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It is so hard to watch your dog grow old before your very eyes. It seems like just yesterday, she was a bounding puppy! Now she is just a little stiffer and sleeps more. Wouldn’t you love to know some ways to help her age gracefully? There are things you can do. Read on. 1. Help your dog get up and down As nerves and muscles age, certain movements can become difficult. Senior dogs are more likely to suffer from … Read more
Distemper is a serious disease, and we’ve seen several people express concern over it and the pain it can cause pets and their families. We asked Dr. Kathryn Primm, a veterinarian with over 20 years’ experience treating pets and owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital in Ooltewah, Tennessee to share her expert knowledge with our readers on the dangers of distemper, and what you can do to prevent it. What should pet owners know about distemper? Dr. Primm: Distemper is caused … Read more
Poop: it may not be glamorous, but it’s a key indicator of what’s going on internally. Dog owners should take a minute every day to look at their dog’s droppings and know what their pup’s poo is like on a healthy, “normal” day. We at iHeartDogs asked Dr. Michel Selmer, DVM, CTCVMP, about what sorts of red flags to look for when it comes to our companion’s stools. Also known as “The Caring Vet,” Dr. Selmer is a Certified Veterinary Food … Read more
iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I saw a dog yesterday for helping her canine buddy tear apart a bag of Snickers minis. Her owner was not sure how much each of them had eaten, but this little dog was the older and smaller of the two. She had already vomited four times. The other dog was acting normal, and it is a … Read more
Halloween is a fun evening for kids and adults. It is not always pet friendly, but with a little forethought, you can make sure that your dog has a safe and fun time, too. DO: Consider your dog’s personality. If you have a shy, fearful dog, he might not enjoy all the crowds. He may be happier given an option to hide in a safe place with low music to drown out the sound of visitors. Costumed figures may appear … Read more
Since our dogs are with us all the time, it is easy to forget that they are animals. They have evolved to have inborne natures that help protect them from the dangers in a wild environment. We know that our dogs have us to help protect them, but a dog’s early ancestors did not. All they had was what their instincts told them and what savvy they learned as they lived. Wild animals prefer cool fresh water to standing water. … Read more
To know whether or not your dog suffers from Food Allergy, you must first have an understanding of how allergies work. An allergy is when an animal’s immune system identifies something that is harmless as a threat. Once his system sees the offending molecule (allergen), it then mounts a response to the perceived threat just as it would to a real threat like a virus or bacteria, causing inflammation and clinical signs of illness. Some ingredients are more apt to … Read more
Arthritis (inflammation of the joints) is a very common diagnosis for pets and people. It is known to cause pain and stiffness, developing from normal wear and tear or occurring as a result of injury in the past. It is diagnosed by a veterinarian from physical exam findings and radiographic evidence. Signs Of Arthritis In Dogs Here are 7 signs that you might not have noticed in your dog that could herald arthritis. It is very important to know that … Read more
You will never pee alone again… We laugh at jokes and memes that declare how having a dog means you never have to pee alone again, but it’s true. If we get to go to the bathroom, you can bet our dog is right behind us. Our dogs are really tuned in to us and curious as well, but seriously… do they have to attend our potty breaks? A question I see made out of curiosity a lot is – … Read more
You may have noticed that your dog keeps his eyes on you while he is defecating. It is not because he is embarrassed. He is not wishing you would look away or give him privacy while he “does his business”. It goes much deeper than that. Dogs are animals and they are very tuned in to their environment and their own place in it. For survival, they must be aware of risk. Defecation is one of the times in an … Read more
Why does my dog lick my feet? Dogs do things that we might not love, and licking our feet is one of those things. We should never forget that our dogs are designed to communicate with others without using words. Communicating with dogs is like trying to learn a foreign language, only harder… because even the familiar letters are absent. Understanding why your dog does what he does is critical in maintaining your bond and growing your friendship. It makes … Read more
We struggle with where our focus should be when we select foods and supplements for our dogs. There are diets for almost everything, and recently there are even diets and dietary additives that are designed to produce mental calming and aid in anxiety disorders. Research has shown that there are compounds in food that can help our brains manage anxiety or chemical imbalances. Studies show that certain compounds that are found in foods can act as mood stabilizers or even … Read more
Many dogs love to swim and play in the water, but sometimes a bath is a “horse of a different color”. Remember, a bath is your idea and because of our goal-oriented human nature, sometimes we approach things like a task to be completed in the most efficient way possible. This tendency is not something that a dog can share or even understand. Think about life the way a dog sees it. When you go to the lake or park … Read more
People think watching a dog drag his rear across the floor (aka “scooting”) is either gross or funny (or both) and I would agree that it is gross, since I know a lot about dog butts! Your dog is not doing the “sit and spin” to amuse you. He is more likely either itching or in pain. Your dog has glands located on either side of her rectum, which create a very strong smelling secretion. Similar structures in the skunk … Read more
Does your vet speak to you in Pig Latin? Actually it is really Latin and Greek mostly. Here are some terms that I use that have gotten some questionable looks and I think that understanding what your vet is saying is the best way to have a pet health care team for your pets’ best lives. This is your crash mini course in Medical Terminology! #1 – Neoplasia The word neoplasia roughly translated from the Greek root word neo– new, … Read more
It is the time of year when I start to see lots of skin issues. One of those is Pyotraumatic Dermatitis or Hot Spot. A hot spot is an area of the skin that is inflamed and excoriated. The hair is often missing in the center and all the hair around the lesion is caked together with moist, smelly crusts. It is extremely uncomfortable for the dog and smelling the odor is not pleasant for you. Why do hot spots … Read more
Does your dog seem to always have his face in people’s crotches? Embarrassing, isn’t it? Well, don’t be too embarrassed. Dogs see the world with a different sense than we do. In addition to sight and sound, they depend on their sense of smell dramatically more than humans. When they approach you in this way, they are not just being a “space invader”. They are trying to gain information about the person through a scent inspection. To a dog, the … Read more
Fever is defined as a body temperature above the range that is considered normal for a healthy animal. Time and experience have shown us what these ranges are and we know that fever is one of the body’s signs that it is dealing with an infection. It is important for dog caregivers to be able to recognize signs that their dog might have a fever and be fighting an infection so that they know when to seek help from their … Read more
This question is much more complicated than it may seem. First, let’s look at rabies as a disease. Anyone that watched Ole Yeller already has an idea what the disease known as rabies is like and in this case, movie magic did not really over-dramatize it. Rabies is a neurologic (attacking the nervous system) disease caused by a virus. A rabies patient will suffer and die a horrific death and even worse, rabies is zoonotic (a disease that can be … Read more
We all know how important it is to keep our dog’s nails trimmed. It helps save our floors and sometimes, our skin and it is also good for the dog too. Nails can grow too long and curl back into a dog’s skin and be uncomfortable. In a wild state, the dogs might be able to wear them down, but in our living rooms, they need a little help from us. The dewclaws on the side of the legs do … Read more
Everyone wants a magic bullet or something that will, in one fell swoop, stop aging or prolong life. As of yet, there is no one easy solution to all that ails us, but there are certain things when administered thoughtfully with professional advice may have some benefit. Probiotics may be one of these items. Probiotics (literally “in favor of life”) are living organisms intentionally introduced to provide a beneficial effect. As far back as 1910, an early scientist named Elie … Read more
Summer is fun. The days are long and when school is out, everything seems to relax a little. Maybe it’s because people travel more or engage in their hobbies more. Folks go camping and hiking, boating or water skiing and many times, dogs are part of the fun. But what about summer might pose a risk to your dog, other then the usual threats, like snakes, heat, and bugs? Here are some summer risks that you might not have thought … Read more
We are aware of the dangers of sun exposure for ourselves and we hear frequently about skin cancers and the damaging effects of sun for people. The ultraviolet light radiation present in the light from the sun is the cause of the skin damage. Most of us have probably even experienced painful sunburn, so we would like to protect our dogs as much as we can. Sunscreen is recommended for humans to reduce the harmful effects, but what about for … Read more
Everyone thinks play is fun, but did you know that play can actually change your brain for the better? It seems to be true for people and many other animals, especially dogs. We prioritize play for our human children and we should, because research indicates that children are better adjusted and happier if they have free play. Would it not stand to reason that play might also benefit our dogs? Dogs are not human and we know it. They cannot … Read more
We know that dogs have ears and in fact, the ears are sometimes the cutest part of their whole head. Some dogs have darling curly and fluffy ears. Some dogs’ ears stand up and some dogs even have one that stands and the other that flops over! Let’s face it, dogs’ ears are really endearing (hehe). But they serve an important purpose for our dogs and there are some things that all dog lovers really need to know. 1. Normal … Read more
Many things can cause redness and irritation of the eye. Most dog lovers want to know how to decide when to seek professional help and what is an emergency. Corneal injury is something that will require veterinary assistance and needs to be handled quickly. The cornea is very thin, and injuries can quickly penetrate it and rupture the globe of the eye, causing irreparable harm. If your dog seems to be in pain and squints his eye, your vet can … Read more
As our society ages and Baby Boomers reach their senior years, everyone is more likely to be touched by Alzheimer’s disease. It seems like everyone knows someone who has been affected by this diagnosis, whether it is a friend or a family member or just someone they know. According to alz.org, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia affect 1 in 3 human seniors. Our dogs age faster than we do and many people with senior dogs wonder if their dogs can … Read more
Some dogs do not like children. Some are even afraid of them We adults know that children are harmless, but your dog may not be so sure. For a dog that has not been raised around children, they can seem loud and sporadic. A child’s wail can even trigger a fear or prey response for a dog. A child’s size, sounds, and movements may seem foreign or threatening to a dog. To get to the bottom of this behavior, we … Read more
Some dogs chase cars. We all know it is a dangerous habit, and we probably all have our theories as to why they do it. Have you noticed that it seems to be even worse for dogs that are tied or in a fence? Some dogs are selected by generations of breeding to be herding dogs. It is in their DNA to try to guide their targets in a desired direction. People have chosen to breed dogs that are strong … Read more
Parasite products are not created equal, but if you don’t know to ask the right questions, you might assume you are getting something that you are not. Very often in my hospital, clients come in with over-the-counter flea products that they are not happy with and even some of the ones I sell can be a poor fit if the expectations are mismatched. It is important that pet owners know the ways that these products work and how they can … Read more
You may have noticed that your dog keeps his eyes on you while he is defecating. It is not because he is embarrassed. He is not wishing you would look away or give him privacy while he “does his business”. It goes much deeper than that. Dogs are animals and they are very tuned in to their environment and their own place in it. For survival, they must be aware of the risk. Defecation is one of the times in … Read more
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