Human Medications That Can Be Used on Dogs - First of all, before you give any animal any kind of medication or supplements, please consult with your veterinarian about dosages or any kind of side effects ahead of time. In fact, if I were you, I would talk with my veterinarian ahead of time and find out exactly what dosages would be needed for my own German Shepherd – before I needed to use them on him/her.

Human Medications Used With Dogs

1. Aveeno Shampoo – Oatmeal. Great to use if your GSD has itchy or inflamed skin.

2. Benadryl. Can also be used in treating allergies or itching in your GSD.

3. Betadine Skin Cleanser. This is an antiseptic skin cleanser which can be applied directly to skin.

4. Dramamine. Can be very effective in reducing motion sickness in your German Shepherd.

5. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Helpful in inducing vomiting if needed in dogs. Check with your vet for the proper amounts to use.

6. Imodium. Useful in to relieving diarrhea.

7. Ipecac Syrup. Used to induce vomiting as needed.

8. Kaopectate. Used to treat diarrhea.

9. Mineral Oil. Helpful to treat constipation.

10. Mylanta. This antacid can be used anytime your dog has an upset stomach.

11. Pepto-Bismol. Can be used to help relieve vomiting, gas or diarrhea.

12. Pedialyte. For dehydrated dogs. Mix with water (50/50) and give your GSD as much as your dog will drink.

13. Preparation H. Can be applied to a dogs anal area if irritated.

14. Regular Aspirin (non-enteric coated) can be used for pain relief or as an anti-inflammatory.

15. Robitussin. This cough suppressant can be safely used for dogs as needed.

Human medications that can be used on dogs can potentially be very useful in day to day minor health issues with your German Shepherd but remember, please ask your veterinarian about dosages based on your own individual dogs size and age before dosing them yourself. And if you’re unsure – WAIT!

Original Source of this articles: GSD

It’s true that bloat requires immediate veterinary care! But do you really know what bloat is?

It is known by many names: Gastric dilatation-volvulus, GDV, also commonly known as canine bloat.

It is also most important to note that it is an acute, life-threatening condition and as a dog owner it is imperative that you know the symptoms and what to do if you ever feel your own dog has bloated!

Bloat requires immediate veterinary care!

Let’s break the condition of bloat down further.

The word dilatation refers to the fact that the stomach swells from a rapid accumulation of air.

Now, the word volvulus which means that the stomach, spleen or other abdominal structures have twisted – kind of like when you wring out a wet cloth.

Neither of these conditions, dilatation or volvulus, are good for your dog and they rapidly progress on to blockage and strangulation of those organs. Immediate veterinary attention is now required to prevent your dog from dying if it has bloated.

Here are some staggering facts about bloat. Bloat is a terrible condition that now happens so often that it may now be considered the second leading cause of death, after cancer, among many of the large and giant breed dogs. “German Shepherd Dogs rank 12th highest of all breeds, excluding rare breeds, for developing bloat”, says Tony Cherubini, chairman of the Health and Genetics Committee of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America.

Comparatively speaking, concerning dogs and dog breeds that bloat, the German Shepherd may be up to 4 times more likely to develop bloat than most dog breeds while Labrador Retrievers are 2 times more likely. Golden Retrievers may be up to 1.2 times more likely to develop bloat than other breeds. Bloat requires immediate veterinary care at all times.

The overall winner in the bloat comparison stats has to be the Great Dane, however. It has been shown that the Great Dane may be up to 41 times more likely to develop bloat than any other dog breed – a stunning statistic by anyone’s standards!

Recognizing the signs of bloat are tremendously important for all owners and breeders of all large and giant breed dogs – including the German Shepherd. The sooner you can recognize a dog in distress and the quicker you get it veterinary attention, the better off the dog will be. Remember, bloat requires immediate veterinary care!

Bloat is a terribly frightening condition for GSD owners to deal with. It is true that many German Shepherds will survive bloat and go on to live normal lives – IF diagnosed, treated quickly and aggressively enough. Otherwise, it is very possible that the dog will die! There are surgical procedures to both take care of bloat once it has occurred but also to prevent it from happening in the first place. However, you always want to prevent surgery if at all possible with your German Shepherd.

What are the causes of bloat?

There are many theories including heredity and extreme activity before and after eating. No one still really knows exactly why bloat occurs, but research has discovered several risk factors that are associated with bloat. Here are a few of them:

• Eating large volumes of food once a day.
• Also, eating rapidly.
• Dogs with a narrow, deep chest have a 170% increase in risk.
• Having a first-degree relative that has bloated increases risk by about 65%.
• The typical onset of bloat in most giant dog breed dogs (that weigh more than 99 pounds) is 7 to 9 years old.
• It seems that the typical onset of bloat in most large breed dogs that weigh between 50 to 99 pounds happens usually around 8 to 11 years old of age.

As an owner of a dog breed predisposed to bloat, the German Shepherd, I highly suggest that you consider taking your GSD’s normal daily amount of food and dividing it into two separate feedings to prevent this from happening to your own GSD. There are also other things you can do to help prevent your dog from bloating, such as not exercising your dog for an hour or so, before or after, a meal, feeding your dog from an elevated feeding bowl and never breeding a dog that has previously bloated to prevent it from passing this trait along to other German Shepherds down the road.

Always remember, bloat requires immediate veterinary care!

Original Source of the article: GSD Articles

Just how old is your pet, really? More than likely you know the dogs age in years, or at least have an approximation of its age, but do you really have any idea how old it may really be- chronologically speaking?

I’m sure you’ve heard of the old “seven year theory”. You know, the system where each year of a dog or cats life is the equivalent of 7 of ours. An example of this thinking would be that a 1 year old dog would be the age and developmental equal of a 7 year old person.

Now just how many 7 year old kids do you know that are sexually mature – and able to reproduce? A cat or dog is much more likely to have a litter when it is one year or younger, or at the other extreme, ten years or older, than is a human who is under the age of seven or over the age of seventy!

This system was simple – but too simple. Many people today may still use these calculations when coming to some idea of their pets chronological age. Still, due to examples like the one above you can see why this most simple of systems is not accepted today.