Category: Dog Health

When your dog is obsessively chewing, scratching, rubbing or licking their skin, you can just imagine how uncomfortable they are. Allergies and skin disorders can make a dog’s life miserable.   Facts About Dog Allergy And Disorders Skin disorders in dogs and hair loss in dogs can be caused by many factors. Many itchy dogs have a multitude of problems as the cause which makes it more difficult to diagnose. Any combination of yeast infections, mange, food allergies, fleas, and molds could be responsible. Every cause must be addressed to really tackle the problem. Treating skin conditions takes patience and a period of trial and error. It can take a few tries and different test procedures to isolate the cause (or causes) of a skin condition. If your vet is having trouble diagnosing the problem, you may want to ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist.   Fortunately, there are many diagnostic tools available to help your vet get to the root of the problem.

One in five dogs suffers from severe dog arthritis. Overweight and sedentary dogs are at a higher risk of developing dog arthritis. The conditions that make humans more susceptible to developing this condition also holds true for dogs.   Facts About Dog Arthritis Arthritis in your dog can develop from trauma, genetics, aging, or joint infection. Larger dogs are more prone to developing the condition.   Most pets develop osteoarthritis which is a condition that breaks down the articular cartilage over the bones. One the cartilage breaks down, the bones rub against each other which causes swelling, inflammation, and pain.     You should try to keep your dog’s weight within healthy limits and encourage moderate exercise. Young dogs can damage their joints and ligaments by leaping, fetching, and running on concrete. Eventually, these habits can catch up with a dog’s joint health.   Dog Arthritis is not curable but it is a treatable condition. Pet owners should experiment with therapies,

Dog Fleas are tiny leaping insects that move about among the dog’s hairs and suck its blood. The female flea lays her eggs in the grass or indoors in cracks in the floors by the baseboards. The eggs hatch into larvae that feed on bits of dust and dirt. They progress into a cocoon stage from there. The cocoons wait for the perfect temperature and humidity to mature into adult fleas. They will wait several weeks and even months to reach the right conditions.   Dog Fleas They eventually develop into Dog fleas, which latch onto passing dogs or hitch a ride on your shoes. Dog Fleas will transfer to infest the house, yard, other animals and humans. Because of the extended life cycle of the flea, your home can be infested with the eggs, larvae, and pupae even before you see your first flea. You should be diligent in grooming your pets so that you can spot a problem as early as possible.

Dog Vaccinations are an important part of keeping our dogs healthy, but knowing what they are and which ones are needed can be confusing. Listed below are some of the most common vaccines. Type of Dog Vaccinations 1. Rabies Vaccine The rabies vaccine is a core vaccine and is required for dog vaccinations by law in most states. Individual states regulate how often it is to be given, ranging from yearly to every three years. It is given to protect humans and pets from being infected by rabies, a deadly virus that attacks the central nervous system. Rabies is usually spread by the bite of an infected animal. 2. Canine Distemper Vaccine (CDV) Canine Distemper is a systemic virus that is spread through the air and infected body fluids. It first attacks the lymph system and then progresses throughout the respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal systems. To prevent this disease, it is recommended to vaccinate every one to three years,

Who hasn’t come face to face with a Dog Bad Breath that had killer breath? Bad doggie breath isn’t a joking matter. It could indicate a serious illness. A sweet smell could mean diabetes, a urine smell could point to kidney disease, and a foul odor might indicate a liver disorder. A rancid or sour smell could signal an intestinal disorder or other illness, according to Junia Borden Childs, DVM, of Kirkland, Wash. A decaying smell probably indicates dental disease.   Dog Bad Breath cause dental disease Conventional veterinarians cite dental disease as the most common cause of dog bad breath and treat it with cleanings, medication, tartar-control food and treats, and tooth extractions. But the dental disease may not be the only problem. Holistic veterinarians look beyond the mouth and the immediate symptoms to examine the overall health of the dog, looking for other diseases that might have affected the dog’s internal health or left it vulnerable to dental disease.

Most dogs will not bite a family member without extreme provocation, but the fact is any dog can bite anyone. Never feel that you are 100% safe from being bitten by your dog.   Dogs know how to nip and bite with other dogs. The dog biting problem arises when dogs are brought into contact with humans. Dogs don’t know our rules. Dogs must be taught our rules. Failure to teach your dog human rules regarding biting and nipping can result in severe consequences for both you and your dog.   Dog Biting & Nipping Dogs are hierological creatures. In other words, they live by a pecking order. The most common reason for a dog biting a human, according to the experts, is because the dog thinks it is the dominant creature. For one reason or another, the dog feels it outranks you – at least at that particular moment. That is not good. Your dog must be made to understand that ALL humans in your household are dominated by your dog.

Our knowledge about pain in animals has grown substantially over the years in the case of veterinary medicine. We know that our dog’s nervous systems are wired the same way as our own. Dog Pain So you can assume that if a medical procedure or condition is painful for you than your dog is experiencing the same degree of dog pain. The difficulty is identifying what the dog is experiencing since they cannot communicate with us. But now that we know how the nervous system works we can make some assumptions about treating and preventing pain in our pets.   Pain should be treated early and adequately whenever possible. We need the pain to survive. Pain protects us from hurting ourselves further. Burning our hands hurts – so we learn not to stick our hands in the fire. This is called adaptive pain and our pets experience it just like we do. Adaptive pain includes all inflammatory pain which is a major factor following surgery or trauma.

The old saying, “you are what you eat” is true—especially when it comes to the health of your pet pooch! By feeding your dog a nutritious food on a daily basis will ensure his health. Many problems can arise if your dog is improperly nourished or is fed food that does not suit his system. Food To Keep Your Dog Healthy Just as you are aware of the foods you put into your body, you should also be conscious of the foods you feed your dog. Usually, “people” food that is high in fat, sugar, or salt should be avoided by the four-legged occupants of your home. Furthermore, check the labels on dog foods just as you would read the labels of your own foods. Note the vitamin and mineral content as well as the ingredients present in the food. Just as with food for humans, dog food ingredients are listed on the package in their order of presentation.