Whether your furry friend is a young pup or an older dog, they are at risk of developing various health conditions. Aside from the more serious conditions, like diabetes, there are also some more common conditions to take note of.
These conditions may not be life threatening, but it is still important that you know how to deal with them. Just like you learn about different conditions that could affect your family, it’s important that you do the same for your pet.
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To ensure that you know what signs to look for, here is our guide to common health problems your dog could develop and what to look for. To find out more, keep reading, below:
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis might be uncomfortable and irritating for your dog, but it isn’t harmful. Skin conditions in dogs are quite common, especially during the summer months. The warm weather leads to allergies flaring up, such as allergies to grass or pollen.
Atopic dermatitis is one of many dog skin problems that is caused by allergies. Believe it or not, it’s fairly common and affects between seven and 10 percent of dogs. The symptoms to look out for are scratching of the face, sneezing, a runny nose, watery eyes, and paw chewing.
Just like hay-fever only affects certain people, atopic dermatitis only affects certain dogs. However, it is a common condition, so is worth keeping an eye out for.
Osteoarthritis
Just like humans, dogs are also prone to bone and joint problems, such as osteoarthritis. While this condition tends to affect older dogs, some younger dogs can also develop it, so it’s important to know the symptoms.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder that affects the knees, hips, and elbows. Larger breeds of dogs, like Dobermans and Labradors, tend to be more prone to bone problems, so can develop them at younger ages. While smaller dogs don’t tend to develop these issues until they are older and at least 10 years old.
In dogs, the symptoms of osteoarthritis can go unnoticed for quite some time, as the symptoms are fairly subtle. The symptoms to look out for are stiffness, walking strangely, and struggling with strenuous tasks.
Urinary tract infections
Yes, just like humans, dogs can also develop these painful and pesky infections. Canine UTIs are similar to human ones, caused by bacteria; these infections can be nasty.
How UTIs occur in dogs is the same as in humans, bacteria enter the urinary tract, breed and cause an infection. If your dog develops a UTI, they will be uncomfortable and most probably, will also be in pain.
When it comes to UTIs in dogs, the symptoms to look out for are crying or whimpering when urinating. As well as loss of bladder control, difficulty urinating, and bloody or cloudy urine.
There are also lots of other conditions your dog could develop. However, these are the most common ones.
If you notice that your furry friend is unwell, don’t hesitate, take them straight to the vets. When it comes to your pet’s health, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.