DOG Health

Preventative & Curative Dog Health Guide

How long will your dog live? The average lifespan of dogs varies widely according to breed and size. Some breeds have an average lifespan of eight years, while some will survive as long as 15 years - or even longer. One thing is certain: Your dog has a better chance of living longer if you take proper care of it. This means that you must pay attention to the dog's health. Proper dog health care should be both preventative and curative. That means, you need to take common-sense steps to keep it from getting ill in the first place. Then, when it does become ill, you need to know how to best address the dog illness. Let's examine what you can do to address canine health issues.

 

Get a Vet

One of the first steps you need to take is to find a good veterinarian for your dog. Try to keep the same vet throughout the lifetime of your pet. This way, he'll be more likely to understand your dog's issues and to prescribe the right pet medications.

 

Proper Nutrition

Proper fitness also means ensuring optimum nutrition for the dog. Diet affects its health just as surely as it does your own. It will affect your pet's skin, coat, energy level, weight, and gastrointestinal function. If there's a problem in one of these areas, it's likely linked to an improper diet.

 

The Best Food

When selecting a dog food, choose a health dog food one made by a trusted company. When you find a food that the dog likes and that is keeping him healthy, use that food consistently. Monitor the dog's response to the food over a period of one to two months. Does her coat look good? It should be free of flakes and shiny - but not greasy. Has there been a noticeable drop in her energy level? This might indicate a problem. Losing weight might mean the dog is not eating enough because he does not find the food enticing. If so, you might need to find another food.

 

Regular Exercise

The third leg of dog or puppy health is regular exercise. Most dog owners underestimate how much exercise their dog needs. In fact, when a dog tears things up in the house or causes a mess, it's often a result of him not getting enough exercise. Generally, a dog needs a minimum of one to two hours of exercise each day - although this amount will vary according to its size, age and breed. Your vet can help you determine how much exercise your dog should be receiving, and how to get him more active.

 

Warning Signs of Illness

Next, we move into the areas of curative healthcare. Because your dog can't speak in words, you'll need to rely on dog symptoms that he or she exhibits to determine if the pet is sick. Dogs exhibit a variety of signs that can indicate a possible problem. Just as with humans, Fido might develop a minor illness which resolves on its own. However, it could be something a bit more serious. Learn the signs to watch for, and how you should react.

 

Symptoms that should serve as red flags to alert you to a possible problem include unusual tiredness, whining without cause, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, and unusual panting.

 

Common Dog Ailments

Many of the common illnesses that dogs acquire are, surprisingly, the same illnesses that people get. Others, however, are common among pets, but not so much among humans. Let's look at the most common ones.

 

√ Constipation / Diarrhea: Sometimes, as noted above, these are dogs' symptoms of some other ailment. Other times, they are conditions in and of themselves that naturally strike the older dog. A good solution for constipation is to increase their fiber intake. (Canned pumpkin is great for this, and also actually helps with diarrhea as well) Of course, there are also pet meds that your vet might prescribe.
√ Lyme Disease: This ailment comes sometimes because of the fleas and ticks that infest your dog. The tell-tale sign that your dog might have the illness is if his lymph glands and joints become swollen, making it difficult for him to walk or even lie down comfortably. This is one of the most heartbreaking of dog problems. As soon as you suspect that your dog has Lyme Disease, it's important that you get him to the vet right away, so that she can start him on the right pet meds.
√ Distemper: This is an airborne virus which is quite contagious and affects the pet's nervous, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. It first reveals itself with cold-like symptoms, such as runny nose, watery eyes, a cough, and diarrhea. Later stages will bring disorientation, twitching - sometimes even convulsions. There are sadly no pet medications for distemper.
√ Ear Infections: These are quite common, especially among dogs with heavy ear-flaps, such as hounds. The infection is caused by a kind of bacteria. Symptoms include pawing of the ears, shaking of the head, and a foul odor emanating from the ears. There are effective pet meds that can heal infections in just a short time, so speak with your vet.
√ Worms: This is one of the most prevalent dog afflictions, largely because there are so many different varieties. Dogs and worms seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. This is because dogs eat almost anything. Some common types of worms include round worms, hook worms, tape worms, whip worms, the insidious heart worms, and the fungal infection known as the intestinal ring worm.

 

Don't Forget Fleas & Ticks

Yes, fleas and ticks are more than a nuisance; they're a real threat to your dog's health. Fleas and ticks are common on dogs, especially in summer. Good anti-flea and anti-tick pet medications can be applied monthly and keep your dog relatively pest-free. Some flea shampoos also do a good job of getting rid of fleas.

 

Conclusion

For most people, the dog is considered part of the family. If this is true with you, then do your best to prevent illnesses, get a regular vet for him, and quickly treat any disturbing symptoms. After all, you'd do this for anyone else in your family.