7 Common Dog Diseases Cause & Prevention

Dogs have to deal with many different types of diseases just like we humans do. Some of these diseases are very similar to our own, but there are others which are not common to us. It is very important to know certain symptoms those diseases may show in order to act fast and avoid further health damage for your dog. It is especially important because many dogs try to hide their pain in front of their owners, which makes it even harder to notice it. If you see any similarities of these symptoms and your dog’s behavior, do consult a vet to prevent your dog from suffering any longer.

Keep your dog safe by following these prevention tips:

Diseases	Signs	Prevention
Obesity	Check if you can easily feel your dog’s ribs and spine	Document your dog’s weight Exercise Consult a Vet Grain-Free diet recommended
Heart Worm	Breathing difficulties Coughing Listlessness Tiredness Rough coat	Monthly topical Monthly oral meat flavored tablets Yearly injections
Dental Diseases	Starts silent with no obvious signs Later chronic pain Eroded gum missing teeth and bone loss	Daily brushing Dry food and treats to clean the teeth
Distemper	Fever Watery discharge from eye Loss of appetite Depression Dry cough Vomiting Diarrhea	Vaccination (contact your Vet)
Arthritis	Lameness and stiffness Dogs lick at an underlying joint Signs of pain	Avoid foods like corn, milk products, toxic preservatives, and flavour agents Exercise with your dog on a regular basis Use a raw and grain free diet if your dog has been diagnosed and consult a Vet if signs of arthritis appear
Diabetes	Frequent urination Excessive drinking Weight loss Weakness Loss of appetite Vomiting and dehydration Chronic skin infection	Proper diet Exercise Avoid obesity Use harmless medication only
Ear Infection	Scratching of the ear area Brown, yellow and bloody discharge Odor in the ear Redness and swelling Hair loss around ear Extensive head shaking Hearing loss	Regular ear checks for abnormal discharges If ear appears dirty, clean gently Dry wet ear thoroughly Remove excessive hair

Obesity

What is it?

Yes, dog obesity is a growing problem within dogs. If your dog is obese, they are more likely to have Heart diseases, diabetes, and arthritis.

Cause:

It is caused by overfeeding and under exercise for dogs. Every breed has unique exercise and feeding needs. Other diseases and infections can have an effect on your dog’s weight as well. Diet with grains are more likely to cause weight-gain for your pup as the grains in their diets acts like rice in our diet. Carbs makes us put on weight easily and that’s why a grain-free diet is recommended if your pup is overweight!

Signs:

Often we won’t notice the weight gain of our pets in the beginning.
For checking, if you find it tough to feel your dog’s ribs and spine around his midsection, this is a sign that he is putting on too much weight.

Prevention:

Check your dog’s weight on a regular basis
Exercise with your dog
Consult a Vet about your dogs feeding guidelines
Grain-Free diet recommended (No carbs = no fats!)

Heartworm

What is it?

Heart-worm is an infection spread by mosquito and is very dangerous for your dog’s health as the worms will lodge in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels and begin reproducing. This can be very fatal.

Cause:

Mosquito bite

Signs:

Breathing difficulties
Coughing
Listlessness
Tiredness
Rough coat
Early infections are hard to detect and chronic infection may manifest in nonspecific signs

Prevention:

Monthly topical medication (Revolution)
Monthly oral meat flavored tablets
Yearly injections
Annual screenings
Contact your Vet to request for the right medication

Dental diseases

What is it?

Bacterial infection ( inflammation) at the mouth area.

Cause:

Poor dental hygiene, which leads to gum disease and can develop into bacterial infections of the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Signs:

Starts silent with no obvious signs
Later chronic pain
Eroded gum missing teeth and bone loss

Prevention:

Daily brushing
Dry food and treats to clean the teeth
Teeth cleaning is done by a Vet (annual)

Distemper

What is it?

Canine distemper is a virus, that causes a disease of multiple organ systems at the same time. This disease carries a high mortality rate and is highly dangerous for your dog.

Cause:

Infection with the canine distemper virus. It appears often in puppies between 6 and 12 weeks old.

Signs:

Fever
Watery discharge from eye
Loss of appetite
Depression
Dry cough
Vomiting
Diarrhea

Prevention:

Vaccination (contact your Vet)

Arthritis

Source: http://s1164.photobucket.com/user/webimageupload/media/Dog%20arthritis/111arthritis-dogs_zps52632cdf.jpg.html

What is it?

It is the inflammation of one or more of your joints that causes discomfort, pain, and stiffness. Normally older dogs are affected by this problem, but it can develop from an early age as well.

Cause:

Arthritis can have various causes. It can be caused because of the wrong nutrition, toxin builds up, immune system function, injuries and lack of exercise.

Signs:

Lameness and stiffness
Dogs lick at an underlying joint (no obvious wound)
Signs of pain

Signs of Arthritis are often not obvious to the eye but the dog’s behavior instead.

Prevention:

Avoid foods like corn, milk products, toxic preservatives, and flavor agents
Use supplements for calcium, magnesium, sulfur and zinc and essential fatty acids
Check your dog for injuries (often dogs hide minor injuries)
Exercise with your dog on a regular basis
Weight control and an exercise are essential (even when diagnosed)
Use a raw and grain free diet if your dog has been diagnosed