It has a long hair on top requiring special attention. The colour varies from one to another. The dog hardly sheds its hair and is termed hypoallergenic. Considering all this it is little wonder then that the hair cut for Shih Tsu needs special discussion.

Haircuts for Shih Tzu are important because it needs intensive grooming. A daily brushing is a must to avoid knots and tangles. They need to be bathed once a month with special attention being given to the eyes and ears. Before going in for haircuts for Shih Tzu some areas have to be shaved.

The first step is to shave the stomach) skirting carefully the genital area. Start shaving the muzzle beginning from the nose moving up to the eyes. Go behind the eyebrows and down till the neck is reached. Cut the hair on the neck and trunk and stop at the beginning of the tail, the legs and bottom. Shave off the lower part of the legs. Pull out hair from the inside of the ears. Use a teasel brush to get rid of the knots and then brush the shaved parts. Use the electric trimmer once more to get an even finish. Catch the extended legs and start combing to the sides and make all the odd ends smooth. With curved scissors comb the lower part of the tail.

The hair on top of the paw must not be cut – the paws must be covered with hair. The hair on the cheeks has to be combed forward and made to arch from where the ears start. Stop when the nose is reached. The ears have to be lifted and the outside brushed and hair cut to give a round effect. The head should look like a kind of ball.

Shih Tzu hair cuts and shampoos go hand in hand. It is easier to do the job in the kitchen sink. Shampoo the head at the end of the operation. Keep a towel ready, then use a hair dryer. This will make the pet feel pampered. The heat must be low however.

A toothbrush will suffice to clean the ears and whiskers. The inside of the ear can be cleaned with a swab dipped in mineral oil. The key to how to cut a Shih Tzu hair is to train the dog to lie still and cooperate.

Plaque is formed due to deposition of food and bacteria. Regular canine dental care and brushing at home can clear up this unhealthy mess.

If the plaque is neglected, minerals present in the saliva combines with the plaque and forms tartar – also known as calculus. It gets strongly fixed to the teeth. Within 3 to 5 days of the formation of the plaque it begins to mineralize. The gums become inflamed and gingivitis sets in resulting in bad breath.

Removal of the tartar is essential in dog dental care. If this is not done then it builds up below the gums causing loose teeth. A pocket is formed encouraging further growth of bacteria. This condition is irreversible and is known as periodontal disease. It causes pain and formation of abscesses.

Pet dental health is the first step to its general health. It is not far to see how starting from the mouth the tentacles of ill health reach out to touch all other parts of the pet. There is bone loss and bacterium enters the blood stream. This in turn affects the heart, liver as well as kidneys. However even at this advanced stage with proper care from the vet periodontal disease can be slowed down and checked.

Proper dental care will involve regular visits to the vet. The vet will professionally clean the mouth and note any swelling, plaque or tartar deposits. The professional eye will not miss out on any swellings and thoroughly examine the tongue, palates, mucus, tonsils and tongue region. The saliva glands and lymph nodes will be palpated to check on the size and consistency.

At home the plaque can be removed but not the tartar. This will require regular brushing. The removal of the tartar is done by prophylaxis.

The pet will have to be anesthetized and radiographs taken. The mouth will be flushed with a canine dental product to kill the bacteria. The scalers are held by the hand. There are also ultrasonic scalers. All the deposition below and above the gum line is removed.
Another solution will show up any sections that have escaped notice. The teeth are polished to remove scratches. There is a dental product the use of which will retard build up of plaque.

Prevention being better than cure, there are special toys for chewing, which will prevent dental problems. The diet is another factor. Dog dental care begins at home with regular brushing and the owner probing the inside of the mouth for yellow deposits and swelling signs.

Arthritis in dogs are mostly noticed when they are old because that is the time when they become weak and are more susceptible to injury. Older dogs too are more prone to this disease and have to undergo arthritis pet treatment because they live longer and consequently suffer more.

Dogs in general are more susceptible to arthritis because of the weight related connection with the disease. Arthritis puts stress on the joints.

The most common causes for arthritis are hip and elbow dislocation. These are problems related to big dogs. Nevertheless small dogs and cats too suffer from it. The joints are made up of soft connective tissues that act as shock absorbers between the bones. When this cartilage wastes away then arthritis canine symptoms can be noticed. The animals show obvious signs of pain, start limping and try to lift the limb while walking so as not to put pressure on it.

Today canine arthritis medication assures a pain-free life for the beloved pet. Canine arthritis treatment should be done in consultation with the vet. Short-term treatment consists in the administering of anti-inflammatory drugs like buffered aspirin.

With the withdrawal of the pain, long-term arthritis medicine for pet can be started. The pet will require reasonable exercise to control the weight for mobility of joints and putting of less pressure on the joints. The owner must see that this routine is regularly maintained.

Side effects might surface but it must immediately be reported to the doctor. Medicines suitable for humans are not the best for animals because of metabolic differences. The vet is the best judge in such matters. In fact it can be positively dangerous for the pet.

Sometimes the arthritis is so acute that surgical back up is required. Arthrotomy removes fragments of bone and cartilage. Arthrodesis fuses the joints and sometimes the doctor might opt for total hip replacement.

Early detection of the onset of pet arthritis is essential and for this the best person to notice is the loving owner who will see to it that the animal does not become a cripple.

The usual signs are that the pet will take a lot of time to get up and be unable to jump and climb. If these signs suddenly appear then obviously the animal has ruptured its disc and needs immediate attention. Even appetite loss may be connected with the disease. Arthritis pet treatment today is greatly advanced.

Just like in case of humans, hair loss could be marking the onset of a grave disease, or probably nothing more them just a bit of weakness. Therefore, instead of delaying or trying to answer canine health questions by yourself, take your dog to a vet immediately.

However it is important to bear in mind the fact that a bit of hair loss in dog need not be considered a severe problem. Now you may ask “How can I decide if the amount of dog hair loss in my pet is normal or not?” Well, most of it depends on the dog in question. There are some dogs, for instance, that hardly tend to shed hair. In such cases, if the dog starts shedding hair at the same rate that would be considered normal for other dogs, the problem should be taken up seriously.

Sometimes hair loss in canines can be extremely severe and noticeable. For example, in extreme cases, doges end up shedding so much hair that it results in alopecia, that is lack or absence of hair on certain body parts of the dog, where it normally had been having hair.

Alopecia has been known to be one of the basic symptoms to a number of canine health problems caused due to allergies, stress or parasites. However, sometimes they could also mark the onset of certain internal dog diseases including diabetes, thyroid disorder problems, or even cancer. General weakness and ill health could also result in canine hair loss.

If you see your dog losing a lot of hair, it is suggested that you start observing your dog more closely for some time. A number of other factors, such as change in diet, or heavy scratching etc, could go a long way in helping the vet decide which test to opt for, and in understanding the dog’s problem. For instance, if the doctor suspects a mite infection to be the cause behind the dog’s problem, a test with the dog’s skin scrapings might require to be carried out.

Sometimes, hair loss in dogs, as you might notice could be a result of nothing but heavy chewing or scratching of itself. An itchy dog might need to be bathed with particular shampoos, and treated with allergy shots, in case they are found to be having allergy problems.

So, if you love and care for your pet, do keep a watch out for such problems as dog hair loss. Remember, the old well known rule “prevention is better than cure”, hold good for your beloved creature when you talk about canine hair loss.

This is simply owing to the fact that though a bit of skin problem such as hair loss in dogs or severe canine dermatitis may not be looking too troublesome to you; it sure could be a symptom to an ugly disease. Therefore, it is always best to consult a vet in case the canine dry skin problem tends to look suspicious to you in any possible way.

Thankfully, owing to the fast developing technology these days doctors can easily understand your dog’s problem with a few simple tests. These tests could include anything starting form testing of the dog’s skin scrapings to testing the dog’s blood, etc.

The treatment for dog skin care varies greatly, depending not only on the skin problem, but also depending on the breed of your dog, its overall habits, the climatic conditions the dog has been exposed to, etc. For example canine skin problems such as canine dry skin, have been found to be closely related to cold and dry whether conditions.

If due to lack of moisture in the air, your dog starts troubling you with dry skin problems, then you need not worry much. These days there are a number of bathing lotions, shampoos and after bathing treatments available to help your dog.

However, there are other skin problems in dogs that could be more severe than dry skin problems. For example dog skin allergy caused due to bacterial infection or dermatitis is a problem that can affect the entire body of the dog, and cause inflammation and red-skin. The dog might also get extremely itchy and chewy of itself.

Another very troublesome aspect of some of these canine dry skin problems is that they could be infections to you and your family too. Therefore, till you get your pet checked by a doctor to understand your dog’s disease, it is suggested you avoid too much contact with it.

Though problems such as canine acne, (that occurs on the face of the dogs and is quite similar to the acne problems faced by humans) are quite noticeable, sometimes, surprisingly enough it is not very easy to detect even a severe case of some particular infections in dogs. It might take you days in fact to realize that something is wrong with your pet, if it is suffering form a problem like canine nail fungus.

Therefore the bottom-line is you need to keep a close watch on your dog all the time. Bathe it well, and keep checking its skin regularly, by checking its hair. Take it to a vet for regular check ups so that any skin problem may be easily detected.

You never know how your dog may be suffering inside because of problems like canine dry skin that otherwise tend to look so normal to us.

Diabetes insipidus results from a lack of vasopressin. This is the antidiuretic hormone that controls the water works of the kidney. Diabetes mellitus is caused by lack of insulin or sugar metabolism. The latter is the most common of the two.

Diabetes mellitus can be further subdivided into the congenital and acquired types. Most of the diabetes noticed in dogs are insulin dependent Type 2 otherwise termed IDDM.

Food is taken for energy and maintenance of the body. Enzymes convert the nutrients from food into chemicals for specific body functions. This is delivered through the blood stream to the cells as fuel.

The main fuel is glucose but its mere presence will be of no use unless it is transported. Here insulin plays a key role. It opens the highways for allowing the glucose to travel from the blood to the cells. It also stops the liver from producing excess glucose and has a hand in storing the sugar for future use.

The disease strikes when the endocrine system stumbles in producing insulin sufficient enough to do all the three functions of production, distribution and storage. When the balance is disturbed there is too much glucose in the blood and scant in the cells.

Diabetes in dogs is fairly common. Dog canine diabetes symptom shows up any time between seven and nine years of age. Unspayed female dogs are more prone to the disease. Some breeds like Keeshonds, Miniature Pinschers and Cairn Terriers are genetically predisposed to it.

Poodles, Beagles and Miniature Schauzers have a strong possibility of developing it. Symptom of diabetes in dogs may show up after a viral attack or pancreatic infections and or Cushing’s disease.

The first dog diabetes symptom that will be noticed is lack of appetite. This will be followed up excessive thirst and frequent urination. Unless treated, the dog will lose weight, become lethargic and depressed. Vomiting will ensue. This is the ideal time for secondary bacterial and fungal infection to set in. Liver and bladder problems will surface and the worst of all cataracts will begin to form.

Diagnosis consists of examination of the dog and lab tests. Insulin injections allow the dog to lead a normal life. In most cases a single injection per day will suffice. Following a low calorie diet often the insulin is discontinued. In some cases oral pills also work. Dogs are given pork- based insulin. It is better to be constantly alert about dog diabetes symptoms.

However if left ignored the allergy can lead to death. Food allergies are not related to the breed of the dog or to its gender. The symptom of puppy allergy can pop up as early as 5 months. On the other extreme end a dog that has never shown signs of allergy may suddenly break out with an attack when as old as 12. Those dogs that suffer from dog food allergy are also prone to inhalant and contact related allergies.

A distinction has to be made to intolerance to food and allergic to food. The former leads to stomach upset while itching and scratching are symptomatic of allergies. Unfortunately the most common culprits are the most common items in the doggy diet list – beef, milk products, poultry, wheat, eggs, soy and corn.

The elimination of some items and the introduction of another may result in an allergy free dog. Some put the blame on preservatives and flavours but as yet nothing can be said for sure.

The common symptoms of dog allergies are itching, ear infections, loss of fur, hot rashes and scratches. Excessive bowel movement is another symptom. Antibiotics take care of the allergies. But to prevent recurrence the best way is the time tested method of trial and error – give one type of food consisting of protein and carbohydrate, which, that particular animal has not taken till then, for 12 weeks; then wait and watch.

The combinations could be rabbit and rice, venison and potatoes or duck and rutabagas. These are home made concoctions but several ready-made stuff is available off the shop shelves. During this period one must be absolutely strict about the rule of not giving treats.

If the condition improves then this can become the standard menu; if not then go back to the original and try another combination for the perfect anti allergy dog food.

There are many who try to diagnose the cause through blood tests but as yet it has not proved to be final answer. Intradermal skin tests are excellent for atropy but ineffective in the case of locating the offending food that leads to allergy.

All veterinarians agree that the trial and error method of alternating diet is the only way to find out. Dog food allergy continues to be a subject of serious research.

Raw food is preferable over cooked, as quite some minerals are lost in the process of cooking. Dog health discussions rage over the issue of raw food. Intense heat of cooked food destroys nutrients and dogs on raw stuff do not need dental care. The bones perform the chewing action as well as the teeth cleaning functions. Moreover the immune system is strengthened. Others say this might lead to the spread of the Mad-Cow disease and salmonella will be environmentally disastrous.

Dog Food Image Courtesy of Chrissie_Un

All dogs should get satisfactory nutrition from their food in order to remain in excellent health and maintain performance. The chief nutrients that your dog requires are water, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Most of this dog nutrition is present in raw bones with a small amount of dry food and the occasional treat of pasta or rice along with the leftovers of your dinner table. However do not give the dog too many treats from the table as it leads to obesity and related diseases.

Most of the dogs simply relish fruits and vegetables in their food, but only if they are used to it. A dog that has been kept on commercial dog food all his entire life will not be able to have pleasure in fresh food, and may not want to have it. It may be a problem to introduce such food later in his life.

Commercial foods are recommended by most vets as a good diet for your pets. However a diet that is mostly natural and comprising of meat and bones as commercial food may be an easy option but definitely not the healthiest one.

Your perseverance and love for your dog will soon make him appreciate the taste of these healthy food items prepared according to dog recipes easily found everywhere. You can start out by hand feeding your dog, pieces of apple or carrot. Your dog’s health will certainly benefit if you can hunt few dog food recipes and feed him homemade dog food.

Some human food may spell death to the dog. Chocolate is bad for dog health as sufficient doses leads to painful death within 20 hours. Grapes and nuts as well as onion and garlic too can be deadly. It is one of the dog food secrets which very few know.

Dogs react to alcohol the same way as humans, especially beer. Dogs are allergic to some food and may suffer from vertigo, cancer, epilepsy and arthritis and may develop dog health problems.
Many dogs think the feces of cats and even its own droppings as a treat because of hidden proteins. The animal is not aware of the diseases lurking inside and therefore care should be taken to keep the animal away from such delicacies.

Thus follow the dog food secrets mentioned and have a healthy and happy pet to love and adore in your family!!

The dog chewing habit might drive you to your wits end. For a live demonstration see the Hollywood classic Beethoven. The joke and love is strained when you come back home to see the leg of your sofa gnawed through, the heel’s of mother’s new shoe broken, father’s socks with gaping holes and all the sleazy news in the fresh morning newspapers cut out.

Every action has a reaction. If dog chewing is the reaction then find out the cause. The simple fact is that puppies have teething problems and also nutritional problems. For routine guidance and tips to stop dog chewing the vet is another good enough guide.

Young adult dogs too are prone to chewing. Unless the situation becomes extremely destructive do not worry. It is all part of the hassles of having a pet or a baby around the house. Take it as payment for the reward of the lick and the wag.

An older dogs chews out of boredom and tension. It is not far removed from the adolescent teenager biting nails. Dogs are very intelligent creatures and when they have nothing better to do chewing is the result. To prevent dog chewing see to it that the dog gets a chance to go out and play. There are special kennels that will give the dog the feel of the wild in this urban zoo.

photo courtesy of Adam Parker

When a dog chews it is releasing of pent up energy. It is not uncommon to see dogs chewing their own paws. The chewing often leads to damaged doors and furniture, books, files or even few dollars lying around. There are many books and video clippings to tackle the problem.

The first thing is to give the dog separate dog chew toys to play with but do not give your shoes or socks because the dog cannot see the difference between the old shoe and the new one! Next, do not hesitate to say ‘no’ in word, tone and expression. On the positive side reward the dog when it plays around with permitted stuff.

For the brand new puppy keep a safe zone fenced and safe for allowing it to romp and play. This will go a long way in training him to control dog chewing.