Health

Hydrocortisone can be used topically in dogs, but its use should be limited. It should be used only on intact skin, not open wounds, or infected skin.

Dogs can get ringworm from other dogs or from humans or any other animal that has an active infection.

As responsible pet owners, we often want to help our dogs feel better when they are in pain. Many of us have ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), a common over-the-counter pain reliever, in our medicine cabinets and wonder if the same benefits extend to our pets. They do not. Ibuprofen is extremely toxic to dogs and should never be given to them under any circumstances. Even small amounts can cause severe health issues, including stomach ulcers, kidney failure, and neurological damage.

If you’ve had a dog with heart disease, you may know pimobendan by its brand name, Vetmedin. It’s used to treat dogs experiencing congestive heart failure due to a variety of different causative health problems.

If dogs live long enough—and sometimes even when they’re young—at some point they’re probably going to experience vision loss. The good news is that a blind dog can usually adjust well to their new condition, ramping up use of smell and hearing and sometimes even whiskers to navigate their environment. There are ways you can help them, too.

There are three general reasons why your dog might not be drinking water: she doesn’t feel good, the available water sources aren’t great, or she is getting water somewhere other than her water bowl. It is easy to monitor your dog’s water intake, and with a little extra consideration you can figure out if your dog is not drinking enough and a possible reason why.

Idiopathic epilepsy affects young dogs between the ages of six months and six years. As the name implies, the cause of idiopathic epilepsy is unknown. It is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that other causes of seizures must be ruled out before making this diagnosis.

Along with size and temperament, health is one of the most important considerations when you are thinking about bringing a dog into the family.

A dog’s heat cycle is different from a human “period.” Both involve bleeding, but for a dog, it signals a start to a fertility period whereas in humans it is the opposite.

If your dog strains to urinate but nothing comes out or if he urinates and you see fresh blood, your dog may be suffering from bladder stones.

Along with an itch, a bite from a mosquito can transfer serious health problems. The best known and most common health hazard for dogs from mosquito bites is heartworm. At least 25 species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworm to susceptible dogs.

Losing your vision can be a life-altering event. The same is true for our dogs. There are several causes of blindness in dogs—one of...