GENERAL CARE AND HEALTH

The day –to day care of the Dalmatian is quick and easy but should be done regularly in order to keep him feeling and looking his best. The Dalmatian is basically odor-free, and bathing is usually unnecessary more than 3 or 4 times a year unless the dog becomes dirty or stained frequently. Use a mild shampoo made for dogs and be sure to rinse all the soap completely out of the coat or it can dry and cause itching. Some dogs are allergic to some shampoos-buying specially formulated shampoo available at your veterinarian will eliminate this problem.
A good brushing with a moderately firm bristle brush, curry comb or horsehair mitt every couple of days will put a nice gloss on your Dalmatians coat and help to elleviate shedding. Trim his toenails back once a month and check his ears once a month. Keep an eye on your Dalmatians teeth, too, so they don’t suffer an inordinate build-up of tartar.
Aside from the above, you should keep an general eye on your dog to make sure he is acting bright and happy, is neither too fat not too thin, and that he has not eaten anything detrimental to him. Puppies are especially curious and, much like human babies, everything goes in the mouth. With moderate attention and awareness on your part, your Dalmatian will be an easy dog to care for.


HEALTH PECULIARITIES

The Other peculiarity intrinsic to the Dalmatian is the direct excretion of uric acid by the kidneys, without conversion into water-soluble urea. This is due to metabolic differences inherent in the breed and should not be confused with the renal failure and/or incontinence common to many breeds during old age.The most dramatic consequences of uric acid excretion, mainly stone formation, occur in a very small percentage of male Dalmatians and seldom in females. There seems to be a link between the feeding of high levels of beef and organ based protein and the aggravation of stone formation. A lot of feed company’s now have a vegetarian based dog food available and Dalmatians generally do really well on that type of a diet.
Some Dalmatians experience skins and coat problems, which are usually worse during the summer months. In some cases, the redness, scratching and loss of hair can be attributed to an obvious source such as fleas, or an allergy to the fleabites. Other Dalmatians may have allergies to grasses or dust, and some just seem to have a chronic dermatitis. These type of sensitivities tend to be hereditary, so when looking for a puppy it is wise to see the parents of the litter and to ask about possible skin reactions in the bloodline(s) of the puppy.
Dalmatians used for breeding are tested for congenital deafness to ensure that they have bilateral hearing. Due to this screening process deafness occurs in proportionately few animals.
Aside from the above, Dalmatians do not have any appreciable problems with the kind of things found in some other breeds, such as Hip Dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, Von Willebrand’s disease, or luxated patella’s. They are not, as a rule, finicky eaters and they do not require expensive supplements to their normal diet in order to keep them fit and looking well.

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