Five Ways to Prevent Congenital Problems in Dogs

The Resource for Everything About Dogs

Boston Terrier Mug

Boston Terrier Treat Jar

Boston Terrier Leash Hook

Boston Terrier
Embroidered Canvas Tote Bag

Boston Terrier Mousepads
Price: 9.95

Boston Terrier Mousepads (American Flag)
Price: 9.95

Five Ways to Prevent Congenital Problems in Dogs

by John Edwards

Prevention is the main key in order to avoid diseases and illness from attacking your dog. In fact, the best prevention begins even before you start breeding the dog. But what do you do if your pet was born with a health problem? There are a few options for you to choose from when helping your dog that is born with a congenital defect. Often times, surgery can correct a structural defect. Other aspects such as good feeding, good amount of exercise, proper grooming and veterinary care all help in controlling certain disorder and symptoms from occurring. But the most effective treatment for congenital defects is in preventing them from happening in the first place.

Here are five ways on how you can prevent congenital problems in your dog:

1. Never breed unhealthy dogs. Get together two unhealthy dogs and you have the perfect recipe for unhealthy offspring. Even if one dog is in good health, mating that healthy dog with one that is in poor condition still produces a very high risk of congenital problems to develop in their offspring. You must avoid breeding pets that have obvious birth defects or behavior problems. Although the dog may not have a specific genetic problem, its overall support system is not a good candidate for developing healthy offspring. In addition, avoid acquiring such pets unless you are willing to give them the special care they require.

2. Avoid breeding or selecting dogs with family health disorders. Do not breed dogs if their close relatives have congenital defects, physical problems, or inheritable behavior and temperament. Try to find out the medical histories of both parents and what percentage of related puppies has had birth defects. If the percentage of birth defects is less than 5 percent, chances are they have a very low risk of producing unhealthy offspring.

3. Avoid breeding close relatives. Breeding two dogs within the same family such as siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles has a tendency to ?fix? latent defects into their offspring.

4. Do not select or breed inbred dogs. Be extra careful with dogs that are currently popular in your area because it is likely that they have been weakened by intensive inbreeding.

5. Choose breeds that best resemble their canine ancestors. Features to look for are face shape, size, color, ear shape, coat texture and length, tail shape, and limb proportion that most closely resemble that of wolves. See if you can match at least four or five of these traits. Examples of such breeds include most of the retrievers, basenjis, shepherds, sled dogs, spitzs, and pointers.

John Edwards is a long time dog lover. Visit his website for more helpful advice on dog health and disease at:

http://www.dogcaretraining.com

Return to Index

12 MONTH Advantage Flea Control Blue: For Dogs Over 55lbs.
Advantage Blue kills fleas on dogs fast. Advantage kills 98% of fleas within 12 hours and continues to work for up to one month per application. It also breaks the flea life cycle by killing flea larvae. Advantage can be used on puppies as young as 7 weeks old. Also, it is safe for dogs that are pregnant or nursing. Advantage is water-resistant, so it kills fleas even after shampooing and exposure to rain. Advantage is applied between the shoulder blades on dogs. Effective Flea Control . . . No Prescription Required! Guaranteed US EPA approved. Contains imidacloprid, the fastest flea preventive, which works within 12 hours Long-lasting Over-The-Counter formula keeps working for up to 4 weeks Easy-squeeze tube for easy application. Water-resistant formula stays strong through baths and rain

3 MONTH Frontline PLUS Orange for Dogs 0-22 lbs
Frontline Plus provides your dog with the most complete spot-on flea and tick protection available. In addition to killing 98-100% of adult fleas on your dog within 24 hours, Frontline Plus contains a special ingredient that kills flea eggs and larvae, too, and keeps all stages of fleas from developing. By effectively stopping the development of new fleas, Frontline Plus completely breaks the flea life cycle. And, Frontline Plus kills all stages of 4 major ticks including those that may transmit Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It's completely waterproof. Effective Flea & Tick Control . . . No Prescription Required! Guaranteed US EPA approved. Over-The-Counter topical kills fleas & ticks in under 48 hours Protect against Lyme Disease! Easy to apply monthly preventive Contains (S)-methoprene, effective for halting immature stages of fleas

3V Caps Skin Formula for Med/Large Breeds (60 caps)
3V Caps by DVM Pharmaceuticals is a concentrated dietary supplement which is beneficial for the maintenance of a healthy skin coat in dogs and cats. It contains fish oil as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids plus vitamins A, D, and E. The dosage is 1-2 capsules daily for pets 30-60 lbs. Guaranteed Analysis (per capsule): Crude Protein no less than 7% Crude Fat no less than 90% Crude Fiber not more than 1% Moisture not more than 2% Vitamin E 75 IU Vitamin A 1250 IU Vitamin D 125 IU Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) 180 mg Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 120 mg Ingredients: Fish Oil, Safflower Oil, Borage Seed Oil, dl-alpha-Tocopheryl, Cod Liver Oil, Acetate (Vitamin E), Gelatin, Water, Glycerin.

6 MONTH Advantage Flea Control Blue: For Dogs Over 55 lbs.
Advantage Blue kills fleas on dogs fast. Advantage kills 98% of fleas within 12 hours and continues to work for up to one month per application. It also breaks the flea life cycle by killing flea larvae. Advantage can be used on puppies as young as 7 weeks old. Also, it is safe for dogs that are pregnant or nursing. Advantage is water-resistant, so it kills fleas even after shampooing and exposure to rain. Advantage is applied between the shoulder blades on dogs. Effective Flea Control . . . No Prescription Required! Guaranteed US EPA approved. Contains imidacloprid, the fastest flea preventive, which works within 12 hours Long-lasting Over-The-Counter formula keeps working for up to 4 weeks Easy-squeeze tube for easy application. Water-resistant formula stays strong through baths and rain

6 MONTH Frontline Top Spot for Cats and Kittens
Frontline Top Spot for cats and kittens provides flea and tick protection for at least one month. It is applied topically and each packet has 6 applications providing 6 months of protection. Effective Flea & Tick Control . . . No Prescription Required! Guaranteed US EPA approved. Over-The-Counter topical kills fleas & ticks in under 48 hours Protect against Lyme Disease!

Cannot find it here? Search the internet with the power of Google:

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Web www.boston-terrier.com