Showing posts with label Dog health and diseases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dog health and diseases. Show all posts

Anti Mange Herbal Dog Soap

Anti mange herbal dog soap is specialized in dealing dog mange skin problem. Mange, if left untreated can start deteriorate dog appearance at first and then health that could lead to serious complications and death.

Though it is uncommon skin disease for dogs that has good hygiene, one can have this disease from other dogs that has it. Treating dog mange dog mange depends on the severity that a dog has. It could be treated short period of time to months.


Bathing is the primarily treatment used on dogs with mange. Special dog mange soap is effective for this disease, inexpensive and easy to use. You can opt non-herbal and herbal dog mange soap which ever you want to use.

Why dog mange soap differs from ordinary soap? The answer is these kinds of soap have special formulation of active ingredients not found in ordinary dog soap. It contains Triclosan, Fenobucerb BPMC and Sulfur, all chemicals. While in herbal dog mange soap, Madre de Cacao is the main ingredient. This plant is known effective in treating mange.

Since dog mange is cause by fungi or parasites, most anti mange herbal dog soap is also anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti parasitic and anti itch. You will get all these anti skin dog problem with one soap. This soap is also good to prevent ringworm in dog.

I have used anti mange herbal dog soap for my dogs and the result is amazing. My dogs’ skin is healthy; their coat is also shinier and silkier. Herbal dog soaps have oils from Madre de Cacao or other herbal plants used in it limits lather formulation but facilitate faster and deeper penetration in the dog’s skin for better result.

Canine Arthritis

I know how hard it is to see your dog suffering from a health problem and disease so without further delay here is an article about canine arthritis, one of the health problems of dogs.

What is Canine Arthritis?

It is a debilitating disorder in dogs that can be characterized by a loss and death of cartilage. In medical term canine arthritis is called osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD). The DJD can occur in any joint but often affects the hip of the dogs. This canine health problem can lead to the affected joint permanent loss of function.

Dogs age and breed prone to arthritis

Arthritis are commonly found on middle aged large breed and mixed breed though it can be seen in dogs with hip dysplasia, a hip joint disorder.

Canine arthritis symptoms

Dogs that are suffering from arthritis will show signs and you as dog owner should be wary in any unusual way your dog is acting. Canine arthritis symptoms are listed below should you observed any of these arthritis symptoms in your dog; consult a vet as soon as possible.  Your dog may undergo X-Ray procedure in order to diagnose if arthritis is present.

•    Difficulty sitting or standing
•    Sleeping more
•    Hesitancy to jump, run or climb stairs
•    Weight gain
•    Decreased activity or less interest in play
•    Attitude or behavior changes
•    Diminished muscle tone

Canine arthritis treatment

Arthritis in dogs if found in advanced stage is hard to reverse so it is important to diagnose and treat it early. Like human arthritis the approach in treating canine arthritis is similar.

Canine arthritis treatment using drugs main goal is to control the pain thus increase mobility and repair the cartilage. NSAIDs or non-steroid anti inflammatory drugs are the most common pharmaceutical treatment for arthritis in dogs.

But the best of all is to for your dog to have healthy diet and maintain a proper weight. Whatever you choose in treating your dog arthritis, consult first a veterinarian and don’t ever give your dog medicines intended for humans.

Dog Ear Mites - Thing You Need to Know

Ear mites are an external parasite that can infect dogs, cats and more rarely, humans. The mite's name is Otodectes cynotis. Otodectes mites are large enough that they can sometimes be seen with the naked eye and are easy to see with magnification.

Ear mites live in the ears and on the skin of pets infected with them. The mite lives its entire life on the pet and it takes about 3 weeks for a mite egg to develop into an adult mite. The adult mites are very mobile and can live for some time off of a dog or cat, which enables it to be fairly contagious.

The most common sign of ear mite infection is shaking of the head and ears. Dogs may also scratch at their ears, rub their face and in severe cases may even cause bleeding sores behind their ears in their effort to relieve the discomfort from the mites. The intense itching associated with these mites is thought to be due to a hypersensitivity reaction, which is similar to an allergy. Some pets can be infected without showing signs of itching or head shaking, apparently because they don't develop the hypersensivity reaction.

Ear mites are more commonly diagnosed in cats than they are in dogs but they are a significant cause of ear infections in dogs, too. Dark brown to black debris accumulates in the ears of infected pets and the mites may be visible as small moving white specks on the debris. Secondary infection with bacteria or yeast is common in ear mite infections and may complicate the diagnosis. The mites can live on the skin and some dogs and cats appear to have infections that affect only the skin, causing small sores to develop in affected areas. It is important to treat the ears for mites and the whole pet with a product that is capable of killing the mites. Most flea and tick products will kill ear mites on the skin.

In multiple pet households it is important to treat all the pets and to clean the environment, considering the use of premise control insecticides in persistent cases. Ear mites are susceptible to many medications, including pyrethrins, rotenone, fibronil, thiabendazole and ivermectins. It is necessary to treat for at least three to four weeks in most instances to be sure to kill the adult mites and any eggs that may hatch later.

Many veterinary clients treat their dog's ears with over the counter products for ear mites based on the presence of ear inflammation or exudate in the ears, doing this for weeks or months prior to giving up and having their dog's ears examined. There are a number of causes of ear infection in dogs and it is best to have your vet examine your dog's ears to determine if the cause of ear irritation is ear mites or another infection. Doing this can save your dog from weeks of pain or discomfort.

Source: http://www.vetotoscope.com/ear_mite_information.htm

Exercise For Dogs

If exercise is important to us and our health, does it not go without saying that exercise for dogs is just as important. Exercise helps to not only help your dog stay physically healthy, but also promotes better mental health for him.



Physically, exercise for dogs can improve their cardiovascular capacity, promote healthier blood pressure, allow for better digestion of food, tone muscles, increase bone strength and improve joint mobility. Exercise can also promote a healthier state of mind, provide stress relief while also burning off calories and decreasing body fat. Also, exercise can lessen the risk of contracting numerous diseases from heart attacks, diabetes, and arthritis, to cancer. As you can see, the benefits of a regular exercise routine for your dog can be enormous.

Exercise can also help your dog be better behaved. When your pet is involved in a regular exercise program he will be getting rid of all the pent-up energy he may otherwise have put into mischievous or unwanted behaviors, such as being aggressive, barking excessively or chewing.

And, providing a regular exercise program for your dog can help you and he bond better together. You will be sharing time with your pet when you walk him, or jog with him, or take him to the doggie day care centre—whatever you choose as his exercise routine. You can have fun playing with him or teaching him new tricks. This can only improve the relationship that you have together.

Including a daily exercise regime into your pet’s life does not have to be a complicated affair. All movement is exercise, so even if you do not have time to walk your dog for a mile or two everyday, don’t despair. Throw a ball across the room for him to chase. Play tug of war with him with a rope toy. Make him look for a treat you have hidden. Do doggie massage. There are many ways to get your dog moving that don’t take a lot of time. Find something fun for you both to do together.

Alternately, if you are really stuck for time, hire a service to help. There are numerous agencies that specialize in dog-walking, pet resorts, doggie day cares or you can hire a neighborhood child to help you walk your dog. You can purchase a treadmill made especially for dogs to help him get his exercise, or even getting a dog-door built into your house can give him access to his own exercise yard.

You can participate together in agility competitions or various other competitions available, such as dog sledding, sport hunting or herding dog competitions, lure coursing, fly tracking, or obedience competitions. Those are only a few of the ones available.

You can also sign up for various classes for you and your dog to share. A great new one that is becoming popular is doga – yoga for dogs. This type of exercise has all the calming benefits that people find with yoga, plus the stretching and movement for your dog.

The point of this article is that your dog, for his own sake, should not become a couch potato. Getting the proper amount of exercise can help him live a longer and happier life—one that you want to share in for a long time.

Rabies Vaccine Side Effects

Although your vet says vaccination is important in protecting your pet, note that there are side effects that your vet might not tell you. Rabies vaccine is legally required for a companion animal to have as not to be a threat to humans, hence this could cause side effects to your pet.

Your vet has an obligation to inform or discuss to you any side effects of a vaccine and not just the benefits of it.

Rabies vaccine side effects in dogs

After the shot your dog may experience malaise, fever or the worst possible adverse reaction is anaphylactic.  Vaccinosis is a non-immediate reaction that can result to:

Separation AnxietyVomiting
Fever
Facial Swelling
Aggression
Autoimmune diseases
Allergies
Digestive disorders
Fibrocarcinomas

Rabies Vaccine side effects in humans

A vaccine such as for rabies can cause serious problems for humans. The most common is allergic reaction.

Mild Rabies Vaccine side effects
 redness, swelling, headache, dizziness,  abdominal pain, muscle aches,

Moderate Rabies Vaccine side effects
 hives, joint pain, fever

Ringworm in Dogs

Ringworm is a common illness in dogs that can be easily treated and prevented. You should just know how and what can treat ringworms in your dog.

What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a fungus and not a worm that infect humans, dogs, and cats. It can be seen on the skin surface as a round spots though others is not.

Sign of Ringworms

Sign of ringworms in dogs, cats and humans can be characterized by having red round spot, patchy or oblong lesions in the skin though not all can be determined as ringworms. With other skin disease associated with round spots, ringworms makes hard to diagnose and can be misleading to other skin disease. An infected dog with ringworms would be seen with scaly skin and areas in the body with no hair. Ringworms in dogs may or may not be red and itching though may bring discomfort in your dog.

Diagnosis of Ringworms Infection in Dogs

There are many ways to diagnose ringworms in dogs. The common way to diagnose it is the use of ultraviolet light. Ringworms glow when hit with ultraviolet light though the vet may do another test just to make sure. The vet may get a hair sample or skin scrapping for further diagnosis. This process is the more accurate and may take up to 2-3 weeks to get a result.

Treating Ringworm in Dogs

Some healthy dogs infected with ringworms would have the capability of treating themselves for about four months. However in sever cases; treatment for dog ringworm is basically in the form of oral medication or topical creams or medicated shampoos.  The result and treatment may vary on the type of ringworm that your dog have.

Clipping the hair around the infected area is also helpful and needed just make sure to be careful not to irritate the skin or touch the infected area toavoid spreading it.

Griseofulvin
This anti-fungal medication is not prescribed for pregnant and nursing dogs and cats it may cause birth defects. Not also recommended for puppies for its high toxixcaty. Griseofulvin is used for a period of time until all the ringworm traces are gone. Possibleside effects are vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite and depression.

Overweight Dog:How to Cure it

Being overweight in humans can cause many health problems. Having an overweight dog can also be a cause for concern with respect to your pet’s health. Dogs can get some of the same diseases by being overweight that humans can, such as diabetes or heart disease. Other areas of concern may include: hip and joint problems (arthritis), pancreatic and liver disorders, difficulty breathing, reproductive and digestive disorders, circulatory problems, or even increased risk of cancer. As in humans, these can all lead to a decrease in the life expectancy of your pet.

In many ways you can judge your dog to be overweight just as you would a human. And, just as humans dogs come in all sizes and builds, so it is not how much the dog weighs on the scale that matters, but other factors that come into play. You can have a certain breed of dog, such as a black lab, that has a big-boned structure or one that has a smaller-boned build. These two dogs cannot strictly be compared by specific weight guidelines—one may be over the breed weight guidelines and the other may be under.

You will need to check several areas on your dog to determine if he is truly overweight, like the ribs, base of the tail, spine and shoulders, and his waist and abdomen measurement. There is a 5-point procedure that your vet can use to determine if your dog is overweight.
Certain breeds tend to be more prone to being an overweight dog than others. Typically these include: Labrador Retrievers, Beagles, Cairn Terriers, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Shelties, and Bassett Hounds.

Although it is often thought that spaying or neutering your pet will cause him to be overweight, the procedure itself is not the cause. Spayed or neutered animals are generally less active and the decreased activity, or lack of exercise, is the cause of the weight gain (not the procedure).

Before you start your dog on any weight control program, it is a good idea to consult your veterinarian to determine if your dog’s weight problem may be due to a medical condition. Your vet can also help you outline a weight reduction program for your dog to lose weight in a safe manner. Your vet can also provide vitamin supplements that your dog may require during his weight loss program.

As with humans, do not expect your dog to lose all his excess weight overnight. A good amount of weight loss for an overweight dog is to lose about 1-2% of his body weight each week.

Reducing the amount of calories that your pet intakes are usually the best method of weight reduction. That may mean restricting the amount of table scraps and treats that you feed him, or reducing the overall amount of food that he is currently being fed. Reducing your pet’s food 20-40% is a good guide to use.

There are also special ‘diet’ dog foods available on the market today that may help. By using these, you may be able to feed your dog roughly the same amount of food he is currently eating because these products contain lower calories.

A good tip to help your dog lose weight is to feed him more often, but smaller meals, during the day to help control his hunger feelings.

Exercise may also be a key factor in helping your dog to lose weight. Help your dog to stop being a ‘couch-potato’ and make him play and exercise more. You can throw a toy for him to fetch, take him for walks more frequently, or even purchase a treadmill especially designed to dog use.

Currently there are also dietary medications and nutraceuticals that are being examined to help your overweight dog lose weight. Ask your vet if these may now be available.

Dogs Diabetes:Facts You Should Know

Diabetes in dogs is common dog disease. In fact, one in 500 dogs develops diabetes. Although this can be a serious disease, it is also manageable. Diabetes in dogs is typically seen between the ages of 4-14 years old, with a peak incidence at 7-9 years of age. Although diabetes can occur in both male and female dogs, unsprayed females are at a slightly higher risk.

There are certain breeds of dogs that are more likely to develop diabetes than others. Samoyeds, Pugs, Golden Retrievers, Miniature or Toy Poodles, Dachshunds, Miniature Schnauzers, Beagles, Cairn and Australian Terriers and Miniature Pinschers, Keeshonden, and Pulik breeds are known to be among that group.


Signs of Diabetes in Dogs

If you notice that your dog is drinking or eating excessively, or that he is urinating more than usual it may be a sign that he has diabetes. You may also notice that your dog may be losing weight.

A diabetic dog may also develop cataracts on their eyes. You may notice that your dog’s eyes seem to be turning white. This is an indication of cataract development. If this happens, the light is unable to pass through the lens in the eye and your dog will become blind. Although it is possible to have the cataracts surgically removed, vision is restored in only 75-80% of dogs. However, you will find that even if your dog does become blind, he will probably still be able to get around fairly well in his home environment.


How to know if your dog have diabetes

If you do note that your dog has any of the symptoms above, you should bring it to the attention of your veterinarian. By testing your dog’s blood glucose and urine, he will be able to confirm if your pet has this disease. Your veterinarian may do additional tests to see if your dog may have other medical problems that are associated diabetes in dogs. These may include tests for urinary tract infection, inflammation of the pancreas, Cushing’s disease, thyroid disease or even cancer. Diabetic dogs can also suffer from heart or kidney disease and anemia. Your vet may do a chest x-ray, and an x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen to test for these problems, as well as the typical blood and urine tests.

Diabetes is another dog health problem that needs attention. It is important to see signs and symptoms at the early stage.

Dogs diabetes medication

If your dog has been diagnosed with diabetes, your vet will probably recommend a special diet and possibly injection or pharmaceutical intervention. Your dog may also be put on a reducing regime if he is overweight. Overweight dogs are typically more prone to developing diabetes, just like their human counterparts. Your dog’s weight will need to be reduced gradually through a diet and exercise program, probably over the course of a few months.

Exercise “burns up” blood glucose in the same way insulin does. By providing your dog with an exercise routine will also help manage dog’s diabetes. Your dog will need to be on a fairly consistent exercise routine because this can affect the amount of insulin your dog will need.

It is important to point out that if your dog is taking insulin regularly; changing his activity level may cause your dog to have a hypoglycemic episode (low blood sugar). This in turn can affect how much insulin he needs. It is up to you to monitor your dog’s blood glucose levels, especially if you plan on taking your dog out for extra exercise, like swimming or extra play at the dog park to lessen the risk of your dog diabetes; you should then change his insulin dose accordingly.

For Better Dog Health is through a Dog Massage

Chances are that in your dog’s lifetime, he has suffered some sort of muscle injury by jumping off the couch the wrong way, twisting his foot in a gopher hole, or wrenching his back while leaping to grab a Frisbee. The injury may not be apparent at first, but perhaps your dog has only seemed to slow down a little in his everyday motions or play. In one of these instances, dog massage could probably help your dog.

Dealing with Your Dog Heartworm

Going to your pet’s veterinarian is time consuming and costly too, then again you wouldn’t own a pet if you don't have time and money to spare. Regular check up once or twice a week because of some ailment is a dreadful thing for you and your pet.

To save you from trouble and even your pet life, preventive medicine for your pet is needed. As you know animals have only short span of life and if not given proper vaccinations and medications their life span would be shorter than it should be.

Dogs, puppies and even cats are prone to various sorts of parasites. They are at risks when infested and some are in great danger even to us humans. To have a better view, parasites are tiny creatures that sucks and feed in animals blood, they are the main cause you see small wounds or skin redness in your pet. Internal and external parasites greatly contributed in dogs and cats sickness.

Parasites like heartworm that comes from mosquito bites are fatal if not caught early. An adult heartworm lives in the heart and vessels of the dog and apparently produces hundreds of young heartworms causing difficulty in breathing and unfortunately death.


Imagine that these parasites are on your precious pet and they even live and feed at the expense of your beloved dog or cat.

To ensure that your dog is free from heartworm parasites, preventive medication should be given especially in the early months of the dog to avoid such problem on the dog’s health the same applies on the cats.

Most dog medicines for heartworm are beef-flavored-chewable tablet given to dogs through ingestion once in every month to ensure protection and some are injectable administer by the veterinarian.

Tablets are more convenient and you can even administer on your own provided that you read carefully the directions on how to use the medicine.

Do Dogs Have Nervous Breakdown Too?


This is Chuckie, my six months old puppy.

Yes! Dogs have nervous breakdown too. In fact they are more prone to it than any other animals. So don't stress your dog.

First Visit to a Vet: What to Expect?

As a dog owner you must understand your dog behavior. Like us humans, dog may act different if scared and if the things around him are new. Dog first visit to a vet may cause him to act differently-its normal.
You may notice that your dog is stressed and quivered. If this happened, try to relax and calm your dog by cuddling him. This will help him feel secured.

The veterinarian may give him a couple of shot and this may be the reason for him to feel lethargic. It is normal just let him rest and he will be alright again. I remember my dog still a puppy back then for his first vet visit for vaccine shots. He got wary after the two shot and rest in my lap but as soon as we got home he is good as new. This may feel you a little upset as I feel when I saw may dog get listless but dog need vaccines. Just make sure to give comfort for your dog especially treats to help him feel alright.

You Got a Dog, Now What?

After the long process of getting a dog, take a deep breath and relax. Enjoy your new member of the family company for there are still lots of things to do.

When it comes to first stop is to visit a dog veterinarian. It is best for your dog to have a check up once you got your dog. This will ensure your dog health in good condition. When I first bring my to his vet, he is given booster shot for anti rabies, parvovirus,heartworm as well as deworming. So if you have a puppy better have him scheduled with his veterinarian to avoid illness.