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Articles: Pets - How to
Identify Dog Health Problems
By Brigitte
Smith
An essential to
your dog’s health is his/her regular annual checkup with the vet.
Whether or not you choose to have your dog vaccinated* at this time,
the annual chekup is also an excellent opportunity for a thorough
physical examination to be carried out, and a time to discuss any
minor problems or issues which you feel may be affecting your dog’s
health or wellbeing. This is a time when your vet may pick up
inherited diseases and the like (when your dog is young) so they can
be treated early, or just kept an eye on. And as your dog gets
older, the vet may find the early signs of more sinister illnesses.
I recently took my dogs for their annual checkup, and for
the first time alarms were raised about matters of significant
concern - it was thought that Kara might have early stages of
lymphoma (cancer) - which, fortunately, tests then proved to be not
the case. And Jet apparently has something akin to the early stages
of cataracts in humans in her eyes, and according to the vet, Jet is
likely to go progressively blind over the next several years. At
least knowing this in advance gives me the opportunity to watch for
any developing signs and, if and when necessary, adapt her outings
and home environment to take into account any sight loss, and most
importantly, it has made me realise that vitamin and mineral
supplementation in dogs is actually a very wise idea.
Worming and “de-flea-ing” your dog are the commonest forms
of health measures which you probably undertake yourself for your
dog. Fleas infest almost every dog at some time. Sometimes a lot of
the time. Dogs which socialise with other dogs outside the home tend
to become infested the most often. Fleas can carry disease and
parasites, including tapeworm.
But fleas are extremely
irritating for your dog. They often cause intense itching, which in
turn can cause your dog to damage his/her skin by vigorous
scratching. Some dogs are allergic to flea bites. Even after the
fleas have been doused with flea poison and killed, the cycle of
itch, scratch, itch, scratch, can remain.
My Rottweiler has
been terribly affected two or three times now by this
self-perpetuating cycle caused by her allergy to flea bites. Most of
the skin damage has been caused by Kara incessantly scratching and
injuring herself.
A dog with an infestation of fleas is
neither a healthy nor a happy dog. So at the first sign of a flea,
it's important to treat your dog for this very common problem. And
those pesky fleas don't always readily show themselves. So if your
dog is scratching more than usual, the first thing to do is a
thorough search through your dog's coat. If you sight even one flea,
treat your dog immediately. Some people treat routinely just because
it's flea season, and still others actually treat throughout the
year. And of course, it goes without saying that if you have more
than one animal, you must treat them all at the same time.
This way, you'll ensure that your dog is as healthy and
happy as can be!
* There are natural alternatives to
vaccinations, and signficant controversy as to whether vaccinations
are necessary to desirable. For further information, subscribe to
the Healthy Happy Dogs newsletter.
(c) 2008 Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a
special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special
dog health report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies
and resources for a healthier happier dog, go to http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com and submit
your email address.
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