Dog Health Care Issues | Common Ailments- Page 3 of 8

A dog going through cancer snuggles with his owner

All About Dogs

What You Need To Know About Dog Cancer

Cancer. Even the word is terrifying. It causes images of loved ones slowly wasting away while going through seemingly endless rounds of treatment, tempered only by the hope of recovery. From portrayals in popular media and possibly even through witnessing it in our own friends and family members, we have a pretty good idea about what cancer looks like in people — but what about dogs? That’s right. As horrible as it is to think about, your furry, four-legged companion can potentially suffer from cancer just like you can. In order to help prevent cancer in dogs and catch it

August 23, 2020 No Comments

All About Dogs

Before Disaster Strikes: Have A Plan For Your Dogs

When a natural disaster strikes, your emergency plan can help keep your family safe — but does your plan include your dog? It’s just as important to consider her special needs in advance as it is those of the rest of your family. You may not be able to predict the specific circumstances of the disaster or know how long you may have to evacuate, but by creating a general dog emergency plan, you will have precautions in place that help you react in a way that best protects your pup. ID Your Dog This is probably the most important

November 14, 2019 No Comments

Diarrhea

Diarrhea In Dogs

Signs of Diarrhea in Dogs It is important to understand that diarrhea in dogs can take several forms. Stools can range from abnormally soft to watery. Other clinical signs may be present such as straining while defecating, gas, abnormal odor, or blood and mucous in the stool. Many cases of diarrhea are self-limiting, but others require treatment. Bloody diarrhea with severe straining may be an emergency especially for small dogs. Diarrhea along with vomiting can be signs of serious intestinal obstruction that may even need surgery. Weakness, pain, vomiting, or agitation are serious signs that the dog needs medical attention.

October 7, 2019 No Comments

A dog gets checked for heart worms by his vet

Dog Care

What You Need To Know About Heartworm

My passion is protecting dogs in all ways — promoting spay and neuter to reduce the population of unwanted animals, encouraging people to rescue dogs from shelters, and helping them to find a balanced relationship that will make for happy dogs and happy humans. But I also want to protect dogs from disease, and there’s one killer lurking out there that is silent and invisible. If there are mosquitos in your area (and that’s very likely), then your dog is at risk. I’m going to share with you what you need to know about heartworm disease. About Heartworms While it’s

September 29, 2019 No Comments

Allergies

Most common food allergies in dogs

While it has become common to watch out for the signs of life-threatening food allergies in young children, it still comes as a surprise to some dog parents that their four-legged companions can also suffer from food allergies. Just like in humans, a food allergy occurs when a dog’s immune system mistakenly believes a specific food is harmful. The dog’s immune system responds with antibodies, which triggers a series of dangerous symptoms. Many seemingly random symptoms can be signs of a food allergy in a dog. These Symptons Include Chronic ear inflammation Itching Paw biting Poor coat quality Obsessive licking

September 24, 2019 No Comments

Bites, Wounds, and Cuts

How To Treat Dog Bite Wounds

Bite wounds are a common cause of trauma in dogs and typically result from altercations with other dogs, cats and wildlife. Bite wounds are puncture wounds and while they may appear small they can spell big trouble for your dog. Their deceptive nature lies in the fact that while the external wound can be small, the same wound can be deep, extending through the skin and into the subcutaneous tissues and muscles. There is a high risk of infection with bite wounds because of the numerous bacteria that are normally harbored in an animal’s mouth. Because the surface wound is

September 24, 2019 No Comments

A dog bites at a spot where fleas are infested.

All About Dogs

How To help Protect Your Dog Against Fleas And Ticks

When you and your family enjoy the warm weather of spring and summer, don’t forget to take steps to help protect your dog against fleas and ticks. Recent years have marked the warmest winters and overall weather ever recorded in the continental United States1. While the mild temperatures and early spring weather have been great for getting outside with your pets, it also means an earlier flea and tick season. Ticks survive the winter in microclimates, and after the thaw a feeding and breeding female tick can lay hundreds to thousands of eggs at one time2. Fleas can survive freezing

August 27, 2019 No Comments

A dog looks sad after being bitten by another dog

Bites, Wounds, and Cuts

Rehabilitating A Dog That’s Been Bitten

It’s probably in every dog lover’s top five nightmare scenarios — your dog is attacked and bitten by another dog, possibly seriously enough to require veterinary care. It can be traumatic for everyone involved, human and dog. So what’s the best way to deal with the situation, when it happens and afterwards? If it hasn’t happened to you yet, the first thing to remember if it does is to stay calm and quiet. Yelling or otherwise panicking will just make it worse because it will fuel the aggression between the dogs. But do try to get the biting dog off

August 25, 2019 No Comments

Dog Care

Broken Bones

By Dr. Sherry Weaver Broken bones in pets can range from being a nuisance to being a life threatening situation, especially if a sharp bone fragment severs an artery. Be cautious about the pain response of any animal when they display the signs of a broken bone. If it is safe and not stressful for the pet, try to gently assess a traumatized area that may harbor a broken bone by looking for bruising, an abnormal contour to the surface that isn’t present on the opposite side, a twist to a limb that is not normal, or discomfort when local

July 24, 2019 No Comments

A dog is groomed regularly to check for bites

Bites Wounds and Cuts

Conquering An Invisible Threat

By Cesar Millan When we adopt a dog we make a promise, which is a commitment to provide for their needs for the rest of their lives. This doesn’t just mean feeding them and walking them, though. If a dog has behavioral issues, it is our responsibility to figure out what’s causing them and to solve the problem. Returning a misbehaving dog to a shelter is not an option. And if a dog has health issues, we are also responsible for doing what is necessary to take care of them. But providing for a dog’s health doesn’t just mean going

July 9, 2019 No Comments