When your dog suffers an illness or accident, you should already know the professional to whom you will take him. Too often, people wait until the last minute before looking for a qualified veterinarian. By the time they take their pets into a vet’s office, a health problem will often have gone past the point of treating. You can avoid these heartbreaking circumstances by searching for a veterinarian long before your canine requires treatment.

In this article, we’ll describe the preliminary steps that you should take and the questions you should ask when looking for a vet for your pooch. We’ll also explain why it’s important that you take the time to get to know his or her office staff.

First Steps Toward Finding A Vet

One of the most productive ways to start your search is to ask friends and neighbors where they take their own pets. If you’re the only person in your neighborhood with a pet (that’s unlikely), you can also ask the local animal shelters for recommendations. Chances are, they’ll have a list of qualified professionals to whom they trust the canines at their facility.

Another resource you can use is the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). They will be able to suggest a number of local veterinarians who are members. The AAHA can even make recommendations of their members based upon their respective proficiencies in specific areas (for example, surgery). You can also search for a vet online, but it’s far better to have a personal recommendation from a trusted source.

Getting To Know The Team

Few veterinarians work alone. Animal hospitals will typically employ a staff, including one or more technicians, employees who prepare pets for the vet, and others. Invest the time to meet everyone in a veterinary hospital. If an employee is too gruff or doesn’t seem to care about the animals in the facility, you might want to continue your search elsewhere. Or, if the hospital seems dirty or unhygienic in any way, that might suggest a poor level of care and attention will be given to your canine in the future.

Being A Good Customer

Experienced vets often complain that pet owners wait far too long before bringing their animals to the veterinary hospital. In some cases, a sickness has progressed so far that there is no way to treat it with any lasting effect. Being a good customer translates into being a good caregiver for your canine. Make (and keep) appointments for routine checkups throughout the year. If the veterinarian suggests specific medications or medicines for your dog, act on his or her suggestions.

It’s also a good idea to ask your vet to recommend another professional as a backup plan. After all, he or she will not always be available. Plan ahead for emergencies.

Finding a reliable veterinarian for your dog before he needs treatment or medical attention will help to ensure his health. And that means you’ll enjoy his companionship longer.

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In the same way that millions of people cope with diabetes, so too, does the disease affect canines. Specifically, the disorder is called diabetes mellitus (DM). An insulin deficiency prevents your pooch’s body from metabolizing glucose effectively. There are two varieties of DM: Type I and Type II. The former is the most prevalent type (99% of dogs with DM suffer from this type) and occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin. The latter occurs when insulin is manufactured but your pooch’s body isn’t able to use it properly.

In this article, we’ll describe the warning signs that may suggest your canine has developed diabetes mellitus. It’s a potentially life-threatening condition, so catching it early is critical. We’ll also explain how the disease is diagnosed and treated as well as what you can do at home to help your dog manage the disorder.

Possible Warning Signs

The most common symptoms of DM include a marked increase in the amount of water your canine drinks and as a result, the frequency with which he urinates. You might also notice that he is losing weight even though he maintains a strong appetite. Other signs include a general apathy or decrease in physical activity and the sudden onset of blindness.

Treatment After Diagnosis

The health of your pooch can decline rapidly once diabetes mellitus develops. His body’s inability to process glucose effectively can lead to severe dehydration and other health issues. It is important that you have a veterinarian perform a full physical exam if you notice any of the warning signs described in the section above.

The veterinarian will ask you about your dog’s eating routine as well as his elimination activity. You’ll also be asked to describe any changes in his weight and disposition. Then, a urine analysis is performed to identify possible infections and review glucose levels.

Once diabetes mellitus has been diagnosed, your veterinarian will teach you how to administer daily insulin injections for your pooch. He or she will also create a diet and exercise routine that will help your canine manage his weight. During the first several weeks of treatment, the amount of insulin administered will likely change. Most veterinarians prefer to start cautiously with small doses and increase them gradually.

What You Can Do At Home

Providing care for your dog involves administering daily insulin shots (sometimes, twice daily) as well as any other medications that your veterinarian has recommended. You’ll also need to be vigilant regarding your canine’s eating and exercise routine in order to ensure he maintains a healthy weight level. If your dog experiences an insulin overdose (he might seem weak or disoriented), give him food right away.

As noted, diabetes mellitus can be potentially deadly. However, once it has been diagnosed, you can help your dog live a healthy, happy, and problem-free life.

Dog scratching is one of the most common causes for veterinary examinations according to many veterinary resources. The causes of dog scratching can be parasites or a skin condition.

While most causes of dog scratching are difficult to identify, fleas are often noticeable. The fleas or the flea dirt may be visible or the dog owner may be bitten by the fleas themselves.

Hair loss and skin sores from scratching can develop from severe flea infestations. If a dog is allergic to flea saliva, the hair loss and damage to the skin from scratching can be significantly worse.

In addition to flea saliva allergies, other types of dog allergies can cause dog scratching. Dogs can develop allergies to dog food, medication, vaccinations, or substances in their environments.

Ear mites can cause dog scratching, especially of the dog’s ears. Dogs often shake their heads when they have ear mites.

Mange is a parasitic infestation that can be a cause of intense dog scratching. Causes of dog scratching from parasites can also be due to lice, ticks, and hookworms.

Hot spots are common skin irritations that can cause scratching, licking, and hair loss. Hot spots occur when an irritation to the skin causes an intense reaction that often lasts longer than the initial cause. Hot spots can be due to poor grooming, an allergic reaction, or an infection.

Staph infections and hypersensitivity to staph can cause intense itchiness. Hair follicles can become infected with staph. A skin condition that is a cause of dog scratching is sebaceous adenitis. Sebaceous adenitis can also cause hair loss.

Two less common causes of itchiness than some of the previous causes are calcinosis cutis and pelodera dermatitis. Often a symptom of Cushing’s disease, calcinosis cutis causes mineral buildups of the skin. Pelodera dermatitis is caused by larvae from a worm that is not normally parasitic.

Cancer is one of the possible causes of dog scratching. Lymphoma and epitheliotropic lymphoma can cause itchiness in dogs.

Stings or bites from insects can cause dog scratching. Severe reactions to insect stings can cause hives or ulcers. Dog owners should have dogs examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause and best treatment for dog itchiness.

The contagious dog disease, infectious canine hepatitis, can also infect some wildlife carnivores such as coyotes, bears, and foxes. Vaccinations are available for infectious canine hepatitis. Puppies under the age of one are most susceptible to infectious canine hepatitis.

Infectious canine hepatitis is one of the dog diseases that can be prevented with a vaccination. The vaccination for infectious canine hepatitis should not be given until the puppy is nine to twelve weeks old. Though puppies are at the greatest risk, dogs of any age can contract this disease if they have not been vaccinated.

The virus that causes this dog disease is spread through direct contact with an infected dog or contact with contaminated body fluids like urine, saliva, and nasal discharge. Dogs may also acquire the viral infection from contaminated food bowls, cages, or other items.

A fever, cough, and sore throat are the first signs of infectious canine hepatitis. The viral infection spreads to the liver, kidneys, and eyes of the dog. A low white blood cell count is often caused by infectious canine hepatitis.

The cornea of the dog’s eyes may appear cloudy or develop a bluish tint. The eyes may become sensitive to light. A dog with infectious canine hepatitis may develop a loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures.

Bleeding problems are common with dogs that have infectious canine hepatitis. Dogs may have bleeding gums or nosebleeds. Some dogs develop swelling and hematomas which are collections of blood under the skin. Swelling from infectious canine hepatitis is most likely to be at the head, neck, or trunk of the dog.

There is no fast cure for infectious canine hepatitis. The veterinary treatment is antibiotics and supportive care with intravenous fluids. In severe cases, the dog may need a blood transfusion.

Infectious canine hepatitis is a potentially fatal dog disease. Death may occur as quickly as two hours after the onset of symptoms. Very young dogs are most likely to die from infectious canine hepatitis.

Even if the dog is treated and recovers from infectious canine hepatitis, the dog can continue to spread the disease in its urine for up to nine months. Infectious canine hepatitis cannot be transmitted to humans. The hepatitis that affects humans is a different disease.

Dog lovers and owners everywhere are often faced with the issue of how to get rid of fleas! When your beloved pooch gets infested with fleas it can be an agonizing experience for both the owner and pet. There can be some dangerous side-effects of some well known dog flea products. The chemicals used in some of the nationally available household name products and major popular brands may be poisoning our pets and damaging our own family?s health at the same time. So the question remains, how to get rid of fleas safely? Our local pet food store sells an assortment of flea collars, flea powders and flea shampoo including Frontline for fleas. Even though the staff are knowledgeable and great, it is still difficult to know which product to use and almost impossible to know all of the active components of these dog flea products.

As people become more aware of issues pertaining to their health, dog owners are seeking all-natural alternatives to the question of how to get rid of fleas. Some of the more common and popular all-natural dog flea remedies are sketched out below:

1. Household salt solution. Sprinkle table salt all over your house. Pay particular attention to where Fido takes his nap. Let the salt sit for at least one week and then look at the results. Fleas don?t seem to like salt. Your dog will lie down on the rugs, etc and the salt will also get on to his fur?fleas don?t like this. A few days later the fleas are gone.

2. Baking Soda to get rid of fleas. Cover your dog with baking soda. The baking soda will smother the fleas and kill them. This all-natural flea remedy is often recommended for puppies and kittens who are too young to be exposed to any flea remedy chemical. You can also use talcum powder or baby powder.

3. For the dog fleas on adult dogs, you could try an olive oil bath. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the fleas just drown in it and fall out. Start from the dog?s head and work your way back so the fleas don’t move to the face where it’s really hard to pluck them off. Then you just shampoo the oil out and the dog fleas will wash down the drain.

4. Other people think garlic is the only way to go in the battle against dog fleas. Use fresh garlic diced in a food processor or by hand. You can put a dab of oil into it in order to make it more paste-like plus the oil will make for a nice shiny coat. Some people use a garlic pill supplement while others use freshly chopped garlic and mix it into the food.

It would appear that there are many natural alternatives to treating dog fleas. These treatments will likely work best at the point of initial infestation. For a really bad cases of fleas you might need to try a stronger dog flea remedy such as Frontline. In figuring out how to get rid of fleas its best to do your research. However, with all matters pertaining to the health of our dogs and cats, please check with your doctor about potential side effects.

Dogs are like humans. They will benefit from as much preventative medicine as we can offer them, and they’ll also benefit from their owners being attentive to the tell-tale signs of ticks, and fleas, and other dog aliments.

If your dog licks her paws, she might an allergy that leads to fleas or ticks. You want to be on the look-out for your dog sneezing or scratching itself, your dog licking its feet or rubbing its face, or hair loss and scabs and sores. One treatment is to give your dog regular dog baths, at least once or twice a week, along with a regular rub down with a wet cloth. Fleas can carry other parasitic organisms, such as tapeworms, and these tapeworms can lead to allergic reactions, anemia, hair loss, and infections. Ticks can carry the deadly Lyme disease.

Worms take second place in the list of possible dog aliments, after fleas that is. The worms may come in the form of heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, or whipworms. If your dog has worms, some of the symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, lost weight or lethargy. Worms are typically not noticeable without stool examination or blood tests. Take your dog in for an annual check-up for worms, and other infestations.

Canine Distemper affects the nervous system and organs. Its a good idea to vaccinate your dog for this disease as it can be fatal. Rabies is also preventable through vaccination. Rabies happens when one infected generally transmitted by the bite of an infected animal to non-infected animal. It is almost always fatal and can be transmitted to humans. Coronavirus, Kennel Cough, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, and Parvo are diseases that include symptoms such as coughing, labored breathing, and weight loss, as well as vomiting or diarrhea.

Early detection is the best way to keep your dog a fit and happy dog. Take your dog to the vet and ask about vaccinations. A lot of diseases can be prevented by a simple vaccination. Not only will you help keep your dog happy, but you’ll do yourself good as well. After all, humans are not immune to dog diseases. If your dog gets fleas, you might find yourself starting to itch.

Diet is equally important. You might want to start buying hypoallergenic dog food from the vets or start making your own home-made dog-food.

To learn more about how to keep dog healthy be sure to check out our site today.

Premium dog foods are most certainly better than an economy dog food. But it’s sometimes hard to figure out the difference between a premium dog food and the rest. Do you go by price alone? A lot of companies are betting on it. Does it say premium on the bag? What makes a premium dog food premium?

A true premium dog food has better quality ingredients. This means your dog will get more and better nutrients that he desperately needs. But don’t be fooled by all the enticing bags in the market today. Don’t be lured in by the beautiful pictures of fresh foods and advertising stating how your dog needs something in this dog food. The dog food ingredients list is what you need to find.

Look at the first 2 ingredients to see if you are purchasing a premium dog food. Economy dog foods use a lot of low quality grains and meat by-products. Premium dog foods list an animal meat as the first ingredient.

Grains: Economy dog foods usually have a grain as the first ingredient, premium dog foods will not. Dogs are able to digest some grains well, like rice and oats, but have difficulty with corn and wheat.

Another problem with the type and quality of grains/carbs used by the economy dog foods is that they are common sources of food allergies for dogs. They are also usually the by-products of the grain, not the whole grain itself, and thus has virtually no nutritional value to your dog. The grains/carbs really turn out to be nothing more than a way to make your dog feel full.

A meat by-product is not a top 2 ingredient in premium dog foods. Meat by-product is just what is left over after all the usable meat has been removed. This includes the bones, head, intestines, and blood.

Like the grain by-products, these provide very little nutritional value to your dog, but do boost up the protein ratio in the dog food. The quality of the meat by-product is another big mystery that no one seems to be able to answer.

Most premium dog food brands will have a animal meat or meat meal as the first ingredient. This means the major ingredient in the food is an actual animal protein which will have the most usable nutrients available for your dog.

What about price? Is that a good indicator of the type of dog food? Not really. Of course if you see a really cheaply priced dog food, it is probably an economy food. But just because the food is expensive, does not automatically mean it is a healthy, premium dog food. Again, you need to take a peek at the dog food ingredients list to really know what you are getting.

And now there are more types of dog food, like organic and all-natural. To find out more about the different types of foods available for your dog and how to carefully choose the best premium dog foods for your beloved pet at the Healthy Dog Food blog.

Defined in its simplest terms, diarrhea is when there is too much water in the feces. There are many different reasons this can occur including:

In the case of over eating, the intestines become over full with food particles which do not allow the intestines to produce enough enzymes to break it down. With changes in food, the stomach and intestines are not given a proper period of adjustment, creating the inability to produce the proper enzymes for the new food. With stress as the factor, the dos stomach becomes upset, causing an extreme fluctuation in the type and amount of enzymes produced. All three of these situations compel the intestines to hold onto the food particles which then in turn hold on to water which the intestines can not absorb.

If a dog has an infection or has eaten food from the trash, excess water can be present in the intestines which results in diarrhea. This situation can also be caused by intestinal parasites, E. coli and Salmonella.

For many dogs, diarrhea is caused by over eating, stress, eating from the trash and intestinal parasites and in many cases does not cause severe illness. However, diarrhea can be the result of a serious systemic illness and in this case should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

Visiting the Veterinarian

Many dogs with simple diarrhea may not need a trip to the veterinarian. If a dog has mild diarrhea that is not making it uncomfortable, has no other symptoms, and does not otherwise feel bad, it is OK to wait 24-36 hours to see a veterinarian. Many cases of simple diarrhea will resolve on its own. If a dog has diarrhea and seems uncomfortable, if the diarrhea appears bloody or like tar, if the dog has other symptoms, or seems sick, then it is wise to see the veterinarian right away. Even if the diarrhea does not go away any faster after the veterinary visit, the veterinarian can evaluate the dog and make sure nothing more serious is going on and can give medication to make the dog more comfortable.

After the veterinarian examines the patient, he or she will want a fresh stool sample. If your dog has recently (in the last 30-45 minutes) had a bowel movement, you can collect that and take it with you. If not, the veterinarian can collect a sample in the office. Several things will be done with the stool sample. These include:

A fecal flotation to check for intestinal parasites

A direct fecal smear to check for red blood cells, white blood cells and abnormal or unusual bacteria.

A fecal smear with abnormal bacteria (the ones that look like tennis racquets)

If your dog has diarrhea combined with vomiting, bloody stool and acts very ill and has been this way for several days, the veterinarian will want to take blood and x-rays to see if some other systemic illness is causing the diarrhea.

Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian and passionate teacher on Clivir.com where you can find more of her lessons about Dog Atopic Dermatitis Causes and Dog Parvovirus Symptoms.

Dogs can develop a rashes and skin irritation just like people can. Often, a dog owner will notice redness, swelling, or an increase in the dog’s scratching.

An allergic reaction is a common cause for a dog skin rash. Small bumps on the skin called hives may develop due to allergies. Hives and skin rashes from allergic reactions often clear up on their own, but a dog owner should still consult the veterinarian for instructions on how to treat dog skin rashes.

Skin allergies, often referred to as contact dermatitis, can be caused by shampoo, dust, materials such as bedding, and even dog food. If the dog owner has changed the dog shampoo, dog food, or other things the dog has been in contact with, the dog owner may want to try taking away those objects or refraining from using them to see if the dog rash clears up.

Flea allergies are a common cause for a dog’s allergic reaction. An allergic reaction to flea bites can cause a red rash and hairloss. Getting rid of the fleas is how to treat dog skin rashes from an allergic reaction to flea bites. Often, this is all that is necessary for this type of dog skin rash to clear up and the dog’s coat to grow back.

Some dogs develop what is known as a hot spot. A hot spot is sometimes referred to as moist dermatitis or pyotraumatic dermatitis. A hot spot develops when an initial irritation to the skin causes a dog to bite, lick, and scratch a particular area.

An allergic reaction, bacterial infection, tick bite, or flea bite are examples of potential causes of hot spots. Dogs often develop hairloss in the area of the hotspot. Licking, but eating, and scratching make this condition worse.

Shaving the area and applying cool compresses are a common treatment for dog hot spots. The veterinarian may prescribe a topical ointment, oral medication, or special shampoo for treating hot spots.

Dog skin rashes can be caused by several different types of fungal, bacterial, and parasitic skin infections. A dog owner needs to consult a veterinarian for the proper diagnosis and treatment of a dog skin rash.

Many products like dog shampoos and dog skin care products claim to be how to treat dog skin rashes. A dog’s skin rash may not improve if the cause of the skin rash is not properly diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian.

The older we get, the more our joints hurt. Climbing and descending stairs, and jumping down from raised heights can slowly take their toll. What’s more, if we suffer from illness, arthritis, or a weight issue, these activities can have an even worse impact on our bodies. To be sure, the things we used to do as children without giving them a second thought now seem to have a punishing effect on us.

Dogs feel the same way and cope with many of the same issues. The problem for them is that they are often expected to continue jumping onto beds, furniture, or into cars long after their joints protest. As a result, it’s not uncommon for our canine companions to pull muscles or suffer lasting discomfort.

Fortunately, we can provide our pooches with relief by investing in a high-quality dog ramp. Below, we’ll describe how they’re used and explain what you should look for when shopping for one.

How They’re Used

During each day, your canine will likely jump onto your couch, bed, and other furniture several times. Plus, if you regularly take him with you on the road, he’ll be expected to jump into your vehicle. Over time, that constant jumping can have a severe impact on his joints.

Also, consider that many breeds are smaller; making those jumps is much harder on their bones and can eventually lead to painful arthritis. And for dogs that are older or suffer from a variety of health issues, making the jumps is nearly impossible without injuring themselves in the process.

A ramp removes the need to jump. They can transform painful climbs into a gentle slope that your pooch can navigate at his own pace. Plus, there’s no need to leave your canine’s joints and bones vulnerable to constant pounding when he jumps off your furniture. A ramp lets him descend easily protecting his joints from harm.

Factors To Consider When Shopping

The three main considerations when buying a dog ramp are strength, portability, and safety. First, it must have the strength to support your pooch’s weight. Some models are designed for small breeds while others are built for larger breeds. The packaging will provide the ramp’s weight capacity, so be sure to look for it.

Second, choose a model that is portable. Chances are, you’ll want to enjoy the flexibility of transporting it easily from one room to another, or to your vehicle. It should have a handle and fold easily for storage.

Third, look for features that help ensure the safety of your canine. For example, a lot of models come with side rails, an anti-skidding feature, and stabilizing latches. Some even have an extra traction feature that prevents a nasty slip from happening during wet weather.

A dog ramp can make life far more comfortable for your pooch. Not only will it protect his joints from discomfort and pain, but it can also help prevent unexpected injuries from poorly-planned jumps.