Dog Skin Care During the Winter Months

Just as harsh temperatures and dry air take a toll on your hands and face, your pet's skin is vulnerable to the winter weather too. Your dog's skin can become chapped and cracked and raw as a result of those bone-chilling wintry blasts. At this time of year, it is important to pay particular attention to your dog's skin care needs.

Even during the cold months, your dog needs her daily outdoor exercise. Tender dog paws and paw pads make direct contact with snow, slush and ice during those walks. Proper dog skin care in the cold months includes towel-drying her paws after outdoor time and then gently rubbing some Vaseline into your pooch's paw pads. This helps protect those pads from drying out and cracking. If your pet will put up with doggie socks or booties while taking a walk, by all means, put them on!

Speaking of doggie boots, you might want to think about buying a fetching sweater for your canine this winter too. Doggie sweaters are not just for family Christmas photos. They hold in body heat which is soothing to her skin.

Since your dog will be mostly indoors during the winter, she won't need to be bathed as frequently as other times of the year. Even if your dog spends a good deal of time outdoors, reduce the number of baths she receives. Each bath removes some of the natural oils that keep her skin supple. When you must bathe her, look for moisturizing bath products to ensure the best dog skin care.

Finally, don't assume that your dog's chafed skin is necessarily weather-related. Sometimes skin rashes and dry spots can be an allergic reaction. Talk to your vet if you suspect allergy problems.

Don't deprive your dog of her need for regular exercise just because the weather is frosty. She not only looks forward to these times with you - she needs them. If your dog is suffering from chapped skin this winter, there are products to make her feel better and promote healing. ProLabs is an online purveyor of veterinarian-strength products including a soothing skin treatment for dogs.

Caring for Your Dog During a Disaster

Natural and man-made disasters or emergencies can happen anywhere, and often with little or no warning. Whether you are dealing with the aftermath of a tornado, coping with a hurricane, or recovering from an earthquake, your dog will be impacted as much as the members of the human pack. In fact, dealing with a disaster is probably more difficult for dogs because they have no way to understand what is actually happening.

However, a bit of preparation and planning on your part can help your pet to survive even the most difficult situations with as little trouble as possible.

Anyone who has seen coverage of the aftermath of disasters like the 2011 Japan tsunami, Hurricane Sandy, or tornadoes knows how confused and disrupted life has become. Both people and animals are dazed, and many are injured. In these circumstances, dogs can easily become separated from their owners, and if there is no way to identify the dog, reunion will be unlikely.

Most dogs wear collars or harnesses, and making sure that your dog's license, at the very least, is attached to the collar can help to return a lost pet. Tags are also available that will give detailed contact information, including the owner's address and phone number.

Micro-chipping is an excellent way to help track down a missing dog. A tiny microchip is injected into the skin on the dog's shoulders that contains information on tracking the dog. This is a painless procedure that is low in cost. Universal microchips are now used that will identify a lost dog at any shelter, and nearly every veterinary office in the country.

It is recommended that every household have a 3 days' supply of food and water on hand, and this should include the needs of your dog, as well. As far as water is concerned, this translates into 1 gallon per person per day. This is also a sensible guideline that should also be followed for your pup. While a small pup will not use nearly that much water, the extra can always come in handy for other purposes.

Among the family's emergency supplies should also be food for the dog. Disaster supplies for dogs are available, but your pet's ordinary food can also be put aside, although this will not have as long a shelf life as food designed specifically for emergency purposes. Rotate food when the expiration date approaches, and keep bags sealed until they will be used.

Keeping warm is another consideration when your dog is involved in a disaster. Although certain breeds of dog are very cold tolerant, many are not, and suitable dog clothing and extra blankets for your pooch should be a part of the household emergency supplies. Towels to dry off a wet dog can help to keep it from developing hypothermia.

If your dog is taking medication on a regular basis, you should have a supply that will see it through 2 weeks if necessary. Make sure you have the name and phone number of your veterinarian and a copy of the prescription. A dog first aid kit can help you to treat any minor injuries that may occur during the crisis.

Dogs can easily become confused and disoriented during an emergency - even in their own yards. Because panic might cause the dog to run off, he or she should be kept on a leash at all times when going outside the house.

Standing water can conceal a number of dangers for your dog, such as broken glass and other sharp objects, downed electrical lines, and bacteria and viruses. Do not allow your dog to either walk through flood waters or drink from them.

No one can do much to prevent a disaster or emergency from happening, but understanding the needs of your pet under these circumstances will increase the chance that he or she will come through it unscathed.

Ivan's Puppies has been breeding and training puppies for over 30 years. Our hard work has been paying off, as now we are proud to be breeding Bulldog litters with excellent quality, with little to no health problems and good temperaments. For English Bulldog Puppies, visit our website at BulldogsNewYork.com

Caring for Your Dog During a Disaster

Natural and man-made disasters or emergencies can happen anywhere, and often with little or no warning. Whether you are dealing with the aftermath of a tornado, coping with a hurricane, or recovering from an earthquake, your dog will be impacted as much as the members of the human pack. In fact, dealing with a disaster is probably more difficult for dogs because they have no way to understand what is actually happening.

However, a bit of preparation and planning on your part can help your pet to survive even the most difficult situations with as little trouble as possible.

Anyone who has seen coverage of the aftermath of disasters like the 2011 Japan tsunami, Hurricane Sandy, or tornadoes knows how confused and disrupted life has become. Both people and animals are dazed, and many are injured. In these circumstances, dogs can easily become separated from their owners, and if there is no way to identify the dog, reunion will be unlikely.

Most dogs wear collars or harnesses, and making sure that your dog's license, at the very least, is attached to the collar can help to return a lost pet. Tags are also available that will give detailed contact information, including the owner's address and phone number.

Micro-chipping is an excellent way to help track down a missing dog. A tiny microchip is injected into the skin on the dog's shoulders that contains information on tracking the dog. This is a painless procedure that is low in cost. Universal microchips are now used that will identify a lost dog at any shelter, and nearly every veterinary office in the country.

It is recommended that every household have a 3 days' supply of food and water on hand, and this should include the needs of your dog, as well. As far as water is concerned, this translates into 1 gallon per person per day. This is also a sensible guideline that should also be followed for your pup. While a small pup will not use nearly that much water, the extra can always come in handy for other purposes.

Among the family's emergency supplies should also be food for the dog. Disaster supplies for dogs are available, but your pet's ordinary food can also be put aside, although this will not have as long a shelf life as food designed specifically for emergency purposes. Rotate food when the expiration date approaches, and keep bags sealed until they will be used.

Keeping warm is another consideration when your dog is involved in a disaster. Although certain breeds of dog are very cold tolerant, many are not, and suitable dog clothing and extra blankets for your pooch should be a part of the household emergency supplies. Towels to dry off a wet dog can help to keep it from developing hypothermia.

If your dog is taking medication on a regular basis, you should have a supply that will see it through 2 weeks if necessary. Make sure you have the name and phone number of your veterinarian and a copy of the prescription. A dog first aid kit can help you to treat any minor injuries that may occur during the crisis.

Dogs can easily become confused and disoriented during an emergency - even in their own yards. Because panic might cause the dog to run off, he or she should be kept on a leash at all times when going outside the house.

Standing water can conceal a number of dangers for your dog, such as broken glass and other sharp objects, downed electrical lines, and bacteria and viruses. Do not allow your dog to either walk through flood waters or drink from them.

No one can do much to prevent a disaster or emergency from happening, but understanding the needs of your pet under these circumstances will increase the chance that he or she will come through it unscathed.

Ivan's Puppies has been breeding and training puppies for over 30 years. Our hard work has been paying off, as now we are proud to be breeding Bulldog litters with excellent quality, with little to no health problems and good temperaments. For English Bulldog Puppies, visit our website at BulldogsNewYork.com