A good veterinarian will help you with many different concerns you may have about your pet from the appropriate diet, to the appropriate vaccinations, their general health and any behavioral problems you may experience with your pet. Therefore, it’s important to find a vet you feel comfortable with in caring for your pet. This article gives you some pointers on choosing the right vet for your pet.

Ideally, you should start searching for a veterinarian before you adopt a pet so you can take your time and find a veterinarian you trust. Friends and neighbors make great sources for vet recommendations, especially those that have multiple pets or pets with a chronic illness (which often requires frequent vet visits and the vet’s experience in care options). If you’ve just moved to a new area and don’t know a lot of people, you may have to resort to a telephone directory or the Internet. If you are moving to a new area and already have a vet where you currently live, you may elect to ask them for a referral, as many vets will know others in various locations.

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The honeymoon is over. That cute little ball of fur whose feet rarely touched the floor is now that huge furry floor mat you have to step over to do laundry. The kitten you watched chase her tail is now the cat you see only at meals. The gerbil hasn’t been out of the cage in who knows how long. (Do you still have a gerbil?) Your relationship with your pet can really lose its shine over time. But that’s a situation you can change by becoming aware of what’s turning you away from your pet and taking steps to correct it. Here’s how to start enjoying your friend again.

For Pets in General

When the Disenchanted Owner Is a Kid

If little Jimmy is not living up to his end of the pet care bargain, try to reestablish a routine. Call a meeting with the child and ask him what needs to be done with the pet and how best to get that accomplished. Mark those tasks on a calendar and ask your child to suggest consequences if he fails to follow through.Establish a tracking process for kids ages five through eight, using fun stickers (maybe a paw print stamp from a stationery store) and a chart noting that the pet has been fed, walked, and brushed today.

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The bond between pet and child can be breathtaking to behold — unconditional love and tender care at their finest. But there’s more to the kid-pet relationship than sentimental moments. Children can tend pets, but they need guidance to do the job right. Here’s how to bring out the best and work with the worst when kids and pets live side by side — or just visit back and forth.

For Pets in General

Age Is an Object

The age at which a child can assume the basic responsibility for a pet depends on the animal and the child’s maturity level. If a youngster really loves the animal, is willing to care for him, and enjoys him, somewhere around age nine is a good time to start. Some children are ready a year or two earlier, and some are never ready. The Buck Stops with Mom

Although it boosts a child’s self-esteem to call a pet her own and she can certainly take on quite a bit of pet care, a pet is a living thing and a member of the family. Don’t leave its well-being up to the kids. Be prepared to nurture the pet — newt or Newfoundland — with the best the household has to offer, independent of what the child is able or willing to do.

Let the Kids Choose Their Own Friends

Accept that some children just aren’t “animal people.” Don’t force them to feel guilty that they really don’t want to be around the household parakeet or spend hours tending the dog, especially if it’s a pet that was adopted when the children were babies or that they never asked for. Skip the Empty Threats

If you adopted a pet at one child’s urging and whining and that child has lost interest, threaten to give the animal away only if you really mean it. Otherwise, you will just provoke guilt and bad feelings and will still end up caring for the animal yourself. Don’t be a martyr! Here’s the Goal

Forget lines such as “This is your pet. Don’t expect me to feed it (or walk it, or change its litter box).” If you adopted the pet because you thought you’d never need to tend it, you must rearrange your thinking. Adults always have bottom-line responsibility for every member of the family. Better to say “If you aren’t going to be able to take care of the cat this week because of football practice, you need to help me work out a schedule of who’s going to fill in and how you’ll make it up to them.” That’s a feasible project. Let Me Walk the Dog!

Establish pet care duties as a privilege, not a grudging chore. “Let” a child walk the dog only after she has proved that she can master the concept by, for example, “walking” a pull toy on a leash regularly for a week or two. Take away a pet care privilege as a consequence of other infractions: “You won’t be able to brush Fifi tonight because you haven’t finished your homework.” Of course, to make the tasks seem alluring, you’ll have to do them yourself with a cheery grin. Duties for Pet Deputies

Although very young children shouldn’t be expected to take full responsibility for a pet’s care, even the youngest can help to tend pets. For a toddler, helping fill the dog’s water bowl or clean the bird’s cage is diverting and sets up an attitude of “It’s my job to see that the pets are taken care of” that will last a lifetime. If you don’t have children in your household, invite a neighbor’s child to help out, or a grandchild or other relative.Give a child who’s five to eight years old a regular duty, such as feeding the fish or brushing the cat. Once you’ve shown the youngster how and supervised him for five to ten days, set up a checklist or calendar so that you can note “job well done” each day. Work toward a small reward for consistent performance.

The Odds Are Good

Surprisingly, the “prize” can work just as well if it’s more for the pet than the child. For example, offer to let the child help you pick out a new water bowl for the dog after the youngster has done water detail for 21 days. (Odd numbers of days tickle children, as do unusual dollar amounts. For example, tell your young ones, “We’ll spend $1.79 just on treats for Bandit after we’ve changed his cage three times.”) For Dogs and Cats

Look Out — It’s Walking on Two Legs

Keep the dog’s or cat’s food dish where a child younger than three years old can’t sample the wares. Believe it or not, the concern here is not that the baby might eat something harmful — pet chow is fairly nutritious and digestible — but that the child could choke. Mommy, Look What I Found!

Keep all pet medicines in a child-proof cabinet, particularly the heartworm medicine, which looks like brown bread pellets or gum balls.If you have a small child, or if a toddler spends a lot of time at your house, don’t buy those round kitty treats that look like gum balls and are the perfect shape for a toddler to choke on.

These Snacks Weren’t Meant to Be Shared

To discourage your young child from habitually munching on dog biscuits, keep pet treats on a high shelf. But don’t panic if a baby or child picks up a dog biscuit and gnaws on it — as long as the treat isn’t broken into pieces so small that the youngster could choke. The ingredients won’t harm the little one. See, Dad? Bowser Really Likes These Treats!

Babies have a charming habit of giving people food to a dog or cat in undreamed-of quantities or of handing out every treat in the box. Monitor the children and pets when they’re together. It doesn’t take a supersmart cat or dog long to figure out how to take advantage of a youngster. So Nice to Come Home To

Children who come home from school to an empty house feel much more secure and loved if a pet is waiting for them. If you don’t have children, consider loaning your pet, especially a well-trained dog or playful cat, to such a household for the after-school hours. Bowser Will Be Expecting You

If you work outside the home during business hours, or if the child’s home is strictly “no pets,” consider loaning the youngster a key to your house. You’ll be training a potential pet-sitter at the same time. Of course, you’ll need to check with the child’s parents first. You’ll also need to lay down (and write down) ground rules about which areas of the house he may use and how long he should stay (probably 30 minutes or so). And make sure the youngster knows emergency phone numbers and how to lock the doors behind him. For Dogs Only

Grumpy Old Dogs

Remember that an aging dog might not be able to handle the same boisterous treatment he could even a couple of years ago. When a child starts walking and can pursue the dog, establish a “dogs only” area where your dog can keep away from sharp pokes and too-hearty thumps without resorting to nips and growls of his own. For Other Pets

Incredibly Inedible

Keep gerbils, hamsters, fish, water turtles, and frogs out of baby’s reach. A baby might squeeze the tiny animals and hurt them. But it’s even more likely that the tyke will pop a tiny creature into her mouth. If this happens, call the pediatrician for advice on whether the baby bears watching. Screen All Visitors

Install on top of the fish tank a tight-fitting screen that clicks into place. Available from fish stores, these screens keep toddlers from dipping in to terrify the fish or pull out seaweed, snails, or gravel for consumption. But Mom! You Said We Should Share Toys!

Other pet accoutrements are small enough for babies to choke on and fascinating enough to lure little folks. Keep small cat toys, seed sticks for birds, hamster pellets, charcoal for the fish tank, and similar objects out of children’s reach. Copyright © 1999 by Rodale Press, Inc.

In today’s modern and mechanized world, most domestic canines function primarily as pets. But all domestic dogs were once bred to fulfill some need of mankind, and there are many breeds whose original duty was to serve in a working capacity. In every country specific breeds were used as guardians, draft dogs and hunters. Even now there are dogs that continue to perform these duties for their owners.These breeds make up the Working Group. They are medium-to-very-large-sized dogs whose athleticism, strength, endurance, loyalty and majesty help them to accomplish the tasks that have made them invaluable to their owners. They come from all over the globe and have endured the most extreme of climates, terrain and conditions to ensure not only their own survival, but the survival of the people they serve.

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Preventive care is what will keep your Working dog healthy day after day. It’s keeping an eye out for what your Working dog eats, how he sleeps, how his eyes and coat look, how much he exercises, and his general well-being. It’s why you want to feed your Working dog the Nature’s Recipe Group Specific diet. Since we are all what we eat, and our pets are no different, feeding a high-quality 100\% complete and balanced diet will go a long way toward reducing other health-related problems.PREVENTIVE COAT AND SKIN CARE
FLEAS & TICKS
External parasites like fleas and ticks can wreak havoc on your Working dog’s skin and coat. Just a few years ago these pests posed major problems and it was difficult to keep dogs, and homes, flea or tick-free. Today there are a number of products available that are non-toxic to pets and humans but deadly to fleas and ticks, and they’re safe and easy to use. Good news for Working dog owners! Also, because allergies appear to have a threshold effect, minimizing sensitivity to flea bites should be part of a successful allergy management program.

HEARTWORM
Dogs do not get heartworm by socializing with infected dogs; they only get infected by mosquitoes that carry the infective microfilariae. The adult heartworms grow in the heart and major blood vessels and eventually cause heart failure.

Fortunately, heartworm is easily prevented by safe oral medications that can be administered daily or on a once-a-month basis. The once-a-month preparations also help prevent many of the common intestinal parasites, such as hookworms, roundworms and whipworms.

Prior to giving any preventive medication for heartworm, an antigen test (an immunologic test that detects heartworms) should be performed by a veterinarian since it is dangerous to give the medication to dogs that harbor the parasite. Once the test results show that the dog is free of heartworms, the preventive therapy can be commenced. The length of time the heartworm preventives must be given depends on the length of the mosquito season. In some parts of the country, dogs are on preventive therapy year-round. Heartworm vaccines may soon be available, but the preventives now available are easy to administer, inexpensive and quite safe.

MANGE
Mange refers to any skin condition caused by mites. The contagious mites include ear mites, scabies mites, Cheyletiella mites and chiggers. Demodectic mange is associated with proliferation of Demodex mites, but they are not considered contagious.

The most common causes of mange in dogs are ear mites and these are extremely contagious. The best way to avoid ear mites is to buy pups from sources that don’t have a problem with ear mite infestation. Otherwise, pups readily acquire them when kept in crowded environments in which other animals might be carriers. Treatment is effective if whole body (or systemic) therapy is used, but relapses are common when medication in the ear canal is the only approach. This is because the mites tend to crawl out of the ear canal when medications are instilled. They simply feed elsewhere on the body until it is safe for them to return to the ears.

Scabies mites and Cheyletiella mites are passed on by other dogs that are carrying the mites. They are “social” diseases that can be prevented by not exposing your dog to others that are infested. Scabies (sarcoptic mange) has the dubious honor of being the most itchy disease to which dogs are susceptible. Chigger mites are present in forested areas and dogs acquire them by roaming in these areas. All can be effectively diagnosed and treated by your veterinarian should your dog happen to become infested.

PREVENTING WORMS & OTHER INFECTIONS
INTESTINAL PARASITES
The most important internal parasites in dogs are roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and whipworms. Roundworms are the most common. It has been estimated that 13 trillion roundworm eggs are discharged in dog feces every day! Studies have shown that 75\% of all pups carry roundworms and start shedding them by three weeks of age. People are infected by exposure to dog feces containing infective roundworm eggs, not by handling pups. Hookworms can cause a disorder known as cutaneous larva migrans in people. In dogs, they are most dangerous to puppies since they latch onto the intestines and suck blood. They can cause anemia and even death when they are present in large numbers. The most common tapeworm is Dipylidium caninum which is spread by fleas. However, another tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) can cause fatal disease in people and can be spread to people from dogs. Whipworms live in the lower aspects of the intestines. Dogs get whipworms by consuming infective larvae. However, it may be another three months before they start shedding them in their stool, greatly complicating diagnosis. In other words, dogs can be infected by whipworms, but fecal evaluations are usually negative until the dog starts passing those eggs three months after being infected.

Other parasites, such as coccidia, Cryptosporidium, Giardia and flukes can also cause problems in dogs. The best way to prevent all internal parasite problems is to have pups dewormed according to your veterinarian’s recommendations, and to have parasite checks done on a regular basis, at least annually.

VIRAL INFECTIONS
Dogs get viral infections such as distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and rabies by exposure to infected animals. The key to prevention is controlled exposure to other animals and, of course, vaccination. Today’s vaccines are extremely effective and properly vaccinated dogs are at minimal risk for contracting these diseases. However, it is still important to limit exposure to other animals that might be harboring infection. When selecting a facility for boarding or grooming an animal, make sure they limit their clientele to animals that have documented vaccine histories. This is in everyone’s best interest. Similarly, make sure your veterinarian has a quarantine area for infected dogs and that animals aren’t admitted for surgery, boarding, grooming or diagnostic testing without up-to-date vaccinations. By controlling exposure and ensuring vaccination, your pet should be safe from these potentially devastating diseases.

KENNEL COUGH
Canine infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as canine cough and kennel cough, is a contagious viral/bacterial disease that results in a hacking cough that may persist for many weeks. It is common wherever dogs are kept in close quarters, such as kennels, pet stores, grooming parlors, dog shows, training classes, and even veterinary clinics. The condition doesn’t respond well to most medications, but eventually clears spontaneously over a course of many weeks. Pneumonia is a possible but uncommon complication.

Prevention is best achieved by limiting exposure and utilizing vaccination. The fewer opportunities you give your dog to come in contact with others, the less chance of becoming infected. Vaccination is not foolproof because many different viruses can be involved. Parainfluenza virus is included in most vaccines and is one of the more common viruses known to initiate the condition. Bordetella bronchiseptica is the bacterium most often associated with tracheobronchitis and a vaccine is now available that needs to be repeated twice yearly for dogs at risk. This vaccine is squirted into the nostrils to help stop the infection before it gets deeper into the respiratory tract. Make sure the vaccination is given several days (preferably two weeks) before exposure to ensure maximal protection.

IN SUMMARY
Keeping your Working Dogs healthy requires preventive health care. This is not only the most effective, but the least expensive way to battle illness. Good preventive care starts even before puppies are born. The dam should be well cared for, vaccinated and free of infections and parasites. Hopefully, both parents were screened for important genetic diseases, showed no evidence of medical or behavioral problems and were found to be good candidates for breeding. This gives the pup a good start in life. If all has been planned well, the dam will pass on resistance to disease to her pups that will last for the first few months of life. However, the dam can also pass on parasites, infections, genetic diseases and more.

A Toy is a Toy only in so far as its smaller size is concerned. Many are hunters and display the personalities of the larger family members from which they have descended. For this reason, we see associated with their names the nouns griffon, spaniel and terrier. While specifically stated in the breed standard of the Pug regarding their personalities, the motto multum in parvo - a lot of dog in a small package - applies to all of them. Some have so much spunk that they rule the roost over larger breeds. They have origins from all parts of the world, where they were commonly prized by royalty and other ruling classes. As a breed they are much more than lap dogs, they are very vocal guardians of home and family and are ideal for a family where space is limited. However, like all dogs, they enjoy a romp in open space to burn off their energy. There is such a diversity in this group that there is a breed for everyone who wants a small dog.Sixteen breeds currently constitute the Toy Group recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). While they share the lowest of height and weight, their origins and temperaments are far-ranging. The Papillon is a miniaturized French gun dog, who today excels in formal competitions as varied as obedience trials, tracking tests and agility. Brussels Griffons were once called Griffons D’Ecurie, or stable dogs, so efficient were they at keeping varmints at bay. Their coats are short and long, fine and coarse; their colors as varied as their origins.

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Many conditions appear to be especially prominent in Toy breeds. Sometimes it is possible to identify the genetic basis of a problem, but in many cases, we must be satisfied with merely identifying the breeds that are at risk and how the conditions can be identified, treated and prevented- Following are some conditions that have been recognized as being common in the Toy breeds but this listing can never be considered complete, as more research is being done every day. Also, many genetic conditions may be common in certain breed lines, not in the breed in general.ALLERGIES
People with allergies often sneeze and their eyes water; dogs with allergies scratch-they’re itchy. The most common manifestations include licking and chewing at the front feet. There may also be face rubbing, a rash on the belly or the armpits and subsequent bacterial infections on the skin surface. The offenders are molds, pollens and household dusts that are present in the air.

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Preventive care is what will keep your Toy breed healthy day after day. It’s keeping an eye out for what your Toy eats, how he sleeps, how his eyes and coat look, how much he exercises, and his general well-being. It’s why you want to feed your Toy the Nature’s Recipe Group-Specific diet. Since we are all what we eat, and our pets are no different, feeding a high-quality 100\% complete and balanced diet will go a long way toward reducing other health-related problems.PREVENTIVE COAT AND SKIN CARE

FLEAS & TICKS
External parasites like fleas and ticks can wreak havoc on your Toy’s skin and coat. Just a few years ago these pests posed major problems and it was difficult to keep dogs and homes flea or tick free. Today there are a number of products available that are non-toxic to pets and humans but deadly to fleas and ticks, and they’re safe and easy to use. Good news for Toy dog owners! Also, because allergies appear to have a threshold effect, minimizing sensitivity to flea bites should be part of a successful allergy management program.

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Many conditions appear in terriers but as a breed group they are less afflicted than some of the others. Good news for terrier owners. Sometimes it is possible to identify the genetic basis of a problem, but in many cases we must be satisfied with merely identifying the breeds that are at risk and how the conditions can be identified, treated and prevented. Following are some conditions that have been recognized as being common in terriers, but this listing can never be considered complete, as more research is being done every day. Also, many genetic conditions may be common in certain breed lines, but not in the Terrier Group in general.ALLERGIES
People with allergies often sneeze and their eyes water; dogs with allergies scratch and they’re itchy. The most common manifestations include licking and chewing at the front feet. There may also be face rubbing, a rash on the belly or the armpits and subsequent bacterial infections on the skin surface. The offenders are molds, pollens and household dusts that arepresent in the air.

It is difficult to pinpoint what, exactly, a dog may be allergic to. Beyond dust and mold, they can have allergic reactions to cleansers, fabrics, factors in the environment and, commonly, food ingredients. That’s why Nature’s Recipe devised the Group Specific Diets to help identify and eliminate food stuffs that may cause allergies in certain breed types.

Mild cases of allergy can be treated with antihistamines, fatty acid supplements (combinations of eicosapentaenoic acid and gamma-linolenic acid) and frequent soothing baths. Allergies that last for more than three to four months each year or are severe are best treated with immunotherapy (allergy shots). Corticosteroids effectively reduce the itch of allergy but can cause other medical problems with long-term use.

CATARACTS
Cataracts refer to an opacity or cloudiness on the lens and ophthalmologists are careful tocategorize them on the basis of stage, age of onset, and location Many dogs adapt well to cataracts, but cataract removal surgery is available and quite successful if needed. Affected animals and their siblings should obviously not be used for breeding and careful ophthalmologic evaluation of both parents is warranted.

HIP DYSPLASIA
Hip dysplasia is a genetically transmitted developmental problem of the hip joint that is common in many breeds, including some terriers. Dogs may be born with a “susceptibility” or “tendency” to develop hip dysplasia but it is not a foregone conclusion that all susceptible dogs will eventually develop hip dysplasia. All dysplastic dogs are born with normal hips and the dysplastic changes begin within the first 24 months of life although they are usually evident long before then.

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The name “terrier” derives from the Latin word terra, meaning earth; thus, the terrier is the earth dog. Developed specifically to go to ground (burrow into the earth) in pursuit of such vermin as rats, badgers, foxes, weasels, otters and badgers, the terrier was bred for centuries to be the determined dog he still is today.The terrier, bred in all sizes, was long the companion of farmers and quickly endeared himself to city-dwellers looking to rid themselves of rodents and other pesty creatures. There is a terrier for everyone, from the adorable West Highland White Terrier to the “gentleman” of the terrier world - the Wire Fox Terrier - to the scrappy Welsh Terrier to the versatile and popular American Staffordshire Terrier. Some of the terriers have a distinctive double coat of soft and wiry hairs that needs special grooming. Left untended, these coats grow bushy and unkempt. Breeders take great care to “pluck” these coats by hand, which gives them a very different look and texture from a clipped coat.

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