Questions and answers.

Note:  Some time ago I published a dog magazine and I invited readers to submit questions of a general nature. These are some of the questions and the answers. Some of the questions were from Novices.  However, you may find a question and an answer that is similar to the problem you may have. 

 

Question about dog's coat.

Question.  I am anxious to improve my dog's coat which is dull and lifeless. Do you think that I can improve my dog's coat by giving him olive oil?

Answer:  Although many show people are convinced that a daily dogs of  a teaspoon of Olive Oil works wonders for the coat,  you must not expect miracles from Olive Oil alone.  Far more important are such factors as adequate exercise and sufficient protein in the diet. A good idea is to add a small quantity of suet to the dogs food.   Instead of olive oil you can use sunflower oil or flax seed oil.

It is also important  to groom your dog everyday.  It also  goes without saying that you cannot expect your dog to have a good coat if he is troubled with internal parasite.  Make certain he has no worms.  If necessary take a sample of his stool to a Vet. to determine  whether he has worms, and if so the Vet will recommend the appropriate medication..

The dog's coat is a reliable indication of the dog's general state of health.  But it must be remembered that certain breeds shed their coats more than others and while the dog is throwing his coat it is unlikely that it will appear in the best condition.

Question about  a dog's jaw.

Question.   Friends have told me that my 6 month old dog has got what they say is an "overshot jaw"? What exactly is an "overshot jaw"   If they  are correct is it something that will improve when the dog gets older, because he is still only six months old and I was hoping to show him when he is older?

Answer:   An overshot jaw is one in which the upper  jaw extends over the lower jaw  by a noticeable amount - more than approximately 1/4 of an inch or 2 mm. and the teeth do not meet in what is called the required  normal, "scissor bite" with the upper teeth extending just slightly over the bottom teeth.

An undershot jaw is just the opposite, it occurs when the lower jaw extends quite a considerable amount beyond the upper jaw.  Both conditions are serious faults in the Show ring for some breeds. However it is a common condition with bulldogs.

As your dog is still young,  there is a chance that the condition will improve.   I have known cases where this has happened when there was not a serious over-lapping of one jaw over the other,  but is that if there is such  marked  extension of the upper jaw over the lower jaw that your friends noticed it, I am afraid that it is unlikely to improve. .

Question about car sickness in dogs.

Question:  My 4 month old pup gets sick when we take him in the car.   Is there anything that can be done to cure this condition?

Answer:  Your pup will probably outgrow this tendency to car-sickness,   In the meantime however, make sure that you do not feed him at least two hours before taking him with you in the car.   It might also be a good idea to take him in to the car and let him be with you while the car is stationery so that he is accustomed to the car without getting sick from the motion of the car.   You might also try one of the human sea sickness or air-sickness remedies.  The usual dosage for a pup would be the same as for a child.

Question about  eggs and whether they are suitable food for dogs.

Question.  I read in a dog magazine once that only the egg yolk should be fed to a dog and that the white of an egg is bad for a dog.  Is this true?

Answer:   There is some  substance to this theory because the white of an egg contains a substance called "Avidin" which is a  substance that destroys one of the B Vitamins, biotin.  However it has never been established how much  egg white it would be necessary to have in order to have harmful effects..  It might be a very large  number of eggs, given every day. 

 There are many breeder who use eggs regularly in feeding their dogs, both the yolk and the white of the egg.  They have not reported any harmful effects . On  the contrary they maintain eggs given in moderation are  excellent for the dog's health.

To be on the safe side it would be wise to feed a reasonable amounts of eggs.

Question about a bitch's season.

Question.   My bitch is now six months old and has not been spayed.  could you please tell me at what stage I can expect her to come into season for the first time?  Is it advisable to wait until the  second heat to have her mated?

Answer:  A bitch usually comes into season for the first time from 8 to 11 months, but there is a considerable variation with different animals.  It is definitely not advisable to have her mated when she comes into heat the second time, rather wait until she is more mature.  By the time she has her third seas she should be about 20 months and at this age she is mature enough to have her first litter of pups.

Question about  the best way to give a dog medicine.

Question:  I seem to ahve the greatest difficulty giving my dogs medicine, particularly pills.  Is there any easy way you can suggest?

Answer:  Giving a dog pills or medicine for that matter is not difficult as long as you go about it the the right way.  The first thing to remember is not excite the animal unnecessarily.  Act in a quite and calm, matter of fact manner and then proceed in the following way.

Place your left hand over the top of his muzzle and open his mouth by slipping your left  thumb around the upper jaw, just behind the tow large  front canine teeth. .  Having opened the dog's mouth, gently life his head, being careful not make the animal unduly anxious.  With his mouth now open, drop the pills deep in his throat.  You can if you wish make sure that the pills are swallowed by using  the fingers of your right hand - or your  right thumb - to gently push the [pills right back behind his tongue.

To give a dog medicine is even easier.  There is no need to open his mouth at all. On his lower jaw you will find that there is loose skin that can be fold to form a sort of pouch..  Raise the dog's head and then pour  the required amount of liquid medicine into this pouch.  The dog will have no option but to swallow the liquid.   An even easier method is to put the liquid ina plastic, small syringe and squirt the required dosage  gently into the pouch.

Question:  supplementary feeding and weaning  a litter of pups

Question:  When  do you recommend I start supplementary feeding for a litter of pups?  Do you think that I should start fairy early or wait until the bitch has tired of the pups?

Answer:  When to start  supplementary feeding, which is always necessary in order to rear strong healthy pups,  will depend on the size of the litter and the quantity of the bitch's milk.  Most breeders are of the opinion that if there are no more than five pups in the litter, for a medium size animal, then supplementary feeding can begin when the pups are 3 1/2 weeks old.

However, if there is a   large litter and the bitch does not seem to be coping very well, you can start as early as 2 1/2 weeks and sometimes as early as 2 weeks,  In fact a good time is when you can feel the pup's teeth.  There is no question at all that supplementary feeding is always necessary and it is unfair to expect the bitch to rear a litter without assistance.

Certainly it has been done, but the quality of the pups suffers and instead of having sturdy, strong-boned pups, you may have small weedy runts.  .By weaning the  pups gradually you will ensure that your pups are healthy and strong.

Allow the bitch to nurse the pups until they are about six weeks old, at which age they should usually be completely independent of the mother.

With regard to what food to use for supplementary feeding and weaning, an excellent idea is to use raw beef that is has been finely scraped with a sharp knife as the pups very first meal.   They will take to the meat greedily even if their eyes are not completely open.

These days, to avoid the nuisance of scraping the meat until it is easily digestible, a lot of breeders use the excellent prepared foods that are available and manufactured  by many, reputable food manufactures.  These re-enforced milk products are specially intended  for weaning pups.

Other breeders use fortified  milk  they prepare by adding full cream powdered milk to cow's milk.  It is necessary to fortify cow's milk with the addition of full cream powdered milk because cow's milk is not as rich as bitch's milk.

Question.  German Shepherd pup's ears.

Question.  At what age can I expect my 4 months old German Shepherd pup's ears to come up?

Answer:  It is common for the ears of German Shepherd pups to come when the pup has completed teething and the second teeth are coming through.  Sometimes this can be as late as six months. sometimes even later.   When the pups are very heavily boned and large it is quite usual for there to be a delay in the ears coming up.

There is probably not much need to be concerned if your pup is only four months, but it is quite common  for breeders of show quality animals to start seriously considering helping the pup's ears if they are not up by 41/2 to 5 months.   The help the ears come up by means of taping.  This is quite an involved process but you will find quite a lot of literature on the subject in books about the German Shepherd Dog breed.

Question about dog eating grass.

Question: My dogs eats a lot of grass and the vomits it up.  Is this evidence of worms  or is it just a habit he has developed"

Answer:  Eating grass and vomiting it immediately afterwards is fairly common practice  and there is no  reason to be concerned unless there are other symptoms which worry you.   If the animal seems otherwise in good health it might simply be the result of having eaten to much or having exercised on a full stomach. 

  If  you do suspect worms  you should examine e the dog's stool.  This will give you a better idea of the dog's condition.  It might be worthwhile taking a sample of the stool to a Vet  for examination to satisfy yourself that is nothing wrong.

Question about garlic,

Question.  A lot of people tell me that garlic will prevent a dog from getting worms and that it will also prevent fleas.  Is this true or is it just an old wives tale?

Answer:  Although there are many dog people who swear that garlic is an infallible remedy to prevent a flea  infestation, there appears to be no scientific evidenced that this is so; neither is there scientific evidence  that eating garlic  will prevent worms.  But there certainly is no harm in feeding the dog garlic. So many human beings take garlic regularly and are convince that it is a cure-all.

Question of a young dog's nervous temperament.

Question:  My young dog is now seven months old.  Although is is quite big and strong, he is very nervous.  He is scared of strangers and backs away when they approach.   Do you think that he will grow out of this nervousness and is there I can do to help him?  He was very friendly as a pup but recently seems to have changed in temperament.  I am not sure what the reason is.

Answer:  Whether your young dog will out -grow  his present nervous disposition depends to a large extent on the way you handle and train him over the next few months.  By training I don't  necessarily  mean serious obedience training, which might help but on the other hand may be counter- productive

Another thing which will help you in your handling of the young dog is to find  more about the the temperament of his parents. If they are bold and confident adults there is every likelihood of your pup growing up to act in this way. His problem may simply be due to the stage through which is going through at present.  In this case you need not worry unnecessarily about the handling and training.  But a certain amount  training is always an advantage with a young animal.

If however, you find out that his parents were not as brave as you  thought when you bought the pup, then you will have to be extra-careful in handling him.

First   make sure that he carefully handled when you leash train  him.  You will find details about leash training on this site.  When you have managed to have him walking comfortably on your left side, take  him with you on leash to various  strange places as often as you can.  

If he does show any sign of nervousness, handle him gently but firmly.  Do not try and re-assure him with soft, baby talk.  Act in a matter of fact manner as if there is nothing for him to be concerned about..

Make a point of playing with him quite boisterously - not roughly but fairly vigorously.  Make a fuss of him and encourage him when he joins in your playful treatment

When you take him for a walk make a point of meeting up with friends. Stop and talk to them. It is a good idea to have  small piece of food that he fancies with you.  Hand them friends to give to him.  Encourage him to take the food and make a fuss of him when he does so.

With gently but firm handling your dog will outgrow  what appearance to be an adolescent lack of confidence.

Question about  "in-breeding"  and "Line'breeding"

Question:  What is in-breeding and what is line-breeding. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both systems?

Answer: The question requires quite a lengthy  answer, but briefly in-breeding  consists of very close family breeding - father to daughter, half-brother to half - sister, son to mother or, the very closest in-breeding possible full brother to litter sister.

The purpose of in-breeding is to stabilize type and ensure that the good points of an excellent specimen are retained and perpetuated..   It must be remember though that in resorting to in-breeding, which is not permitted by many breed regulatory authorities, there is always a strong possibility that the bad points might appear even more prominently than the good points.   It was practiced to quite an extent in the past and the results were often satisfactory but obviously where there is a large genetic pool of quality animals to breed from - as is the case with most breeds - it is quite unnecessary these days.

Line-breeding, broadly speaking consists of  breeding animals with a common ancestor. There may b e fairly close line-breeding when the ancestor happens to be  common excellent grand-sire or it might be more remote.

If intelligently followed line-breeding can be very successful,  If you examine the pedigrees of top show animals you will find that a certain ancestor appears a number of times in the pedigree of both the Sire and the Dam.  But obviously it is important to know a great deal about the animal  upon  which you are basing your line-breeding.  It is important to know the type of animal of animal he produced and also it is important to be aware of any faults  common in his progeny.

Question about Biliary

Question: There are a lot of ticks in the area I live, is it possible to inoculate a dog against biliary?

Answer:  Unfortunately there is no inoculation against biliary.  It is therefore important to keep your dog free of ticks.  In areas where there are plenty of ticks this requires constant vigilance.  Examine your dog regularly.  If your dog is normally a greedy eater and is suddenly off his food do not hesitate.  Take him to your Vet. immediately.  If you catch biliary very early it is possible to treat without difficulty or affect-effects.  But if  you hesitate before taking your dog to the Vet - even as much  as 24 hours - it can be very serious.  Sometimes a blood transfusion is necessary. And even then the dog sometimes doesn't survive..

There are a number of excellent products on the market that you can get  from your Vet that will keep a dog free from ticks

Question about putting weight on a dog.

Question:  My well-bred bitch is now 14 months but although she seems healthy I just can't seem to pu any weight on her.  She eats quite well but is not a greedy eater.At the moment I am feeding her a well-advertised dog food that I am getting from my  supermarket.

Answer:  Try varyng the diet of your animal.  A change might persuade her to eat more.  Also it might help to add a meat gravy or a portion of beef mince on to her dry dog food.  You can also add a little suet to her meals.   If she is otherwise healthy there is no harm in her being lean at this young age. Although you may prefer her to deep and heavy,  she may be a naturally lean animal.

It is of course possible that she may have worms which is often the cause of extreme thinness.  It is probably worth your while taking a specimen of her stool to your Vet for exmination to determine whether or not she is free of worms.

If no worms are found your Vet will probably recommend one of the high quality premium foods.  They will probably cost very much more than the price you are paying for the supermarket dog food.  Whether or not it will make a dramatic difference  can only be determined by trying it for a month,.   There is no doubt that the premium foods do contain superior ingredients and a great deal of research has gone into the formulation.

Question about dog's front legs not being straight.

Question:  My pup is just sixteen weeks and growing very quickly.  He has very good bone and looks as if he is going to be a very biog dog.  But I notice that his front legs do not seem to be straight.  Should I feed him calcium tablets as my friend suggests, or cod liver oil as another friend suggests?

Answer:  Your pup might be developing a tendency towards rickets - this is unlikely but it just may be possible.   Although rickets is regarded as a dietary deficiency sometimes there appears to an inability  .on the part of an animal that is growing rapidly from three to five months. to absorb the calcium that is present in most foods.

Do not feed Calcium pills without first consulting your Vet.  Also there are far better dietary supplements than cod liver oil which was a very old-fashioned rememdy.  Very often the cold liver oil is not as fresh as i should be and there could be harmful effects..

If your Vet does feel your pup is not absorbing sufficient calcium with his normal diet he may recommend  supplements or possibly even injections.

Question about bathing a dog.

Question:  Is bathing a dog recommended and if so how often should one bath the dog?

Answer:  Occasional bathing to get rid of dirt will do no harm, especially if the dog has been rolling is something unpleasant and you are hesitant to bring him into the house. If you do bath your dog use a special shampoo formulated for dogs not a human shampoo which has a completely different P.H. factor.  The dog's skin is quite different to that of a human.

 It is not a good idea to regularly bathe your dog.  It is far better to groom and brush the dog to remove loose hairs especially at times when he is shedding his coat.  Frequent bathing removes the natural oils in dog's coat and is sometimes the cause of skin irritation.

If your dog has fleas it is far better to use one of the excellent products available that will  kill fleas without the necessity for bathing.  There are small capsules containing a substance that will kills fleas.  They  are very convenient to apply. . All that is required is for the liquid  in the small capsule to be  rubbed into the dog's skin  in the base of  the dog's neck.

Of course to get rid of fleas you must make a point of keeping your dog's bedding clean.  It is pointless  killing the fleas that are on him if he is going to be re-infested by the fleas in his bedding.

Question about too much exercise.

Question:  My six month old pup is very lively and loves exercise.  When we take him to the beach he loves to chase a ball or a Frisbee.  He also likes to follow me on my bicycle and doesn't seem ever to get tired.  But I am worried that perhaps I am doing him harm by exercising him too much.  Can too much exercise be harmful?

Answer:  Large breed dogs grow very rapidly and you must be careful not to tire a rapidly growing  young dog with too much exercise.  Following you on the bicycle is not a good idea at this stage of his development,  Apart from the fact that it is a definite safety hazard there could be damage to the dog's feet pads by running on the hard surface of the roads.   There is also the danger that he may be become too lean and stringy.

If you are perhaps thinking of showing your dog one day, don't be in too much of a hurry for him to get fit, firm and tight.  This is something that only maturity can bring.  Exercise   him by all means, but in moderation.  Do not overdo the exercise. He needs time to develop.

Later when he is mature you can certainly exercise him by making use of  the  bicycle but it will not be a case of him following you, it will be done by  training the dog  on leash to run next to you while you are in the saddle.   When he is mature there will  also be less danger of damage to his feet.

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