Correctly detect and act on the most common dog diseases
Just like us humans, our four-legged companions can also suffer from numerous diseases. Some are easily treatable, others only to a limited extent or not at all. In such cases, helping the dog to live with the disease. Read in this basic article which dog diseases are most common, by which symptoms you recognize them, and what you can do about them.
The most common dog diseases and their symptoms
Many diseases of our dogs are comparable or identical to those of humans. These include allergies, inflammation, and tumors. Other diseases only affect certain animals or are specific to dogs. Below you will find an overview of the most important dog diseases and their symptoms.
Preventive examinations in dogs
Older dogs are more susceptible to disease than young, active animals. Preventive examinations at the veterinarian ensure healthy aging for your senior. With proper nutrition and regular health checks, for example, small dogs can live up to 18 years.
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This is how your dog stays healthy: regular check-ups at home.
To vaccinate, you have to go to the veterinarian regularly, but between these appointments, you can do the home check yourself so that you can quickly recognize changes and react to them. Weight, coat and eating behavior, feces, smell, and activity always measure for the well-being of your fur nose. It is best to do this monthly check-up for grooming. This includes weighing and controlling coat, skin, ears, eyes, teeth, and breath. The inside of the ears should be a soft pink, odorless and clean, the whites of the eyes clear, the inner corner of the eye clean, and the pupils should be normal in size and sensitive to light. When printing on the pink gums, a white fingerprint should only be created for a short moment. Tartar, soft and discolored plaque, or foul-smelling breath are alarm signs. After all, you should examine your dog everywhere – even around the head – and scan for conspicuous bumps, crusts, cuts, foreign bodies, or bald spots.
If you feel or have recognized something unusual, our veterinary team of Dr. Fressnapf is available to you quickly and easily online. Via video chat, the experienced veterinarians are able to take a first look at your darling and give recommendations for further therapeutic measures. If it is obviously not an acute disease, you may save yourself and your dog the trip to the veterinarian. If you are unsure whether our veterinarians can help online, describe your concerns to us briefly in the chat. This initial assessment is free of charge for you. Our team will also advise you on general precautions for your pet’s long-term health. If you like, even without a camera – simply via chat. For emergencies such as bite injuries or practical treatments – such as boosting vaccination protection – going to the veterinarian you trust is of course still indispensable.
It is best to combine the regular vaccination appointment with a preventive examination at the veterinarian to avoid and prevent diseases.
The most common dog diseases and their symptoms
Many diseases of our dogs are comparable or identical to those of humans. These include allergies, inflammation, and tumors. Other diseases only affect certain animals or are specific to dogs. Below you will find an overview of the most important dog diseases and their symptoms.
Preventive examinations in dogs
Older dogs are more susceptible to disease than young, active animals. Preventive examinations at the veterinarian ensure healthy aging for your senior. With proper nutrition and regular health checks, for example, small dogs can live up to 18 years.
This is how your dog stays healthy: regular check-ups at home.
To vaccinate, you have to go to the veterinarian regularly, but between these appointments, you can do the home check yourself so that you can quickly recognize changes and react to them. Weight, coat and eating behavior, feces, smell, and activity always measure for the well-being of your fur nose. It is best to do this monthly check-up for grooming. This includes weighing and controlling coat, skin, ears, eyes, teeth, and breath. The inside of the ears should be a soft pink, odorless and clean, the whites of the eyes clear, the inner corner of the eye clean, and the pupils should be normal in size and sensitive to light. When printing on the pink gums, a white fingerprint should only be created for a short moment. Tartar, soft and discolored plaque, or foul-smelling breath are alarm signs. After all, you should examine your dog everywhere – even around the head – and scan for conspicuous bumps, crusts, cuts, foreign bodies, or bald spots.
If you feel or have recognized something unusual, our veterinary team of Dr. Fressnapf is available to you quickly and easily online. Via video chat, the experienced veterinarians are able to take a first look at your darling and give recommendations for further therapeutic measures. If it is obviously not an acute disease, you may save yourself and your dog the trip to the veterinarian. If you are unsure whether our veterinarians can help online, describe your concerns to us briefly in the chat. This initial assessment is free of charge for you. Our team will also advise you on general precautions for your pet’s long-term health. If you like, even without a camera – simply via chat. For emergencies such as bite injuries or practical treatments – such as boosting vaccination protection – going to the veterinarian you trust is of course still indispensable.
It is best to combine the regular vaccination appointment with a preventive examination at the veterinarian to avoid and prevent diseases.
Mange
Mange (scabies) is a highly contagious skin disease that can also be transmitted to humans. It is transmitted by various types of mites. Hair follicle mites, which occur especially in dogs, do not count as mange in the narrow sense.
The symptoms are:
Severe itching (as an allergic reaction to mite saliva)
Skin redness
Rough, dry, and raised skin areas (papules, incrustations, scales, cornifications)
Hair loss
Weakness, emaciation
The entire dog environment requires strict cleaning. All dogs and other animals living in the household must be treated. Be sure to have the mange treated by the veterinarian! In Austria, mange is reportable.
Stomach twist
Stomach rotation is one of the most feared dog diseases of all, as an untreated (and that is, operated) stomach rotation can lead to the death of the animal. Stomach rotation is widespread in large dog breeds with a deep chest, but even small animals can be affected in exceptional cases. In fact, the stomach turns around completely. Due to the rotation, the intestinal entrance, the esophagus, and blood vessels can be completely closed. No emergency first aid measures are possible with a stomach twist.
For the following symptoms, you should visit a veterinarian as soon as possible, better a veterinary clinic immediately:
Bloated abdomen
Uneasiness
Refusal of feed
Salivation
Gag stimulus, futile nausea
In the late state, a drum-like abdomen
So that there is no stomach rotation, it makes sense to distribute the food to smaller portions during the day, for example, three to four times a day. Playing and romping with you or other dogs is taboo for at least 30 minutes after eating. During this time, your dog should rest and digest the meal. Unfortunately, reliable prophylaxis is not possible: there is a suspicion that there may be a nerve disorder that, despite all precautions, leads to stomach rotation.