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The Canine Immune System

The immune system in dogs is similar to most of the animals on this planet. Dysfunction of this system can result in various diseases like diabetes, infection, cancer and osteoarthritis. Hence, you must keep the immune system of your dog balanced in order to prevent such outcomes.
            The canine immune system works as a housekeeper that defends the body from external bacteria. Hence, researchers are also trying to find out the type of these viruses and bacteria that can harm your dog. Moreover, it is the main finding of research that cancer cells are reproduced quickly than the normal cell. That’s why it imbalances the body quickly but the immune system tries to avoid such situation. So, here are some of the tips that can play a significant role in strengthening the immune system of your dog.
Strengthening the Canine Immune System
            There are multiple factors that play a vital role in defining a better immune system. However, some of the steps are listed below that can have multiple positive impacts on the health of your pet.
Encourage to Play and Exercise
            A fit body always has a better immune system due to increased ability. Fitness also inflates the health and promote different organs that avoid diseases. Fat is one of the largest glands that forces a different type of instabilities to the body. It also affects the immune system due to increased weight and a higher percentage of endocrine glands. Hence, exercising removes these fats from the body that is specifically held responsible for inflammation and different type of diseases.
The Diet Plan
            The diet plan plays a significant role in determining the canine immune system of your dog. The reason is that the percentage of factors (fat, carbs, protein) must be understood well in order to have a better diet.
            The research also explains that dogs mostly east meat-based meal that is comprised of starch. The higher percentage of starch increases the chances of inflammation that negatively impacts the immune system. Hence, vegetables must be considered in the diet plan like potatoes and sweet potatoes.
            Moreover, a diet with natural fibres also results in the healthy microbiome. The diet with only bone and meat don’t really promote healthy microbiome. Thus, it is highly recommended to add some healthy and natural foods.
Supplements for Your Dog
            As in the previous section, the importance of diet plan is discussed. The nutrition facts are very essential to understand because they are key to the effective immune system. Hence, you must consider some supplements with specific nutrition facts for the betterment of the canine immune system.
            Most of the supplements usually have very beneficial microorganisms that are easily digestible. It resolves the digestive issues as well that also leaves a constructive impact on the immune system.
            Though, it must be considered first that you mustn’t give the same supplement to your dog. The canine immune system is pretty different from the human immune system, that should be understood before using a supplement.
The Remedial Power of Massage
            No one can deny the advantages related to a full body massage. Same rule goes for dogs, the relaxed body muscles results in the better immune system. The massage promotes relaxation and remedial that actually is a finest natural remedy.
            There are multiple types of research on this fact too. The research also illustrates that the massage with intermediate pressure typically enhanced the canine immune system. The effects on dog won’t be much similar to humans but the massage can have long-lasting impacts on dogs.

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The Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome in our pets.

Does your pet have changes in the behavior that you associate with age? Is it true that to the pets also “fails” the head for old age? What changes can we expect about our pet in a few years? … Certainly, 50% of pets also present a cognitive deterioration from the age of 11 with varied symptoms (Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome). To know them, an early diagnosis and possible treatments are of vital importance.
It is important to know that this pathology is associated with age and is is known as CDS (cognitive dysfunction syndrome) and that it does not discriminate breeds or sex of the animal. Its characteristic macro and microscopic lesions are: neuronal loss, deposits of B-amyloid protein and ventricular increase.
In the clinic, the diagnosis is usually made based on a set of symptoms that accompany the syndrome. This are the symptoms:
Disorientation.
Social interactions diminished.
Altered sleep with nocturnal vocalizations.
Hygienic habits modified.
General activity diminished or increased and repetitive.
Anxiety.
Slowness to learn new things.
On the other hand, it is also important to know that there are neuropsychological tests (attention, memory, learning) that can help in the diagnosis and that in the experimental phase it is the detection of B-amyloid substance in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma that would correlate the existence of certain levels with the CDS.

The treatment, always under the supervision of the veterinarian, consists on:
Drugs at different doses in dogs and cats: Seleginin, propentofylline and nicergoline.
Use of specific feed and nutritional supplements (Phosphatidylserine, S-Adenosil-L-meteonine …)
Ethological treatment:
Regular exercise with increased street outings.
Environmental enrichment with more interactions with people or inanimate objects (toys, food).
Create a specific elimination zone within the house.
Reinforce the behaviors that calm the animal.
Specific treatments according to present behavioral problems.
Whatever you think,  we remind you to always visit your veterinarian.

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History of the Domestication of the Dog

History of domestication of dogs relates to the friendly partnership between humans and dogs. As per the rules of a relationship, it is necessary for both parties to take care of some of the basic needs of each other. That was exactly in this case, dogs helped human in hunting, transferring any information and an alarm system. In return, humans provided them with shelter, food and protection from different factors. However, it has become the biggest debate for the last few years that when this companionship first started.
History of Dog Domestication
 
            Dogs have now become an integral part of our lives. There are various reasons behind it but most important is the level of relationship a dog develops. It is the nature of dogs that makes them closer to human. Moreover, dogs were the first animal that was domesticated because they can fit easily in any type of society. Most of us raised puppies and it was the time before anyone hadn’t raised any chickens, cows, sheep and goats. We can say that the dog was part of human evolution and enhancement.
Two Domestication Theory
 
            In 2016, a research team states that there are two places that can be the potential origin of dog domestication. First is in Eastern Eurasia and second is in Western Eurasia. The research also depicts that the domestication of dog started 12,500 years ago in one of the events by Asian wolves. Moreover, Palaeolithic dogs got acquittance with humans in an event organized by European Wolves 15,000 years ago. However, 6400 years ago, the Palaeolithic dogs were swapped by Asian dogs due to the transportation of Asian dogs.
            The studies on DNA also describes that all modern-day dogs are just because of that one domestication that was due to Asian wolves. Though the above research illustrates two of the events one by Asian wolves and other by European wolves. According to study, there were two different species of dog but inexistence of European Palaeolithic dogs questions the authenticity of study.
            Many questions remain unanswered with this research too that involves the species of American dogs. The American dogs were part of case study but what happened to them afterwards? American dogs were predecessor species that originated from wolves but these are extinct now. However, many types of researchers observed the relocation of dogs in the central Asia region that supports the existence of American dogs.
Premature Dog Domestication
 
             The first domestic dog was found in Germany almost 14,000 years ago. The dog was found near a burial site where researchers collected joint committals of both human and dog. Moreover, there is numerous example that was collected from Palaeolithic areas in Europe that were the origin of Palaeolithic dogs. Though it proves the existence of both human and dogs but no proof was discovered that relates to dog domestication. There are multiple pieces of evidence that prove the interaction between human and dogs like Chauvet cave in France, Skateholm in Sweden and Govet cave in Belgium. These places have dog burials that authenticate the existence of dogs.
            Moreover, a research conducted in 2013 took DNAs of 126 modern wolves and dogs. They also took 18 fossils so that the comparison should be done to collect results. This theory also concluded that dogs domesticated in Europe and western Siberia. The modern DNAs resembled with European fossils but not a 100% match; it depicts that Europe has something that was quite similar to dogs but there was no match of same fossils in Asia. It means that Asia had the first domestication of dogs according to both the theories discussed in this article.
Modern Species and their Origin
 
            Dogs are categorized into three types based on the size and height. Firstly, large dogs with an average height of 65cm have been discovered in Ukraine, Germany and Russia. Second are medium sized dogs that have average 50cm height, these have been found in Syria, Israel and Iraq. Lastly, small dogs with an average height of 42cm have been found in France, Spain, Germany and Switzerland.
            Conversely, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) is an updated form of DNA that is used to extract more information as compared to DNA. A research in 2012 that used SNP to discover information about the types of dogs and their origin. The size of a dog was a prime argument that was needed to be rectified. The research concluded that the size of the dog had no impact on their next generation. Also, the modern-day dogs are linked with a species that existed 150 years ago and the oldest modern dogs are connected with a species that existed 500 years ago only.
Theory of Modern Type Initiation
 
            Most of researcher and scholars nowadays believe that the type of recent dog is one of the recent species that existed 150-200 years ago. However, we can’t even say that modern dogs don’t have any property of their origin because it is impossible they have some leftover from it. The different species of modern dogs weigh from 1-200 pounds. Moreover, the body structure and skeleton division make them different from one species to other. Some of the species have very good scent detection skills that are named as sniffer dogs. Sniffer dogs play a very vital role in many security cases and that’s one of the examples of human and dog interaction.
            In the end, with the advancement of technology, it has changed multiple factors. Kennel clubs is one of the scientific discovery that changed the breeding flow in dogs. It continued during World Wars that resulted in inexistence of various species. After that, many dog breeding techniques have been discovered that help in mixing different types of species. However, the extinct species can’t be recreated using this process but some of their attributes will be part of any new species automatically.

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Compulsive behavior: Does my dog present this pathology?

Does your dog continually chase his tail? Is any part of the body excessively licked? Does it seem that he hunts flies that do not exist continuously? These are some of the symptoms that your dog can present in case of suffering a compulsive disorder, although the complexity of the pathology requires the help of your veterinarian for its correct diagnosis.

The origin of the pathology is due to different factors, including:
Genetic factors: Effectively, there is a racial predisposition to present different compulsive disorders; German Shepherd (biting his tail giving circles), Border Collie (Visual fixings), Pinscher (suction of the flanks) …
Ethological factors: Normally they are due to our pet suffering stress, some conflict and / or certain frustrations.
Factors due to another disease: Certain pathologies can encourage the appearance of compulsive disorders; Problems in neurotransmitters, hormonal problems, allergies, pain ..
These factors can cause that our dog shows a pattern of repetitive behavior which we really think that does not have any sense. GIf we suspect of compulsive behavior, it is necessary to act quickly. Otherwise, it may happen that over time the cause that causes such behavior disappears and the animal continues with the compulsive behavior.
Regardless of their origin (Etiology), compulsive behaviors are classified according to their manifestation in:
Oral: In them the mouth participates; Excessive licking, sucking the flank, catching flies …
Locomotors: In them actively participate the extremities; Spinning on itself, wandering behavior, jumping in the same place continuously …
Aggression: Attacking objects, biting oneself …
Vocalizations: We see a continuous and persistent barking and/or moaning as a manifestation of compulsive behavior.
Hallucinatory: Unjustified startles, fixed gaze to certain points…

The treatment of compulsive behavior should be controlled by your veterinarian and among other resources depending on the case we can choose:
Eliminate the cause of stress, frustration and / or conflict that causes compulsive behavior.
Eliminate the reinforcement of compulsive behavior caused unconsciously by the owner himself.
Eliminate the disease that causes it (pain, hormones …).
Eliminate the application of punishment to the animal.
Stimulate the exercise.
Application of specific drugs: Clomipramine, fluoxetine …
Anticipate to the compulsive disorder and reward alternative behaviors (take care not reinforce the compulsive disorder itself).
Whatever you think,  we remind you to always visit your veterinarian.

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Canine Aggressiveness

Is your pet very aggressive with other dogs? Has your dog bitten someone?. The truth is that aggressiveness is a problem that affects public health and should be treated by a professional who guides the owner in making decisions about what to do with the animal and how to act.
First it should be noted that bite and aggressiveness is not the same, because a dog can bite without warning and be very aggressive without biting. In general terms, the attacks of dogs on people are of moderate or mild severity, although in some cases extreme severity and even the death of the person involved has been observed. Anyway, the lack of knowledge on the part of the owner of education and preventive measures in the treatment of the animal are usually present..
Aggressiveness occurs mostly in dogs from 1 to 5 years old, with high variability within the same breed. The attacks are usually located in the extremities, except in children where they usually go to the neck and head. Nowadays there are biomarkers, tests and questionnaires that try to predict the behavior of the pet, but none of these actions reports with a 100% reliability the future behavior of the dog. That is why we believe in the need to carry out a insurance for the animal and wear it tied with a muzzle in the presence of other dogs or people. They are two very simple and low cost measures that help to avoid most aggressions.

Regarding the types of aggressiveness, there is no consensus and differences are observed according to the author. In general are between 8 and 15 different types of aggression (territorial, dominance, predatory, maternal, fear …). There are three very important issues when classifying the form of aggressiveness: the target, the context and the position of the dog.
If the target of the animal is to dogs, it is an intraspecific aggressiveness, if it is to people or other animals it is interspecific. The context can be very varied (fears, protection of the food, gain the attention of the owner …) and the position is offensive or defensive.
The action of the veterinarian is essential against any type of aggressiveness to prevent future problems. In principle, it is necessary to discard organic diseases (intoxications, endocrinological and nervous problems …) and a mixed treatment with pharmacology (amitriptyline, fluoxetine …), behavioral therapy and/or castration can be applied.

Anyway, do not forget to consult your veterinarian after modifying the behavior of your animal.

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Dog Training

Dog training is a process that can take unlimited time because there are multiple techniques used to train a dog. Whenever someone purchases a dog, he/she always has questions on their mind too that how to train their dog quickly. Moreover, the adaptation and growth of dog also depend on the way you teach them different things. More importantly, the size and age of the dog also determine the type of training that is needed. Do you have a question in your mind that how to perform dog training effectively? Hence, you are going to get the answer right in the article. Apart from many different pieces of training that are given to dogs, these seven are highly recommended training that should be taught to every dog. These techniques are given below:
House Training
Come Here
Lay Down
Leave it
Sit Down
Stay Here
Settle
House Training
            These are some of the very basic training that can be taught at home by spending very less time. Some of these training is routine based works that a dog can easily adapt. Some of the basic training is given below:
Daily Routine: Dogs have regular and stable nature and they try as much as they can from the things that are irrelevant. Moreover, it wouldn’t be wrong if dogs are said habitual. When you try to feed your dog at the same time daily it generates a daily routine. Moreover, by taking the dog for a walk at the same time on different days, it will quickly familiarize with the routine. Hence, you won’t have a problem to guide him by any mean if he has developed the habit of following the same
Supervision of Dog: When you have just started to train your dog, draw some limitation to accessibility for different parts of the home. You have to decide what spaces in the house mustn’t be touched by the dog like bedrooms etc.
Some Surprise Rewards: Whenever your dog achieves a new milestone, try to give a surprise reward to make them happy. It would generate a sense of bonding that can be beneficial in the future.
Come Here
            It is one of the most important skills that a dog must learn during the dog training session. The reason behind it is that this skill is utilized numerous times a day. Hence, it is compulsory for your dog that it must respond when you have called him to come here. Seeing Stay this skill developed in their dog leaves multiple owners amazed and satisfied.
            It is very essential for you to choose a quiet area while teaching this skill. Give a small gap between you and your dog and try to tell him that you are calling him. Be relax and try to be focused while you are calling a dog because your body language is what dog seeks. You can also use any fruitful thing that should attract the dog towards you. After some time, increase the distance and try it, again and again, to develop this skill at higher distances as well.
Lay Down
            It is also an important technique that will assure that your dog is relaxing now. You can teach various skills and lay down is one of them. It involves some very basic steps that are listed below:
Your god must know the skill of sitting
Hold a prize near the face and bring it down slowly
After moving it slowly to the ground, move it away from the dog then.
By using such technique, the dog will lay down.
You must be relaxed and concentrate on your body language too.
Give it multiple tries if needed.
Leave it
            The leave it commands gives you the option to save a dog from swallowing any harmful material. However, it takes more time to master for both the master and the dog. Hence, it is recommended to teach this skill in gradual steps so that you should not repeat it for the second time.
            The teaching of leave it includes few steps that are:
Show a prize and attractive thing to your dog.
Say ‘leave it’ and place it underneath your shoe.
Your dog will try different methods to get this prize from you. It also performs licking and sniffling that can be taken as a request to leave it.
Just wait until dog gives up and hopelessly get back. This is the moment you give him a treat within your hand, not the one that’s behind your shoe.
It will develop a sense in a dog that my owner is teaching me a difference between eatable and non-eatable. Repeat this process and you will get the results.
Sit Down
            Before teaching lay down technique, a dog must know this technique because it works as a prerequisite. Dogs already know how to sit, hence this technique doesn’t take long to be mastered by a dog.
            Hold a treat in front of your dog and bring it upward slowly so that dog raises his head to catch up the prize. Once he raises his head, the butt will automatically go down and touch the ground soon. Give a prize to your dog as soon as butt hits the floor and he’ll sit after taking it. After repeating it multiple time, you’ll be able to teach hand signals.
Stay Here
            This technique lets you prevent your dog from any harm by pointing him to stay there. It is very obligatory skill because you may need it some time. The stay here skill can be developed by using three simple dog training strategies.
Duration
Distance
Distraction
Signal your dog to sit or lay down before applying this technique. After that hold your hand pointing towards him and say ‘stay’. After that give him the prize to build the confidence in it. repeat this process various time until your dog gets used to it.
Settle
            Sometimes your dog gets out of control if he is anxious about anything or after having a dreadful situation. It is essential to teach this skill to quickly settle him down before making any vigorous reaction.
            This training also involves various steps that must be fulfilled in order to apply it on your dog. Firstly, give a signal to step on a bench and after that sit on the same bench. Leave the very small area for the dog to either sit, turn around and stand but unable to change the side. Wait for some time, it will take some time but after realizing that there is no way out, the dog will automatically settle down. Give a prize at the end of this exercise and repeat it until the dog is comfortable with it.

Anyway, do not forget to consult your veterinarian after modifying the behavior of your animal.

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Animal Welfare: A good available to everyone!

“The way to assess the degree of education of a people and a man is the way they treat animals,” This is a well-known phrase of Thomas Edison. Certainly, in civilized countries it is a good that has legislation that fortunately respect and protect animals. Beyond the common sense that tells us what is good for an animal, farm animal or pet, we are privileged in the sense that European legislation is the toughest in the world, at least to what one knows on Animal Welfare

I will try to explain the five principles which the BVA (Britsh veterinary association) is safeguarding animal welfare. So, these are the 5 basic freedoms:
Absence of hunger and thirst: Unless our veterinarian tells us otherwise, it is very positive to feed our pet three times a day. Normally, behind the sacks of feed usually you can read what you need the animal according to their ideal weight. Your veterinarian will advise you by visual inspection what is the ideal weight of your pet, therefore, it is good to ask them about it. Regarding water, a general rule is that it should always be available and renew it daily at least.

Adequate environment (shelter, rest, comfort). It is not a very common practice, but it is very positive to create a “refuge” for our pet. We understand refuge, a quiet place, clean and preferably padded where the animal can not be bothered and can only receive positive stimuli with caresses or awards every time They are inside. It is also very positive a silent place and a temperature which they feel comfortable (22ºC). If we create such a “refuge”, the animal whenever it is afraid or stressed, will go there in order to soften the bad feeling.
Absence of injury or illness. Evidently it is important to visit our veterinarian at the slightest suspicion of disease. It is not worth waiting if you see your pet apathetic or stop eating waiting for miraculous recoveries. Time is money and luckily they do not lie when you see they are pathetic or stop eating.

Expression of normal behavior. This is fundamental; physical activity, social contact and mental  stimulation. In an urban environment, the floors do not usually have the necessary space for physical activity. In the case of a dog should be able to leave a minimum of 30 minutes three times a day as a general rule. We must also provide social contact with other animals and people and try not to leave them alone too long. If we are away from home for work or other reasons for many hours, entrusting someone to keep him company or play with him is a good idea. Finally, activities such as smelling new things, scratching the floor or chewing gives them the optimal mental stimulation for their well-being.

Absence of pain, fear and stress.There is no ethological indication where the negative reinforcement or pain is justified. Therefore, you should try to avoid punishing the animal and, at the most, to use an informative “no”. To avoid fear or stress we have already indicated the creation of a “refuge” in which they can cushion that sensation, but also, try to avoid the places or things that cause bad feelings is fundamental.
Whatever you think,  we remind you to always visit your veterinarian.
Animal Defence Associations in UK
Animals have been playing an important role in human lives for hundreds of years. If we talk about the start of the earth when human and animals used to live together. At that time, both lived together and worked to achieve the needs of each other. The time spends with each other developed a sense of connectivity between humans and animals. However, in today’s world, technological advancements have multiple positive impacts on the society as well as have some negative impacts. Some of the technological changes have affected the environment that is influencing humans and animals. Moreover, there are multiple factors that are destroying the relationship with animals. Some of the humans also abuse animals that is against the well-being of animals. Hence, to avoid such issues that are increasing day by day, multiple animal defence associations have been developed.
Animal Defence Associations
 
            Like multiple NGOs work for the betterment of an ignored segment of the population, animal defence associations make sure the protection of animals in any environment. The purpose of these association merely is to save animals from any type of abuse and cruelty. According to a report, every year hundreds and thousands of animals face extensive negligence, abuse and cruelty. The question is why these abuses are happening? Do people require more awareness to avoid it? The report shows that it is necessary to spread some awareness among the people so that this type of abuse should be minimized.
            For the awareness and to put a stop to these abuses, many organization are developed at national and international level. The main purpose of these international organization is to provide full protection to animals. Moreover, these animal defence associations tend to educate people not to harm animals. Some of the major organizations working at the international level are listed below:
Animal Welfare Institute
Anima Naturalis
Bat Conversation International
Birdlife International
Birdlife International
Brooke Hospital for Animals
Care for the wild international
Friends of Animals
Global Alliance for rabies control
International Animal Rescue
International Bird Rescue
Parrots International
SANCCOB
Vegan Outreach
World Association of Zoos
World Horse Welfare
These organizations work in different part of the world to perform their operation effectively. Moreover, the motive 

is to give them the freedom to live and provide them with facilities that can play a vital role in their protection from humans as well as other environmental disasters.
Animal Defence Associations in the UK
 
            As most of the organizations are working internationally, the UK also has developed numerous associations to work for the betterment of animals. These organizations are working at a national and international level as well to help out other small organizations of similar type. Some of the best organizations in the United Kingdom are listed below:
Assisi Animal Sanctuary
Badger Trust
Blue Cross
British Horse Society
Cats Protection
Dogs Trust
Eurogroup for Animals
Farm Animal Welfare Council
Hounds of Heroes
Irish Blue Cross
The Mayhew Animal Home
National Animal Welfare Trust
Screech Owl Sanctuary
Thornberry Animal Sanctuary
Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Sanctuary
Multiple organizations have been providing online facilities, these are easily accessible. Moreover, the online services include the safe delivery of your animal from one place to another and some type of first aid.

Anyway, do not forget to consult your veterinarian after modifying the behavior of your animal.

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Does your pet forget to go to the toilet?…Any solution?

Do you still punish your dog when he does not pee on the street? Do you think he should have already learned to do it? Up to 25% of the ethological consultations are carried out due to improper disposal, and the abandonment of the pet is frequent if the solution is not found. In order of importance we find this:

Learning Problems>Anxiety due to Separation> Territorial Marking>Others
 
In order to find the solution to the problem we must delve into its etiology by asking ourselves about the context, the beginning of the problem and the position of the animal, among other aspects. So, once we have ruled out organic problems (urinary, endocrinological, gastrointestinal, nervous …) we can think the following reasons:

Due to preference to a specific place: The animal prefers a place that can be always the same. To solve this problem, we will avoid access to that place, we will clean the area with enzymatic detergents and we will increase the animal’s walking, rewarding it when the elimination is done where we want.
Due to lack of walking: The obvious and inevitable solution is to get it out more. It is recommended to take the puppy every 4 hours and the adult dog every 8 hours a minimum interval of 30 min.
Due submission: We are facing a submissive animal that can not avoid elimination when it comes into contact with the dominant animal or person. The solution is to use counterconditioning, systematic desensitization and pharmacologically help (Imipramine). Avoiding punishment is more than obvious, as always we recomend.
Due to Excitement: In nervous dogs, where we should reward the animal when we see it calm and minimize the interaction with the action or object that excites it. Tranquilizing drugs can also help.
Due to marking: The animal delimits a territory based on the smell of its urine. In this case you can opt for castration that solves approximately 50% of cases. It is necessary to clean with enzymatic detergents to absolutely remove the odor. Counterconditioning can also help if we can be present at the time the animal marks territory.
Anxiety by separation. Read the article “Anxiety by separation”.
Due to cognitive dysfunction: The animal simply begins to fail in its normal functions due to age. All the management and pharmacology of geriatric animals will help solve the problem. (More information here)​
If we think in prophylaxis the following tips may be useful:
Never punish the animal, you can only apply an informative “NO”.
Detect when they performs the improper elimination and take them out just in this moment.
Award the appropriate eliminations.
Clean with enzymatic detergents the places where we don’t want the animal micturize or defecate.
Walk the animal every 4 hours if it is a puppy or every 8 hours if it is an adult and a minimum of 30 min.
Only use pharmacological therapy when indicated by our veterinarian.
Whatever you think,  we remind you to always visit your veterinarian.

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The Sense of Smell in Dogs

If we talk about the sense of smell, then any animal on this planet can beat dogs. Dogs have an ultimate sense of smell that is a lot accurate and better than humans. A research by Alabama cooperative extension system (ACES) has stated that dog’s sense of smell is 1000 times stronger than the two-legged similar species. Moreover, many experts state that it’s one million times stronger. As a human, we can’t deny these facts because sniffer dogs are helping us for centuries. Dogs really rule if they are compared on the basis of a sense of smell.
A dog uses both his nose and mouth to sniff any scent. It is a natural process that helps them to smell through their mouth and I believe it is the reason for the better sniffing. The nostrils can simply alter the place that helps the dog to identify the exact location of smell. When a dog inhales a specific smell, it is directed toward the nasal cavity.

Dogs have more than 220 million olfactory receptors although humans only have 5 million of them. That is the reason, dogs smell faster and from a long distance. The inhaled scents are trapped inside the nasal chamber until the olfactory receptors process them to get results. Moreover, any raw particles are surrounded by an exterior surface of the nose that prevents these particles to damage these receptors. Sometimes, the same process is repeated twice to identify any odour due to numerous issues. A dog exhales and inhales air at the same time that helps to identify recent smell faster in the second attempt.
The sense of smell in dogs is the result of multiple reasons, one of them is vomeronasal organ. It resides on the bottom of the nasal cavity and dogs has a tendency to taste and smell simultaneously by two fluid-filled sacs in the vomeronasal organ. It helps puppies to locate their mother by smelling milk.
The very active sense of smell in dogs also describes it as one of their way of communication. Dogs can smell those odours that a human nose can’t because of naturally gifted receptors. It seems pretty surprising that how dogs use it as a way of communication? Dogs meet one another through sniffing, even the conversation between two dogs can be based on just smelling. For example, one dog is trying to learn different things by just using smell receptors; what is sex of another dog, whom he had an interaction, what he ate last day and what is his mood now.
Meantime, one question arises that which dog has better sniffing ability than other. Some of the breeds have a very excellent sense of smell that is used also for security purposes. Bloodhounds, beagle and basset hounds are on top of the list with stronger receptors. It also depends on the structure and height of a dog. Dogs with longer snouts have more receptors and olfactory sensors that will certainly increase the capability to smell. Bloodhounds have larger skin folds around their nose that help them to trap the scent for a longer period of time. The sense of smell in dog changes with their types but each class has a very unique reason for their enhanced sniffing.
We have also seen sniffer dogs at airports and at security breach that are used to smell drugs or any explosives. There are different breeds of dogs that can be trained to smell specific items like a different type of drugs. Sniffer dogs are also used to run down a prisoner by training the dog with the odour of that prisoner.

Anyway, do not forget to consult your veterinarian after modifying the behavior of your animal.

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Dog Nutrition: Key Facts

A balanced diet with necessary nutrition facts is essential for every animal. Hence, dogs also require such a diet to improve their health, growth and maintenance of broken tissues or cell. Moreover, bearing in mind some needs, deficiencies, specific instruction to follow and most importantly the type of diet your pet needs to complete the daily cycle of nutrition. Nowadays it has become easier because the high-quality pet foods are available in the market with a variety of advantages that can be used. This manufacturer of this food focus on the needs of the pet and they try to meet the exact requirements of their product.
            Before going into details of different requirements that are associated with the dogs, it is important to know some other factors as well. The age of dog matters a lot in determining the nutritional facts and needs. Hence, dogs with different age require different diet plan. The age also defines the quantity of food that should be fed normally. This article is all about these factors that must be analysed first before you create a nutrition plan for your dog.
Nutritional Requirements
 
            The metabolism process of every animal is similar to humans. As it is a requirement of our body to have a minimum amount of food to get enough energy out of it. Dogs also have similar characteristics and they also entail some very basic nutrition elements that are essential for their growth. Some of the elements are listed below:
Water
Carbohydrates
Protein
Fats
Water
 
            The efficient working capability of many organs depends merely on the water intake. It ensures the proper functioning of kidney, liver and process of urination. Hence, they must have clean water available so that they don’t have a deficiency of water at all. Water deficiency can lead to multiple consequences for dogs and any other pet. A deflation of 10% water in the body can result in extensive illness and it can become the cause of death if it approaches 15% somehow.
Carbohydrates
 
            Carbs are a major source of energy for the human body as they provide energy packets. It is very necessary for the formation of tissues and muscles as well. As it has no minimum requirement for the daily intake of carbs but to achieve minimum glucose level it plays an important role. Hence, the role of glucose is supplied energy to precarious organs such as the brain.
            Fibres are an essential type of carbs that changes the number of bacterias in the small intestine. It helps in the prevention of diarrhoea in dogs that can have numerous negative impacts. Hence, these fibres must be part of the daily intake in order to deal with such problems. Beet pulp is one of the best sources of fibre that is used normally in dog nutrition. It provides the required fibres that increase the immune system as well. Corns, wheat and rice are some more examples that are rich in such fibres. However, the young dogs only need a low quantity of these fibres and offering them with the high quantity can result in illness as well.
Protein
 
            Nothing can be more important than protein in nutrition facts. These are regarded as the building block for muscles, cells, organs, tissues, hormones, that plays important role in growth, reproduction and maintenance. There are multiple sources that are protein-rich and animal meats are at the top of the list. Chicken, beef, lamb, eggs and fish meats have a very high percentage of protein. Moreover, all the components given above have all the six amino acids that are used normally in muscle building and maintenance. It is highly prohibited to give your dog raw eggs because it alters the process of metabolism and interferes in the digestion of glucose, fats and amino acids.
Fats
 
            When carbohydrates are taken more than the daily requirement, these are stored in the form of packets in the body. These packets of energy are specifically named as fat that carries a lot of weight. Hence, these have a complex form of energy in it that can provide twice the energy as compared to carbs and protein. These are an essential part of diet plan that plays important role in structuring the cell. Moreover, fat also works as an insulation that offers great protection for organs in the body. Hence, dogs must eat a specified amount of fat daily in order to avoid such problems. The main problems due to deficiency of fats are skin problems and growth issues.
Feeding a Puppy
 
            Puppies habitually get used to mother’s milk and it becomes arduous sometimes to get rid of it. However, it is essential for your puppy to have a diet plan that must include the nutrition facts that are discussed above. The process of transition from mother’s milk to a natural diet plan is known as weaning. The progression of weaning starts right between the third and fourth week of dog’s age and it must end before the end of eight weeks. The two major factors must be considered before weaning and feeding a puppy.
When to Wean: It is not essential to feed any other nutrition instead of mother’s milk in the first four months. It has all the necessary components that complete the cycle efficiently. However, after the duration of four months, it becomes obligatory for the puppies to be fed by commercially available diet. Moreover, in case of illness of mother or orphanage, puppies can be fed with commercial milk in the first four months.
How to Wean: The process takes three to four months because it is a gradual progression. Separate puppy from mother for an hour firstly and increase the time gradually. In the same instance, try to offer some food as well so that it interacts with it to develop interest. After some time the dog will become more dependant on the commercial food instead of mother’s milk.
Feed an Adult Dog
 
            It is easier to feed an adult do,g rather than a puppy because they are grown-up. They typically follow the same routine to fulfil their requirements. However, some of the tips must be understood before feeding an adult dog.
            The amount of food depends purely on the size of a dog and activity level. It may vary between different pets but it is one of the best ways to determine calorie intake. A normal dog that doesn’t have any activity at all will be fine with the required nutrition that must be equal to daily calorie intake. However, on the other side, a dog with high exercise and extensive activities may require 25-40% more intake than the maintenance needs. Hence, a schedule can also be made to define easier yet effective diet plan.
Feed an Overweight Dogs
 
            It is very important to know the daily requirement of a dog to avoid overfeeding it. Most of the owners offer a tasty meal with sweets and meat that result in an overweight situation. Most importantly, it can cause numerous harms to the dog because he/she will get used to it and it will become difficult to stop them after a month also.
            To avoid it, daily evaluations must be done in order to rectify the diet plan. Consuming more calories than needed results in overweight and it is the only reason for getting bulky. Moreover, inflation in daily exercise can also result in weight loss as well. A regular exercise reduces appetite, burns enough calories and it alters the composition of the body as well.

Anyway, do not forget to consult your veterinarian after modifying the behavior of your animal.