Canine Care Guides
Tracheal Collapse
- The trachea is the main airway that starts at the back of the throat and continues down into the lungs. Under normal circumstances, the trachea (made mostly of cartilage) is fairly stiff and shaped like a tube. However, in some dogs, the cartilage of the trachea loses some of its stiffness over time. As a result, the wall of the trachea begins to collapse inward as the dog breathes. Instead of the inside of the trachea being shaped like a circle (tube), it can take on a half-moon shape or collapse even more severely into a more flattened shape. This is what occurs with tracheal collapse.Read More
Training Your Dog
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Obviously, if a dog will be working as a search and rescue dog or service assistance dog, proper training is extremely important. But what if you’re just looking for a dog to share your life and be a couch potato with you? In truth, even companion dogs, large and small breeds alike, need training to learn proper behavior among people and other dogs.
Read More Training Your Dog to Wear a Muzzle
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There is a training technique that can be used to train your dog to wear a nylon or basket muzzle. Your dog should think that learning to wear a muzzle is a fun game. You will know whether you have trained your dog well if he or she looks forward to wearing a muzzle.
Read More Treating Heartworm Disease
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Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition that affects dogs, cats, and up to 30 other species of mammals. It is caused by parasitic worms living in the major vessels of the lungs and, occasionally, in the heart. The scientific name for the heartworm is Dirofilaria immitis.
Read More Trimming Your Dog's Nails
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Nail trimming is an important aspect of grooming your dog. Your dog’s nails should be trimmed when they grow long enough to touch the ground when the dog walks. Dogs that aren’t very active might require weekly nail trimming. Dogs that are regularly walked on sidewalks might never need their nails trimmed. Dewclaw nails need to be trimmed because they don’t wear down from walking. Ask your veterinarian or a veterinary technician to teach you the safest way to trim your dog’s nails.
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