Dog care questions [brainstorming session]

Mordy

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#1
I'm collecting information for an article I want to write and am looking for some volunteers to help out. :)

What do you think are the most frequently asked questions about dog care (includes nutrition also), or what questions do you find yourself reading/hearing frequently? Any ideas that come to mind are welcome.

Examples:
Do dogs need heartworm meds all year round?
Should I give my large breed puppy a calcium supplement?
and so on.

The purpose of this thread is just to gather questions, not to discuss their answers. :)

Thanks to everyone who would like to help out!
 

jess2416

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#2
Well, a question that I have kinda wondered about was,

"How often should you take your pets to the vet just for wellness - checkups?"
 
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#4
Can my dog's DNA be tested to determine breed? (no, all dogs have the same basic DNA in similar sense as all humans have the same DNA)

How much food should my dog be eating? (varies, answer should be accompanied by an appropriate chart listing quantaties of similar corn based feeds [the most popular variety, sorry] and calorie requirements based on rough estimate of daily activity)

Can my dog be given "people" food? (Despite most people telling different stories, people food isn't that different than dog food. More important than variety and whether it came from your table or not is that the dog recieves a balanced and healthy diet...can consist of kibble or a complex variety of "people" food)

When can my dog be spayed/nuetered? (6-weeks is the general time frame, if older then do so as soon as possible if it's the desired route. I strongly suggest all dogs and cats with "questionable" pasts or adoptions be fixed.)

How can I protect my dog from hip dysplasia? (LONG answer...pm or email me if you'd like mine...)

Is it possible to cure "heartworms"? (http://www.placervillevet.com/canine heartworm.htm)

Can Parvovirus be cured? (http://www.workingdogs.com/parvofaq.htm)

How do I remove thick matts without cutting the hair? (I typically would suggest against cutting the hair as sometimes matts can be so tight as to pull the flesh very close to them...my most recent dog actually had matts pulling his skin apart. The best treatment is to rub either liquid fabric softner or hair conditioner into the matts and then start pulling the hear away with a metal comb, very few strands at a time, working from the furthest point of the matt from the skin back toward the body. This requires a lot of patience and a lot of work...be sure to take breaks if the matts are very large.)

Should I dock his/her dew-claws? (I suggest it be done at birth, if it's not then removing them will be very painful [imagine cutting off your thumb with an oversized pair of nail clippers]. Having dew claws is not evidence of having a problem, just the potential. Wait it out, if issues arise then seek advice from your vet concerning treatment and possible removal.)

...all knids of questions...
 

Ash47

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#5
A widely believed myth: A bitch having at least one litter will make her demeanor/temperament more desirable, more loving.

Do dogs see in color or B&W?
Do dogs go to Heaven?
Are dogs related to wolves?
Do dogs establish alpha roles in their packs? OR
Is there a head dog in multi dog households?
Can dogs distinguish between children and adults?
Can dogs sense fear?
Can dogs sense death?
How do dogs know when a storm is coming?
 
T

tessa_s212

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#6
How often should dogs have their nails trimmed? Can *I* trim their nails? How?

Can dogs feel guilt? Do they know when they have been bad?
 

amymarley

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#7
something interesting I found out a few years back when I moved to nevada....
Arizona and Nevada, in that order....have the least mosquitoes...therefore, not a high rate of heart worm. Almost none.... but the vets here still force it on "owners," since I have been here, I have not put my pets on FLEA OR HEARTWORM.... we don't really have fleas here either.

This might be a good topic for you....I would have never guessed it, until living here. We really don't have ticks here either....

Again, Nevada pushes these "drugs" on animal owners. This is the first state, that I have yet to have mosq., fleas, or ticks around.... But again, the vets want you to "buy" the meds....

Just a topic, you may want to look into... pm me for any info.
Amy
 

Rubylove

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#8
Why do they eat grass??? :D

Amy, I was watching Animal Precinct the other night and they rescued a pit that had the worst case of ticks I've ever seen. Not only was the poor thing emaciated and neglected, but had no fewer than 100 ticks all over her - swollen and engorged inside her ears, everywhere. I cried and cried - I just don't understand some people... :(
 

filarotten

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#9
Rabies Shots- Why is it my vet writes 3 years before a renewal booster is required, (which I agree with) but the rabies tag shows the expiration of 1 year. Why haven't the tags been updated to a three year span? How many dogs are getting unnecessary boosters due to this?

How often should dogs have boosters for other canine diseases once they have had their first set of shots? Is it necessary to have the booster once per year, or realistically are they protected for a longer period of time? If they are protected for a longer period than 1 year, why do groomers, kennels etc require the boosters to be "current" within a 1 year period?
 

Amstaffer

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#10
Should I spank my dog? (No) That is a question I think more people should ask. If they did it would open a door to help them learn how to deal better with their dogs.
 

mojozen

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#11
How do you treat hip dysplasia? (this is my recent topic of personal research)
Should my dog go to a dog park?
What laws are there that govern "dangerous and aggressive" breeds?
Why are some foods better than others?
 

jess2416

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#12
What is the best type of flea and tick preventative? (Such as Frontline, advantix or etc)

How much exercise should my dog have on a daily basis?
 

jess2416

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#14
Your Welcome :D I will try to think of some more tonight and post them then.
 

mojozen

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#16
what kind of housing is needed for an indoor/outdoor dog?
If a husky can live outside, why can't mine?
Isn't crate training cruel?
 

Gustav

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#19
Can you over exercise a dog?
Do big dogs (St Bernards etc.) need less exercise? (Due to size of heart/body mass ratio???? Not sure if this is a myth???
Will castration change a dogs personality?
Do dogs get Diabetes, Epilepsy and other "human" illnesses?
Can you really kill a dog with kindness? (over feeding)
Is there a limit to how much heat a dog can be exposed to, should I stop exercising if it gets too hot?
 

jess2416

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#20
Do toy breeds need less training than other sizes of dogs?
What do you do if your dogs chokes? (my friend had to give her poodle the heimlich maneuver the other day)
 

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