PETSopedia 
Dog health is a vital part of your canine’s life. That’s why it’s incredibly important to have your dog go for regular yearly checkups. The veterinarian will be able to look over the canine to determine if he or she is in good general health. The vet will be able to provide the needed vaccinations when the time comes, and he or she can help with worms, ticks and fleas.
If you ignore these issues, your dog will generally be unhappy and feel sick. You love your dog. You do not want it to be unwell. So make sure regular checkups are a part of your dog health regimen.
Let’s look at dog health care much more closely.
General Dog Health
Your dog will experience subtle changes as he or she gets older. Most of these changes will revolve around your pet’s physical health. Ideally, it’s good to have dogs visit the veterinarian once every year. And as the dog gets older, it might be a good idea for more frequent checkups if your pet is exhibiting special needs of a medical nature.
Regular veterinarian visits will play a big part in preventing the deterioration of your dog’s health. Prevention is much better than looking for a cure, because it stops problems before they begin.
Vaccinations
While your dog is having its regular checkup, a local veterinarian will be able to provide vaccinations so that your dog is up to date. Some of the main vaccinations are distemper, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, and rabies vaccines.
As your dog undergoes his or her yearly checkup, make sure the veterinarian checks for worms, ticks and fleas. Flea larvae can live year round, so it’s important that your dog is checked often to prevent a flea breakout. And don’t forget to ask the vet about roundworm and tapeworm prevention.
Dog Health Problems
It’s really difficult when your favorite pet is experiencing dog health problems. Nobody wants to see the little guy suffer, and especially you. If you feel that your dog is experiencing health problems of this kind, it’s best to check in with the local veterinarian to ask for an examination.
Dogs typically experience certain health problems more often than not. We will now take a look at two of the main dog health problems that regularly occur. Let’s dive into the details right now:
Ear Infections for Dogs
One of the biggest issues that dogs often face are ear infections. This is a very common dog health problem, and it could typically because by deep hair growth in the ear canal, allergies, ear mites, yeast or bacteria. There are other potential causes as well, and your veterinarian will be able to determine the exact issue that is causing your dog discomfort.
There are telltale symptoms that will show you if your dog may have an ear infection. They are loss of balance, ear swelling, yellow or brownish discharge, ear odor, head tilting and headshaking, ear canal redness and odd eye movements.
If your dog appears to be experiencing any of those symptoms, it’s best to take your dog to the local veterinarian to deal with dog health issues.
Dog Worms
A typical dog could potentially contract whip worms, roundworms, hookworms or tapeworms. Your dog is not a happy camper if he or she is experiencing any of these conditions because they are common due to internal parasites.
Even though you may think they will only make your doggie feel uncomfortable, it can be worse. Hookworms can actually be fatal in puppies.
If you think your dog has worms, look for signs including weight loss, a dry, rough coat, scooting his or her butt across the floor, diarrhea and a change in appetite.
Dog Health Questions
It’s typical for people to need answers to common dog health questions. You know the kind of questions that we mean… Things like what to feed your dog, the best medication, what to do with your pet appears sick, and other things like this.
For the most part, people will typically take their pet to the veterinarian as soon as symptoms arise. But other people would rather look for an answer on the Internet before they spent the money on a veterinarian visit. We do not judge anyone here, and we would like to do our best to answer all of your dog health questions as they come up.
Feel free to send us an email with your questions and we will do our best to answer them. If we don’t have the answer, we will do everything in our power to find it for you.
With that said, let’s take a look at two typical dog health questions:
What Should I Look for If I Believe My Dog Has Heart Worms?
Here’s the unfortunate truth…
If your dog is showing noticeable signs of heart worms, such as a chronic cough, lack of energy in a swollen abdomen, it’s probably happening because the disease has advanced over many years. You can certainly bring your dog to the veterinarian to see if there’s anything that he or she can do to help, but the odds are not in favor of your pooch.
Prevention is key people. Try to catch these problems before they become major dog health issues.
How Can I Stop My Dog from Eating the Furniture?
This is more of a doggie mental health question, but here’s a quick answer. If a puppy is teething, he or she will want to test out its teeth on your furniture. There really isn’t much you can do about it.
But if your dog nibbles the furniture because of a nervous habit, try to figure out the trigger. If you can figure out the trigger, you can divert the dog’s attention while it’s taking place.
Dog Medical Care
Dog medical care is no laughing matter. You already know this; otherwise you wouldn’t have taken the time to look for information about this topic. Medical care is the most important facet of a dog’s life. Without proper veterinarian attention, your dog could attract all kinds of unwanted illnesses and diseases. We would like to avoid this at all costs as pet owners, so it’s important that dog medical care is taken seriously.
For the most part, there are a number of typical issues that a dog will experience throughout its life. There are regular problems that come up during the life of a dog that must be treated correctly.
Let’s take a look at some of the main reasons why your pet may need dog medical care:
Potential Medical Care Issues
Here are the potential issues in no particular order: emergency care, first aid, fleas and ticks, anatomy issues, allergies, behavioral problems, dental care, cancer, nutrition and diet, circulatory and heart issues, endocrine and hormonal issues, eye problems, problems with the digestive system, basic healthcare needs, dog grooming, spaying and neutering, aging problems, surgery, hair and skin conditions, reproductive problems, parasites, need for medication, typical medical procedures, pancreas and liver problems, diseases and infections, blood and immune system issues, and many more.
As you can see, we’ve barely scratched the surface with potential medical problems that your pooch may experience. Since you want the best health for your dog, it’s imperative that medical care is taken seriously.
More than anything else, make sure your dog goes in for regular veterinarian visits at least once a year. And if your dog is aging and sick, it would be wise to visit the vet’s office more often. Please take your dogs health seriously, because he or she is depending on you to help it live a long and healthy life.
Dog Health Issues
There’s no question about it. Animals of all kinds experience health issues, but we are specifically talking about dog health issues today. Because let’s face it… Your dog is susceptible to illness and disease. Your dog is susceptible to heart worms, cancer, ringworm, lung worm and many of the other illnesses that dogs typically experience.
But more than anything else, your friend will typically experience a couple of dog health issues on a regular basis. Unfortunately, there are going to be times when the pooch has problems with vomiting and fleas. They are the most attractive issues, but they are problems that your pet will face so you should know what to do in case they ever happened.
Let’s take a look at these two problems in greater detail…
Finding Fleas on Your Dog
Here’s an unhappy tidbit that you’ve probably never read before…
Your dog only needs to contract one flea, and if left untreated, it can literally turn into an infestation of over 1000 fleas in a mere three weeks. This is a very common problem when it comes to the health of canines, and unfortunately it’s so easy for a dog to pick up fleas wherever they go.
But on the plus side, it’s also relatively easy to treat fleas. Let’s take a look at some of the signs that will show you if your dog has fleas or not:
Your dog may experience things like hair loss, excessive biting, scratching or licking the skin, hotspots, flea dirt or tapeworms.
You can pick up over-the-counter products or speak with your veterinarian for further instructions.
Dog Vomiting
This is another common dog health issue that must be dealt with. Some possible causes are intestinal parasites, infection, kidney failure, poisoning, heatstroke or pancreatitis. A couple of these illnesses are obviously life-threatening, so call a veterinarian to do a full examination.
