All you need to know about Dog Health


Whether you are already a dog owner or consider becoming one you should make sure to get to know some basics about dog health. We will be trying to cover all the basics on our site. If you find yourself with some questions not being answered, please feel free to use the comment function!

Most Common Dog Health Problems

According to WebMD, the five most common dog health problems are

  1. Ear Infections
  2. Worm Infestations
  3. Flea Infestation
  4. Vomiting
  5. Diarrhea

Ear Infections

They are a very common health problem and can be caused by a lot of factors such as allergies, bacteria, yeast and ear mites. Some of the symptoms are head pressing /shaking or tilting, vigorous scratching and lack of balance.

In case you think that your dog is having an ear infection always visit your veterinarian. Solving the problem often times is very quickly if detected soon enough.

Worm Infestation

Internal parasites are a common issue for dogs. There are quite a number of different worms which require different treatments. So make sure to visit your doctor in case your dog is showing some of the below signs:

  • Diarrhea
  • Change in appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Scooting on his bottom
  • Excessive Vomiting

Flea Infestation

They “come as quickly as they go” so to speak. While it is very easy for your dog to pick them up, they can be quickly treated (successfully) once detected. Some of the signs include

  • Hair loss
  • Scratching, biting and licking at the skin
  • Flea dirt

Make sure to talk to your vet to check out the best way to get rid of them.

Vomiting

There are dozens of possible causes for dogs vomiting. If you find your dog to be vomiting often and maybe even in combination with diarrhea make sure to visit your vet as soon as possible to find out the reason for it.

Diarrhea

Same as vomiting this can have multiple reasons such as infections, infestations, food problems or stress. It is one of the more obvious illnesses in dogs but should be carefully watched. Due to the loss of a lot of water it comes with a high risk of dehydration. Therefor make sure to have enough clean water for him to drink and keep a close eye on your friend.

If the issue persists for more than one day or comes up with any other symptoms such as fever make sure to visit the vet in order to find out the root cause.

 

Dog Health Insurance

It can happen to any of us: serious illness hitting your beloved ones. This is true both for your human as well as your canine companions.

While formerly veterinarians usually recommended to “put them to sleep”, nowadays there quite some options to get access to a more complete veterinary care. Obviously, this is often accompanied by huge costs.

The two factors above are the reason that more and more pet owners end up asking themselves if they should get a dog health insurance.

How does it work

Similar to the human health insurance, the dog insurance is there to help you afford medical treatment. It is difficult to say exactly how it works in which cases because the coverage varies from provider to provider and between different plans.

Who needs Dog Health Insurance?

This is actually a very personal decision. If you are considering to get one, make sure that you do so as long as your pet is still at a young age. Please also keep in mind that there are some dog breeds which don’t qualify for insurance. But at the end of the day the choice is yours and really comes down to how you feel towards pet treatments.

Pros and Cons of Dog Insurance

The downsides to it are the costs and lots of factors which are hidden in the fine print, so make sure to read it all!

The greatest advantage however is that it helps you in case your canine friend needs expensive medical care. It is especially a good option to consider if you own more than one dog/pet as a lot of companies provide discounts for plans on multiple pets.

Two of the biggest and best insurance companies are Pet Insurance  and Trupanion. But those are only two out of thousands, so make sure to check out multiple plans to find the right one to choose from!