where to draw the line.

Question
How do i know when to take my dog to the vet and when to let it go? Ive been working on the basic of watching his apatite. he does strange things but he usualy only does them once. like he only scooted his but on the floor once and he only howled in pain will plaing with the rope once but tehre are other things that worry me but i may be over reacting. his head is usually hot when we get home and when he sits to the side he had "ghost balls" wich are little round bumps at the base of his penis. i dont want to get gross and weve been making like of the subject joking that he "growing back his testicles" and what not but im not sure if its normal, ive never had a boy dog before. in fact the last dog i had i was 11 when we had to give her away (i am now 18). naturaly the vet is expensive and i would have no problem paying for a visit but i dont want to go and have the vet tell me to relax and then ask for half my paycheck. so i guess to sum this whole page up is how can i tell if hes healthy and canky or sick and in pain? thanks!

Answer
Hi Zena!

You should take your dog to the vet every 6m to 1 year.

yes, you should have his butt looked at. Scooting can indicate anal gland problems or intestinal parasites or food allergy.

yes, its normal for a dog to have 'ghost balls' that you see at the base of his penis. Its a gland that you are seeing swell when they get aroused in a sense of the word.

You may want to go to a vet office called Banfield the Pet Hospital (you can find it on the web.. there are 300 hospitals in the states) and check them out. Exams are inexpensive and price worthy if you are concerned with cost.

Hope this helps!