You’ve decided to bathe the dog. First step is to give him a good brush, and I can’t over stress this – give him a good brush before bathing. By doing so you will help remove all the dead hair and all the shedding from your dog, if your dogs coat is knotted or tangled then it is vital that you remove these before bathing. Shampoo does not remove knotted or tangled hair it does the opposite it makes the matting tighter and more difficult to remove.

OK ready to bathe! Starting at the neck wet the dog well from neck to tail but avoid the head face and ears for now. Once you have your dog wet begin by shampooing his hind legs, move onto the tail and the rear end (yes that needs cleaned to!!) Now move to the body check and front legs in that order. Now that the body of the dog is completed move onto the head face and ears. Gently lather these areas and be careful not to get shampoo suds in the dog’s eyes even if you are using a tearless shampoo. So the shampooing is complete now comes the rinsing, and this really is an important part in bathing a dog. You can’t rinse enough – rinse, rinse, rinse!

When rinsing first rinse off the shampoo starting at the head and working in the opposite direction than when you shampooed him. When rinsing the underbelly of the dog have him stand on his hind legs by lifting his front paws. Keep rinsing until all traces of shampoo have disappeared and the water is running clear. If any shampoo remains on the dog it can lead to itching, flaking and skin problems.

We all know that when wet a dog will shake vigorously, to prevent this wrap him in a large towel to absorb excess water. Now start drying: face, head, ears, body, front legs, back legs and finally the tail. If there is someone to help me I tend to finish off with a quick go of the hair blower, needless to say watch the heat setting, keep the temperature low.

There is no need to wash a dog on a week basis, once a month is more than enough. I aim to bathe my dog about once every five-six weeks

If your dog breed is known to suffer from allergies or skin conditions then these should be fed special diets, especially a diet containing fish as a major part of its makeup. I’ve found that some dogs often have a poor reaction to a particular brand of food,. The message here is simple start experimenting to see what food suits your dog best. There is no one answer, the right answer is to use the food that suits  your particular dog.

If your food does not contain fish oil then add some to the food: salmon, sardine and anchovie oils are all great for a dogs coat. Some people prefer to give the dog a capsule of fish oil everyday others prefer to pour the oil over the food, either way is acceptable. I tend to pour oil over my dogs food.

It may be an old wives tale but it is true raw eggs can help to make hair shiny and soft. So don’t be afraid to mix the occasional raw egg up with your pets food. A maximum of three every two weeks is a good guide.

We stoke about fish oil above another good way to rehydrate and protect your pets coat and skin is to use olive oil. Try this: wet your dog’s hair with tepid water and then massage some olive oil into it, let it sit for approximately 30 minutes and then give your dog a good wash. This will help remove excess oil from the coat and skin.

While I try not to use commercial products there are some very good dog shampoos on the market and if you decide to go down this road then find one that also includes a conditioner that de-matts. You will also see pet shops offering products that are applied by spraying on the dog’s coat after a bath to help make it shiny.

One final thought don’t bath your dog to often as this can also have an adverse effect on its coat as a guideline no more than once every month. I wash my dog no often than once every six weeks.

There are many reasons why dogs end up in a shelter. Sometimes it is because the elderly owner had to move to a nursing home and has nobody else to take their dog, or the owner dies and the rest of his family aren’t able to keep it. Another case is when the owner has to go on military duty or make a sudden move to a place that does not accept pets.

Another very common reason for dogs ending up in a shelter is because they have a behavioral problem and the owner does not know how to fix it. These two reasons, in my opinion, do not make sense and do not validate the owner’s love for their dogs.

Most shelter dogs are not aggressive and do not suffer from any behavioral problems. However, they may look a bit disoriented because they are experiencing shelter shock, which is a type of stress that comes from being left isolated and out of control.

The first thing that may come to your mind is to save as many of these dogs as you can. Although this is a great idea, it is not realistic nor practical to do. The best thing you can do is to adopt only as many dogs as you can handle. You may also encourage people you know who are looking for pets to go to the shelter and rescue a dog instead of going to a breeder.

By doing these two things, you will not only give these dogs a second chance at life, but you are also preventing them from facing an untimely and unnecessary death. I personally have a mutt that I rescued at a shelter in San Diego and she turned out to be one of the sweetest dogs that I own.

Once you have found an older puppy, the next step is to determine whether he fits into the  type of lifestyle that you have. It would be very unfortunate to get a dog, or any pet, only to have to return it because you aren’t able to take care of him.

Below is a list of factors you have to consider before bringing an older puppy home. Keep in mind however, that older puppies are more cautious of strangers and younger puppies, so give him some time to get used to you and his new living situation.

1. If you have children, have them meet the puppy before bringing the dog home. This is to make sure that the puppy will get along well with your kids. Ask the breeder if the puppy has been introduced to other people.

2. If you have other pets at home, determine if they have a positive connection with the puppy, and vice versa. If there are other animals in his current home, examine how the puppy behaves around them to see how he socializes with the other animals.

3. Ask the previous owner to lift the puppy and then watch what happens. Was he scared or act aggressive while being held?  If so, this is not a good sign of a confident and healthy dog.  Most puppies love to be held.  Some may squirm a little, but will otherwise be okay with it.

4. Startle the puppy by making a sudden loud noise such as clapping your hands are dropping your keys right next to him.  Examine how he reacts to it. Does he run and hide in a corner or does he look like he’s ready to attack?  Both examples are signs of an insecure dog, but if he goes with the attack position then avoid adopting this dog at all costs as he may end up attacking a family member if accidentally surprised.

Once you have found an older puppy, the next step is to determine whether he fits into the type of lifestyle that you have. It would be very unfortunate to get a dog, or any pet, only to have to return it because you aren’t able to take care of him.

Below is a list of factors you have to consider before bringing an older puppy home. Keep in mind however, that older puppies are more cautious of strangers and younger puppies, so give him some time to get used to you and his new living situation.

1. If you have children, have them meet the puppy before bringing the dog home. This is to make sure that the puppy will get along well with your kids. Ask the breeder if the puppy has been introduced to other people.

2. If you have other pets at home, determine if they have a positive connection with the puppy, and vice versa. If there are other animals in his current home, examine how the puppy behaves around them to see how he socializes with the other animals.

3. Ask the previous owner to lift the puppy and then watch what happens. Was he scared or act aggressive while being held? If so, this is not a good sign of a confident and healthy dog. Most puppies love to be held. Some may squirm a little, but will otherwise be okay with it.

4. Startle the puppy by making a sudden loud noise such as clapping your hands are dropping your keys right next to him. Examine how he reacts to it. Does he run and hide in a corner or does he look like he’s ready to attack? Both examples are signs of an insecure dog, but if he goes with the attack position then avoid adopting this dog at all costs as he may end up attacking a family member if accidentally surprised.

After a year of dieting and exercise under the care of the MacLean family in Motherwell he weighs 2st 13lb (18kg).

Patch is now within sniffing distance of his target weight of 2st 6lb (15kg).

Vets had warned that a rapid weight loss would put strain on Patch’s organs.

‘Shining example’

So the Beagle Cross has been following a strict diet and his exercise levels have been built up gradually, with careful monitoring by veterinary staff.

Claire Kelman, assistant manager at Dogs Trust’s re-homing centre in Glasgow, said: “When Patch first came to us he was so obese he couldn’t even walk and needed a sling to be moved from one place to another.

“Now he’s lost the weight he can run around and properly enjoy his walks like any other dog.

“It just goes to show a good diet and careful exercise can make a real impact, so maybe he can be a shining example for everyone feeling a bit bloated after the Christmas break.”

If this is the first time you’ve owned a pet then ask your local veterinarian what you’ll need to cover get a clear idea from him what you should buy. I would be very careful though about buying insurance from your veterinarian as they seldom are best value.

Speak to the broker who has insured your home for quite often they will be able to offer you a good deal; you may even be able to have pet insurance as an add on to your house insurance.

All medical treatments are expensive and it is essential that whether you put money aside each month to cover your pets health, or buy a stand alone pet insurance you really owe it to your pet to have his medical bill covered.

Diet is especially important for dogs that are genetically at risk for diabetes. It is critical that you study up on your dog breed and make sure that he is getting the right nutrients so that the gene which can store diabetes will not be triggered off.

Golden retrievers are among the most popular pets that dog owners have in the United States. Unfortunately, many of these retrievers get diabetes because their owners did not do enough research for their breed type in order to get their diet correct from puppy hood.

2. Seek out the nearest holistic veterinarian in your area. Ask the vet about natural supplementation for the immune system. Many dog owners miss this very important diabetes prevention step. Supplementing with organic products such as antioxidants and herbs for the immune system can make a huge impact on preventing diabetes, especially for the dog breed types which are genetically at risk for this disease.

Along the same lines as natural prevention, it is important to avoid your dog from being over-vaccinated. This can cause toxins to build up in the animal’s system which can trigger diabetes.

Flea medications and tick insecticides can also trigger diabetes from the toxic state produced in the body. By keeping your dog clean of these chemicals and toxins you are helping his immune system stay healthy.

3. Exercise! It is sad to see so many dogs out there who develop diabetes that should never have in the first place had they been active and not become overweight. This of course is the direct responsibility of you, the dog owner. If your dog is inactive and gains weight, he can develop diabetes even if he is not a breed that is genetically at risk.

It doesn’t take much. 20 minutes of brisk walking two to three times per day is all your dog needs for optimum health and to keep him in good shape. If you can go jogging with your dog then that is even better. Having your dog swim is also a great option for exercise.

Insulin Injections

Insulin doses are typically given in smaller amounts at the start of treatment so that the blood sugar levels can slowly stabilize. Under extreme circumstances this may require your dog to be treated in the hospital for a few days. If his diabetes is more stable, then your dog may receive outpatient treatment.

During this period, your dog’s blood sugar will be monitored every hour in order to determine the exact dose of insulin he will need on a regular basis. Once the correct measurement of insulin has been reached, your veterinarian will instruct you to monitor your dog by testing his urine and/or blood.

Proper Diet

With diabetes, there is nothing more important to increase your dog’s life expectancy than with a strict diet. In fact, it is so important to your dog to eat accordingly when he has this disease, that there is a chance that his diabetes can go into full remission just from the change of diet alone.

You should be feeding your diabetic dog meals that are high in fiber and low to moderate and carbohydrates. Now is the time to start cooking your dog’s meals from the home with meats and other raw ingredients.

Before you decide what to feed him, it would be wise to consult with a holistic veterinarian who has education on nutrition. Your goal should be to utilize food as “medication” so that hopefully one day your dog can stop taking “official” medication.

How Do Dogs Get Diabetes?

For other dogs, it is theorized that diabetes is the result of another disease in the animal which destroys the cells of the pancreas, thus branching off to diabetes. However, for most dogs, diabetes is caused by too many carbohydrates in the diet mixed with an inactive lifestyle, which of course leads to obesity, and ultimately – diabetes.

The Lowdown On Carbohydrates

Just like what happens when humans consume too many carbohydrates, a dog’s blood sugar level will rise tremendously after eating a meal that is high in carbs. It happens extremely quickly as well. As a response to this, the body than uses insulin as a way to push the blood sugar back into the cells. Each of these cells have insulin receptors which open and close like a doorway in order to regulate the flow of blood sugar.

Through years and years of high carbohydrate eating, these “doorways” begin to break and eventually shut down. Your dog’s body then produces more insulin resulting in sporadic cycles of insulin resistance. Eventually the body will no longer be able to create the insulin needed to push back the blood sugar into the cells. The final result of this action is diabetes.

Other Ways Dogs Get Diabetes

Dogs that are overweight and older and age can also get diabetes from a very unique way. In many cases, these dogs came down with diabetes after they were given corticosteroid medication.

Whether it was by injection or tablet, the corticosteroids given to overweight pets seem to have caused the disease to set in. Researchers claim that these dogs were already genetically susceptible to diabetes and that the medication was just the trigger it needed. The good news for these types of diabetes cases is that with proper diet and medication, the disease may go into remission and the dog may be able to have his insulin discontinued indefinitely.