Dog Health Blog

1. Skin - Skin tumors are very common in older dogs, but much less common in cats. Most skin tumors in cats are malignant, but in dogs they are often benign. All skin tumors should be examined by your veterinarian.

2. Breast - Fifty percent of all breast tumors in dogs and 85% of all breast tumors in cats are malignant. Spaying your pet between 6 and 12 months of age will greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer. Surgery is the treatment of choice for this type of cancer.

3. Head & Neck - Cancer of the mouth is common in dogs and less common in cats. A mass on the gums, bleeding, odor, or difficult eating are signs to watch for. Many swellings are malignant, so early aggressive treatment is essential. Cancer may develop inside the nose of both cats and dogs. Bleeding from the nose, difficulty breathing, or facial swelling may occur.

4. Lymphoma - Lymphoma is a common form of cancer in dogs and cats. It is characterized by enlargement of one or many lymph nodes in the body. A virus causes most of these cancers in cats. Chemotherapy is frequently effective in controlling this type of cancer.

5. Feline Leukemia Complex - The feline leukemia virus is contagious among cats and will occasionally cause true cancer. There is no proof that it is contagious to humans. While a great deal of research is ongoing, no consistently effective treatment is presently available for virus-positive cats.

6. Testicles - Testicular tumors are rare in cats and common in dogs, especially those with retained testes. Most of these cancers are curable with surgery.

7. Abdominal Tumors - Tumors inside the abdomen are common. It is difficult to make an early diagnosis. Weight loss and abdominal enlargement are common signs of these tumors.

8. Bone - Bone tumors are most commonly seen in large breed dogs and rarely in cats. The leg bones, near joints, are the most common sites. Persistent lameness and swelling of the leg is an early sign of disease.

Common Signs of Cancer in Pets

* Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
* Sores that do not heal
* Weight loss
* Loss of appetite
* Bleeding or discharge from any body opening
* Offensive odor
* Difficulty eating or swallowing
* Hesitance to exercise or loss of stamina
* Persistent lameness or stiffness
* Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating

Many of the above signs are also seen with noncancerous conditions but still warrant prompt attention by your veterinarian to determine the cause. Cancer is frequently treatable, and early diagnosis will aid your veterinarian in delivering the best care possible.

Treatment
Each cancer requires individual care. Your veterinarian may use surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, cryosurgery (freezing), hyperthermia (heating) or immunotherapy to effectively treat cancers. Combination therapy is commonly employed.

What is the Success Rate?
This depends strongly on the type and extent of the cancer as well as the aggressiveness of therapy. Some cancers can be cured, and almost all patients can be helped to some degree. Your veterinarian will have a better chance to control or cure your pet’s cancer if it is detected early.

Recommended Reading For Pet Health Questions: http://viralurl.com/process2you/dog-health
Visit the author’s website at: http://dogadditions.com

Here is an article outlining the benefits of having your male dog neutered. Hopefully it answers any pet health questions you may have about neutering.

Many of us have concerns over whether or not to neuter our dog. We worry that perhaps the dog will suffer some sort of sexual identity crisis or that there will be excessive weight gain. We wonder if our dog will become lazy and depressed. Some are concerned about the cost of neutering. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the neutering of your male dog, hopefully this article will help to alleviate some or all of your fears. The benefits of neutering far outweigh any arguments against it. Neutering is beneficial to dogs for a variety of reasons.

1. Dogs that have been neutered show a reduced sexual interest in females after approximately six to 12 months.

2. Should stop episodes of aggression towards other male dogs.

3. In 60 per cent of cases, inter-male aggression is reduced, as is mounting of people.

4. Roaming (i.e. running away from home) is also reduced in about 90 per cent of cases.

5. Territorial urine marking in the house, if it occurs, is reduced in half the cases.

The health effects of neutering are quite significant.

6. There is a reduced incidence of perianal adenomas (i.e. tumours of the rectal area) and testicular tumours are completely eliminated.

7. There is also a reduced incidence of perineal hernias.

8 With neutering, the incidence of many prostatic diseases, such a prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis, are greatly reduced, as is the incidence of prostatic cancer. Without neutering, the incidence of these problems is quite high.

It is important to realize that neutering does not change a dog’s personality nor does it affect a working dog’s ability to perform. Neutering may contribute slightly to obesity (i.e. in about 10 per cent of cases) or reduced physical activity.

Neutering does not affect a dog’s natural instinct to protect home and family. A dog’s personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones.

Pets don’t have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Neutering will not change a pet’s basic personality. He doesn’t suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

The cost of neutering depends on the sex, size, and age of the pet, your veterinarian’s fees, and a number of other variables. But whatever the actual price, neuter surgery is a one-time cost, a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. Most importantly, it’s a very small price to pay for the health of your dog and the prevention of the births of more unwanted pets.

About the Author (text)
Recommended For Dog Health Information http://viralurl.com/process2you/dog-health
Visit the author’s site at http://dogadditions.com

We are a nation of pet lovers. We often rate our dogs as a
family member…their needs sometimes coming before our
own. We buy them toys, beds, treats and special food.
Clothing remains optional!

A necessity for any dog is appropriate dog bowls. Whether
we decide to cave in to our own desires and look for a bowl
that is compatible with our home decor or style the
goal should be obtaining a dog bowl that is suitable for
our pet. In order to determine what makes a bowl suitable
we should first consider the size of our dog.

Large dogs need bigger bowls. A dog bowl should be big
enough to hold a full feeding, but not much more than that.
A bowl that is too big can lead to over-filling and that
can result in your dog becoming overweight.

Most dogs love to eat and therefore they spend more than a
little time at their food and water bowls. Emphasis should
be placed on providing comfort for your dog as he eats. A
bowl with a flat bottom will help to prevent any tipping
and spilling of food. Many dog bowls are equipped with
rubber rims or feet that help to keep the dish from sliding
across the floor. Dog bowls made of dishwasher-safe
materials are preferable because the high water temperature
in the dishwasher aids in killing bacteria and germs.
Your pet’s bowls should be cleaned after every use - just
as you would clean your own.

Research has shown that elevated dog bowls can be
beneficial - especially for larger dogs. By elevating the
bowls the dog is not required to bend his neck toward the
bowl. This aids in posture as well as digestion. For an
older dog this may help to alleviate pain from sore or
stiff joints and/or arthritis. To determine the
appropriate height for the elevation you will need to
measure your dog’s height at the top of his front shoulder.
The bowls should be positioned about 6 inches below that
level. For smaller dogs the bowls should be about 4 below
that level.

The dog’s water bowl should be about twice the size of the
food bowl. Water is the most important nutrient for your
dog, therefore he should always be encouraged to drink
water and a larger bowl will assist with that. Dogs lose
water through panting and elimination which means they
constantly need to replace that water. The bigger sized
bowl will also decrease the number of times that you will
need to refill the bowl. Everyone wins!

Are you forgetful or are there times that you have to be
away from home for longer periods of time than your dog can
go without food? If so you’ll probably want to invest in
an automatic feeder. These innovative bowls hold a
substantial amount of food that is slowly dispensed into
the feeding dish. As the dog eats away the food in the
dish more will fall into place. Similar water bowls are
also available.

As responsible pet owners we all try to meet the needs of
our dogs. By providing the appropriate dog bowls we can
help them in various ways while helping ourselves at the
same time. This adds to our dogs’ comfort and contentment
and also lets them know how important they are to us. Dogs
really do rule!

—————————————————-
Mike Brown
Great resources for dog bowls
http://dog-bowls.org/
http://dog-bowls.org/stainless-steel-dog-bowls.html

As a pet owner, it is an important responsibility on your
part to keep your dog healthy. You must bring your dog to
the vet regularly. Even a healthy puppy will require many
visits to the vet. Vaccinations, exams, worming, spaying,
neutering and flea control are a few of the things that
requires to be done to your dog on its first year of life
to protect it from disease and other dog health problems.

Your dog cannot tell you when it feels sick. It is very
important that you are familiar with your dog’s normal
behavior. Any sudden change to his physical or social
behavior may signal the onset of a dog health problem, and
early detection may save your dog’s life. If your dog gets
sick, take him to the vet right away. Veterinary care
protects your health as well as your pet’s, as the dog may
carry a disease that can be transmitted to people. The most
dangerous and well-known transmittable disease by far is
rabies, a disease that causes almost certain death if not
treated immediately.

You should learn to recognize signs of illness in your dog.
A sick dog usually tires easily, drinks excessive amounts
of water and/or refuse to eat. Other signs may include
convulsions, fever, dry cough, runny or red eyes, and a dry
nose. Frequent vomiting and loose bowel movement may also
indicate a medical problem.

Parasitic worms are also a cause for concern as these
parasites cause various dog health problems. Blood tests to
check for heartworms should be included in your dog’s
annual checkup. These parasites are transmitted by
mosquitoes and can cause serious illness. Your vet can
prescribe you medicine that will protect your dog against
heartworms.

Fleas and ticks are also a nuisance to your pet’s health.
They can cause anemia or paralysis. Keeping your dog clean
and well groomed can help minimize this threat. Cleaning
and dusting your pet’s quarters with flea powder weekly can
also help keep your dog free of fleas.

As an owner there are preventive measures that you can take
in order to prevent dog health problems from manifesting.
Make sure that you give your dog the best nutrition
possible in order for him to develop a shield against
common diseases associated with malnutrition or improper
diet. Keep your pet healthy and in shape by giving him
plenty of room and time to exercise. Follow your
veterinarian’s vaccination schedule and regularly bring
your dog for check-ups in order to detect any early signs
of trouble. Give your dog its regular prevention medicine
for heartworm and other parasites. Always keep your dog
well-groomed and clean. Brush your dog’s teeth or give it
a tooth cleaning treat every week to avoid any gum or
dental problems. Most of all, do not forget to give your
dog lots of affection and firm but fair discipline to help
keep him mentally healthy and happy.

Your vet can tell you more about common dog health problems
for your dog’s particular breed, so make sure you ask about
them on your dog’s next visit.

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Want to learn more information on any dog health problems?
Then go to http://www.healthydogcareonline.com to find out.

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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