Dog's Health

The Most Common Dog Diseases And How You Can Prevent Them      

Caring for your dog’s health is an important part of caring for your dog.  Just as the case with us, dogs do get ill from time to time. There are certain measures you can take though, to safeguard your puppy’s health right through his adult life as well.

Here are a few of the more common dog conditions and how to prevent or combat them, in many cases through immunization shots (inoculation or vaccination).

1. Distemper:

In conversations with dog owners you may have heard about ”distemper.“  Distemper is a condition common to dogs.  It can cause damage to the lungs or the brain and spinal cord similar to the human polio virus.  Vaccination against distemper is recommended for puppies as a preventative measure against this disease.

2. Rabies:

Rabies is a common disease that is also deadly to human beings.  Rabies results in death for any animal infected with it.  The disease is passed through saliva of an infected animal as one animal bites another the disease is contracted and thus spread further.

The most common sign of the disease, the one that most people are familiar with, is foaming around the mouth.  If rabies is suspected, have your dog checked out immediately.  Dogs should be vaccinated as pups.  Booster shots are recommended every few years to keep up immunity. In most countries around the world vaccination against rabies is compulsory; make sure about the laws in your country.

3. Leptospirosis:

Leptospirosis is a condition that can be passed from animals to people.  So please remember, before you smother too many kisses on your puppy; protect him from the disease particularly if he is an outdoor dog.  The disease can be acquired from infected wild animals like opossums and raccoons.  Vaccinations are available so protect your dog and yourself. For your health and that of your beloved puppy, these vaccinations or inoculations are highly recommended.

4. Worm infestations:

Dogs are susceptible to worm infestations.  It’s disgusting yes, so imagine how your dog will feel if he has them.  Your veterinarian can recommend medications and other measures to guard against worms.

a. Heartworms:

Heartworms can be introduced to your dog through a mosquito bite.  Outdoor dogs need to be especially careful.  Dogs can be given tablets once a month to guard against heartworm infestations.  They can be added to his food bowl so that you don’t have to fight to get him to take it.  If your dog already has heartworms, seek medical attention right away to save his life.

b. Regular examinations of stool:

Regularly examine your dog’s stool. I know it sounds disgusting, but, for your dog’s health as well as the health of your family, it is important!  Worms can show up there.  Diarrhea may be a sign that something is wrong with your dog.  Starting worming medications from your vet as soon as puppy is old enough can keep you from having to sift through doggie doo for the nasty parasites.

Dogs get sick too.  Just like people, there are things that you can do to prevent certain diseases from coming to pass.  Ask your veterinarian about prophylactic pet care now to avoid costly medical care later.

In this article we moved on from choosing a vet to why. For your puppy’s future health there will always be these periodic inoculations as well as the other preventative measures that are important. If you handled the process of choosing a vet and getting puppy familiar with the surroundings, taking puppy for regular checkups and inoculations will not be a problem.