Dog Diseases: The Bad, the Badder, and the Baddest

Dog Diseases: The Bad, the “Badder”, and the “Baddest”

Dog diseases are something that no pet owner wants to think about, but they do and can happen, even to your pet who has seemed to very healthy.

Dog diseases are, for a large part, preventable if you go to your veterinarian and have regular heck ups and have your dog routinely vaccinated and receive medication for any sort of health issues that he may have. If you do notice a behavioral change in your dog and you are sure that your dog is suffering from one of the many dog diseases, it’s important to research the symptoms and to schedule an appointment with the veterinarian. Some of the most common dog diseases are listed below.

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is very, very seldom fatal and is usually just that – a cough that may last for up to three whole weeks. Kennel cough is comparable to a human being having a really bad cold. Though it may sound awful, it is easily treatable and also preventable if you do have your dog get the kennel cough vaccine.

Ringworm Infections

Of all of the dog skin problems, ringworm fungal infections are one of the most common (though it is often mistaken as being a symptom of dog skin allergies). The skin will become infected with fungi, which results in scaly skin and hair loss. If noticed soon enough, which it tends to almost always be unless the affected skin is in a discrete area of the body, it is rather easily treated with ringworm medications.

Retinal Dysplasia

This is one of the dog diseases that affects the dog’s eyes. This type of disease can either be very mild or quickly escalate to being very severe in a short period of time. If a dog is suffering from a mild case of retinal dysplasia, then owners may notice some folds in the retina. Slightly more serious forms may involve vision problems, though this can result in complete blindness or cataracts.

Rabies

The good news about rabies is that almost every dog across the world now is given a rabies vaccine, which has put an abrupt stop to the spread of this horrible dog health issue. Rabies is usually spread through saliva, and it can also be spread to human beings if they are bitten by an infected animal. It is a deadly disease for dogs and humans alike, which is why vaccinating your dog from this disease is so important.