Raising dogs, in particular providing care for the silken windhound, is a specialty of humans. Experts have proven that dogs were originally domesticated between twelve thousand and twenty five thousand years ago—and that all canines evolved from wolves. Since those days, we have selectively bred more than 400 different breeds, which vary in size from 4-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the title of tallest canine. But the most popular dogs are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The silken windhound is also a favorite pick with dog owners. Some owners are unaware, however, of many of the most crucial silken windhound care tips.
Cost of care for the silken windhound
The yearly budget for rearing your silken windhound—including nutrition and treats, to doctor bills, toys and license—could vary between $420 and $780. This doesn’t even count capital expenses for sterilization procedures, collar and leash, a dog carrier and a dog crate. Note: Make sure you have procured all of the required items before you get your silken windhound home.
Basic silken windhound Care
How To Feed the silken windhound
- silken windhound puppies between eight and twelve weeks old need four meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- silken windhound puppies 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 meals every twenty-four hour period.
- Feed puppies 6 months to 1 year old two times in a 24 hour period.
- By the time your silken windhound makes his or her first birthday, 1 feeding each day is typically sufficient.
- Some adult silken windhounds, however, eat 2 smaller bowls. It’s your responsibility to learn your silken windhound’s eating habits.
Top-quality dry dog food ensures balanced nutrition for full-grown silken windhounds and may be mixed with broth, water, or canned food. Your silken windhound may also have a taste for fruits and vegetables, cooked eggs, and cottage cheese, but these foods shouldn’t total more than ten pct of his daily nutrition. silken windhound puppies need to be given premium-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please cut down on “people food”, however, since it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, tooth and bone concerns, and might lead to extremely picky food choices and obesity. Clean, potable water should be available at all times, and make sure to wash water and food dishes very often.
silken windhound Care Tips: Make sure to give your silken windhound plenty of daily physical activity
silken windhounds need daily physical activity in order to burn calories, stimulate their brains, and stay healthy. Daily physical activity also tends to help silken windhounds fight boredom, which often leads to naughty behavior. A little fun and games will satisfy many of your silken windhound’s desires to herd, dig, chase, retrieve and chew. Individual exercise needs will depend on your silken windhound’s age and her level of health—but 10 minutes in the backyard and just a walk around the block every day probably won’t cut it. If your silken windhound is a six to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will be a little greater.
silken windhound Grooming
Regular brushing will help reduce shedding and keep your silken windhound clean. Check for fleas and ticks daily during warm weather. Most silken windhounds don’t need to be bathed more than a few times during the year. Before bathing, cut out or comb all mats from the silken windhound’s hair. Carefully rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap residue.
silken windhound Handling
Puppies, as opposed to adults, are clearly easier to manage. To carry your silken windhound pup, take one hand and put it beneath your dog’s chest, with either the forearm or other hand supporting her back legs and rear. Don’t try to grab or lift your puppy by his or her forelegs, nape or tail. When you need to lift a bigger, adult silken windhound, pick it up from the underside, bracing his chest with one arm and rear end with the other.
How to House your silken windhound
Your silken windhound needs a comfy quiet place to sleep apart from all the drafts and away from the ground or floor. You may want to think about purchasing a dog bed, or make one from a wooden box. Put a clean sheet, blanket, comforter, or pillow in the bed. Wash your silken windhound’s bedding frequently. If your silken windhound will be spending a lot of time outdoors, be sure he has access to plenty of cool water and shade in hot weather, and a covered, warm, dry shelter in winter.
silken windhound Identification
Your city has licensing regulations to follow. Be certain to attach the license to your silken windhound’s collar. This, together with an ID tattoo, may help secure your silken windhound’s return if she happens to go missing.
Information on silken windhound Behavior
About Training the silken windhound
Well-mannered, companion silken windhounds are truly a joy to own. But when untrained, your dog can possibly be a big headache. Teaching your silken windhound the fundamentals—”Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, and “Leave it”—will strengthen your relationship with both your pooch as well as the neighbors. If you’re the owner of a puppy, start training her on manners asap! Use little bits of food as an incentive and a reward. Pups can start obedience classes when they are sufficiently vaccinated. Call your local SPCA or humane society for details about obedience course recommendations. Invariably you should keep your silken windhound on a leash when, even while a puppy. Be positive your dog will come to you when you call him. A disobedient or aggressive silken windhound should not play with kids.
About your silken windhound’s Health
silken windhounds should see the veterinarian for a thorough assessment, innoculations and a heartworm examination each year, and as soon as possible when he is ill or injured.
The Dental Health of Your silken windhound
Although we may object to our silken windhound’s foul breath, we should pay attention to what it may mean. Foul breath usually means that your silken windhound requires an oral screening. Dental plaque due to bacteria results in a foul odor that requires treatment by a professional. After a professional oral cleaning, the teeth and gums can be kept healthy by brushing regularly, feeding a special diet focused on dental health, and eliminating table food. Your vet can show you more data for minimizing periodontal disease and halitosis. You can clean the silken windhound’s teeth with a doggie paste or a homemade paste made of baking soda and water a couple of times per week. You can clean them with a piece of nylon stocking wrapped around your finger, a gauze pad, or a soft, child’s toothbrush. Sometimes silken windhounds get periodontal disease, sometimes called gum disease. This dreadful condition can initiate tooth loss and spread infection to his body. Your vet will brush your silken windhound’s teeth in the typical health diagnosis.
silken windhound Bad Breath
While bad breath brought on by dental disease might not be serious if detected early, sometimes bad breath may be indicative of more serious, long-term causes for concern. Diseases of the liver or intestines sometimes cause smelly breath, and a pleasant, even sweet smell can frequently be a sign of diabetes. Kidney disease might be the cause if your silken windhound’s breath smells of urine or ammonia. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your silken windhound has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
silken windhound Flea and Tick Issues
Throughout the summer, it’s crucial for you to perform daily inspections of your silken windhound for ticks and fleas. Find and remove fleas using a flea comb. There are several new methods of tick and flea elimination. Talk with your silken windhound’s doctor about her or his recommendations.
Heartworms in silken windhounds
Your silken windhound is at risk of developing heartworms if she is exposed to mosquitoes often. The insect carries heartworms from dog to dog. Heartworm infections can be potentially deadly. It is extremely critical you ensure your silken windhound has a blood test for heartworms every spring. It is also good to give your silken windhound a once-a-month pill during the warm, wet time of the year to help you protect her from heartworms. Your silken windhound should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. There are some locations, usually the areas with milder climates, where doctors recommend parasite tablets be used year round.
Medicines and Poisons
Never give your silken windhound medicine that has not been prescribed by her veterinarian. Did you know that 1 ibuprofen pill can sometimes cause stomach ulcers in silken windhounds? Make sure your silken windhound is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. Make sure to immediately call your dog’s doctor when you have reson to think your silken windhound has ingested poison. You can also call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for 24 hour help.
silken windhound Sterilization Operations
Female silken windhounds should be spayed—which is the removal of the ovaries and uterus—and males neutered—extraction of the testes—by six months of age. Spaying before maturity significantly diminishes the breast cancer risk, a usually deadly and common health problem of more mature female dogs. Spaying also eradicates the chance of a sick uterus, a very serious issue in older females that demands surgery and intensive medical care. Testicular cancer, prostate diseases, some hernias and certain aggressive behavior are all preventable by neutering male silken windhounds.
silken windhound Vaccinating
- silken windhound puppies should be vaccinated with a combo vaccine (called the “5-in-one”) at 2, three and 4 months old, and then once yearly. This vaccine immunizes your puppy from hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and distemper. Your silken windhound must be vaccinated for at least the first four months of his life.
- If your silken windhound has not been immunized and is older than 4 months, he will need 2 vaccinations asap, two to 3 weeks apart. After that you must vaccinate yearly.
- Your silken windhound pup’s innoculations should coincide with her socialization program. Most vets recommend that new owners bring their silken windhound pups to socialization courses, as early as 8 or nine weeks old. They should have received their first vaccinations by then.
Since statutes are so different around the country, call your local doctor to get instructions on rabies vaccination. For instance, in New York City, the rule requires any pets older than three months must be vaccinated for rabies. After the original immunization, she must get a second shot the following year, and then every 3 years. There are several vaccines, many of which are right for your silken windhound. Others, however, are not. Ask your silken windhound’s vet for his recommendation. Please be aware, if your silken windhound happens to get ill because he is not properly innoculated, the shots ought to be taken after your companion animal has recovered.
Tapeworms in silken windhounds
silken windhounds are often exposed to worms—even in urban areas. Microscopic eggs created by roundworms and hookworms are passed in an infected dog’s feces. Most pups, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry roundworms or hookworms. An accurate, early diagnosis is the key to effective treatment. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed treatment will be successful against your dog’s worms. A dewormer that eradicates hookworms, for example, will not kill tapeworms. Your doctor can best identify the culprit—and assign the most effective medication.
Miscellaneous silken windhound Care Tips
silken windhound Supply Checklist
- High-quality dog food and treats specifically for silken windhounds and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Brush and comb for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and identification tag
- Leash
- Carrier (for puppies)
- Crate for training
- Dog bed or box with comforter or towel
- Doggie toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
Never, ever feed your silken windhound the following:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate
- Raisins & grapes
- Spoiled or moldy food
- Onions, garlic or chives
- Chicken, turkey, or any other poultry bones
- Salt & salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit or stems
- Yeast dough
Final Thoughts
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in area, always keep your silken windhound on a leash. When your silken windhound does number two on a neighbor’s yard, her sidewalk or any other public space, please clean it up! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about silken windhounds
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