Dog Insurance Dogs Most Common Illness

Like humans, our pets are susceptible to illness and disease. Specific breeds are more prone to certain diseases, but there are some health problems that are common among all dogs. With such common occurrences, we recommend investing in some sort of health coverage for pets, including pet insurance to reduce costs. Even if your pet is not sick, they still need checkups and vaccinations. Check the pet health insurance exclusions and make sure it includes these five problems.

Interestingly, the most common dog diseases are very similar to what humans tend to suffer. The first is ear infections, usually formed from wax buildup, ear mites, and occasionally the bacteria or fungi. Dogs with longer ears and those with hair on the bottom of the ear flaps are more prone to ear infections. With proper preparation and cleaning of the ear, you can reduce the risk of the dog. Watch for symptoms such as shaking of the head, ears, sensitivity to being touched, and scratching of the ears.

Canine skin allergies come as second place. The dog may also have inhalant allergies to mold, dust or pollen. Symptoms include scratching, biting, constant licking and biting at his feet. The itching is more severe in the feet, groin and armpits and the skin becomes thick and produces a strong odor. Other causes of allergies are food bites and fleas. Symptoms will be similar, but the dog also has an inflammation of the ear, head shaking, anal itching, and rubbing his face in the carpet.

Another skin disease is pyoderma, a skin infection caused by bacteria. Skin fold pyoderma occurs when skin folds rub. It can also be caused by allergies and parasites, so if you do not treat illness number two, which can easily become the number three ailment. An infected area shows redness, swelling, hair loss, and sometimes blisters. If left untreated, it can cause severe pain, pus or blood, and a foul odor. A simple antibiotic may be treated, but in order to avoid this, groom your dog properly.

At some point, your dog probably has vomited. This is called gastritis. While it is often a one time occurrence, constant vomiting is a very serious condition. There is a long list of possible causes, including food allergy, ingestion of chemicals, drugs, and inflammatory bowel disease and stomach cancer.

The fifth most common disease is enteritis or inflammation of the small intestine. Bacteria and viruses are usually the culprit. Diarrhea is the first signal. However, do not rush your dog to the vet out yet. If diarrhea is frequent or if there is blood in the stool, then there is cause for serious concern. Only laboratory tests can determine the specific cause.

Always be on guard and look for signs that your dog is not well. Finally, your dog will have to be treated for something. Be prepared with a dog health insurance or their alternatives and make frequent checks of their routine.