Regular hygiene procedures for your poodle. Poodle health and illnesses How to clean a poodle's ears

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* Skin and coat care around the eyes.

You should check DAILY to see if it’s clean, if there are any excess accumulations in the corner of the eye, if there are any wet “tracks” from tears? If everything is clean, the skin of the eyelids is of normal color, the eyes are shiny, the pupil is black, and the whites are white - we will be happy for our healthy dog, and ONCE A WEEK we will wipe the skin and fur around the eyes with a special liquid, which is available in the pet store or a solution of table salt (1 tsp. l per glass of boiled, slightly lukewarm water).

It is better to wipe not with cotton wool, but with a soft cloth or cosmetic disc in the direction FROM THE INNER CORNER OF THE EYE TO THE OUTSIDE - according to the growth of the fur, trying to prevent the liquid from getting into the eyes. After the procedure, the hair and skin around the eyes should be carefully dried with paper handkerchiefs.
If during your daily examination you notice lightening of the eyelids, redness of the eyes, cloudy/dilated/constricted pupils, excessive flow of tears, or yellowish/greenish accumulations in the corners of the eyes, do not delay an appointment with your veterinarian.

* Muzzle

The poodle's muzzle should be cut short, and the hair over the eyes, as soon as it grows back, should be gathered into an elastic band (show version) or slightly shortened every 2 weeks (home version) so that it does not injure the eyes. You will have to accustom your poodle to this from a very early age.

* Ear care.

ONCE A WEEK you need to examine the external auditory canal and pinna and, if necessary, clean them of secretions and dirt. It is convenient to do this with children's cotton swabs soaked in boric alcohol or in a special lotion for cleaning ears (available at the pet store, including an excellent and inexpensive domestic one).

Be careful not to get too much liquid into your ear. If during the preliminary examination you notice redness or wounds on the skin of the ear canal, alcohol and ear lotion should not be used. You need to lightly clean the ear canal with cotton swabs soaked in sea buckthorn oil, heal the wounds (Ear Drops) and only then clean your ears.

After cleaning the auricle and external auditory canal, try to straighten out any hair growing in the canal. Carefully, without grabbing too much, pull the hairs until the DEAD ones come out. You cannot pull out live hair - in place of each pulled hair there will be a tiny wound in which microbes, fungi or ear mites will happily settle. Immediately after removing the fur, you should not use cleaning liquids, even if you see that “sulfur” remains in the depths. First, treat the ear canal with a dry antiseptic spray (for example, "Ring-5 Medicated spray") or powder (for example, "Vetzyme Antiseptic Powder") and only the next day, clean the canal again with cotton swabs, as described above.

If during a routine weekly examination you notice excessive discharge from your ears, hear a slurping sound when pressing on the base of the ear, or smell some strange odor, you have a good reason for an urgent meeting with the veterinarian.

If the poodle is a show poodle and the hair on the ears is very long, it needs to be curled into curlers so that it does not collect dirt or get into the bowl of food or water.

* Dental care.

Poodles, especially miniature and toy poodles, quickly develop plaque on their teeth. While it is soft, it can be easily removed with a special toothpaste for dogs (“Dog-a-Dent”, available in pet stores). It has a pleasant smell for dogs, it does not need to be washed off - when combined with saliva, the active ingredient of the paste is activated and softens deposits on the teeth. The paste comes with a very convenient double brush - for teeth and gums. 10-15 minutes after applying the paste, you brush your dog’s teeth with this brush, massage the gums - and that’s it! Perhaps pasta will seem too expensive to you. But the tube is large and will last a long time, and dental services are much more expensive and painful for the dog. You need to clean it once a week. Plaque from teeth should be removed while it is soft, before it turns into “tartar,” before the gums become inflamed and the roots of the teeth are exposed. If you notice redness of the gums and the inner surface of the cheeks, you should purchase Stopangin liquid and apply it with a cotton swab to the reddened areas two or three times a day. You can also soak your toothbrush in this solution and brush your teeth.
As a preventive measure, it is good to let your poodle chew from time to time special dog biscuits for cleaning teeth or sticks and “bones” pressed from veins and bone meal.

* Nail care.

The poodle's paw is closed, the toes are short and bent, the claws are curved down. Therefore, the claws of poodles that walk a lot do not grow back very quickly. But if it turns out that the claws have grown, they straighten the fingers, the paw becomes flat and the claws stop grinding down completely. Such a poodle immediately loses its famous lightness and elegance of gait; it begins to walk like a “footed goose.”

Another trouble with neglected claws is that their soft core with a blood vessel and nerve also stretches out, filling the cavity of the regrown claw. Therefore, the more neglected the claws, the more difficult it is to get them in order without causing pain to the dog. Sometimes this can only be done in a veterinary hospital, with anesthesia and treatment with liquid nitrogen (freezing). It is better not to let it get to this point and shorten the claws as soon as they grow back - once every one to two weeks. Use nail clippers that are sold in pet stores. Their guillotine knife covers the claw from all sides at once and cuts it without squeezing or bending. There is a claw stop that prevents you from cutting too much and can be moved back once you gain experience and dexterity in this procedure.
Before trimming the claws, inspect the skin between the fingers and below, between the pillows - for irritation, redness or wounds. Are there any foreign objects (for example, chewing gum), are there any tangles of loose wool between them, is it time to cut it out.

You need to take special care of the skin between your fingers in winter. Poodles living in the city need to lubricate their paws with silicone hand cream (or a special paw product) before each walk to avoid irritation from the salt that is sprinkled on the roads. The best thing is to accustom your poodle to special shoes that will protect its paws from the aggressive environment of city streets.

* Checking the condition of the perianal glands.

The most common cause of overflow of the anal glands is disturbances in feeding, leading to softening of the stool, which normally should be very dense. But sometimes it is not the owner's fault that the poodle's anal glands do not empty. Now “in fashion” the poodle has a particularly high tail set and the croup is not as rounded as it was quite recently. These poodles have a very high position not only of the tail, but also of the anus. Even if this poodle is fed correctly and his feces are normal, dense, the anal glands cannot empty themselves because the rectum is located significantly above the sit bones and the passing feces do not press the anal glands against them and do not squeeze out a fat-like secretion from them. Such a poodle is simply doomed to have troubles with the anal glands.

Symptoms of overflow of the anal glands are the dog’s restlessness, it fidgets, tries to gnaw the base of the tail, licks the anus, crawls along the floor with its backside and carefully examines the marks left behind, and bitches and males become untimely (in the absence of heat and signal odors) and somehow -they are sexy and can persistently engage in masturbation.

How to help. Place a large or small poodle between your legs and hold it between your knees (place the dwarf and toy on the table and ask an assistant to hold it in place). Holding the tail firmly at the very base, you need to move it as high as possible. The anus should become convex. Now, with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, feel under the skin at the base of the tail, on either side of the anus, to see if there are any lumps. They can be anywhere from the size of a bean to a walnut, depending on the size of the dog and the degree of congestion of the glands. Squeeze your fingers in the space behind the beans and see if the secretion appears in the lumen of the anus. If this causes pain to the dog or you can’t find the glands, it’s better to contact a veterinarian for the first time - he will do everything right and teach you. The condition of the anal glands should be checked once a week, during a general examination of the dog. If necessary, clean them. But “just in case” there is no need to squeeze out anything. It is best to carry out this procedure after an evening walk and at night insert a medicinal suppository into the dog’s anus (Anuzol, Ichthyol, Betiol). The hair around and just below the anus should be trimmed regularly.

* Hygiene of the external genitalia.

From early puppyhood, you need to accustom your poodle to the fact that once every 2-3 weeks you will cut the hair growing around the bitch’s vulva and on the dog’s preputial sac.
Sometimes male dogs experience slight irritation or inflammation of the mucous membrane of the preputial sac, which, in the absence of attention and treatment, can spread to the mucous membrane of the penis and, like an ascending infection, then cover the entire genitourinary tract. An attentive owner will immediately notice this during a weekly examination or trimming of the fur here - by the redness of the border of the mucous membrane visible in the opening of the prepuce, swelling of its edge, and excessive sexual excitability of the dog. An owner who does not take care of his poodle will notice this too late, when the inflammatory process has gone far and the dog has a yellow-green drop hanging on the matted fur of the prepuce all the time...
Prevention. If the inflammation is noticed early and does not yet bother the dog too much, it will be enough to rinse the prepuce every evening, after a walk, with a strong stream from an enema or a large syringe without a needle. You can prepare the solution yourself, for example, furacillin (1 tablet per glass of lukewarm boiled water), “Vagotil” as prescribed on the label, the already mentioned “Stopangin” or at least a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. In case of persistent and increasing discharge, contact a veterinarian immediately. You may need to take a smear and do a “culture” to determine the pathogen and its sensitivity to drugs. After this, the doctor will prescribe treatment.
Similar inflammations are possible on the mucous membrane of the vulva of bitches. Monitoring and rinsing should be done in exactly the same way, with the only difference being that during estrus or whelping, all manipulations are dangerous and only a veterinarian can decide what can be done.
Discharge from the genital organs can be a symptom of either a slight “external” inflammation or a serious disease of the internal organs - for example, cystitis and pyometra in females or cystitis and prostatitis in males. Take this seriously. In addition, there are many pathogens (for example, the herpes virus) that are dangerous for humans, especially for children - they so often forget to wash their hands after playing with a dog!

WEEKLY INSPECTION

* mucous membranes - nose, mouth, eyes, genitals.
* teeth - cleanliness of enamel, gum color.
* skin - ear and ear canal, the most delicate places on the body (between the fingers, between the pillows, the bend of the elbow, the armpits, the bend of the knee, the inner surface of the thighs, the base of the tail and around the anus).
* condition of coat, length of claws.
* filling of the anal glands.

From the book "Real Poodle"

“If doctors treat our bodies, then veterinarians treat our souls.” This expression of real dog lovers hardly requires comment. A dog is a member of your family, so you need to make sure that it is always healthy, cheerful and cheerful. Unlike a person, she cannot report the state of her health.

The decisive role here belongs to the sensitivity, attentiveness and observation of the owners, their ability to respond in a timely manner to even the most minor deviations in the behavior and appearance of their four-legged friends.

Fans of the breed claim that the poodle is in good health. The health of a poodle is judged by the following signs:

A healthy dog is usually active, cheerful, and has a good appetite. After she wakes up, she will usually shake herself, stretch, and run towards you happily and freely. She has a normal reaction to her owner's actions.
The coat lies quite tightly to the skin and is thick. Healthy for four weeks, but sick can shed all year round.
The eyes are shiny, without purulent discharge, cheerful, with pink sclera.
The ears are pink, without large accumulations of wax, odor, and pus.
The nose is wet and cold, although in a dog that has just woken up it may be warm and dry.
The mucous membrane of the mouth and tongue are pink, but in no case bright red or pale, without drooling.
Breathing is smooth, natural, infrequent, without coughing or wheezing.
Normal bowel movements and urination. If your pet is guilty, this indicates a disease.

If you suspect something is wrong and notice deviations from your dog’s usual behavior and appearance, you need to immediately check the temperature, pulse and number of breathing movements.

In healthy dogs, body temperature ranges from 37.5 to 39 degrees. Measure temperature using a veterinary or medical thermometer. Shake the thermometer first, lubricate it with Vaseline or other oil, carefully insert it into the rectum and leave for 5-10 minutes. To prevent the thermometer from falling out and breaking, it can be secured with a special clip with a ribbon.

Rabies

The incubation period is from 2 weeks to 2 months or more. The disease occurs in various forms, but, as a rule, affects the central nervous system. Dogs often have a violent form, which occurs in three stages. The first is characterized by an unreasonable change in behavior:

grunt,
privacy,
incredulity,
perversion of appetite (swallowing inedible objects),
increased response to external stimuli.

After 1-3 days, stage 2 begins –

anxiety increases
excitation,
aggressiveness,
difficulty swallowing as a result of muscle paralysis,
the lower jaw droops,
tongue sticks out
saliva is produced profusely.

In the third stage, general depression, weakness, exhaustion develops and after 4-5 days the animal dies.

If rabies is suspected, the dog should be isolated and notified to the veterinary authorities. Sick animals are not treated; they are destroyed. People who have been bitten or slobbered on should immediately go to the clinic. High-value dogs that have been bitten by a sick animal can be vaccinated with hyperimmune serum and rabies vaccine according to the instructions no later than 7 days. For preventive purposes, all dogs are vaccinated against rabies.

Scabies

In summer, dogs need to be walked for a long time, in winter - irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The diet is supplemented with fish oil 10-25 ml per day, bones, fish meal, etc. Vitamin D is also given in oil or fish oil at 1000-3000 IU per day.

Vitamin deficiency and hypovitaminosis E are manifested by impaired reproductive function. In males, impotence occurs; in females, abortions and stillbirths occur. All this negatively affects breeding work in dog breeding.

A dog’s diet must include raw meat, milk, subcutaneous or intramuscular trivitamin 0.5-1 ml. With food you can give Trivit 1 drop per day or Levit 0.3-0.5 g intramuscularly.

Vitamin deficiencies and hypovitaminosis are especially dangerous for young growing dogs, so it is necessary to carefully monitor the quality of their diet, feeding regimen and maintenance.

For some diseases, dog owners can provide first aid to their pet themselves or even treat it on the recommendation of a veterinarian.

Wounds, abrasions– damage to the skin or mucous membranes. It is necessary to stop the bleeding, if any, cut the hair around the wound and treat it with iodine tincture. Powder the wound with sulfonamides or iodoform powder, boric acid and apply an aseptic bandage. (Read more about wounds in the article: “ “)

Injury– tissue damage without compromising the integrity of the integument. Swelling, pain, and bruising are noticeable. Initially, it is recommended to apply cold, a pressure bandage, and ensure rest. After 2-3 days, warm compresses and heat are used.

Conjunctivitis– inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. There is redness, lacrimation, secretion of mucus and pus. The eyes are washed with a 3% solution of boric acid or irivanol, strong tea, and lubricated with hydrocortisone, penicillin or other aseptic ointment.

Helminthic diseases

It is better to give medications with food. The tablets must first be crushed into powder and mixed into food. Can be given with butter. Liquid medicine is infused using a syringe or rubber bottle. Injections are made in places with the most developed muscles; in the gluteal region and scapular part of the back. The surface of the body is first shaved and treated with iodine or alcohol.

Composition of a veterinary first aid kit for a poodle

To provide first aid to a dog, you must have a veterinary first aid kit at home with a set of medications, dressings and instruments. To do this, they usually use a small plywood or plastic box, which is mounted on the wall near the dog’s place. The first aid kit must be locked so that the dog does not have access to it, otherwise it may cause poisoning.

The following essential items are stored in a veterinary home first aid kit:

veterinary or medical thermometer,
tweezers,
syringe,
eye pipettes,
rubber hemostatic tourniquet,
bandage,
cotton wool;

disinfectants –

5-10% iodine solution,
brilliant green,
potassium permanganate,
boric acid,
Vaseline for processing the thermometer,
streptocide,
chloramine;

antibiotics – penicillin, tetracycline;
cardiac - caffeine, valerian drops;
remedies used for poisoning - charcoal, Glauber's salt, xtor oil;
antispasmodics and painkillers – piperazine, no-spa; astringents; anthelmintics; aerosol against insects.

If the owner wishes, the first aid kit can be replenished with other drugs.

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How to feed your dog natural food.

Cooking food for a dog does not require any heat treatment.
The total amount of feed is for animals up to 6 months. 6-8% and older than 6 months. 3-4% of body weight (body weight is calculated without taking into account body fat).
This formula is not absolute and mandatory; the dog’s feeding regimen, as well as the amount of food, may vary depending on the physiological state (pregnancy, breed tendency to be overweight, presence of hormonal disorders, etc.);
- age: for old and aging animals, the amount of food is reduced to 2.5-3% by weight;
- from physical activity (duration of walk, official work);
- the animal’s habitat (apartment, open enclosure);
- time of year (more in winter, less in summer);
- other individual characteristics, etc. Therefore, in cases not covered by the above conditions (presence of kidney, liver, hormonal diseases), the decision on the amount of food is made only by the doctor.

Recommended nutritional components:
1. Meat - lean beef, trimmings are possible, by-products: kidneys, heart, udder, meat and by-products of chickens, turkeys, etc.
2. Fish - raw, lean, not bony, not pollock, not sea bass, ocean or sea.
3. Dairy products - curdled milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, low-fat cottage cheese (without fruit and sugar and no more than 9% fat content), milk (with normal tolerance).
4. Plant foods - cabbage, carrots, greens (parsley, dill), lettuce, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, steamed nettle, etc. only in raw and finely ground form with the addition of 1-5 teaspoons of nerafine. vegetable oil.
5. Egg - raw chicken 3-4 times a week (1\2 or whole depending on the breed).
6. Raw beef bone (the issue of giving bones to a dog is decided individually and depends on the ability and “correctness” of eating). If you have diseases of the digestive tract or other conditions, it is better to discuss with your doctor.

40-60% of the calculated daily weight of food consists of: meat, offal, fish. These products are interchangeable. The rest is dairy products and herbal supplements.
As you can see, among the indicated food components there are no cereals in the form of porridges, breads or other carbohydrate foods. They are contraindicated for dogs, as well as excessive feeding of sweet, sugary fruits and everything else.
The main mistake that owners make in feeding dogs and cats is overfeeding. Even if the recommended components are maintained, but their volume is greater than the norm, this is also harmful. You should follow a simple rule that works in most cases: if after eating food a dog or cat leaves any amount of it in the bowl, this means that the animal is already overfed. The bowl should not be constantly filled, as is often the case. Only an animal with a moderate feeding instinct will not overeat under such conditions.

Miniature Poodles are delightful, intelligent characters that thrive if they receive constant attention and love from their owner. They are hardy little dogs that will survive well into their teens, but will likely require veterinary attention later in life to ensure they live to a ripe old age. Caring for a toy poodle means paying attention to your dog and having the financial ability to provide for his needs, such as regular grooming, health care in old age, and preventative treatments such as deworming.

Steps

Feeding a Miniature Poodle

Choose food that is appropriate for your dog's age. Depending on his age, a dog needs different amounts of protein, calories and other nutrients. There are different types of dog food designed for puppies, adult dogs and senior dogs.

Choose a completely dry diet. Feeding options will be a completely dry diet (often known as pads) or a soft diet based on canned food with the addition of biscuits. Dry food is healthier for your dog's teeth because chewing the biscuits helps keep them clean. Canned food may be better suited for toy breeds, but sticky canned or bagged food sticks to teeth and encourages bacteria.

If possible, start keeping your toy poodle on a completely dry diet to help maintain dental health.
Look for food designed for toy breeds to make chewing the pads less of a problem.

Distribute the frequency of feedings depending on the age of your dog. If she is still a puppy, she has a smaller stomach and must eat more often than an adult dog.

Give your dog more water. Always have a bowl of water available to your dog. Change the water every day and wash the cups every few days.

Grooming and brushing a miniature poodle
1. Keep your dog's fur from getting tangled. Poodles have a curly, coarse coat that is constantly growing. Poodles' coats do not shed in the same way as other breeds. Their fur falls out but becomes tangled with the rest of their fur. This means that poodles are more likely to develop knots and tangles in their coat.
  - Puppies have a soft coat that begins to resemble adult fur at about 6-9 months of age. The complete transition to an adult coat can take up to 18 months for your pet.
2. Groom your dog's coat every day. Take a few minutes every day to brush it. This will serve the dual purpose of making detangling easier and giving it some much-needed attention.
  
  Use a comb or brush with stiff bristles. To comb out mats, use a comb or brush, available at a pet store. You should also use both the comb and the brush on different parts of your body.
  
  Spray your dog's fur with water. Before you start brushing, spray some water on your poodle's coat. This will help avoid the build-up of static electricity. Water can also help prevent dry hair from becoming tangled.
  
  Comb section by section. Separate a piece of wool and hold it between your fingers. Brush the coat from root to tip.
  - Brush all of your dog's fur and be sure to do it behind the ears and under the belly.
3. Trim your dog's coat every 3-8 weeks. A poodle's coat is constantly growing and requires constant trimming to keep it looking neat. Depending on how long you want to keep your dog's coat, aim to trim it every 3-8 weeks.
  - This is usually done at a dog salon, but if you have good dog scissors, a little practice and a lot of time, you can learn how to cut your dog's hair on your own.
poodle ear care
1. Consider pulling out hair from your dog's ears. Toy poodles tend to have very hairy canals. Body hair extends into the ear canal and can block it—a bit like wearing furry headphones all the time. Consult your veterinarian to establish an appropriate schedule for ear plucking.
  
  Watch out for ear problems. Monitor your dog's ears carefully, especially if you don't remove hair. Be alert for ear infections (characterized by foul odor, thick black wax, or fluid leaking from the ear) and be careful of foreign objects in the ear (if you constantly scratch your ear or tilt your head to one side).
  
  Visit your veterinarian if you notice a problem. If you notice signs that your dog has ear problems, ask your veterinarian to test for diseases. They can advise you whether to remove ear hair and how often.
Caring for Your Miniature Poodle's Teeth
take care of your poodle's health
Spay your poodle bitch. One of the health problems of the miniature poodle is a tendency to diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus). Hormones associated with a female dog's estrous cycle can cause diabetes. Therefore, it is a wise decision to have your female poodle spayed.

Monitor your aging dog for illnesses. Small but cheerful, toy poodles often live into double digits. They do, however, tend to suffer from health problems as they age. Diabetes, bad teeth and heart disease are the most common. These problems, once identified, can be managed to help your pet live a long, active life.

The poodle is an active, cheerful, trainable dog that gets along well in an apartment with other animals, is distinguished by longevity and good immunity. The main problem for people who have never owned dogs of this breed is grooming. It is worth mentioning right away that poodle breeders consider this coat to be very comfortable: non-shedding, practically odorless, it is possible to do any haircut, even cut bald, and this will not affect the curls in any way, they will be restored after some time to their original form.

Photo: Features of caring for a poodle

Myths about wool

Many people are hesitant to get a poodle because of the perceived need for daily brushing of these dogs' curly coat. However, if you regularly wash your dog and properly care for its coat using selected cosmetics, then you won’t need a comb from wash to wash. This is one of the few breeds whose owner himself decides how long his dog’s coat will be. However, if the poodle will participate in exhibitions, then the hair on the dog’s head and ears should be long. Preserve long strands by wrapping them in curling irons or using elastic bands. Previously, the use of hair fixing agents was allowed at exhibitions, and the length of hair on dogs' heads could reach tens of centimeters. Now the use of cosmetics at exhibitions is not encouraged, and sometimes even prohibited, so the appearance of poodles has become more natural and no one is chasing the length of their coat anymore.

The coat of a show poodle does not require “greenhouse” conditions and the dog can easily live a full life: engage in sports and training, and take active walks. The only thing you should avoid: swimming in natural bodies of water, the dog will develop mats from such water.

Another misconception: wool remaining on clothes, upholstery and carpets. Poodle owners can rest assured about their wardrobe: the poodle does not shed. This fact most of all causes mistrust among owners of smooth-haired breeds, which were bred in the hope that “there will be less hair.”

Caring for a poodle's coat is simple; its main rule is: the dog must be clean, so it should be washed at least 2 times a month. It is better to use professional cosmetics and their high cost should not be scary, since the concentration allows shampoos and conditioners to be diluted 1:10, and sometimes 1:40. The poodle is washed in three steps: first with regular shampoo for dry hair (human shampoo is suitable), then with professional “dog shampoo” ”, and then apply conditioner. After this, the wool is dried with a hairdryer (the poodle puppy must be accustomed to the noise of the device from childhood). The more often the poodle is washed, the less time this procedure will take: with regular care, the fur does not have time to get tangled.

Ears

The poodle's ears are floppy and long, so they do not ventilate very well; in addition, they also grow hair, which some owners pluck, while others simply trim it regularly. But in any case, the poodle's ears should be examined regularly, because if the dog begins to scratch them and shake his head, serious treatment cannot be avoided.

Otherwise, keeping a poodle is not much different from caring for any other breed: trimming nails, brushing teeth, feeding, walking and training have no special features.

Poodle health

Although the poodle is distinguished by its longevity (up to 12 years) and strong health, in comparison with many breeds, owners should pay attention to some features of these dogs. For example, some difficulties may arise with a toy poodle during breeding: puppies are born large, relative to the mother’s weight, and there are 3-4 of them in a litter, and sometimes only one at a time, so veterinarians are forced to perform cesarean sections on dogs. Large poodles may have hip dysplasia and problems with the endocrine system. However, these diseases are usually inherited, and now almost all nurseries carry out tests for genetic disorders of various kinds.