Do you know what diseases our dogs most often suffer from? Our help in their case is essential for the dog’s recovery. If you notice any disturbing symptoms listed below, do not hesitate and go to the vet as soon as possible. Health is the basis for taking care of your four-legged friend. Please find out the most common dog diseases and be sensitive to them.
The most common diseases in dogs include rabies, distemper, viral hepatitis, allergies and skin diseases, bites of parasites such as ticks or fleas or infestation with worms. A widespread symptom of one of the diseases is a weakness of the body, apathy, lack of appetite, and increased temperature.
What you will learn from this article:
- Knowledge of primary dog diseases is essential in caring for a pet
- A dog from another animal can contract some diseases
- The sooner you recognize the condition in your dog, the sooner he will receive specialist help
The most common dog diseases
Taking responsibility for the dog, we must be aware that from now on, our task is to take care of his happiness and health. When deciding on a new family member, we focus primarily on the good and beautiful moments we will experience together.
However, knowledge of what dog diseases are, although unfortunately often overlooked, should be a constant element of preparation before taking care of a quadruped.
That is important primarily because it allows us to react quickly enough to disturbing signals. The sooner you realize something is wrong with your four-legged friend, the greater the chances that your dog will come out of the disease unharmed.
Diseases in dogs can be hazardous if we do not take them seriously and do not react in time. Therefore, I hope this article will give you basic knowledge about canine diseases.
Why it is essential to know what are dog diseases
Probably none of us likes to think about sad and unpleasant things. Especially if they concern our beloved quadruped, however, you will surely agree that it is better to act preventively in a given disease than treat it.
Therefore, as a responsible dog guardian, I believe one of my duties is to learn what diseases can be dangerous for my pet. For me, this is the basis of taking care of my dog. It gives me a greater sense of security and confidence in caring for my dog.
What’s more, many dog breeds, unfortunately, suffer from diseases prevalent in a given group of dogs. When caring for a particular dog breed, getting acquainted with the diseases that often occur in these dogs beforehand is essential.
In many cases, being aware that a dog can contract a given disease and thus properly preventing it can fully protect your pet’s health. I am not talking here only about providing the dog medication but also about the proper diet and taking care of the canine’s good condition. Regular examinations for a given disease are then essential.
The most common canine diseases
Going to the heart of the article, I divided the most common canine diseases into several categories. It will be easier for you to associate the name of the disease with its symptoms.
Thus, we can distinguish infectious, parasitic or skin diseases and joint degeneration in the dog. In addition, we have a few more popular ailments that occur in dogs that cannot be included in any of the above categories.
Infectious diseases in dogs
As the name suggests, these are diseases that a dog can catch from other animals. What’s more, it is worth noting that the pet can become infected by dogs and other animals. Good for you to be aware of that. That will make it easier for you to assess the cause of your dog’s illness if necessary.
– distemper
That disease occurs after the dog is infected with the distemper virus. Mainly, your pet can get it from other dogs, although there have also been cases when other animals turned out to be carriers.
The first symptom of distemper is fever. It usually lasts for a few days and then subsides. However, this is not the result of winning the fight against the disease because the fever usually returns. We can observe a general weakening of the dog’s well-being, runny nose or cough.
– rabies
That is one of the diseases that every dog owner must have heard about. It is not without reason that there is an obligation to vaccinate our quadrupeds against rabies. That hazardous viral disease causes acute inflammation of the animal’s brain.
It is usually transmitted by biting. Unfortunately, what’s more, rabies affects all animals, which is why the risk of infection for your dog is very high.
– viral hepatitis
This canine disease can affect your pet in varying degrees of danger. Symptoms can be mild in dogs, but there are also cases of lethal effects of this disease. Therefore, it is good that you know what its course is like.
First, the dog feels pain due to the significant enlargement of the liver. In addition, you can also observe an increased temperature, enlarged lymph nodes, as well as bleeding gums.
Loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhoea are common symptoms of viral hepatitis. Pets suffering from this canine disease sometimes feel discomfort caused by bright light.
Skin diseases in dogs
In the case of dogs and people, diseases can cause skin deterioration. Among them, we can distinguish others:
– Dog allergy
As a result of your dog’s contact with a given allergen, your pet may develop an allergic reaction to his skin. Your dog may be allergic to food ingredients and the materials or plastics it comes into contact with.
An allergic reaction in a dog can have similar symptoms to humans. You can read more about dog allergies and how you can deal with them in my other post, which you can find HERE.
If your dog is allergic, choose only those made of anti-allergic material when choosing his accessories. That is why I chose the URBAN bed from Bowl&Bone Republic for my dog, which is filled with hypoallergenic down.
Dog bed |URBAN graphite
– dog’s skin disease
Your dog may have skin problems caused by an allergic reaction and a common skin disease. Its symptoms can be very similar to allergies. However, in such a situation, you will realize that all attempts to remove potential allergens from the dog’s immediate environment do not bring the expected result.
Pharmacological treatment may be necessary if you have a skin disease of your quadruped. Whether by giving him medicine or acting directly on the affected parts of the skin by applying ointment.
Dog diseases caused by parasites
Dogs are particularly vulnerable to diseases caused by tick bites or other parasites like fleas. That is why it is so important to regularly check the condition of your dog’s skin and coat.
– dog ticks
Ticks are found in places highly liked by all dogs, i.e. tall grasses and thickets. I’m sure your dog, like mine, loves to hide there during a walk. Our dog’s blood is food for these parasites, which is why they are so dangerous.
The loss of blood by a dog during a bite is not significant. However, ticks transmit many dangerous diseases when biting, such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis or anaplasmosis.
If you want to learn how to take care of your dog in the fight against ticks, I refer you to the entry devoted to this topic. You will find it HERE.
– fleas on a dog
Unfortunately, fleas are often a common problem for our dogs. They are parasites that move quickly, looking for a new victim. They feed on blood.
You will notice the presence of fleas on your dog’s body very quickly. You can see the symptoms of their occurrence on the skin with the naked eye. Dogs are scratching or independent biting of the fur. Moreover, you will catch fleas on your dog’s skin yourself. They are small in size, but we can see them. They look like little black dots. They will be best visible on dogs with a light coat.
– worms in the dog’s body
Infection with worms is a fairly common disease that can affect your dog. They cause digestive problems in your pet, general weakness of the dog’s body, lack of appetite, and apathy. Tapeworms and roundworms are the most common infections in dogs
Dog diseases you need to know
When you take care of a dog, you are responsible for his health and well-being. Knowing what diseases our dogs most often suffer from will allow you to be more vigilant and react early if necessary. That is important because the faster you respond, the sooner you help your dog.
As soon as I noticed that my dog started scratching unnaturally often, I knew something was wrong. After carefully examining his skin, I ruled out the presence of fleas on his body. The cause of my dog’s scratching turned out to be an allergic reaction.
Does your dog get sick often, or is it in perfect health? Tell me about it in the comments.
If you have any questions or want me to discuss a topic in the next post, share it in the comments section.
