Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know...

Some Dogs like Boxers unfortunately, are prone to several potential health problems such as:

- Skin allergy

- Food allergy

- Cancer

- Hip dysphasia

- Bloat

- Heart ailments

- Hypothyroidism

- Fleas

- Worms

Knowing what they are will help you to better monitor your pet''s health and to gather the pertinent information, in case of an illness, that would assist your veterinarian to administer the correct diagnosis and treatment. Below are some common afflictions of Boxers.

Alapechia (Lost of hair on the trunk)

Seems to be more common in male Boxers.

One, which died at the age of 12 years and 4 months, was diagnosed with seasonal alopecia. "He used to go bald once a year but the hair always grew back on," said its owner.

Bloat

Gastric torsion or GDV or bloat in your Boxer can be life threatening so bring him to the veterinarian immediately.

The stomach gets filled with air and twisting and this can happen suddenly. The symptoms include restlessness, drooling and nausea and the stomach is bloated (distended abdomen). Your Boxer may vomit and continue to retch but nothing would come out.

Cancerous and benign tumors

Boxers are highly prone to cancer.

So any time you see a bump on your Boxer, you should check it out. About 20 out of 100 cases are cancerous.

Watch out for both external and internal lumps, eye ulcers or cherry eye as they called it, as well as dermodicosis or skin sores.

Mast cell tumors are malignant and they do not occur very often but can form either in the skin or within the body.

The related disorders reported along such tumors are round raised masses in the skin of your Boxer, lack of appetite, vomiting and abdominal pain. Check for tarry stools due to bleeding in the upper intestinal tract.

Boxers of any age can develop mast cell tumor but older ones, above 8 years, are more prone to it.

Never take tumors in your Boxers lightly, even a small one! The veterinarian would usually have them removed immediately because of their high susceptibility to cancer.

One owner noticed her Boxer had a bump the size of a mosquito bite that did not go away even after 10 days. The vet diagnosed it a malignant tumor and removed it the very next day. The owner felt so relieved that the tumor was removed before the cancer had a chance to spread.

Another owner found both his Boxer girls had lumps and had it checked out immediately. The vet removed the lumps due to their breed and the Boxers were all fine now!

Yet another owner was not so lucky.

"I have had the pleasure of raising two great Boxers but both passed away much too young of cancer. The last one, Nick, died one week after being diagnosed with anal cancer. It spread rapidly and he was only 7 years old!"

Part 2 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health2.php
Part 3 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health3.php

Daniel Lesser
Dog and Puppy Articles, Pictures and Resources http://www.thingsfordogs.com', 196, 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know..., Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... plus articles and information on Pets

Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know, Part 3...

Continued from part two.

Epilepsy/seizure disorder

When your Boxer is between 2 to 5 years old, he may develop seizure disorder.

When he has an epilepsy attack, he''d be unconscious and may look like he is not breathing but he is. He is not suffering.

The information that would be important to your veterinarian regarding such episodes includes:

> Duration of the attack

> The type of muscular activity your Boxer exhibits during seizure

> Any abnormal behavior during the attack

> Frequency of the seizure

What you do in such instances is not panic and time the attack by actually looking at a watch or clock.

It may only take place for 30 seconds but may seem forever to you. You need a veterinarian if it lasts more than 5 minutes.

Emergency treatment is definitely called for if your Boxer goes into seizure for 10 minutes or longer, twice in the span of 24 hours, or if he has a second attack before he could completely recover from the first seizure attack.

Remain by your Boxer''s side; be there when he comes out of the seizure to calm him. Stroke and comfort him.

To keep your Boxer from hurting himself during the seizure, move away furniture from the immediate area and protect him from water, the stairs and any sharp objects. If you can, place a pillow under his head to protect him from head trauma.

Unlike seizure attacks in human, animals do not swallow their tongue. So you don''t have to put your hand or spoon or any other object into your Boxer''s mouth when he has an attack. You might get bitten.

Also, keep children and other pets away from your sick Boxer.

Coming out of the seizure, your Boxer will be groggy, confused and feel like he has done something wrong. He may make unusual sounds and stumble around.

Do not allow him on the stairs until he has fully recovered. In the mean time, sooth him by talking to him softly, offer him some water, stroke and comfort him.

And if he doesn''t recover fully after 30 minutes, consult your veterinarian or any emergency vet facility.

Flea-infected Boxers

Flea-infected Boxers can develop skin diseases especially those allergic to fleas.

Black specs in the fur and bite marks on the skin tell if your Boxer has them. To check further, spread some newspapers and place your Boxer on top. Brush him and look for the black specs falling off.

Fleas live up to 6 weeks, feeding on blood and during that time would have laid hundreds of eggs that mostly land on your Boxer''s bedding, carpets and other favorable nests around your home.

The eggs hatch into larvae that seek nice, dark places while feeding on flea''s droppings, dust, human shed skin, dandruff and other such tasty morsels.

The larvae turn into hardy pupae that could survive for months before changing into adult fleas.

Fleas are host to tapeworms. Both problems are likely to occur together in your Boxer and, therefore, the treatments are also usually given together by the vet.

A bit of garlic a day may keep the fleas away from your Boxer.

Heart ailments

-Bradycardia or slow heart rate may be a symptom of thyroid disorder in Boxers.

-Dialated cardiomyopathy constitutes a serious, emergency case.

Your dog may collapse from it or the back legs have sudden pain and paralysis.

It is a serious heart condition whereby the heart muscle is enlarged and thin walled. Your Boxer will experience shortness of breath, coughing and can''t take to exercise.

Another serious heart condition is called cardiac conduction disease that is affecting Boxer''s longevity. It was previously known as Boxer cardiomyopathy but the new term is used to differentiate it from dilative cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac conduction is difficult to deal with due to 3 factors.

-One is many Boxers will not show any symptom (asymptotic) but will just drop dead suddenly from it.

-The Boxers develop this disease later in life, often after they have been bred.

-There was no good screening method for it until the one recently developed by Ohio State University researchers, called the 24-hour Holter monitor test.

However, there is still no assurance that Boxers "cleared" now from cardiac conduction disease by the Holter test will remain so in the future.

Many breeders and Boxer experts are now working to refine the test procedures, expand the database and come up with a guideline to select only, for breeding purposes, those Boxers with high probability of being free of the disease.

There are also concerns elimination of too many dogs from the gene pool would be bad for the breed diversity and could cause more problems in the future. Some opinions hold that extensive culling should only get done after more studies on genetic diversity in Boxers.

Hip dysplasia

This is a bone disorder whereby there is an improper fit of the large femur bone with the hip socket, causing lots of pain and lameness.

It occurs more in males

This articles is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health3.php

Part 1 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health.php
Part 2 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health2.php

Daniel Lesser
Dog and Puppy Articles, Pictures and Resources http://www.thingsfordogs.com', 196, 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know, Part 3..., Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know, Part 3... plus articles and information on Pets

So are you ready for a Boxer Dog?...

An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness.

This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or from a pet shop that get their animals only from known breeders.

Exercise prudence if you are getting your Boxer puppy from pet stores, which often get their supply from breeders of unknown reputation.

These "puppy mills" as they are called are not known to put much emphasis on the quality and health of pups they are producing.

Reputable breeders would adhere to the accepted standards for Boxers in terms of uniformity in the breed, good health, temperament, size and color.

Reputable breeders would be able to show the pedigree and registration papers and/or pictures of the parent dogs that may reside somewhere else.

Professional breeders are also there to produce dog show champions or prospects.

Even if you are not looking to raise a show champion Boxer, known breeders can provide you with some "best buy" puppies because not all the puppies in a litter are show prospect/champion materials.

But the full litter would have had benefited from the same proven bloodlines, nutrition and medical care. So you can choose from among the good-looking brothers or sisters of potential champion for a bargain.

Your other source option is animal shelters that in the US alone receive up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year, and about 25% of them are purebred. Paying the adoption fee is a lot cheaper than the price you will pay to a breeder or pet store, and you will be saving a life.

The definition of good stock or purebred must include beauty, and in a Boxer good look means the coat is fawn and brindle, with the white markings or "flash" covering not more than one-third of the entire coat.

Sometimes the distribution of the "flash" alone may make the difference between a show champion and just a pet Boxer.

The all-white Boxer or "check" is prone to blindness and deafness, and the American Boxer Club members are not to register, sell or use the "whites" for breeding.

When it comes to choosing male or female Boxers, there are not much clear-cut differences in their personalities.

At times, the male is calmer, more tolerant of other dogs, willing to hold still for those hugs than the female. But at other times, the female can be so. One owner said the female Boxer is hyper and more aggressive especially toward other females, and that the aggression has increased as the female gets older.

Daniel Lesser
Dog and Puppy Articles, Pictures and Resources http://www.thingsfordogs.com/choosing-your-dog.php', 196, 'So are you ready for a Boxer Dog?..., Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'So are you ready for a Boxer Dog?... plus articles and information on Pets

Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards...

Potty Training Your Puppy:

Make sure you feed your dog at regular times every day as this makes bathroom breaks regular as well. Feed your puppy 2-3 times a day.

As soon as he is finished eating, take him to a grassy "potty area". Speak the words "go potty" or "go in the grass" before and while he is eliminating. Be sure to praise him when he is done.

What you are doing is building word associations with the dog that will allow you to encourage his potty activity on command.

This comes in handy when you and your dog are at unusual locations and at pit stops during long haul travel. It also saves you from cleaning unwanted fecal material off the carpet at home.

It is a good idea to train your puppy to use a place where you can easily clean up and dispose of the droppings into the sewer. This is because worms that infect dogs and make them sick get spread around through the eggs or larvae found in the feces. Some, like the roundworm, can also infect children.

Reprimanding Your Puppy:

Talk to puppies like you would to children when they do something wrong.

Tell them "no" and show them immediately what the correct behavior should be and reward them for doing it right. After a few times they''ll know how to do it right.

For example, tell him "NO" when you catch him chewing the shoes. Then immediately give him his own toys to chew and cheer him on to chew on the toys. Praise him for doing so.

Use sparingly those reprimanding words like "No," "Stop that," "get off" and "bad dog!" Instead use more praises to reward good behavior in your dogs, this way the reprimands will take on stronger meaning.

A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate.

Only reprimand when you catch your dog doing something wrong, and punish only with your voice.

Hitting, kicking, slapping or spanking your dog can create more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. You may just end up with a barking and chewing dog, one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive.

If you really have to spank one with your hand, just slap him across the behind.

Repetition and Rewards:

Repetitions are a crucial aspect of any dog''s training. You should always reward them for doing something right while training. The more often he is rewarded, the better and quicker he will learn. Create situations where your dog can get plenty of practice at doing the right things.

Be sure to praise and love on him when he does a good job. This is simple but not always easy to do. Bad behaviors like biting, constant yelping and barking and tearing the house apart get our immediate notice. What we easily forget to acknowledge are the good parts - when the dog is lying down quietly, chewing on his own toys, leaving the carpet unsoiled.

Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining your dog''s good behavior and preventing him from getting into trouble.

Dog Toys, Games and Treats:

Foods, treats or praise will bring out the best responses from your dogs during training.

Treats can come in the form of their favorite food, toy or something they really love to do.

Some favorite treats are ice cream, cheese, ham and chicken. One Boxer dog even fancies a handful of ice cubes to crunch on though he''s not thirsty. Test human food treats a little at a time though, because some dogs can be sensitive to certain things. Milk products for instance, can give a puppy diarrhea.

The all time dog favorites of fetching, tug-of-war, and hide and seek games can be made more treasured using your dog''s favorite ball or toy, and giving him plenty of stroking in between throws.

Daniel Lesser
Dog and Puppy Articles, Pictures and Resources http://www.thingsfordogs.com', 196, 'Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards..., Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards... plus articles and information on Pets

How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business

Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a pet-sitting business?" I try to answer their question succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting business, or any business is not always a succinct process. Following are 21 tips that I know can lead to pet-care business success in any economy.

1. Accept what you don''t know. Not everyone who starts a pet-care business is an expert on every type of household pet. Be honest with clients who call requesting care for a pet you''ve never cared for. Your honesty and commitment to learning from them will go a long way in building long-term trust in you and your company.

2. Commit to learning about business. Unless you''ve run a series of successful small businesses before, you must create a self-education plan for yourself. No matter how much you love animals (and they love you) your business will flounder without attention to the mundane details of accounting, sales, marketing and filing.

3. Have a realistic budget. Set up a realistic budget for running your business. Be honest about how much money you need in order to pay your bills and invest in your business. Many pet-sitting businesses close because the owner did not evaluate how many visits they would need to perform in order to meet their basic financial needs.

4. Evaluate the competition. Make sure you understand what the other pet-sitters in your area are already doing, and what you can do better or more efficiently. If there are no other pet sitting companies in your area, find out what your potential customers currently do to care for their pets when they can''t be there.

5. Set realistic rates. Yes, you love pets and you can''t believe that you can get paid to have fun ? that''s what a great many star athletes say too, yet they manage to make millions of dollars each year. You won''t likely be able to draw clients in by charging thousands of dollars for your services, but you won''t be able to serve pets well if you quit in 6 months because you need more money to survive.

6. Listen to pet-lovers. Ask pet owner''s what is most important about their pet''s care. Never imagine that you know everything ? a pet owner always knows their pet best. Listen and you will learn how to serve them better.

7. Enjoy the people. I often joke that "Until that puppy can write a check, I work for his Mom!" And it''s true. The people who love their pets are your customers ? even if you don''t see them. Check in with them and find out how they feel about your service. Make sure they understand that you are happy to work with them and you appreciate being part of their care giving ''family.''

8. Make business decisions. You are in business, so treat yourself like a business owner. If you intend to work as a sole proprietor, make a decision to work only with the clients that contribute the most to your bottom-line.

9. Build Alliances. Work with the other pet-sitters in your area. If you need a back-up or you are booked, you need to know the other quality caregivers who service your area. You can ruin your great reputation simply by recommending someone who doesn''t live up to your standards.

10. Build alliances with other small business owners in your area. Who better understands the ''downside'' of pet ownership than the dry cleaner or housekeeping service in your neighborhood? Their businesses are based partially on the pet-owning clients in your area. Ask to place your cards in their shops, or if you can run put a flyer in their monthly bills sent to their clients.

11. Serve the client, not your ego. It''s a heady experience to feel the power of running a business and sometimes you will think you know what''s best when caring for someone else''s pets. Realize that you need to ride the fine line between educating customers and talking down to them.

12. Be genuine. Everyone wants to work with someone "real." When people are making decisions about letting a stranger into their home to care for their most precious possession, they want to feel that you are a real human being with an understanding and appreciation of their relationship with their pet. You need to be a business person with a heart ? have all your forms and policies in place, but let your personality shine through.

13. Believe in yourself. This is the most important success factor I have found. Define your success by your rules and wake up every day with the knowledge that you can and will succeed.

14. Ignore the naysayers. Plenty of people are going to doubt you when you tell them this is your goal. Don''t listen. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and never stop moving forward.

15. Create systems to work smarter. Everything can be systemized to help you get everything done. Make a list of all your ''must dos'', ''should dos'' and ''want-to-dos'' and determine how often they happen (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily). Sit down with a calendar and plug in the activities that will accomplish your lists.

16. Network. Just like building alliances, you need to step up your ''face-time'' in your community. Investigate several networking opportunities in groups that are industry specific (like pet-rescue organizations, pet-sitter networks) and business or community specific (like the Chamber of Commerce, or NAWBO). After visiting several, select the ones that are most effective for your business ? both in terms of referrals for new business and for educational purposes.

17. Evaluate. If something is working (or not) for you ? find out why. Ask questions of everyone ? your happy (and unhappy) clients. Find out what keeps happy customers coming back. If someone decides not to hire you for their pet''s care, ask them what influenced their decision. If their decision was based on an area where you can''t compromise - you won''t provide every other day service for cats ? move on. If it''s something you can improve upon - they thought you were too abrupt on the phone ? fix it! Get to the heart of what drives your business and take time each day to improve.

18. Set goals and action plans. You must know what your objectives are for you and your business. When you envision your life in a year, three years and ten years, what will you be doing? How will your business be running? Whether you intend to serve ten clients for life, or you want to establish the top pet-sitting franchise in North America and Europe ? you need to have a goal and a plan.

19. Find your niche and stick to it. When I started peggiespets.com, I was intimidated by narrowing to a niche. By defining your niche and marketing to them, you are not turning away other business (our niche is big dogs and puppy potty training) you can continue to accept all the business you want that is outside of your niche (ask all the terriers, birds and rabbits we care for!).

20. Strive for success everyday. Never compromise your ideals to meet someone else''s expectations. The reason you started your own business is because of your passion, so always stand by your convictions and work hard to exceed your expectations each day.

NOTE: You''ll encounter people who don''t do business the way you do, and you''ll find clients that don''t live up to your expectations?don''t lecture, don''t get on your soapbox, just politely point them in a different direction.

21. Help someone else succeed. The more you give away, the more you will receive. Whether you are helping another pet-care business get started (with more than 65 million dogs and 77 million cats in American households according to APPMA? there''s room for more pet-care providers!) or you''re helping another person achieve their dream, you will be more successful because you participated!

Follow these tips to achieve your own brand of pet-care business success!

About The Author

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey is the founder of Pet Care Business University and the Pet-Care Business Success System?. She is the author of several articles on small business success and has been radio guest on "This Week in Small Business" on the topic of Customer Satisfaction. As a trainer and coach she has helped people across the country create and build the pet-care business of their dreams. Visit http://www.peggiespets.com for more information.

peggie@peggiespets.com', 196, 'How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business, Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'How to Start a Pet-Sitting Business plus articles and information on Pets

Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... Part 2

Cryptorchidism is peculiar to male dogs and a condition present at birth.

The testicle/s, which developed in the abdomen, fail to descend into the scrotum. The usually underdeveloped and non-functional testicle/s should be removed, as it could turn cancerous later in life.

If the condition remains after the puppy is more than 2 months old, then the chances are it will remain so permanently.

Eye ulcers, if caught early, are easy to treat. Late treatment can be expensive for you as well as painful for your Boxer.

Dermodicosis or non-contagious mange first appears as numerous patches anywhere on the Boxer''s skin. The hair will fall off, leaving bald patches in large areas, and the bald skin starts to break down, turning into crusty sores.

Atopy is itchy (pruritic) skin disease caused by allergy to something the Boxer breathes in or touch.

It cannot be cured and is the number two common allergic skin condition in dogs, after flea allergy dermatitis. Having fleas would make it worse for your Boxer.

A Boxer suffering from atopy would have itchiness particularly on the hands and feet.

He''d be chewing his paws, scratching his ears, shaking its head, scratching the muzzle or rubbing it on the ground. These same symptoms can also be brought about by food allergy.

Acne in young dogs shows as red bumps (papules) and blackheads (comedones) on the chin and lips.

Shorthaired dogs like Boxers are more likely to get them. And like in human, they start getting acne around puberty, but the problem would usually go away after one year old or so.

However, you may have to help with some topical gel medication similar to the one used by teenagers. Such lesions may become infected and develop pus, which becomes itchy for your Boxer and he starts rubbing his face in the carpet or against furniture.

Urinary incontinence in dogs can be due to a neurological lesion - something not normal with the parts of the nervous system that deal with urine regulation.

A Boxer with incontinence will dribble urine and if a neurologic lesion is the cause, then this has to be removed.

There are also other reasons not related to the nervous system like congenital defect and bacterial urinary tract infection, also known as bacterial cystitis or bladder stone.

If your Boxer leaves wet spots where he has slept and he has skin irritation from contact with the urine, then he may have incontinence.

However, wet spots around the house alone may simply mean that he drinks a lot more and needs to relieve himself often but you are not allowing him outside frequently enough. Straining while urinating and blood in the urine are two signs of bladder stone.

Deafness

Boxer is among the more than 35 breeds of dogs on record to have hereditary sensorineural deafness.

The condition cannot be reversed with medications, surgery or hearing aids. Dogs also could become deaf from old age, toxicosis or infection.

How do you tell if your Boxer is deaf?

He doesn''t respond to spoken commands and only responds to you when he sees you.

He keeps shaking his head and pawing his ears or turns in the wrong direction when you call him.

He sleeps more than normal and would not wake up till you physically touch him.

But not to worry, you can still have a wonderful companion in your deaf Boxer through sign language.

Dogs have been known to learn as many as 65 command words in sign language. These include signs for, among others, "stop", "potty", "drop it", "stay", "lay down", "sit", "come" and "cookie".

As extra measures, you want to keep the deaf Boxer in a safe environment as he cannot hear approaching dangers like an approaching car. So keep him on a leash and close to you when in traffic or out for walks.

On his nametag, add the word "deaf" so he will not be misunderstood if he ever gets lost. Some suggest putting a bell as well so you know where to find him if he gets lost.

And finally, if your Boxer tested positive for inherited deafness in one or both ears, do not breed him or her.

Article url: http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health2.php

Part 1 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health.php
Part 3 is available at http://www.thingsfordogs.com/dog-health3.php

Daniel Lesser
Dog and Puppy Articles, Pictures and Resources http://www.thingsfordogs.com', 196, 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... Part 2, Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'Dog Health Conditions and Terms You Should Know... Part 2 plus articles and information on Pets

How to Protect Your Dog and Family from Roundworms

Nearly every puppy in the world is born with roundworms. This is because the roundworm''s larvae are transmitted from the mother to the puppy while it is still in the womb. A female dog can harbor roundworms in her tissue, often making them immune to dewormings. The roundworms then have the opportunity to emerge during pregnancy through the mother''s bloodstream and infect the unborn puppies. Roundworms can also be transmitted to newborn puppies through the mother''s milk during nursing.

Roundworms are also easily transmitted to humans. Young children are most susceptible because they are always sticking their fingers in their mouths! Roundworms are transmitted to humans and dogs through eggs that are in a dog or puppy''s stool. They can either be ingested through direct eating of the stool or by eating something else that has eaten the stool (the dog eats a bird, mouse, etc. that has eaten the dog''s stool).

Everyone should wash their hands frequently after handling the puppy or dog and make sure that all feces is removed from the yard and disposed of on a daily basis. Most infections in people are mild and cause no symptoms at all. However there have been cases of worms migrating to the liver, brain, and eyes.

Symptoms of roundworms in humans include:

? Anemia
? Appetite Loss
? Difficulty Breathing
? Constipation
? Cough
? Cramping
? Diarrhea
? Fever
? Hives
? Itching
? Nausea
? Chest Pain
? Muscle Pain
? Passing of Worms
? Rash
? Skin Lesions
? Swelling
? Vision Disturbances
? Vomiting
? Weight Loss

Infected puppies can become quite ill and heavy infestations may lead to convulsions and even death. Most puppies that die are around the age of two to three weeks old. Puppies should be wormed at ages 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age. Adult dogs should receive yearly stool samples from their veterinarian to check for worms. Roundworms will look like spaghetti in the puppy''s feces.

Symptoms of roundworms in dogs include:

? Potbelly
? Diarrhea
? Gas
? Vomiting
? Lack of Energy
? Slow Growth Rate
? Dull Coat
? Coughing (if immature roundworms have migrated to the puppy''s lungs)

Some dogs may show some or all of these symptoms while others may show no symptoms at all. When adult roundworms are seen in the dog''s stool this is often because of ongoing disease in the bowel or sometimes because the worm burden had become so great that the worms are crowding each other out.

Treatment of roundworms is not dangerous and is highly effective. Buy your wormers from the vet and give them regularly as instructed. The tablets are not difficult to give if you train your dog to take them in tiny bits of cheese or put them into sweets. The best way to protect your family and dogs from roundworms is through a regular program of both medication and prevention (keeping the yard clean of feces).

About the Author:
Jennifer Bryant is a life-long lover of dogs. Jennifer loves and breeds American Pit Bull Terriers in her North Georgia home with her 2 young children. Her love of dogs has inspired her to create a website for herself (as well as other dog breeders) to advertise their occasional litter of puppies and to educate others with dog breed information and useful articles.

Bryant''s Red Devils
Red Nose American Pit Bull Terriers

Puppies and Dogs for Sale .com

This article may be reprinted on your website, but the content and signature of the author must remain intact.', 196, 'How to Protect Your Dog and Family from Roundworms, Pets, Pets articles, Pets information, about Pets, what is Pets, Pet Information', 'How to Protect Your Dog and Family from Roundworms plus articles and information on Pets