Offering Some Dog Care Advice
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I'm happy to share what advice I can in order for you to get a handle on some of the basic topics related to your Sheltie. We both want him to have a better chance at a long, happy and active life.
It's amazing how new information and products come out every day, sometimes faster than we can digest it all. But your Shetland Sheepdog will surely appreciate your active interest in his or her well-being.
As you can imagine, canine health information is important to me. You don’t raise multiple shelties without eventually delving deeper into why we do what we do.
Veterinary medicine is different from human medicine, but as a registered nurse I have found the medical background helps when it comes to discussing canine issues with my vets, asking pertinent questions, and forming opinions for myself.
I am always learning new things to help my Shelties.
Sometimes My Conclusions Are In Harmony With My Vets, Sometimes Not
I am not a DVM and my opinions are just that, opinions. I have done my research on the best ways to raise Shelties and have come to conclusions about canine rearing that are sometimes at odds with mainstream veterinary science.
Although I stand by my opinions when it comes to how I raise my Shelties, you must make your own informed decisions.
What dog care advice I offer is food for thought.
Perhaps my dog care advice will uncover solutions to some pesky canine health problems you have now with your Sheltie.
At the very least, it can make you think outside the box regarding some aspect of your pup's care that could benefit them either now or sometime in the future.
For example, suppose you were told by your vet that tick medication was NECESSARY year round. You could go to the Companion Animal Parasite Council's Prevalence Map, click on your area and see just how many reported cases there have been of Lyme disease and weigh the risk of the disease against the risk of a reaction to the medication. As they say, "Knowledge is power."
If I lived in Brewster County, Texas my advice may be that the regular use of chemicals is unnecessary for heartworm which is pretty non-existent there.
Non-Medical Issues
If for some reason a lost, stray sheltie crosses your path, help the poor pup out. Know what you should do to get him back home.
I have decided to open my home to stray shelties in need of shelter until their owners can be found as well as fostering any owner surrender shelties for re-homing when possible. So if there is some way I can help please contact me.
Some Canine Health Topics Near And Dear To My Heart
Here's Dog Care Advice Everyone Could Use.
Start with the basics… garbage in, garbage out. If you feed poor quality food, you can’t expect a vibrant Shetland Sheepdog in your home. Imagine feeding your kids nothing but Twinkies and Pepsi. Do you think they’d grow to their maximum potential??
So give your Shelties a nutrient dense, species appropriate diet. I believe that optimum canine health begins with what you feed your dog.
Staying Ahead Of The Curve
All things, including how to maintain canine health and how to achieve optimum results, change over time as new information comes to light. Over the years I have found that I have to be open to new ideas (not so easy as I get older) and try to use logical, rational thinking to decide whether I feel comfortable with the change.
So when it comes to your Sheltie's wellbeing, keep an open mind.