German Shepherd Dog Training

german shepherd sickness
dog sickness question?

I have a 5 month old German Shepherd puppy. Tonight I took him to my warehouse when I was doing some work. On my way back he threw up in the back of my cargo van. I think it is just the motion and noise the van makes, he is fine in my SUV. I have a 2 hour trip to the breeders house tomorrow and don’t have time to stop by the vets. Is there anything I can get for him that will help with that? Will he grow out of it?

You may want to try :::
Found this online—
Static grounding strap – A final remedy for carsickness. It works for pets and people – guaranteed. Attach a rubber strip to the bottom of the car. It must be long enough to hang on the ground, eliminating the static electricity while driving. I took a bungee cord. It works like magic.

I know people who give their pets Dramamine around an hour before they are to leave but you need to check with your vet first b4 doings this you must get the right dosage please do not try to dose on your own.

Also do not feed or give any water for 2 or more hours yu want nothing on their belly b4 a car ride. Also lots of air helps keep a window open or windows but not down enough your dog could junp out but enough to get just his head or nose out.

Hope this helps

Bloat Do You Know How To Spot This Common Dog Ailment?

Dog Bloat is a sickness that strikes millions of dogs without warning each year. It moves fast and without the proper diagnosis and treatment many dogs die.  The problem with dog bloat is that most dog owners do not know what symptoms to look for or how to respond if their dog visibly has symptoms.  This is an absolutely horrific and painful way to die, so join us as we discuss what bloat is and how you can learn to recognize and respond to the symptoms.

Bloat begins by causing an excessive amount of gas to build up in the stomach.  This causes the stomach to twist itself 180 degrees around and even a full 360 degrees from the esophagus down to the bottom of the stomach.  What this does is stop the blood flow to that part of the body and causes the tissue to die off.

This is where identifying the symptoms becomes crucial and demands timeliness.  Many specific breeds are known to have a bigger risk at developing bloat. Often they are larger breeds such as German Shepherds, Bloodhound, Great Dane, Akita, St. Bernard, Golden Retriever, Irish Setter and Doberman.

You may be thinking dog bloat is something that will never occur with your dog but statistics clearly show that bloat is the second leading cause of dog deaths and is second only to cancer!

There are many symptoms that may appear with bloat, so you will have to be diligent in observing you dog.  Start by looking for restlessness and anxiety.  Look to see if they are vomiting or have the dry heaves or even if they are attempting to vomit.  Are they whining, drooling, swollen abdomen, no digestive sounds or rumbling of the stomach?  Monitor their breathing for difficulty, increased heart rate and any weakness or collapsing.

Other factors that can influence dog bloat are your dogs age.  Older dogs tend to be more susceptible.  Underweight dogs, dogs that are hyper or anxious or dogs that are aggressive in nature are often prone to developing bloat.  So if a dog eats to fast or they skip a meal they potentially are more likely to develop dog bloat.  It is suggested that you spread their meals out to two or three small meals a day.

I personally believe in free feeding if it’s done correctly. A dog that is allowed to eat what they naturally need from the very beginning and is given a good quality food source will not overeat or eat like they are starving because they know the food source is always there for them to access. There is no need for them to pig out and eat it all in one setting when they can come back later and eat if they need to. I do want to point out that this does not work for all dogs and you may need to pick the bowl up if your dog overeats.

As we discussed above, if your dog has symptoms, you absolutely have to get them to the vets immediately.  Treating the dog bloat is the only chance at saving their life.  To treat the bloat, your vet will start by inserting a tube into the wall of the stomach.  This removes the excess gas.  After the gas is removed, the vet finishes operating on the stomach and untwisting it.

Should the dog continue to show signs of bloat following the surgery, then a second set of treatment procedures will be started.  These start with treating the shock symptoms your dog displays by hydrating them and allowing them to rest and treating any other complications that may pop up.

Because Doctors and Scientist have not actually come up with the exact cause of dog bloat, it is impossible to prevent.  However, since we do know some facts, you can implement a few prevention techniques.  Do not overfeed your dog or allow them to overeat in a single setting.  If your dog continues to overeat, then start giving them smaller amounts of food 2 or 3 times a day.

They do not recommend using elevated food or watering dishes and you should be adding enzyme supplements to your dog’s food to assist with digestion.  Limit their water intake right after they are finished eating.  Always keep your local veterinarian’s phone number hand and current for emergencies.

There is really nothing you can do to prevent bloat except to educate yourself and watch for the symptoms.  Then you will know how to diagnose and react should your dog ever begin to exhibit signs of bloat.

REMEMBER – Do NOT wait to get treatment for your dog!  This is the precious window of time that can save your dog’s life.  This is not the time to debate whether or not you want to pay for that vet call.  Acting promptly can save your dog’s life.

About the Author

A few months ago I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also spent several years working for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business. I have a four year old Border Collie named Rodeo and a new Rescue pup named Maddie who is one. I love to include stories about my spoiled rotten pups – you never know what antics they’ll pull next! We also have two all but grown beautiful teenage daughters that we love very much. Although they don’t spend much time with us anymore, so we have to depend on the dogs to fulfill our parenting needs! lol

A memory of my dog Buddy