Dog Health Care Issues | Common Ailments- Page 5 of 8

Diarrhea

By Dr. Sherry Weaver Diarrhea is the frequent and repetitive passage of loose, watery stool. Your judgment regarding the health status of a pet with diarrhea is critical. 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 pet needs medical attention-not simply a little first aid! A pet with diarrhea but with few other signs of distress may sometimes be treated at home, but the variables are so numerous that

June 18, 2015 No Comments

A dog suffering fro a cut waits to get help.

Cuts/Wounds

Cuts

Dr. Sherry Weaver Small and superficial cuts may heal well by simply rinsing with clean water and applying an antibiotic ointment three times daily. Flush enough to remove all dirt and debris from the area. It is ok to gently clean the edges of a cut with warm water daily to soften any crusts, but do not scrub the healing cut or apply hydrogen peroxide. Even when diluted, hydrogen peroxide can harm newly-produced healing tissues. Most cuts that are not deep and gaping will look improved within three days. Any cut that is moist, draining, has reddened, swollen edges after

June 18, 2015 No Comments

Choosing/Working With a Vet

8 Secrets To Stress-Free Vet Visits

Vet visits are an essential part of every dog’s life, if only for routine check-ups and yearly vaccinations. With a little careful preparation they needn’t be traumatic — for your dog or you! If you can make your puppy’s first vet visit relaxed, she won’t develop anxiety about future appointments. Your puppy should be comfortable with being touched. Dogs aren’t naturally comfortable with having their tail lifted or their belly, feet, and nails touched. Find a time when your puppy is relaxed and calm and get him used to these actions. If it’s something that he becomes accustomed to with

June 18, 2015 No Comments

A dog digs in a trash can that was knocked over.

All About Dogs

What To Do If Your Dog Eats Something It Shouldn’t

Have you ever heard the expression “eat like a dog” or “dogs eat anything?” Ever wonder where those stem from? If you own a dog, you know firsthand that from time to time they get curious and occasionally try to ingest something that they shouldn’t. We’ve all heard horror stories of a dog having to be rushed to the ER to have his stomach pumped, or know of a person whose pup has passed a foreign object and was back to normal immediately after. What should you do if your dog eats something that he shouldn’t? Should you take him

June 18, 2015 No Comments

Dog Care

Fleas And Ticks And Burrs — Oh My!

Summertime means sunshine, backyard barbecues, and lots of fun. But for your dog, the season unfortunately comes with a few hitches. Spending more time outdoors increases your pup’s chances of getting burrs, fleas, and even ticks. Read on for the best tips on how to combat the summer’s puppy predicaments. Getting Rid of Fleas For a pet owner, the arrival of warm, humid summer weather also means it’s flea season once again. If you happen to find the annoying little insects on your baby, remember to treat your house at the same time you treat your hound to prevent re-infestation.

June 18, 2015 No Comments

A dog does not want to take his medicine.

Dog Care

How To Get Your Dog To Take Their Medicine

It is a well-known fact that both dogs and kids hate to take their medicine. Since dogs cannot grab a cup of water to swallow a pill, you have to a bit more resourceful. Medication is a necessary evil, and you will have to figure out some way to make it work whether you put it in their dinner, treats, or water. Here Are Some Solutions to Help Your Dog Take Oral Medications Use Food Food is your friend when it comes to coaxing dogs into taking their medication. You can put a pill or even liquid medication in the

June 18, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

New Canine Cancer Blood Test Available

The National Canine Cancer Foundation in Phoenix has announced that a new, simple blood test is now available for dog lovers to confirm veterinary suspicion of cancer in their pets. Developed by Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, which is a reference laboratory based in Simi Valley, California, the test is called VDI TKcanine+. It is used by veterinarians to measure two compounds in the dog’s blood: the thymidine kinase (or TK) level, which indicates unusually rapid cell division; and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), which indicates when inflammation is present. Together, these measurements detect cancer in its early stages before signs become

June 18, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

Keeping Fido Fit, Not Fat

Our pets weigh too much. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention’s latest veterinary survey, 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of adult cats in the United States — that’s 88.4 million pets — are classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarians. But the bigger problem, reports APOP founder Dr. Ernie Ward, is that pet owners don’t even realize their chubby four-legged friends have a weight problem. “Twenty two percent of dog owners and fifteen percent of cat owners characterized their pet as ‘normal weight’ when it was actually overweight or obese,” Dr. Ward says. “This

June 18, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

What Makes My Dog Itch?

If your dog is frequently scratching, you may suspect a problem with fleas. But fleas are far from the only cause of skin irritations and itches. Insect bites and stings are fairly common on dogs. Some cause minimal to no symptoms, while others can cause a life threatening allergic reaction. The most common signs of an insect bite are redness and swelling at the site of the bite. In more severe reactions, hives may appear along with swelling of the face and muzzle. If a dog is sensitive to proteins in the insect’s venom or saliva, you may see more

June 18, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

How To Recognize And Handle Dog Seizures

Most pet owners probably don’t know this, but dogs can have seizures just like humans. Few things are worse than seeing your four-legged friend suddenly flop to the ground and tread water that isn’t even there, but for some dogs, this is their reality. So how do you know if your dog has or may get seizures? And what should you do if they start experiencing them? Causes of Epileptic Seizures in Dogs Some causes of seizures in dogs are preventable, but others are genetic or related to illness. Common reasons can be divided into several different categories: Environmental One

June 18, 2015 No Comments