Every dog I have ever had the pleasure of caring for has been ready and raring to go on an outdoor adventure. Despite rain, hail, snow or sunshine, my dogs have always been ready to embark on an adventure with the wag of a tail. As dog owners, we are to be commended when we [...]

Elbow dysplasia is a common cause of front leg lameness in dogs, especially those of larger breeds. Unfortunately, some breeds are more prone to elbow dysplasia than others. Large breeds such as Bernese mountain dogs, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, English setters, chows, the Newfoundland, Saint Bernards, mastiffs and English springer spaniels are more [...]

Is your beloved puppy pal prone to noisy hiccups? If so, he or she is definitely not alone. Many young canines suffer from frequent bouts of the hiccups, and these “attacks” are usually caused by rushed eating or drinking. Most healthy pups have voracious appetites and serious thirsts; to slake these desires as quickly as [...]

Usually, when we hear (or read) the acronym, OCD, we think of obsessive-compulsive disorder; however, there is another kind of OCD which is very different from the well-known mental health disorder. Known as Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD), this canine disease is characterized by problems with joint cartilage. Painful puppy OCD often affects larger breeds, and it [...]

Sometimes, when dogs get older, their noses turn pink due to loss of pigmentation. This strange process begins when the enzyme that produces “color” begins to fade out. While aging is a primary reason why the noses of dogs turn rosy, it’s not the only potential root cause of this common canine health issue. If [...]

As a caring pet owner, you’re probably spending a lot of time trying to ensure that your beloved canine pal is getting enough food, fresh air, and rest. Now and then, you may be curious about how much sleep your puppy really needs and how to tell if your puppy is tired. Since puppies are [...]

Knee injuries are very common among dogs, especially those that are older or overweight. When one of a dog’s hind legs becomes lame, it can often be associated with a torn or ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, which is often referred to as ACL and/or the cranial cruciate ligament or CCL that connects the back of [...]

We humans are not the only animals to feel stress. Dogs suffer too, so it is up to us to try to minimize the effects of stress on our furry friends. Let’s start by defining stress. It is described as a physiological and/or psychological response to something that tends to upset our personal balance. Stress [...]

Puppies are adorable, but they do have plenty of strange habits, and licking their own butts is definitely one of them. This odd ritual won’t be as hard to understand when you realize that young dogs sometimes suffer from health problems related to impacted anal glands and parasites; if Fido spends a lot of time [...]

Sometimes, a brand-new puppy suffers from plenty of nervousness and trepidation when he or she enters a new home; occasionally, this type of emotional response may lead to some physical side effects, including puppy constipation. If your little canine friend is having trouble with regular bowel movements, there are some easy and effective ways to [...]

No matter how hard we try to keep our puppies healthy, we need to realize that it is not at all unusual for puppies to sometimes go on strike against eating. This does not mean that you should ignore your puppy if he or she stops consuming food. It does mean that you, as the [...]

Your young dog’s diet is single biggest contributor to the development of puppy diabetes. As a loving pet owner, you must take care to feed your puppy right, and to ensure that his or her weight gain does not get out of control. Puppies must be fed proper puppy chow two to three times a [...]