Dog Health Advice and Information

Walking the Dog is a great way to make sure your puppy pal stays in good shape.

Preventative Care and Your Dog

Your dog can't tell you he doesn't feel well or that he has problems. That's why preventive care is so important. Taking your puppy pal to the vet every six months for a quick check up is being a smart owner. You can get the pet medication you need quickly before the situation becomes serious. Most dogs have some sort of immunization that's due every six months, like the shot to prevent kennel cough, so it's not an extra trip. Dog Health advice is important to the car of your canine buddy.

Pet insurance has become more prevalent and is a good idea. It works much the same for pets as it does for people. For example: The younger the dog the less expensive the premiums. And it can be a lifesaver, financially, for medical emergencies.

Get to know what's normal for your particular dog and what isn't. For example: hunting dogs usually won't acknowledge that they're hurt, to the point they'll try to hide an injury. In the wild that works. An injured dog can't hunt, so ignore the injury. If you have a setter or spaniel, both hunting breeds, you may find out a slight limp indicates a major problem. On the other hand some dogs are drama queens when it comes to the slightest injury and will howl if it even looks like they're going to get hurt.

Preventative care such as cleaning ears and eyes on a regular basis can prevent infections. At the very least you'll notice an infection before it becomes overwhelming. Once a week check your canine companion's eyes, ears, teeth, paw pads, and coat. Look how he or she walks and runs to see if they're limping or favoring one leg over the other. It's yucky but look at their stool so you know what their normal bowel movements look like.

Use preventive care and you and your dog will have a long and happy life together.

Home Safety and Your Dog

You may have a dog to keep you safe but are you keeping your dog safe at home? There are lots of potential problems you may not be aware of.

Houseplants can cause diarrhea, swelling, nausea, nerve damage, and worse. If you have houseplants check the variety to make sure it's safe for dogs. Usually a bitter taste will deter an animal from eating a plant but not always. If you're not sure of the variety keep the plant up and out of the dog's reach. If your dog likes to dig place river stones on top of the plant's soil.

Cleaning products can be fatal. Just like babies, dogs eat and drink stuff adults wouldn't. If the dog gets into the products and some spills on their fur or paws, the dog may lick themselves to get clean and ingest the product that way. Keep your cleaning products on an upper shelf rather than under the kitchen sink. Or use childproof locks.

Food that can cause problems include all forms of alcohol, chocolate, grapes, bones, and coffee grounds. Of course you wouldn't offer your dog a glass of wine or beer, but be aware that some dogs will steal a sip from any glass left unattended. Chocolate is particularly serious as a poison, depending on the dog's size as little as two or three Hershey kisses can cause seizures.

Be aware of your home environment and keep your dog safe at home.