Dog Health Problems - 5 Things To Be Aware Of

If your dog has health problems, there can be many reasons that could catch you of guard while assessing his condition. The results can be both emotionally devastating and expensive if they are not dealt with quickly and effectively.

To avoid last minute surprises about health problems, research and find out how to avoid them now and keep your dog healthy.

Prospective Dog Health Problems

Dogs can have any kind of health issues, just like us.

One of the problems as you may know is that a dog cannot tell you he has a 'sore foot'. Usually they will suffer in silence until it becomes obvious from his behavior that some type of treatment maybe needed.

The important thing is to be able to recognize the symptoms, then take preventable actions first and foremost.

Infections - Dogs can suffer from a number of potential infections, in their ears, on their skin, in their eyes and their teeth. Ear infections are the most common and are often due to a foreign body or bacteria getting in there.

You can check your dog's ears for red spots, extra moisture, swelling or dirt. With regards to dog health problems, infections are the easily preventable. By consistently cleaning your dog's eyes, brushing the coat and brushing their teeth you can avoid bacteria build up.

Allergies - Their are many forms of allergies that affect dogs. By far the most common is a flea allergy that can cause hot spots and lead to infections. . On the otherhand, if a skin problem leads to ear infections and other hot spots, your dog could have a food allergy - Which is a severe condition that only your veterinarian should look into

Diabetes - It's a long known fact that diabetes affects human beings but this issue also affects dogs as well. Giving your dog fatty,rich and/or sugar foods can easily lead to pancreatic problems which cause diabetes. To avoid diabetes, keep your dog on a strict diet of dog foods with minimal table scraps or excess meals. If your veterinarian diagnosed your dog with diabetes, regular visits may be required as well as insulin shot treatments.

Arthritis and Dysplasia - Some dogs are highly susceptible to joint problems. Some breed specific dogs come with a long history of arthritic dog health problems as a result of longer, narrower joints. Be sure to give your dog the necessary daily vitamins and minerals as well as making sure your vet checks his joints for degeneration, yearly.

Obesity - Obesity is a deadly dog health problem and is too common place as the lifestyle is to over feed the family dog and not give the proper daily exercise. Obesity by itself will not kill your dog, however the issues associated with it will; things like skin disease, tumors, liver disease or heart failure are deadly if not handled right away. On a positive note, obesity is treatable and with a good health diet and regular daily exercise, your dog is on the road to a healthy lifestyle.

If your dog gets plenty of exercise, eats well every day, and you keep it clean and well groomed,

Many of these health problems will never be an issue. Make it a practice to take your dog at least once per year for a check up for any potential health problems The earlier you catch a disease, the better it can be treated.