Health

While it’s true that some herbs recommended for use with canine arthritis have drug-like actions, including contraindications and potentially adverse side effects, the plants mentioned here are easily acquired from reputable sources, widely used, and safe for most dogs. The descriptions that follow include safety notes as applicable.

Anyone who lives with dogs is aware that dogs are almost universally attracted to meaty foods and treats. Trainers use these preferences to select different levels of treat value" for dogs and almost invariably

Tylenol, or acetaminophen, is a go-to pain reliever for humans, but it can be deadly to dogs. Do not give your dog any Tylenol for any reason.

You can give your dog activated charcoal for a suspected poisoning, but there are some caveats.

Bladder and kidney stones are serious problems in dogs as well as people. These conditions – which are also known as uroliths or urinary calculi – can be excruciatingly painful as well as potentially fatal. Fortunately, informed caregivers can do much to prevent the formation of stones and in some cases actually help treat stones that develop. Last month, we described struvite stones (see Canine Kidney Stone and Bladder Stone Prevention" Whole Dog Journal April 2010). Struvites contain magnesium

Just like people, dogs are susceptible to gastrointestinal illnesses including norovirus.

When Woody (my three-year-old pit bull-mix) was a tiny puppy, just another one in a litter of nine that I was fostering for my...

Just like a good skunking doesnt stop most dogs from going after those black-and-white critters again the next time (darn it!), there are many dogs who seem goaded into more intense bee-chasing behavior after an unfortunate encounter of the stinging kind. Conversely, there are also dogs who become literally phobic about all small, flying creatures after a stinging incident. Then there are those who develop an obsessive-compulsive behavior known as fly-snapping.

Chondrodystrophy and IVDD are common concerns.

Research on canine-to-human and canine-to-canine transmission of COVID strains is inconclusive and data is frequently conflicting. Dog and other pet owners should be cautious and look for signs of COVID infection in their pets, and limit contact if they themselves test positive.

Drug of choice for treating tick-borne disease and heartworm is unavailable (or unaffordable) due to supply bottleneckWhen my newest search and rescue partner, Cole, fell apart during a certification test in May 2012, I had accumulated enough hard lessons to know my next move. We didn't need to revisit our training protocol or take his nose in for a tune-up. We were at our vet's office the next morning for bloodwork.

Flatulence—farts or passing gas—is a perfectly normal part of being a dog. If your dog just farts once in a while or there is a very clear reason why he is extra stinky today, you don’t have anything to worry about. You should definitely call your vet if your dog has other symptoms of illness.