A Wrap up (Sheltie / Dog Care)

Good Morning, we've talked about tick prevention and heartworm prevention. Today is a wrap up on sheltie / dog care. Apart from tick prevention and heartworm prevention, we need to feed our dog a balanced meal that would meet their nutritional requirement.

There are so many dog food out there...which to choose?  I will only go with one brand..which is Royal Canin...I have been feeding my dogs Royal Canin for a long time and I can see the difference between a dog that was fed other food (from when they were in the womb) and my dogs that are on Royal Canin(also from when they were in the womb) I see a whole lot of difference.

Yeah yeah there are "so called" dog food review and people actually believe it just because its published on the net. Not EVERYTHING you see on net is reliable.  No one ever question how reliable these reviews are.  

Lets compare Royal Canin with other brand....Most brand even the premium or super premium brand have a "one size fit all concept" meaning any dog regardless of breed or size takes the same thing...how is that logic?  A Chihuahua's needs and a German Shepherd needs surely cant be the same!  Royal Canin is so specific when formulating the food thats why they have food specifically only for German Shepherd, Labrador, Golden Retriever etc...they all have special and different needs, for example, a German Shepherd's skin has a different PH level compared to other dogs.Within the canine species, skin Ph varies according to breeds. German Shepherd dogs have a much more alkaline Ph than other large breed dogs. Research has shown that an alkaline skin is more prone to bacteria development than an acid one. So, that is why they created food that is specific for certain breeds.

People often ask me when I walk the dog about the shampoo I use...I am sure they ask that because they are impressed with their coat...But its not the shampoo, its the food.

Ok, so food is very important too.

Now we shall talk about how often a dog should bath.  Most people bath their dog once a week.  For me that is pretty acceptable if they tend to get dirty very fast.  But if you have a choice and your dog isnt dirty try to make it once every two weeks.  Am sure some of you are going yuck!  But hahaha...I have news for you...have you ever wondered why some people complain their dog smell even after giving them a bath few days ago?  The dog has got a natural layer of oil that protects their skin.  They more you shampoo them the more you remove that precious oil and when the oil is gone....TADA bacteria growing and thats why you get a stinky dog!

I bath my dogs ONCE a month...they dont smell at all...they are groomed daily.  Grooming keeps their coat it good shape because we are ventilating the skin and so the skin is healthy.  Using a good and not harsh shampoo helps.  My Favourite shampoo and conditioner is PET ESTHE.  It is very gentle on the skin and it cleans the dog well and it leaves a very nice pleasant LIGHT smell.  Not like some dog shampoo that could choke you.  Remember a dog's sense of smell is about 100000 times stronger than a human's so just imagine how irritating it can be for them!

And as I mentioned in my other post, the sun is important too...so let your dogs get out and get some sun.

Lastly, please make sure you vaccinate your dog.  It is very very important.  A puppy will usually have 3 vaccines in the first year  and then it becomes a yearly affair.  If unsure when to vaccinate, always speak to your vet.

So, in ensuring your dog is happy and healthy and that you dont end up with high unnecessary vet bills, if you do the following, you can be sure you are doing the best for your dog.

1. Good food, I will recommend only ROYAL CANIN
2. Heartworm prevention
3. Tick Prevention (FRONTLINE COMBO)
4. Vaccination
5. Bath only when necessary, I recommend PET ESTHE SHAMPOO and CONDITIONER(remember the sun)

Okey dokey, that is all for the physical health.  In my next post, we will be talking about mental health (DOGS)

Have a wonderful day!!

Meet Baby!

Hello and Good Morning! I have yet to introduce Baby to you.  Meet Baby, our little girl. I was going to introduce her but just have not got round to doing it. Anyway, we would like you to meet Baby.  Baby and Honey Bun love playing with each other. Baby is a happy carefree girl.  She loves people and loves other dogs too. Honey Bun and Baby was spayed at the same time just recently, all went well and they are their happy self again.

Here she is at 8 months old....

Honey Bun and Baby

Sunbathing

Dogs love to sunbath...no its not to get a tan! hahaha...its very important for a dog to get some sun.  That is why you will see a smart dog sunbathing.  It is good for their skin.  Dogs who dont often get the sun because their owner thinks its too hot for them often have more problems than dogs who sunbath.  Just because we dont like the sun, it doesnt mean its not good for the dog.  The best time for your dog to sunbath is the morning sun till about 11.30am. Do NOT force them to be under the sun against their will. You could kill them that way.  Just give them the freedom to be able to go outside and sunbath whenever they like.

Here is Honey Bun sunbathing at 10.30am.  She absolutely loves it.

Merry Christmas!

Sekinchan

My Family and I went to Sekinchan for seafood yesterday.  It was a long drive. We left early so we could arrive just in time for lunch....I heard the scenery of the paddy field there are awesome so I took my camera along with me.  But after lunch we realised we didnt have much time and I need to rush home because Cleo (Honey Bun's sister) is coming over to stay with us for awhile while her humans are away.  So, no pictures of paddy fields unfortunately....only pictures I took when we stopped at a fruit stall ! hahaha...But am determined to go there again when I have the whole day to spend. In my next blog post, a wrap up on dog care and more educational post.  Till then have a fantastic day.

We bought some of this yummy bananas and we were all enjoying it on the way home like a bunch of monkeys, hahahah.....

A pretty flower by the road side

 

The Little Kitten (Hary)

Good Morning! Remember the little kitten we rescued a while back? Well, we have found him a home and he is the only cat and gets the human all to himself, isnt that wonderful? When I found little Hary at the market, I didnt have the heart to leave him there.  He was infested with fleas and was very thin.  He also had an eye infection.  When he was found, we took him to the vet immediately. They got rid of his fleas, treated his eye and got dewormed. We took him home the next day.  I was worried about him with my dogs because my dogs never lived with a cat before, BUT what a pleasant surprise, they accepted him and they became pals instantly! We were very pleased but I am allergic to cats.  I already knew that before taking him home but I thought I would be ok.  Therefore I kept him till I felt I was wheezing almost everyday.  So, before things got worse, I tried to rehome him and luckily a nice Norwegian family was interested in giving him a home!  So, off he went to his new home yesterday and they love him very much.

Here are some picture of Hary when he was staying with us.

Hary loved playing under the willow tree

I have never had a pet cat and never knew I could love a cat so much.  Hary is a loving cat and his personality is wonderful. I wish him all the love and happiness with his new family.  Hope to see you again Hary boy!