How to Prevent & Treat 3 Common Dog Illnesses
August 11, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Health Tips
For many animal lovers, it’s very agonizing to see their lovable pet experiencing any sort of pain or illness. Illness in dog’s becomes obvious when they are not as active as they used to be. Their moods can also imply some common dog illnesses; for instance, if Buddy is less happy or looks gloomy, that mood may be a telltale sign that he is sick or something is wrong with him.
Here are a few of the most common illnesses that may afflict your dog:
Worms
This is perhaps the most common dog illness of all. Generally, there are 3 kinds of worms that may affect your dog:
a. Tap worms
b. Round Worms
c. Flat Worms
Tap worms have a tail and a head and dogs acquire them through consuming small animals like rodents that eat fleas. Round worms are narrow and they’re almost invisible to the naked eye.
The flat worms affix themselves to the dog’s liver, intestines, and lungs, and then they will begin to instigate some problems that can result to the dog’s sickness. Finally, all of these worms can afflict your pets when they eat unclean foods or their feces become contaminated with worms.
Treatment for these types of illnesses entails a visit to the veterinarian where the dog is generally prescribed with medicine that removes worms or in some cases the vet may take out the worms from the dog’s body using special equipment.
Arthritis in dogs
Another common health problem in dogs is arthritis. In fact, for every 5 dogs, 1 of them may suffer from this debilitating disease. The dilapidation of cartilage and bone is called osteoarthritis and is very common in dogs. Because the cartilage doesn’t have nerves, the injuries can develop with no visible symptoms until the joint gets seriously affected and the synovial or lubricating fluid has thinned out and its power to protect the bone surfaces is gone. The outcome is painful and inflamed joints.
3 causes of arthritis in dogs:
- Infections like rocky mountain fever and Lyme disease can have an effect on your dog’s joints.
- Some injuries and strains on the bones, ligaments, and tissues as well as irregularities in the joints like hip dysplasia.
- Obesity. Feeding your dog too much food can actually shorten their lifespan and can lead to arthritis too.
There are available treatments for arthritis in dogs:
- Glucosamine-this can help re-grow the damaged cartilage
- Fish oil
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Nutraceuticals
Lastly, you can treat arthritis by giving your dog a proper diet regular exercise, and providing him or her with natural anti-inflammatory supplements.
Dog’s periodontal disease
Periodontal disease is also considered as one of the most common dog illnesses. Actually, it is a kind of a mouth disease. It is a condition that is brought about by microscopic types of bacteria that causes bad breath and weakens the dog’s teeth, jawbones, and gums.
One cause of periodontal disease is the buildup of plaque. Plaque buildup is really a deposit of bacteria on the teeth. If this is not treated immediately, the plaque can result in gingivitis or worst, bone loss.
Other causes of the disease are eating food with extremely pungent odors, eating food from the dumpster, respiratory diseases, and some dermatological diseases as well.
It would be best to bring your dog to the vet for assistance if you suspect that your dog is suffering from this illness.
Furthermore, this disease can be prevented by brushing your dog’s teeth regularly and teaching Buddy some good health habits (such as staying out of the dumpster!)
Lastly, be sure that your dog is getting the proper amount of nutrition as well as good oral exercises. And when you buy chew toys, go for the ones that will enable your dog to exercise his or her jaw to free the mouth from bacteria.
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Brandon Roe is the developer of K9 KlearUp (http://www.k9klearup.com), the world’s first & only all-natural dog balm that helps clear up the 17 most common canine skin and coat problems… Guaranteed or your money back.