5 Most Prominent Dog Health Questions Answered by Renowned Veterinarians

For every dog owner, the health of their furry pal is of paramount importance. You always want to ensure that your pooch has a long-lasting and healthy life. But there are a few health concerns that every dog owner should know about and inquire from the veterinarians if they find their dog suffering from them. Let us look at some of these questions below:

Why Is My Dog Vomiting? 

According to reputed veterinarians of our country, dogs are known to be indiscriminate eaters. They will eat anything and everything that they find before them. During their wildlife, dogs had to scavenge for their food and they have this inbuilt trait in their DNA. It has been researched and found that vomiting is number six on the list of top ten reasons dogs are taken to veterinarians in our country. But there can be other reasons too for the dog to vomit. Some of them include:

• Intestinal blockage
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Pancreatic disease
• Toxin ingestion

So, if your tyke happens to be ill or is facing this problem since several days, blood tests and X-rays would be required to learn more about the problem they are facing.

Why Is My Dog Limping? 

The simple answer to this question would be because it hurts them. But it is very important to find out the exact reason for the problem. To begin, it is important to localise the pain source which can be due to a specific bone, joint, tendon or ligament. An orthopaedic exam would be required to be conducted to find out the pain source. The very first step is to poke at a dog and move his limbs around till he yells to find out the source of the pain. Once the source is determined, the next step is to conduct X-rays to peep into the body of the joints and bones. This would make the veterinarian determine whether the dog is suffering from arthritis, fracture, cancer, ruptured ligament amongst others. Once it has been determined, the treatment of the dog becomes easier.

Why Is My Dog Itchy?

It can either be due to allergies or there is something which is living on the dog that shouldn’t. There can be different things that can reside on your dog’s body that makes him itch encompassing fleas, mites, lice and ringworm. Dogs can even develop allergies to something in the environment or an ingredient in the food. Hence, it is extremely important to determine the exact cause of the itchiness. The parasites residing in the dog’s body need to be killed or encouraged to move along. For allergies, the dog’s body need to be suppressed to the body’s reaction to whatever allergic it is.

Why Is My Dog Coughing? 

In young dogs, coughing can be attributed to a common disease known as kennel cough. It is a mild infection that affects the upper part of the respiratory system resulting in a dry, honking cough, an irritated throat especially sneezing and a bit of nasal and eye discharge. Kennel cough can affect a dog of any age. But a dog’s coughing can also be due to several serious conditions, including: heartworm disease, asthma, pneumonia and heart disease. All these conditions also cause coughing. Hence, if you find your dog coughing for a couple of days accompanied by lethargy, fever or lack of appetite, rush to your veterinarian.

What Is This Lump On My Dog? 

Dogs get bumps which can represent a benign change like a cyst or something more sinister. While it has been found that most of the lumps are not of a serious nature, they need to be thoroughly investigated. Lumps that appear in any of these five sets of lymph nodes, including: under the jaw, inside the armpit, behind the knees, in the front part of the shoulder or in the groin should be investigated without any delay. Lymph nodes are significant part of the dog’s immune system. When they become enlarged such that you can see or feel them, it indicates an infection or cancer in that area.

So, the next time you find your doggy suffering from a health concern, do not forget to ask these pertinent questions to your veterinarian.