Common Dog Diseases
Knowledge Is Power!

Knowing how to spot common dog diseases is such a big advantage when your pet is not up to par. You may be able to get him back to health quickly with a natural home remedy or, get him to the vet promptly if the symptoms indicate this is the best course of action.

sad looking dog lying down looking unwell

I'm Not Feeling So Hot!

It can be very worrisome when your pet is showing signs of a health problem that you don't recognize, especially if it's in the middle of the night, or on a weekend when your pet's clinic is closed.

But if you're familiar with the symptoms of common dog diseases, you'll be way ahead of the game and a much more confident pet parent when your pooch looks down and out.

In fact, you'll have a pretty good idea of what you can do for him yourself and what needs professional treatment!

So let's cut to the chase...

Most Prominent Dog Health Conditions

According to the dog health insurance industry, here are some of the most frequent dog health issues for which claims are received:

Familiarize yourself with these conditions and their symptoms. Then keep them on your radar so no time is wasted in getting treatment should one of them affect your pet.

But wait, that's not all, as the pitch man would say.

There are more common dog diseases that need to be highlighted, so, moving on for the rest of the story...

Common Dog Diseases That
May Affect Your Pet

Following are other common dog diseases and conditions that crop up frequently among all dog breeds so it pays to have some familiarity with them.

Click on any link to learn more about the condition.

dog being carried by the vet's in his clinic

Dog At The Vet

Watching Over Your Pet

The biggest responsibility we have to our pets is watching over their health! And even though having a trusted vet to call upon when necessary is important, we are the first line of defense our dog's rely upon to notice when they seem unwell.

Starting our dog down the road to a healthy life begins with puppy health, and it starts the very day that cuddly ball of fur crosses our threshold. Having a basic understanding of common puppy and dog health problems will give you confidence to take care of these vulnerable creatures.

We believe the best approach to pet health is a holistic one that includes sound nutrition, exercise, hygiene and grooming, parasite control, vaccinations, proper training to keep him safe and lots of affectionate nurturing time with his master.

There are many situations, events and stages in a dog's life where supplemental attention is called for.

Some of the things we do for our pets to keep them healthy, clean and protected all add up to what I think of as "holistic dog care" because they all contribute to the big picture.

Here are a few of these other health-related topics:

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In Sickness And In Health
Your Dog Needs You!

A healthy dog looks bright eyed, attentive, has a shiny coat, a spring in his step, etc. By recognizing a change and detecting signs that something may be going on, you will often be able to:

Treat it with a home remedy
Save your dog from unnecessary suffering
Save your dog from those vet visits he hates and yourself from costly vet bills.

Dogs don't like going to that scary and stressful place, with strange smells and unfamiliar people - the vet's office. You're the one he trusts and prefers to take care of him when he comes down with one of the common pet illnesses that inevitably show up even in an otherwise healthy dog.

While there are many health issues we can handle at home, there will be times when the vet needs to be consulted.

Once you learn about the symptoms of these conditions and their usual treatment, you will be in a much better position to know when you can try a home remedy and when it's time to call the vet for help.

Veterinary Secrets, is a valuable resource you can have at your fingertips to help recognize many of your dog's health problems and what action you should take. Natural and effective remedies to try at home are included as appropriate.

American Veterinary Medical Association is another great resource for professional information about common dog diseases.

Stay Ahead With Daily
Observations Of Your Pet

Just by daily observations of your dog, you can gather a lot of information that will give you a fairly accurate picture of what is "normal" for him or her in regard to their appearance, bodily functions, and behaviors.

For example, you will know:

How much he usually eats. A programmable/automatic pet feeder makes tracking this a breeze.
How much water he normally consumes. A gravity waterer where the filler bottle is see-through, helps here.
How much sleep he requires. This one's pretty easy if he shares your sleeping quarters!
How often he eliminates. Lavender doggy bags makes the counting easier!
How much exercise he generally needs. With you? or on a dog treadmill.
How active and peppy he behaves most of the time. If you have a Smart Pet Tracker, you have technology at your fingertips. It monitors activity levels and lets you keep tabs on your pet even when you're somewhere else.

In fact, when you are aware of your dog's normal activity and healthy profile, you will be able to notice even subtle changes that may indicate he is experiencing a problem.

And that is a very important part of looking after your dog.

Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Health guide, is an excellent reference I have found invaluable with my dogs and I think you will too. It provides a wealth of information on how to recognize a wide range of common pet illnesses and how to treat them with an emphasis on natural remedies. It also has some excellent pet food recipes your dog will love!

Taking it to another level, here's a simple 2-minute UTI test you can perform with the Instant Urinary Tract Infection Testing Kit, if and when your pet is showing signs of this very common infection, thus enabling prompt treatment.

In conclusion, when your pet seems out of sorts, you will feel much more confident if you have become familiar with the signs of common dog diseases that are often seen in dogs, as well as the home remedies that others have used to treat them successfully.

Dogs show us in so many ways that we are important to them, and if they were able to they certainly would thank us for doing everything possible to take care of them.

If you have dog health questions for which you would like a professional opinion, for a small charge you may use the widget on this page to ask a qualified vet.

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