We have all done it. One day everything seems fine and the next we see our dog playing with the other dogs at the park and realize that he has an entire roll of extra padding jiggling along beside him as he runs. Your dog is fat! How did it happen before your very eyes?…
Imagine the state of your mouth if you never brushed your teeth and never visited the dentist – yuck! Bad breath, plaque, tartar, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and painful broken or loose teeth can all be left undiagnosed and untreated when routine dental care is ignored. And don’t forget that your dog’s mouth is connected to the…
The short answer to ‘How long do dogs live’ is not long enough! The heartache of bringing a dog, or any pet for that matter, into your life as a friend, companion, and member of the family is that their lives are too short. Even if they outlive the breed expectations, time moves too quickly,…
Everyone has their favorite dog breed. In the United States, the most common dog breeds have remained mostly the same for many years. The Labrador Retriever has been the most popular breed in terms of registrations with the American Kennel Club for over 20 years. Most of the top five breeds have been popular for…
The decision to buy a dog for the very first time is one that children usually identify with. Adults who are the moms and dads of these children usually know what it means. In a word: responsibility. After all, who, as a child, hasn’t promised faithfully to look after the little puppy you want, forever…
Have you ever visited a shelter and looked at all the sad faces of the dogs? If so, you probably wondered about the reasons why people surrender their dogs in the first place. After all, the human-canine relationship usually begins with so much promise and excitement that it is hard to imagine it deteriorating badly…
AbscessesACL InjuriesAcneAcute Renal FailureAddison’s DiseaseAdrenal Gland TumorsAllergiesAnal Sac DiseaseAnaphylactic ShockAnemiaAnthraxAntifreeze PoisoningAortic StenosisArthritisAsthmaAtopyAural HematomasBabesiosisBartonellosisBladder StonesBlindnessBloatBone CancerBrachycephalic Airway SyndromeBrain TumorsBronchitisCancerCardiomyopathyCataractsCherry EyeChocolate PoisoningChronic Renal FailureCleft PalateCoccidia InfectionColitisConjunctivitisConstipationCorneal UlcerCoughingCryptorchidismCushing’s DiseaseDeafnessDehydrationDental DisordersDermatitisDermoid CystsDiabetesDiarrheaDistemperDry EyeDystociaEar InfectionsEar MitesEating GrassEclampsiaEctopic UretersEctropionEczemaEhrlichiosisElbow DysplasiaEmphysemaEntropionEpilepsyFalse PregnancyFleasFliesFollicular DysplasiaFood AllergiesGastritisGastrointestinal ObstructionGiardiaGingivitisGlaucomaGrowing Pains Hair LossHalitosisHeart MurmursHeartbeat ArrhythmiaHeartworm DiseaseHeat StrokeHelicobacter InfectionHepatitisHerniasHerpesvirus InfectionHip DysplasiaHistoplasmosisHookwormHydrocephalusHypertensionHypoglycemiaHypothyroidismIdiopathicInfertilityInfluenzaKennel CoughKidney DiseaseLactose IntoleranceLeptospirosisLeukemiaLiceLiver DiseaseLupusLyme DiseaseLymphomaMangeMast Cell TumorsMelanomaMeningitisMitesMotion…
A diagnosis of cancer is devastating to a dog owner, but it is not necessarily a death sentence for the dog. Cancer is usually detected when it either forms a distinct tumor that’s quite noticeable, or it leads to organ failure and its associated symptoms. For example, a kidney tumor in a dog may cause…
You know he can find your most expensive Betsy Johnson pumps in a pile of three-dollar flip-flops. He can jump higher than a leaping jackrabbit at the first site of the neighbor’s cat out for a stroll in their fenced-in backyard. He can even catch the wheels of your Suburban, in reverse, at full speed…
If you’re looking for a watchdog, there’s a school of thought that believes you should choose a dog breed that is big and scary, and many people say also dark in color, preferably black. But before you rush out and buy a giant black dog for this purpose, do a bit of homework to make…
You come home from work and put your dog in what you thought was a securely fenced backyard but when you open the backdoor and call his name, the backyard is empty. Or, you take your dog for a walk through the neighborhood park and he stumbles upon a deer that bolts when she sees…
There are several conflicting stories and theories about the way that dogs and humans originally became friends. Archaeologists are still uncovering evidence about the first dogs around the world so our picture of the human-dog relationship is developing all the time. Here are some things that we think we know now. Genetic evidence points to…