3 Tips for Managing Your Dog's Weight

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31 Jul, 2017
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Obesity can be just as big a problem for canines as it can be for humans, but many pet owners don't realize how serious a problem it can be. Just like you, your dog can suffer from serious health problems as a result of being overweight.

For example, dogs who are obese are at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and problems with their liver function. Obesity can also affect your dog's lungs, restricting their ability to expand and making it more difficult for them to breathe. Then there are the quality-of-life issues: an obese dog will have less stamina, less tolerance for heat and a shorter life span.

Luckily, there are things you can be doing to prevent your dog from gaining too much weight and to cut their calories if they're already overweight. Take a look at some useful tips that can help you keep your dog's weight in check.

1. Know What the Ideal Body Weight Looks Like

Obesity in dogs isn't always as easy to identify as dog owners might think. And since dogs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, there isn't an obvious ideal weight for all dogs - a lot depends on your specific breed and other factors.

Your veterinarian can let you know what your dog's ideal weight should be, but there are also signs that you can look for at home to let you know if your dog is maintaining a healthy weight or not. At their ideal weight, your dog's ribs will be palpable, with little or no excess fat over them. You should be able to easily see your dog's waist, and their abdomen should be tucked up when they're standing.

In an overweight dog, their ribs may be covered by a heavy fat layer and their waist may be absent. A very overweight dog may have a distended abdomen.

2. Keep Treats to a Minimum

Just like in humans, treats can be the downfall of a dog on a diet. While dog treats are handy as a reward, a training tool or a way of comforting your dog, you can easily feed your dog too much if you're not careful.

Although different treats have different caloric values, a good overall rule is to confine treats to about 10 percent of your dog's diet. That means that bigger dogs will be able to eat more treats and stay healthy than smaller dogs.

Keep an eye on the ingredients in the treats that you buy as well. Treats that contain mostly wheat, corn or soy are empty calories for your dog. Look for treats that are low on filler ingredients.

You may want to use a calorie calculator to help figure out the right amount of treats for your dog.

3. Consider an Automatic Pet Feeder

Even when it comes to their regular food, you should make portion control your watchword when it comes to canine weight management. Dogs often don't self-regulate, so you'll have to regulate their portions sizes for them. That means that simply keeping the food bowl full is a bad strategy.

Consider using an automatic pet feeder for your dog. This device offers a couple of advantages. For one thing, it's an easy and convenient way to make sure your dog gets just the right amount of food at the right times - even when you're away at work or otherwise unavailable.

Another advantage of using a pet feeder is that it allows you to distance yourself somewhat from the feeding process. It's hard to tell your dog "no" when they're begging for extra food, and it's easy to give into the temptation to overfeed them. A food dispenser can help you resist that temptation.

Talk to your veterinarian about your dog's weight and your strategies for managing it. Careful weight management now can help prevent your dog from dealing with a variety of health problems later.

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3 Reasons Rabies Vaccinations Are Important for Your Cat

By • February 6, 2018

When you think of a rabid animal, what is it that comes to mind? If you are like most people, you will think of rabid bats, raccoons, or even dogs. However, the idea of a rabid cat may not come up. A lot of cat owners wrongly assume that their kitty does not need a rabies vaccination, especially if the cat is kept primarily indoors.

If you are a cat owner, making sure your pet gets the vaccinations they need should be an important part of your care regimen for them. So, is getting a cat vaccinated for rabies important? Most veterinarians agree that a rabies vaccination is important for felines. Here's a look at some of the reasons you should have your cat vaccinated for rabies, whether they live indoors or out.

Rabies Is Still Highly Prevalent in the Wild

People often assume that because they don't hear as much about rabies, it must not be as prevalent as it once was. However, rabies is still an issue among wild animals; you simply don't hear as much about wild animals with rabies as you do about domestic pets with rabies.

Before 1960, the majority of rabies reports involved domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, and even livestock. However, with the ready availability of the rabies vaccination for domesticated animals after that point, things have changed considerably, and now 90 percent of rabies cases are associated with wild animals.

A 2015 study of rabid bats in counties across the country tested individual bat species for rabies in various places. The concluding results show that rabies is still very much present in the wild in just about every location. Therefore, keeping your feline protected is very important no matter where you live or how much you hear about rabies occurrences.

Rabies Is Easier for a Feline to Contract Than Expected

Your cat doesn't necessarily have to be bitten by a rabid animal to contract the viral disease, even though this is a common assumption. Biting is the most common means of transmission, but all that technically has to occur is for the saliva of an infected animal to get into the system of an uninfected animal. This means that rabies could be spread to your cat from an infected animal if:

The animal hisses and spews saliva into your cat's eyes.
The animal drips saliva onto an open wound on your cat.
The animal licks your cat and the saliva enters their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Rabies is not spread by any bodily excretion other than saliva. Yet saliva is emitted from an infected animal in various scenarios, which means rabies is much easier to contract than many cat owners expect.

Rabies Can Be Transmitted Quickly and Without Evidence

One reason house cat owners assume that their pet doesn't need the vaccine for rabies is because the cat is never outdoors. But even a house cat can slip out on occasion, and they often do. If your cat has not been vaccinated for rabies, there is always a chance they could contract the virus.

Because rabies is so easily spread to a cat, it means little interaction actually has to take place for your cat to fall victim to the virus. Therefore, even an indoor cat who slips out unexpectedly could have a chance encounter with an infected animal without you realizing anything has taken place.

In the end, rabies is a life-threatening virus that is easily passed on to domestic pets from wild animals. If you would like to know more about why a rabies vaccination is important for your feline, contact us at North Suburban Veterinary Hospital.

Preventative Care Tips for Your Senior Dog

December 11, 2017

When you have had a dog for many years, it can come as a shock when they reach about 7 to 9 years old and are suddenly considered to be a senior. However, this is an inevitable part of your dog's life.

If your dog is a senior now, there are many ways that you can provide them with care and support in their old age. The best way to care for your senior dog, though, is through preventative care.

Such care can make a major difference in your senior dog's quality of life. Get to know some of the preventative care steps you can take to keep your senior dog as healthy as possible.

Keep Up with Their Dental Care

Just like with humans, as dogs age, their teeth can become a problem. The teeth weaken as levels of calcium and other nutrients lower in the body with age. If you want to make sure your dog does not suffer from painful gingivitis, periodontal disease, or eventual tooth loss, you will need to keep up with their dental care.

At home, you can brush their teeth and gums once a day with a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste. The easiest toothbrushes to use for dogs are often those that go on your finger like the finger of a glove. If your dog trusts you and is used to you touching their face and mouth, they will be more comfortable with such an option.

If you cannot brush your dog's teeth every day (if they do not cooperate and lock their jaws, for example), you can try dental support treats. These treats are designed to clean the teeth and freshen the breath.

Of course, you will also need to take your dog in for regular dental checkups and cleanings with your veterinarian. Experts usually recommend that dogs go in for full dental cleanings once a year at most because the procedure requires your dog to go under anesthesia.

Their teeth and gums will be scraped and cleaned, and the veterinarian will take x-rays of their mouth to ensure there are no major issues with the teeth or with the mouth as a whole. In order to avoid further anesthesia, during this procedure the veterinarian will also take care of any teeth that need to be extracted.

Along with preventing gum disease and periodontal disease, proper dental care can also prevent numerous other health issues. These health conditions include heart, kidney, and liver diseases, all of which can be linked to dental problems.

Watch Out for Signs of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is an issue that many senior dogs face. It is important to look out for signs that your dog's blood pressure may be an issue so that their blood pressure does not have a major negative impact on their health or lead to cardiovascular failure.

Signs of high blood pressure include blindness, circling or general disorientation, bleeding from the nose, blood in the urine, bleeding in the eye, and seizures. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms in your dog, take them to the veterinarian right away.

To prevent high blood pressure in your senior dog, there are some steps that you can take. Avoid foods that are high in salt — including sodium and potassium chloride — because salt can cause blood pressure increases. Oftentimes this means switching to a senior formula dog food and avoiding table scraps and human food as much as possible.

You can also prevent high blood pressure by taking your senior dog in for regular checkups with their veterinarian. Ideally, you would want to take them in every six months — or at least once a year — for a physical examination. If you have noticed any abnormalities in your dog's body or behavior, you’ll also want to get blood work performed at this time.

With these tips in mind, you can be sure that you are giving your dog the preventative care they need to be as healthy as possible in their senior years. When you need a veterinarian in the Sterling Heights, MI, area, rely on North Suburban Veterinary Hospital.

5 Reasons to Have Your Dog Professionally Groomed

By • July 31, 2017

You work tirelessly to care for your dog, from providing exercise and mental stimulation on daily walks to keeping up with essential vaccinations. When you think about all the things you do to keep your pooch happy and healthy, grooming may seem like one of your lowest priorities.

However, grooming is an important part of canine care, whether you have a short-haired Chihuahua or an Old English sheepdog. In fact, veterinary experts recommend grooming every four to eight weeks, depending on the length of your dog's fur.

In this blog, we list five of the reasons why regular, professional grooming is so important for your pet.