We get caught up in the huge learning curve of training a dog, getting it micro chipped, learning the local council rules of registration and learning generally about how to look after a dog. We don’t think about calling the local pet insurer when we bring our new puppy home for the first time and finding out how to get your dog covered.

So what is Pet insurance?

It usually covers your vet bill when you Dog gets ill or injured in an accident and can also cover you if your dog gets lost or stolen or dies.

Why is this important?

When we get a dog we don’t think about it getting sick or ill. Trips to the vet are usually a common occurrence, especially when they are younger. We take our dogs to the vet usually for there routine check and vaccination and the cost of this is fairly modest. What we usually don’t expect is those accidents which occur during the year and leave us with good size vet bills. Normally we have no issues paying what it takes to get our dog fixed up; however it can leave you slightly bitter. Pet insurance helps to cover these costs with a wide range of plans which cover your pets for difference situations. You can get some of the cost of getting your dog fixed and also vaccinations covered or just have it for accidents. Prices vary according to the plan you choose. The benefit I see with Pet insurance is that it covers you for accidents which can give us peace of mind knowing that you aren’t worrying about the huge vet bill. During the time you have a dog it will most likely at some point get ill and it’s rare not to take your dog to the vet a couple of times a year.

A Few things to think about:

It’s important you do your research and look at various companies to find a plan which suits your situation. Costs vary according to the cover you get – usually the more covered your dog, the more it will cost. Pet insurance will usually cover a dog up until a certain age, once a dog reaches that age they will either refuse to cover them or up their premiums. You need to make sure you get a specific diagnosis of your dog’s illness as they can reject claims if it’s not well documented – usually this isn’t a major issue as you can normally just ring up your vet and they can give you all there notes.

Pet insurance won’t be for everyone however it’s well worth investigating as accidents and vet visits are usually a common occurrence when you own a dog.

A good balanced diet can improve the health of your dog. Raw foods, meats, vegetables, fish and eggs can all contribute to a varying diet which gives your dog the variety that it needs.

Teddy’s diet
Teddy, my dog, has a diet which consists of dry food in the morning and raw food at night. I looked at the package of the dry food and saw that it was filled with all sorts of nutrition which I just assumed would fill any lack of nutrition gap. At around age three I noticed that teddy’s coat started to fade and also get quite coarse. His skin would become quite dry and often he would have issue. I read around on the internet on dry skin and found that it might be a lack of oil in the skin due to a not so good diet. Naturally I thought that this couldn’t be an issue with Teddy as his diet is quite good. On reading further they started to talk about fish oil tablets and omega 3 for dogs. I know humans can take fish oil tablets but never really thought dogs could. Reading about how they can improve a dog’s skin and coat I thought I would give it a try, since I did have a spare case of fish oil tablets in the fridge no one was using.

The results of Omega 3 Fish Oil tablets on dog
I gave teddy one whole fish oil tablet every morning with some cheese. Naturally I didn’t expect much to happen as I don’t totally believe this would be a miracle fix to his coat. After one week not a lot had happened and I thought this must be another one of these alternative healing articles which claim more than they deliver. I continued on with the fish oil every morning as I did have 100 tablets and thought I might as well give this a good shot. After a while it became habit to give him a tablet and I soon forgot about his coat. After about a month I was stroking him and I thought his coat feels softer. It was at this point, I wondered if this was the fish oil. Now 3 months on his coat still feels softer than before, its actually quite amazing and didn’t really expect this. I can’t say for sure that it was the omega 3 tablets however it’s the only part of his diet I have changed. Whenever I catch fish now, especially Kahawai I make it a point to feed some to him. I can’t say for sure that Omega 3 fish oil will definitely soften your dogs coat or improve his skin, however on Teddy the results have being very promising.

The main and practical reason we groom dogs is to improve there coat and health.

- Grooming takes away loose hair and dead skin, improving air circulation within the fur and allowing it to breath.

- With regular grooming you can keep an eye on any skin conditions your dog may experience before they get out of hand.

- You will notice any bite marks from fleas or see ticks on your dog. This means you can get proper, effective flea and tick treatment before it gets out of hand.

- Grooming stimulates the lymphatic system, which works similar to a massage in humans.

- Grooming increases the blood flow to hair follicles. This means a healthy shinny coat.

- You can also get a chance to check your dog’s paws and pads out. This can be a common place for grass seeds, cuts and knots.

- Grooming is a great way to bond with your dog.

In today’s world it can be very hard to find time to groom your dog. Lucky for us we have Professional Groomers.

There can be a variety of issues which cause this however most likely the cause is fleas. Often you won’t see them on your dog however you might notice red bites. The reason you might not see fleas is because they often live off the dog in cracks in your home. A flea only needs to feed once every three months, so a dog with many bites could be caused by only a few fleas. Ongoing bites will mean you have a good number of fleas living in your home. Humid conditions, especially after rainfall then a period of sun, will result in eggs hatching and thus more infestation.

Best treatment is first to apply flea control from your Vet. They are the best to advise you because it varies according to your dog’s size and type of coat. The next step is to vacuum your house and often. Make sure you clean your dogs sleeping area and vacuum well where the wall meets the carpet. If you have cats make sure you de-flea them because they are often a cause of bringing fleas into a home. If you own a dog with a non-shedding coat it can also be a good idea to trim its fur shorter than normal. If a dog is able to chew at the flea bites they can swell up into large red marks and cause even more irritation. In very bad cases you can visit your vet and they can provide you with a cream which sooths the itchiness. If flea treatment isn’t working you may need to consider buying a puppy spray and soaking the whole coat. I have had to do this a couple of times with my spoodle and it works very well. Some dogs are allergic to flea bites and they can break out into a rash. You need to watch this as it can lead to anaphylactic shock in worse cases. Other causes of itchiness are toxic plants, splinters (especially on decks), pollen allergies and other insect bites such as spiders. If you are unsure take them to the vet for a quick check

These days you can purchase some really good beds or with some simple materials you can make your own. When you look for a place to put your dog’s bed you need to think about a well ventilated area that’s not in the sun. It needs to be an area which can be cleaned easily and away from high foot traffic areas – so away from the front door.

The best dog beds I have found have a padded bottom are made from washable materials and have walls. The walls allow your dog to have an extra feeling of security and relax them more. Inside the dog bed I put a sheep skin, which I find they really love. If you don’t want to buy a dog bed you could also just use blankets and shape them into a bed. Often it can be a good idea to make the bed in the corner of a room so that they don’t have to worry about what’s behind them and have one way of entry.

The main reasoning behind a dog bed is that it’s a place your dog can go and feel this is its own space. It will help to create a well balanced dog and often can fix behavioral issues.

Cataracts are opacities within the lens that may affect a small portion of the lens or the entire lens. These opacities vary from an incipient form (barely discernible ie retina easily seen), to a mature (retina not seen) to a hypermature or Morganian cataract (parts of retina seen as lens cortex or the “egg-white clears”). Most cataracts develop as a result of abnormalities in metabolic pathways but the precise mechanisms are poorly understood and still the subject of a lot of investigation. I make the analogy when explaining to clients, that the lens is becoming more hard-boiled as the cataract develops.

What is not cataract

The most common change in the lens which is mistaken for cataract is nuclear sclerosis. All dogs from eight years of age onwards undergo a process whereby the lens nucleus becomes more-dense. This gives the pupillary area a greyish appearance but the retina can be easily examined using an ophthalmoscope. It is possible to have nuclear sclerosis and cataract coexisting, in which case retinal detail will gradually be lost.

Why did my dog develop cataract ?

Heredity, metabolic diseases, senile changes, trauma, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, drugs, radiation therapy and inflammation will cause cataracts in dogs. The major causes in NZ are:

• Heredity — inherited cataracts affect a large number of breeds in New Zealand. Most cataracts are recessively inherited and many will progress to complete blindness in the affected individual. In a breed such as the Bichon Frise, the development may not be bilateral and cataract development in one eye can precede the development in the other by several months or a year. Breeds such as the miniature schnauzer, Boston terrier and Staffordshire Bull terrier will develop cataract as early as three months of age and be totally blind by 2-3 years. Some breeds such as the Labrador retriever, Golden retriever and standard poodle have an inherited cataract form which in most cases does not progress to blindness but nevertheless is not desirable in breeding programmes.
• Metabolic Disease — the most common seen by myself is diabetes mellitus. Up to 60 or 70% of diabetic dogs will develop cataract which is usually of sudden onset (dogs can go from being visual to completely blind within 3-5 days). These animals are usually middle-aged to older and represent a large portion of the cataract patients we see. There are some special considerations both surgically and post operatively with regard to anti-inflammatory treatment one must consider in these cases, but overall the results are extremely gratifying.
• Senile — these can be amenable to surgery but it is essential there is early referral for retinal assessment (Generalised Progressive Retinal Atrophy needs to be ruled out as well as any other coexisting retinal diseases). The situation can then be monitored until the optimum time for surgery is assessed.
• Trauma and inflammation — some of these cases are not amenable to surgical intervention because of intraocular changes such as adhesions and pigment deposition which detracts from an overall successful result. The exception in my experience can be the acute cat-scratch injury in young pups which causes lens damage and secondary cataract. If recognised early, cataract surgery can save an eye and give good useful vision

Diabetic cataract- 6yo crossbred Terrier

How are cataracts treated

It may be argued that an older sedentary dog with cataract and no vision has a good quality of life. This may be so but many of our cataract patients are young to middle-aged dogs and the vast majority of the owners of older dogs, would like to give their aging companion the chance of sight if the choice is available. At this time surgery is the only viable alternative as there is no available product on the market which will remove cataract. Drug therapy in the form of atropine which dilates the pupil can sometimes be used in situations where nuclear (“yolk” or central area) cataract is causing the major visual disturbance, but the cortex (“white” or outer) is relatively clear. From my perspective, I will give you an assessment where the cataract surgery is a viable option or not. I do not question the wisdom or otherwise of cataract surgery in older animals as this is really a decision for the owner — the judgement that “the animal is too old for surgery,” can be offensive to many owners!

What sort of visual function and does the animal have post surgically

• After cataract extraction animals do not require a focusing lens. They do not have the same degree of visual acuity as man and do not require it in their daily lives as they utilise other senses such as hearing and smell.
• The surgery aims to give a blind animal vision and allow it to live a relatively normal life.
• Adequate vision can be achieved without a lens because:

(a) Accommodation in the normal animal is poorly developed and the absence of lens has little effect.

(b) Lens represents only 10-20% of the total optical power of the eye – the cornea is more important for the visual focusing function.

• It will be found that the dog may have some trouble focusing on near objects at first, but will get better at this with time. Far vision will be good. The ability of an animal to approach the normal optical state is more likely to occur the younger the surgery is done!

The visual improvement in a 12-year-old diabetic dog is noticeable within hours of surgery!

It has become possible to distinguish two essential subdivisions of the PRA complex, namely developmental and degenerative. According to whether the photo-receptor disease (i.e. elements in the retina which convert the light energy into electrical energy and give the so called vision in the brain) commences before or after maturation of the retina. As a generalisation it has been noted that in the developmental diseases eg Collie, onset of night blindness tends to occur before the occurrence of obvious changes in the retina when viewed by an ophthalmoscope, while in the degenerative condition eg Labrador, a degree of retinal change is usually present at the time of night blindness onset.

Brushing Dog Teeth

When I visited my local vet they showed me the large range of dog dental care and it wasn’t until then that I relised this wasn’t a joke. Checking my dog’s teeth I noticed straight away a dark brown colour at the top of his K9’s developing. This is a build up of plaque and tartar – now I’m starting to sound like the dentist. It’s true, animals do develop this on there teeth and often are made worse with diets which lack in bones. Raw brisket bones and dental chews will help clean the back of there teeth however it’s the front teeth and k9’s that often get this build up (if your dog doesn’t have raw bones or chew’s it’s most likely you will find a build up on the back teeth as well). If you do notice a build up of plaque and tartar you will need to get your local vet to remove this with a specialist dental tool (this should always be check when you take your dog to the vet for its routine check up). If your dog has really bad teeth then a detailed oral clean maybe required in which may be put under anesthetic. Once this has been removed you can then prevent this by brushing your dog’s teeth using a dog tooth paste and soft brush. There are some good brands out there which are flavored so your dog enjoys it.

If this build up is allowed to continue it can lead to preventable dental disorders such as periodontal disease and also affect the overall health of your dog. It’s a good routine to get into and you should start when your dog is young, that way they will get use to the brushing. If you have never heard of brushing your dog’s teeth and you own an older dog, then there is no better time to start than now. It will only improve your dog’s health and also there breath.

Another issue which can arise is ear infections. Ear infections can be cause by many issues however they tend to arise when your dog’s immune system is low and a graze or minor irritant becomes infected. The infection thrives due to the dark, warm and moist environment inside the ear, especially with dogs with woolly coats. Yeast and bacterial growth will cause an odour in the ears and if the infection is found in only one ear you may find your dog tilts its head to one side attempting to equalise pressure. Common signs are that your dog is more irritable, the ears are warm to touch, possibly more tired and obvious signs such as redness inside the ear. The best treatment is to take your dog to the vet to get the ear checked out and if an infection has occurred then usually it will be fought with antibiotics, cleaning of the ear and also drops or a cream.

It’s important to check your dog’s ears for anything that may have found its way in there. They can range from plant material such as grass seeds or pollen, to sticks from off the beach or even cuts and grazes from rose bushes or black berry bushes. You should be able to check your dog’s ears with a flash light and a quick look inside, however it’s important that you don’t insert anything inside as this can damage the dog’s ear. If there is anything inside causing a problem you should take your dog to the vet to get a thorough check up and let them fix the issue. For a dog with quite a woolly inside ear it’s also possible that a knot can form from small debris inside the ear. If this occurs you should take your dog to the vet and get it removed as they can become infected.  

If your dog is treated with consistent flea and tick treatment then this shouldn’t normally be an issue, however if your dog is not treated they can effect your dogs ears. Ticks and fleas can bite inside your dog’s ears which can cause the bites to get infected or else your dog could have a flea or tick allergy which makes bites swell up and rashes occur. Even a bite outside of the ear can cause an allergic reaction which often shows up as redness inside the ears. The best treatment is to regularly use a flea and tick controller and also to make sure your dogs sleeping area is kept clean by regular vacuuming and also washing of bedding. Fleas usually only need to feed about once every 3months and the rest of the time they live inside small cracks of walls and where the wall meets the carpet or other places which are warm and dark. If an infection or major reaction occurs within the ear you need to take your dog to the vet and get appropriate treatment.

If your dog constantly scratches its ears then it’s possible that this can cause irritation that can make its ears swell up or bleed. Constant scratching is usually an irritation from possibly one of the above reasons. Scratching of the ear usually causes it to become more irritated and often can lead to other issues. Because dog’s claws can harvest bacteria, cuts caused by scratching can become infected. If un-left then your dog will most likely continue with this scratching and often will only get worse. It is normal however for your dog to scratch its ears every so often however if they do get obsessed then it’s important to address this issue.

If your dog does have woolly ears it’s often been a common suggestion to pluck your dogs ears to keep them hair free. Plucking is a personal choice and some people believe it’s a must while others believe it’s unnecessary. The reasoning behind plucking is to help to prevent issues such as knots and build up of junk. However plucking can also cause infections when the plucked area opens a wound and also some dogs are very sensitive in this area and plucking can cause a lot of stress. It’s possible as well that the hair inside the ear is an important part of protecting the inner ear. If your dog doesn’t have any major ear issues then plucking is probably unnecessary, however if health issues arise from excessive hair inside the ear then you maybe advised to look at plucking some hair. Often all that is required is trimming the fur inside the ear and keeping the ears clean. Vets will be the best to advise you if there are some major issues when they do there health check ups.