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Choosing Probiotics for Your Dog: Boosting Health and Well-Being

This is a Paid Advertisement for Pet Honesty You’re always taking steps to prioritize the health and happiness of your dog, whether it’s through their food, exercise, beds, or anything in between. One powerful way to support their health that may not be top of mind is through probiotics for dogs. Probiotics are bacteria that can be very beneficial to your dog’s health. These live microorganisms may be beneficial for gut health for dogs and people alike. But what are the benefits of probiot

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Can Dogs Be Albino?

People have long wondered whether dogs can be albino — they can be! While dogs can be albino, they don’t have the quintessential snow-white fur and ruby-red eyes many people associate with albinism. Because of that, until recently, people disagreed over whether albino dogs even existed. But they do exist. Albino dogs have light cream to white fur and light blue to almost white eyes. There’s no such thing as an albino dog breed, but albino dogs are found more often in some breeds than others,

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Puppy Strangles: What You Need to Know About This Rare Skin Disease

Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting time, and you want to do everything you can to ensure they have the best start to life. There’s a lot to cover, which also means it can be a little overwhelming, especially if they get sick. Despite all of the things that you can do to prepare, there are still illnesses and reactions that you may not be able to immediately identify. One of these, although rare, could be what’s known as “puppy strangles,” or juvenile cellulitis. It is also sometimes called

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Why Do Dogs Lick Their Butts?

It seems that dogs missed the memo that it’s impolite to lick their butts when people are watching. When owners see their dog’s tongue going, well, back there, it can be cringeworthy for people. But this behavior is completely normal for dogs, and they don’t feel any shame about it. Is there a purpose to it? Why Do Dogs Lick Their Butts? It’s actually very natural for dogs to lick their butts. “Dogs licking their anus is a normal behavior and part of their regular grooming process,” says D

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Lymphoma in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Lymphoma is a common cancer in people and dogs that affects the lymph nodes and lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of organs, tissues, and vessels. It is responsible for fighting infection and keeping a healthy level of fluids throughout the body. While older dogs tend to be more predisposed to developing cancer, younger dogs can also be at risk. Understanding lymphoma can help owners come to terms with their dog’s condition, assisting them in making more informed decisions abo

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The Health Benefits of Being a Dog Owner

This is a Paid Advertisement for Dogtopia There’s a reason that dogs are the most popular pet in America. Beyond their loyalty, companionship, and affectionate nature, dogs have also been shown to offer health benefits to their owners. From reducing stress levels to helping improve physical fitness, owning a dog can actually be a game-changer for your overall well-being. Aside from the fact that they’re devoted to us, here are some of the health benefits of having a dog. Increased Physical

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Dog Hearing Aids: Innovations in Assisting with Canine Deafness

For over a century, humans with hearing loss have used electronic hearing aids. But what about if your otherwise healthy dog is suffering from hearing loss? Are dog hearing aids available, and will they improve your pet’s quality of life? When Were Dog Hearing Aids Created? In the late 1980s, Dr. Patricia Luttgen created the first prototype by attaching a human hearing aid to a dog’s collar. Dog hearing aids have evolved considerably since then. A modern pioneer in canine auditory aids is

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Dog Paralysis: What to Know

Paralysis can happen not just to humans but to dogs, too. Defined as an inability to voluntarily move parts of your body, having a dog with sudden paralysis can be scary for both of you. Similarly, if your dog is paralyzed long-term, there will likely be changes in your life as you knew it. While sudden paralysis is an emergency, it’s one you must approach calmly. Here’s what to know about symptoms and causes of canine paralysis, as well as what steps to take if you think your dog may be paralyz

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House Fires: How to Prepare Your Dog

A few weeks ago, my dog began barking at 4 a.m. At first, I assumed she was barking at the raccoons in our backyard trees, but then I noticed a horrible roaring sound. Looking out the windows, I saw flames licking at my neighbor’s roof. Immediately, I put our fire drill plan into place. I put my cat in a travel carrier, leashed my dog, and grabbed emergency materials while calling 911, prepared to leave if needed. Thankfully, my neighbors and their dog were safe, and the fire department arriv

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Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs: What to Know

My Portuguese Water Dog, Fin, was still an active dog at 12 years old. We took 2-mile walks daily, visited a local elementary school each week where children read to him, and made monthly visits to memory care patients. One day, very suddenly, Fin became unresponsive and confused. After a few minutes, he was back to normal until the same thing happened again several days later. What was going on with him? Fin’s veterinarian took a blood sample, which showed an unusual pancreatic enzyme count.

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Luxating Patella: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Imagine you’re playing ball with your dog, and your pet suddenly yelps in pain, holding a hind leg up and out behind their body. If you are close enough, you may even hear a little pop. A situation like this could be caused by many different things, but that sound is a clue that your dog might have a luxating patella. Patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopedic conditions diagnosed in dogs. The American College of Veterinary Surgeons found that it occurs in 7% of puppies. But what

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Pyoderma in Dogs: What You Need to Know

If your dog is experiencing itchy skin, inflamed skin, or flaking, it can be caused by many different things. One of dogs’ most commonly diagnosed skin diseases is a bacterial infection known as pyoderma. While this condition might seem superficial and easy to treat, it’s often just the tip of the iceberg and goes below the skin. Pyoderma in dogs typically masks another underlying condition, so it’s worth checking out if your dog is experiencing symptoms. Understanding canine pyoderma could h

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Leptospirosis in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Some dogs can hardly contain their excitement when it’s time to go for a walk. As dogs explore, they may get into soil and water, and you may not realize that even those can be dangerous for your dog’s health. The microorganisms in soil and water, such as a fungus or bacterium, can make your dog sick. Dogs who come into contact with one type of microorganism, a bacteria called Leptospira, may develop a potentially life-threatening disease called leptospirosis. Here’s what you need to know abo

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Spay and Neuter Alternatives: Hormone-Preserving Sterilization

People spay or neuter their dogs for many reasons. Research has shown that gonadectomy (removing the gonads) removes any chance of testicular or ovarian cancer as well as pyometra (infection of the uterus). It also possibly lowers the chance of breast cancer in dogs, as well as the chance of some hernia and prostate problems. However, studies have shown that a gonadectomy can be associated with an increased chance of select diseases in some dogs. These conditions include obesity, urinary inco

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Everything You Need to Know About Chiropractic Care for Dogs

Like people, dogs can experience health issues that affect their mobility and quality of life. Alongside traditional medicine, your veterinarian might suggest a holistic or whole-body approach to treating your dog. Complementary and alternative medicine is an umbrella term that captures different practices such as acupuncture, chiropractic, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, massage, and herbal remedies. According to the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA), chiropractic involves mani

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Swimmer’s Tail in Dogs: What Is It and How Do You Treat It?

One of the most pleasant things about dogs is their wagging tails. But what do you do when your dog has lost their wag? Sometimes a dog’s tail can hang limp or droop down lifelessly. Does tail trouble mean your dog is feeling blue? Or is something physically wrong with your pet? Although a tucked tail can indicate anxiety or fear, if your dog’s tail is limp when it would normally be perky, you may be looking at swimmer’s tail. What Is Swimmer’s Tail? Swimmer’s tail comes on quickly and aff

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What to Do if a Spider Bites Your Dog

Many people have a fear of spiders, but it seems like few dogs share that fear. Dogs often shove their noises into dark nooks and crannies that spiders often call home, some of which are venomous. Dogs also tend to sleep in places more likely inhabited by spiders. The result? Your dog may be bitten by a spider. The problem is that people can usually tell their doctors about a spider bite, and dogs can’t. So it’s up to the owner to recognize the signs of a spider bite and to know which bites a

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Hernias in Dogs: What You Need to Know

Not all conditions are easy to physically identify, and lumps in different places could mean different conditions. If you’ve ever seen a puppy with a bulding belly button, or a lump near your dog’s inner thigh or anus, it could be a sign of a hernia. But what is a hernia, and what does it mean when your dog has one? What Are Hernias in Dogs? Hernias in dogs are actually quite common. Aside from there being a bulge where there shouldn’t be one, what exactly are they? Just as in people, a he

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Ataxia in Dogs: What You Need to Know

If you have an active, energetic dog, you’ve probably witnessed the combination of an excited dog and polished wood floors. You’ve likely seen a similar scenario: your dog runs across the wood floor to bark at someone who rang the doorbell, and their hind legs slide out from underneath them, causing them to fall. However, if they try to get up, they keep falling down, and this happens over and over again, a slippery floor may not be the cause. Take note if their legs seem to be flying in diff

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IBD and IBS in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Your vet says your dog has IBD. Or was it IBS? The two terms can be confusing. IBS stands for Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome and IBD for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The term IBS is rarely used in veterinary medicine. IBD, on the other hand, is a common condition in dogs. To complicate matters further, both IBD and IBS are syndromes rather than diseases. “IBD is caused by a specific inflammatory reaction to chronic irritation of the intestinal tract,” Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for

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Dementia in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatments

We all want our dogs to live long, full lives, but a dog’s senior years can present challenges. More frequent naps are no surprise, but aging dogs may deal with more serious conditions, such as chronic kidney disease or hearing loss. Physical decline isn’t the only concern in older dogs. What about your dog’s cognitive abilities? Can dogs get dementia? Unfortunately, dog dementia impacts many older dogs, and it’s basically the dog equivalent of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. What Is Dog Demen

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Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Closer to Solving the Mystery?

In 2018, veterinarians noticed that an increasing number of dogs were showing signs of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This condition occurs when the heart muscles weaken and can’t pump blood as effectively throughout the dog’s body. These dogs didn’t belong to breeds known to be at risk for DCM, but they did seem to have one thing in common—they were eating either grain-free diets or “boutique” diets, often with unusual, grain-free, or legume-rich ingredient lists. Unexpected DCM Can Be Fatal

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Acupuncture For Dogs: What to Know

Managing chronic pain in dogs can be challenging and a genuine source of worry. It’s natural to search for solutions to help your companion be as comfortable as possible, especially if you want to minimize the potential long-term side effects of pain meds. You might be considering holistic complementary therapies. One of the most well-known of these is dog acupuncture, which is growing in popularity and credibility. Learn more about the potential benefits and limitations of this low-risk treatme

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