Learn how to become a Dog Trainer at Animal Behavior College

The ABC program provides students the flexibility to study when it is convenient for them.

Dr. P’s virtual library of info about dog training & behavior. A revision history is available, as well as a listing of awards. This is a noncommercial site sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

It’s never too soon for you to start training a puppy. You can give your puppy as much freedom as possible until he is about 4 to 6 months of age. Of course, that doesn’t include running wild in public places

Dog Health Advice: Identifying Dog Sunburn

Like us humans, dogs need sunlight to help balance their bodies’ levels of calcium with their metabolism.

Yet too much ultraviolet radiation can irritate our dogs’ skin as it does our own, causing sunburn.

Identifying Dog Sunburn

Dog sunburn begins as redness and hair loss

Where sunburn first appears

• bridge of the nose
• tips of the ears
• belly

Dog Sunburn Dangers

• aggravates any existing skin problems
• skin ulcers (sores)
• infection
• cancer

Sunburn and Dog Breed

Pale and short-hair dogs are particularly prone to sunburn, usually on the nose, abdomen, groin, and inside of the legs. Being close to the ground, they not only are affected by the downward sunlight, but also by sun reflecting up from pavement or hot sand.

Some breeds, like Weimaraners and Boxers, are predisposed to cancer. Therefore, they must have extra protection from the sunburns and UV rays to avoid a kind of skin cancer.

How you can protect your pets:

Think about the precautions that you take to prevent yourself from sunburn and UV exposure. You stay out of the sun at the peak hours like noon to 3PM, use sunblock and cover up, don’t you? Those same suggestions can work for your dog.

Here’s more dog health advice:

• Be sure that your dog is inside the house or in a shaded area during the sun’s peak hours, even on overcast days.
• Apply sunblock to the bridge of the dog’s nose, ear tips and other small, sensitive areas whenever the dog is outside for more than a few minutes.
• Consider some sort of covering for your dog. Some veterinarians say that the most important and effective protection is a type of bodysuit for dogs, which is designed to block ultraviolet rays and prevent sunburn.

Our dogs give us hours of pleasure and years of unconditional love. In return, all we must do is love and keep them healthy.

It’s still good dog health advice to let your dog play outdoors. But spare your “best friend” the pain of sunburn and its consequences.

About the Author

About the author: You can read more of Joel Walsh’s articles on dog issues such as Dog Health Advice at: http://www.i-love-dogs.com

Sure, you may be a master of human First Aid. But do you know what to do in a dog health emergency?

Approaching Dog Health Emergencies: Two Steps

1. In any dog health emergency, stay calm and think.
2. Approach the dog cautiously. The dog may become aggressive because of fear or pain. You can’t help the dog if you’re hurt yourself.

Dog Emergency 1: Traffic Accident:

1. If possible, do not to move the dog.
2. Call the nearest Humane Society or ASPCA office.
3. If the animal workers can’t or won’t come and you must move the dog, slide a blanket under the animal. Lift the animal to safety with the help of another person.
4. Check for a heartbeat and bleeding. Try to stop the excessive loss of blood by holding a clean cloth or pad over the wound and securing it tightly with a makeshift bandage.
5. Take the dog to the nearest vet, calling ahead to prepare them for the emergency.

Dog Heathcare Emergency 2: Burns

1. Immerse the burned body part in cold running water for as long as possible.
2. If the burn is from a caustic substance, wash it off.
3. Call the vet.

Canine Health Emergency 3: Heat stroke

Warning signs: The dog is overheated and without sufficient air. The dog might be panting, vomiting, frothing at the mouth, or already collapsed.

1. Remove the froth,
2. Place or douse the dog with cold water to lower body temperature.
3. Take the dog immediately to the veterinarian for treatment. Treatment usually consists of more cold water, drugs and observation.

Emergency 4: Dog Poisoning

Warning signs: Look for muscular twitching, vomiting, bleeding, convulsion or collapse.

1. Have someone call the vet.
2. Follow the vet’s advice. Different poisoning cases sometimes have to be treated differently.
3. If you know what the poison is, take some of it with you to the vet’s office.

Emergency 5: Dog Choking

1. Open the dog’s mouth carefully and try to see what is causing the problem. It could be anything: a small ball, bone, stick, meat wrapping.
2. Pump the chest by pressing down on the ribs and releasing immediately at 5-second intervals.
3. If this doesn’t dislodge the object within a few moments, rush the dog to the nearest animal hospital to have the foreign object removed under anesthetic.

Dog Emergency 6: Drowning

1. Remove the dog from the water.
2. Try to get the water out of the dog’s lungs as soon as possible by pumping the chest as for choking (see above).
3. Take the dog to the vet to be checked out.

Hopefully, you will never have to handle any of these emergencies. But if you do, you have the dog health advice that you need. About the Author About the author: You can read more of Joel Walsh’s articles on dog issues such as Dog Health Advice at: http://www.i-love-dogs.com

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