[Shreya]

Just like us our dogs are also affected by hundreds of different types of diseases and conditions. In the same way that our body feels terrible when we are sick, our dogs can also feel weak and tired when they are inflicted with a disease.

Unfortunately, since animals can’t talk, it’s often very difficult to detect what type health problems they may be experiencing; so once owing a dog it’s our duty to keep them healthy. We should check our dog on a daily basis to make sure there are no signs of disease or injury.

Knowing whether or not your dog is healthy could save their lives. Simple changes in behavior in relation to feeding, activity and toilet habits, extreme thirst, gaining or losing a lot of weight quickly, an unusual loss of appetite, strange behavior, being sluggish and tired or acute fatigue, trouble getting up or down, excessive diarrhea or vomiting, coughing and wheezing, a rapid decline in hearing or vision, and strange lumps etc. often give a clue that all is not normal.

If in doubt or find anything abnormal you should contact a vet for advice. It’s very important that you take your pet to see its vet at the earliest possible time.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common and serious pet health problems, affecting approximately 80% of dogs by age 3 - often resulting in tooth and gum infections, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets. To control periodontal disease, preventive oral hygiene is critical.

Oral hygiene begins with a proper diet. Feeding your dog a dry pet food is more effective than feeding moist foods in provision of adequate chewing exercise and gum stimulation.

Some canine health problems are similar to illnesses suffered by humans. For example, dogs too suffer from diabetes, arthritis, depression and even worms. Canine Diabetes is commonly an endocrine disorder, which is seen in cats, dogs and other animals as well. The complications resulting from canine diabetes include hypoglycemia, which may occur due to insulin overdose, poor appetite. The signs of hypoglycemia in case of diabetes in animals are dullness, sleepiness, weakness, seizures, etc.

Controlling the glucose levels in dogs can go a long way in helping them to live a long healthy and joyous life. There are three major parts of controlling blood sugar amongst animals. These are diet, blood glucose monitoring and exercise.

There are numerous health problems that affect our dogs, but fortunately, the vast majority of them that pets commonly experience can be successfully treated with medications, physical therapy, surgery, or other types of medical treatments.

Routine vaccinations are recommended for all dogs to safeguard them from potential diseases. Regular daily exercise is essential for your dog's health and to help prevent boredom and conditions like obesity.

Do not take their health problems lightly. It is your responsibility to provide your dog a happier and healthier life. Visit the veterinarian regularly and speak to him about any doubts you have regarding your dog's health.

[cherylmartin]

Shreya,

You did an excellent post of letting us know our respondsibilites as 'pet' owners-I prefer parents of furbabies.

But don't you feel that Vets have a respondsibility to us! Advise us of drug reactions before we injest our poor furbaby with a drug that will eventually kill them! Be respondsible enough to know when to when NOT to prescribe a drug based on the health condition of the furbaby.

Just asking.

Cheryl and Angel Jasmine
Jasmine was loved.
Jasmine was given ProIn
Jasmine is gone

[Mr. Vega]

"Periodontal disease is one of the most common and serious pet health problems, affecting approximately 80% of dogs by age 3 - often resulting in tooth and gum infections, pain, loss of teeth and even organ damage in pets. To control periodontal disease, preventive oral hygiene is critical."

Oral hygiene - EASILY one of the most neglected aspects of pet health that I see. Never ceases to amaze me how many people are adamant about brushing/flossing 2x a day and going to the dentist for a cleaning and check up 2x year, but then have dogs/cats with the nastiest teeth/gums you could imagine.