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

by:Brigitte Smith

It goes without saying that your dog needs suitable nutrition to remain healthy. Vets and pet food manufacturers often have differing views on appropriate nutrition for your dog.

Although commercial pet food manufacturers are motivated in large part by profits, commercially prepared foods are routinely recommended as part of an adequate, or good, diet for your dog. Sometimes your vet or dog breeder may approve of commercially prepared foods as your dog's sole diet.

Many experts, however, tend to prefer a largely natural diet which for dogs is invariably comprised of meat and bones. Raw is preferable to cooked, as some of the minerals are definitely lost in the cooking process.

The reason why the commercially prepared pet food is so often fed to our dogs, is because, apart from the convenience, it can (depending upon the quality) actually contain many of the nutrients which are essential to your dog's wellbeing. The key word here is quality.

There are in fact very, very few commercial manufacturers which produce nutrient-rich food. And they're not the brands you find in your supermarket, or even in most pet stores or vetinarians.Raw bones with a little dry food as well as occasional rice or pasta, and perhaps the odd quality food scrap from your table, will generally contain most of the nutrients which your dog needs.

All dogs must obtain reasonable nutrition from their food to maintain excellent health and performance. The main nutrients required by your dog are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

Vitamin or mineral deficiency in dogs fed a commercially manufactured diet today is not widely publicised. But then again, the slosh and dried formulae which are readily available from your vet or the local supermarket are not your dog's natural diet.

If your dog was left to fend for itself in the wild (assuming it could manage to adapt, that is), would choose raw meat. And one of the reasons why meat, and especially bones, are so good, is the chewing action and the teeth cleaning function which the bones perform.

Of course, there are also commercially prepared substitutes which can also effectively clean your dog's teeth and satisfy his/her need to chew. A lesser known fact is that to feed your dog only meat (with no bones and no cereals or other carbohydrate source) can cause severe deficiencies: your dog is likely to become lethargic, sick, and even death has been known to occur from an all meat diet.

But what about dogs in the wild, I hear you ask? Isn't meat a dog's natural diet? Isn't that what you just said, Brigitte? Well, yes and no: in the wild dogs eat the whole of their prey, not simply muscle meat - they thus obtain vegetable matter from the digestive tract of their prey, and calcium from the bones.

As well, wild dogs occasionally, but routinely, add to their diet with plants, fruit and berries. Most dogs relish some raw fruit and vegetables in their diet, so long as that's what they're used to.

A dog who has been fed commercially prepared dog food all of its life won't be used to the taste of fresh food, so may well turn up his/her nose if you introduce such healthy food later in life. But persevere - try hand feeding pieces of carrot or apple to begin with. And if your dog is still very young, all the better.

Start as you mean to go on and feed him/her some raw fruit and vegetables from time to time. Your dog's health will benefit!

(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, click here for your dog health report: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.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