Dogs Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Good Hope Animal Hospital

The Best Way To Clean Up Puppy Pee

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

Does your puppy urinate in the house? Then you may be wondering to best clean up the mess.

Most puppies have at least a few accidents during the housebreaking stage. These need to be thoroughly cleaned up so that the puppy does not return to the same spot in the future. I f your puppy is having many accidents, you should readjust your housebreaking techniques.

The best way to clean up a spot of urine is to soak up as much of it as possible. If the spot is on linoleum or another hard surface, paper towels and disinfectant can be used. If the urine spot is on a rug, cover the spot with a paper towel and some layers of newspaper. You can stand on the spot to draw out as much urine as possible.

Once the urine is soaked up, it is necessary to use an odor neutralizer to eliminate the lingering odor of ammonia. If a dog smells any residual urine odor, it is likely to urinate in the same area again. Many pet stores and veterinarians carry effective urine odor neutralizers.

Remember that your puppy is just like a baby and needs to be monitored at all times. Most puppies will show subtle signs that they need to go to the bathroom prior to having an accident. If you can’t be right there beside your puppy at all times, it should be left in a crate. A dog views a crate as a private den that it will not want to soil with urine or feces.

It is also important to establish a set routine and stick to it every day. Most puppies need to eliminate frequently when they are young, especially after heavy eating or playing. Paper training is used by some owner, but this method should be viewed as a temporary approach to training. Crate training is a much more efficient means of housebreaking a dog.

How To Keep Flies Away From Your Outdoor Dog

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

How can you keep flies away from your outdoor dog?

All animals that spend time outdoors are susceptible to fly bites–especially those that are confined to a small area because they can’t run away. Some animals are even more attractive to certain fly types than others. Stable flies have mouth parts that can tear open the flesh and suck blood from the wound. This causes a lot of irritation to the area and it can sometimes become infected with repeated fly strike attacks.

Flies most commonly attack the ears and face of dogs. The fly bites are usually on the tips or folded part of the ear in breeds with floppy ears. The bite wounds are often red, crusty, and may ooze blood. They can be very itchy and painful.

The best prevention is to house the dog indoors where the flies can not get to it. If this is not possible, then it is important to use fly repellent cream or lotion that can be applied to the ears to prevent the attacks. There are also various flea sprays available that may be beneficial. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend a fly prevention product that will help prevent the fly strike.

If there are areas around the animal that are attracting the flies such as straw piles, manure droppings, trash, or anything else, then removing the source of the flies is important. The use of safe and approved pesticides may also be beneficial – consult your veterinarian.

How To Rid Your Pet Of Fleas

August 28, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

How can we rid our pets of fleas?

Fleas continue to be an important problem of animal husbandry despite the advances in flea-control products. Using conventional insecticides, one must address fleas on the pet, in the house, and in the environment, a three-pronged approach.

Dips are not safe when used often enough to be effective. Flea collars are not generally useful, and sprays must be applied regularly to have maximum kill. The yard products, such as organophosphates, should help eliminate environmental fleas. You may wish to treat the shady areas of the yard, under bushes and trees, where ultraviolet light does not penetrate, especially if the pets lie there. You did not indicate whether the animals enter the house or garage, or if they go in the car, but all areas that your pets visit must be treated, especially with growth hormone regulators. The entire environment and the pets must be treated concurrently; the clean, flea-free animals must be housed in a flea-free area while the premises are treated. After vacuuming the area rugs, be sure to throw the vacuum bag away.

Despite the apparent expense of the new, topical products such as Frontline or Advantage, these products have proved themselves highly effective in such situations. They should be safe for all members of the household. Please discuss their utility with your veterinarian. He or she will assess your situation and customize a flea-control plan for you as economically as possible.

How To Know If Your Pet Has Fleas

August 27, 2012 by Good Hope Animal Hospital

A flea is a tiny, laterally flat, wingless insect that subsists on the blood of its host. Fleas have long legs that enable them to jump tremendous distances and they can quickly crawl through your animal’s fur. Check your cat or dog frequently for fleas by brushing them over while they are standing over a white sheet or towel; flea feces — small, black flecks of digested blood — will fall off easily, indicating the presence of fleas. A flea comb with very fine teeth is helpful for removing flea debris and may remove some adult fleas if enough are present.

Most fleas congregate over the rump and tail area of the pet. If evidence of fleas is noted, the animal should also be checked for tapeworm segments, which appear as cream-colored, rice-like segments stuck in the fur around the anus or in the feces. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations concerning flea control and prevention.