Our pets mean a lot to us, and, of course, we want to take good care of them. In order to do that, we need to know what kinds of health problems can affect them, how to identify problems, and what to do about it. Here are a few of the most common ailments that afflict dogs and how to handle these problems:
Ear infections
These are very common among dogs. They can be caused by a number of things, including allergies, yeast, ear mites, bacteria, and hair in the ear canal. You can recognize an ear infection in a dog, because he will exhibit symptoms such as shaking or tilting his head, odor coming from the ear, scratching the ear, losing balance, moving his eyes back and forth, a redness in the ear canal, or some type of discharge coming from the ear.
If your dog has an ear infection, you need to take your pet to a veterinarian. The vet will clean and put medication in the canal, and in most cases, that will clear up the problem.
Worms
This probably comes as no surprise to dog owners. There are several different types of worms that can take up residence in your dog’s gut, including roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms, and whipworms. If your dog has worms, you will probably notice one of the following symptoms – diarrhea, weight loss, change in appetite, a rough, dry coat, scooting on his bottom.
Again, this requires professional treatment. The owner should not attempt to handle the problem alone. The vet will know which medication to give the animal for the type of worm he has.
Fleas
While not an illness, per se, fleas can become a major pain for you and your pet. Again, no surprise here: this is a very common problem. The good news is that fleas are relatively easy to treat. But you should aim to take care of the problem as soon as you discover even one flea because fleas multiply very rapidly – in the space of a few weeks, a few can become thousands.
You can tell that your dog has fleas if he scratches a lot or bites his skin, if he loses hair, if he has hot spots, if you notice flea dirt, which looks like little black dots. Also, if your dog has tapeworm, he may also have fleas because they carry the parasite.
If your pet has fleas, take a trip to the vet to find out which medication would be best to use for your dog. There are a number of different kinds, including oral medication, shampoos, sprays, or topical liquids.
If your dog is sick, you can understand why we ask that you don’t board him with us here at Barney’s Ranch until he’s well.
For more information about our boarding services, contact us at 469-450-7040 or send us a message at info@BarneysRanch.com.