Dog health

Tips to Help Protect Your Dog From Fleas and Ticks

Every dog owner should keep in mind how important it is for his pet to be protected from fleas and ticks. Ticks in winter The most common mistake of the owners is that they think that there are no fleas and ticks in the late fall and winter so they do not put any protection on the animal. Unfortunately, the changing climate and the very resilience of these pests have made them active throughout the year except during deep snow. The second most common mistake owners make is that they think that ticks are found only in the woods and that dogs cannot pick ticks by walking through meadows around the city....

What is BAER Hearing Test?

BAER or brainstem auditory evoked response is a hearing test used to evaluate the hearing of dogs and other animals. It is a painless and non-invasive test where, by releasing a sound stimulus directly into the ear, we read or do not read electrical activity. In the case of an animal hearing electrical activity, it reads like a written curve, while in animals that do not hear a sound, we have only a straight line. Upon completion of testing, an official certificate is issued confirming the existence or absence of deafness in the dog or another animal. How long does a BAER test take The procedure lasts f...

Hypothyroidism in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Hypothyroidism is a common health issue in dogs. The thyroid gland is located in a dog’s neck and it is one of the most important glands in the body. When the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of the necessary hormones (especially the hormone thyroxine), it causes the dog’s metabolism to slow. This is called hypothyroidism. Simply, the thyroid gland is producing hormones that control the process of turning food into fuel that keeps the dog’s metabolism going and when the thyroid gland is not working properly the metabolism slows down and this slower metabolism put almost every organ in the body in da...

False Pregnancy in Dogs

False pregnancy, or pseudopregnancy, is a term used to describe a condition where a non-pregnant female dog is showing symptoms of pregnancy. Although the cause of this condition is unknown, it is believed that false pregnancy happens because of the dog’s hormonal imbalance. Every time a female dog ovulates, her progesterone levels rise and stay elevated. Hormone progesterone regulates ovulation and menstruation. After that, when the progesterone levels begin to fall, levels of hormone prolactin start to rise. Prolactin stimulates milk production. These hormonal fluctuations can make your dog’s body thi...

Epilepsy in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms & Medication

Just as humans, dogs can also suffer from epilepsy. Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in dogs and humans. Epilepsy is a chronic condition that is characterized by repeated episodes of seizures caused by an abnormality in the brain. Approximately 1 in 111 dogs suffer from epilepsy. Dog breeds Epilepsy can be idiopathic, structural, or reactive. Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common one in dogs. This type of epilepsy usually affects young to middle age dogs (6 months to 6 years old) and the cause of this type is unknown. It affects all dogs – purebred ones, as well as mixed-breed...

Bloat in Dogs: Symptoms, Causes & Prevention

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) complex, better known as „bloat,“ is a serious condition where the stomach fills with air and twists itself (anywhere from 180 degrees to a full 360 degrees), causing extreme pain to the dog. When the stomach is twisting, both the entry and the stomach exit are closed off, and air, fluids, foods, and gasses are unable to get out. All this causes the dogs' belly to bloat, putting pressure on other organs. As the stomach flips, it drags the spleen and pancreas along with it, cutting off the blood flow. At the same time, pressure builds, stopping blood from the hind legs a...

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?

It is not unusual to see a dog acting like a little cow, standing in the grass and eating it. But why do dogs do that? Are they sick? Are they bored? Is it just a natural instinct? There can be several different reasons why a dog might eat grass, and if we are not familiar with it, we might get confused and frustrated. It would be a good idea to check out whether this behavior is something we should worry about or is it just natural behavior we can expect from our dogs. So let’s check it out. An eating disorder called pica Maybe the reason your dog is eating grass is a condition called „pica. “ Pica is...

Dog Obesity: Causes, Symptoms & Prevention

Excessive Weight in Dogs is a nutritional disorder defined by an excess of body fat. Obesity and overweight are not the same things! As bodyweight is easier to measure than trying to measure body fat, people use body weight as a guide to determine whether a dog is overweight or obese. Dogs are considered overweight when they weigh 10-20% above their ideal body weight. They are considered obese when they weigh 20% or more above their ideal body weight. Obesity isn't something to ignore. It can result in a lot of severe health conditions and reduce your dogs' lifespan. Obesity is common in dogs of all age...

Osteoarthritis In Dogs: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative joint disease (DJD) that can affect our dogs. This is the most common form of arthritis in dogs, and it is estimated that as many as a quarter of the dog population is affected. It is a chronic, permanent, long-term deterioration characterized by the loss of articular cartilage that covers and protects bones’ ends in most joints of the body. In contrast to humans, OA in dogs most commonly occurs secondarily due to developmental orthopedic disease. The joints that are most commonly affected are the hip, stifle, and elbow. It is only natural that...

Hip Dysplasia In Dogs

One of the worst things a dog owner can face is learning that their beloved new puppy might have hip dysplasia. A million questions run through our minds, and we try to figure out what we should do next. The natural step is to consult your vet about the next steps, and the best therapy for your puppy would be. If you are a dog owner and you are worried about your puppy, there are some things you should know about hip dysplasia. Learn how to spot it, how it is diagnosed, how dangerous it is, and what treatment options exist. So let’s dig in What exactly is hip dysplasia? Hip dysplasia is an inherited con...

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