![\"10-common-reasons-dogs-visit-the-vet\"](\"https:\/\/petsent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/10-common-reasons-dogs-visit-the-vet-1024x536.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOur dogs are our friends and family, and just like with any family member, we worry when they fall ill.<\/p>\n
But, dogs can’t talk, describe the pain, or asks or help, so it’s hard to judge how sick they really are.<\/p>\n
Nationwide pet insurance recently published a list of the ten most common reasons dogs were taken to see a veterinarian.<\/p>\n
We’ll take a look at each of those health problems, describing causes, treatments you can try at home, and when you should take your pooch to the vet yourself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image courtesy of youtube<\/a><\/p>\n First on the list, as the tenth most common reasons dogs visited the vet, are eye infections.<\/p>\n Like humans, dogs can get pink eye. It\u2019s an irritating infection of the eye, which you’ll most likely notice through your pooches scratching, and a redness and irritation of the eye itself.<\/p>\n Your dog might also have excessively watery eyes, or produce a discharge from their eyes.<\/p>\n Eye infections can be caused by another of other problems, but the long and short of it is, go see a vet.<\/p>\n Infections require antibiotics to treat them, and most of the other potential causes also should be seen by a veterinarian.<\/p>\n As you\u2019ll tend to notice on this list, dogs are pretty prone to skin problems.<\/p>\n One of the scariest is are skin tumors. As your dog gets older, you may notice a few bumps, like masses of hard tissue under the skin.<\/p>\n You might also notice some warts or bumps around your dog\u2019s mouth.<\/p>\n Luckily, these are usually benign, meaning that they are localized to one spot and will not spread or threaten your dog\u2019s health.<\/p>\n Fatty tumors are most common in middle-aged and older dogs, and dogs that are overweight.<\/p>\n They can occur anywhere, but are most often found on the ribs.<\/p>\n Other causes for these little lumps might include cysts, warts, and other bumps that are generally harmless.<\/p>\n It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the lumps you find, however.<\/p>\n Just as with humans, if a growth changes size or shape, it’s time to see a doctor. Hypothyroidism means that your pooch has an underactive thyroid gland (as opposed to hyper<\/em>thyroidism, which is an over<\/em>active gland).<\/p>\n As with most glands, the thyroid has a whole range of different functions.<\/p>\n However, its biggest job and what\u2019s most likely to be impacted by hypothyroidism is your dog\u2019s metabolism, and a low metabolism can have a number of different adverse effects.<\/p>\n These can include lethargy, hair loss, dry hair, or excessive shedding.<\/p>\n A few other symptoms might more easily be noticed by the vet.<\/p>\n Diagnoses is fairly straightforward, consisting of a blood test which can usually indicate whether your dog is suffering from hypothyroidism.<\/p>\n The treatment is a medication that you give your dog daily.<\/p>\n The specifics will depend on the severity of your dog\u2019s condition, but it\u2019s a very treatable condition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Diarrhea is more of a symptom than illness, but it’s an extremely unpleasant one.<\/p>\n If your dogs poo is loose, it might be for a number of different reasons.<\/p>\n Changing their food, or general intolerance to their food might cause diarrhea.<\/p>\n Allergies, eating the wrong thing, or infections all might cause diarrhea.<\/p>\n Parasites and a few other serious problems can also cause diarrhea.<\/p>\n You may not want to feed your pooch while they are experiencing diarrhea, though be sure to keep to hydrate them by providing plenty of water.<\/p>\n It’s time to take your pooch to the vet when they’ve been having a problem for more than a day, or if you see other symptoms that are worrying.<\/p>\n When in doubt, make an appointment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some breeds are more prone to chewing on random objects than others, but if you own a dog, you most likely have had to snatch something away from pooch before they swallow it.<\/p>\n If you’ve got a really sneaky or determined pup, perhaps you\u2019ve even had to take them to the vet when they’ve swallowed something they really should not have.<\/p>\n Your pooch might have an upset stomach for a number of reasons, but it\u2019s not a lot of fun for anyone.<\/p>\n The first symptom is usually the only one you’ll see: your dog gagging and vomiting.<\/p>\n Addressing the reason for their upset stomach can sometimes solve the problem.<\/p>\n If you’ve just changed your pooches food, or if they’ve eaten something that disagrees with them, time may be the treatment.<\/p>\n Feeding your dog rice or boiled chicken might help their stomach. You should also do your best to keep your pooch hydrated.<\/p>\n If your dog\u2019s upset stomach persists over a longer period, it’s time to visit the vet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dogs are active creatures, and it’s inevitable that at some point your pooch will injure themselves.<\/p>\n Hopefully, it’s a minor scrape or cut which can be easily treated.<\/p>\n More serious injuries should not be treated at home, which is probably why this one is so high on the list.<\/p>\n A small cut or scrape that isn\u2019t too deep can be treated at home.<\/p>\n Your dog may be the gentlest around, but still important to be wary when approaching an injured animal.<\/p>\n They may still bite. You can potentially improvise a muzzle for the animal with a sock or towel.<\/p>\n You should not do this if your dog is vomiting or gagging, however.<\/p>\n Pressure is the first step in any treatment for a cut.<\/p>\n Use a clean cloth or towel to press on the wound, helping it to clot.<\/p>\n Using a mild antiseptic will keep it from becoming infected.<\/p>\n More serious words should be treated by a vet.<\/p>\n Ask your vet what their arrangements are for emergency treatment, so you can be prepared ahead of time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pyoderma is any infection that includes pus, which just sounds unpleasant.<\/p>\n In dogs, it is most often caused by small wounds that become infected.<\/p>\n The main symptom is pus-filled lesions that can form on the skin.<\/p>\n Other symptoms can include crusty patches on the skin, scratching at the skin, and loss of hair.<\/p>\n Some dogs are more likely to develop pyoderma than others.<\/p>\n German shepherds are more prone to the illness than others.<\/p>\n Dogs with existing skin conditions are also more prone to pyoderma, as are dogs with staphylococcus intermedius.<\/p>\n Dogs with skin folds are more liable to bacterial infections on their skin in general, and so are also more likely to develop pyoderma.<\/p>\n It is a bacterial infection, so the treatment can be a course of antibiotics.<\/p>\n Disinfecting your dog\u2019s cuts can help prevent pyoderma.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Arthritis can be caused by a number of factors, but whatever the cause, it\u2019s not a lot of fun for your pup.<\/p>\n Essentially, arthritis is an inflammation of the fluid, cartilage, and bone that make up any joint.<\/p>\n This can lead to other problems, but in any case, it is usually painful.<\/p>\n Dogs are usually pretty active, and that means a lot of wear and tear on their joints.<\/p>\n The delicate cartilage that protects the joint can also simply break down with age.<\/p>\n It can be difficult to diagnose arthritis, as there are few outward signs that your dog is arthritic.<\/p>\n Essentially, the biggest symptom is the pain that they experience.<\/p>\n This can be difficult for you to recognize until your pooch is already in so much pain that they start vocalizing, or moving stiffly.<\/p>\n During a regular checkup, however, your vet will usually check for signs of arthritis.<\/p>\n This is one of many reasons a regular checkup is important.<\/p>\n There are a number of treatments, and in general, the care of companion animals has greatly improved in the last few years.<\/p>\n Joint supplements and massage can also help.<\/p>\n Your vet can help you figure out what\u2019s best for your dog.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dogs can have allergies, just like you or me.<\/p>\n While dog\u2019s allergies can have symptoms similar to most people\u2019s allergies (such as stuffed sinuses and running noses), dogs\u2019 allergies are more likely to express themselves as skin problems.<\/p>\n All allergic reactions are essentially immune reactions mistakenly targeting the body itself, instead of the invading nasties they are meant to.<\/p>\n This can cause inflammation, in humans in the sinuses frequently, and in dogs on their skin.<\/p>\n Symptoms of skin allergies are:<\/p>\n Treatment for skin allergies in dogs can take a couple of different forms.<\/p>\n Vets will sometimes prescribe a topical or internal medication to give the dog immediate relief.<\/p>\n There are also a variety of home remedies that some people have found useful.<\/p>\n However, the best method of helping your dog is finding whatever it is they are allergic to, and removing it.<\/p>\n This can require some time and patience\u00a0as the culprit could be one of a number of things. Food is always a good place to start, as is anything your pooch comes into regular contact with.<\/p>\n Food is always a good place to start, as is anything your pooch comes into regular contact with.<\/p>\n Interestingly, skin allergies can often lead to the single most common cause of vet visits.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The most common cause of vet visits last year was ear infections.<\/p>\n That\u2019s unfortunate, as it’s pretty unpleasant to both dog and owner when a pooch has an ear infection.<\/p>\n Some common symptoms of ear infections include:<\/p>\n Infections in your dog’s ear can have a few causes, such as allergies, foreign matter in the ear, yeast, and ear mites.<\/p>\n Dogs with long hair in their ears or ears that don\u2019t stand erect may be more prone to ear infections.<\/p>\n The diagnosis and treatment is usually fairly simple.<\/p>\n The vet will examine the dog’s ear, and then clean it out.<\/p>\n Your dog will usually have some medicated ointment that you can use at home to make sure the infection is entirely gone.<\/p>\n To cut down on your dog’s chances of getting an ear infection, clean them out every so often with a cotton swab and a cleaning solution.<\/p>\n Your vet can usually recommend one, or you might find one at your pet store.<\/p>\n Be sure to keep your dog’s ears dry as well as clean.<\/p>\n And, if your dog does have hairy ears, ask a groomer or your vet to keep them neatly trimmed.<\/p>\n Dogsaholic<\/a><\/p>\n Sources:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.petinsurance.com\/healthzone\/pet-articles\/pet-health\/Top-10-Reasons-Pets-Visit-Vets.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/thebark.com\/content\/relieving-arthritis?page=2<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/pets.webmd.com\/dogs\/guide\/dog-joint-health-pain-osteoarthritis-and-other-joint-problems<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our dogs are our friends and family, and just like with any family member, we worry when they fall ill. But, dogs can’t talk, describe the pain, or asks or help, so it’s hard to judge how sick they really are. 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Eye Infections<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n9. Benign Skin Tumors<\/h3>\n
\n<\/p>\n8. Hypothyroidism<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n7. Intestinal Inflammation\/diarrhea<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n6. Stomach Upset<\/h3>\n
5. Soft Tissue Trauma<\/h3>\n
4. Pyoderma<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n3. Arthritis<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n2. Skin Allergies<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
1. Ear Infections<\/h3>\n
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\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"10](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LjjEw9adIUA\/maxresdefault.jpg\")
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