The Well Dog Book: The Classic Comprehensive Handbook of Dog Care
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Product description
From the Inside Flap
he same experienced veterinarian responsible for the popular The Well Cat Book, this thoroughly revised and updated reference gives dog owners the skill, confidence, and knowledge they need to raise a healthy pet. Special sections on emergency first aid, breeding and pregnancy, care of puppies are included. 100+ illustrations.
About the Author
A graduate of the University of California in 1971, Dr. Terri McGinnis was employed for 10 years as a veterinarian before establishing her individual practice on the premises of VCA Albany Animal Hospital. She is the author of The Well Dog Book and The Well Cat Book.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
INTRODUCING THE WELL DOG
This book is different from other books on dog care because it shows you how to understand the signs of illness or injury your dog may develop and how to evaluate those signs in order to begin proper treatment. In some cases you are advised to seek a veterinarian’s help. In others you are advised how you can pursue home treatment. Think of this book as a kind of paramedic’s manual for dogs that will enable you to recognize and treat many health problems on your own. It should help save you money that could be wasted on unnecessary veterinary visits.
This book will help you learn to use your veterinarian as a resource. It is intended not as a substitute for visits to the veterinarian, but rather as a supplement to them. Show this book to your veterinarian as a sign that you are interested in taking an active part in maintaining your dog’s health.
This book will help you get to know your dog’s body better—what about it is normal and what isn’t. It will help you understand what your veterinarian is talking about when your dog’s health is discussed, enable you to treat some illnesses at home and prevent others, and enable you truly to help your veterinarian get your dog well when the illness is too severe to be treated without professional skills. I’ve tried to include the basic things I as a dog owner most wanted to know before I became a veterinarian, and I’ve tried to answer the questions dog owners most often ask me about dog health care. I’ve tried not to oversimplify things, but in many cases technical information in which I thought the average dog owner would not be interested is not included. Only common problems are covered. If you are interested in details on certain subjects, go to some of the references mentioned or ask your veterinarian for titles of books that might help you.
You don’t need any specialized equipment to use this book. Your eyes, hands, ears, and nose, as well as an understanding relationship with your dog, are your most important tools. Don’t be afraid to use them. There are more similarities between dogs and people than many dog owners realize. As you read, you will probably find out that you know a lot more about “dog medicine” than you think you do.
The best way to use this book is to read it through once from beginning to end. In this way you will learn first what is normal and how to take care of a healthy dog, then the things that can indicate illness and what you should do about them. With this first reading you will find out which sections of the book you would like to read again and which sections you will need to refer to only if a specific problem arises. If you want to use this book to learn about a specific problem your dog may have now, look for the problem in the General Index and in the Index of Signs (To learn how to use these indexes, see this page.)
Anatomy is the place to begin. With this chapter as a guide, you will become familiar with your dog’s body. You may wish to refer back to this section when diagnosing signs as well.
Preventive Medicine is a general health care chapter covering important aspects of the daily life of your dog. It and the following chapter have been designed for easy reference by the frequent use of subheads.
Diagnostic Medicine is the heart of the book. Be sure to read enough of this chapter to understand how it is organized and how to use the Index of Signs. Then, when your dog shows a sign of illness or injury, use this section as a guide to your action.
Home Medical Care tells you the basics of home treatment. It includes general nursing procedures and advice on drugs. Since in most cases of illness or injury your dog will need to have some treatment at home, you may want to become familiar with the information in it before beginning to diagnose signs.
Breeding and Reproduction contains facts about the dog’s reproductive cycle. Use it to learn how to prevent or plan pregnancy, how to care for a female before, during, and after birth, and how to care for newborn or orphan puppies.
You, Your Dog, and Your Veterinarian will help you if you don’t yet have a veterinarian or are dissatisfied with your present one. Use it to learn what I think are characteristics of good veterinarians and what qualities I think most veterinarians like to see in their clients.
The body always tries to heal itself. This important fact will help your treatment when your dog is sick. In many cases you will not need veterinary aid. Remember, though, that by electing to treat your dog at home, you are taking responsibility for the results. Learn to recognize when the body is losing the battle to heal itself. If you can’t be sure you are really helping your dog, discuss the problem with a doctor of veterinary medicine. Another caution: Medicine is not always black or white. There are often several equally good ways to approach most health problems. I’ve recommended the approach that works for me; your veterinarian may disagree and get equal success with other methods. Trust your veterinarian and your own common sense.
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ANATOMY:
Getting to Know Your Dog’s Body
MUSCLE AND BONE
(MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM)
SKIN (INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM)
EYES
EARS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
(GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM)
REPRODUCTIVE AND URINARY ORGANS
(GENITOURINARY SYSTEM)
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
HEART AND BLOOD
(CIRCULATORY SYSTEM)
LYMPHATIC AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS
NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS
You can’t do a good job of giving your dog health care at home without some basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy is the structure of your dog’s body and the relationships among its parts; for example, knowing the location of your dog’s eyes and ears and their normal appearance is knowing anatomy. Knowledge of how the parts of your dog’s eyes and ears function to enable your dog to see and hear is an example of understanding physiology. Although you will be able to examine and understand anatomy, physiology is much more difficult. Brief descriptions of how your dog’s various parts work are given here, but it takes intensive study such as your veterinarian has had to understand animal physiology really well.
You will be most concerned with the external anatomy of your dog, but some internal anatomy is included as well since an introduction to it will help you understand your veterinarian more easily when you discuss any health problems your dog may have. The easiest and fastest way for you to become familiar with what you need to know is to get together with your dog and the following pages. Handle your dog as you read the descriptions and look at the drawings. If you have a puppy, you should examine the dog several times as he or she grows. You will see many changes over several months, and the physical contact will bring you closer to each other.
Looking carefully at your dog’s anatomy and making your dog sit quietly during an examination are extremely important in preparing yourself and your dog for times when you will have to give health care at home. Also, the maneuvers you go through in examining your dog at home are the same ones your veterinarian uses when giving your dog a physical exam. A dog who has become accustomed to such handling at home is more relaxed and cooperative at the veterinarian’s office.
If your dog squirms as you try to carry out an examination, say “No!” sharply and firmly. Be reassuring, and once he or she is still, begin again. Every time the dog wiggles, correct him or her, and every time the dog cooperates, be sure to give a reward of praise and petting. Do not give up if your dog squirms away, but don’t forceably hold your dog down. It is not too much to ask a dog to stand, sit, or lie calmly to be examined. Gentle but firm restraint, repetitive praise, and correction will achieve the desired cooperation. (Puppies under four or five months of age have shorter attention spans, so limit your exams of them to five minutes or so.) If your dog is very uncooperative or very small, you may find that placing him or her on a smooth-surfaced table will enable you to give a physical exam more easily.
MUSCLE AND BONE (MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM)
Muscle tissue is composed of contractile units that provide the power for voluntary movement, breathing, blood circulation, digestion, glandular secretion, and excretion of body wastes, as well as many other more minor functions. There are three types of muscle tissue in your dog’s body. Smooth or unstriated is involved in a host of primarily involuntary body functions, such as the peristaltic (wavelike) movements of the digestive tract. Cardiac (heart) muscle, which is capable of independent rhythmic contraction, is found only in the heart, the pump of the circulatory system. Skeletal or striated muscle makes up the rest of the muscles in the body, including the diaphragm and certain trunk muscles responsible for breathing. An illustration of the muscles in your dog’s body and their names is not included in this book because such knowledge is not important for dog health care at home.
The bone of a living animal is a continually changing and actively metabolizing tissue. It is composed primarily of the minerals calcium and phosphorus in an organic connective tissue framework that is made up mainly of protein. The outstanding physical functions of bone are to form the skeleton, which supports and protects the soft tissues (organs, muscle, fat) of the body, and to provide levers against which the various skeletal muscles move. The bones have other functions as well: Mineral storage is provided in the hard bone, while fat storage and the formation of blood cells and antibodies (see this page) take place in the marrow present inside the bones.
The “average” dog has 321 bones in his or her skeletal structure. Names of bones that might be important to you in understanding your veterinarian are marked on the drawing of the skeleton. See if you can locate each of them with your hands.
Start with the skull (head). Thick and thin layers of muscle and connective tissue overlie the bones of the skull. You can feel the thick, paired temporal muscles covering the top of the head. Feel the bony area between these muscles and trace it back to its end behind the ears. This hard bump at the end is called the occipital protuberance and is a normal part of every dog’s skull. It is more prominent in some breeds (e.g., Irish setters) than in others. The masseter muscles are another set of easily felt muscles on your dog’s head. They form the cheeks and with the temporal and other smaller muscles help close the mouth. The rest of the skull feels very bony; in fact, in very small breeds of dogs you may have difficulty feeling any muscles at all. The mandible is the dog’s lower jaw. Move this bone by opening and closing your dog’s mouth (see this page).• What’s the best way to house-train my dog?
• How can I remove tar or paint from my dog’s coat?
• What’s the right diet for a puppy, a new mother, an older dog?
• What vaccinations does my dog need, and when?
• How can I get rid of fleas on my dog and in my house?
• What does it mean if my dog is feverish, excessively thirsty, irritable?
• What are the special needs of my pregnant dog? How can I help her during delivery?
• If my dog has an accident, what do I do?
• What problems can I handle myself and when do I need a veterinarian?
With over 120 illustrations, a general index for rapid reference, and an invaluable index of signs, The Well Dog Book gives dog owners the knowledge, skills, and confidence to raise a well dog.
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