Mango’s Corner

You have recently welcomed a new cute and cuddly puppy into your home. A healthy diet is essential for a long, happy life together. What things do you need to consider when selecting your puppy dog’s diet? Always talk to your vet about a proper puppy dog diet. Remember that a puppy dog’s diet is not the same as an adult dog’s diet. Avoid a trip to the grocery store to grab a bag of adult dog food to feed your pet. This will not meet the nutritional needs of a healthy puppy dog diet.

You can choose to feed your new puppy one of several options. Natural and organic puppy dog diets have become more popular in recent years. Some pet owners prefer to feed a raw diet to their puppy. Most people choose to use kibble as the main component of the puppy dog’s diet. For this reason, I will focus primarily on this choice.

As you wean the puppy, a high-quality puppy food with tiny kibble is best. A puppy dog’s diet should include all the essential vitamins to create a healthy diet for excellent growth. Feed your new puppy three or four times a day. Your puppy dog’s diet should consist of puppy food moisten with water. Do not moisten the puppy food with milk. The milk acts as a laxative in your puppy dog’s diet. The water will create a softer, more palatable cuisine for your pet.

As the new puppy grows and becomes accustomed to eating the kibble as a regular part of his or her diet, you will want to gradually decrease the amount of water. If you plan to feed dry dog food in the future, expect to transition the dog’s diet earlier than later. Continuing to moisten the dog food may make transition more difficult later in life. By six weeks of age, your puppy dog’s diet can be solid kibble.

Your puppy should be permitted all the kibble he or she wants during the initial phase of the weaning process. Make sure you present the puppy the new diet of puppy food at regular times. Around five months of age, your puppy dog’s diet should decrease to only two feeding time’s per day. By this time, you should establish a specific quantity of food per day to ensure a healthy diet and weight for your dog.

Talk to your vet about how much to feed your new puppy. All puppies look cute, round and cuddly at some point during their first few months. It can be difficult to know when your puppy is overweight. Your veterinarian will help to advise you on this issue. It is a good idea to open up the door of communication between you and your vet now. Both vet and owner only want what is best for the new puppy.

Feeding your new puppy a healthy diet does not have to be difficult. Talk to your vet for advice and information. Always choose a quality food as the main source of nutrition in your puppy dog’s diet. A healthy diet for your puppy will set the stage for a healthy dog in the years to come.

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for a long and happy life with your pet. How do you know if your dog’s diet needs supplements? What types of supplements should you add to your dog’s diet?

In most cases, your dog’s diet will not need to be supplemented. Assuming you feed your pet a diet formulated by a reputable dog food company, your dog’s food is specially designed for a healthy balance to ensure excellent health for your pet.

Occasionally, some low quality dog foods will increase the need for extra supplementation. Your vet may recommend that you give your dog’s diet a little boost. Consider supplementing your dog’s diet with a hard boiled egg a couple of days per week. This simple step will add extra amounts of vitamins A and D to your dog’s diet. Such vitamins help to maintain good bone structure and healthy eyes.

If you have decided to personalize your dog’s diet by customizing a raw diet, cooking at home for your pet, or just want to make sure your dog’s diet is at its best, you will want to know about the benefits of other supplements. Your dog’s diet can be supplemented with whole grains, green vegetables, and nuts. These items will increase your dog’s intake of vitamin B. Other ways to supplement your dog’s diet to increase the amount of vitamin B include beans, yeast, and liver. Your dog needs vitamin B in a healthy, balanced diet to support healthy skin and muscles.

To ward off immune system deficiencies, supplement your dog’s diet with additional vitamin E. Good sources of vitamin E can be found in wheat germ, bran, and vegetable oil.

Vitamin K can be another important nutrient in your dog’s diet. Liver, fish, leafy greens, and seeds can provide vitamin K to your dog’s diet. This vitamin will help to enhance your dog’s blood clotting abilities.

Glucosamine can be a great supplement in your dog’s diet. Glucosamine has been proven to improve joint health and ward off arthritis in your pet.

Supplementing your dog’s diet can be risky if not done correctly. You may think you are providing your pet excellent vitamins and low calories by tossing your dog a few grapes or raisins. Some dogs have been known to die from renal failure due to consuming such fruit. Always seek advice from a professional before supplementing or changing your dog’s diet in any way just to be on the safe side.
Calcium supplements can be dangerous when used excessively in your dog’s diet. Although calcium is good in moderation to form strong, healthy bones, too much calcium can create trouble. Large breed pups given too much calcium may grow large bones, but these bones lack the strength they need.

Always talk to your vet about the supplements you are considering. Your vet can advise you on the appropriate amounts of each supplement to add to your dog’s diet. Both you and your vet care for your pet and want what is best for your dog. Providing a healthy and nutritious diet is one of the easiest ways to ensure good health for your furry friend.

Here’s a very cool deal I just ran across. You can get a free $500 PetSmart gift card. These gift cards can be used for any pet products in the PetSmart store and online. Gift cards make wonderful Christmas gifts, and they are a great item to use to get your fur children goodies and treats.

Check it out by clicking here and get your free $50 PetSmart gift card.

Pet grooming can be performed by the owner or from a professional who has gone to school to learn the craft. If you are a do-it-your-self type person, there are several safety tips you might want to keep in mind. The animal you are grooming is special to you and you will want to keep the animal safe and calm during the pet grooming experience. Any undue pain or injury caused by unsafe practices can cause emotional stress to your animal and damage to the trust level the pet may have with you. The following tips will ensure a safe and pleasurable pet grooming experience.

Most pets do not like this, but the excess hair that forms in the ears must be clipped. Excess hair can build moisture that will trap bacteria and cause ear infections or be a breeding ground for ear mites. These types of afflictions can cause your pet a great deal of discomfort. Infections cause the animal to scratch and shake their head. Mites can actually cause the animal to do damage to their inner canal as they stick their nails inside trying to scratch. Large eared dogs already have a predisposition for ear problems and the shaking of their ears back in forth can rupture blood vessels. Professional pet groomers have specialized equipment to remove ear hair, but the novice may use nose hair trimmers to get the same effect. The noise of the clippers may scare the pet, so stroke him with the other hand and offer soothing words to calm them.

Another novice mistake is to shave the animal all the way. Pet grooming experts will do this at the request of the owner, but it is ill advised if the animal is an outside pet. The coat protects the animal from the cold and also from the sun. Both elements can cause serious skin damage to your pet which could lead to expensive veterinarian bills. The lack of hair on the body can cause rashes. In some breeds, the hair secretes essential oils that protect and lubricate the skin.  Others, such as Labradors, have two coats that serve different functions for the animal’s safety. Try to shave mats as close as possible until you are able to work them out with a brush. Even shaving mat patches to the skin will leave your pet in danger of the sun and wind.

If you use a clipper, brush the hair backwards against the grain and then move your clippers with the grain. Pet grooming experts may use a variety of clipper comb lengths that can be used in variance with the length and thickness of the coat. The novice pet groomer may use home hair clipper systems, but they should experiment first in one unnoticeable area before continuing the entire job.

Home pet grooming is an inexpensive way to keep your pet healthy and happy, but it is also a way for your pet to be injured so it’s important to be careful when trimming the pet, especially for the novice trimmer.  Once you have practice at trimming your pet, it will be easier and quicker, and the pet will be trained in the manner that you trim him or or her and will be more at ease with you.

Cats that have been abused can appear severely maimed and damaged all over their exterior.  Some may appear to be in perfect shape on the outside, although all of the damage they sustained may be internal or emotional.  Even though physical damage is bad, emotional damage is much tougher to fix.  Cats who have physical abuse will still answer to a soft touch and soft voice, as long as they know that the abuse has come to an end.

When you have a cat that has been emotionally abused, you’ll need to wait until the cat comes to you.  You’ll need to use patience, as the cat will be confused and not know if you plan to hurt him or not.  If you take your time and let him know that you are nothing to fear, he will eventually come to you.  When he starts to come to you, you can let him sniff you and pet him.  After a while, he will learn that he can trust you and he will come to you when you call him.

Yelling, raising your voice, or using disciplinary tools such as flyswatters or water guns the wrong way can lead to emotional damage.  If you continue to use the wrong means of discipline on an emotionally damaged cat, the cat can become mean or lethargic.  When a cat turns mean, it’s not always a bad thing.  Meaner cats are easier to reach, as they still care a bit about what happens to them – while lethargic cats could really care less.

Cats that have become lethargic won’t play, take treats, or respond to anything you say to them.  With a lethargic cat, the ideal way to get him to respond is to bring in a companion cat.  Over time, a lethargic cat will eventually look for attention, normally a scratch or a pat.  When this happens, you should always use a soft voice and snuggle with him.  Never raise your voice at this point, and make sure you let the cat know that his behavior is a lot better.

You should make slow movements around a lethargic cat, as he is still quite traumatic.  Once he is coming around and letting you touch him again, he is getting back to his normal self.  Keep in mind that it may take some time, which is to be expected with this type of situation.  If your cat starts to get upset again or if you raise your voice, he will hide again.  If you continue to use a soft voice and have patience, your cat will eventually get past this.  If you get a cat that is lethargic, you should prepare yourself for a long and very intensive healing period.

Angry or mean cats on the other hand, will either fight and scratch with you, or simply run away from you.  With mean cats, the best thing to do is use gentle treatment with a soft voice.  You can never try to raise your voice or use strict discipline, as it will only make the cat meaner.  Never attempt to trap the cat either, as trapping it will only make the cat react.  If you take your time and let the cat know that you are there for him, he will eventually calm down. 

Abused cats are truly a sad thing, although they are out there.  Abused cats can be a sad thing to see indeed, especially those that were physically abused.  Abused cats need a loving home and a loving owner who will give them the type of lifestyle they deserve.  Always remember that if you are dealing with an abused cat – you should always be as gentle as you possibly can.

As most pet owners already know, heartworm treatment for cats and dogs isn’t the same. Never, under any circumstances, should you give your cat heartworm treatment that is designed for a dog – or vice versa. Even though you may own both dogs and cats, you should always give them medicine that is designed for their species.

No matter how you look at it, heartworm treatment isn’t easy. Your goal is to get rid of the heartworms, although there are several factors that you’ll need to consider. The first thing to do is take your cat to the vet, as he will be able to run tests to determine just how many heartworms your pet has. He can also find out how the worms are affecting your cat and if your cat can deal with any side effects that the treatment medicine may impose.

Heartworms are a very serious condition, as the worms will feast on the vital areas around your cat’s heart. Treatment can be serious as well, especially if something goes wrong. Veterinarians are trained to deal with heartworms though, in both cats and dogs. Even though you may be able to buy treatment medicine at your local department store, you should always consult with your vet before you give anything to your pet.

Treating your cat for heartworms may indeed be no treatment at all, as cats are extremely difficult to treat. The dying worms have side effects as well, often times causing more than 1/3 of the treated cats to end up with serious problems. Dying worms can become lodged in the arteries of the heart, which are already inflamed due to the worms being there. When a lodged worm starts to decompose, it can lead to very serious problems. Pets that have a serious infestation with heartworms may need to spend some time at the hospital, to ensure that they are properly treated.

Some cats may not be able to take a certain type of heartworm treatment medicine. Depending on the side affects and how the medicine affects the cat, some breeds may not be able to take some of the better medicines. To determine the best treatment options for your cat, your vet will need to run several tests. Once the tests have concluded, your vet will be able to tell you the best options available for treatment.

With all diseases, prevention is a lot better and safer than treatment. Be sure to talk to your vet and find out what heartworm prevention medication is the best to use. Your vet can tell you what you need to get, and how to use it. This way, you can prevent your pet from getting heartworms – and the serious side effects and life threatening issues that go along with them.

In choosing a dog for the family, it’s a good idea to keep the children that will be around the dog in mind. Some dogs are not tolerant of children and can be a threat to them. There are many breeds of dogs out there to choose from. Do your homework to see which one works the best with your family and especially your children.

By far the number one best dog breed for children hands down, would have to be the Labrador Retriever. This dog is well accepted because of its good nature. It is not generally aggressive or hyper. It is playful, easy going, intelligent and patient. No wonder it is loved by the young and old. Because of its mild manner, it is first choice in working with the handicapped. It is has desire to please as if it knows its plight. The Lab is also a great pick if you have other animals. They are very accommodating. A well taken care of Lab can live up to 13 years. In order to reduce boredom in these dogs, they should be kept active. These dogs love playing in the yard or taking walks.

Number two on the list is the Golden Retriever. They are similar to the Lab in their personality. They are also mild mannered, kind and they enjoy being around people. They too are a top pick for working with the handicapped as well as the elderly. They too get along with other pets. These dogs are intelligent creatures to train. Playing fetch is a favorite game for them. Because of their playful nature, this breed of dog would be great for an older child who enjoys the outdoors. Regular grooming is required because of their long hair.

The next pick is the Beagle. Even though they have a baying bark, they are not aggressive dogs. What their barking does say about them is they make great watch dogs. These dogs have a friendly demeanor about them. Their tails seem to be in an unending wagging motion. Because friendliness comes natural with them, they do not like being left alone. They become bored when left by themselves for too long. The Beagle is a great pick for smaller children because of their size.

Another great pick for children is the Basset Hound. They are generally docile, yet they’re known for their stubbornness. They are also known for their gentleness and are quite sweet by nature. The Basset Hound is great with children of all ages and enjoys attention from them.

The German Shepherd is another pick. Again, these are probably best for older children who enjoy playing outdoors. Because of their size and strength, they are probably not suitable for younger children. German Shepherds are known for their loyalty. Police often use this type of dog for search and rescue missions. They are protective by nature and are quite tolerant. It’s best to start training these dogs as pups. Without training, they can be a handful.

The black and white spotted Dalmatian is associated with fire trucks. But for a family, a Dalmatian would be a trusted friend. They are very outgoing dogs with lots of energy to spare. This dog needs companionship from humans.

The Bearded Collie is another great pick. These are active dogs and would do best outdoors. The Collies like to have open space to run, so being confined to an apartment would not suit these dogs.

Then there’s the American Cocker Spaniel. They are sensitive and sweet dogs. They are generally obedient to their master and enjoy the attention of children. The American Cocker Spaniels are definitely a people friendly dog.

The Collie is known for its bounce. This dog is very playful and happy. They like to be around people and will not hide their excitement of being around you. Female Collies tend to be calmer, while males are more rambunctious.

Cockapoos not only are good around children, but they get on with other pets as well. They do not need a lot of space. Apartment life is okay with them.

In choosing the right dog for your family, always remember that there are always exceptions to the rules. Each dog is an individual, and why for the most part certain breeds are more children friendly, you should always be cautious with your child around unknown dogs.