Dog Health Problems
There are many dog health problems that can during the life of your dog, many are quite hard to notice and some will be immediately obvious. Any illness in any family pet will be emotionally difficult for family members, not to mention a expensive ordeal. Like most things in life, its not only better to try to prevent potential dog heath problems instead of dealing with the consequences if or when they do occur. The phase “prevention is better than cure” is the exact mindset required when owning a pet dog.
Possible Dog Health Problems
Like most animals, dogs can suffer from a large number of illnesses. Unfortunately a dog cannot simply inform you when he / she is feeling under the weather, not can a dog say “I got a pain in my stomach”. Unless the dog has a obvious dog health problem like a cut paw it will usually suffer in silence, but there are some symptoms to look out for, that will hopefully catch any possible illnesses at an early stage. Below is a list of common dog health problems.
Dog Infections – Dog infections are fairly easy to prevent.Infections can occur in their eyes, ears, mouth and on their skin. The most common type of infection is an ear infection that is typically cause by the presents of a foreign body, or a build up of bacteria, so check for redness, swelling, dirt and excess moisture. To reduce the chances of your dog getting an infections you should clean around there eyes gently with a clean piece of tissue paper where excess eye “gunk” builds up. Teeth can be cleaned using dog friendly tooth paste and their coat can be brushed regularly. It is a good time to examine your dog when brushing. Ear infections are the most common and are often due to a foreign body or bacteria getting in there. Check your dog’s ears frequently for red spots, swelling, excess moisture, or dirt. Of all dog health problems, infections are the easiest to prevent. Clean your dog’s eyes, brush their teeth and brush their hair regularly to avoid any potential bacteria build up.
Dog Allergies – There a many types of allergies that your dog can suffer from. Most of the time it is a flea allergy that will create sore areas that left untreated will cause a skin infection. You should keep up to date with flea prevention treatment that has either been supplied or recommended by your vet. Try to avoid buying inferior treatments that are typically sold by super markers. A vet is far better to prescribe the right treatment especially in puppies as ofter weight is a consideration. If there are no signs of fleas and the medication is up to date then your dog may be suffering from a food allergy. This dog health problem should be handled by a vet.
Dog Diabetes – This chances of your dog suffering from diabetes is increased if they eat allot of fatty, sugary food and if they become obese, also as your dog gets older there is more chance of them suffering from diabetes, There diet should be controlled and keep table food and other treats to a minimum. A dog who has diabetes will need regular visits to the vet. Excess rich, fatty and sugary foods can result in pancreatic issues that cause diabetes. To avoid diabetes, keep your dog on a strict diet of dog foods with minimal table scraps or excess meals. If your dog is diagnosed with diabetes, you’ll need to see a vet regularly and may need to administer regular shots.
Arthritis and Dysplasia – Certain breed of dogs suffer from these dog health problems such as Labradors. If you notice your dog has pain moving or sitting a vet visit is required. There are treatments available that can relieve the discomfort for your dog. Good quality dog food will have the right amount of minerals and vitamins added will can help these dog health problems.
Dog Obesity – As levels of obesity in humans has risen, so have the number of dogs suffering from this condition. It is causes simply by over eating combined with not enough exercise. Obesity on its own is not actually life threatening but the side effects of heart and liver problems are. Certain of dog breeds like Cavalier King Charles spaniels are prone to this problem. It is easy treated, simply by a strict diet combined with an adequate exercise regime, it gets harder when a dog gets old as they may not be able to step up the exercise levels enough. Obesity itself doesn’t lead to mortality, but the higher rates of heart failure, tumors, liver disease, and skin problems are all very dangerous if not dealt with immediately. Obesity can be treated with a careful diet and keen eye to a dog’s activity levels.
A dog owner should therefore exercise and feed good quality food to their dog. Keep your dog well groomed and clean should help prevent many of the dog health problems mentioned. If you dog becomes unwell or simple if you suspect a problem then visit your local vet. The strategy combined with a yearly vet checkup should help to keep your dog healthy. Even then, you should make sure you visit your vet annually to check for any potential issues. The earlier you catch a disease, the better it can be treated.
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