Keep Your Dog Healty And Disease-Free
Like any other pets, dogs, if not properly cared for and maintained, can get diseases. Luckily, many of a dog's common health problems can be prevented by an alert and caring owner.
The most important thing you can do for your dog's health is to be aware of the common parasites which can infect him,
Guard your dog against parasites: worm him regularly
Your dog can pick up parasites anywhere: in your yard, in your local park, and from other dogs. To keep him parasite-free, worm him regularly.
Internal parasites: worm infestations
Hookworks, whipworms, and roundworms are common in dogs.Hookworms: puppies can ingest hookworms with their mother's milk while they're nursing. Hookworms cause anemia. Check your pup's gums regularly, they should be nice and pink. If they look whitish, suspect that the pup has hookworms.
Roundworms are very common in puppies and young dogs. An infected dog may have a potbelly. Roundworms cause pneumonia, diarrhea, dehydration, stunted growth, and vomiting. They'rea severe stress to your pet, and make him very uncomfortable.
Whipworms: A dog infected with whipworms may have diarrhea which stems from a serious bowel inflammation. He may also look unwell and have little appetite.
Tapeworms: A dog gets tapeworms if it swallows fleas which contain the tapeworm larvae. A dog may harbor a tapeworm for many years. As you can imagine, the dog is never completely well with such a problem. If you see rice-like fragments in his stool, suspect tapeworm.
Heartworm: This is a serious problem. When a heartworm-larvae-carrying mosquito bites your dog, it becomes infected with heartworm.
The adult worms eventually take up residence in the heart. Often, the first sign that a dog is infected is a cough and shortness of breath.
External parasites: fleas and ticks
While external parasites may not seem as important as internal parasites, don't take them lightly. Fleas for example, can pass worms on to your dog.Fleas, the commonest among theexternal parasites, cause the dog to continuously scratch various parts of his body. This results in fur loss. Ask your veterinarian for a good flea-control program, since fleas can become resistant to some products over time.
Lice infestations are less common than fleas and they can be controlled more easily.
Ticks can pose more serious problems than fleas because diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or Lyme disease, can be contracted with ticks.
Tweezers can be used to remove ticks one by one. If you do not know how to remove ticks properly and carefully, ask your vet