How to reduce dog shedding

Shedding is when a dog loses it’s hair naturally show the can grow in a new coat. All dogs shed. Some breeds do more than others. It can sometimes cause problems for owners. Allergies and cleanliness issues.

Some breeds have a seasonal shedding season in the spring when they lose their winter coats, but if you have a dog indoor dog it may not be outside enough to it naturally know when the season has changed, so they might shed all year round. Also, longhaired dogs seem to shed more, but it’s actually the length of their hair.

The best way to deal with your dog shedding is grooming. You should remove the hair yourself and throw it out rather than let the hair fall out naturally. The more hair you remove, the less you will see it all over your house. Brushing your dog once a day will will help keep the hair away.

Bathing is another way to control your dog’s shedding. A clean coat and skin means will reduce shedding. While bathing your dog, you can remove the loose hair. You should bathe your dog once per week to prevent dryness as dry skin causes more shedding.

If your dog lacks nutrients, some supplements should be taken to reduce shedding. Fatty acid supplements will provide the nutrients for your dog’s skin and coat and will reduce shedding.

Ticks and fleas and other parasites can cause some problems too. Dogs will scratch at them and this may lead to excessive shedding and even bald patches. Fleas and ticks can be removed with insecticides and special formula shampoos.

A stressed dog may lose more hair than usual. Many things can cause your dog to be stressed like environmental changes, someone passing away, or health conditions. Managing stress may solve the problem and reduce shedding. Try to figure what is the cause of their stress and try to handle it with affection, therapy, or even medication. You can discuss it with your vet if it’s needed.

Sometimes unexpected amounts of shedding can be caused by a ringworm, skin infections, stress, mange, and cancer. It is not normal for your dog’s coat to thin as the dog gets older. If your dog's hair loss is abnormal you will see bald spots. If this happens than it’s best to take your dog to the vet.

So the best thing to do is be aware of what your dog needs and give to them. All dogs shed and with these helpful tips, you can reduce that amount of hair that will be shed.

Lucky Dog Mobile Pet Grooming

Why do dogs eat grass

You may be concerned to see your dog eating grass. The reason they do it is mostly because it’s natural to them. Sometimes it happens because of something that is making them sick. Usually it’s because a dog may be bored and is looking for something to chew on.

Most experts agree that eating grass isn’t harmful, but certain herbicides and pesticides used on lawns can be quite toxic if your dog eats it from the from the grass or plants. Fertilizers were one of the top 10 causes of pet poisoning in 2008.

Also, a few house and garden plants are toxic, which could lead to problems if your dog eats on them along with the lawn. Make sure the plants where your dog is eating grass aren’t dangerous. If instead you want your dog stop eating grass entirely, here are a few things you need to know.

The first assumption that is made for why dogs eat grass is that they eat it to force themselves to vomit if they have an upset stomach. It may even be signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), gastrointestinal parasite infestation, metabolic disease, but it mostly to reduce nausea in the dog.

What it could also be is trait that has been passed down through generations of wolves and domestic dogs. There is not one answer to why they started to eat grass in the first place. It may be something leftover from the evolutionary makeup or it could just be that your dog is lacking something in there diet.

You can try adding fresh greens and vegetables or fruits to their diet. Spinach, kale, broccoli, parsley, and pineapple have all will work well. Vegetables are more digestible when steamed and pureed or finely chopped before being incorporated into a dog's meal.

Dogs that eat a diet based in whole foods instead of store bought, non whole-food based dry or canned foods, usually don’t have this grass eating behavior. This high fiber diet can really help. This may be because dogs need to eat this way not just because of parasites but to have healthy a gut.

If your dog is bored than all you need is to be sure that your dog is getting enough exercise and is playing with fun activities. Try tossing a Frisbee or playing another  game with your dog, or buy a chew toy to keep him occupied. With all of that, whatever reason your dog is eating grass for, they should stop.

Lucky Dog Mobile Pet Grooming

How to find and remove ticks from your dog.

One way to prevent ticks is to use anti-tick medicine. This show how to do it on your own if you haven't or the medicine has not worked for your dog.

Ticks tend to stay on dogs for days. To prevent an infection its best to remove the tick as soon as possible. You may get suggestions like using petroleum jelly or burning the tick with a hot match, but its actually a lot simpler.

To find a tick on your dog you should run your hands all over the body. Try looking near the ears neck, skin folds and other ares on the dog. Look carefully at an area that is raised and separate the hair. Make sure you're a well lit room or you could take a flashlight to do this. Depending on kind of tick your dog has, it could be as small as a dot or as big as a bean if it filled with blood. If you live in an area with a lot of ticks than you should check for ticks once or twice a day. If you find one that's embedded, remove right away and properly.

First thing to do would be, wear latex gloves. Use a pair of tweezers or some tick removal tool to grab the tick. This should be done as close to the skin as possible. Be careful that you don't squeeze the tick's body. This may cause bacteria and disease to go into the dog.
Pull the tick straight out from the skin slowly and steadily (without twisting or turning). Some of your dog’s skin may come off with the tick, but this is normal. If the dog starts to bleed, just put some pressure to the wound.

Once its removed, the tick should be handled carefully. You could flush it or burn it. If some part of the tick’s head is still on the dog, use the tweezers to gently pull it out. If some of the head cannot be removed, don't worry. It should fall off over time.

After you have removed the tick, gently clean your dog’s skin at the bite area with mild soap and water or a solution of iodine and water (dilute iodine to the color of weak iced tea). Take the next few days to look at the area in case of any irritation or infection. If the area doesn't clear up in a few days, contact your veterinarian.

Lucky Dog Mobile Pet Grooming

How to clean your dog’s anal glands.

The anal glands don’t really have a purpose in dogs. They’re under the skin just inside the anal opening of your dog. The fluid that builds up can be very unpleasant and can cause problems and infection in the dog. You should ask your vet before attempting to express your dog’s anal sacs for the first time. The process can cause impacted anal glands and sometimes can rupture the sacs. Also, expressing the anal sacs too often can lead to impacted anal glands, and not caring for them enough may lead to infection.

If you're not entirely sure you want to express your dog's anal glands yourself, go ahead and hire trained staff at your veterinary office or a professional to do it. If you’re ready than here is how to clean a dog's anal glands yourself.

You should express the anal glands regularly during bath time. The anal glands or sacs are located just inside the anal sphincter muscle at the bottom left and right, just inside the anal opening. These glands are about the size of a kidney bean normally. When they become full they can enlarge to the size of grapes.

Wear latex gloves. Wet the glove or work in the water and insert the index finger gently just inside the dog's anal opening. This is uncomfortable for the dog, so do this slowly and gently. Use the thumb of the same hand and place it on the outside of the anal opening at bottom left. You should feel the anal gland between your fingers. Gently pinch the anal gland between your fingers and the accumulated secretion should squirt out. You should be able to feel the anal sack shrink in size as you're gently squeezing. Move your fingers to the bottom right position and gently squeeze in the same way.

Repeat this regularly during bath time to keep your dog's anal glands in optimal health. If you can feel the swollen or hardened sacs and the fluid cannot be expressed, then you will need to have your veterinarian do it. The secretion may have thickened and hardened too much to remove yourself.

Lucky Dog Mobile Pet Grooming