Dog Health Blog

It is the owner’s responsibility to notice changes that
might signify a sickness in your dog. It would be much
easier if your dog could say to you that he feels bad, but
he can’t. It is up to you to notice changes in your pet’s
behavior that may be signs of some sort of sickness. This
might include having no appetite, changes in stools or just
being abnormally tired. The more information you have for
your vet, the easier it will be for him to determine the
problem. Most of the time, your dog will receive a basic
exam and the vet will ask you many questions about your dog
and his health.

One of the things your veterinarian will look at is your
dog’s nose. You have probably heard that dog’s noses
should be wet and cool. This is true for the most part,
however a dog with a warm and dry nose is not necessarily
sick. However, if it’s not, your vet will probably not be
overly concerned. What will concern him is fluid, mucus or
changes from the last visit. Your vet will also take a
close look at your dog’s eyes. Because eye diseases happen
in many dogs, the vet will check to see if there are any
warning signs that would warrant further testing.

Not necessarily in this order, your vet will take a good
look in your dog’s mouth. He will be on the lookout for
gum inflammation or tooth decay. He can also check the
blood pressure by simply pressing on your dog’s gums. Pale
gums can mean that you have an anemic pet, while a
yellowish color can mean that your pet has a liver issue.
Pink, healthy gums and strong teeth are a great sign. From
here, your vet will also check the nails to see if there is
damage in the nail bed or a wearing of one paw’s nails.
This can mean that the dog has an injury that is causing
him to favor one leg. Flaky nails also may call for
further investigating for some sort of metabolic disorder.

A healthy skin and coat will signify a healthy dog.
However, a dull coat may mean that your dog has fleas,
mites, or some other parasite. It can also mean that your
dog has an infection somewhere else that needs to be found.
Sometime during the examination, your vet will check your
dog’s genitals. For female dogs, the vet will check for
discharge or irritation. There could be some sort of
reproductive or urinary problem. A male dog will also be
checked for swelling or inflammation in the genitals to
ensure good health.

Through these different methods of checking your dog, your
vet will be able to tell if there is some sort of condition
that needs further looking into. Assuming that you have
noticed no problems with your dog and each of these areas
appears perfectly healthy, your vet will most likely
present you with a clean bill of health for your
four-legged friend!

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Making sure you give your dog adequate amounts of exercise
is extremely important not only in preventing behavior
problems, but also for the overall health of your pet. It
can help keep you both happy. But not all dogs need the
same amount of exercise so how do you know what amount you
need to spend exercising your dog?

The primary consideration in determining the amount of
exercise a dog needs depends on breed. Herders, hunters
and working dogs need the most exercise of all the dog
breeds. Ideally, these dog breeds need 30 minutes to one
hour of daily exercise, whether it is a walk with its
owner, playing outside with other dogs or running around
and chasing squirrels. Misbehaving is much more likely to
occur as well as health deterioration without this daily
amount of exercise. Examples of these breeds are: Hounds,
Beagles, Border Collies, Alaskan sled dogs, Australian and
German Shepherds, Terriers (particular Jack Russell) and
Shelties.

A common misconception is that the smaller the dog the less
exercise the dog needs. This is a misconception. It is all
about breed.

Mixed breed dogs makes it a little more difficult for the
owner to know how much exercise is needed. The best way to
gauge this is for the owner to observe the dog’s behavior.
If the dog seems to enjoy lying in the sun all day then
most likely he does not need a lot of exercise. On the
other hand, if the dog is restless and wanders around the
yard and house constantly, his needs will be better served
with more exercise.

Walking is one of the top modes of exercise. But it’s not
a lot of fun to walk a dog that “pulls” or who is not
obedient to your commands. Clearly a dog who knows the
proper way to walk on a leash will get more walks. Teaching
this skill to your dog as a puppy is critical. However if
this is not yet accomplished, there are ways to teach your
adult dog to walk properly on a leash.

The phrase “walking properly” refers to the dog obeying the
commands the owner gives and not “pulling.” For example if
the owner says “stop” the dog knows and does stop. If the
owner says “sit” the dog knows and does sit. If the owner
says “heel” the dog knows and does heel. By teaching your
dog these commands, both you and your pet will have much
more frequent and enjoyable walks together.

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