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Trimming dogs’ nails is mainly about keeping your pet calm and comfortable. In order to do so, you will have to learn not to cut the nerve cluster and blood supply known as the quick. Here you will learn how to easily and painlessly trim your dogs nails.
First, buy a sharp pair of nail trimmers. There are a couple different types of nail trimmers, but guillotine trim the best because they disperse pressure evenly. By replacing the trimmers once every 6 month to a year will prevent your dog from feeling discomfort. You will need to trim once a month to keep the nails short.
Next, have your pet placed comfortably on your lap or floor or wherever he is comfortable so you can easily grasp, and see his paw clearly. If you are having problems keeping your dog still, try having someone help you by holding the dog legs while petting him and trying to relax the dog. If you have a small dog, you could try wrapping the dog in a blanket and removing one paw at a time to trim.
Before you cut, look for the quick. If the nail is light colored, you may be able to see the quick below the surface of the nail, and you will cut to just before that point. However, many animals have dark colored nails and the quick is not so easily found.
To find the quick, trim the dogs’ nails slightly to see if the quick is close to the end of the nail. Try to trim the dog’s nails in a parallel direction to the floor instead of a 90 degree angle.
If the quick is close to the end of the nail, it will look like a dark colored bead at the tip of the nail. Once you see the quick, stop trimming! If you do go too far and trim into the quick, apply some pressure until the bleeding stops. Keep track of how much you are taking off so that you can do the other nails more quickly.
Now, praise your dog –and yourself! Good job!
Sep 23, 2010 | | Uncategorized
Most often the dog food that is found at your regular grocery store is not good for your pet, and just as often, the food that your vet recommends isn’t either. Why? The vet gets huge kickbacks from selling out of their establishment. How do you know what is good for your pet? Easy. Read the ingredients on the back.
Most importantly, the first three ingredients should be meat. Beef, chicken, lamb, duck, etc are all options. However many dogs have sensitivities to lamb or sometimes chicken so if you are unsure steer clear or keep watch for itching, vomiting, or other strange behaviours that are telltale signs that your dog isn’t digesting well. The meat may be listed as meal or by-products , referring that the meat includes the stuff that people don’t eat ie intestines, etc. Animals eat this in the wild so as long as the meat isn’t all by-products, it is generally ok.
Next, look for grains. Grains, including corn, should not be a part of your pets food. Potatoes are healthier filler so if a filler must be used, look for this option instead. Grains such as rice, wheat and corn are fillers that will simply end up in your yard. Poor quality dog food uses grains to bulk up their product so you think you are getting more.
However in comparison 2 cups of their filler may equal a quarter cup of meat in the healthy food. Keep in mind that what looks like a great deal, maybe more expensive in the end.
Introducing your pet to their new food should be done very slowly over a month. Mix in the food at a ratio of 1:8 the first week, 1:4 the second, and so on. You will probably notice increase gas from the increased protein in their diet. The gas should dissipate after they have been fully introduced to the new food. If gas is an unbearable problem, your dog probably is getting too much protein. Try introducing some veggies into their diet as treats or directly into their food. Otherwise you may need to switch to a new food with less protein where the first ingredients contain less meat, with either a veggie or potato instead.
Jul 29, 2010 | | Dog Food