Dog Myths Mr. Gefvert Based on information from Hills Pet Company (Science Diet)

1) A warm dry nose means the dog is sick

Don’t look to the nose of the animals check the other vitals to see if your dog is sick – Temperature – Swelling – Difficult Breathing

2) Dogs are color blind

Dogs can distinguish colors, but not as well as humans Brightness, movement and contrast also help a dog see the world Dogs can see in the dark much better than humans

3) Frequent dog baths can give your dog dandruff

3) Frequent dog baths cause dog dandruff Over washing can be a problem, but make sure you are doing the following… – Use dog shampoo – Lack of nutrition

4) Dogs heal themselves by licking their wounds

True to a point – A small amount of licking can help clean the wound Excessive licking slows don the healing process and can cause infections Can cause a bad habit of licking

5) It is not needed to brush a dog’s teeth

Brushing is needed to.. – Fight bad breath – Limit oral disease – Clean teeth – Preventative mouth A dog dental by a vet will cost over $300

Teeth Cleaning

6) When dogs eat grass that means they are sick

Some dogs just like to eat grass Some dogs will eat grass when they are sick

7) Garlic on dog’s food get rid of worms or fleas

Garlic doesn’t help get rid of worms or fleas – Heartguard is a medicine that is used to rid of worms – Flea collars and treatments are the best way to prevent fleas

8) A dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s mouth

Have you seen what what a dog eats? Doggy kisses should never be given to small children or the elderly – They are more likely to have a compromised immunity

9) Female Dogs should have 1 litter before being spayed

Spaying early gives the animal a lower risk for breast cancer and uterine infections Spaying early will lead to less of a hormone imbalance

10) Spaying and Neutering dogs make them fat

Spaying and neutering may make the dog less active Dogs eating more calories than they burn cause them to gain weight