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AKC: Health

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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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Kidney Disease in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Your dog’s kidneys are essential organs that filter waste products from the bloodstream. When the kidneys are weakened, either by acute or chronic kidney disease, your dog’s health could suffer. Because kidney disease progresses over time, it’s important to learn the common symptoms so tha you can recognize them. If you catch kidney disease in dogs early on, treatment can slow down the progression and allow your dog to live longer. What Is Kidney Disease in Dogs? Kidney disease in dogs is

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Vomiting in Dogs vs. Regurgitation: Everything You Need to Know

It might be gross, but dogs throw up. And there are all sorts of reasons, from eating too fast to serious health concerns. Although you might use the terms interchangeably, vomiting and regurgitating are two distinct behaviors. It’s important to distinguish which one your dog is doing because they have different causes and require different diagnostic tests. Read on to learn all you need to know about regurgitating and vomiting in dogs. What Is the Difference Between Regurgitating and Vomi

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Canine Herpesvirus: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

There’s a good chance your dog has herpes, but it’s not what you might initially think. There is a generally higher prevalence in kenneled dogs versus household pets, but Dr. James Evermann, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Washington State University and a canine herpes expert says that infection rates vary from 15% to 100% based on surveys conducted studying antibodies in the blood serum. So what is it, and how do dogs get it? What is Canine Herpesvirus? Canin

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Heart Murmurs in Dogs: What to Know

Just as with humans, a dog’s heart health is an important component of their physical well-being. When your vet checks your dog’s heartbeat with a stethoscope, one of the key things they are listening for is a heart murmur. But what does a murmur mean for your dog, and what should you do if your vet finds one? What Is a Heart Murmur? Dog anatomy is similar to human anatomy in that the heart is responsible for pumping blood through the body. The heart does this with four chambers—two ventri

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Glaucoma in Dogs: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

There is nothing as heartwarming as staring into the loving eyes of your dog. But how much thought do you give to your dog’s eye health? Conditions like cataracts can affect your dog’s vision, and signs like cloudy eyes warrant a trip to your veterinarian. But there is another type of eye disease that may be harder to spot – glaucoma. Learning what to look for will help you identify the condition as soon as possible and provide your dog with appropriate treatment and pain relief. What Is Glau

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Yeast Infections in Dogs: What to Know

Yeast infections in dogs are common, especially in certain breeds or dogs with underlying conditions and compromised immune systems. While they can occur anywhere on the skin, they are often seen in your dog’s ears. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing serious complications. Here’s what to know about yeast infections in dogs to keep your dog healthy. What Causes a Yeast Infection in Dogs? Yeast is a live, single-celled microorganism classified as a member of the fungus kingd

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How to Get Your Dog to Stop Counter-Surfing

Stealing food off the kitchen counter, also called counter-surfing, is a common problem for dog owners. Large dog breeds may place their snouts or front paws on the counter for a forbidden snack, but any dog can indulge. Some small-breed dogs can even jump from the floor straight onto the countertop! You may be reinforcing this annoying (and dangerous) behavior by accident if you leave food or crumbs on the counter and forget that their dogs can get to it. But you can train your dog to stop c

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