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Common Dermatological Issues of Your Shar Pei Dog
Common Dermatological Issues of Your Shar Pei Dog
By Richard Cussons
Even if your shar pei looks totally unlike any other dog, he will still encounter most of the bugs and critters that give other breeds a hard time. Let's have a look at some of these top concerns.
The first thing we need to know is that the skin of a shar pei dog contains large amounts of mucin, making the skin wrinkly and very flexible. A healthy shar pei dog has no need for special care to its skin save that of regular baths and the regular brushing that goes with changing seasons.
One concern that can actually grow into a serious skin problem is caused by the demodex mite, which all dogs happen to have getting by under their skin. Among healthy animals, both the parasite and host get along without anything significant going on since the dog's own immune system maintains the balance. What changes this and leads to a boom in the mites' population are adolescence, or times of stress which temporarily impairs the dog's immune system. The result is small patches of hair loss (generally circular) around the head and also the trunk. Veterinarians usually advise that these patches be left alone since the immune system will be back to normal soon in a healthy puppy or dog. But when the immune system is somehow overwhelmed by large numbers of mites, the condition is then called generalized demodex. In any method used, veterinary supervision must always be part of the treatment.
Let us now turn to food allergies, which happen to regularly affect many dogs. Signs of the condition are hair loss, intense itching and infected ears, and the tender state of the skin between the toes of the feet. Finding the offending substance is usually through hit or miss, using various allergy tests like the regualar "skin scrape" method or by blood tests.
The upside to a bout of food allergy is that they are relatively easier to treat - removal of the critical food, or chemical, from the dog's diet. In order to completely take no chances when it comes to allergies, feed your dog high quality, premium dog food, which does not include soy, corn or wheat among its ingredients.
One more important source of skin problems are fleas. There is more to fleas than just the bite; some dogs actually have negative allergic reactions to the saliva of the flea. Sometimes, even one bite on a severely allergic dog is enough to send it to a scratching frenzy. As regards remedies, prevention is still the best answer to fleabite allergies. Among the many effective flea preventives sold on the market, Program is interesting since it does not actually kill the fleas that are biting your dog but sterilizes them, therefore stopping reproduction. If fleas are a problem, then you also have to treat the environment your shar pei dog lives in by removing fleas from your house and yard.
Richard Cussons knows that the shar pei dog is associated with some dermatological issues. Check out sharpeisavvy.com to know more about shar peis and discover effective shar pei training tips
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Your Options in Shar Pei Training
Your Options in Shar Pei Training
By Richard Cussons
When you decide to give your shar pei the training he needs, begin as soon as you can. Puppies start learning the moment they are home; so get their brains going on the good stuff! But what is good with training is that it is never too early, but also never too late. Most dog owners get their pups to obedience classes while they are six months old. On the other hand, an older dog will appreciate the mental stimulation that a fun training class can give him.
A variety of dog training professionals can be consulted nowadays, which also means a wide variety of obedience training available. These conventional types of training fall into either the traditional training category (aversive methods to teach the dog what not to do), or the positive reinforcement or motivation based training category (focuses on your relationship with your dog and how to make it part of your family). The former type taught the dog to perform and deliver well what is asked of him, since if he does not, he suffers from a strong reminder. But this not the present case, since dogs these days are more and more of a family member. A common duty for them would involve keeping the couch warm and playing with the kids.
The traditional trainer will use methods that will teach your dog to obey you in order to avoid experiencing physical harm, or that will physically stun the dog into obedience. Trainers like these often use a choke collar or a pinch collar. Even if there is now more use of food rewards among these trainers to foster better behavior, there is still nevertheless the presence of harsh, painful and sometimes dangerous means, and many dog owners know that fear can actually lead to more aggressiveness. But this is unsurprising just the same since the chains and collars usually do not have instructions attached, therefore leading to unpredictable results. Even properly handled dogs trained on choke chains risk developing spinal injuries from repeated jerking on the cervical spine. Thus, these devices seem to be unnecessary, extra steps in your shar pei training, or any training for that matter.
Positive shar pei training simply means training the dog to pick up the appropriate manners, and then rewarding him for doing it. He must choose to offer the correct behavior so that he gains privileges, food or acceptance, which eventually means an easier way to remember the desirable behavior. In time, the dog will want to act out what we want for him. But at the root of all this is the proven idea that dogs are opportunists; they do everything because they get something out of it. The task for every dog owner is to be sure the dog gets what he wants only by doing the behaviors you want.
Richard Cussons is a dog lover who believes that the shar pei breed makes great pets. Find out if this breed is right for you and how to achieve success in shar pei training by checking sharpeisavvy.com.
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Scabies on Dogs - What You Need to Know
Scabies on Dogs - What You Need to Know
By Jeffrey Grill
Scabies on dogs is caused by a mite which burrows into your dog's skin. The mite will remain for its lifecycle of 21 days and spread to other areas if left untreated. The mites prefer living on dogs, and those that might jump to a human host will not live long. Humans are what is known as an accidental host.
Mite infestations spread from dog to dog through close contact. While you should clean a dog's environment to make sure all mites are removed, most cases are from direct contact.
Symptoms of scabies on dogs usually appears on the elbows, ears, chest and abdomen. Signs are red bumps called papular eruptions, which can be extremely itchy. The bumps harden and become crusty if your dog keeps on itching them, In severe cases you may notice your dog becoming emaciated (thin, unhealthy.
Diagnosis of scabies on dogs is done through an inspection of your dog's symptoms. Other methods such as a skin scraping can be unreliable since well groomed dogs may test negative due to a condition called Incognito Scabies. What happens is that due to frequent bathing, condition, combing and care the skin is so clean it appears negative. Other tests are available, but visually looking at your dog and making a determination is enough to see if scabies treatment begins to help.
The safest way to treat a dog with scabies is to use a lime-sulfer dip and a medicated miticide shampoo to help kill the mites. The condition may get worse at first before it gets better. Prescription medications have side effects in some dogs are are usually used during a short trial to see how your dog tolerates them. Medications are available orally or via injection (Ivermectin or selamectin).
To prevent scabies in dogs, you should limit contact with other dogs that may have the condition. Dogs that have scabies should be keep away from other dogs until cured.
Jeff Grill is an editor of the Dog Health Guide and has written on many canine health problems. See this site for more information on scabies on dogs and canine mange treatment options.
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