Health
Puppy Development Timeline for a Well Raised Puppy
It’s awful convenient when we have a handy development reference that explains what to expect from a dog at specific times. We use a similar reference for our own children that describes when babies, toddlers, and kids learn new skills or become capable of learning new skills. The following puppy development timeline describes the same for puppies. Refer to it to make sure your dog is healthy and properly developing according to schedule. read more »
Dog Vaccines Timeline and Infectious Diseases
Although your vet may recommend a dog vaccine schedule that’s based on your dog’s breed, health, lifestyle, and exposure, you may find the following dog vaccines schedule developed by the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force helpful as well.
· Vaccinate against bordetella (also known as kennel cough) annually or more frequently if you live in an area that’s a high risk. read more »
Dog Vaccination - Pros and Cons
Dog vaccinations are an important part of preventing canine diseases. They contain antigens that trigger a dog’s immune system. This article introduces dog vaccination pros and cons, and cautions as well. read more »
Understanding Internal Dog Parasites
Heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms are the worst dog parasites your pet could ever get. As parasites, these nasty little things treat a dog as a host and feed off of its internal system – consuming important nutrients that a dog needs to survive, killing organ tissue and red blood cells, and spreading disease. Heartworms will kill a dog. Here’s how to treat and/or prevent internal parasites from destroying your dog’s health and putting its life at risk. read more »
Eliminating External Dog Parasites: Fleas, Ticks, and Mites
The most common external parasites dogs encounter are fleas, mites, and ticks. Because they can spread diseases like the tapeworm for example, controlling them is a must. This article describes common dog parasites, and then explains how to get rid of them. read more »
How to Find a Veterinarian
If you thumb through the yellow pages in search of a vet, you’ll find more than you’ll care to sift through. But if you want to keep up with necessary vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and care for illnesses and injuries, you’re going to have to bite the bullet and actively find a veterinarian. Dog’s aren’t the infallible creatures that we’d like to think they are, and certain breeds are more susceptible to injuries or illnesses than you might be aware of. So here’s how to find the vet that you’ll come to trust and depend on for years to come. read more »
How to Solve Fat Dog Problems
Way too many calories and a lack of sufficient exercise spells "FAT DOG" with big, capital letters. And it’s the most common form of nutrition-related problems created out of fear. Owners who fear malnutrition have a tendency of overfeeding their pets without realizing they’re causing additional problems. In the U.S., approximately 40% of all dogs are needlessly fat or obese, and thus suffer from arthritis and heart disease. Even worse, obesity decreases a dog’s life span! read more »
Giving Your Dog Vitamins and Supplements
Most of us toy with the idea of taking supplemental vitamins once and a while, and many of us set out on a faithful vitamin consuming routine. When it comes to dogs, advocates claim that supplemental dog vitamins can only help. Proponents claim that they’re too dangerous or even unnecessary. Does this sound familiar? If you’ve done any research on nutritional supplements, then you can see that the arguments are essentially the same for both dogs and people. read more »
A Dog Health Problem May Be the Cause of Bad Behavior - How Can You Tell?
Often times, what may seem as a dog's bad behavior is actually caused by a health problem. The best way to tell if a dog's behavioral problem stems from a dog health problem is to note when the behavior began. Is the problem new and sudden? Or is it a problem that was never corrected when the dog was a puppy? If the problem is new and sudden, chances are the dog has a health issue. A good example is when a well housetrained dog suddenly starts to eliminate inside the home, or when an otherwise friendly sociable dog suddenly turns aggressive. When these behaviors seemingly erupt out of nowhere, it’s time to schedule an appointment with the vet. read more »
The Dog Grooming Health Connection
In several of our articles about grooming, we only hinted at the dog grooming health relationship. This article explains that connection in much more detail.
