Round Table: Q and A Issue 6
I go back to the question, what problem are you trying to solve. When I think about what I want my website to accomplish, I think of a few things.
Round The Table
Question: What’s a good, recommended shampoo for dogs with sensitive, dry, scabby skin?
We have found that most Vets and Pet Health Professionals suggest using shampoos and conditioners that contain fine coconut oils at grooming time to help heal dry, sensitive skin on a natural level. These grooming essentials work your pet’s own immune system, not only to heal the skin, but to help keep skin healthy throughout life.
Answered By: Pure Pet
Dealing with skin and coat issues effectively goes beyond topical treatments like shampoos. Start from the “inside out”.
Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in managing these conditions. When addressing the issue of dogs with dry, scabby, and itchy skin, it’s important to start with understanding the underlying causes. Itchy skin in pets can stem from various reasons. A veterinary consultation is vital to exclude serious conditions such as drug reactions, bacterial or fungal infections, or diseases.
Once major health concerns are ruled out, we can focus on common triggers like allergies, which are often a primary cause of skin discomfort in pets. Allergies in dogs can be multifaceted, but they generally fall into categories such as food sensitivities, which might be triggered by specific ingredients, or environmental allergies, including inhalants like pollen or mold, and contact allergens like grass or ragweed.
A well-balanced diet, like those offered by pawTree, is the first step in maintaining and supporting a healthy skin and coat, and can help alleviate symptoms from the inside out.
In addition, incorporating natural supplements designed to boost skin health and reduce allergic reactions can be beneficial. You may consider supplementation like Allergy Support Plus and Skin Support Plus. These supplements often contain a blend of herbs and nutrients tailored to soothe the skin, support the immune system, and promote overall health, thereby addressing the root cause of skin irritations. Nutritional components like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in supplements such as pawTree’s Wild Alaskan Salmon & Pollock Oil, are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and can significantly improve skin health.
In summary, while the right shampoo can provide temporary relief, a comprehensive approach that includes a balanced diet and targeted supplements is essential for long-term management and prevention of dry, scabby, and itchy skin in dogs. This holistic strategy ensures that we are not just treating the symptoms but also addressing the underlying causes of skin discomfort in our canine companions.
Answered By: Paw Tree
What is the best way to potty train my puppies?
Answered by: Donna Chandler
When do dogs/puppies have to potty? It’s not much different than humans. Here are some guidelines:
- 1. About 20 – 30 minutes after they eat. They should always eat in their kennel because older dogs and puppies do not like having their “Den” dirty. All Dogs are denning animals. Puppies begin to have bladder and bowel control when they are n10-12 weeks old.
- 2. After they sleep.
- 3. After a play session, fetching, exercising with their human, etc.
- 4. Right before they are put in their kennel for bedtime.
- 5. Puppies should be on a short (about 4-feet in length) indoor leash for the first 7-10 months of age. This prevents many failures and accidents.
If you cross a Mini Poodle with a Toy Poodle, do you still tell your customers that they are purebreds? What would you tell them?
All poodles are considered the same by the American Kennel Club, and they are recognized in three different sizes. The Standard Poodle, the Miniature Poodle, and the Toy Poodle. You can cross any of these sizes, and the offspring are still purebred and can still be registered. Measuring up from the floor to the shoulder, 10 inches and under is considered a Toy, 10 to 15 inches is considered a Miniature, and anything above 15 inches is considered a Standard.
The only difference in the breed standard is the height at the shoulder, and that defines whether it’s a Toy, a Miniature, or a Standard Poodle. Do not categorize by weight, as that is incorrect. Small Miniatures are often mistakenly called Toys, but might actually measure 10 to 12 inches. I would get a measurement of the parents and see which category they fall into, and make my judgement based off that and the size of the puppy. With a bit of experience, you should be able to give your customers a good estimate into which category your puppy will mature.
Answered by: Perfect Match Poodle
HoQw is it possAible to bring new colors into breeds? For example, Fox red Labs, or Chocolate Cavaliers. Are we eventually going to be able to get dogs in any color (lol)?
Answered By: Dr. Micah Halpern, GenSol Diagnostics CEO/Founder
Although the answer is “Yes” you could potentially get dogs in any of the known coat colors, the path to bring new colors into a breed is not as simple. Coat colors are due to mutations in hair pigment genes and the DNA that controls pigment production. There are three ways to acquire these mutations. The first and most common way is through careful selection of the breeding pair to include a dog that already has the mutation to contribute to the puppies. This may not be possible if there are no individuals within a breed that currently have the mutation. The second approach is based on recent innovations in gene editing that are extremely expensive and have had limited success. The final way to introduce a new color into a breed is the way it has been done since the start of domestic breeding. You keep breeding until you get the color you’re looking for. Although very unlikely, these mutations can arise randomly within any individual dog which means with many generations of breeding, a lot of patience, and a ton of luck you might get the color you’re looking for.
Answered By: Dr Robert Westra, Paw Print Genetics
Color genomics are truly fascinating in that they are applicable to every dog, regardless of breed. If two dogs have the same color genes but are of two different breeds, they will be the same color. For example, a pug that is Ay and Em will be fawn with a black mask the same way a Great Dane that is Ay and Em will be fawn with a black mask. Of course there are exceptions, but this is true for the majority of cases.
This presents an interesting challenge. Is it appropriate to breed dogs in such a fashion to introduce a color into a breed that is not typically found?
To this point, many breeds have seen a significant expansion in the color presentations that are not considered “standard” case in point, the French bulldog. This has caused national breed clubs and registries considerable concern. From a commercial standpoint this activity makes sense, things that are unique and rare have more value and command a higher price. I often discuss the financial crisis caused by the tulip flower in the Netherlands during the 1600’s. A unique and rare tulip bulb would command a price equal to a manor home in the city of Amsterdam. To bring this back to our question. Dogs are not tulips and there are considerable medical and ethical issues with breeding for rare colors or introducing new colors outside the traditionally recognized presentations.
To capture rare colors line breeding often becomes dangerously close. Along with the desired color, disease causing mutations are at greater risk of getting passed on, ultimately leading to affected or sick dogs. In addition, as genetic material is shared from one generation to the next as is the case during close linebreeding, new mutations are more likely to develop and genetic diversity declines resulting in a less healthy program and potentially affecting the breed as a whole.
Outcrossing a new dog to introduce a new color or trait also has concerns. Not only is the color introduced but potentially the disease-causing mutations found in the outcross can affect the offspring. This is why genetic panels for hybrid dogs like goldendoodles are considerably larger than the panels for each parent breed. Something to keep in mind, we have not identified every mutation that is associated with disease so bringing in an outcross potentially could bring about a new disease-causing mutation.
To not be entirely dark and gloomy about this practice, this is also where new breeds develop. However, this takes generations and needs to be done with caution due to the aforementioned reasons. It is not something that happens in one or two litters. As always, it falls on to the breeders to act ethically and responsibly to ensure the health and quality of the litters they produce. The choices you make directly impact the quality of life and welfare of the animals your program produces.
Should a dog (not quite one year old) be forced to exercise in the yard with other dogs if he doesn’t want to? Even if the dogs are not mean to him, could this make him even more timid as he grows into adulthood?
If a dog is acting fearful when other dogs are around even if they are not aggressive, there is some anxiety in this puppy. This dog could grow up to be a good dog or it could grow up to be fearful with shyness or even aggression towards other dogs and humans it does not know. It also could grow up to just be very close to the human that raised it and not engage with new people or other dogs. This is a dog that I would not use as a breeding dog. Again, it doesn’t mean that it cannot be a wonderful pet for someone.
Answered By: Donna Chandler
When I microchip my puppy, does that automatically mean that the puppy is accounted for, or is there some kind of overarching microchip database that needs the information? In simple words, is all microchipping created equal?
A microchip is pretty much useless if it is registered with a company that is not integrated with AAHA. AAHA is the mega database for all microchips and is where vets and such go to check a microchip to see who it belongs to. If it is registered with a company that is not integrated with AAHA chances are that pet would never be relocated to its owner being the microchip would not show up in the database when the vet is doing the search. Therefore, they would think it’s an unregistered microchip and the puppy would probably end up in a rescue.
Answered By: Global Pet Security
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Round Table: Q and A Issue 5
In my experience as a dog breeder the litter will give plenty of indications when they are ready to start eating a soft food often called a “gruel”. I often find this time/age can be different based on several factors.
Round Table: Q and A Issue 9
Check out our latest issue and new set of questions in our newest round the table.