What to do When Your Dog or Cat Swallowed an Object

What does it mean if a dog or cat “ingested a foreign body?"

Needle swallowed by a cat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dogs and cats often swallow items that can be harmful to them. Yikes. Dogs and cats can get into big trouble when they explore new sights, scents and tastes. Dogs are notorious for swallowing paper, tissues, articles of clothing, sticks, rocks, chicken bones, glass, bone, packing peanuts, Christmas ornament, and even tulip bulbs. Cats are notorious for ingesting thread, wool, paper, string, rubber bands, ribbon, tinsel, aluminum foil, plant materials and small toys.

Several of these objects pass through the intestinal tract without any problems. Pet owners often report objects found in their pet's vomit or stool.

However, when something gets stuck or is dangerous (such as glass), your veterinarian needs to SURGICALLY REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY — before it harms your pet. “Foreign body obstruction” surgery is one of the more common and potentially life-saving procedures in veterinary medicine.

How do I know if my dog or cat has eaten a foreign body?

When a dog or cat has eaten or swallowed a household object or other item, you may likely see these symptoms:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal tenderness or pain
• Decreased appetite or anorexia
• Straining to defecate or producing small amounts of feces
• Lethargy
• Changes in behavior such as biting or growling when picked up or handled around the abdomen
• Items actually in the feces, vomit or rear area
• Pawing at the face or mouth (if string or other material is wrapped around the tongue)

When you see any of these symptoms, call your vet immediately.

How does my vet diagnose a foreign body in my dog or cat?

It's very likely that your vet will take X-rays of your pet to locate a foreign body.

After getting the medical history from you, your veterinarian will perform:

• A careful physical examination
• Abdominal radiographs (x-rays) if a foreign body is known or suspected, possibly using contrast material (barium or other radiographic dye) for the best view.
• Blood and urine tests to assess whether your pet’s health has been compromised by the obstruction, or to rule out other causes of vomiting such as pancreatitis, enteritis, infections or hormonal diseases such as Addison's disease.

What will my vet do if a foreign body obstruction is diagnosed?

Your vet will act quickly because an intestinal or stomach obstruction is dangerous. It can cut off the blood supply to these vital tissues, and if the blood supply is interrupted, your pet may suffer irreparable damage or shock. If there’s a chance that the foreign body can pass on its own, your veterinarian may recommend hospitalization of your dog for close observation, and will perform follow-up. But in many cases, your veterinarian will recommend exploratory surgery and may remove the object.

If, during testing, your vet found an underlying condition or compromised organ systems, he or she will treat those as well.

Will my pet be OK?

The prognosis is based on the following:

• Foreign body location
• How long the obstruction was there
• Foreign body size, shape and characteristics
• Your pet’s health status before swallowing the object

The good news is — your veterinarian can identify your pet’s foreign body very quickly and take immediate action. 

Always call your vet when you have any suspicion of a foreign body in your dog or cat!

How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Happy

Is it true that indoor cat health is better than outdoor cat health?

Cat watching cat.

Yes in most cases. Indoor cats are at lower risk for injuries associated with the outdoors (cars, trains, dogs, predators, humans, etc.) and for contracting parasites and infectious diseases. Urban cats that go outdoors often have far shorter life spans (averaging 2 years or less), while most indoor cats live over 15 years. Keeping cats indoors also prevents killing of wildlife, fouling of neighborhood yards, and fighting with other cats.

How can I keep my indoor cat happy?

Besides making sure you’ve taken care of your cat’s needs for food, water, elimination, and warmth, create a daily routine that satisfies your cat's need to hunt, play, and explore, plus retreat, hide and feel in control by following the tips below.

Why does the indoor cat need to hunt?

A cat’s desire to hunt is a naturally reaction to sights and sounds of “prey” of any kind. Therefore, play is essential for indoor cats. Try toys that mimic real prey in terms of size, texture and color so your cat can play "chase the bird, mouse or bug.” Give your cat at least three daily play sessions with different toys. Don’t let your cat play with “human prey,” such as hands and feet under the covers.

How do I ensure that my cat has enough to occupy its time?

A cat chews on a predatory toy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You can keep your indoor cat happy with a variety of toys and games for climbing, hiding and chasing. Cats need to climb and explore. Provide “cat aerobic centers” that offer climbing, hiding and playing opportunities. Scratching posts are also essential, since there’s no opportunity for your cat to condition its claws outdoors. Make sure the post is tall enough to allow your cat to get a good stretching position along the scratching surface.

If my cat hides on top of the furniture or spends its time behind the sofa, should I be concerned?

Not at all. Hiding serves a purpose for the solitary hunter who needs to assess potential danger from a safe haven; simply denying the chance to hide will make things harder for the cat. If hiding persists and is accompanied by lack of appetite, call your veterinarian for advice. You can also try FeliwayTM (a synthetic feline pheromone) for anxiety.

Should I give my indoor cat food at specific times or leave it in the bowl all of the time?

Set meal times are not of any inherent benefit to them. You can allow your cat to eat when it wants to and consume small amounts frequently, as long as it doesn’t lead to obesity.

I’d like to give my indoor cat some fresh air, but I’m not sure if it will walk on a lead. Is there any alternative?

If you introduce a harness when your cat is a kitten, she’ll be used to it as an adult. An outdoor pen in another option, as long as it has a roof to prevent escape. There are a number of commercial cat containment products for both indoor and outdoor use. Ideally the pen will be accessible from the house via a cat door flap, offering your cat access to outdoors while offering you complete peace of mind.

Constipation in Cats

Most cats have one or two stools a day. However, some cats have a bowel movement every two or three days. These cats are quite likely to be constipated. Constipation is the infrequent passage of small, hard, dry stools. When feces are retained in the colon for two to three days, they become dry and hard. This results in straining and pain during defecation.

Straining also occurs with colitis and feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD. Be sure the cat is not suffering from one of these conditions before treating for constipation. An overlooked urethral obstruction is especially serious, since it can cause damage to the kidneys and death.

Chronic Constipation

Dehydration occurs in a cat with renal disease, is a common cause of constipation. The problem is intensified if the cat does not drink enough water. In fact, because they are descended from wild cats who inhabited an arid climate, cats tend to drink less water than most other animals.

Hairballs are a common cause of hard stools, particularly in longhaired cats. Suspect this if your cat vomits hair or if you see hair in his stool.

The urge to defecate can be overridden voluntarily. Many cats will not defecate when in unfamiliar surroundings; others may refuse to use a dirty litter box. Older, less active cats experience reduced bowel activity and the muscles of the abdominal wall may weaken. Either can lead to prolonged retention and increased hardness of stools. Obese cats are also more likely to suffer from constipation.

Occasionally, chronic constipation is due to or results in an enlarged, sluggish, poorly contracting colon, a condition called megacolon. Cats with this condition require lifelong treatment with stool softeners and special diets. Veterinary supervision is necessary.

Constipation and fecal incontinence can occur in tailless cats, such as the Manx, who have developmental deformities of the spine and incomplete enervation of the colon. Also, cats who have suffered from a broken pelvis may have nerve damage to the colon or a mechanical narrowing of the pelvic canal, causing a partial obstruction.

A chronically constipated cat may have a bloated look, seem lethargic, and pick at his food.

Cats with chronic or recurrent episodes of constipation may benefit from a high-fiber diet. Some commercial weight-loss cat foods and some hairball prevention formulas are high in fiber. There are also prescription high-fiber diets, such as Science Diet w/d, Royal Canin HiFactor Formula, and Purina OM Feline Formula. However, some veterinarians believe that a low-carbohydrate (and, therefore, low-fiber) diet may be better for constipated cats. They suggest feeding the cat only canned foods for the increased water and lower carbohydrate content, adding 1 teaspoon (1.2 g) of rice bran or powdered psyllium, if needed. For mild constipation, adding bulk-forming laxatives is beneficial. These laxatives absorb water in the colon, soften feces, and promote more frequent defecation. Wheat bran (1 tablespoon, 3.6 g, per day), canned plain pumpkin (1 teaspoon, 5 g, twice a day) or Metamucil (1 teaspoon, 5 g, per day mixed into wet food) is recommended. Lactulose, a synthetic sugar that draws water into the bowel, is often helpful and can be powdered and put in capsules if your cat won’t eat it in with his food. Bulk laxatives can be used indefinitely without causing a problem.

Stimulant laxatives are effective for simple constipation but repeated use may interfere with colon function. Several products are available that are made for cats, including Kat-a-lax and Laxatone. The latter is especially effective for cats with hairballs. These products should never be used if there is any possibility of an obstruction. Always consult with your veterinarian before giving your cat any laxative product.

Fecal Impaction

A fecal impaction is a large mass of dry, hard stool that can develop in the rectum due to chronic constipation. This mass may be so hard that it cannot come out of the body. Watery stool from higher in the bowel may move around the mass and leak out, causing soiling. Affected cats often pass blood-tinged or watery, brown stool. This may be mistaken for diarrhea. Fecal impaction is confirmed by digital examination by your veterinarian using a well-lubricated glove.

The removal of impacted feces requires both a laxative and an enema. As you may imagine, giving a cat an enema is no easy task, so it is best left to a veterinarian or a veterinary technician. For a severe impaction accompanied by dehydration, fluid replacement is necessary before attempting to remove the impaction.

Crate Training Your Puppy/Dog

Crate Training is one of the most efficient and effective ways to train a puppy. The single most important aspect of puppy training is that you reward and praise your puppy each and every time she does the right thing. For example: praise her when she chews her own toys instead of the couch or eliminates outside instead of in the house. The more time you spend with your puppy, the quicker and easier it will be to train her.

The key to house training is to establish a routine that increases the chances that your puppy will eliminate in the right place in your presence, so that she can be praised and rewarded; and decreases the chances that your puppy will eliminate in the wrong place so that she will not develop bad habits.

It is important that you make provisions for your puppy when you are not home. Until your puppy is housetrained, she should not be allowed free run of your house. Otherwise, she will develop a habit of leaving piles and puddles anywhere and everywhere. Confine her to a small area such as a kitchen, bathroom or utility room that has water/stain resistant floors. Confinement is NOT crate training.

What is Crate Training?

Crate training can be an efficient and effective way to house train a puppy. Puppies do not like to soil their resting/sleeping quarters if given adequate opportunity to eliminate elsewhere. Temporarily confining your puppy to a small area strongly inhibits the tendency to urinate and defecate. However, there is still a far more important aspect of crate training. If your puppy does not eliminate while she is confined, then she will need to eliminate when she is released, i.e., she eliminates when you are present to reward and praise her.

Be sure to understand the difference between temporarily confining your puppy to a crate and long term confinement when you are not home. The major purpose of confinement when your are not home is to restrict mistakes to a small protected area. The purpose of crate training is quite the opposite. 

Short term confinement to a crate is intended to inhibit your puppy from eliminating when confined, so that she will want to eliminate when released from confinement and taken to an appropriate area. Crate training also helps teach your puppy to have bladder and bowel control. Instead of going whenever she feels like it, she learns to hold it and go at convenient scheduled times.

Crate training should not be abused, otherwise the problem will get drastically worse. The crate is not intended as a place to lock up the puppy and forget her for extended periods of time. If your puppy soils her crate because you left her there too long, the house training process will be set back several weeks, if not months.

Your puppy should only be confined to a crate when you are at home. Except at night, give your puppy an opportunity to relieve herself every hour. Each time you let her out, put her on leash and immediately take her outside. Once outside, give her about three to five minutes to produce. 

If she does not eliminate within the allotted time period, simply return her to her crate. If she does perform, then immediately reward her with praise, food treats, affection, play, an extended walk and permission to run around and play in your house for a couple of hours. For young pups, after 30-45 minutes, take her to her toilet area again. Never give your puppy free run of your home unless you know without a doubt that her bowels and bladder are empty.

During this crate training procedure, keep a diary of when your puppy eliminates. If you have her on a regular feeding schedule, she should soon adopt a corresponding elimination schedule. Once you know what time of day she usually needs to eliminate, you can begin taking her out only at those times instead of every hour. After she has eliminated, she can have free, but supervised, run of your house. 

About one hour before she needs to eliminate (as calculated by your diary) put her in her crate. This will prevent her from going earlier than you had planned. With your consistency and abundance of rewards and praise for eliminating outside, she will become more reliable about holding it until you take her out. Then the amount of time you confine her before her scheduled outing can be reduced, then eliminated.

Mistakes and Accidents During Training

If you ever find an accident in the house, just clean it up. Do not punish your puppy. All this means is that you have given her unsupervised access to your house too soon. Until she can be trusted, don't give her unsupervised free run of your house. If mistakes and accidents occur, it is best to go back to the crate training. You need to more accurately predict when puppy needs to eliminate and she needs more time to develop bladder and bowel control.

Rabies in Dogs and Cats

What is rabies?

Koen, the Rabies Dog 

It’s a devastating viral disease affecting all mammals, including dogs, cats, wild animals and people. The rabies virus attacks the brain, causing severe swelling, pain and death. It’s one of the oldest known diseases, with reported dangers of a rabid dog bite recorded as far back as the 23rd century, BC. Rabies is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Most countries are affected, with the exception of a few island countries.

How is it transmitted?

When an infected animal bites another mammal (dog, cat or person) and transmits the disease. In North American, the skunk, fox, raccoon and bat are primary sources of infection.

In Europe, foxes are the main culprit. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, stray dogs cause the widest danger. Human infection and fatalities are more common there.

How long is the rabies incubation period?

The incubation period (between infection and symptoms beginning to appear) can vary from 10 days to a year or longer.

In dogs, it’s usually 2 weeks to 4 months.

In cats, it’s about 3-8 weeks.

The speed at which symptoms appear depends upon the bite severity, how much virus is injected by the bite, and the infection site-- the closer the bite is to the brain and spinal cord, the faster the virus reaches the nervous system. 

What are the symptoms of rabies in dogs and cats?

The disease progresses in stages:

Close-up of a dog's face during late-stage "dumb" paralytic rabies. Animals with "dumb" rabies appear depressed, lethargic, and uncoordinated. Gradually they become completely paralyzed. When their throat and jaw muscles are paralyzed, the animals will drool and have difficulty swallowing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prodromal phase: The dog or cat undergoes a noticeable change in behavior. Quiet pets become agitated and active pets become anxious or withdrawn.

Furious rabies: This occurs when the rabid pet becomes highly excitable, displays a depraved appetite (eating and chewing stones, earth and rubbish) and drools saliva excessively. This is a very dangerous time when the pet is most likely to bite its owner or other animals.

Paralytic stage or “dumb rabies”: Paralysis sets in and the rabid animal may not be able to eat and drink. The pet finally dies in a violent seizure or becomes comatose and dies.

In cats, the pupils are widely dilated through all phases.

Rabies may be transmitted by saliva, so take care when examining your pet if you see these signs!

How is rabies diagnosed on dogs and cats? 

Rabies cannot be diagnosed in a living animal; it’s only diagnosed post mortem (after death) by examining the brain.

What is the treatment for rabies?

There is no treatment for a dog or cat with rabies. If rabies is suspected, the pet has to be kept in isolation and prevented from escaping or injuring someone.

Your veterinarian is required by law to notify the local and state or provincial animal disease regulatory authorities, who determine the steps necessary to protect public health.

Is it possible to survive a bite from a rabid animal?

Pets and people can survive naturally under rare circumstances, such as when there’s very little rabies virus present in the rabid animal’s saliva.

However, as Louis Pasteur first revealed, it’s possible to interrupt disease progression by using early post-bite serum. This rabies antiserum (rabies vaccine). It stimulates the bitten animal to develop its own neutralizing antibodies to the rabies virus.

When should my dog or cat be vaccinated… and is it effective?

A rabies vaccine will protect your pet and is required by law.Today’s rabies vaccines for dogs, cats, horses and ferrets are very safe and effective as protection against the rabies virus.

In North America, all dogs and cats ages 12-16 weeks must be vaccinated (by law).

Rabies re-vaccination boosters are also required.

Your veterinarian will give you booster intervals and can provide you with a “rabies license” showing proof of vaccination.

As a post-bite strategy, rabies vaccines are only effective if given before the virus enters the nervous system. 

Can I catch rabies?

Yes, rabies can be transmitted from a rabid animal to people through a bite. Other than a bite, the saliva of the infected animal may also pass infection, but only for a limited time.

The good news is — your veterinarian is your best source of rabies protection. 

Together, you and your vet will develop a rabies protection plan for the life of your dog or cat.

Can Pets Help You Live Longer?

People love their pets. More than 60 percent of U.S. households include pets, and those pet owners pour $41 billion a year into pet care [source: APPMA]. This may seem like a lot of money. But when you consider the fact that owning a pet could very likely add years to your life, a pet can quickly seem like a wise investment.

According to a study by the Minnesota Stroke Institute that followed more than 4,000 cat owners over 10 years, owning a cat can dramatically reduce a person's chance of dying from heart disease. Specifically, people who owned cats were 30 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Although those researchers cannot make the same conclusions about dogs based on the data they gathered, they suspect a dog study would provide similar results.

That study merely adds to the existing evidence that shows how animals can benefit human health. For example, psychologists have found reason to believe that owning a dog helps lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol. And other research shows that pets help us feel better overall and help us to deal with stress, which can be a source of illness.

And let's not forget the benefits for the elderly. For example, one study observed neural activity in seniors while they walked or interacted with a dog. It turned out that walking with a dog gave seniors a boost in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is good because the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm and rest the body.

Other Health Benefits of Having Pets

Stories abound about the healing abilities of pets. For instance, one boy who did not talk for six years finally chose to start talking after a therapy dog visited his school [CBS News]. Organizations, such as the Delta Society, train dogs to help disabled people perform tasks. The Delta Society feels so strongly about the health benefits of animals to humans that it is dedicated to spreading knowledge about the issue as well as services.

The psychological benefits of pets can make a big difference in someone's life. This seems to be especially true for kids who are struggling to deal with death or illness in the family. Certain studies have concluded that children with dogs cope better with these serious situations [source: Howie]. Researchers believe this probably has to do with the obvious fact that pets provide love and with the fact that the structured routine required for taking care of a pet is a positive for the child. Kids aren't the only ones who benefit from pets during these difficult times; the spouses of cancer patients said they believed pets helped them cope as well.

The health benefits of dogs go beyond psychological factors. As it turns out, dogs might be useful in the field of medicine to detect and predict medical problems. In one study, trained dogs were able to identify patients with bladder cancer by smelling their urine [source: Willis]. Although the dogs were not accurate all the time, they identified the right patients at a rate much better than chance. This revealed surprising evidence for the use of dogs as well as further knowledge about the effects and detection of bladder cancer.

What's perhaps more amazing, however, is that certain dogs can predict when their owner is about to suffer an epileptic seizure. Trainers can teach some dogs to help a person in various ways during a seizure. In addition, some of these dogs end up developing the mysterious ability to actually warn the owner before he or she suffers a seizure [source: CBS News]. The group that trains these dogs, Canine Assistants, claims that most dogs develop the prediction abilities within merely a year of being with their owner. Researchers are at a loss to explain how exactly dogs can do this.

Puppy Care 105 - Training

She snorts but is super lovable, great with housebreaking other dogs & cats.

1. Housebreak your dog. Start housebreaking your dog the first day you bring him home. The longer you wait, the more mess you'll have to deal with, and the harder it will be to train your dog

. Consider using training pads for the first few days. While these should not be used instead of taking your dog outside, they're useful as an intermediate stage, especially if you don't have a backyard.

dog in a soft crate

2. Consider crate training your dog. Crate training is helpful for many reasons. First of all, it curbs destructive behavior, allowing you to sleep and leave your dog alone without worrying. Second of all, it is a very effective method of potty training when used correctly.

3. Teach your dog basic commands. Your puppy will be most able to learn commands while he is young, so begin teaching as soon as possible. In addition, you can use basic commands as a basis for more complicated tricks later.

• Teach your dog to come.

• Teach your dog to sit.

• Teach your dog to lie down.

4. Get your dog used to car rides. Take your puppy on regular car rides to get him used to traveling with you. Otherwise, every time you get in the car he will think he is being taken to a vet. Then, he will start whining, and it will just get you frustrated.

5. Enter in an obedience class. Not only will this help you better train your dog, but it will socialize your puppy, helping him learn how to act around unfamiliar dogs and people.

Puppy Care 104 - Grooming

A dog brush used to remove loose hair and knots in a dog's fur. 

1. Brush your puppy daily. Brushing keeps your pet clean and healthy and allows you to check its skin and fur for any problems. The type of brush and other grooming and washing requirements vary by breed, so check with your veterinarian or breeder for more information. Brush all over the puppy, including its belly and hind legs. Start when your puppy is young so that they are not afraid of the brush.

2. Trim your puppy's nails. Start clipping your puppy's nails early on. Ask your vet to show you the proper nail cutting technique to use so you avoid hurting your puppy. Nails that are too long can cause strain to your dog's wrists as well as damage floors, furniture, and possibly people. Plan to trim your puppy's nails weekly unless directed otherwise by your vet.

3. Keep your puppy's teeth and gums healthy. Chew toys help a puppy keep its teeth healthy. Toothbrushes and toothpaste made specifically for dogs are also very helpful in keeping your pup's teeth clean and healthy. Be sure to acclimate your puppy to having their teeth brushed slowly so that it is a positive experience for them.

4. Only bathe your puppy once every 3 weeks or so. If they smell bad, use dog scent spray instead, and look into what could be causing the odor. Washing more than that can dry out dog skin and strip important oils from their coat.

Puppy Care 103 - Health

1. Keep your puppy's environment safe. An unsafe or dirty environment can be detrimental to the well being of your puppy and can cost you a lot of money in veterinary bills.

Air out your puppy's bedding daily, and wash or replace it weekly. House-train your puppy when appropriate, and immediately replace your puppy's bedding if he or she has had an accident in it.

Get rid of harmful plants. There are a number of household plants that are actually toxic to puppies who like to chew. Keep lily of the valley, oleander, azalea, yew, foxglove, rhododendron, rhubarb, and shamrock far away from your puppy.

2. Make sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise. Different breeds require different amounts of exercise -- this is another factor you should consider when choosing a puppy. As puppies' bodies are still developing, try to avoid any sort of rough play or strenuous exercise such as long (over 2 mile) runs. Take the puppy into the yard or garden after meals, and begin taking your puppy for short walks about a week after his second round of vaccinations.

Try to give your puppy about an hour of walk time a day, broken into 2 to 4 walks. Allow them to interact with other friendly dogs they meet (assuming your puppy has had its shots) and to leave scent markings. This is important for your dogs confidence, especially if he is a boy.

Socialize your puppy. Once vaccinated, puppies should be encouraged to play with friendly puppies, grown dogs, and other animals. Make sure the other animal tolerates the puppy well, and do not leave the animals alone for even a minute at first.

3. Schedule a visit to the vet. Choose a vet. Like with physicians, it's a good idea to ask your friends for vet recommendations. Get a few choices and visit each clinic. Find one that is friendly, well managed, and smells clean. Ask questions to the vet and the staff—they should always answer to the best of their ability. Be sure you feel comfortable with whichever vet you choose.

When your puppy is 6 to 9 weeks old, you'll want to take it to the vet to get vaccinated. Make sure you talk to your vet about canine distemper, parainfluenza, canine hepatitis, and parvovirus. They may have suggestions for other important vaccines as well, depending on the risks of your particular dog.

Make sure to get deworming medication during your first vet visit. This is not only a good idea for your puppy's health, but also for your own: many of the parasites that infect your puppy can be passed to humans and cause health problems in your family.

In addition to your first visit, you'll want to go to the vet when your puppy is 12 to 16 weeks old to get a rabies vaccination.

Begin thinking about whether you want to spay or neuter your dog. This is usually done when your dog is around 20 weeks old. Unless you foresee wanting to have puppies, it's a good idea to spay and neuter; thousands of unwanted puppies end up in pounds each year.

Basic Border Collie puppy. The photo describes in detail the features of a puppy being the shape of the puppy's face, the discoloration of the eyes, paw size, etc. showing that the puppy is very much premature.

Schedule a vet check-up for your puppy at least every six months. Also, schedule vet appointments for the proper vaccinations. Teach your puppy that going to the vet is an enjoyable or at least tolerable experience by bringing treats with you while you are there.

4. Watch for health problems.Keep an eye on your puppy and you can catch any problems early. The eyes should be bright, and the eyes and nostrils should be free of discharge. The puppy's coat should be clean and shiny; watch out for matting or thinning. Watch out for bumps, inflammation, or rashes on the skin, as well as signs of diarrhea around the tail.

Puppy Care 102 - Feeding

1. Choose your dog food. While it's tempting to go for the cheap stuff, this is generally not the best choice for your dog. Look for foods that incorporate high quality proteins from fish, chicken, lamb, and/or eggs. Also look for a way to feed your dogs fatty acids to keep its coat shiny and healthy. Generally, you'll want to feed your dogs a ratio of 5:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. This can come in your food or in supplements such as salmon oil especially designed to give to your dog. 

2. Feed your puppy properly. Feed your puppy small amounts of specially-formulated puppy food several times a day. Dry food is best as it cleans their teeth and lessens gum disease. The amount of food for each feeding depends on the breed; look up the recommended amounts for your specific breed. Feed your puppy only the smallest amount recommended for its breed, age, and size, and increase this if the puppy seems to be too thin or as directed by your veterinarian. The number of daily feedings depend on the puppy's age

• 6-8 weeks: 4 times daily

• 12-20 weeks: 3 times daily

• 20+ weeks: 2 times daily

3. Avoid buffet-style feeding. While it may be easier for you to just throw out a bunch of food for your puppy to eat when hungry, this is not a healthy way to feed your dog. Dogs, especially puppies, will generally eat a lot of food if a lot is available; they don't stop just when they're full.

Make sure your puppy always has adequate fresh water available. Unlike food, you should leave a full bowl of fresh water out for your dogs at all times. Be aware that they're going to have to pee shortly after they drink large amounts of water. Take them outside so that they don't have accidents in your house.

4. Watch your puppy eat. Watching your puppy eat is a good way to gauge their health, if they seem uninterested in their food, something is wrong. In addition, feeding your puppy some of their food out of your hand and/or being extremely present during their feeding process will help better the puppy/owner bond.

5. Avoid harmful foods. It's tempting just to feed your puppy table scraps, but remember that human food can make your dog unhealthily obese. Even more serious, grapes, raisins, tea, alcohol, garlic, onions, avocados, salt, and chocolate, among other things, are toxic to your dog. If your dog has ingested one of these things, you should call the Animal Poison Control Center ((888).426.4435 in the US).

In addition to posing a serious health risk, feeding your dogs table scraps can train them to beg. Begging is one of the hardest habits to break. To ensure good health, only feed your dog food that is specifically designed for dogs and ignore them completely while you're eating at the table.