ohcutedogs's Blog

Heartworm disease - This is a very treatable disease if caught early and prevention is the name of the game with heartworm disease. Even indoor dogs can benefit from preventative medicine. And heartworms don't discriminate against young and old dogs they can affect any dog at any time. Their eggs are transferred through mosquitoes and mosquitoes come inside as well as outside.

Kidney dysfunction - are also among the many ailments aging dogs face. Healthy kidneys keep a balance the body's chemical reactions, blood pressure, mineral levels, acid-base levels, and the elimination of waste products. Damage to the delicate and healthy tissue within the kidneys can eliminate them from contributing to maintaining homeostatic balance. There are a number of things that can cause kidney damage, such as bacterial infections, Lyme disease and common bladder pathogens. Fortunately a series of antibiotics taken over a period of several weeks will cure any infections but has the potential to damage the filtering system.

When it comes to kidney dysfunction be proactive, not reactive to it and ask for a urine test at every veterinarian visit for your dog to make sure you catch kidney disease before it causes irreparable damage. You can also be alert for frequent urination, increased drinking; dribbling of urine, even a trace of blood is a sign that your pet could have a kidney infection.

Periodontal disease - this is one of the most widespread diseases in dogs today. The tissue surrounding the dogs teeth, the gums and bones, can become inflamed and infected. Having your dog checked biannually for tooth decay and gingivitis allows the vet to detect this condition much earlier and in turn and allows them to treat it more effectively.

Every year, around Christmas time the RSPCA make appeals to everyone to think before buying a puppy or any other pet as a Christmas present. The RSPCA's message is "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas". This prompt is to make people think, and to consider the implications of owning a pet.

It is a wonderful experience to see your child's face light up when you present them with an adorable puppy. There's no getting away from that, however it doesn't last very long and it is only one side of the coin.

Puppies are hard work. They chew, they soil, they can interrupt sleep, they dig and they demand a lot of attention, it's rather like taking on another child.

Although puppy's grow quickly, their education is a slow process, even if you have an intelligent breed. During your puppy's education and socialisation you need to remain calm and patient at all times, and above all you must be consistent, even if you are at the end of your tether. One small slip up confuses your pup and can set his education back.

Puppies tend to take up a lot of time, Just like a child. Your puppy would need walking (come rain, blizzard or shine) training, feeding, brushing, cleaning up after, as well as playing with. Children soon loose interest with all these chores and they inevitably fall to the parents. Do you have time for all these little jobs every day? If not your bored depressed little puppy will probably eat your sofa.

Of course puppy farms are applying hard sell tactics in the run up to Christmas. They prey on people who are unsure if they should buy a puppy or not. The puppy farms force people into making rash decisions that are not thought through properly. The salesmen may say "Well, someone else is interested in this pup", of course there isn't anyone else, they just want to force the sale by making the buyers think that they may loose the chance of buying the cute little puppy they have shown interest in. The puppy farmers are not concerned if you are ready and able to take on a puppy, they are only thinking of the wonderful Christmas they can have once they have their hands on your cash.

Christmas day will no doubt be a wonderful day with your new puppy and your happy children. Any puppy mishaps will be regarded as little accidents and mischievous behaviour and all pups’ naughtiness will be heart warming and laughed off.

Six to eight months down the line, puppy is still having little accidents. Puppy is now a big puppy, and proving to be a bit of a handful. The kids have lost interest and everything is covered in dog hairs

This is when the RSPCA see a boom in puppies that have been placed into their care. The RSPCA can not possibly re-home every adorable puppy that comes to them. Anyway, who wants your unruly puppy at the RSPCA when they can go to the puppy farm and buy a younger, smaller and cuter puppy there?

The fact is that some cute adorable pups that find themselves at the RSPCA have to be destroyed, due to no fault of their own, other than nobody want them.

Happy Christmas Pup!