Health & Grooming Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-01-2022

Dog grooming is an important part of keeping your pet happy and healthy, so groom your dog regularly. Do the job right by having basic equipment; follow a routine to ensure that you cover all the steps each time. Grooming is more than just a bath and brushing — it includes cleaning teeth and ears and clipping nails. You should also know how to deal with some nasty issues such as matted hair and skunk spray.

Article / Updated 11-02-2021

If your dog suddenly takes to scooting along the carpet to wipe her butt, you may be in for a real treat — the dubious pleasure of expressing your best friend’s anal sacs. Lots of licking or chewing of his rear or tail is another sign that it’s time to get rid of fluid build-up. Anal sacs, or anal glands, carry some smelly fluid and occasionally need to be expressed, or emptied. Many dogs express them by themselves every time they poop — the sacs are around a dog’s anus — but occasionally the sacs fill with fluid and your dog needs some help to release the fluid. Ask your vet before attempting to express your dog’s anal sacs for the first time, because the process can cause impacted anal glands and, in really bizarre instances, can rupture the sacs. And, keep in mind that expressing the anal sacs too often can lead to impacted anal glands, and failing to care for them may lead to infection. If you're not 110 percent sure you want to take on the task of expressing your dog's anal glands, don't hesitate to turn the nasty job over to trained staff at your veterinary office. The cost is minimal, especially compared to the damage you could cause (and the smell you'll be exposed to). If you insist on expressing the anal sacs yourself, here's how to do it: Suit up with a clothespin, heavy-duty rubber gloves, welder’s apron, rubber boots, and tongs so that you look like Michael Keaton changing diapers in Mr. Mom. Okay, you don’t need to go to these extremes, but the fluid is stinky and nasty, so wear old clothes and nose plugs if you need to. Fold several paper towels together in a huge wad. You want an absorbent pad to catch the liquid. Lift your dog’s tail and place the paper towels over his back side (and wonder when commercial television will pick up on this type of ad). Note the position of the dog’s anus in relation to the paper towels. Use your thumb and forefinger to gently squeeze at the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions, using the anus as the clock face. Keep your face out of the way! Throw away the paper towels. Disposing of the towels in a covered trash basket is a good idea. Wash and rinse your dog’s rear end really well. Expressing the sacs during bath time makes sense, always remembering that a clean doggie rump is a healthy doggie rump. If your dog shows discomfort back by his butt and his anal sacs aren’t producing any fluid, he may have an impacted anal sac, which requires veterinary intervention — soon!

Article / Updated 10-08-2021

Some canine anatomical names may be familiar to you — dogs have elbows and ears and eyes — but other names may be downright foreign. Many anatomical terms used to describe parts of a dog are similar to the ones used for horses. Head’s up on dog parts Starting from the head, a dog is made up of the Nose: Dog noses are often cold and wet, and of course, they usually get stuck where they’re not wanted. The muzzle (foreface) comprised of the upper and lower jaws. The stop is an indentation (sometimes nonexistent) between the muzzle and the braincase or forehead. The forehead (braincase) is the portion of the head that’s similar to your own forehead; it goes from the stop and eyebrows to the back point of the skull. The occiput is the highest point of the skull at the back of the head and a prominent feature on some dogs. It’s well known what ears are, but different dogs have different types of ears, including: Pricked: Pricked ears are upright. Dropped: Dropped ears hang down. Button: Button ears have a fold in them. Cropped: Cropped ears are surgically altered. Eyes are pretty obvious, and most often obviously brown. Like humans, dogs have eyebrows, or simply brows. Whiskers provide some sensory feeling. Flews is just a fancy word for a dog’s lips. A dog’s cheek is the skin along the sides of the muzzle — about where your cheeks are if you had a muzzle. Ruffling the neck and doggy shoulders Parts of the neck and shoulders include The nape of the neck is where the neck joins the base of the skull in the back of the head. The throat is beneath the jaws. The crest starts at the nape and ends at the withers (see the last item in this list). The neck is pretty self-explanatory; it runs from the head to the shoulders. The shoulder is the top section of the foreleg from the withers to the elbow. The withers are the top point of the shoulders, making them the highest point along the dog’s back. Baring the canine back and chest The back and the chest are together because they’re part of the dog’s torso, which includes: The prosternum is the top of the sternum, a bone that ties the rib cage together. The chest is the entire rib cage of the dog. The back runs from the point of the shoulders to the end of the rib cage. The term back is sometimes used to describe the back and the loin. The flank refers to the side of the dog between the end of the chest and the rear leg. The belly or abdomen is the underside of the dog from the end of its rib cage to its tail. The loin is the back between the end of the rib cage and the beginning of the pelvic bone. Differentiating pup forelegs and hind legs You’d think that the forelegs and hind legs of a dog would be similar, but they’re about as different as your own arms and legs: The upper arm on the foreleg is right below the shoulder and is comprised of the humerus bone, which is similar (in name anyway) to the one found in your own upper arm. It ends at the elbow. The elbow is the first joint in the dog’s leg located just below the chest on the back of the foreleg. The long bone that runs after the elbow on the foreleg is the forearm. Like your arms, it’s comprised of the ulna and radius. The forearm may have feathering on the back. The wrist is the lower joint below the elbow on the foreleg. Sometimes called the carpals, pasterns are equivalent to the bones in your hands and feet —not counting fingers and toes — and dogs have them in both forelegs and hind legs. Dogs have a foot or paw at the end of each leg, called the forefoot or hind foot depending on whether it’s front or back. The paw comes with nails (sometimes called claws), paw pads, and usually dewclaws. A dog’s toes are equivalent to your fingers and toes, although you can wiggle yours more easily. Dewclaws are vestiges of thumbs. Because dogs never figured out the opposable thumbs concept (thank goodness, too— can you imagine what mischief they’d get into with them?), these dewclaws are more or less useless appendages. The toenails or claws on the end of each toe are actually incorporated with part of the last bone of the toes. On the underside of the foot are several pads, including one main pad (communal pad) and a pad under each toe, for a total of five pads. You can find stopper pads behind the wrist on your dog’s forelegs as well. The upper thigh is the part of the dog’s leg situated above the knee on the hind leg. The stifle or knee is the joint that sits on the front of the hind leg in line with the abdomen. The lower thigh is the part of the hind leg beneath the knee to the hock (see next bullet item). Some dogs have feathering along the back of their lower thighs and hocks. The hock is the oddly shaped joint that makes a sharp angle at the back of the dog’s legs. It corresponds with your ankle. Bringing up the rear At long last (especially with dachshunds and basset hounds) you come to the tail end of the dog. The parts that make up your dog’s rear end include the following: The rump (or croup) is the proverbial rear end; it’s where the pelvis bone is. The tail set is where the tail attaches to the rump. Some dogs have high tail sets, others have low ones. Everyone recognizes the dog’s tail (or its absence); it’s usually wagging at you.

Article / Updated 10-15-2020

Your new puppy definitely needs a series of vaccinations in the first year of life to protect him from many dangerous diseases as his doggy immune system develops. Different veterinarians recommend slightly different vaccination schedules and vaccines according to the specific dog’s risk factors. Your vet can be more specific about the vaccination needs based on your individual dog, the particular region of the country in which you live, and your individual circumstances. In general, however, the first-year vaccination schedule for puppies usually resembles the schedule in the table here. Puppy Vaccination Schedule Puppy’s Age Recommended Vaccinations Optional Vaccinations 6 to 8 weeks Distemper, measles, parainfluenza Bordatella 10 to 12 weeks DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus) Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordatella, Lyme disease 12 to 24 weeks Rabies None 14 to 16 weeks DHPP Coronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis 12 to 16 months Rabies, DHPP Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Boradetella, Lyme disease Every 1 to 2 years DHPP Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease Every 1 to 3 years Rabies (as required by law) None Getting your adult dog vaccinated may be more controversial than you think. Some people, including many vets, believe adult pets are overvaccinated and think that too many vaccinations pose health risks. Others believe vaccinations should be performed yearly to keep dangerous diseases like distemper from getting a hold on the pet population like they did in decades past. You may consider preventative health measures instead. Your adult dog may not need annual vaccinations and can instead have titer tests — tests that check a dog’s immunity levels — to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed. One exception is the rabies vaccine, which is regulated by law and may be required every one to three years, depending on where you live and the type of rabies vaccine the vet uses.

Article / Updated 11-21-2019

Unless your dog runs around on hard surfaces that help keep toenails short, you have to cut or clip the nails about once a week — if you hear them clicking on a hard surface, it’s time for a trim. Most dogs detest having their feet handled, so clipping or trimming may never be your favorite shared activity, but getting your dog used to this ritual at an early stage helps you both weather the process. Try giving your dog a yummy treat after the trimming session, along with a big hug, a boisterous “Good dog!” and a healthy scratch behind the ears. Before attempting a trim yourself, ask your veterinarian or a groomer to show you how to trim your pup’s toenails them to the right length. A dog’s toenail is made up of the nail itself and the quick, the pink (when it’s visible) part of your dog’s toenails that provides the blood supply to the nail. Avoid cutting into the quick because it bleeds quite a bit and it’s quite sensitive. The quick is the dark part inside the nail -- the blood supply to avoid! If you can’t do all your dog’s nails at once, never fear — you can clip them one paw at a time, with other activities or a resting period in between. To trim your dog’s nails: Hold the foot steady, but hold it gently. Snip off a small bit of the end of each toenail. Using either the guillotine or scissors-type clippers, place a tiny bit of the nail in the nail clipper and snip. If the nail feels spongy while you’re trying to cut it, stop immediately — you’re cutting the quick! Stop any bleeding immediately. If you cut the quick (often called quicking), you’ll have an unhappy dog and a bloody mess. The quick bleeds a great deal, so if you cut it, you need either a nail cauterizer — a tool that stops the bleeding by applying heat — or styptic powder you can apply with a cotton swab. Have a damp washcloth at hand ready to clean up styptic powder and blood as necessary. Quicking hurts a lot, and most dogs remember the experience long afterward. Don’t forget the dewclaws if your dog has them. They tend to grow long because they don’t normally touch the ground and if you fail to cut them, they will eventually grow back into your dog’s foot, which is quite painful. If you use a nail grinder rather than clippers, use the same method — hold your dog’s foot, turn on the grinder, and grind a little off each nail.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Dogs don’t get cavities the way humans do, but they can develop plaque, tartar, and gingivitis — all of which contribute to foul breath and tooth problems. Trips to the veterinarian can be costly, so it pays to do periodic brushing yourself. (Although if your dog has lots of tartar buildup, a visit to the vet is in order.) How often you brush your dog's teeth depends on your pet and on your motivation factor — although every day is good, once or twice a week is adequate. Never use human toothpaste on a dog. Human toothpastes generally contain fluoride, which is poisonous to dogs. As they can’t rinse and spit, they swallow everything you put on their teeth.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Cleaning your dog’s ears is a fairly uncomplicated job. Some breeds — notably sporting dogs and hounds — have a predilection for ear infections and injuries because of their hanging or drooping ears. These dropped ears make an ideal place for bacteria to grow and mites to hide. If an odor is present around your dog’s ears, they may be infected, which means a trip to the vet. Proceed slowly and exercise care during your weekly ear-cleaning session, and make sure you don’t enter the ear canal (which is hard to do because of where it is).

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Regular brushing and combing helps keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy and looking good and to get the full benefits, you need to brush all the hair and not just the top coat. The most common brushing method is to brush backward against the lay of the fur and then brush it back into place. Brushing that way usually loosens and removes dead hair and stimulates your dog’s skin. Breeds with corded hair, in particular, just can’t be brushed backward, so brush with the grain and remove all the tangles as you go. In brushing your canine companion, whether you go from tail to head or head to tail is entirely up to you. Just start at one end and work your way to the other to be sure that you don’t miss anything in between. These steps start at the front, but you can easily reverse the order:

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Rabies is caused by a viral infection of the nervous system. Most cases of rabies in the United States occur in wild animals. Because dogs share territory with wild animals, they're at risk of being bitten by a rabid wild animal. (Normally timid animals can become aggressive if rabid.) Most cases of rabies in dogs can be traced to skunks, foxes, raccoons, and bats, but any rabid mammal can transmit the disease. The risk of contracting rabies from your dog is extremely small, but the disease is so deadly that, if your dog were to contract it, he would need to be humanely killed, and you would need to have a series of inoculations for your own protection. A dog with rabies may hide, become agitated or nervous, get weak in the hindquarters, or become aggressive. Swallowing difficulties are also common. Whether he's vaccinated or not, and if you see symptoms or not, if you suspect your dog has tangled with a wild animal, contact your veterinarian and local public health officials immediately. Your life may depend on it! If your dog is current on his vaccination, he'll need to be quarantined, but if not, public health officials may require that he be killed. That's because the only way to tell for certain that an animal is rabid is to test brain tissues. Can you possibly need any other good reasons to vaccinate your dog against this deadly, contagious disease? Don't take a chance!

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

There aren't many food items that some dog lover hasn't popped a pill into to try to get their dog to eat it. Peanut butter and hot dogs have always been popular, but cheese (including canned cheese), liverwurst, and cottage cheese all work well, too. Who knows, maybe your dog will even eat a pill-stuffed olive? Of course, you don't have to resort to such subterfuge if you don't want to. You can gently pry your dog's jaws apart by applying firm pressure from either side with your hand over the bridge of his nose and thumb and forefinger on either side, and then tuck the pill way, way back, at the base of the tongue. Then, hold your dog's muzzle closed and skyward and then blow into his nose while stroking his throat. Now you see why most people use hot dogs. If you're tentative or inexperienced, make medicating a two-person job: one to hold the dog, the other to apply medication. Some other tips include the following: Liquid medication. Ask your veterinarian for some large syringes, with the needles removed. These are marked on the sides to make measuring easy, and they're easier, too, for getting liquid medicine in the right place. Raise your dog's muzzle and lift her lip on one side. Ease the tip of the syringe to the back of the throat and then release the liquid in a slow, steady stream. Ear medication. Lay a large towel across your lap and coax your dog to put her head on top of it with gentle massage and encouragement. Apply ear drops, massaging the base of the ear gently. Eye medication. Have your pet sit between your legs and hold her muzzle up from behind. Gently apply a line of medication from the tube across the length of the eye, being careful not to touch the surface. Try to hit drops squarely in the center. Close the lid for a couple of seconds to let the medication distribute evenly.