Health

Prebiotics (no, it's not a typo) nourish probiotics, the beneficial bacteria discussed last month that support your dog's digestive health, the immune system, and more. A prebiotic is de?ned as a nondigestible food ingredient that bene?cially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improves host health.""

If you see your dog losing hair concern is normal. It's not always a cause for concern though with some dogs naturally shedding, and other having hereditary conditions. It's only when the skin beneath the hair looks abnormal that worry is called for.

Conventional medical practitioners use the word colitis to indicate inflammation of the colon (the large intestine), as opposed to inflammation of the small intestine or the stomach. One of the large intestine’s most important roles is to absorb water. If the colon is not functioning properly, a lot of water is left in the stool; that’s diarrhea. There are many different types of diarrhea, and, unpleasant as it may be to contemplate, the characteristics of the diarrhea help us identify which part of the dog’s digestive system is not working properly.

Community dog water sources can have bad things in them, so it’s best if you avoid them.

Yikes! What happened to Fido’s nose? And what’s wrong with Fluffy’s paw pads? The possibilities are many, and a surprising number of nose and paw pad problems are related. Because illnesses in this category often have similar or identical symptoms, a veterinarian’s diagnosis can be important. The following overview will help you identify, prevent, or treat these disorders. The most frequently asked questions about dogs’ noses concern color. Dogs have black or dark noses and paw pads because of melanin, a pigment that darkens skin. When melanin production slows or stops, the skin lightens uniformly or in patches. The term nasodigital refers to both nose and toes. A thickening of the outer layer of skin (hyperkeratosis) at the edges of the nose or paw pads can develop into painful cracks, fissures, erosions, and ulcers.

Canine pneumonia is a respiratory infection that has moved into the dog’s lower respiratory tract, the bronchioles and lungs themselves. The location of the infection alone makes it harder for your dog to get relief by coughing.

The mouth is the site of the two most common canine diseases.

To compensate for arthritis pain, a dog may alter his posture and gaits, causing tight muscles and further pain; here's how to help him.

When a specific dietary supplement is given to an individual (canine or human) who previously lacked the nutrients or chemicals offered by the supplement, or whose body required a higher dose than was previously available, miraculous improvements in health, appearance, and attitude can indeed take place. But most people have no idea whether they are lacking something before they add it to their own or their dog’s diet!

Diarrhea isn’t fun for anybody. When your dog gets it – and feeding boiled chicken or hamburger with rice doesn’t make it go away...

Chondrodystrophy and IVDD are common concerns.

Pyometra in dogs is a life threatening infection of a dog's uterus, most often in un-spayed dogs. It can rarely occur in spayed dogs too.