Canine Health

Every member of your family deserves the best health care, and your dog is certainly no exception. If you own a dog or are planning to welcome one to your family, you must be aware of the signs of illness and disease.

It's important that you educate yourself on the proper care of dogs, before you bring your new best friend home. The main areas that you must focus on are how to recognize signs of potential health problems, and how to provide preventative care.

Preventative medicine is paramount in effective health care. Just like children, puppies need to see a health care specialist on a regular basis. At six weeks of age, your puppy should begin a series of four DHLPP/CCV vaccinations. These shots are administered at three- to four-week intervals. Your puppy also needs to be de-wormed often, and should begin receiving heartworm preventative medication at four months old. Heartworm prevention is an ongoing necessity that's vital to providing your dog with a long and happy life.

Once these initial treatments have been given, your growing dog should see the vet for a checkup once a year. At these annual visits, the vet will examine your dogs stool and teeth, administer any necessary vaccinations, and provide a general examination to rule out medical concerns.

Keeping up on preventative medicine needs is the best way to ensure your dog's health. It's also important to know the signs of potential trouble, and keep a close eye for any existing symptoms.

Skin problems are common, and dogs may present these conditions in different ways. Many pets suffer with skin allergies indicated by "hot spots" and hair loss. Hot spots are painful, oozing sores appearing on the skin's surface. Your pet may deal with the discomfort by licking constantly at the area, which in turn makes the problem more difficult to treat.

Pet owners are often quick to misdiagnose a skin allergy as a flea infestation, so it's important to know the difference in symptoms. Dogs who tend to scratch their heads, necks and front legs typically have skin allergies. Those that chew on the top of the rump will likely have a flea infestation. Know the difference so that you may administer proper treatment.

Signs of some health problems will present themselves in the dog's stool. If the stool is runny or discolored, your pet should probably see the vet. Although it could be as simple as a change in diet, these types of stools can be indicative of parasites. Both of these conditions are easily remedied. Less common but very serious is a condition called gastric dilatation volvulus, a condition that can occur if a dog exerts himself after consuming a large amount of water. Gastric dilation volvulus generally appears in large, deep chested breeds of dogs.

Every member of your family, including your dog, deserves to have access to the very best health benefits. Caring for your pet's health can require an investment of your time and money, but it's not necessarily a difficult task. Make sure that your dog receives an annual checkup, and know the symptoms and warning signs of potential illnesses. Cover all of the healthcare bases, and your dog will enjoy the long, happy life that he or she deserves.

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Writer Larissa Levise writes regularly for several online magazines, on home improvement and family tree themes.
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