Diagnosing Dog Health Problems at Home

By: Garry Neale

Dogs are no different from humans in the way their bodies respond to disease and changes in their environment. When exposed to contaminated food, extreme cold, or infectious disease they can get sick. Dog illness symptoms can usually be diagnosed by changes in behaviors. Weight loss is also an indicator that something is wrong. Although it may be something minor, anytime you notice your dog losing weight, it's best to take them to a vet and let them deal with this problem. Since weigh loss could be a sign of a serious problem, don't wait long to make an vet appointment if you notice a sudden reduction in weight.

Dog illnesses can be separated into two different categories; 1) chronic dog illnesses like skin rashes and dog allergies which can be easily treated; and 2) acute illnesses that are life threatening like poisoning, Parvo or heatworms, which you can't do much about and require veterinary assistance as quickly as possible. Loss of appetite is another dog illness symptom. If your dog suddenly stops eating, it may be a sign your dog is in substantial pain. Dogs are a lot like people in terms of illnesses. Well, more like toddlers because they can't really explain what's wrong. So that's the way you need to treat them.

Just like people, dogs can suffer from a fever. A fever is usually a sure indicator that there is some type of internal body malfunction. If this symptom is left untreated, it can turn into a high fever and become life threatening. A fever is also a key indicator that your dog may have Parvo. A dog infected with this disease will also show signs of nausea, malnutrition and dehydration. If these signs are present, you need to get them to a vet or pet hospital as soon as possible. Once the disease has been treated and your dog is feeling better, you will still need to administer antibiotics to help prevent other infections. Parvo wrecks the immune system for several weeks.

Food or other dog allergies are another common problem dog owners have to deal with. Chronic scratching is a sure indicator that allergies are present. Dogs with food allergies will scratch year round, while dogs with other types of allergies, like grass and tree pollen, will usually only start scratching during certain seasons. Some dog will even display symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss if the allergies are severe. Food allergies are slow to develop because a dog's body must be exposed to the allergen long enough to build up a sufficient number of antibodies to trigger the dog's symptoms. With food allergies, most dogs will have been eating the offending diet for months or years before your dog's symptoms start to appear.

If your dog is over 7 years old and you see it limping, especially after climbing stairs or sleeping, it might be a symptom of arthritis. The AKC recommends your dog have a comprehensive examination once every year to check for liver, kidney or heart problems. Older dogs also are likely to develop vision and hearing problems and this will be discovered during an annual exam.

An yes, dogs can also have heart attacks. The are several various cardiac and pulmonary problems that can cause major heart attacks in dogs. If a heart attack is detected early, the problem can be treated and the dog can live a normal healthy life. Heart attacks should be a special concern for owners whose dogs are obese or very old.

You should always keep an accurate vaccination history of your dog in case treatment by a professional is ever needed. Remember, our dog's health depends on us.


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Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from his Dog Lover Website.

Source: www.Isnare.com

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What to Feed a Sick Dog

Author: John Williams

Everyone gets sick at one time or another and having someone to look after you, look after you, and guide you in the correct direction in this time of need can make all the difference in getting you back to your normal health and strength. Dogs are no exception to this rule and looking after and caring for your dog can make all the difference to their recovery.

But what happens if your dog has lost their appetite and you know they need some sort of food inside them before they run into more illness? Well this is a very common situation to be in with an ill dog so there are a few ideas that you might want to try and they might shorten your dogs suffering and help keep it bearable for the time being.

Give your dog bland food (food with little or no strong flavours, smells, and tastes) to start with, bland food will help them keep their food down with not too much in it to upset the stomach and cause more illness. Anything that makes it easier for your dog to eat without too much strain is best; if they have to put a lot of effort into eating when ill they will probably not bother in fear of causing more illness and sick feeling, try blending food up finely so they can lick it up instead of chewing and swallowing, as this often works well for a lot of pets.

If this works then you should build the tastes up slowly from bland food to normal stronger tasting foods but always keeping to what your dog is comfortable with, if you do too much too soon then your dog will become ill again so take it slowly.

If this doesn't work then try to feed them sufficient amounts of water if nothing else. When a dog is unwell they may have other symptoms like diarrhea which will cause them to become dehydrated easily and set them up for more misery so try to maintain good hydration levels, which in turn will maintain your dog's happiness.

If all else fails and nothing seems to be working then you should contact your vet and seek advice there, if you do not then you risk your dogs health and bodyweight deteriorating and there may be other difficulties to overcome before your dog will start to become better.

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For more information on dog training and health, or web link exchanges visit
http://www.dog-behavior-training.co.uk or
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Tainted Pet Food And Compensation Rights For Your Sick Dog or Cat

by Arnold Hernandez

Most pet owners love their pets more, in some instances as much or perhaps even more than a human being. They look upon their pets as life long
companions and as friends.

These friends loyal, they offer comfort, empathy, support, and unconditional love. In turn pet owners treat their pets with great affection and offer the best they can afford and sometimes the best, even if they can not afford it.

Divorces often lead to fierce bitter battles over the custody of an animal. Sometimes divorcees spent as much money fighting over the custody of a cat or dog, or other animal as they do fighting over custody of their children. Some divorces are even initiated as result of a pet and it is not unusual for unmarried couples to end their relationships over pets.

When our pets get sick it is not unusual for pet owners to spend hundreds or even thousand in medical treatment. Some of us even forego medical care for ourselves, but not for our pets. For whatever reasons, we love our pets so much we are willing to sacrifice other things to insure our pets are cared for.

Some of you may have heard of outrageous donations made by the general public for an injured animal or a lost dog. We have seen vast resources spent fetching a puppy out of a gutter or a rescuing a cat from a hole. We have seen men and women risk their lives rescuing cats from trees. More often than not a cry, for help for a young child needing medical care falls on deaf ears, but the same is not true for a puppy needing surgery. Donations for animals, more often than not, will beat donations for our fellow human beings. Regardless of any one's individual feelings, pets are highly regarded and any type of abuse or suggestion of abuse can lead to dire consequences.

So, how does the legal system treat pets? How much are you entitled to get from a tortfeasor that injures or kills your cat or dog or other pet ? In recent weeks tens of thousands of pet owners throughout the country have been asking about this very question. They want to know about their rights as pet owners and about the individual rights of their pets.

Tainted pet food has made its way throughout the country and allegedly killing or making cats and dogs sick throughout the country. Some owners look upon their ill companions and wonder about how much they are suffering or have suffered and contemplate the idea of a lawsuit. Some have gone further and have discussed the matter with an attorney, and further still some have retained attorneys and have actually filed lawsuits.

What most pet owners are surprised to find out is that despite our relationship with our pets the laws do not reflect the same degree of protection for out pets. For the most part pets are not much different than any other item in your home.

There are no personal injury rights for animals and a lawsuit cannot be brought on behalf of the pet for personal injury. Even if an animal's pain and suffering is real, it is not a cause of action, meaning they cannot sue and pet owner cannot sue on their behalf.
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About the Author:
Arnold Hernandez is a personal injury and wrongful death attorney, for additional information and longer version of the article go to http://www.arnoldhernandez.com

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