Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
For an infectious agent to result in a sick dog, there are two requirements — exposure and failure of the immune system to thwart the infection. Crowded places provide high probability of exposure. Stress can be one of the circumstances that weaken the immune response. To learn how stress increases susceptibility to infection, read The Function of Cortisol: What Happens…
Do you think that the change in your dog’s voice is a concern? What would you make of it if your dog’s bark became hoarser? Kenzo’s story Kenzo was an adult Hovawart, entering his senior years. He’s been always a vibrant, healthy and a happy dog—the king of his kingdom. The first signs of a potential problem were subtle. The…
You would think that figuring out what is causing your dogs limping should be easy. However, it would likely surprise you how often it can be a diagnostic mystery. The reason for your dog’s lameness can be anywhere from their toenails, feet, all the way up to the leg. And sometimes the cause of limping has nothing to do with…
Do you know what it means when your dog has pale mucous membranes, such as gums? Do you think it would be an emergency? Pale, gray or white mucous membranes can be a sign of anemia, shock, blood loss or, severe dehydration, and more. The first thing that would be on my mind is anemia, an insufficient amount of red…
Of the top of your head, can you list three or more potential causes of a swollen abdomen in dogs? How about if the dog is a puppy? Tilly was a happy, active puppy. Nothing was obviously wrong with her except her pot belly. Maybe she was eating a bit too much? Maybe that’s how a puppy ought to look?…