Dog and puppy owners need to be sure they understand a few dog health problems basics so they can help their pets if by chance they contract one of the common dog health problems. There is an old wives’ tale that many people still believe that the way to tell if a dog is healthy is if their nose is cold and wet. There are no scientific basis for this belief as no one can tell from how wet or how cold a dog’s is has anything to do with hereditary heart problems, parasites, intestinal worms, blindness, deafness and every other health problems that dogs can contract.
Pet owners should totally repudiate such beliefs that have no scientific basis and instead pay strict attention to the physical condition of their dog in general making sure they regularly check for disease symptoms or signs in the eyes, teeth, ears, mouth and skin regions. On top of that, the dog owner should be responsible enough to provide all the care and attention that their dogs need including proper nutrition, preventative medicine and good grooming to ensure that their pets will be in good and healthy condition for years to come.
Symptoms of Dog Health Problems
There are several dog health symptoms that signify certain canine health problems and particular diseases. Dog owners need to make sure they are familiar with symptoms of potential dog health problems so they can take quick action and avoid bigger problems later on.
* Overall, a healthy dog’s coat is shiny, soft to the touch and full. Dogs with wire coats should have springy and thick strands. Types of dogs that have double coats need to show zero indication of thinning in the undercoats.
* Redness or inflammation, open sores, scabs, flakes, lumps or cyst like growths on the skin can be signs of health issues. Its importatn that both your dog’s fur and skin remain free of parasites – little organisms like fleas or ticks or mites. If your dog is scratching or biting him or herslef a lot this could mean they have skin parasites.
* Just like people, if your dog’s eyes are bright and shiny, this is a good healthy sign. Around their eyeballs, dogs have an area that needs to be pink to show that they are healthy. This region is called the conjunvtiva and if its pale in color, this could mean some hidden health challenges. There should also be no abnormal discharges from the eyes, particular yellow or green colored fluids.
* Bad odors and/or bloody discharge from the ears is good symptom that something is wrong. Your dog’s ears need to be kept clean and free of signs of parasites.
* Dog gums that maintain a healthy rosy pink color and which might have a bit of black color as well is a pretty good indication of good health. Pale colored gums can be a sign or symptom of anemia. Sore looking red gums that bleed could be sending you the signal that you dog has a peridontal problem while emphasizing that your dog has some health issues with really bad breath.
* Going back to the age-old belief on the dog’s nose, a healthy dog normally has a cold and wet nose but this should be caused only by clear and watery discharges that are common in dogs. If a foul and colored discharge from the nose emanates, this is a sign of an abnormal condition and should be looked at. Discharges like this in puppies could spell signs of distemper and may be fatal if not cared for immediately.
A few other things that indicate a healthy dog are the weight – normal for the breed, body temperature – dogs get fevers just like children, and how the urine and feces look and smell. The most important thing is to understand these symptoms of dog health problems so that the minute you spot something out of the ordinary, you can take action right away.
Tags: dog health, dog health problems, dog health questions, dog health symptoms
