We love our furry friends and we love to keep them healthy and safe. Regular vet checks, monitoring their health, simply knowing what’s “normal” and what’s not is all part of our responsibility and what builds the connection with our beloved dogs.

Fun fact: dogs are the only large carnivore to ever be domesticated.

Genetic studies show that all ancient and modern dogs share a common ancestry and are descended from an ancient species of wolf that once roamed the Planet Earth. Therefore, as a consequence of their breed and other genetic factors, dogs have a predisposition for certain health problems and diseases.

The most frequent genetically inherited canine cancers are lymphoma/lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumour and osteosarcoma. However in social settings dogs can transmit other dangerous diseases to each other, such as canine distemper, canine influenza, external parasites (ticks, fleas and mange), fungal infections, and most common intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms and others.

How Do You Know If Your Dog Isn’t Well?

We all know that puppies are supposed to be playful, energetic, have consistent weight and eating habits with a normal-looking stool. Their skin, fur, and ears are also huge health indicators, just as is their mouth and breath. If you notice unusual behavior in your dog (their temper, external look or feces), give your vet a call to see if an exam is necessary.

What Are Intestinal Parasites?

Intestinal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms) are parasites that live inside the host animal’s gastrointestinal tract. These worms can cause malnutrition (because they steal nutrients from the organism as food is being digested) and diarrhea, and hookworms can cause blood loss.

Common Symptoms of Worms in Dogs

Your pet’s signs will vary, depending on the type and level of the infection. Roundworm-infected puppies and kittens often show a pot-bellied appearance. Diarrhea, bloody stool, anemia and weight loss can indicate disease, but infected pets often don’t show any symptoms until they are alarmingly ill. This is why regular monitoring and preventive worm treatment for dogs is recommended because almost all carnivores have some kind of internal parasites.

Can I Deworm My Dog Myself?

It’s worrisome to think about your pet—or you or a family member—suffering from these pesky parasites. This basic information should help you protect your furry friends against them. Fortunately, preventive treatment is inexpensive, easy and you can even find professional worm treatment for dogs online.

The over-the-counter medicine such as dog worming tablets purchased through pet shops typically treat roundworms successfully but are not effective on the range of other parasites that older dogs can have and further vet consultations are required. If you go for a detailed vet exam, a fecal test is going to determine what, if any, parasites your dog has. Your veterinarian can then prescribe an effective medication designed to treat the precise parasites, which present a threat not just for your dog but are transmittable to humans as well

Natural Foods Dogs Should Eat

The deworming treatment for dogs also includes a healthy diet that will help get rid of intestinal parasites and promote dental health and shiny fur. Making sure your dog eats quality, natural food without added chemicals and harmful fillers are essential. It is also known that foods such as chopped carrots, dried coconut, beetroot, banana, apple, papaya and other fruits and veggies (rich in fibre) are a great addition to boost their immunity.

Toxic Foods Dogs Must Avoid

Dogs are naturally curious opportunists. Scientists guess that for every scent receptor a human has, a dog has about 50. So, it is no wonder that if they could, they would sniff around all day long. It’s just who they are. However, this curiosity gets them in serious trouble sometimes. Foods such as onion, garlic, chocolate, avocado, alcohol, grapes, raisins and others may cause severe damage if not fatal. If your dog happens to taste any of these foods, take them to the vet immediately.

Besides food, dogs like to sniff other dogs and their urine and feces which is another way for them to transmit parasites to each other. So when there is high traffic of other curious pups running around at the park, keep away from the area where there are other dogs’ feces.

Happy Dog = Happy Life

We know that wild animals live under constant stress for survival, and it is a part of their nature so they are built to live that way. But this doesn’t apply to humans and our beloved pets. At least not anymore. Minimizing stress and traumatic experiences is necessary for our overall health.

Pets are affected by our environment just as we are and as you already know, they are the first to notice any mood change just by the sound of your voice or body language. This is why so many people around the world love dogs for their loyalty and consider them best friends. Providing them with care and affection is already half of the job for our animals to live the fulfilled life they deserve all of the time.