Dog Health

John Williams asked:


Dog diarrhea can be a very troubling time for your dog and the many reasons for these conditions can be overwhelming and complicated for anyone owning a dog suffering from this health scare. Although most of the causes of dog diarrhea and vomiting are almost always harmless and can be cured easily helping you dog get back to full health within 2-3 days, it is always a good idea to visit you vet to make sure it is nothing more serious than first thought.

Commonly the reason for this illness is due to food intolerance or poisoning, or as we would say an ‘upset stomach’. This is basically when your dog eats something that is unfamiliar to the dog’s normal tastes and causes the dog’s body to reject the food in the form of vomiting or diarrhea, leaving you canine friend to feel extremely ill and not wanting to eat in most cases. In this case it is not because the food is poisoning the dog, but rather that the dog’s stomach is not used to that type of flavour and food.

The other common cause is food poisoning which is caused by eating something that is harmful or can be harmful for the dog, often this is due to your dog eating or liking something up along a walk, or tasting substances that have a sweet taste and smell such as some household cleaners, or spilt screen wash or de-icer accidentally spilt on yours or someone else’s drive.

The symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting are often a big clue to your vet where the cause is situated in the digestive system of the dog. If the dog only vomits then it s probable that the problem is in the stomach and not moved any further down yet, if the symptoms are both vomiting and diarrhea then it is probable that the causes is beginning to move further down the system or is in both the upper and lower sections of the digestive system, and finally if only diarrhea is seen then it will normally be in the lower digestive system or intestines.

As with all conditions affecting your dog you should always keep a close eye on your dog and take them to the vet if you suspect anything suspicious. From here you vet will normally stop the food your dog is eating for twenty four hours to allow the system to flush out, then ease them back onto solid food in gradual stages increasing the amount of flavour given gradually.



Quincy

nobody26 asked:


I know there are laws in certain states. In my case it is PA.

Allan

dawn asked:


and how long do you have to contact the seller if something is wrong ?

Elliott

Ricky M asked:


Hi,

I am selling my dog, and she has a health certificate when she was a puppy and now she is almost two yrs old. When I go to sell her I was going to make a bill of sale ”as is”. Do I have to have a health certificate to sell her at this age?

Thanks

Eden

Doggie asked:


My dog used to bite his paw and the white hair around turned pink. I started giving him yogurt every day and after about 2 weeks, his fur that has been growing in has stayed white rather than pink. (the pink is from red yeast growing in wet fur).

I am sure it’s the yogurt as nothing else has changed. Has anyone else experienced and improvement in your dog’s health as a result of feeding yogurt or anything else you were told was good for your dog?

Charles

Ethan Parker asked:


WHAT IS A PARASITE?

External parasites are pretty common among dogs. A parasite is an organism that lives off the resources your dog has to offer: namely, fresh blood (which most parasites drink) and a warm place to stay (in and on the skin and fur).

What are the common parasites that might affect my dog?

There are a wide range of parasites that affect dogs:

- Fleas

- Ticks

- Mites

- Lice

All of these parasites cause adverse reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed skin, a dull coat, and bald spots. In advanced cases, your dog may develop anemia (blood loss) and become generally debilitated (particularly if he or she is very young, very old, or suffering from another condition).

In addition to this, many parasites convey secondary and internal parasites to your dog – for example, fleas usually carry the common tapeworm (which causes constipation and flatulence), and ticks can cause a variety of much more serious problems like Lyme’s disease and paralysis.

I’m going to be looking at fleas: what they are, how to tell if your dog’s affected, and how to get rid of them.

A CLOSER LOOK AT FLEAS

Fleas are without question the number-one most common external parasite affecting dogs. They’re small, jumping insects that are light brown in color, although humans generally can’t see them – they move much too quickly for that!

Fleas live off your dog’s blood. The life cycle of a flea moves very rapidly from stage one (egg) to stage four (adult flea), which means they’re capable of multiplying with staggering rapidity.

An adult flea lays hundreds of eggs per day. Each egg will then become an adult flea, which lay hundreds more eggs of its own. One flea becomes a major problem very quickly!

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS

The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable.

A dog with a flea infestation will scratch almost constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to favor: the ears, the base of the tail, the belly, and the stifle (the webbing of soft skin between the thigh and the abdomen).

It’s actually the saliva of the flea that causes the irritation, not the bite itself, and some dogs have a genuine allergy to this saliva (as opposed to a standard irritation). Dogs with allergies suffer much more significant negative reactions to a flea infestation, and usually develop “hot spots”.

These hot spots are areas of sore, inflamed, flaking, bleeding, and infected skin, caused by the flea saliva and your dog’s own reaction to it. Bald patches will sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and ongoing inflammation.

If you think your dog has fleas, you can confirm your suspicions by taking a closer look at his skin: you probably won’t be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be able to see what looks like ground pepper (a thin sprinkling of fine black grains) on his skin. This is flea dirt (poop).

If you groom him with a flea comb (which is like a fine-tooth comb), try wiping it on a paper towel: if red blotches show up on the towel, you know that your dog has fleas (on a white background like a paper towel, flea poop shows up red: since fleas subsist on blood, their poop is colored accordingly).

TREATMENT FOR FLEAS

Because fleas only spend a small amount of time actually on your dog, and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood, it’s not enough to just treat the dog: you also have to target his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard (yes, fleas lay eggs all through the yard, too. Even if it’s cold outside, you’re not necessarily off the hook: cold weather doesn’t kill flea eggs, it just puts them into a state of hibernation. The eggs will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.)

You’ll need a broad-spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas (which are the ones that bite), but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST (AND THE EASIEST!)

Prevention is definitely the best cure – you should keep your dog’s flea treatments up to date with the use of a calendar, and use a treatment that’s prescribed by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren’t recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites (like mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.

FOR AN EXISTING INFESTATION

If your dog already has fleas, you have two options:

1. You can ‘bomb’ the house and yard with a flea-pesticide. These come as foggers (which coat each room, and the yard, in a fine mist of pesticide) and sprays (which are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard), and although they’re very effective in killing fleas and eggs, there’s one major drawback: they’re highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. Depending on your priorities, this is probably the quickest solution to a flea problem (and will effectively wipe out the eggs, too) but if you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition – including pets! – you might want to think again.

2. A more health-friendly alternative is to target the dog with a topical anti-flea solution prescribed by the vet (like Advantage or Revolution), and to rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming each room thoroughly each day – put a flea collar in with the vacuum bag to kill any fleas that get sucked up – and wash all human and dog bedding in hot water as often as you can (once every day or every two days is recommended). You’ll be able to tell when the problem’s gone because your dog won’t be scratching, and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it.

WHAT NOT TO DO ABOUT FLEAS

- Don’t use multiple products on your dog – it’ll make him sick, since you’ll be overloading his system with toxins.

- Don’t forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time: cat and dog fleas are interchangeable, and if one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.

- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic – vets have realized that placing a toxic material directly against your pet’s skin for long periods of time (flea collars have to be worn 24/7 to be effective) is detrimental to your dog’s health.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENT…

Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites (external and internal), as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy – just the way you want him (or her) to be!



Raymond

zombiegirl7561 asked:


I want 2 get a small dog with minimal health problems. It has 2 b good with children, and doesn’t bark 2 much. It has 2 have short or medium hair.
It can’t have a lot of fur cause my mom’s allergic but she REALLY wants 2 have a dog even though I don’t want 1 right now (my parakeet passed away 10 months ago).

Alberto

Last Day asked:


My sister is telling me that its hazardous to be so close to my dog, letting her sleeping on my bed and stuff. She said my dogs hair can clog up my body’s circulation system of something like that, is it true?

Virginia

pradeep kumar asked:


There are many reasons why a dog is considered man’s best friend. Dog owners build a lifelong trust and bond with their dogs. To keep your best friend happy you need to know and be able to recognize some warning signs and symptoms that can affect his health. Finding resources to help you with this can be invaluable.

To keep your dog healthy and happy requires being familiar with the type of breed and general care needed for that breed. A nice comprehensive book on dog health care is one of the things that you need to invest in order to obtain these details. Skin care and grooming are some of the basics you need to know to care for your dog. “How and when to give your dog a bath” will make the experience better for you and your dog.

Getting to know your veterinarian and becoming familiar with the services and treatments they offer, as well as the office hours and any emergency phone numbers is also a must. Most veterinarians these days are using natural dog health care practices to complement their traditional practice. Vets will let you know about the latest natural dog products to help maintain your dog’s health, as well as advised you on which dog product is best for your dog according to his breed, size, and other characteristics. Different breeds of dogs have different preferences and health issues, and the vet can guide you in making owning the dog much easier.

Enquiring about vaccination programs and feeding methods according to the breed and age of the dog. These methods and programs differ greatly with grown dogs as opposed to puppies. Researching some background information on a dog you are going to get can help you prepare and plan ahead to help care and treat the dog.

A very important factor in your dog’s health is to build up a good relationship with your vet. Vets are excellent when you need advice or in emergencies, but ultimately it is your responsibility as a dog owner for looking out for his health. A dog owner need to take note of any changes in eating habits, less activity than usual, or sleeping more than usual. Early discovery of problems along with quick attention from your vet can help insure, they get the proper medical attention.

Your responsibility as a pet owner is to keep your dog healthy to ensure a long life. Using your vet along with arming yourself with the right information on dog health care will help your dog live a long life.

 



Annika

Ben Franklin asked:


Dogs make an excellent pet and have been considered since time immoral, men’s best friend. Since we love so much our dogs, we always want them to remain clean, healthy and fit. Dogs need very good cleaning and grooming for keeping them healthy. Some simple tips are given below:

To keep the teeth clean, you need to brush their teeth everyday, two times just like we brush our own teeth. We must avoid forming plaque on their teeth. This habit should start right when dogs are little puppies.

When you feed your dog in after noon you can give carrots. Carrots are hard food and act as teeth scraper also. Always try to give hard food to your dog, not the soft canned food. Soft food might look good but in fact spoils the teeth of pets very much.

Dogs suffer from various diseases like heartworms. Heartworms can be detected by doing simple blood test on the dogs. If you suspect that dog suffers from heartworms, always consult the veterinary doctor. Giving self medication to dogs is not a good idea. Pills are helpful for treatment.

Claws of dogs need special attention. Every six to eight weeks, the claws need to be trimmed. If your dog is very active then maybe a small term of two to four weeks is better. When you start trimming the claws, take it as dulling exercise not shortening exercise. This way you will not cut the claws too short thereby exposing the pink part.

Dogs get ear mites also. A proper grooming means that they should be free from, any pests. Ear mites infect dogs and suck their blood. To keep mites away, you need to clean the crusts off the ears regularly. Most vets recommend anything that contains pyrethrums which is an insecticide made from chrysanthemums as a good medicine. Once you have chosen what medication to give, pick it over the counter from any pet stores, simply drop a few drops into the dog’s ear (make sure you follow the instructions as per your particular medication).Now, massage the base of the ear for 5 minutes or so. The simple massage will saturate the ear well. To keep your dog healthy, you should give him lot of exercises. The more exercise you give him, easier will be it for you as he will be better trained and will spend less time digging your yards. To keep him clean start brushing him everyday. You must use a soft bristle comb. There are lots of brushes available in the market. These combs come in varied varieties like stainless steel comb, a soft bristle brush. The choice will depend on the kind of coat that your dog has. Buy a comb/brush that will suit the coat.

When you take your dog for a bath, wash the coat really well, preferably using a shampoo. You can use a tub wash or a shower depending whether you have puppy or a dog.



Danny