In the past few weeks, we have been having a lot of discussion on dog health (INDog or otherwise). Considering the number of emails I have received, I thought it was a good idea to turn the posts into a series.

We are all used to seeing our dogs running, jumping, chasing birds and cars, and generally very active. That is why, whenever they fall ill, we are taken off guard. The fact is that they are as susceptible to illnesses as we are. So, it is good to have prior knowledge of the ailments that your dog/s are susceptible to in order to take preventive actions quickly.

We have created a generic checklist of preventive measures that all dog owners should take on part 1 of this series. This part deals with ailments that are specific to some of the more popular dog breeds.

1. Labrador Retriever

THE MOST POPULAR dog breed in the world, the labrador retriever has some ailments common to its breed:

1. Hip Dysplasia
2. Elbow Dysplasia
3. Retinal atrophy
4. Epilepsy

Most of these symptoms occur in Labradors as a result of overbreeding. It is a price these dogs have to pay for their popularity. So, if you are planning to get a Labrador for your pet, it might be a good idea to screen the dog/puppy before you bring them home.

If you are already a proud owner of one, then keep a close watch on your dog for the slightest symptoms. Slow movement and limps can often be the first warning signs of hip and elbow dysplasia.

When you see your dog bumping itself against furniture, it means it is having problems with its eyesight. Take the dog to the vet immediately.

However, the best way to keep your dog from suffering is to take preventive action. Print out our Dog Health Checklist. Follow every word written in it. Your dog will love you for not letting him/her suffer.

2. Golden Retriever

Here are some of the most common illnesses seen among Golden Retrievers:

1. Cancer
2. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
3. Cataract and other vision related ailments

You can safely follow the steps mentioned in our write up for the labrador retriever, in case your golden begins showing signs of dysplasia or problems in vision. When it comes to CANCER, I know that the very word can unnerve the most seasoned dog owner.

It is important to keep in mind that the symptoms of cancer in dogs are same as those in human beings. Look out for bumps and lumps in your dogs where they are not supposed to be. Now, there can be two types of such lumps – the first being a fatty tissue growth called Lipoma. These are generally harmless and benign. The other types are the malignant growth generally known as cancer.

It is important to take your dog to a vet as soon as you notice some thing abnormal. With the advance in veterinary technology these days, it is very much possible that early detection of cancer can be treated to make sure your dog gets to lead a long and healthy life.

Treatments include common methods like chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Some vets may also try IAT (Immuno Augmentive Therapy). With so many avenues now available, it is now up to you to keep a close watch on your pet and be on the lookout for anything abnormal.

You can find out more about dog health and how to care for your dogs by clicking here.

3. German Shepherd Dog

This breed was the most popular in the world before the retrievers dislodged it from it’s place of pride. It still is the third most popular dog breed in the world. They are big dogs and as such, ailments of the bones and joints are common among them. The most often seen ailments among GSDs are:

1. Hip and Elbow dysplasia
2. Arthritis
3. Von Willebrand Disease

In layperson’s terms, if your dog is bleeding excessively from minor bruisings, has bleeding gums, or loses too much blood while giving birth to its litter, there are reasons to suspect it has got VWD. It prevents the blood from coagulating.

If you suspect your dog has this disease, get him/her tested for the VWD factor in the blood. if the VWD factor is at 79 – 118%, then your dog is OK. If it is between 50% and 69%, then it is a borderline case. If the result is below 49%, then your dog probably suffers from VWD.

Click here to find out how to treat your dog for VWD.

I hope you found this article helpful. At the end of day, our dogs are as well taken care of as much as we care for them. So sit up and take notice. Pick your self the healthiest of puppies, and then love them enough to keep them that much healthy for life.

If you found this article useful, you might want to begin from the first two parts of this series.

1. The dog health series – part 1 (The pet care checklist)
2. The dog health series – part 2 (Lumps)

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Smita, who follows our blog very regularly sent this in response to our post on creating a checklist to make sure our pets don’t surprise us with sudden illnesses.

Thank you so much for giving the info about dealing with a sick pet .

But, i have tried it all and something is working. My pet kuttush is very sick. He is 10 yrs old, true he IS old. he had a lump on his forehead a few months back. It was growing, so we took him to the Dr. and the Dr. said that it must be a boil, but not a tumour. after medication it bursted out with lots of puss and blood, which Dr. said is a good sign that it cleared out. medicines again to dry it up which was like fighting a battle and we all hated it.
the area did not dry.. finally Dr. said he needs to make a small incision and take out the entire puss. Incision made, cleared out, area became neat… 6-7 days and then again it started. the same puss flowing out from the area.. and additionally the area itches and he scratches with his smart foot. Result- blood again.
Its a white beauty and i hate to see his forehead with a hole for last 6 months. Absolutely no sugar for him, so that he doesn’t get a blood sugar. He’s not well . He tries to go under the bed, he doesnt play like before…

what has happened??

Smita, I am no expert, but it is possible that your dog could be developing something called “Lipoma”. You can talk to your vet about this. I found this web page quite informative. It says that Lipomas are benign fatty lumps that are common in middle aged or older dogs. Once a dog gets a lipma it is possible that there may be recurrences.

Do let me know if you need any more help with this. I am also hoping that some of our other readers and dog lover/owners/vets would be able to provide some insight to Smita on this.

Anybody got anything?

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A few days back, I made a post about Avik’s dog, Phoebe. She had not been keeping well, and the problem was that Avik didn’t know what had happened to her. Since making that post, I have received quite a few mails from our reader. The first one was from Avik himself. Here is an update on Phoebe.

To the people at Paws Awhile, once again I owe you a big THANK YOU. Thanks to your wonderful post, I will now have a million people praying for Phoebe.

As of now the news is that she is “quiet”. The doctor is scheduled to visit at 10 tonight. Hopefully, he will give her a clean chit and soon she’ll be back creating hell for us as she always does.

Off late I’ve been busy at office. But no matter what the time, whenever I reach home she is there waiting at the door. Even if I tip-toe in, she is ready, all alarmed at the intruder. In my best interests, I have dropped the “tip-toe” plan for good. I walk in at the risk of being mauled. It’s like walking into the jungle and not knowing from where the tigress will strike. I’m not exaggerating. Soon I will provide a video to support this claim.

To add to your checklist, I want to expand on your last point “Always give your dog enough attention and love. You would not want to regret later. Plus, they are an absolute joy.”

Here are some things you can do to bring joy into the life of your pet.

• When you return home everyday, take two minutes out and hug them, kiss them and play with them. Two minutes, yes, just two minutes.

• While watching TV, let them sit beside you. Stroke them on their back while they sit beside you. This way they realize that you appreciate their presence around you.

• When you are at home, try being around them as much as possible. Just being there will bring them joy.

• Have a special name for them; apart from the one everyone calls them. It makes them feel special.

• Call for them at the slightest pretext. Notice how they act “uninterested” but land up near you in less than 5 minutes.

• And most of all if you say you love your pet, please mean it.

So for all of the above, how much will it cost you?

NOTHING.

But in return you will give a world of happiness to someone who loves you unconditionally. And that in itself is a priceless gift that not many of us have the privilege to give.

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Avik, who is a regular contributor to our blog, informed me this morning that his dog, Phoebe, is not keeping well. The problem is that he doesn’t know what’s wrong, and it is driving him crazy. To quote Avik:

“She keeps howling and running around as if something is hurting her inside, and
I just can’t put a finger on what it is. It just worries me to no ends that she
is hurting and I am not being able to help”.

What makes it even more painful for him is that this is not the first time he has seen this happen. The dog he owned before he got Phoebe has also once developed similar symptoms, and had passed away suddenly. Still, he is putting on a brave face and hoping for the best. Phoebe is only barely two, and very healthy.

So what do you do when a lightning like this strikes you? Unfortunately, there’s not much to do. However, like it holds true for us, humans, the saying: “Prevention is better than cure.” also holds true for our pets. So you need to have checklist of things you should do to make sure nothing goes awry in your life.

Here’s a start:

• Vaccinate your dog in time. You need to repeat vaccines for canine distemper and rabies every year.
• Maintain a regular check up schedule with your local vet.
• Deworm your dog every six months.
• Learn to cook for your dog. There are several nutritious pet food that can be made at home. Recipes are available for purchase, if you are willing to pay for them.
• Avoid pet food bought from stores unless you are extremely sure about its quality.
• Be aware of the things that dogs should not eat. Take active care that they do not get one of them in their mouth,
• Find out what your dog is allergic to. Keep them away from those stuff.
• Read. It helps to know what’s good for your dog and what’s not.
• Make sure your dog gets enough exercise.
• Make sure your dog always has enough water to keep itself hydrated.
• Always keep your dog on the leash while taking him/her for a walk. Dogs tend to run without looking.
• Always make sure your dog does not sniff around in unfamiliar areas. You never know what infection it can catch.
• Always keep your dog well groomed.
• Always give your dog enough attention and love. You would not want to regret later. Plus, they are an absolute joy.
• All dog lovers should remain informed about the common ailments dogs suffer from and how to tackle them: indigestion,vomiting, loose stools, loss of appetite, fever, ear infections, skin infections, eye infections are common occurrences among dogs.
• Never give a dog who has been showing signs of an upset stomach (vomiting, loose stools etc), milk to drink.
• Check for water entering their ears during a bath or during walks in rainy season.
• This is from my personal experience — My dog, Tommy started to limp all of a sudden one day. I pressed his leg joints to identify where the pain was coming from, but he did not whine at all. I kept wondering what it was when, my friend suggested that I have a look into the crevices underneath his paw: I found he had developed a boil in there. The morale of this story – keep a close watch because the ailments can come from unexpected quarters.
• A dog skipping one or two meals is OK , but owners should be vigilant about the dog’s stool, urine, and activities. Keep a thermometer separately for dogs, and check his temperature when you see one of the obvious signs. If the dog is not eating even his favorite food, and has become lethargic, checking out for wet nose, and feeling their ears for temperature do not always give an accurate picture.
• Check if the dog is drinking more water than usual without any apparent reason(after any form of exercise or because of excessive heat). Excessive thirst is a sign of canine diabetes.
• Check out for ecto parasites: ticks, fleas etc. Ticks cause tick fever, which is a silent and deadly disease.
• Owners should keep reading books on dog health issues, I feel, or consult their vet from time to time.

Is there something you would like added to this checklist? Please let us know. We would like to build on this for our readers and their pets… because a dog’s life is only as good as its owner makes it.

*** The points in blue are later additions sent in by Dr. Manik Godbole – A regular Paws Awhile contributor.

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Also in a one day orientation program that i attended on pet dog care,by mumbai vet college and hospital at Parel, they told us in scientific terms how much proteins , how much fibre, carbohydrates etc a dog would need.

This is dificult to measure when we give home made food. After reading many articles and books on dog nutrition, I came to the conclusion that both home made food and readymade dry food available on shelf have advantages and disadvantages. Coming to the point, this is what i feed my dogs and they are doing very well:

Being the Indian pariah, they have an edge over other dogs as far as health is concerned, and by God’s grace they keep fit thoughout the year. I feed them ‘dalia’ or ’sooji’. It is wheat, grounded roughly with its husk on it. It is not refined, so it adds fibre to the food. (Added by Paws Awhile: Our readers in the US, if you want to try Dalia out (I can vouche it’s very tasty), try looking for it in the Indian stores).

Added to that is vegetable pulp(this includes carrot, red pumpkin, dudhi, cabbage, snakegourd, tondli, potato, moong sprouted or dal (lentil), green peas, spinach—any combination available).

Sometimes, I feed them soya (‘nutrella’), or chicken (liver, or legpieces, or breast, or minced, no bones). I add to that, ‘Revive’ (brewer’s yeast’) which is rich in Vitamin B Complex and aids digestion.

In the afternoon, I give them 5 ml of ‘Rex’, which is a Vitamins ‘A’, ‘D’, and ‘E’ supplement ‘A’, along with a morseful of rice and dal (lentil), and little ghee (an Indian milk product readily available at all Indian stores). My Tommy has hyperacidity so i give him 3 feeds a day.

At dinner time, I also give them a cup of milk and a boiled egg each.

Their play time snacks include biscuits, cheese or paneer (cottage cheese).

I have recently learned that dogs can be given ‘mushrooms’ too. This I will start adding soon. Mushrooms have good iron content, so those who have kept their dogs on a veggie regime should add mushrooms regularly.

During the months of March to I give them one tab of liv-52 ds (himalayacompany)everyday, and once in a week 5 ml of ostocalcium( my vet said dogs require calcium throughout their lifetime).

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I was in the US last year, and when coming back, I brought back a host of gifts for my dogs. That included several packets of dog treats. This was just before the pet food scandal became public. I came back home and found out about it from the news. We promptly wrote back to the manufacturer asking them how safe these treats would be for out dogs. After examining the batch numbers in the packs, they concluded that although several of their products have been found to be “tainted”, these weren’t.

Would you take the risk and go ahead and give your dogs those treats? I wouldn’t, and I didn’t. The packs were safely disposed (we had to keep in mind the several dogs that made rounds of the dumpsters for food), and we were back to our original diet.

That one adventure aside, we had always been giving our dogs food that was prepared at home. They love it, and it has nutritional value. We have noticed that when it comes to dogs, the food preferences are similar to that of children—different dogs prefer different biscuits. Some would sulk if they do not get their regular brand. Some prefer wheat to rice.

What does your dog eat? Is he/she still on packaged dog food? What brand are you using? Do you cook for your dog? Do you have a special recipe that you would like to share with us? Let us know. Leave a comment for all our dog loving readers to see.

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1. Constipation: Rajashree Khalap of the Indian Pariah Dog blog recommends ladies finger (the vegetable) as a remedy for a constipated dog.

For a regular sized INDog (13 – 18 kg) take about 5 bhindis, chop them into small pieces and boil in about half a cup of water for 15 minutes. The water will reduce and become brown and sticky with the juice from the okra. Add this to the dog’s food. You can remove the okra pieces if you like. In my experience most dogs (and many cats too) accept this addition to their food without fuss. If not, you can always force-feed it with a syringe.

2. Dry and Itchy skin: Yvonne de Kock, an INDog owner in New York city, applies Neem oil on her dog’s occasional mange patches. If you are in New York, and want to purchase Neem products for your dog, a good place to look would be the Doggies Paradise.

Coconut oil can also be very effective in treating your dog’s dry and itchy skin. Rajashree herself has tried a different formula on her dog Lalee, that works like magic. She applied a mix of camphor, crushed turmeric, and coconut oil on her dog’s body. Kept it applied for 30 minutes (during which time, her dog was muzzled), and then bathed her dog with a neem soap. Her dog stopped scratching itself immediately.

3. Intestinal Worms: Once again, fresh Neem juice can work wonders for a dog that has worms. Rajashree recommends that a dosage of around half a teaspoon full of Neem juice for five consecutive days every month, should keep your dog worm free.

Keep in mind, this recommendation is for a mid-sized dog. You can reduce or increase the dosage marginally depending on the size of your dog. Neem, usually has no side-effects, so your dog shouldn’t suffer from any. However, Neem juice is extremely bitter, so you may have to “sugar-coat” it in order to make your dog consume it. Force feeding will also do.

It is said, that the Neem does not kill the worms. It sterilizes them, so they lose strength and the power to multiply.

If you would prefer a more conventional deworming treatment for your dog, then you can supplement it with a tablespoon or two of raw, grated carrot mixed with the dog’s daily meals. The carrot’s texture helps push the worms out.

4. Conjunctivitis: If your dog comes down with conjunctivitis, it is always wise to visit the vet first and be assured that the problem is no more than conjunctivitis. I am sure you all know that this disease is the first symptom of some of the most debilitating canine diseases. If you’re sure that the problem in fact is conjunctivitis, then you can try splashing the dog’s eyes with tea that is cooled and strained.

To learn more about home remedies for common dog ailments, please visit the Indian Pariah Dog club: the source of this article.

Disclaimer: The treatments suggested in these articles are not meant to replace proper veterinary care that your dog deserves. Please consult your vet before putting these remedies into practice.

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