January 9, 2012
Posted in Common Pet Conditions, Pet Food, Pet Health

Like most common experiences in life, there are a number of legends surrounding pet ownership. As the name implies, legends generally are not true. While some are rooted in a type of fact, others should be ignored completely.

There are a handful of myths about pets that drive vets crazy. One legend that many pet owners believe is that the state or appearance of a dog's nose tells something about their health. The news source reports that whether your dog's nose is cold, warm, wet or dry is irrelevant, in most cases, to its overall wellbeing – so no need to fret over it.

In addition, many behaviors have been labeled "happy pet" behaviors, when in fact they should not be seen this way. Wagging tails on dogs and purring in cats are the two most common behaviors that most people assume mean the animal is happy. However, this is not a reliable sign, and seeing it as such can lead to poor decision making around animals, the news outlet reports.

With all of the information available on the web, the legends of pet ownership have become more muddled. Bloat is one of the dog conditions that gets the most false facts. Although this gastric issue is frightening for pet owners, articles explaining false facts behind it only add to the paranoia. Drinking cold water does not give a dog bloat, for instance, and neither does using a raised feeder. You should always rely on your veterinarian's advice for these types of concerns.

Many pet owners also believe that people food isn't for pets. While feeding your dog a balanced diet is easier when you feed it pet food such as Halo Dog Food Adult Dry Dog Food or Petcurean Go! Natural Canned Dog Food, this does not mean that everything else out there will be toxic to your dog.

Another old wives tale is that dogs need to lick their wounds. Your dog's natural instinct to lick its wounds is helpful when they are removing debris from an injury that just happened, but constant licking exacerbates inflammation and infection, the news source reports. In this case, it is important to make sure your pooch cannot lick its wounds. You can relieve the pain or itch from your pooch with a spray like Betagen, which treats the infection, or pet supplies like Be Soothed Tea Tree Oil Skin Relief which soothes itches and pain. 

Related posts:

1. Dog mouths: Cleaner than ours?
2. How do you know when your cat needs the vet?
3. Keeping dogs outside or in
4. The hows and whys of cat purrs
5. When ear scratching is too much