Rabies vaccination is dangerous to health
Many people say that when a dog is diagnosed with it, he himself can get sick from it. There is also a version that the vaccine spoils teeth. Previously, this was indeed the case: live vaccinations were carried out, which the dogs tolerated very hard and got sick. Now veterinarians use inactivated (killed) rabies virus. It is purified and completely harmless. This vaccination can not only be done, but it is even necessary. It is necessary.
There are some dog myths among both new and experienced dog owners. They have no basis, but due to their prevalence they are accepted as rules. Such myths can often cause trouble for people and animals.
A warm nose is considered a sign of illness.
This is one of the most common myths about dogs. What to do if your dog has a warm nose? The answer is simple - nothing. If your pet has a warm nose, it means he was just sleeping - the temperature of the nose increases during sleep.
Another thing is if the nose is not only warm, but also dry and covered with crust or plaque, call a veterinarian.
Dogs cannot distinguish colors.
The myth about dogs being color blind is harmless. This myth was supported by scientists for a very long time. Only recently, American researchers have discovered that dogs can distinguish colors, although not as well as humans.
There are also specific examples from the lives of dogs. At the exhibition, the owner moved away from her pet. And the dog, in search of its owner, ran up to the women who were wearing a jacket, only blue - that was the color of the clothes her owner was wearing.
If a dog has a black mouth, it means it is angry.
This myth will not cause you any trouble if you do not choose a dog to guard your home based on it. The blackness of a dog’s mouth only indicates the degree of pigmentation of the oral mucosa. But the sign about the black mouth is not empty. The more pigmented the mouth is, the stronger the tooth enamel. And healthy teeth mean a lot to a dog. Moreover, for many breeds, a pigmented mouth is a necessary feature of the breed.
Dogs' ears are cut off for malice.
In some breeds of animals, especially Central Asian and Caucasian shepherd dogs, the ears are not cropped, but cut off. According to myths, this is done so that the dog is more vicious. And dog handlers who deal with these breeds believe that such an operation is done in order to reduce the vulnerable areas of dogs in a fight with wolves.
There are many “dog” myths circulating among beginners and even experienced dog owners. They have no basis, but due to their widespread prevalence, they are taken as an axiom. In practice, these myths sometimes cause trouble, minor and not so, for people and dogs.
A warm nose is a sign of illness
This is one of the most common “dog” myths, causing a lot of trouble not only for beginners, but also for breeders and veterinarians. Which experienced dog breeder has not been awakened from bed by an early or late call from the puppy's owner: “My dog has a warm nose. What to do?!!" The answer is simple: nothing. If the dog only has a warm nose, then most likely he was just sleeping - during sleep, the temperature of the nose increases. But if the dog’s nose is not just warm, but dry, if it is covered with plaque or crust, and even more so, if these phenomena are accompanied by deviations in the dog’s behavior (does not eat, does not run, etc.) - call the veterinarian.
Puppies and health
Once in her life, a bitch needs to be bred “for her health.” Many dog owners seriously complicate their lives by taking this myth as a guide to action. The result of this, as a rule, is tired owners, a twitchy dog and poorly raised puppies that cannot be “placed” in any way.
According to veterinarians and experienced breeders, having puppies does not even statistically guarantee the health of your dog. Practice shows that breeding sires suffer from the same diseases and with the same frequency as dogs that did not have puppies. The fact is that during the first pregnancy, the hormonal balance of the bitch undergoes a profound restructuring. If the dog does not mate after this, then the “activated” hormones can lead to health problems.
The same applies to male dogs. Many people advise owners to mate a male dog at least once, and “then he will calm down.” Sometimes the dog really calms down, but with almost the same frequency he begins to “go crazy,” break from the leash, and run away. At the same time, untied males calm down with age and lose their attraction to females. The lack of mating for a male dog is quite physiological - after all, in nature, not all dogs mate, but only the strongest.
Black mouth - angry dog
In fact, the blackness of the mouth only indicates the degree of pigmentation of the mucous membranes of the mouth. However, the “black mouth” is not an empty omen. The more pigmented the mouth is, the stronger the tooth enamel is - this is the observation of specialists. Additionally, for many breeds, a well-pigmented mouth is a necessary or desirable feature of the breed.
Dogs are color blind
The myth of “canine color blindness” is quite harmless. In fact, scientists also supported him for quite a long time. Only relatively recently did American researchers discover that dogs can distinguish colors, although not as well as humans.
cut off for malice
In some dog breeds, in particular Caucasian and Central Asian shepherd dogs, the ears are not cropped, but cut off. “Folk wisdom” believes that this is done to make the dogs more vicious. Dog handlers working with these breeds believe that this operation was performed to reduce the dog’s vulnerable areas in a fight with a wolf.
There is another opinion: the absence of ears allowed the shepherd to distinguish a dog from a pointy-eared wolf at first glance. Where the truth is is unknown. Nowadays, for most dogs, torn ears have become nothing more than an “artificial” sign of the breed.
There are many myths about animals among dog owners and new “trainers”. These are fictions that have no basis, but despite this, many consider them to be true.
Myth 1
If a dog has a warm nose, it means he is sick. This is the most common misconception that causes a lot of trouble for veterinarians. If your dog has a warm nose, do not take any action. Maybe she was just sleeping, and while the dog is sleeping, the temperature of the nose increases. And if your dog’s nose is not only dry, but also covered with plaque, crust, and his behavior has changed (he doesn’t eat or doesn’t play), contact your veterinarian.
Myth 2
Dogs have black and white vision For a very long time it was believed (including by scientists) that a dog cannot distinguish colors. But recently, American experts found that dogs can still distinguish colors, although not on the same spectrum as humans.
Myth 3
The birth of puppies is the key to the health of the bitch. There is an opinion that a dog should be bred “for health.” This myth is not as common as the others, but many owners make life difficult for themselves and their dog. The presence of puppies does not ensure the health of the dog; moreover, it increases the risk of developing false pregnancies. The bitch should be bred either regularly or not at all, veterinarians advise.
Myth 4
If a dog has a black mouth, it is evil. The color of the mouth indicates the pigmentation of the lining of the mouth. The richer the pigmentation of the mouth, the stronger the animal’s tooth enamel. For some dog breeds, the black coloration of the mouth indicates innate and desirable qualities that are inherent in nature.
Myth 5
To develop malice, the dog's ears are cut off. Some dog breeds (, ) have their ears cropped. Some believe that this is done in order to instill evil qualities in the dog. In fact, by performing such an operation, you can only reduce the number of vulnerable areas in a dog when fighting a wolf.
Myth 6
The dog should be fed last so that it does not feel like the “leader” of the domestic “pack”. This idea is that the dog should not be the first to be allowed through the door, the first to be fed, etc. - has no basis. The character of an animal is formed as a result of training and education, and not while passing it forward or behind you in a doorway.
Myth 7
A dog cannot be forced to follow a command if it does not want to. Training begins with the fact that the dog does not understand what they want from it and does not want to do it. And the training ends when the dog fully fulfills the command. If we are talking about not hitting the dog, that’s a different story. more effective than “hard” ones, and do not involve beating the dog. Even in the case of workers or .
Myth 8
Sterilization is a crime against a dog If your bitch has frequent and severe symptoms, the best thing you can do for her is to sterilize her. Mating for dogs is not at all the same as sex for people. If we talk about male dogs, then in nature only the strongest can mate, and weaker ones can live their whole lives “without sex.” Therefore, for a male dog, mating is certainly not a vital necessity.
Myth 9
A purebred puppy is a guide, a protector, and a future champion. A breed presupposes that the dog has certain character traits and appearance. All the skills that you want to see in your dog need to be instilled in it. A puppy of any breed needs to be taken to OKD and further trained, developing the necessary skills. Even purebred puppies are not born as guide dogs.
Myth 10
With age, a dog's character improves. If a dog does not listen, you can often hear a simple explanation: he is still small, but he will grow to 2 years old and begin to understand. What kind of mystical event happens at the age of two is usually kept silent. Training puppies of most breeds! There is nothing to wait: the further you go, the worse the dog can be trained.
Myth 11
Raising a dog is a real torment. The essence of this myth is painfully simple: dogs descended from wolves, and “training” is unnatural for them. Teaching a dog to behave on the street, when meeting strangers, during lunch, at a party, teaching it to obey and follow commands means mocking the animal and breaking its psyche. This is true if we are talking about beating a dog, and not about training. Try to look at this soberly: a dog lives with its owner, and one of its main desires is to gain approval, understand the rules accepted in its family, and establish understanding with its owner. Training gives her all this, plus her intelligence develops. As a result of training, you get a smart dog that understands you, and she likes it as much as you do.
Myth 12
If a dog jumps on its owner with its paws, it wants to show its superiority - it’s not the best habit, and it’s really worth weaning the dog off. But only because, firstly, many people simply don’t like it, and secondly, it can get their clothes dirty.
The reason for these jumps is the joy of seeing you.
If a dog jumps on you with its paws, it is simply happy to see you, that's all. There are many “dog” myths circulating among beginners and even experienced dog owners.
They have no basis, but due to their widespread prevalence, they are taken as an axiom. In practice, these myths sometimes cause trouble, minor and not so, for people and dogs. We invite our readers to get acquainted with some of these myths and the realities that refute them. A WARM NOSE IS A SIGN OF DISEASE
This is one of the most common “dog” myths, causing a lot of trouble not only for beginners, but also for breeders and veterinarians. Which experienced dog breeder has not been awakened from bed by an early or late call from the puppy's owner: “My dog has a warm nose. What to do?!!" The answer is simple: nothing. If the dog only has a warm nose, then most likely he was just sleeping - during sleep, the temperature of the nose increases. But if the dog’s nose is not just warm, but dry, if it is covered with plaque or crust, and even more so if these phenomena are accompanied by deviations in the dog’s behavior (does not eat, does not run, etc.) - call the veterinarian.
PUPPIES AND HEALTH
Once in her life, a bitch needs to be bred “for her health.” This myth is not as popular as the previous one, but many dog owners seriously complicate their lives by taking this myth as a guide to action. The result of this, as a rule, is tired owners, a twitchy dog and poorly raised puppies that cannot be “adopted.” According to veterinarians and experienced breeders, having puppies does not even statistically guarantee the health of your dog. Practice shows that breeding sires suffer from the same diseases and with the same frequency as dogs that did not have puppies. Moreover, some experts believe that diseases more often occur in dogs that have had puppies once. The fact is that during the first pregnancy, the hormonal balance of the bitch undergoes a profound restructuring. If the dog does not mate after this, then the “activated” hormones can lead to health problems. The same applies to male dogs. Many people advise owners to breed a male dog at least once, and “then he will calm down.” Sometimes the dog really calms down, but with almost the same frequency he begins to “go crazy,” break off the leash, and run away. At the same time, untied males calm down with age and lose their attraction to females. The lack of mating for a male dog is quite physiological - after all, in nature, not all dogs mate, but only the strongest.
DOGS CAN'T DISTINGUISH COLOR
The myth of “canine color blindness” is quite harmless. In fact, scientists also supported him for quite a long time. Only relatively recently did American researchers discover that dogs can distinguish colors, although not as well as humans. There are also specific examples from everyday dog life. So, at one of the exhibitions, the owner walked away from the dog. The latter, in search of the “loss,” began to run up to women dressed in a jacket, and only blue - that’s exactly what her owner was wearing.
BLACK MOUTH - ANGRY DOG
This myth will not cause you any trouble, unless you are going to choose a puppy to guard your dacha based on it. In fact, the blackness of the mouth only indicates the degree of pigmentation of the mucous membranes of the mouth. However, the “black mouth” is not an empty omen. The more pigmented the mouth is, the stronger the tooth enamel is - this is the observation of specialists. And there is no need to talk about what healthy teeth mean for a dog. Additionally, for many breeds, a well-pigmented mouth is a necessary or desirable feature of the breed.
EARS CUT OFF FOR VICIOUSNESS
In some dog breeds, in particular Caucasian and Central Asian shepherd dogs, the ears are not cropped, but cut off. “Folk wisdom” believes that this is done to make the dogs more vicious. Dog handlers working with these breeds believe that this operation was performed to reduce the dog’s vulnerable areas in a fight with a wolf. There is another opinion: the absence of ears allowed the shepherd to distinguish a dog from a pointy-eared wolf at first sight. Where the truth is is unknown. Nowadays, for most dogs, torn ears have become nothing more than an “artificial” sign of the breed.
The connection between the black mouth and the character of the animal
There is an opinion that the presence of a black palate in a dog means that the pet is obligatory aggressive. Scientists involved in genetic research claim that the connection between temperament and the content of the pigment, melanin, is very strong.
The presence of a large amount of pigment in the four-legged friend is manifested in the coloring of the sky black, and there are also dark circles around the eyes, a strong and powerful frame - such a dog tends to take over and dominate. Such a pet will resist and prove its point to the last, sometimes using its teeth and claws. In addition, the gene responsible for the production of melanin is closely related to the dominance gene in four-legged pets.
But do not forget that this is only theoretical knowledge and it does not have a 100% guarantee. It is impossible to determine that a dog will be angry based on the sky.
Opponents of the first theory argue that a black mouth is not a sign that the dog will necessarily be angry and aggressive. The black color of the palate is nothing more than strong pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Similar pigmentation disorders are observed in people during pregnancy or old age. This is a consequence of a disruption in the hormonal system and is not a sign of aggression.
A black mouth is a guarantee of healthy teeth in a dog. In such animals, the enamel on the teeth is much stronger than in their relatives, and the teeth themselves are practically not subject to the destructive effects of caries.
Is the dog healthy? How to determine.
In this article I will touch upon general issues of dog health, and especially such an aspect of the dog-owner relationship as attention and care for your dog. Remember, with her appearance in the house, a great responsibility falls on you.
Firstly, the condition of your dog depends on the conditions that you were able to create for it.
Secondly, and this is the most important thing, from your attention to her. If you spend a lot of time with her, play, watch, you will easily notice changes that may signal a disease. Consequently, you will be able to take action and contact doctors in a timely manner, for example, to a reliable and trusted veterinary clinic. The dog itself will not complain and will not call the doctor, so everything depends on you.
Therefore, look after your pet, get to know him, spend more time with him!
So, how can you identify the signs that distinguish a healthy dog from a sick one?
First the common knowledge. A healthy dog's eyes are clean, its coat is shiny, the dog is active and cheerful (age naturally plays a role). The nose is cold and wet (but rely on this only), exceptions are if the weather is hot and the dog has been moving a lot or has recently woken up. Also, a healthy animal breathes smoothly, has a good appetite, and goes to the toilet regularly.
Now let's take a closer look at the signs that you need to pay special attention to.
Temperature. Usually, owners focus on the dog’s nose, but in case of any suspicion of illness, it is necessary to measure the temperature. The norm is a temperature from 38 to 39.2 degrees Celsius. Recommendations for the procedure - lubricate the tip of the thermometer with Vaseline or moisturizer, insert it carefully, sudden movements can injure the dog. Also, do not allow the dog to move suddenly and especially sit down. Be sure to disinfect the thermometer!
Activity. If a normally active dog behaves sluggishly, tries to hide in a dark place, or there are other sharply different differences in behavior than usual, then there are clear signs of poor health. A sharp increase in activity is also a sign worth paying attention to.
Breath. Changes in breathing rate are an important sign of many diseases. How to measure it? You need to know the usual frequency and, for comparison, measure it at the moment of suspicion of a health problem. To do this, you need to count the number of inhalations and exits over a period of time (usually a minute is used). You can count breaths by visible signs - for example, by the movement of the dog's chest.
On average, 10-20 inhalations and exhalations per minute are considered normal. Naturally, a dog breathes more often during physical activity, in the heat, etc.
Heartbeat. A rapid heartbeat can tell us that a dog is in pain or has a fever. It may also become more frequent with some cardiac diseases.
Drink. You need to have an idea of how much water your dog usually drinks, as increased thirst can signal illnesses, such as kidney problems.
Urination. Too frequent or unusually infrequent urination also tells us about health problems. Normal urine is light yellow, clear, and does not contain blood or strange particles.
Appetite. Both increased and decreased appetite can be signs of illness. At the very least, having discovered this, you should carefully observe your pet. Suddenly developing strange eating habits (perverted appetite), such as trying to eat one's own excrement, are also a sign of the disease.
Sudden weight loss. Sudden weight loss is 90% likely a sign of illness.
Oral cavity. The condition of the oral cavity can also reveal some diseases. The normal color of gums is pink, but red color indicates disease. Also, a symptom of many diseases can be bad breath (diseases of teeth, gums, etc.).
Signs of digestive problems. If your dog has diarrhea, vomiting, and the vomiting continues for more than 1 day or diarrhea for more than 2 days, you should contact your veterinarian. It is also necessary to show the animal to a doctor if the stool is black and/or contains mucus or blood.
Abdominal enlargement. A noticeable increase in the abdomen can either serve as a symptom of a number of diseases, or tell us about the dog’s pregnancy or banal obesity.
Cough, sneezing. Just like in humans, coughing and sneezing are symptoms of a range of illnesses.
Wool. If the coat is dull, disheveled, or the dog has scratching and/or baldness, you should consult a doctor.
Painful sensations. If a dog experiences pain during normal daily activities, then this is an undoubted and very serious sign of a disease.
But how can you figure out what and where your dog is hurting?
I remembered an old joke: “A veterinarian comes to the doctor’s clinic.
Doctor: “Well, what hurts you?”
Veterinarian: “Eh, anyone can do that.”
