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Dealing with Dog Health Problems
Just like humans, dogs are vulnerable to many diseases. To minimize dog health problems, you'll need to learn about things that can affect your pet's health.
In addition to illnesses that are unique to dogs, our pets also face so-called "human illnesses", such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes and even depression.
While health problems are more common in older dogs, even young puppies get sick. If you suspect something is wrong with your dog, contact your veterinarian immediately. Don't try to diagnose and treat him on your own.
What you can and should do is concentrate on keeping your dog healthy.
A lot of dog and puppy health problems are caused by internal and external parasites, such as ticks, worms and mites.
Let's see how we can protect our pets from them…
Parasite-Induced Dog Health Problems
External Parasites
External dog parasites carry lots of diseases and can cause great damage to your dog's health.
Perhaps the least known of all external parasites are dog mites. These parasites live on an infected dog's body and are the culprits of many skin problems. They can cause skin irritation, rashes and hair loss. Some can even cause a permanent hearing loss in an untreated dog.
If you would like to learn more about the dangers of these parasites, as well as treatments that work, visit dog mites and dog ear mites pages.
Of all the external parasites, dog ticks cause the most serious dog health problems. In extreme cases, a single tick bite can cause paralysis and even death of your pet. Visit tick bite symptoms to learn how to recognize if a tick has bitten your pet.
While fleas are not as dangerous as ticks, they can still cause great discomfort to your pet and, since they can infest your whole household, you.
Luckily, there are a lot of really good products to treat our pets from external parasites. Some products are effective against both, fleas and ticks.
One such product is Frontline Plus, which I am very familiar with.
It's a fast acting over the counter product that you need to apply on your dog once a month. I use it on Bo during tick seasons and am very happy with results.
For more information on tick and flea avoidance techniques and products, including Frontline Plus, sprays, shampoos and medicated collars, visit tick bite and flea medicine pages.
Internal Parasites
Most dogs are born with internal parasites. Even if you don't see them, chances are your puppy or dog is infested with worms.
Worms rob your pet of much needed nutrients and can cause anemia and other dog health problems. Some, like Heartworms, can kill your pet. And some worms can be transmitted to humans.
Visit worms in dogs page to learn more about causes and symptoms of worms and how to keep your pet worm-free.
There are several really good medications you can use not only to eliminate worms but also to prevent them from infesting your pet in the future.
I used Interceptor tabs to treat Bo from Roundworms, but you can use them against almost all worm infestations, including Heartworms.
(Interceptor is sold by prescription only)
If you would like to learn more about Interceptor, as well as other products that will eliminate internal parasites, visit puppy worms page. And once you are there, I'll also show you how to buy prescription medications over the Internet. You'll be amazed by how much money you can save!
While buying on-line may seem simple, since most of the medications sold over the Internet are counterfeit, you need to be careful whom you buy from. You also need to know how to recognize an offer that's too good to be true.
Is Pet Insurance Necessary?
No it's not… until your pet gets sick and you are faced with bills that run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Veterinary science is changing. Some procedures that only a short time ago were available only to humans are now being performed on pets. As a result, pets are living longer and healthier lives.
Unfortunately, veterinarian fees are rising too. It's not uncommon to end up paying $5,000 for some procedures. Even a routine visit to a vet can set you back several hundred dollars.
I know couple of people who had to put their pets to sleep because they couldn't afford the cost of medical procedures that could have saved or prolonged their pet's life.
To help fight rising veterinary costs and dealing with dog health problems, more and more pet owners are buying pet insurance. Unfortunately, they do not ask the right questions before they buy the policy. As a result, they end up shocked when they need to pay for procedures they thought were covered.
When I was shopping for health insurance for Bo, I did an extensive research over the Internet and talked to several veterinarians.
Of all the companies I researched, 2 stood out. Both are well-established "real" companies, not just some amateurishly set-up websites. They tell you exactly what's covered and what's not, their reimbursements are above average and they offer you the flexibility of picking your own veterinarian.
The company I eventually picked is PetCare Pet Insurance. To learn more about PetCare, but more importantly, to learn what to look for and what questions to ask when you shop for the insurance for your pet, visit pet insurance page.
So, to answer the question if pet insurance is necessary, I feel it will make dealing with dog health problems a lot easier. You always hope you never get to use it, but in a case of emergency, it can more than pay for itself.
I am sure you'll agree with me that dog health problems deserve the same attention as our own.
Have more questions about dog health problems? Visit dog health questions page for answers to some common questions on dog health and care.
I also encourage you to visit puppy care for tips on caring for your puppy or an adult dog. I'll show you how to…
- Keep your pet's teeth healthy
- Remove ticks the right way (unless you do it correctly, you may leave your pet exposed to many diseases)
- Take care of your pet's skin and coat
...and more.
I hope you will find this information useful and it helps you to recognize some common health problems your pet may be experiencing. However, if you suspect your pet is ill, immediately contact your veterinarian. He or she will be able to help you decide the best course of action when it comes to caring for your pet.
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