Dog Health

Many dog owners get so busy in their daily lives that they tend to slack off when it comes to performing regular grooming on their dogs. However, it's important to make grooming a regular part of your dog's activities, and doing so will be helpful for both you and your dog.

Most Americans live pretty busy lives between their work obligations and their family responsibilities. It can be difficult to find time to accomplish some of the fundamental things like exercising our own bodies, let alone exercising the dog. A little planning and discipline goes a long way, however.

All dog owners who set their dogs will live long and healthy lives without any serious health issues. Unfortunately, there are a variety of ailments that can plague your dog throughout his life, ranging from a mild illness to more serious conditions like diabetes and cancer.

There are many misconceptions floating around in the dog world, and some of these can get a dog owner into trouble if he or she fails to confirm things with the veterinarian or another experienced adviser. One common area where dog owners tend to make mistakes is the field of spaying and neutering their dogs.

For many pet owners, taking their dog to the vet is an emergency procedure only. They bring their pets in if there's an injury, an illness that doesn't clear up on its own, or if their dog stops eating. However, this isn't the best way to do things. After all, if you only catch things when they start to get serious, treatment will be a lot more difficult and a lot less effective.

Just like humans, dogs can end up in emergency situations, where quality of care could literally mean life or death. Most of us know that dog emergencies do happen, but we might not know about pet CPR. Short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, this emergency medical procedure is common in people whose breathing has stopped or whose hearts are no longer beating.

Some problems can be prevented or made to be less severe. For instance, giant breeds, especially Molossers (Mastiffs, St. Bernards and others) can have joint problems as they age. Their large size and great weight makes it hard for their bodies to keep up.

Controlling fleas on our dogs isn't a simple process. After all, while adult fleas spend most of their time living on our pets, their eggs, larva and pupae are found all over the house. Every flea you see on your dog means hundreds of eggs and larval fleas in the grass outside and in your carpet.

If you have a breed that's prone to hip dysplasia, it's important to treat your dog correctly as he or she is growing. The right nutrient balance, caloric intake, and frequency and type of exercise are all extremely important. The wrong ones could cause greater amounts of damage to your pet.

Almost everyone has heard of hip dysplasia - an uncomfortable and dangerous problem that occurs in certain breeds of dogs. This malformation of the hip socket is the biggest cause of rear leg lameness in dogs. It causes painful arthritis and many other problems, and happens most often in larger breeds.