Dog Health

Ernesto Maitim asked:


Dog health insurance is definitely a necessity nowadays if only because the cost of health maintenance of your dogs is continuously on an upward move. To care for your dog’s health has become very expensive. Dog masters have to search for pet insurance companies that work efficiently by settling the dues in a timely manner.  Pet health insurance groups actually have come forward in order to settle the proper dues in a prompt manner, this after the claim verification.

As good pet owners, it is a must that you know the accredited lists of veterinary clinics and dog care hospitals. Likewise, you must have a list of veterinarians specializing in dog health care. A licensed dog doctor list must be present in all insurance companies.  Many dog health insurance companies cover the cost of many medical procedures and processes such as surgeries, treatment proper of medical conditions, radiographic exam, laboratory and medical fees and many more.

Pet owners must realize that there is a prescribed period before the dog health insurance policy can be approved and so it is advised that application and enrollment should be done as early as possible. It is best that you start early in obtaining insurance for your pet dog. If it so happens that you realize you do not have the right policy or like the insurance company, you can have the policy cancelled.

Definitely it is ideal that you get your animal a dog health insurance as young as possible, before it turns adults. You must enroll your dog, while they are still young as a priority.  Before your dog develop any illness or health condition, meet an accident or be in pre-existing conditions quoted by the insurance companies has to be enrolled by the owners. They will perform comprehensive review of the medical history of your beloved animal, so it is best to start the earliest possible time.   

For more pet health insurance, dog care and other pet and dog articles, do visit our Pinoy Pet Blog site.



Mackenzie

Luke F asked:


There is this little puppy that showed up at my house the other day and you could tell from first look that he was neglected. =( He is really skinny and i was wondering what i could to do to bring him back to health. Oh and by the way he is about 7 months old. What can i do before i take him to the vet (it is closed because it is the weekend)
Pleas help!!!!! Thanks a lot

Collin

★♥••Avery asked:


I’d really like to get a pug, but some websites say they are more prone to health complications such as like Entropion, obesity, heatstroke, granulomatous meningoencephalitis, and other things. Pug owners, is this true?

Cecilia

Baddest_Bandulu asked:


We have a little miniature fox terrier that is so addicted to killing vermin that she only eats those lamb meal biscuits you get at Costco for fear of missing a second of the action. She’s a little chunky but she’s so high strung she seems to be burning it off. But she won’t stick around inside to eat any dog food. She’s like a human, all drive-thru and git’er done. The biscuits are nutritious, but it just seems weird to us.

Juan

K. Taylor asked:


There are three highly common things that threaten your dogs health in the winter months. The good news is that by taking a preventive measures and following the dog care tips below, you can keep your dog happy and healthy all winter long.

Avoid Dog Poisoning

Antifreeze kills dogs. It is reported that antifreeze has a taste that

dogs like so they are naturally attracted to it. As a responsible dog

owner, this dog care tips is one of the most important dog health care

tips that I can give you. Make sure that antifreeze is stored in a sealed

container and when flushing your radiator that you are quick to thoroughly wash

away any spills that may occur.

Protect Your Dogs Paws

Protect your dogs paws from harmful irritants such as salt when walking your dog

in the winter. You should know that both ice and salt can be harmful to

the pads on your dogs paws. Both can damage the skin leading to tears or

possible infections on the pad of the paw. Also, most dogs will lick the

salt off of their paws thus digesting the chemicals found in the road salt. pet

supply store. Your dog may resist wearing the booties at first but you

should be persistent in order to protect their sensitive paw pads. Play it safe

and train your dog to wear dog booties.

Provide Dry Bedding and Check Water Sources Regularly

If your dog spends any amount of time outdoors in the winter months

their are two things that you must be aware of. The first is providing

proper bedding and replacing it regularly so that it does not get wet and

freeze. Straw is great to use for bedding because it can easily be

replaced and it is a great insulator.

The second thing that you must pay careful attention to if your dog stays

outside in the winter months is their water bowl. A dogs water bowl will

quickly freeze in winter months so you must keep a close eye on it to assure

that your dog has access to fresh water.

By following these dog care tips for winter, you can assure that your dog

will be happy and healthy when warmer months roll around.



Levi

Mike LaVallee asked:


There are many advantages to owning a dog. The dog gives you loyalty and love. Yet so many people neglect dog health as a way to return that love and affection. Preventative dog health care goes a long way to ensuring that your friend stays healthy for years to come. If you decide to get a dog, then do him a favor and become educated on how to protect his health.

Dog health begins the very minute you take ownership of your canine companion. Before you even think about beginning puppy training you must make sure that you know what type of medication it takes to ensure dog health. Shots such as Distemper, Rabies, and Parvo are absolutely essential to a long and healthy life for your dog. There are other medications such as heart worm medicine and flea medicines that are important as well.

If you are unsure as to what is involved in dog health, check out dog forums for answers on some common questions. The best advice before buying or getting a pet is to do a thorough research to determine if having a pet is right for you. There are some questions to ask yourself before you commit to owning a dog or any pet. The first is how much time do you have to devote to the pet? Do you have enough space to accommodate a dog? Is the dog health absolutely important to you? Do you have the money to devote to puppy training and to making sure that he or she receives regular veterinarian visits to ensure proper dog health?

A dog is a big responsibility. If you are unsure of any of the above questions then now is the time to carefully ponder whether or not you are ready for a pet. Dogs cost money and this responsibility lies with the pet owner. The puppy or dog is dependent on you for everything they need. This includes their emotional well-being as well. Humans and dogs are alike in that they need love and support. You, as the owner, must be that network of love and support for them.

Dog health is important to having a fully functioning family. Dog’s can bring many things to their owner. They bring love and unfailing loyalty. They deserve to have that returned to them by an owner that truly wants what is best for them. Before you go collect your new dog, take the time to become educated. You should talk to other pet owners and then make that life altering decision.



Katrina

John Williams asked:


Obstructions in the dogs body are quite common in many pets especially dogs, and its not uncommon for a pet owner to find this problem reoccurring many times in a dogs life caused by many different situations.

An obstruction in the digestive system of your dog can be a very painful experience and may cause bout of quite serious retching, vomiting, and diarrhea. This is caused as the dog tries to release the foreign body from blocking the flow of the digestive system.

The digestive system obstruction is most commonly caused by stones that the dog swallows when playing fetch or just being curious around the garden or on walks. When they swallow stones or any other offending objects for that matter, it many become stuck in the tubes above the stomach where the dog will find it difficult to breath and wretch a lot, or it may flow down into the stomach and intestines where its possible it will get stuck and cause a very painful blockage while all the waste will start to compress behind the it and make for your dog to strain to pass feces or move the blockage.

In some cases the object or stone swallowed will be too large to move from the stomach and it will become blocked occasionally on the passage down in to the intestines, this cases infrequent spurts of pain as the dog tries to break down and move the object from the stomach into the intestines as normal, then as the dog moves it will free up again and the pain will temporarily disappear until the same happens again up to 2 days later at most.

Of course when you fear that this may be the problem you should report it to your vet as soon as possible. They will then undertake many different tests in hope to find the situation of the blockage and feel for foreign bodies so they can treat the symptoms accordingly. This treatment is normally to make sure the object will not free itself and then enter the dog’s body through surgery to remove the unwanted object safely so the dog can resume normal life and dog health again.

Although the above treatment is normally only needed with larger objects in the dogs digestive system, it shows the extent of this condition so if you suspect this problem and the symptoms are their then its always best to inform you vet about the situation so they can asses what needs to be done next.



Genesis

Chris Simpson asked:


How many dog owners know something about dog health food when they buy their pets? If they don’t get informed about dog’s nutritional needs, they are very likely to be confronted to all sorts of health problems that result from the improper food they feed their animals on. There are special dog health food tips that a vet can tell you about, since you may not know very much about the digestive needs of your pet. First of all, in order to meet the requirements for dog health food, you have to be sure there are minerals, calcium in particular and quality protein in the diet.

As it is very comfortable, we usually feed our four-legged friends on special dog meals, but this is not always dog health food. It is usually prepared by blending hemoglobin powder, with bones and meat, all processed at very high temperatures. Then, there are flavors and vitamins added, and this is the dog health food we find in the supermarket. For all dog owners I need to say that this is not great at all for your pet. Try to combine processed meals with dog health food you prepare at home.

What should real dog health food be like? First of all, have fresh meat and boil it for around ten minutes. Thus, you destroy the unfriendly bacteria while also preserving all the nutrients intact. Then, cut it into small pieces, it may seem natural that your dog should tear it alone, but you don’t want any mess around the house. For the calcium in dog health food, you may use a natural supplement such as ground egg shells or calcium powder available in drug stores. Try to mix the pieces of meat with a little water for a better hydration of your pet.

As for bones, I know all dogs like them, but research shows they don’t make the best dog health food at all; on the contrary there may be side effects and even ailments. Thus, never feed your dog chicken or pig bones. The only ones that are fully digested and make real dog health food are the leftovers from your cooking veal for instance. Another tip many people don’t know is that for dog health food, not only proteins are necessary, vitamins are also important. A little grated carrot added together will pass unnoticed but it’ll be of great help for the pet’s well-being.



Davion

Amanda Fain asked:


Because they a lovable, loyal animals, dogs are highly preferred as pets. Dogs become family members, so their health is very important. Pet owners need to keep in mind that dog health and liver problems are very closely tied together.

The liver is an important part of the digestive system, so if there is a liver problem, a dog health will be severely affected. There are many kinds of liver problems that dogs can have, including cirrhosis of the liver, toxicity, hepatitis, fibrosis, etc. But in this article, we will be discussing hepatic micro vascular dysplasia.

Hepatic micro vascular dysplasia

This is a common liver problem for dogs. With hepatic micro vascular dysplasia, there is a mixing of venous and arterial blood on a microscopic level. Another name for this condition is hepatic-portal micro vascular dysplasia. Though this condition affects all dog breeds, it seems to occur more often in terrier breeds.

As there are no symptoms that are peculiar to this condition, it is hard to diagnose with any certainty. Among the symptoms that a dog might have are seizures, central nervous system disorder symptoms and other gastro intestinal disorder symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. A bile acid response test is the first step in diagnosing the condition.

Another condition, photo systemic shunts, will also have an abnormal bile acid response. A liver biopsy then needs to be done to eliminate the possibility of photo systemic shunts so that the condition of hepatic micro vascular dyplasia can be properly diagnosed. For more info see http://www.aboutdoghealth.org/dogbreedhealth/Bull-Dog-Health.html

If diagnosed before symptoms appear, there is a good prognosis for a dog with hepatic micro vascular dysplasia. However, once symptoms begin to be seen, the only recourse is to use diet and medication to manage the condition.

Reducing the amount of protein consumed is the objective of diet therapy while the reduction of ammonia in the digestive system is accomplished with medication. So that dogs with this condition are able to excrete soft, formed stools, lactose injections are advisable.

Twice a day, injections of antibiotics are given. These may be neomycin, metranidazole or some other antibiotic. The response to the treatment will vary from one dog to another. Some dogs respond well enough to live out a normal life span, but other dogs will have a shortened life due to this condition.

Dog owners will usually take preventative measures once they are made aware of the connection between overall dog health and liver problems.



Eli

Paul asked:


I live in a house of 5 people (mum, 3 brothers and me). I believe my dog like me as much as my mum, but no-where near as much as one of my brothers.

She does obey most of my commands and is very compassionate towards me, however whenever that brother is home she’s stuck to him like glue. I am currently not working and so have lots of time to spend with my dog.

I cannot get the dog to go on walks with me though - that brother always has to come with me. And because of that my dog is starting to put on some weight.

Also my dog keeps licking her paws for hours and sometimes it seems she’s chewing them and she makes them bleed. The vet says she’s allergic to something but nothing he gives her works.

Thanks in advance for any help and advice.

Ashley