What Is The Best Feed For My German Shepherd?

Next, we present a series of recommended feeds for German Shepherds, which will guarantee that your dog enjoys iron health. Before choosing the food for your German Shepherd, you should bear in mind that it is important to know very well the nutritional needs that your dog has and what components can help better prevent the most frequent health problems in this breed.

What Nutritional Needs Does My German Shepherd Have?

The German Shepherd is one of the best-known dog breeds in the world. His spectacular beauty, strength, and intelligence of him make him an excellent pet. Many people choose this breed of dog as a companion animal, guard dog, police dog, search and rescue dog, or dog for self-defense. As in most breeds, the German Shepherd also has a tendency to suffer from some hereditary health problems.

  • Joints: This breed is prone to certain pathologies in its joints, such as hip or elbow dysplasia. These pathologies are hereditary and degenerative, which is why they cause a lot of pain and an abnormal way of walking.
  • Eyes: we can find hereditary eye problems such as cataracts and corneal pannus.
  • Digestive system: German Shepherd Puppy dogs have a proportionally shorter digestive system than other breeds. If we add this to the fact that they have higher permeability and a lower proportion of intestinal defenses, we find that this breed is prone to digestive problems. In addition, it is possible that some German Shepherds suffer from stomach torsion due to the morphology of their chest.

What is this about? Genetically uncontrolled breeding of this breed has existed for a long time. For this reason, the best thing to do when purchasing a German Shepherd is to do it in the hands of professional breeders, to avoid possible hereditary health problems. However, this breed is so strong that the vast majority of specimens are healthy animals with an average life span of 12-14 years.

Of course, your German Shepherd’s diet plays a huge role in its physical condition and general health. A well-fed dog from an early age will enjoy a better state of health, avoiding excessive visits to the vet.

What Food Do I Choose To Feed My German Shepherd Dog?

The German Shepherd is a large breed dog that in the early stages of its life experiences rapid growth. For this reason, it is essential to administer a special feed for German Shepherd puppies that covers all their needs, always paying special attention to the calcium/phosphorus content, since growth disorders are very frequent due to diets excessively rich in calcium.

Go for well-trained and vaccinated Wustenbergerland Elite German Shepherds, where you’ll also get full tips on how to feed your K9.

Oral Hygiene, Key to the Health of Your Pet

At our Agriculture for Oral Health In Animals in Houston, TX we are very clear that the health of pets depends a lot on the conditions of their mouths. Correct oral hygiene of the dog or cat determines the strength of the teeth and gums, which are, in essence, the first point of contact with food.

A mouth in poor condition affects how and how much you eat. This aspect is extremely important because it determines the health of the rest of the body of our pet. In fact, many of the visits to the Agriculture for Oral Health In Animals in Houston are directly or indirectly related to eating problems, which are related to poor oral health. Therefore, we must pay special attention to the oral hygiene of our pets.

Among the veterinary services in Houston, TX that we offer is dental treatment for pets, which will help you prevent possible problems and correct existing ones in your little friend. Do you want your dog or cat to be healthier? Follow our recommendations.

When should we perform an oral hygiene treatment on our pet?

The oral hygiene treatment for pets that we offer gives your dog or cat a better quality of life. It is best to go to our veterinary hospital in Houston, TX to determine the frequency of dental cleaning, but you should never let it go if your animal’s breath smells very bad, as this is the first sign of major problems.

Come to our veterinary hospital in Houston as soon as you notice any discomfort or strange behavior related to chewing in your pet. This is when a professional cleaning will be necessary.

Tartar removal in dogs and cats during oral hygiene treatment is done with an ultrasound device. The cleaning of the gums is deepened, the tooth is polished and the mouth is sanitized. If necessary, the tooth is extracted as it could be infected, move and harm the animal.

This treatment requires general anesthesia of the pet, the only way to ensure that it is still during the delicate operation and to prevent it from swallowing the harmful plaque debris.

The first symptoms to do an oral hygiene treatment to your pet

As happens to us humans, when our pets eat small particles of food, they are deposited between the teeth and, with their decomposition, bacteria that produce plaque or tartar proliferate. This is the origin of all the problems related to oral health.

The first signs of poor dental hygiene in your pet

Tartar is a hard, rough substance that is yellowish, brownish or even greenish in color that accumulates on the teeth following a process exactly the same as in the case of humans.

We do have a conscience of personal hygiene and we brush our teeth daily. But our pets can’t do it themselves, which leads to constant tartar buildup.

This plaque encourages even more bacteria, so we are facing a vicious circle that is accelerating. The color of the teeth and halitosis are the first signs.

Little by little, the tartar invades the entire tooth until it affects the gums, causing gingivitis. These become painfully inflamed and more sensitive, leading to bleeding and ulcer formation. These wounds allow microorganisms to enter the animal’s bloodstream, leading to dangerous infections.

The wounded gum ends up receding, exposing the root of the tooth, which ends up falling out (the dreaded periodontitis). The loss of teeth has serious consequences on chewing, which is no longer as efficient, is done incompletely and alters the digestion of food.

Whether or not a tooth has fallen out, the animal loses its appetite and the pain prevents it from eating well. From there, the associated conditions come, such as anemia.

Periodontal disease is a long process with increasingly serious consequences. Preventing our pet from losing quality of life, vitality and joy is in our hands. Your health will thank you in every way.

Your pet’s periodontal disease can be avoided

Periodontal disease can be prevented, delayed and corrected with proper dental hygiene. As you know, there are several solutions that you can adopt without further ado, such as tooth brushing, anti-tartar toys and cleaning substances.

All these measures help prevent and delay the formation of tartar, but over time it is almost inevitable to move on to other more effective and profound solutions. Your furry friend needs you to stay healthy. As a member of your family, he deserves all the care and pampering.

Take advantage of the oral hygiene services for dogs and cats at the Agriculture for Oral Health In Animals in Houston. Our specific treatment will relieve your discomfort and correct the effects of plaque.

Why Sterilize Your Pet?

Have you subjected your pet to a sterilization treatment? Are you thinking of doing it soon? Deciding whether or not to sterilize our pet can give us more than one doubt about it. We are torn between what we think as owners and the real benefits for him. The decision may not be easy, but we must have all the information to make a responsible assessment. At Riera Alta del Raval Veterinary Hospital in Barcelona, ​​we tell you why it is important and beneficial to sterilize your pet.

The importance of sterilization

Whether you have a dog or a cat, you should know that sterilization is the best option for birth control and preventing unwanted animal births. Many sacrifices and abandonments would be avoided with this practice. In addition, in the specific case of your pet, when it reaches a mature age, its genitals can be a source of complications for its health and that includes social, psychological and affective problems. For this reason, you should value sterilization to avoid these disorders and guarantee their well-being.

Better behavior of your pet

There are several reasons to sterilize your dog or dog and one of them is to improve their behavior. Their territorial, dominance, and often aggressive behavior is closely related to the levels of sexual hormones. Surely you have seen how many dogs pull on the leash excessively, want to fight, get confused or run away following the scent of a female’s heat. Watch these reactions since their risks are obvious: many dogs get lost in these types of circumstances.

Avoid anxiety in your dog and cat

With spaying, your pet will not react to the hormones of heat, or will do so only minimally. On the other hand, eliminating your dog’s genitals will also reduce his anxiety since you should know that sexual hormones also play an important role in this aspect. If you have a cat, sterilization is also effective in correcting its behavior. You will prevent him from running away from home in search of females and you will help him not have the need to mark the territory. In addition, you will see that it will be even neater.

Reduces the chances of a tumor

Neutering is positive because it reduces the chances that your pet will develop a malignant genital tumor and, consequently, allows you to extend its life. By eliminating the reproductive system, the possibility of developing any disease of the same and others whose trigger are sexual hormones is eliminated at once. In males it prevents testicular cancer, cysts, brucellosis, prostate, anal… And in females, it helps prevent uterine infections and breast and womb cancers (cysts and ovarian and breast tumors). In addition, the risk of contracting vaginal infections and irritations in females is also resolved by eliminating heat, a relevant aspect for many owners.

A psychological pregnancy?

If you have noticed that your dog plays with dolls or other objects and adopts them as if they were babies, remember that she may be suffering from a psychological and hormonal disorder with which she will surely be suffering, due to heat and the fact of not getting pregnant. . Something similar happens with false pregnancies. Sterilization is useful to end all these unnecessary problems for your pet.

Monitor your pet’s overweight

Hormonal imbalances also have an impact on your dog or cat’s body weight. A sterilized companion animal experiences a drop in its metabolic rate and an increase in its appetite. Therefore, it is necessary that you ensure your pet an adequate diet, rich in fiber and more satiating, as well as an increase in physical activity to avoid being overweight.

Effective surgical technique

Current surgical techniques make sterilization an increasingly less invasive procedure. During the intervention, the animal remains monitored at all times and under supervision of its vital signs. In the case of females, the ovaries and the womb are removed, while in males the testicles are removed, that is, what we commonly call castration. Do not worry about his recovery, because it is much faster than you think and in a few days he will be able to lead a normal life and go for a walk as usual without problems. You should also know that aftercare is easy. You must pay attention to the disinfection of the operated area and administer antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for a few days.

Your pet will be the same after the intervention

Do not think that after intervening your pet will stop being the same. That she is neutered does not at all imply that she does not want to play or walk and run. It will simply be calmer at home. At Agriculture for Oral Health In Animals we remind you that sterilized animals are more predisposed to focus their attention on the family and are more docile because without the sexual instinct they become calmer and calmer.