Common Dog Health Problems: Ways You Can Help Your Dog
Dog and puppy owners need to be sure they understand a few dog health problems basics so they can help their pets if by chance they contract one of the common dog health problems. An oldtime belief, still held onto by many people, is that if their dog has a cold and wet nose, the dog is healthy. There are no scientific basis for this belief as no one can tell from how wet or how cold a dog’s is has anything to do with hereditary heart problems, parasites, intestinal worms, blindness, deafness and every other health problems that dogs can contract.
Pet owners should totally repudiate such beliefs that have no scientific basis and instead pay strict attention to the physical condition of their dog in general making sure they regularly check for disease symptoms or signs in the eyes, teeth, ears, mouth and skin regions. A good dog owner needs to be sure they provide the care that their dog needs, including a healthy diet (some treats are OK), visits to the vet, and regular grooming so that their pets can enjoy long and healthy lives.
Symptoms of Dog Health Problems
There are several dog health symptoms that signify certain canine health problems and particular diseases. Owners of dogs should be sure they know about these signals of potential health issues in their dogs so they can prompt action if needed.
* The dog’s coat should be shiny, soft and full. Dogs with wire coats should have springy and thick strands. Types of dogs that have double coats need to show zero indication of thinning in the undercoats.
* If your dog’s skin is abnormally red, has open sores or even scabs, or lumps – this could indicate a health problem. Your dog’s skin and fur should be free of parasitic infestation like ticks, fleas or mange mites. An overabundance of scartching or biting of their own skin could mean your dog is infested with parasites like mange mites.
* Just like us, bright, shiny eyes in your dog means good health. Around their eyeballs, dogs have an area that needs to be pink to show that they are healthy. This region is called the conjunvtiva and if its pale in color, this could mean some hidden health challenges. Make sure there are no out of the ordinary discharges seeping from your dog’s eyes, particularly nothing green or yellow.
* A foul smell or bloody discharge from your dog’s ears means something is not right with your dog’s health. The ears should be clean with no signs of parasitic activities.
* Gum regions that have that healful pink glow to them but that may have some black coloring mixed in is a healthy sign. Pale or very light colored gums could mean your dog has anemia. Reddish gums that leak droplets of blood can often be signals that there is something amiss peridontally and this combined with a rank breath odor can spell trouble with a hidden health problem.
* Going back to the age-old belief on the dog’s nose, a healthy dog normally has a cold and wet nose but this should be caused only by clear and watery discharges that are common in dogs. If your dog has a bad smeling and icky colored discharge coming form the nose, you need to have your dog looked at right away. Discharges like this in puppies could spell signs of distemper and may be fatal if not cared for immediately.
A few other things that indicate a healthy dog are the weight – normal for the breed, body temperature – dogs get fevers just like children, and how the urine and feces look and smell. The important thing here is to know and understand these signs and symptoms of health problems so that the moment you notice something abnormal, you can immediately take action.