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Can you imagine that your pet may be in pain and you might not know it? Unbelievable as it sounds it is all too common. Learning to detect the signs of pet pain is really crucial to your pet’s health care and well being. And pets don’t always act like people do when they are suffering.

Animals can suffer with toothaches, joint pain, infections, just like people. Unfortunately, because they can’t tell you about it you might be neglecting a serious or painful condition. One of the main things to look for is a change.
That can mean change in behavior, temperament, eating or sleeping patterns. It can be very subtle.

One sharp cat owner noticed that her cat was simply
meowing more than usual for a few days. Not crying, just more meowing. She took “Max” took the Vet and a horribly infected tooth was discovered and treated. No more meowing.

A typical cat reaction to pain is to hide. If you notice your cat is gone most of the time, check it out.

With dogs, less interest in eating, eating less or even slower than usual, can signal a toothache. Food falling from the dog’s mouth is also typical. It may hurt to chew.

When “Doobie”, usually a frisky boxer pup, was just lying in a corner quietly, something was wrong. A visit to the vet revealed a painful abscess that needed treatment.

If your pet is suddenly hyperactive or listless, pay attention. Both are possible signs of pet pain.

Older pets can suffer from chronic conditions like arthritis, hip pain, and other age related problems. Symptoms can be slow movement, limping, balance problems, subdued or nervous disposition. Pain can make a calm animal irritable or even aggressive.

There is no reason your pet has to suffer. Your vet can prescribe pain medication that can bring relief. Never give a pet human medications, though. This is very dangerous and can even kill. Cats especially, because their liver is different than a person, can be poisoned easily.

Often an animal will lick a painful area, or even rub it against a surface. A sign of this is can be a flattened or wet area on your pet’s coat. Try to separate the hair to see if you can detect anything. The appearance of redness, swelling, an open wound, or even local heat all are best checked by a vet.

If you notice your dog scratching constantly, check out and treat for fleas if needed. If Poochie scratched herself raw and is bleeding, keep your eye on the wounds and get help if it’s not healing up quickly.

So, if your pet seems to be acting different,it could be pain that’s behind the change. When in doubt, go to your local pet clinic for security. You never know. When it comes to pain, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

You may end up saving your beloved pet’s life!

Aliza Levine RNMH runs a busy Clinic, Pharmacy. Learn more about Dog health care at http://www.DogHealthCare.info

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We all know the adage “dog is man’s best friend” seem to run for ages now. But we have reasons enough to consider our dogs as vital parts of our daily existence.

They seem to have this special character to display love and loyalty, not to mention a unique fun that we can only witness from them. That’s why, as much as possible, we will do everything we can to give them the best treatment and best health care, just like we do for our family members. Come to think of it- we even provide them their own insurance!

In this article, we will tackle some important dog health guidelines. Though considerably generalized for all breeds, information here are helpful still in maintaining our best friend’s optimum health.

Dental Care. Swollen, inflamed gums and secondary infections often cause the existence of other major dog health problems. It must be observed that a young dog’s teeth are brushed once in a week. Older dogs must have a regular session of thrice a week.

There are especially designed toothbrushes for dogs that provide cleaning of the rear teeth. It is not a good practice to use human toothpaste for them, instead make use of enzyme toothpaste that will prevent tartar build-up. There are also dental cleaning pads that will complement for tooth brushing, if not regularly done. Such pads would cleanse your dog’s teeth by means of enzymes incorporated on their surface, which are effective in removing stuck-up dirt.

Ear Care. We often overlook the ears of our dog, however this practice might lead to wax and dirt build-up that can cause infection and inflammation. Regular ear care will help remove ear debris and drying the ear canal. Thus, prevention of some major conditions that might as well cause us to give especial attention to those parts.

Ear care also entails the extermination of ear mites that typically reside in the inner ear of our dogs.

Nutritional Supplements. Dog foods are often lacking in nutrients essential for the optimum development and growth of our pets. Thus, it is very vital to supplement them with vitamins and nutrients to prevent deficiencies that might cause serious dog health complications. This is especially true for older dogs who no longer has the appetite to eat heartily.

Those dogs that work hard during the entire day also need supplements. And also for those that have recently undergone surgery and sickness.

Irritated and Sored Skin. Not only humans get skin irritations and allergies. Some dogs have extra sensitive skins that make them susceptible for bacterial and fungus attack which in turn may lead to wounds, scabs and skin diseases.

Hot Spots. These are characterized by skin areas, which are moist and inflamed. These are typically due to irritation from fleabites, substance irritation or allergies. These spots are usually extremely itchy which cause dogs to scratch and lick on them. Thus, the aggravation of the condition that can lead to serious wounds.

The most vital step in healing hot spots is to reduce the frequency of scratching. Afterwhich, spraying of skin relief products may prove beneficial n stopping the pain and itchiness.

If your dog display symptoms of conditions as listed here, it is wise to consult a vet immediately. He may provide you with some guidelines, which will aid greatly in preserving your pet’s health. It is also likely that he will prescribe you with some medications that will ease the symptoms that your dog exhibits.

Khieng ‘Ken‘ Chho - Online Dog Health Resources. For more, visit Ken’s website: http://doghealth.1w3b.net/

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Your dog depends on you for all his nutritional requirements. Proper nutrition is essential for a healthy pet to help resist disease and illness, to maintain a lean, healthy weight, and to give your furry friend a shiny coat.

Each dog is different, and your dog’s lifestyle (active or sedentary? young or old? hunting dog? racing dog? lap dog? healthy? pregnant?) is the main factor in determining his individual nutritional requirements.

When to feed your dog is an important first question. Puppies need lots of calories every day because they are growing so quickly. It’s best to feed puppies small meals several times a day at first. Most adult dogs only need to eat once a day to sustain their energy and nutrient levels. If you work all day and no one is home with your dog, it’s probably best to feed him in the evening, so you’ll be able to let him out after he eats. But a morning feeding schedule is fine if someone is home with your dog during the day.
Whatever time of day you choose to feed your dog, there are six basic nutrients that he must eat every day to balance his particular needs: water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins.

Water is key. Your new best friend needs plenty of fresh water daily…it is one of the most important things you can provide your dog. While a dog can go without food for a while, he will quickly dehydrate without water. This is especially important during the summer months when your dog is outside in the heat. We can’t stress enough how important it is to ALWAYS have a fresh bowl of water available for your dog. (A medium size dogs requires about two quarts of water each day!)
If your dog is a normal, active, healthy dog, he only needs a small amount of protein daily. However, young and active dogs need more protein for growth, and older active dogs need more protein as well. The proteins you feed your dog need to come from an animal source.

Carbohydrates help provide your dog with energy, as well as help keep the intestines functioning properly. Most commercial dog foods use corn as their source of carbohydrates. As important as carbs are, however, they should make up no more than about 50% of Fido’s diet.

Fats are an essential part of your dog’s diet, but they need to be properly balanced with other nutrients. If you’re feeding your dog the proper amount of a good, commercial dog food, he should be getting the right amount of fat in his diet.

Your dog doesn’t really need a lot of minerals. As long as you feed him a complete, balanced diet, there is no need to supplement with minerals. Most commercial dog foods will provide him with all the minerals he needs.

Dogs require the same vitamins from their food as you do, except for Vitamin C (dogs are able to make their own Vitamin C). Vitamins that are water soluble (such as the B vitamins) need to be replenished every day. Fat-soluble vitamins (like A, E, K, and D) stay in your dog’s system longer. It’s important that your dog maintain a healthy diet to keep him from developing serious health problems.

For more specific information and recommendations on your particular dog’s nutritional needs, be sure to talk with his veterinarian.

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–Lisa Pallardy is the owner of http://www.BarkTalk.com an interactive site for dog lovers to find articles and information on dog training and care, post photos of their pets, and talk with other dog-lovers. She is also the mother of 6 children and lover of 3 dogs. In her spare time, she makes greeting cards from children’s artwork at http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.com

For more articles like this one on dog care and dog training, or for links to resources where you can purchase dog supplies, visit http://www.BarkTalk.com.

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