Commonly Encountered Medical Problems Experienced by Dogs

As faithful companions, dogs have proven themselves to be worthy, living up to the label of being “man’s best friend”.

As such, many dog owners reciprocate a dog’s loyal devotion by going only for the best when it comes to the needs and even wants any dog could possibly have.

Trips to the vet, though not always appreciated by dogs, stand to be a basic “treat” given by dog owners to their pooches, ensuring that loyal buddies remain healthy and free from medical ailments, and as common these “treats” are, there are actually common ailments experienced by dogs, at times cured only with trips to the vet.

Here are two of the most commonly encountered medical problems experienced by dogs.

Ear Infection – as a health problem, ear infections in dogs is considered to be normal, often the result of allergic reactions from external home environment factors.

Also caused by yeast infestation/infections, bacterial growth, hair growth (deep in-ear-canal) issues, and ear mites, dog ear infections are relatively easy to treat, but complications related to ear infections are also known to prevail.

Frequent head tilting/head shaking, ear-area scratching, and ear odor are common tall-tale signs of an ear infection case in a dog, along with a dog’s inability to balance themselves, out-of-the-normal eye movements, persistent skin redness and swelling.

A thorough ear cleaning procedure typically resolves a dog ear infection case, while more compounded or complex cases may require surgery (particularly when head shaking/scratching has led to the rupturing of internal blood vessels).

Ear infections, generally, are painful for dogs, and in offering the best for pooches, trips to the vet facilitate the administration of professional remedies in resolving problematic doggy ears.

Worms – internal parasites such as hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms and whipworms are common to be found in dogs, but its commonness doesn’t mean that it is a condition which can just be ignored.

Typically, the presence of worms is defined by diarrhea (with signs of blood), appetite loss/change of frequency, weight loss, and poor coat quality (either rough, dry or both). “Scooting”, where a dog frequently rubs his/her buttock regions, is often heralded to be a sure-fire sign that one’s dog has worms.

In finding a cure to resolve doggy worm problems, a trip to the vet remains to be the best option since properly diagnosing what type of worm and what treatment options to undertake are more defined to get rid of worms in dogs.

Trips to the vet negates the risks of guesswork, heading on a more straightforward solution in resolving the presence of worms.

If your dog happens to exhibit signs of an ear infection and/or the presence of worms, visiting your vet as soon as possible lessens the potential spread and complication of conditions.

After all, only the best is what a dog owner can give to his/her loyal best buddy.