Raising dogs, in particular providing care for the polish greyhound, is a specialty of people across the world. Zoologists postulate dogs were first domesticated between 12,000 and 25,000 years ago—and that all dogs evolved from wolves. Since then, people have selectively bred more than four hundred breeds, which range in size from four-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, whose three-foot stature earns them the title of the tallest pooch. But the most preferred canines are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The polish greyhound is another favorite pick among dog owners. Some owners are unaware, however, of many of the most important polish greyhound care tips.
Typical cost of care for the polish greyhound
The annual cost of providing for the polish greyhound—including everything from meals and treats, veterinary care, toys and license—can range between four hundred twenty and $780. This figure doesn’t include capital costs for sterilization surgery, collar and leash, a dog carrier and a doggie crate. Tip: Be sure you have procured all the required supplies before you bring your polish greyhound home.
Typical polish greyhound Care
polish greyhound Feeding Routine
- polish greyhound puppies between 8 and twelve weeks need 4 bowls of food daily.
- polish greyhound puppies 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- Feed puppies 6 months old to 1 year old two times every twenty-four hours.
- By the time the polish greyhound hits his or her first birthday, one meal in a day is typically sufficient.
- Many times polish greyhounds might prefer 2 smaller helpings. It is your duty to adapt to your polish greyhound’s eating schedule.
Excellent-quality dry food provides a well-rounded diet for adult polish greyhounds and may be mixed with canned food, broth, or water. Your polish greyhound may also have a taste for cottage cheese, cooked egg, fruits and vegetables, but these additions shouldn’t be more than ten percent of his or her daily food allowance. polish greyhound puppies should be given excellent-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please limit “people food”, though, since it can result in mineral and vitamin deficiencies, bone and teeth issues, and may result in very finicky food choices and obesity. Give fresh, potable water always, and be sure to wash food and water dishes frequently.
polish greyhound Care Tips: Make sure your polish greyhound gets plenty of daily exercise
polish greyhounds must get daily physical activity so they can stay in shape, stimulate their brains, and maintain their health. Daily physical activity also really helps polish greyhounds fight boredom, which often leads to naughty behavior. Going outside would curb many of your polish greyhound’s instinctual urges to retrieve, dig, chew, chase and herd. Individual exercise needs will depend on your polish greyhound’s level of health and his age—but ten minutes outside and just a walk down the street every day probably will not suffice. If your polish greyhound is a 6 to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will probably be much more.
polish greyhound Grooming
Frequent brushing will help keep your polish greyhound clean and reduce shedding. Check for ticks and fleas every day during warm weather. Sometimes polish greyhounds don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Prior to bathing, comb or cut out any and all mats from the polish greyhound’s hair. Rinse all soap from the coat, or dirt will stick to soap residue.
polish greyhound Handling
Puppies are obviously the easiest to handle. To carry your polish greyhound puppy, take 1 hand and place it beneath your dog’s chest, with either the forearm or other hand supporting his or her back legs and rump. Don’t attempt to lift or grab your puppy by her front legs, tail or back of the neck. When you must pick up a larger, full-grown polish greyhound, lift from the underside, supporting his or her chest with one arm and rump with the other.
Housing your polish greyhound
Your polish greyhound needs a cozy quiet location to sleep apart from all the breezes and away from the ground or floor. You may want to purchase a dog bed, or think about making one from a wood box. Put a clean sheet, blanket, or pillow inside the bed. Wash your polish greyhound’s bedding often. If your polish greyhound will be spending a lot of time outdoors, make sure she has access to shade and plenty of cool water in hot weather, and a covered, warm, dry shelter in the cold.
polish greyhound Licensing
There are licensing regulations to heed in your area. Be sure you attach the license to your polish greyhound’s collar. The license, along with an ID tag or tattoo, could help secure your polish greyhound’s return should she go missing.
polish greyhound Behavior Information
About Training Your polish greyhound
Well-mannered, companion polish greyhounds are a pleasure to raise. But left untrained, your dog may be trouble. Training your polish greyhound on the standards—”Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Leave it”—will strengthen your relationship both with the pooch and the company. If you have a pup, begin training him on the right behavior as soon as humanly possible! Use food as a lure and recognition. Puppies should join obedience courses when they have been sufficiently vaccinated. Call your community SPCA or humane society for details on training schools. Invariably you should keep your polish greyhound on a leash while in public, even as a pup. Just be certain your polish greyhound will come to you whenever you say. A disobedient or aggressive polish greyhound cannot play with people.
Knowing Your polish greyhound’s Health
polish greyhounds should visit the vet for a thorough exam, innoculations and a heartworm blood assessment annualy, and promptly if he is injured or ill.
Your polish greyhound’s Oral Health
Although we might object to our polish greyhound’s bad breath, it’s important to be aware of what it may represent. Bad breath usually means that your polish greyhound requires a dental exam. Dental plaque , which is brought on by germs causes a foul smell that necessitates the help of a professional. Once you have given your polish greyhound a professional dental cleaning, her gums and teeth can be kept up by brushing the teeth regularly, feeding a specially formulated dental diet and treats, and avoiding table scraps. The vet can show you more info for eliminating oral disease as well as bad breath. You can clean the polish greyhound’s teeth using a dog paste or a homemade baking soda and water paste a few times a week. Brush them with a nylon stocking stretched over the finger, a sterile gauze pad, or a child’s soft toothbrush. Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, often affects polish greyhounds. Often, loss of teeth occurs as a result of gum disease. Diseases will sometimes also propagate to the rest of your polish greyhound’s body. The vet can clean your dog’s teeth at a routine physical.
Breeds with Halitosis (bad breath)
Even though halitosis caused by dental disease may not be serious if caught early, sometimes odors may also indicate more serious, persistent problems. A pleasant, even sweet smell may frequently be a sign of diabetes, while intestinal or liver diseases may cause foul breath. If your polish greyhound’s breath smells like urine or ammonia, kidney disease is a possibility. If ever you find your polish greyhound has foul breath accompanied by other symptoms of disease, such as diminished appetite, vomiting or nausea, loss of weight, depression, a lot of urinating or drinking, set an examination with his veterinarian.
Tick and Fleas in polish greyhounds
Daily inspections of your polish greyhound for fleas and ticks in the summer are critical. Find and remove fleas using a flea comb. There are many new techniques of flea reduction. Consult your vet about his options.
Heartworms in polish greyhounds
Your polish greyhound is at risk of contracting heartworms if he is exposed to lots of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry the worm from dog to dog. Many polish greyhounds die yearly as a result of heartworm infections. It is wise to make sure your polish greyhound takes a heartworm screen each spring—this is critical to stop infestations from the past year. It’s also wise to give your polish greyhound a monthly tablet throughout the warm, wet time of the year to be able to protect him from heartworms. If ever you vacation in warmer climates with your polish greyhound during the winter, he must be on the preventive medicine during the trip. There are some locations, usually the locations with hotter temperatures, where the doctors advise heartworm tablets be given continually.
Poisions and Medicines
Don’t ever give your polish greyhound medication that has not been prescribed by his veterinarian. As little as one ibuprofen tablet can possibly cause stomach ulcers in polish greyhounds. Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your polish greyhound. When you have reason to believe your dog has eaten a toxic substance, notify your doctor or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 24 hours a day for information.
polish greyhounds: Neutering and Spaying
Female polish greyhounds should be spayed—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—and males neutered—extraction of the testicles—by 6 months of age. You will usually significantly reduce your female’s breast cancer risk by spaying before maturity. The possibility of a diseased uterus, which is also a serious affliction that affects more mature females, will be eliminated by spaying while young. Neutering males helps prevent prostate diseases, some hernias and certain aggressive behavior.
polish greyhound Innoculations
- polish greyhound puppies should be immunized with a combo innoculation (called a “five-in-one”) at 2, 3 and 4 months old, and then once each year. This immunization protects your polish greyhound puppy from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. Your polish greyhound must be innoculated for at least the first four months of his life.
- If you have the rare polish greyhound who has not been innoculated and is older than four or five months, he must get a series of two vaccinations given two or three weeks apart, followed by a yearly vaccination.
- Your polish greyhound pup’s innoculations should coincide with her socialization program. You may bring your polish greyhound pup to socialization classes as early as 8 or 9 weeks of age, according to many doctors. At this age, they should have already received at least their first vaccinations.
Because laws vary around the country, contact a neighborhood veterinarian for info about rabies shots. For example, in NYC, the law requires any pets older than three months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. After the original vaccination, you must have a second vaccination the following year, and then every 3 years after that. There are many immunizations that may appropriate for your polish greyhound. Ask your polish greyhound’s vet for her recommendation. Another thing, if your polish greyhound happens to get sick because she is not immunized, the shots should be administered after your pet has recovered.
Tapeworms in polish greyhounds
polish greyhounds are commonly exposed to worms and possible infestation—especially in rural areas. Eggs that carry roundworms are transmitted through a dog’s feces. Even the healthiest of polish greyhound puppies carry roundworms or hookworms. The secret to treatment is early detection. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed treatment will be successful against your polish greyhound’s worms. A dewormer that eliminates hookworms, for example, cannot kill tapeworms. Your veterinarian can best define the culprit—and prescribe the best medication.
polish greyhound Care Tips: Additional Info
Checklist of polish greyhound Supplies
- Premium-quality dog food and treats designed for polish greyhounds and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Comb & brush for grooming, including flea comb
- Collar with license and identification tag
- Leash
- Carrier (for puppies)
- Crate for training
- Box or dog bed with warm comforter or towel
- Child’s toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
The following items should never be fed to polish greyhounds:
- Alcohol, beer, wine or liquor
- Chocolate, coffee, or tea
- Grapes or raisins
- Moldy or spoiled food
- Onions, garlic or chives
- Chicken, turkey, or any other poultry bones
- Salt or salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems and unripe fruit
- Dough
The scoop on poop
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in area, keep your polish greyhound on a leash at all times. When your polish greyhound does #2 on your neighbor’s lawn, the sidewalk or any other public spot, please dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about polish greyhounds
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