mouth |

You probably feel like your dog is a big part of your family. If that is the case, you want him to be around for many years to come. In order to make that a reality you need to be sure your dog is in the best health. There are many symptoms to keep your eye on.

In fact, prevention is the best way to make sure you’ll have a healthy dog for life. In order to prevent health problems self-education is key. That way you’ll be prepared when and if those symptoms pop up.

– One thing you might want to pay close attention to is if your dog seems sluggish. There definitely might be an underlying reason for this.

– Another thing to keep your eye on is limping. Prod painful areas gently to see if you can determine a location.

– Loss of appetite is another common symptom that sick dogs have. If your dog is not eating normally you’ll need to examine him for health reasons. This lack of hunger might lead to some weight loss.

– On the other hand, a sick dog might be extra thirsty.

– You can also look at your dog’s eyes to see if there are any problems. Dogs with ulcers, discharge, prominent veins, and sores might be suffering from something much worse.

– The mouth is something that is important to pay attention to as well. Your dog’s mouth should be a healthy pink. If you see things like cavities or discoloration it’s worth taking a deeper look.
– Check your dog’s ears. If there is any fowl smelling discharge you’ll need to make sure your dog does not have an infection.

– Investigate your dog’s head to see if there are any sore areas, hair loss, or wounds

– Make sure there are no sores on the limbs or trunk

– A dog that is vomiting likely has an illness

– Another thing you can do is check your dog’s temperature. A normal range is between 100.5 and 102.5 ºF.

– If your female dog has a foul discharge you need to take her to the vet.

These signs and symptoms that you find can give you a lot of clues as to an illness your pet is suffering from. Some possible diseases are:

– Canine Hepatitis
– Enteritis
– Constipation
– Bloat
– Roundworms, tapeworms, or whipworms
– Anemia
– Heart Disease
– Parvovirus
– Kidney Disease
– Eye Infection
– Ruptured Diaphragm
– Bronchitis
– Pneumonia
– Food Poisoning
– Heatstroke
– Allergies
The list of canine diseases goes on and on. The important thing is that you look for different symptoms. The better you know your dog’s behavioral and physical condition, the more likely you are to catch changes as they happen. This will give you a head start in beating any dog diseases.

Catching Dog Diseases By Knowing the Symptoms courtesy Dog Articles.

Looking for a great gift idea? Who wouldn’t love an ornament showcasing their favorite breed? Check out all of the great doggie gift ideas on Amazon.com –doggieoftheday@amazon.com

We all love our four legged friends, but is there a possibility we may catch something from them?

Most everyone is familiar with tales of rabid animals, dogs included. Animals that foam at the mouth, go insane and are more than willing to bite. Chances are, you’ve never met a rabid animal, but you’ve certainly heard of one.

If you’ve ever been bitten by a dog, you’ll know that one of the things they have to do is rabies testing on the animal to make sure there is no way you could contract the disease from the bite.

Obviously, if there’s this much concern, there is definitely the potential for you contracting an illness or disease because of your dog.

Rabies is what is called a Zoonotic Disease. Derived from the Greek word “zoon”, or animal, and “nosos”, or ill, zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted from a wild or domesticated animal to a human (or vice versa).

While these diseases are relatively rare, they are still something to be considered when approaching strange or stray dogs as well as when handling your own.

Even if your animal does not appear to be ill, he could easily have a parasite you aren’t aware of. For example, hookworms can be present in the feces and (consequently) the salvia of an otherwise healthy dog without your knowledge. If you or your child were to let your dog “kiss” them while he is infected with hookworm, it could very easily be spread to you or your child. This demonstrates the importance of worming your animal early on and making sure your animal has regular check ups.

Hookworms, rabies, salmonella, roundworms, fleas, lyme disease, tapeworms, giardia, ringworm and other bacterial, fungal and parasitic illnesses are zoonotic and can be caught from your animal.

The best solution here is preventative maintenance. For one, always be sure to take your animal to the vet for regular check ups and for his routine vaccinations. If your animal is not sick, there is no way you can catch a sickness from him.

Also, do not handle animal feces directly. Always wear gloves or use a doggy poop bag when handling your animal’s waste. Also, always be sure to pick up any animal waste in your home quickly if there is the potential for your child to come in contact with it.

Wash your hands frequently when handling any animal. At the very least, be sure that wash your hands in between handling an animal and eating or touching your mouth in other ways. Use caution around strange dogs. Even if they appear healthy and friendly, they way very well be carrying a parasitic or fungal infection which could be contagious to you.

While it seems like there is much to be wary about in terms of your animal (or other animals) infecting you, remember that the list of zoonotic diseases is very short in comparison to the number of diseases you can catch from another human. As long as you are sure to worm your animal, treat them with flea/tick treatment if necessary, take them to regular vet check ups and stay hygienic when handling animals, you have very little to worry about.

Can You Catch A Disease From Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

Looking for a great gift idea? Who wouldn’t love a mouse pad showcasing their favorite breed? Check out all of the great doggie gift ideas on Amazon.com –doggieoftheday@amazon.com