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Posts Tagged ‘puppies’

A dog’s coat is easily damaged by rough handling and improper grooming techniques. Each strand of hair has tiny scales that lie flat against the hair shaft. As the hair is pulled and stretched (which is not desirable), the scales project out like barbs. Adjacent hairs become snarled and eventually break during the unsnarling process.
Dry hair attracts static electricity, which causes individual hairs to stick together. It is a good practice to use an antistatic coat conditioner before brushing. A number of popular products are available as pumps, aerosols, and rub-on creams. You can also simply spray the coat lightly with water.
The coat should be brushed with tools that pass smoothly through the hair. In general, a pin brush can be used safely without stretching the hair. To avoid stretching, do not pull forcefully on a rake, slicker brush, or comb—except when removing dead hair during the shedding stage. If you find that you are pulling hard, you are either trying to groom too deep into the coat with each stroke or you are using a grooming tool with teeth or bristles that are too stiff or too close together.
With longhaired dogs, insert the bristle or pin brush all the way into the coat and twist it slightly. Using short strokes, brush against the lay of the hair. Avoid using long strokes, as this can break the hair. You can also line brush— working up the side of your dog, brushing short sections at a time. You push the hair up, then brush small sections down at a time. This way, the hair underneath is brushed out as well as the top coat. It always makes sense to talk to your dog’s breeder about the best grooming techniques for the breed.
For shorthaired breeds, brush with the lay of the hair, starting at the head and working back toward the tail. In all breeds, pay particular attention to the hindquarters and backs of the thighs, where dead hair is likely to mat. Carefully check behind the ears, as the soft hair there may also mat.
If the dog is blowing her undercoat, remove loose hair with a rake. Start on the underside of the dog and work layer by layer up to the topside.
Hairless dogs can be wiped with a damp towel, then carefully dried. They may need a bath to remove excess skin oils and to prevent the buildup of sunscreen (necessary to prevent sunburn).

An animal who is immune to a specific pathogen has natural substances in his system called antibodies that attack and destroy that pathogen before it can cause disease. When a dog becomes ill with an infectious disease, his immune system makes antibodies against that particular pathogen. These antibodies protect the dog against reinfection. The dog has now acquired active immunity.
Active immunity is self-perpetuating; the dog continues to make antibodies long after the disease has gone away. Any time the dog is exposed to that particular pathogen, his immune system will produce more antibodies. The duration of active immunity varies, depending on the pathogen and the dog.
Following natural exposure, active immunity often persists for life. In general, immunity to viruses lasts longer than immunity to bacteria. Active immunity also can be induced by vaccination. The dog is exposed to heat-killed pathogens, live or attenuated (antigens that have been treatedto make them less infectious) pathogens rendered incapable of causing disease, or toxins and pathogen products that will also stimulate a response by the dog’s immune system. As with natural exposure, vaccination stimulates the production of antibodies that are specific for the particular pathogen in the vaccine. However, unlike natural exposure, the duration of protection may be limited. Accordingly, to maintain high levels of protection, booster vaccines are recommended. How frequently a dog will need boosters depends on the antigen used, number of exposures to the pathogens, the dog’s own immune response, and the type of vaccination used. Vaccination schedules need to be customized for each individual dog.
Vaccinations may not be successful in all dogs. Rundown, malnourished, debilitated dogs may not be capable of responding to a disease challenge by developing antibodies or building immunity. Such dogs should not be vaccinated at that time, but should be vaccinated when they’re in better health. Immunosuppressive drugs, such as cortisone and chemotherapy agents, depress the immune system and also prevent the body from making antibodies.
Another type of immunity is called passive. Passive immunity is passed from one animal to another. The classic example is the antibodies newborn pups absorb from the colostrum of their mother. Puppies are best able to absorb antibodies from their mother’s milk during the first 24 hours of life. The immunity persists only as long as the antibodies remain in the puppies’ circulation.
The duration of immunity depends on the concentration of antibodies in maternal milk when the pups were born. Dams vaccinated just before they were bred have the highest antibody levels and are capable of protecting puppies for up to 16 weeks. However, some veterinarians believe this additional booster is unnecessary.
Puppies younger than 3 weeks old may be incapable of developing antibodies in response to vaccination because of physical immaturity or interference by passive maternally acquired antibodies. Maternal antibodies can bind the antigen in the vaccine and keep it from stimulating the immune system. These passive antibodies disappear at between 6 and 16 weeks of age. Therefore, when vaccinating very young puppies, the vaccine must be given more frequently to ensure that the vaccine will stimulate immunity as soon as maternal antibody levels decline and can no longer interfere with the vaccine.
Another source of passive immunity can occur with a transfusion of blood products with antibodies into a dog with a serious infection or immune problem. This is not done frequently, but can be a life-saver for some dogs.

After you see him patter around a bit, pick up the other end of the leash and walk him to the potty spot again. This time
make sure you are well ahead of the potty schedule because your dog is going to walk the walk to the elimination spot! The idea is to begin from where his food bowl and his crate are. Do not move from the living room or the front door. Begin the first walk to the elimination spot from the dog’s space. That would orient him to the path because your dog needs to know how to get to the spot on his own. This is his first orientation to learning the mapped route and it should
continue over the next few weeks.
Lead your dog on the leash. Do not allow him to lead the way. Remember, you are the alpha and you have to show the way. Walk him up to the potty spot and let him sniff along the way but do not let him dilly-dally. If you allow too much sniffing, you can rest assured that he will potty on the way. Be firm, say ‘outside’ and lead him to the spot.
Once there, use the command words, ‘Potty time’. Praise him when he follows you.Once you get there you can let him sniff again (yes—there is a lot of sniffing involved where dogs are concerned!) and don’t let go of the leash. Once he does his job, praise him and walk him out of the elimination spot and out for a little surprise walk. Please be careful to make sure it is not strenuous or away from the house because puppies can catch infections very easily and you need to wait for a while before you can venture out of the house and the yard.
Make it a short walk around the flowerbeds or a little stroll in the balcony if you live in an apartment. Let him associatea surprise walk with both the elimination spot and the leash! This way he is also getting in a little bit of exercise and working up his appetite. You are also channeling the abundant puppy energy as well! On day two—put a leash on your dog and walk him to the elimination spot so that he learns the path. Always start from where his crate is kept and walk from there in exactly the same route. The repetition is the key to the dog’s learning.

CRP is a combination of artificial respiration and heart massage. If a dog needs heart massage, he also needs artificial respiration. On the other hand, if the dog resists your attempts to perform CPR, he probably does not need it!

For puppies and small dogs under 30 pounds (13.6 kg)

1. Place the dog on a flat surface, right side down.
2. Place your cupped hands on either side of the rib cage over the heart, immediately behind the point of the elbow. (For puppies, use yourthumb on one side of the chest and the rest of your fingers on the other.)
3. Compress the chest 1 inch to 11?2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm—that should be onequarter to one-third the width of the chest). Squeeze for a count of 1, then release for a count of 1. Continue at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
4. With one-person CPR, administer a breath after every five compressions. With two-person CPR, administer a breath after every two to three compressions.

For medium and large dogs

1. Place the dog on a flat surface, right side down. Position your self behind the dog’s back.
2. Place the heel of one hand over the widest portion of the rib cage, not over the heart. Place the heel of your other hand on top of the first.
3. Keep both elbows straight and push down firmly on the rib cage. Compress the chest one-quarter to one-third of its width. Compress for a count of 1, then release for a count of 1. Continue at a rate of 80 compressions per minute.
4. With one-person CPR, administer a breath after every five compressions. With two-person CPR, administer a breath after every two to three compressions.

Continue CPR until the dog breathes on his own and has a steady pulse. If vital signs do not return after 10 minutes of CPR, the likelihood of success is remote. Consider stopping CPR.
Note that CPR has the potential to cause complications, including broken ribs and pneumothorax. Also, never practice artificial respiration or heart massage on a healthy dog; you can seriously injure the dog.

Lay the dog on a flat surface with his right side down. Open his mouth and pull his tongue forward as far as you can. Clear any secretions with a cloth or handkerchief. Check for a foreign body. If present, remove it if possible. If it is impossible to dislodge, perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

For puppies and small dogs under 30 pounds (13.6 kg)

1. Pull the tongue forward so it is even with the canine teeth. Close the dog’s mouth.
2. Place your mouth over the dog’s nose. Blow gently into the dog’s nostrils. The chest will expand.
3. Release your mouth to let the air return. Excess air will escape through the dog’s lips, preventing overinflation of the lungs and overdistension of the stomach.
4. If the chest does not rise and fall, blow more forcefully or seal the lips.
5. Continue at a rate of 20 to 30 breaths per minute (one breath every two to three seconds).
6. Continue until the dog breathes on his own, or as long as the heart beats.

For medium and large dogs

1. Proceed as for small dogs, but seal the lips by placing a hand around the dog’s muzzle to prevent the escape of air.
2. If the chest does not rise and fall, blow more forcefully.
3. The breathing rate is 20 breaths per minute (one breath every threeseconds).