By Leo Wilson
Like humans, dogs can suffer from a variety of health problems ranging from intestinal parasites, skin disease and ear infections, eye problems, digestive upset, and dental disease.
Knowing a little bit about your dog’s organs and how they function can help you spot those problems. Keep reading the article!
1. Ears
Your dogs can hear four times the distance of humans. Since dogs have such sensitive ears, they can always hear something!
Also, dog ears are prone to infections. A consistent ear cleaning routine and quality nutrition will help avoid infections. However, if your dogs have more severe ear problems like mites and ear flap hematomas, you must take them to the vet.
2. Eyes
Like people, dogs can suffer from a range of eye problems. Common eye problems in dogs are cataracts, injuries, conjunctivitis, and eyelid deformities.
Watch for any redness, swelling, discharge, discomfort, itching, cloudiness or dryness and go to the vet at the first sign of a problem.
To avoid some of these dog eye problems, special care should be taken to keep hair and other debris from their eyes.
While eye problems in dogs are prevalent in our precious pooches, the good news is that treatment is not only always effective – but affordable too.
3. Brain
The part of the brain that controls smell is 40 times larger in canines than it is in humans. While a dog’s intelligence compares in human terms to that of a 2-year-old child, dogs have skills no human of any age could ever hope to possess.
4. Mouth
A dog’s mouth is much more than a woofer for various vocalizations — it’s actually a barometer of his overall well-being.
Dog mouth problems are surprisingly common and can be caused by anything from abrasions, infection, or chewing on inappropriate items, to a genetic predisposition for oral cancer.
Chewing is not bad. It is a normal and necessary activity for a dog. Chewing only becomes a problem when your dog chews things you don’t want him to chew.
When you are away from home or are too busy to watch your dog, confine him in a place where he can’t get into trouble. For some dogs, this can be a small room. For many, this means a dog crate. When confined, your dog will be safe and will not be able to get into anything he shouldn’t.
If you have a puppy, plan to crate training him until he is at least one year old to get through the worst of the teething periods.
5. Teeth
Over 80% of dogs over the age of three have active dental disease.
And small breed dogs are more likely to have dental issues. Why? Because their teeth are often a little too large for the size of their mouths.
If you notice any signs of dental or gum disease, you should consult your veterinarian for care tips.
6. Heart
Have you ever wondered how common is heart disease in dogs?
Whether you believe it or not, heart disease is one of the most common problems in dogs, especially in large breeds. Most importantly, the incidence of heart disease increases dramatically with age.
If you are seeing any of the following signs in your dog, you should let your veterinarian know as soon as possible: tired, lack of energy; reduced ability to exercise; difficulty breathing; restlessness; frequent coughing;….
Like us, preventative measures are key. To get started, feed your large pooch a healthy diet. Don’t forget to make sure they get enough exercise. And finally, take your dogs to the vet for yearly checkups.
However, if your dog has been diagnosed with heart disease, don’t lose hope. With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment and management, you increase your dog’s opportunity to live a more normal life.
7. Liver
The liver is responsible for many things. Liver disease is listed in the top five causes of deaths in senior dogs. This statistic may be because liver damage is difficult to determine. Why? Because many of the symptoms are similar to other issues affecting your dog.
Be sure to take your dogs to the vet if they have any of these signs: vomiting and diarrhea, weight loss, jaundice (yellowing eyes, ears, or gums),…
8. Stomach
Stomach problems are very common in dogs. Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases affect a dog’s stomach, intestines, and the passage of food through the digestive tract.
Most dogs will have some type of stomach upset in their lifetime, perhaps even frequently. However, if an upset stomach persists, especially with vomiting and diarrhea, it can be a major problem.
Stomach problems in pets could be a result of many factors. If you notice your dog is having signs of stomach upsets, always ask your vet for proper advice before giving medications to your dog as not to worsen the condition.
While many dogs have “sensitive stomachs”, but the deep-chested breeds are predisposed to serious – sometimes life-threatening.
Taking good care of your pet means feeding it the right type of food as well as taking precautionary measures. If you’re owning a deep-chested dog breed, such as a boxer, it’s necessary to feed them quality food to prevent stomach issues.
9. Kidney
Much like the liver, the kidney is prone to damage from toxins and medications. This kind of damage can lead to kidney disease and even kidney failure in dogs. Kidney disease is classified in two ways; acute and chronic.
Antifreeze is one of the most common toxins that causes kidney failure in dogs.
When the kidneys are no longer able to filter out toxins from your dog’s bloodstream, the kidneys go into failure. It means the kidneys have stopped working altogether.
Can kidney disease in dogs be prevented?
A balanced, low in fat, species-appropriate diet will supply your pet with the fundamental nutrients needed for their body, which will give your dog the best chance of staying healthy.
Always take them to your vet for an annual health check to ensure any signs of disease can be spotted as soon as possible.
10. Bone & Joint
How common is arthritis in dogs?
The older your dog is, the more chances that his sudden lack of appetite, slow movement or fatigue are due to arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, if your dog is more than 7 years of age, there’s a 65% chance he’s suffering from the disease.
Sometimes dogs are just forced to live with hip and joint pain. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your dog’s quality of life.
To help your pup avoid joint pain, make sure to keep them at a healthy weight by feeding a weight management diet if needed and use an orthopedic dog bed as your pup ages.
11. Paws
Your dog’s paw and nose are the only parts of their body that contains sweat glands. To prevent your dog from breaking a toenail or getting ingrown toenails, make sure to trim your pup’s nails about every six weeks.
A Happy Dog is a Healthy Dog
Keeping your dog healthy will allow them to live a longer life with you, happy together.
Check out the article 15 Interesting Facts About Your Dog’s Organs by Leo Wilson to discover more information about taking care of your dog’s body and organs!
Author
Leo Wilson graduated from a university major in animal health and behavior. He had over a decade of experience working in the pet industry and has contributed many dogs and pet-related articles to several websites before he decided to start sharing his knowledge on his own blog – Cyberpet.com. And when he is not busy working, he and his wonderful wife love spending time at home with their 3 dogs and 2 cats.
