Health

Excessive self-licking and chewing can be caused by a medical issue. It can also be a behavioral problem, a classic example of an obsessive/compulsive disorder. Either way, it's annoying to the dog's human companion, and dangerous to the health of the dog. Here are tips for dealing with dogs who self-lick and chew excessively. To begin behavior modification, determine your dog's stressors and start eliminating them. Make a list of everything?you can think that is stresses your dog – even just a little bit, even if the stressors don't seem directly related to the licking. Your list might include thunder, small children, dogs on television, cats, riding in cars, visits to the vet, shock collars, medical issues, and many more. Most owners can identify between 10 and 20 stressors for their dogs.

A lick granuloma is a red, raw, and ugly looking wound, caused by a dog's incessant licking. The last thing one would think is that it can be a blessing in disguise, but it seems to have been just that for Biggie, a 10-year-old Weimaraner owned by Maryland breeders Bob and Virginia (Gini) Selner. Biggie (AKA Wyngate's Music Man") is one of five dogs who live with the Selners

A “cyst” is a capsule that usually has fluid in it, although it can have air as well. “Tumor” is a general term, basically a generic swelling or mass.

Dog tear stain removers can remove tear stains. However, tear stains are harmless when they aren't caused by another issue and changes in diet and grooming can also resolve dog tear stains.

Would a dog benefit from using medical marijuana? Legally, they're not allowed to, but many believe it could relieve pain the same way it does for humans.

Dogs with allergies are itchy and may incessantly lick or scratch at their skin. Learn about seasonal allergies, the most common food and environmental allergies in dogs, and how to alleviate your dog's itch.

What causes diabetes in dogs? Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine diseases affecting middle-aged and senior dogs, with 70 percent of patients older than seven at the time of diagnosis. Diabetes in puppies hardly exists - diabetes rarely occurs in dogs younger than one year of age, and it is more common in females and neutered males than in intact males. Keeshonds, Pulis, Cairn Terriers, Miniature Pinschers, Poodles, Samoyeds, Australian Terriers, Schnauzers, Spitz, Fox Terriers, Bichon Frise, and Siberian Huskies may be at higher risk.

When a dog suffers from weakness, regardless of cause, it’s usually most noticeable in the hind limbs first. This makes sense, as the dog’s...

MYTH: Adult dogs don't get parvo. TRUTH: It's true that the likelihood of a serious parvo infection decreases as dogs age, and that most victims are puppies. But adult dogs can become seriously ill or die from parvo. MYTH: I can protect my dogs from exposure to parvo by maintaining a clean environment and restricting their contact with other dogs. …

Your nagging feeling was right – there really is something wrong with your dog. And it’s not just a pulled muscle or a torn toenail. It’s cancer. As you struggle to wrap your mind around that diagnosis, the veterinarian describes your options: surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, alone or in combination. Or your dog might be eligible to participate in a clinical trial testing a new drug, or you may want to consult an oncology specialist or consider a promising new state-of-the-art treatment. There are no guarantees that any of these treatments will work, and if the prognosis is especially grim, you may want to say goodbye now. Please decide within 24 hours. This is a medical emergency.

Dog owners nationwide are concerned about a severe canine respiratory virus that doesn’t respond to traditional medications and is killing some dogs.

What is the worst part about these strikingly common conditions dogs get? They are all entirely preventable. Obesity, periodontitis, and overgrown nails affect more dogs in the United States than any other diseases, and can be just as harmful.