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Dog Hygiene Basics


Giving your dog a bath is important, but not as critical as most people seem to believe. If your dog is healthy, he really doesn't need to be bathed more that once every few months, but most of us put them in the tub or under the hose more often to get rid of that doggie smell and look shinier. Although most dogs do not enjoy getting a bath, it is a good bonding experience. They will appreciate the contact and attention they get from their owner.

This is also an excellent time to do some other required "maintenance" tasks that we often forget about, such as ear cleaning, brushing their teeth, and checking for fleas and ticks. It is much easier to do all these things at once since most dogs don't enjoy sitting through these activities for very long.

Let's go into further detail about these maintenance tasks to make sure your dog stays healthy and happy for a long time.

To clean your dog's ears, check your local pet store for special solutions designed specifically for this purpose. It is common for dogs to attract ear mites, which are small insects that live in the waxy secretions. As time goes by, the mite gets larger and you will start to notice a dirty black substance in your dog's ear. Take a q-tip, dip it in the ear cleaning solution, and gently swab the entire ear. Your dog might squirm, but hold him down, because it won't take long. And when you're done, he'll have clean ears and be much less likely to get earaches or infections.

One of the most overlooked maintenance tasks is brushing your dog's teeth. Many dog owners only do this once or twice per year. Can you imagine how gross your mouth would feel if you didn't brush for six months? Your dog feels the same way. It's never too late to start doing this. You will need a special toothbrush and toothpaste designed for dogs. These are easily found in any pet store for under ten dollars. Be certain to brush the back teeth, and use small circular motions like your dentist used to tell you to do. This task will be easier than the ear cleaning, because the dog toothpaste is made to taste good. Your dog should enjoy the treat.

The last thing to check for is fleas and ticks. Ticks are nasty little bugs that dig themselves into your dog's skin and live by sucking their blood. Be especially careful if you live near wooded areas where ticks are most common. However, no matter where you live, check for ticks often, because they carry several harmful diseases. Ticks are the transport method of Lyme Disease, which will slowly destroy your dog's joints and suck out all his energy. Many dogs with Lyme Disease are in such pain that they need to be put down. So check often! Pay special attention to the most common hiding areas, which are under the collar or along the underbelly. If you find one, simply pull it off with tweezers.

Fleas aren't as potentially harmful as ticks, but they are much more of a nuisance. If you don't catch them quickly enough, your other pets can catch them, your kids can catch them, and you might have to get your home fumigated. You can find them under the fur, in the same places where ticks hang out. If you see little things that look like specks of pepper, those are flea droppings. The actual flea will be dark in color and about the size of a grain of rice. If you do find one, call your local vet's office and ask about flea treatments.

Eric Shannon is a freelance author who also publishes the Dog Lovers Report, which is a biweekly newsletter with a very large readership. He also runs Beds For Doggies, which carries a large selection of Dog Beds, Dog Couches, and Dog Furniture.


MORE RESOURCES:

Pets - Google News

About 40 pets removed from Hillyard home - The Spokesman Review


About 40 pets removed from Hillyard home
The Spokesman Review
Spokane Police assisted SpokAnimal Care officers in removing a total of about 40 dogs and cats today from a northeast Hillyard bungalow which carried such a heavy stench that the workers were forced to wear hazardous material suits and respirators to ...

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Tufts Joins City Schools to Help Pets in Need - Patch.com


Tufts Joins City Schools to Help Pets in Need
Patch.com
That effort has since grown to serve 200 pets each year at six WHA sites. “By pairing veterinary assistant students alongside professional DVM students, we will be able to do more than just treat the critically underserved pets among the neediest ...
Tufts to open vet clinic in WorcesterWorcester Telegram

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Dog therapist helps pets get fit - Asbury Park Press


Dog therapist helps pets get fit
Asbury Park Press
Josie's owner, So Scazafavo, began a program of pet therapy at Wag Wellness in Bothell. Josie can't twirl around like a ballerina like she used to, but she has regained some of the use of her hind legs and is doing really well, Scazafavo said.

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February is National Pet Dental Health Month - Sacramento Bee


February is National Pet Dental Health Month
Sacramento Bee
Poor oral hygiene may lead to serious disease in our pets. Given that February is National Pet Dental Health Month, the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association encourages you to better care for your pet's teeth. Just as we can experience plaque and ...
February Marks Pet Dental Health MonthKTUL (blog)

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Pet oxygen masks can save animals' lives in fires - Alton Telegraph


Pet oxygen masks can save animals' lives in fires
Alton Telegraph
16, 2010 file photo, a pet oxygen mask is placed on a dog, Mocha, during a demonstration by a member of the Portland Fire Department in Portland, Maine. While pet oxygen masks have been used for decades by veterinarians in offices and hospitals, ...

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Michigan Humane Society Pets for Patriots Program - MyFox Detroit


MyFox Detroit

Michigan Humane Society Pets for Patriots Program
MyFox Detroit
The Michigan Humane Society (MHS), is teaming up with Pets for Patriots to give back to the men and women in uniform who inspire us all. The partnership will give active duty personnel and military veterans the opportunity to save even more lives by ...
Pets eat the weirdest things; pet proof your homeDaily Camera
Bad pet owners might be causing fee hikes for everyone elseKFOX El Paso
Meridian Valley Humane Society joins forces with Pets for PatriotsKIVI-TV

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Fracking's Toll on Pets, Livestock Chills Farmers: Commentary - San Francisco Chronicle


Fracking's Toll on Pets, Livestock Chills Farmers: Commentary
San Francisco Chronicle
A new study by veterinarian Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, a professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, chronicles case studies of dozens of farmers and pet owners in six states over the Marcellus Shale. Their findings, published in ...

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Proposed Bill Protects Pets of Domestic Abuse Victims - Patch.com


Proposed Bill Protects Pets of Domestic Abuse Victims
Patch.com
Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who's district also falls partly into Clearwater, extends legal protection to pets of an abuse victim and makes beating or abusing the victim's pet grounds for violating a court-ordered domestic violence injunction.

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Pet Obesity Rate Rises - VetPracticeNews.com


VetPracticeNews.com

Pet Obesity Rate Rises
VetPracticeNews.com
The percentage of pet cats and dogs classified as overweight remained relatively constant over the past year, but the rate of obesity increased, especially among cats, according to the fifth annual veterinary survey conducted by the Association for Pet ...
Pet Owners May Be In Denial But Study Says Rover Isn't Big-Boned, He's FatThe Consumerist
Alison Sweeney Backs 'Million Pound Pledge' for PetsZootoo.com
New Survey Shows US Dog and Cat Obesity Rates are climbingFirst Coast News
KPHO Phoenix
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Meet Your Match boosts puppy love (and kitty love) by matching people and pets ... - Washington Post


The Associated Press

Meet Your Match boosts puppy love (and kitty love) by matching people and pets ...
Washington Post
The color-coded program evaluates shelter pets and the people looking to adopt them in an effort to match personalities, energy levels and needs. Playing Cupid with Meet Your Match helped workers at the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to ...
Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your MatchWTOP

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