Tips For Feeding Your Adult Cat or Dog

Adult cats and dogs require sufficient nutrients to meet energy needs and to maintain and repair body tissues. The amount you feed your adult dog or cat should be based on the animal's size and energy output. Activity levels vary dramatically between pets, and will play an important role in determining caloric intake. Here are some tips:

1. House pets vary widely in their activity levels. An animal with a "normal" activity level should receive what we call "maintenance" energy. A pampered lap dog may require ten percent below maintenance, while an active pet who regularly exercises outdoors may require maintenance plus 20 to 40 percent.

2. Show dogs and cats must be fed a balanced diet with the correct amount of energy, since deficiencies may be quickly reflected in coat quality. While on the show circuit, the pet's energy requirement may increase by 20 percent or more. The pet should be fed maintenance amounts when not on the show circuit.

3. The dietary needs of working canines, such as police dogs, guide dogs and cattle dogs, will depend on their occupations. Energy needs will increase with the work level and/or stress. A dog with a moderate work load may require an energy increase of 40 percent compared to maintenance, whereas a dog with a high work load may require an extra 50 to 70 percent. An animal recovering from surgery or suffering from a disease may have an increased nutritional requirement for repair, healing and fighting infection.

4. Environment influences energy needs. Extreme hot or cold weather can increases a pet's energy needs. Both keeping warm and keeping cool require extra energy expenditure.

5. An animal recovering from surgery or suffering from a disease may have an increased nutritional requirement for repair, healing and fighting infection.

6. Dogs and cats may be fed successfully in a number of ways that meet both the owner's and the animal's needs and circumstances. Pet owners should consult with their pet's veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule and types of foods for their pets.

7. First up is portion-control feeding. You will measure your pet's food and offer it as a meal, thereby controlling the amount of food that can be consumed. This method is used for weight control programs and for animals who might overeat if fed free-choice. Food can be provided in one or more meals daily.

8. We generally recommend that all dogs be fed twice daily. Simply divide the amount suggested on the label of your pet’s food into two meals spaced eight to twelve hours part. Puppies, kittens, and animals recovering from certain medical conditions often require more than two meals per day.

9. Free-choice feeding is also known as "ad lib" feeding or "free feeding." Food is available at all times, as much as the pet wants, whenever the pet wants. Most lactating pets are fed by the free-choice method, and free choice is an accepted method for the feeding of cats. This method is most appropriate when feeding dry food, which will not spoil if left out.

Some dogs and cats, however, will overeat when fed free-choice, which can result in:

a) Obesity. If your pet eats free-choice and has put on too much weight, you will need to switch to portion-control feeding,


b) Developmental Bone Diseases. If you have a large- or giant-sized puppy of a breed susceptible to OCD, hypertrophic osteodystrophy, or hip dysplasia, do not free-feed your pet. He may overeat, which can lead to rapid growth and a greater incidence of bone diseases. Large- or giant-breed pups should be fed with the portion-controlled or timed-feeding methods.

10. The timed feeding method involves making a portion of food available for the pet to eat for a specified period of time. For example, the food can be placed in the dog's bowl for a period of thirty minutes. After that time, if the pet has not consumed the food, it is removed. This can be a good feeding method for puppies, particularly just after weaning. A standard guideline would be to offer food to your puppy for 30 minutes, two or three times per day.

Tips for Choosing a Dog Groomer

Following are a few tips for choosing a dog groomer for your pet.

• Ask your veterinarian, friends or family for recommendations.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any complaints against the groomer
• Visit the facility before you take your dog. Is it clean? How are they handling the dogs? Is there a lot of barking and other disruptions.
• Ask about the dog groomer's experience and how he or she learned to groom dogs. Is the groomer certified? Was the groomer educated by a master groomer?
• Does the grooming allow the owner to be present during grooming? Typically a dog is going to be more relaxed if their owner is present.
• Make sure the facility requires that all dogs are up-to-date on vaccinations

Following these few tips for choosing a dog groomer should make it easier for you to choose the perfect dog grooming for your pet and will make your pet more relaxed with the entire grooming process.

Dog Behavior

Dogs need to be stimulated, both mentally and physically. Most breeds of dogs were developed to perform specific jobs for people, such as guarding, herding and hunting—work that demands great physical stamina and intense mental concentration. Without a “job” to do every day, our companion canines can become bored—at the very least. In general, a stimulated dog is a better-behaved dog. If the dog is physically spent, he is much less likely to engage in a variety of problem dog behaviors.

Physical Exercise:
Most dogs benefit from a minimum of two outings a day. If the dog is trained to come when called, it’s ideal if you can exercise him off-leash in a safe area. The first outing of the day should be 45-60 minutes, early in the morning, especially if the dog is going to be left alone all day. The second outing can be shorter, around 30-45 minutes. Strenuous aerobic exercise is best, such as off-leash running/play with other dogs, running alongside a bicycle, swimming, playing fetch games, accompanying a jogger, or running on a treadmill. (Yes, there are treadmills specifically made for dogs, but canines can also be trained to run on human treadmills.)

If your dog is a habitual couch potato, check with your veterinarian before starting an exercise program. You’ll need to build your dog up gradually, the same as you would with a person unaccustomed to exercise. Puppies who are still growing should never be made to do any exercise or activity in which they are forced to keep moving. Playing with other puppies or people is the best exercise for a puppy. If your dog has hip dysplasia or some other type of physical problem that limits his ability to exercise, swimming is an excellent option.

Mental stimulation:
Dogs enjoy searching and working for their food, so rather than simply giving your dog his food in a bowl, give him his dinner in a Kong, a Goodie Ship, or a Buster Cube. Hide small containers of food around the house and let him find them. Take his bowl of food and toss the kibble into the backyard so he has to snuffle around in the grass to find it.

Training is another excellent way to stimulate a dog’s brain. You can practice basic obedience dog behaviors, teach tricks, or set up a few obstacles in your backyard for your dog to navigate. Short sessions of 5-10 minutes once or twice a day are best. Keep it light and fun for the dog, with plenty of rewards for good behavior. There are unlimited activities that you and your dog can become involved in together, such as agility, flyball, tracking, search and rescue, pet visitation, clicker training, herding, freestyle dancing, etc. Ask your local Certified Professional Dog Trainer for guidance.

Frostbite and Hypothermia in Cats and Dogs

It is wise to prepare our pets for the cold winter temperatures. It is a misconception to believe that cats and dogs and withstand cold temperatures because they have fur. Some large dog breeds are well equipped for the winter months and love to be outdoors while others like small breed dogs are more sensitive and have no tolerance for the cold. Even a quick moment outside to do its business is all it takes for a little Dachshund's paws to freeze up and have him shivering. Providing your Dachshund or other small breed with a coat and boots is a smart move.

Cats usually don't stay outdoors for long when it's very cold. They might make a quick pounce and come right back into the house. Always make a note of the upcoming forecast before letting your cat out. It might be colder the next day and if kitty hasn't come home he or she will be more at risk to developing frostbite and hypothermia especially if they are hurt.

If you are not going to be home to let your cat back into the house, don't let it out. Don't leave a cat or dog out in cold temperatures! The consequences could cost it its life.

What is Frostbite?

Animals have ways of dealing with cold temperatures but when exposed to extreme freezing temperatures for an extended period these same mechanisms that work to keep them warm and alive can actually cause damage and death to the tissues of their extremities (tips of ears, tail, foot pads.) more commonly know as frostbite.

When a dog or cat is exposed to cold temperatures its body reacts in stages:

• Your pet's fur provides insulation just like us wearing a coat. Its hairs, when exposed to cold air undergo pilo-erection. This is like you and I getting goose bumps. The hairs "stand up erect" trapping the air in that layer. This air is warmed by the body and adds additional insulation.
• When the body's core temperature decreases, an involuntary reflex by the skeletal muscles know as "shivering" is triggered to generate heat and warm you up. Animals like humans experience this same reaction.
• When the body is really getting cold and the animal's life may be at risk, the body responds by vasoconstricting the peripheral tissues. This means the body is being selective in where it is sending warm blood.
• The organs are the most important to keep an animal and human alive so blood is circulating in the core of the body (heart, liver, kidney, lungs) and shuts down temporally by constricting blood vessels to the extremities until the body's normal temperature is reached.
• By this stage if a cat or dog has not received First Aid or warmth on it's own, frostbite will develop. Tissues that have frozen due to this response, die. Cats and dogs often experience frostbite on the tips of their ears, tails, face, foot pads, legs and the genitalia in male dogs.

Signs of Frostbite

Symptoms to look for if your pet has been outdoors and you suspect it may be suffering from frostbite.

• Ice on body and limbs
• Shivering
• Tissues are bright red followed by pale color to black color (death of tissue/sloughing of skin)

First Aid

• Warm the affected area rapidly with warm water using towels or warmed ice packs.
• If it is a limb or paw that is frozen, soak it only in a bath or bowl of warm water.
• Dry gently after you have warmed the area.
• Do not rub or massage the frozen tissue.
• Do not apply snow or ice.
• Do not immerse your pet completely in a bath because this will cause the body temperature to decrease and cause hypothermia.

Prevent Self-Trauma

When the tissues are warmed it may cause some discomfort to your pet. The same also occurs when tissues are dead.

• Wrap you pet in a blanket to prevent self-trauma and keep him or her warm.
• Seek Veterinary care. Secondary infections can sometimes result from gangrene tissues.

What is Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is an abnormal lowering of the body's temperature. This is a serious condition that can cause unconsciousness, shock and even the death of a pet. Pets that are outdoors in cold or subzero temperatures can become hypothermic.

If your pet shows signs of frostbite he or she may be also experiencing hypothermia. However, do not rely on frostbite alone as an indication of hypothermia, as it can occur without the presence of frostbite.

Signs of Hypothermia

Low body temperature. Take your pet's temperature rectally! A lubricated electronic thermometer is easy to use.

• Shivering
• Weakness

First Aid

• Warm your pet.
• Use blankets.
• Put warm water in plastic bottles then wrap them in towels to prevent burns.
• Use plastic zip lock bags filled with uncooked rice that you warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then wrap them in a towel.
• Microwave ice packs that have not been frozen and wrap them in a towel.
• If you use a heating pad, never put the animal directly on the pad. Always use several towels. A weak animal will not be able to move and will suffer burns.
• A hair dryer on medium warm is a quick start to warm up your pet while someone else is preparing blankets and water bottles.

Monitor your pet's rectal temperature every 10-15 minutes

• When his or her body temperature is back to normal, stop warming.
• Seek Veterinary care even if it looks like your pet is fine after you have warmed them. Kidney and bladder problems are common in pets that have been exposed to cold temperatures.

An animal that has been hypothermic and/or has frostbite is in danger for his or her life. Veterinary care is a must.