Owning dogs, especially providing care for the american pit bull terrier, is a specialty of people across the world. Some experts have proven that dogs were domesticated between 12,000 and twenty five thousand years ago—and that all canines evolved from wolves. Since those days, people have selectively bred more than four hundred different breeds, ranging in size from four-pound teacup poodles to Irish wolfhounds, whose 3-ft stature has earned them the distinction of the tallest pooch. However, the most preferred pooches are the non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The american pit bull terrier is also a favorite pick among canine owners. Many owners are oblivious, however, of many important american pit bull terrier care tips.
General health care cost for your american pit bull terrier
The annual budget for taking care of your american pit bull terrier—which includes food and snacks, to doctor bills, toys and license—could vary between $420 and seven hundred eighty dollars. This does not even consider capital expenses for sterilization operations, collar and leash, dog carrier and dog crate. Tip: Make sure you have procured all your supplies before you bring your american pit bull terrier home.
Typical american pit bull terrier Care
american pit bull terrier Feeding Routine
- american pit bull terrier puppies between 8 and 12 weeks need four bowls of food daily.
- american pit bull terrier puppies 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 meals in a 24 hour period.
- Feed puppies six months to one year old two meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- When the american pit bull terrier makes his first birthday, one meal in a 24 hour period is typically sufficient.
- Sometimes american pit bull terriers might do better with two smaller bowls. It’s your duty to adapt to your american pit bull terrier’s eating schedule.
Premium-quality dry dogfood ensures balanced nutrition for grown american pit bull terriers and can mix with canned food, broth, or water. Your american pit bull terrier may also have a taste for cooked eggs, fruits and vegetables, and cottage cheese, but these should not total more than ten pct of his daily food. american pit bull terrier puppies should probably be fed a high-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please limit “people food”, though, since it can result in mineral and vitamin imbalances, tooth and bone problems, and might cause extremely finicky food choices and obesity. Clean, potable water should be available only, and make certain to clean food and water dishes very regularly.
american pit bull terrier Care Tips: Your american pit bull terrier needs exercise daily
american pit bull terriers need some daily exercise to stay healthy, recharge their minds, and keep healthy. Daily exercise also really helps american pit bull terriers fight boredom, which can lead to destructive behavior. A little fun and games can quench many of your american pit bull terrier’s instinctual urges to dig, chase, herd, chew and retrieve. Individual exercise needs are dependent on your american pit bull terrier’s age and her level of health—but a couple of walks down the street every day and ten minutes in the backyard probably will not do. If your american pit bull terrier is a 6 to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will be much higher.
Grooming tips for american pit bull terriers
Frequent brushing will help keep your american pit bull terrier clean and reduce shedding. Check for fleas and ticks daily during the summer or other warm weather. Many american pit bull terriers don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Prior to bathing, comb or cut out any mats from the american pit bull terrier’s hair. Rinse all soap from the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap.
How to Handle Your american pit bull terrier
Pups are obviously easier to manage. When carrying the american pit bull terrier puppy, take one hand and put it under the dog’s chest, with either your forearm or your other hand supporting her back legs and rump. Never try to lift or grab your puppy by his forelegs, tail or back of the neck. If you have to pick up a bigger, adult american pit bull terrier, lift from the underside, bracing his chest with 1 arm and rear end with the other.
Housing the american pit bull terrier
american pit bull terriers need a comfortable peaceful spot to relax apart from all the breezes and off the ground. You might want to purchase a doggie bed, or think about making one out of a wood box. Put a clean sheet or pillow inside the bed as cushioning. Wash your american pit bull terrier’s bedding often. If your american pit bull terrier will be spending a lot of time outdoors, make sure she has plenty of cool water and covering in the summer, and a dry, covered, warm area during the winter.
american pit bull terrier Licensing
Your town has licensing rules to follow. You should affix the license to your american pit bull terrier’s collar. The license, together with an identification tattoo, will most likely help secure your american pit bull terrier’s return if he happens to go missing.
Info on american pit bull terrier Temperament
Thoughts on Training Your american pit bull terrier
Well-behaved, companion american pit bull terriers are a joy to own. But untrained, your dog can easily be a big headache. Teaching your american pit bull terrier the fundamentals—”Stay”, “Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, and “Leave it”—bolsters your relationship both with the american pit bull terrier and the relatives. If you have a puppy, begin training him on the appropriate responses asap! Use food as incentive and recognition. Pups can join obedience classes when they have been adequately immunized. Call your local SPCA or humane society for information on obedience schools. Invariably you should keep your american pit bull terrier on a leash while in public, even as a puppy. Be positive your dog will come to you every time you tell her. A disobedient or aggressive american pit bull terrier cannot play with children.
Knowing Your american pit bull terrier’s Health
Your american pit bull terrier should visit the vet for a complete examination, immunizations and heartworm screening each and every year, and promptly if she is sick or injured.
Knowing Your american pit bull terrier’s Oral Health
Although we might simply dislike our american pit bull terrier’s halitosis, we must be aware of what it might indicate. Foul breath is usually an indication that your american pit bull terrier should get an oral examination. Dental plaque , which is brought on by germs causes a foul stench that can only be cured with the help of a professional. After you give your american pit bull terrier a professional cleaning, her gums and teeth may be be preserved in a healthy state by brushing regularly, feeding a special diet focused on dental health, and eliminating table food. The vet can give you additional data for mitigating periodontal disease as well as bad breath. You can use a baking soda and water paste or a dog toothpaste once or twice per week to brush your american pit bull terrier’s teeth. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Some american pit bull terriers get periodontal disease, which is an infection between the gums and teeth. Frequently, tooth loss takes place as a result of periodontal disease. Infections can possibly also propagate to other areas of your american pit bull terrier’s body. The vet will most likely brush the teeth as a regular part of your american pit bull terrier’s health screening.
Bad american pit bull terrier Breath
While periodontal disease itself is not life-threatening when found early enough, halitosis may also indicate serious, chronic issues. Diseases of the liver or intestines also cause halitosis, while a pleasant, even sweet smell may be indicative of diabetes. When your american pit bull terrier’s breath smells of ammonia or urine, kidney disease might be the reason. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your american pit bull terrier has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
american pit bull terrier Tick and Flea Issues
When it’s warm, it’s of utmost importance for you to perform daily inspections of your american pit bull terrier for ticks and fleas. Remove and find fleas with a flea comb. There are several new methods of flea and tick reduction. Ask your veterinarian about her recommendations.
Heartworm problems in american pit bull terriers
The heartworm is a parasite that resides in the heart and passes from an infested dog to your american pit bull terrier by way of mosquitoes. Heartworm infestations are known to be fatal. It’s very important that you make sure your american pit bull terrier has a blood screening for heartworms annually each spring. A monthly pill taken during the warm, wet time of the year will protect your american pit bull terrier. Should you ever vacation south with your american pit bull terrier during the winter, your dog should be on the preventive medicine during the trip. In some of the milder climates, veterinarians recommend preventative heartworm medication year round.
Medicines and Toxins
If you’re contemplating giving your american pit bull terrier medication that was not prescribed for him by his veterinarian, forget about it. One little ibuprofen tablet can possibly cause stomach ulcers in american pit bull terriers. Make sure your american pit bull terrier is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. If you think your pooch has consumed a toxin, contact your doctor or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 twenty-four hrs. per day for assistance.
Spaying and Neutering american pit bull terriers
It is recommended that male american pit bull terriers should be neutered – the removal of the testicles – and females spayed – the extraction of the ovaries and uterus – by six months old. You will significantly reduce your female american pit bull terrier’s breast cancer risk by spaying prior to maturity. The chance of a diseased uterus, which is also a serious disease that impacts older females, will be eliminated by spaying prior to 6 months. Prostate diseases, testicular cancer, certain types of aggressions and some hernias are all preventable by neutering males.
american pit bull terrier Shots
- Your american pit bull terrier puppy should be innoculated with a combo immunization (called the “5-in-one”) at two, three and four months old, and then once per year. This vaccine protects your puppy from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Your american pit bull terrier puppy’s immunization regimen cannot be finished before 4 months of age.
- If your american pit bull terrier has not been immunized and is older than four months, she will need 2 innoculations promptly, 2 to three weeks apart. Then you must innoculate yearly.
- Your american pit bull terrier pup’s socialization should coincide with her immunization program. You may bring your american pit bull terrier puppy to socialization classes as early as 8 to nine weeks of age, according to many veterinarians. At this point, they should have already received at least their first series of vaccines.
Because regulations vary between different areas, contact your neighborhood doctor to get instructions about rabies immunization. In New York City, for instance, the law states that all pets older than three months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. The original rabies immunization must be followed by a subsequent immunization a year later, and then every three years after that. There are several vaccines, many of which are effective for your american pit bull terrier. There are others that are not, however. Your vet can give you her advice. Also, if your american pit bull terrier gets ill because she is not innoculated, do not administer the vaccination until the dog has made a full recovery.
Worms in american pit bull terriers
american pit bull terriers are commonly exposed to worms—in all areas, both urban and rural. Microscopic eggs created by roundworms and hookworms are passed in an infested american pit bull terrier’s stool. Most pups, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry intestinal worms. Getting an accurate, early diagnosis is the secret to treatment. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed medicine will be highly effective against your dog’s worms. A dewormer that eliminates roundworms, for example, can’t kill tapeworms. Your veterinarian can best define the culprit—and prescribe the right medication.
american pit bull terrier Care Tips: Additional Information
Checklist of american pit bull terrier Supplies
- High-quality dog food and snacks specifically designed for american pit bull terriers and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Comb & brush for grooming, including flea comb
- Collar with ID tag and license
- Quality leash
- Carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Dog box or bed with sheet or towel
- Dog toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
Never feed your american pit bull terrier the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coffee, tea, or chocolate
- Grapes & raisins
- Spoiled or moldy food of any kind
- Onions, garlic and chives
- Bones of chicken, turkey, or any other animal (choking hazard)
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit or stems
- Dough
The “Bottom” Line
Retain your american pit bull terrier on a leash when you are outside, unless you are in a secured, fenced-in space. Whenever your american pit bull terrier goes #2 on a neighbor’s grass, the sidewalk or any other public spot, please clean it up! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about american pit bull terriers
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