Learn The Basics Of Pet Cpr
If you are ever in a situation where your pet needs attention, like, immediately! then pet CPR is an essential skill. Its a good idea for every pet parent to learn it, just as it would be a good idea for everyone to learn classic CPR for human life-saving.
Your vet can suggest some classes in your local area. Sometimes these are at pet shops, and other times they are put on in community centers. Its a great idea to have every household member understand how to do basic CPR, because something like a dog choking on a piece of food is possible. After all, the more people that know how to help, the easier it is for someone to intervene.
Cbd Dose Chart For Dogs:
Use CBD Safely
- Purchase organic, pure CBD tincture from a trusted, legal source
- We have found that dogs prefer the taste of CBD that is blended in MCT oil
- Read each product very carefully as every CBD product is dosed differently
- Read the bottles throughly, ensure you are dosing in milligrams not millilitres
- Healing Fur Souls offers CBD guidance for dogs .
- For fast relief, drop the CBD tincture on his gums. If he swallows it, thats ok it will just take a bit longer to take effect. CBD can also be dropped directly onto food or a treat.
- We recommend 0.022 mg of CBD per pound of your dogs weight to relieve stress and support wound healing
- Never give your dog cannabis/marijuana
Quercetin
Some people use anti-histamines like Benedryl to calm the inflammation and itching from hot spots. We prefer to use quercetin a natural anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant found in the skin of many citrus fruits, apples and dark berries. Quercetin can be purchased as a supplement for short-term use. It is a safe herb but is not recommended for pregnant, lactating dogs or those with impaired kidney function.
Hints:
- dogs can be given 5-10 mg quercetin per pound of body weight, twice daily. So a 75 lb dog could take 800 mg of quercetin every 12 hours
- give quercetin away from food
- add small quantities of organic apples with peels to your dogs diet while he heals
- include apples and blueberries as part of his whole food diet for natural sources of quercetin
Hot Spots On Dogs: Causes And Treatment
Hot spots are an irritating skin condition that affects countless dogs every year. Without proper care, hot spots will continue to grow, causing increased pain levels and itchiness for dogs. Fortunately, with both time and care, hot spots on dogs can be treated for and prevented. Here, Dr. Henry Cerny, DVM, MS of Yankee Hill Veterinary Hospital, answers some common questions about hot spots on dogs and how to treat these painful sores.
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Ways To Prevent Hot Spots On Golden Retriever
There may be instances that the Goldies may experience more than one hot spot outbreaks over their skin. Noticing this, the best thing to do is to identify the underlying cause of the condition and addresses it from there. But, if you are not lucky enough to find the root cause of hot spots, do not worry as there are preventive measures that you can do to avoid it from occurring.
Good quality dog diet
Generally, the health of the dogs skin reflects what they eat. Raw meat and raw-bones diet naturally keep their skin in good shape. Moreover, if you want to feed your Golden Retriever with natural antioxidants, give them fresh fruits and veggies that are safe for dogconsumption. In case you cannot avoid giving commercial dog food, try the premium quality hypoallergenic food brands.
Give them proper supplementation
Aside from a good diet, dont forget to provide your Golden Retriever with supplements like Vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids.
A very popular antioxidant, vitamin E supports the elimination of itchiness of the dogs skin. In case there is a recurrence of hot spots on your Goldies, consider poking a hole over the vitamin E capsule. Pour on a drop of it over the dogs food.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Another antioxidant supplement that is crucial in maintaining the excellent condition of the dogs skin is the Omega-3. This fatty acid highly prevents the recurrence of any skin problems in dogs. A daily dose of it may generally do the job.
Monitor other activities
Natural Remedies For Hot Spots
It may be possible that hotspots, when caught early and immediately addressed, can be remedied at home. While waiting for a diagnosis from your vet, there are natural, safe remedies that you can attempt at home, which may provide comfort to your pet. Here are a few examples:
- Trim and clean the affected area
- Apply calming oatmeal baths, tea bag packs, or an all-natural balm made for dogs.
- Cover the area with a clean bandage or gauze
- Use an Elizabeth collar or dog cone
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Have A Trustworthy Vet That Offers Emergency Services
Not every vet is going to offer emergency services. A majority of vet clinics, especially in larger cities, do not offer after-hours emergency care. Make sure you ask your veterinarian which 24-hour emergency clinic they recommend, so you can familiarize yourself with the location. When shopping around for a vet, be sure to ask about what they have for emergency services and what they will cost. While cost may not be the main factor that you think about in the heat of the moment , its a good idea to at least know what youre looking at upfront.
How Are Hot Spots Treated
The goal in treating a hot spot is to stop the trauma and prevent the development of a deep skin infection, so the first step in treating hot spots is to stop the self-mutilation. But, how do you stop a dog from licking, biting, and scratching? Some options include:
- covering the hot spot with a sock or bandage to act as a barrier.
- topical or oral steroids and antihistamines to reduce the itching. Consult your veterinarian before using any medications intended for humans as they are often toxic to dogs
Often, it takes a combination of all options to stop the trauma.
In the meantime, the underlying cause of the hot spot must be addressed.
- If the cause is flea allergy, a flea control protocol beginning with a fast acting adulticide and continuing with a monthly product to control the entire flea life cycle will be needed.
- If arthritis is the culprit, your veterinarian may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as meloxicam, carprofen, or deracoxib or other pain medications .
- For inhalant or food allergies, your veterinarian can help you to begin avoidance or de-sensitization therapy and recommend a hypoallergenic food.
- For ear infections, the underlying yeast or bacteria will be treated.
- If poor grooming is the cause, seek a professional that knows how to handle a pair of clippers.
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Golden Retriever Hot Spots Treatment: Golden Guide 2021
Even dogs may experience various skin issues especially if you own a dog breed that has a beautiful, thick coat. Included in the list of these dog breeds are, no doubt, the Golden Retriever. They generally have a lustrous, long thick coat that makes them really adorable. Because of that, they are highly susceptible to have hot spots. With that, it is very important as a pet owner to know the Golden Retriever hot spots treatment.
In this blog post, we detailed the different approaches for the treatment of hot spots on Golden Retriever. To deeply understand what treatment youll have to employ, we also have here a quick overview of it discussing the causes of hot spots and their symptoms. So, if you are ready to give your Goldies the care that they need, check on it below.
Can Hot Spots On Dogs Go Away On Their Own
Unfortunately, a hot spot wont go away on its own, especially since dogs have a hard time leaving their irritated skin alone.
A hot spot is easier to prevent than to treat, so try to keep your dog free of hot spots by grooming them regularly and keeping them up to date on flea and tick medication. If your dog likes to go swimming, do your best to make sure theyre completely dry as soon as possible after leaving the water, especially if they have long hair or a double coat.
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Recovery And Management Of Hot Spots On Dogs
It often takes about a week after treatment begins for a hot spot to dry out and begin to heal. Once a hot spot is dry and no longer oozes, continue to keep the area clean and dry. In about two weeks, your dogs fur will begin to grow back. Consider consulting with your veterinarian about dietary supplements that contain essential fatty acids to help hair grow in and reduce itching.
Why Are Golden Retrievers Prone To Hot Spots
Goldens are water-loving, curious, long-haired bundles of fun! And that is precisely why theyre prone to hot spots especially during the summer months! Heres an example.
Being a water dog, your Golden decides to cool down on a hot day by going for a swim in a dirty pond or creek. He gets out, rolls around in the grass and dirt, and has a nap. His warm, soggy, dirty fur and skin instantly become the perfect place for bacteria to grow quickly.
If your dogs immune system is unable to control the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, this can set off an immune response that often ends up in hot spots.
Are Certain Types of Golden Retrievers Healthier than Others?
Some dog owners ask if certain types of Goldens may have an edge on health conditions like environmental allergies or flea allergies that can lead to hot spots.
Golden Retrievers fall into one of three categories:
Most differences are minor and based on body build, shape of head and eyes and the colour and length of hair.
There is some research suggesting that English Golden Retrievers are marginally healthier than their North American counterparts, particularly regarding cancer rates. Some also speculate that Goldens with dark skin have a slight edge on good health however this is just anecdotal. In fact, in some cases, dark skin can be a sign of health concerns.
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Golden Retriever Skin Issues Made Easy
So there you have it! Now that you know these common golden retriever skin issues, you know what to look out for.
Thick undercoats make golden retrievers very vulnerable to skin issues. Especially if they remain wet. Trapped moisture and a natural disposition for skin issues can be a disaster. The key is to be vigilant and make sure youre checking your dog on a regular basis.
General Process For Getting Rid Of Hot Spots
Note: This is just a general summary. Each of these steps is outlined in greater detail below.
An early hot spot on a dog’s head and neck
cc-by flickr.com blumenbiene10542190593
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Causes Of Hot Spots On Dogs
Dog hot spots develop when the first layer of skin breaks and harmful bacteria enters the wound. An imbalance of bacteria on the skin also causes hot spots. More often than not, dogs cause their own hot spots by biting, licking, and scratching their skin too much.
Intense licking and grooming are typically why the skin becomes compromised in the first place. However, there is always a reason behind your dogs excessive grooming. If you notice your dog grooming themselves like they have a compulsive disorder, its time to investigate the root cause. Here are some of the most common causes of hot spots:
How Do Hot Spots Form
When the skin is pruritic , scratching and licking will occur, which often leads to secondary trauma of the skin. The coat traps moisture that allows an opportunistic bacterial infection, usually caused by Staphylococcus intermedius. The infection causes hot spots and often leads to further irritation. If not treated, the dog will continue to scratch, and thereby spread the infection to other areas of the skin.
The following is the simplest conventional treatment that inflicts the least stress on dogs. And it almost always works!
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Nutrition and Health
Your dogs health is largely a function of his diet. Nutrients support the health of his skin and fur and his ability to fight infection and eliminate toxins.
Skin conditions are often a sign of underlying health conditions such as:
- food allergies
Food Allergies
GrainsOne of the most common culprits in skin conditions is a grain allergy. Unfortunately, grains are a cheap filler used in numerous dog food products, but arent necessary or useful for most dogs nutritional needs.
Try removing all grains from your dogs diet for at least two months. You may notice a slight uptick in skin problems as those grains are being eliminated from his system. However, many people notice improved skin health after 1-2 months.
Keep track of what your dog is eating and when he gets hot spots. Did you slip him a piece of pizza crust? Use a dog treat with grains? Its actually easy and inexpensive to make your own grain-free dog treats. We love this recipe for La-La-Lavender Dreams dog treats. You can leave out the herbs if you prefer, but they are calming and healing for skin conditions.
Cooling foods include:
Inner Health & Eliminating Toxins
Keeping your dog healthy enough to combat occasional infections requires good health from the inside out.
In addition to a whole foods diet, help your dog eliminate toxins naturally by:
Grooming
Support The Lymphatic System
Keeping your dogs lymphatic system moving is another important part of healing. The lymphatic system removes toxins and cellular waste and it transports white blood cells throughout the body. An active lymphatic system also lowers inflammation and helps fight off further infections.
Two herbs that work well for stimulating the lymphatic system are calendula and cleavers.
- Choose calendula for dogs who are energetically cool to neutral.
- Cleavers works well for warm to hot dogs. Many dogs with underlying immune issues or organ imbalances are warm or hot.
General Dosage Guidelines: Give one drop of tincture for every 10 pounds of body weight.
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What Is The Cost Of Treating Hot Spots On Dogs
If you treat the hot spots with urgency then the costs should be relatively inexpensive. The main costs incurred would be from the veterinarians consultation and possible drug costs. However, if the hot spots are left untreated, severely damaged skin can die off and leave a wound. This can significantly increase costs as well as increase the time required to heal.
Rinse The Hot Spot To Prevent Infection And Itch
You want to relieve pain and encourage healing by stopping the hot spot from scabbing. You also want to avoid bacteria overgrowth when the area absorbs or irritates toxins. Start with this herbal rinse to clean the area.
Recipe: Herbal Hot Spot Rinse
Mix all of the following ingredients together and put them in a glass bottle. A spray bottle with a gentle mister is a helpful but not essential
10 drops crab apple flower essence1/2 tsp Himalayan salt8 oz boiled, cooled filtered water20 drops Self-Heal 10 drops echinacea tincture
Optional: replace 4 oz water with 4 oz witch hazel or rose water for extra drying or cooling support.
Trim around the hot spot. Then flush or mist and let dry. Do this 3 or 4 times in the first 24 hours.
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Recovery Of Hot Spots In Dogs
Follow up veterinarian appointments may or may not be necessary, depending on the severity of the lesion. Most cases resolve quickly if the initial irritant is addressed and the proper treatment regimen is followed.
An Elizabethan collar should be used to prevent chewing or licking at the hot spot. Regular grooming can help prevent hot spots from developing. If you cannot groom your pet regularly, you may consider keeping the hair clipped short or shaved to prevent matting. Follow a monthly flea control program. Maintain a stress free environment in the home. Eliminate loud noises, introduce toys and chews, and provide your pet with exercise and play. Maintain an appropriate hypoallergenic diet if your veterinarian suspects food allergies.
Healing may not be apparent for 1-2 weeks. Fur should begin to grow back in 3-4 weeks. Scarring is not often a problem except in severe cases. If hot spots continue, further diagnostics may be required to determine the cause.
Easy Steps To Treating Hot Spots On Dogs
Noticed a hot spot on your dog? Theyre extremely common during the warmer months, when temperatures get human and bugs are on the prowl. Dont let hot spots cramp your summer adventures. With the right treatment and care, your dog will feel better in just a few days.
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