by:Colin L Wolfenden

What can you do to improve the health of your dog, its coat, and its skin that is cheap and effective? Grooming that's what! The small investment of time and money involved for grooming can yield numerous benefits for your dog's health!

Is your dog's coat looking dull, tatty and matted? Is your dog's sad looking coat causing you to worry about his/her overall health? Sometimes the simple things can often provide very effective benefits, and in the case of the health of your dog, grooming is one of these simple measures that can yield big results.

Dog health and grooming go hand in hand as the act of grooming has numerous benefits that can help prevent many dog health problems before they arise. Like humans, regular grooming and attention to changes in the skin, eyes, and teeth can help maintain health and prolong the life of your pet, as many indications of possible health problems are noticed and addressed before they progress to something more sinister.

Health Benefits of Grooming

• Grooming removes dead hair leaving only the healthy hair behind, which immediately looks better. It also lets air circulate through the coat better reducing any odor, keeps the dog cooler, and looks cleaner. It is also a good idea to bath your dog regularly with a quality dog shampoo to further improve the benefits of general grooming.
• Grooming stimulates blood flow, which in turn improves blood supply to the hair follicles working wonders for the health of the overall coat.
• Grooming also stimulates the lymphatic system, thus having a positive affect on the dog's overall health in the same way that a massage does for humans.

Residual Benefits of Grooming
Aside from the more obvious physical health benefits of grooming there are other benefits such as: -

• Bonding with your Dog - While grooming your dog you are helping to create a bond between you and your pet because of the physical touching and interaction. This also has a positive effect on the dog's emotional state as it feels more comfortable and safe in your hands. Dogs always love the attention they get during grooming.
• Knowing your pet - While grooming your dog you get to know your pet better and know what he/she likes or dislikes, and its favorite and least favorite places to be touched or brushed. Knowing your pet will help you to notice any changes that may indicate a health problem, for instance if your dog suddenly flinches when touched in an area where it usually loves to be touched would alert you to investigate the cause of the tenderness.
• Spot Possible Health Dangers - While grooming your dog you can check the skin for possible skin rashes and problems like hair loss or lumps. Also check for signs that your dog has been scratching a certain area of the skin which would indicate some sort of irritation such as worms, fleas, mites or ticks. Ticks in particular can be deadly if left undetected and a thorough visual check of the dog�s skin should be a regular part of your dog health and grooming strategy. It is a good idea to check the eyes for any signs of sight or health problems while grooming your dog. Also check the pads and nails of the paws for problems that may require attention along with the teeth for signs of decay or gum problems.

Possible Bonus Benefit for you

If you find that you enjoy grooming and become quite competent, you may consider starting your own dog grooming service to make a few extra dollars or perhaps turn it into a full time business. Dog grooming services are in high demand and can be very profitable. There is nothing better than making a living doing something that you enjoy.

What You Need to Start?

It is important to get the right grooming tools and information on grooming techniques. The internet has is a wealth of information about grooming along with numerous sites that sell a range of grooming tools. Other sources are local pet supply stores or alternatively most towns and cities have a local dog association where dog lovers can meet and exchange ideas. Public libraries may also have books on dog grooming.

The benefits to your dog�s health by regular grooming far outweigh the small outlay of money for the grooming tools, and time spent grooming. Your dog's coat will look shiny and healthy and the health of your dog's skin will also be improved. Spend a little time on your pet and he/she will love you for it.

� 2006 Colin L Wolfenden

Colin L Wolfenden is webmaster for
http://www.impressiveebooks.com and

http://www.my-resource.com and is author of numerous health related articles

This mother retriever and her puppies look very cute. What puppy isn't cute? But this mother probably went through a lot of pain delivering them. Then her body had to come up with enough milk to keep her puppies well-fed.

It's a kindness to have your females spayed. There are plenty of dogs in the world, and too many of them don't have homes. Thousands and thousands are euthenized each year in the United States alone.

So do your pet a favor and get her spayed. You will be saving her from a lot of pain, several possible health problems, and you will be helping to decrease the overpopulation of dogs in the world.

Here's an article by someone especially about your female dog's health.

by:Aki Majima

As there are certain health issues that affect only the female dog, care should be taken to ensure that these are fully understood before deciding whether or not to buy a bitch.

The most important dog health care concern is that of spaying. Only those who are fully educated in all aspects of a specific breed and who have the time and energy to put into making sure that bloodlines are kept strong and healthy should ever consider breeding. With that in mind, most owners of female dogs will not be thinking of breeding and should therefore seriously consider having their pet spayed.

If the necessary surgery is carried out before your dog has her first heat cycle, the likelihood of her ever developing breast cancer will become almost zero percent. That alone is a very good reason to have your dog spayed as breast cancer is otherwise relatively common in older bitches. The chances of your dog developing pyometra, a disease of the uterus that can be fatal, is also greatly reduced.

Having your dog spayed will also relieve her of the twice yearly 'season' and the anxiety that often becomes part of it. She'll no longer want to roam in order to find male dogs to mate with and you'll no longer have to put up with the crowds of dogs who follow you during walks or who gather outside your home. And most importantly of all, unwanted pups will not become a problem.

If your female dog starts collecting her toys and treating them as if they were puppies, she's almost certainly experiencing a false pregnancy. Fortunately, this rarely lasts more than a week and although the dog will become very protective of her imaginary offspring, treat her as normal and she'll soon forget them.

If you've opted to not have your dog spayed, it's important to understand how her heat cycle works. The first 10-14 days is the period BEFORE ovulation and this is the time during which she will bleed.

Ovulation occurs as the bleeding stops so it's important to understand that it's during the 10-14 days following bleeding that she's actually most likely to become pregnant. Far too many owners make the mistake of believing that their female dog is safe once the bleeding stops and over-filled dog pounds are the sad result.

Doggie diapers are available in most pet stores and come in a range of sizes to fit different breeds. These are designed to stop the dog leaving blood on your furniture and rugs but unfortunately, unless the dog has been taught to accept wearing them from a very young age, most will soon chew them off.

Female dog owners who choose not to have their dog spayed MUST monitor their dog regularly for any lumps in the breasts and remember that unless they're serious about breeding, they have a duty to ensure that their dog doesn't produce unwanted puppies who will eventually find themselves sitting in a pound waiting for their death sentence to be passed.

Aki Majimacopyright@2005 by Aki Desorcy. Aki Desorcy is the Author of http://www.dog-treats-n-dog-care-tips.com/Where you will find free dog care care tips, dog treat recipes and other useful dog health care info for your pooch.

by:Brigitte Smith

An essential to your dog's health is his/her regular annual checkup with the vet. Whether or not you choose to have your dog vaccinated* at this time, the annual chekup is also an excellent opportunity for a thorough physical examination to be carried out, and a time to discuss any minor problems or issues which you feel may be affecting your dog's health or wellbeing.

This is a time when your vet may pick up inherited diseases and the like (when your dog is young) so they can be treated early, or just kept an eye on. And as your dog gets older, the vet may find the early signs of more sinister illnesses.

I recently took my dogs for their annual checkup, and for the first time alarms were raised about matters of significant concern - it was thought that Kara might have early stages of lymphoma (cancer) - which, fortunately, tests then proved to be not the case. And Jet apparently has something akin to the early stages of cataracts in humans in her eyes, and according to the vet, Jet is likely to go progressively blind over the next several years.

At least knowing this in advance gives me the opportunity to watch for any developing signs and, if and when necessary, adapt her outings and home environment to take into account any sight loss, and most importantly, it has made me realise that vitamin and mineral supplementation in dogs is actually a very wise idea.

Worming and "de-flea-ing" your dog are the commonest forms of health measures which you probably undertake yourself for your dog. Fleas infest almost every dog at some time. Sometimes a lot of the time. Dogs which socialise with other dogs outside the home tend to become infested the most often.

Fleas can carry disease and parasites, including tapeworm.But fleas are extremely irritating for your dog. They often cause intense itching, which in turn can cause your dog to damage his/her skin by vigorous scratching.

Some dogs are allergic to flea bites. Even after the fleas have been doused with flea poison and killed, the cycle of itch, scratch, itch, scratch, can remain.

My Rottweiler has been terribly affected two or three times now by this self-perpetuating cycle caused by her allergy to flea bites. Most of the skin damage has been caused by Kara incessantly scratching and injuring herself.

A dog with an infestation of fleas is neither a healthy nor a happy dog. So at the first sign of a flea, it's important to treat your dog for this very common problem. And those pesky fleas don't always readily show themselves. So if your dog is scratching more than usual, the first thing to do is a thorough search through your dog's coat.

If you sight even one flea, treat your dog immediately. Some people treat routinely just because it's flea season, and still others actually treat throughout the year. And of course, it goes without saying that if you have more than one animal, you must treat them all at the same time.

This way, you'll ensure that your dog is as healthy and happy as can be!* There are natural alternatives to vaccinations, and signficant controversy as to whether vaccinations are necessary to desirable. For further information, subscribe to the Healthy Happy Dogs newsletter.(c) 2004, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special dog health report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, go to http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com and submit your name and email address.npodsystems@yahoo.com

(ContentDesk) December 20, 2005 — Each year individuals make health resolutions and this year pets are included. Dog health is an "in" topic, and pet owners are looking to keep their dogs healthier while spending less. For some dog lovers that see their pets as family, keeping them healthy is very important.

Many owners are choosing to adopt and care for dogs from shelters and other organizations. Among the 10 most popular dog breeds are Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd Dog, Beagle, Dachshund, Yorkshire Terrier, Boxer, Poodle, Chihuahua, and Shih Tzu. With this diversity comes unique health problems.

The Most Common Dog Health Problems Are:

1. Infections of all kinds. Many dogs suffer some type of infection, with ear infections being the most common, followed by urinary tract infections, eye infections, and other miscellaneous infections.

2. A close second to infections are skin ailments such as hot spots, flea allergy, and dermatitis.

3. Arthritis, mostly due to old injuries, such as broken bones.

4. Benign growth such as tumors, warts, or cysts.

5. Problems caused by heart ailments such as dilated cardiomyopathy due to deficiencies and genetics.

6. Being overweight, followed by digestive problems.Proactive dog owners advocate exercise and healthy nutrition in the care of their pets.

A new resource ‘How To Keep Your Dog Healthy" equips dog owners with the knowledge to improve the lives of their pets. It is not intended to replace the family veterinarian, but to create health awareness among dog owners.

Pet health books that use the “How To” approach work well because people want answers fast. A health reference that can explain in common everyday language , and provide step by step care instructions to dog owners is needed.

Any resource that can help owners improve their dogs health and keep track of all their pets medical and treatment information will prove beneficial . Included is a health reference that provides answers to health and training questions for dog lovers.

It includes Pet Health Software to monitor all facets of pet health. Dog caretakers can keep record of vaccinations, worming and flea control, and know at a glance when the treatment needs repeating. It will also record details of any medicines that pets needs to take, general medical history, vet contact details, immunizations and health insurance details.

For additional information on dogs and dog health that is the subject of this release (or for a downloadable sample), contact Winfred Jennings or visit http://www.advancesinhealth.com/DG/index.html.

"How To Keep Your Dog Healthy" has been released in Ebook Format for immediate download. Contact: Winfred Jennings, Author How To Keep Your Pet Healthy 859-514-6697 http://www.advancesinhealth.com/DG/index.html