1. All dogs (except for the truly hairless breeds) require frequent brushing regardless of coat type. Brushing is very important to your dog’s health and happiness. Brushing stimulates the skin by removing dead skin flakes, encourages natural oil production, removes irritating debris and encourages blood flow to the skin. It also uncovers skin and
coat troubles, such as dandruff, parasites or dry or brittle fur, which may indicate an illness. Failing to brush your dog regularly may result in mats, which breed bacteria and infections and can be very painful for your dog.
2. Dogs should be bathed regularly. Brushing before a bath is recommended, as it breaks down dirt, grime and debris so the shampoo will clean more effectively (and it might also relax the dog). Don’t wash dogs outside; the frigid water from a garden hose is extremely uncomfortable and can make them sick.

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If the dog vomits one or two times occasionally, this may not be taken as a serious sign of ill health but if the dog continues this vomiting, then this is something significant to be looked into.

If the dog has continuous itching, then one needs to check up the dog first by closer observation and examination of skin by separating the hair material especially in case of long haired breeds. You may also come across a lot of ticks or lice on skin, which may look apparently normal at a distance.

If the dog passes loose stool for one or two times, this need not be given more emphasis but if there is continuous passing of loose stool, then the dog is understood to suffer from bowel disorders. If the dog does not pass stool for two to three days, the digestive upsets needs to be ruled out carefully.

Just patiently observe the dog’s walking movements and rule out any abnormal movements in the dog. If the dog is limping, the animal may have foot lesions. Similarly, if the aged dog has reluctant walking and less feed intake along with repeated vomiting, then acute renal disorders like nephritis needs to be ruled out.

If there is whiteness in eyes, suspect the corneal opacity that may occur in diseases like trypanasomosis. When the dog becomes anemic, the mucous membrane of the eyes becomes paler and in severe cases, this may have wall white color. If the dog bites chain and owners or others, look for behavior disorders and rabies needs to be ruled out.

Gastrointestinal and immune diseases are epidemic. There are over 150 million domestic cats and dogs in the United States alone! If only 10% of them are unhealthy that represents some 15 million cats and dogs. It’s good to be a veterinarian today.

Cats and dogs suffer with; Allergies, Arthritis, Diabetes, Constipation, Crohns Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Kidney and Urinary Infections, Feline Leukemia, and Dog Cancer, to name just a few of the human diseases and disorders afflicting them.

How many people and pets do you know who are taking multiple medications? Do you know any person or pet that has been “cured” by taking medication? Me neither. It would seem medications are not the answer. So what is?

Well, self control, for starters. Do you really think a few pharmaceutical pills can make up for a lifetime of bad habits? And what toll do both of these take on future generations? Clearly, they come with a high price.

What exactly do we share in common with our pets? We breathe, eat, drink, and sleep. We live ever more stressful lives. Within these most basic shared elements lay the answers to “Why?”.

The United States population doubled since 1950! Housing, feeding and transporting 300+ million people comes at the expense of cutting down billions of acres of oxygen giving forests.

AIR: Increasingly, each generation since 1950 is breathing a lot less oxygen and a lot more carbon dioxide. Chemical cleaners can be very toxic, especially to pets walking and breathing nearest the floor. These chemicals can burn. Pets often lick their paws to remove the burn only to ingest the chemicals. These can’t be good things, but they are not the most pressing issues.

WATER: Bottled water has become a multi-billion dollar industry because we rightfully fear the innumerable chemical residues commonly found in tap water; let alone what even more dangerous chemical combinations these toxic residues might become. This is a biggie, but not the biggest!

We’re multi-tasking our tails off, juggling bills, work, family, home, relationships- now that’s stress! Where sharing full course meals daily with family was once common, meals have been reduced to a necessity; mostly ingested on the fly, or in front of the computer.

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