When you care for a dog, you will want to do your best to keep him or her healthy. Dogs can face all kinds of health problems, making it important for you to watch your dog and look for potential health threats. We want to talk about some health threats your dog can face to help you identify and avoid them, so your dog can remain safe.
Obesity
Dogs commonly face obesity, which occurs when they eat too much food. Obesity can lead to serious issues for your dog, such as heart problems, lung issues and even arthritis. This occurs since your dog needs to carry more weight, causing extra strain on the entire body.
Dogs need a balanced diet and exercise to avoid obesity, meaning you should control your dog’s portions and go on walks every day. On top of that, you should choose healthy food options to avoid excessive calories. You can do this effectively as you pay attention to your dog’s weight and focus on losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight.
Arthritis
Arthritis stands out as a common issue for dogs, especially as they get older. Since dogs spend tons of time on their legs, they end up with swelling in their joints, causing pain. Not only does it cause pain, but arthritis can lead to struggles with moving around.
Make sure you watch your dog regularly as he or she walks. If your dog starts to limp on one side or avoid stepping on a foot, you should check his or her feet. You should also stop by the vet if possible to see if your dog needs medication or supplements to properly treat the arthritis.
Overgrown Nails
Dog nails naturally grow as time passes, so you will need to cut them at times. While dogs do need their nails at a certain length, you should pay attention when they start to get long. Otherwise, they could get stuck in fabric and various objects, and your dog could accidentally scratch someone.
Since overgrown nails can get in the way, you need to trim them when they get long. You can easily do it yourself, but you should make sure you don’t cut the nails too low, or you could end up hurting your dog. If you don’t trust yourself to trim your dog’s nails to the right length, you can always hire a groomer to help you.
Overgrown and Dirty Fur
Speaking of grooming your dog, you will also need to care for his or her fur. If you let the fur get too long, your dog will need to carry additional weight on his or her body. This could make it difficult for your dog to walk, especially if the hairs around the pads start to get long.
On top of that, dirty fur can become more attractive to fleas, so you need to put an emphasis on keeping your dog clean. Make sure you give him or her a bath regularly to avoid these problems. How often you clean your dog and cut his or her fur will depend on the breed, so make sure you do some research beforehand.
Ear Infections
Since dogs use their ears often, you need to be mindful of their condition. For example, dogs can get ear infections if you don’t properly care for them. Ear infections can cause your dog to feel pain while also preventing him or her from hearing properly.
As your dog plays or messes around, he or she could get different objects stuck in the ear, causing irritation and pain. The above link uses grass seeds as an example of something that could cause ear infections. On top of that, water can also cause problems, so avoid getting water in your dog’s ears during a bath.
Diabetes
Going off of weight and diets, you should also keep diabetes in mind. Just like humans, dogs can develop diabetes, which causes them to stop producing insulin. This makes it difficult for dogs to eat anything with sugar or carbs in it, which can cause problems since carbs are a major source of calories.
You should pay attention to your dog for signs of diabetes, such as a loss in energy, excessive thirst or weight change. If your dog shows these signs, you should talk with a vet about the situation. That way, you can look into medication options or changes in diet to help your dog remain safe and healthy despite their diabetes.
Tooth Decay
Dogs also need to keep their teeth clean, but they can’t do that on their own. If you don’t care for your dog’s teeth, he or she could face tooth decay along with gum disease. Such problems could lead to teeth loss, difficulty eating and pain in the mouth, which you wouldn’t want your dog to go through.
With this in mind, you should brush your dog’s teeth every day to avoid tooth decay. You can find dog toothbrushes along with dog toothpaste as a way to brush your dog’s teeth while giving him or her a small treat. Feel free to talk with your vet for dental options.
Bowel Issues
Dogs can face a variety of bowel issues, such as diarrhea, vomiting and other problems. When your dog starts to have bowel issues, your dog could lose control of his or her bowels, leading to messes in the home. This can also cause your dog to experience discomfort and pain based on the bowel issue he or she faces.
Make sure you pay attention to what your dog eats to prevent these problems. For example, some dogs have more sensitive stomachs than others, so your dog may need a special diet. You should also watch your dog closely while outside to help him or her avoid any problematic food on the ground. Dogs will face their own health problems, so you need to watch over them. After all, you don’t want your dog to face various health issues, so you should keep your eyes open for these potential threats. As you do so, you can keep your dog safe and do your best to help your dog remain healthy.