balanced. Don’t feed a meal that is so full of carbohydrates and does not provide other nutrients that are also necessary. Protein and fiber are very important for your dog. Also, if your dog experiences gas pains, don’t ignore it. Gas can lead to bloating, or can even be a symptom. The earlier you treat gas, the better. Aside from that, if you plan on changing your dog food brand, don’t do it so suddenly. The same is true if you are planning to make any changes, big or small, to your dog’s eating habit or pattern. Doing so may cause negative reactions from your dog. And most importantly, don’t spoil your dog and let it become obese. Obesity can increase the risks of bloating in your dog. |
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Ear Issues in Dogs and Puppies |
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Symptoms of Ear Infections Ear infections can affect dogs of all breeds and ages. The earliest signs of ear infection in dogs include attempts to scratch the ear resulting to pain, and frequent shaking of the head. Also, if your dog seems to keep its head at a certain angle, chances are that it is suffering from an ear issue of some sort. Signs of pain and discomfort near the ear or head area can also be telltale signs of dog ear problems. Ear issues can be particularly irritating, painful, and distressing to your dog, so make sure that if your dog displays symptoms of ear issues such as discomfort, or if it orally expresses its discomfort through whining or moaning, you already know what to do to help relieve the pain or discomfort. Diagnosing Ear Issues in Dogs If you detect early symptoms of ear infection in your dog, you can diagnose whether there really is a problem or not by using your senses. Inspect the ear area. If you see a discharge, take that is a viable sign that your dog has an ear infection. Discharges from your dog’s ear may vary in kind, but all of them are causes for concern. After all, it is better to be sure than sorry. Milder discharges may be color brown. When the discharge is yellowish in color, it is most likely to be pus, which is very much associated with ear infections. The worst kind of discharge that you should look out for is a bloody discharge. That basically means that the ear issue that your dog is suffering from is serious. Also, try to get a sniff. If you smell a pungent odor emanating from the ear, your dog most likely has an ear issue. Causes of Ear Issues in Dogs One of the most common causes of dog ear problems is ear mite, which are small insects that affect the ears. This is also the reason why most ear infections are accompanied by a fluid discharge. The discharge is the ear’s natural reaction to try and counter the irritation brought about by ear mites. However, discharges are also one of the leading causes of severe dog ear issues. If there is even just a small amount of discharge left in the dog’s ear, it can be a dwelling place for bacteria and can cause even bigger dog ear problems. In addition, if you have a dog that has long or large ears, you should be a little bit more concerned than when you have a dog with smaller ears. How to Treat Dog Ear Issues When you manage to detect and diagnose an ear problem in your dog at the earliest sign of onset, you can still dabble in a bit of home treatment, if you please. However, even in such cases, a veterinarian’s advice is still your best bet, since you will be needing medications to help with the ear issue. Ear infections caused by ear mites are basically easy to cure because by eradicating the cause, you also treat the ear infection. This is the reason why it is important to be sensitive enough to detect symptoms, and to check whether the problem is caused by ear mites or some other factor. Antibacterial agents can also be used. However, prevention is still indeed better than cure. To prevent dog ear infection, make sure to clean your dog’s ears regularly. In cleaning your dog’s ears, use a cotton ball instead of a cotton bud. You should also use a recommended dog ear solution. |
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