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From The Vet: 5 Simple Hacks To Make Life Easier For Senior Dogs

What better way to show your love than to make every day just a little easier for your loved one? As your dog ages, there are predictable changes that happen commonly, and fortunately there are things that you can do to make daily life less difficult for your dog if you know how. #1 – Making Floors Safer Senior dogs lose flexibility and balance as part of brain and nerve aging and sometimes, navigating on today’s popular slick hardwood and … Read more

3 Things You Can Do To Prepare Your Dog For A Great Vet Visit

Dog lovers (me included) like to make our dogs happy and do things that they enjoy. We all know that if our dog hates the trip to the vet, we are less likely to prioritize it. The dogs that have to be dragged in our door are the ones that we see the least. And when we do finally see them, it is more likely to be when they are very sick, so our chances for an ideal outcome are … Read more

Vet Helps Bald Eagle Learn to Fly Again by Building Trust

Apex predators like lions, tigers, killer whales, sharks, bears, and eagles are at the very top of the food chain. These animals are known for being the strongest and fiercest predators in the wild. They are so dangerous that nobody, including humans, would dare come close to any of them. When a bald eagle got injured, one man put aside his fears and decided to help this powerful predator. Meet Dr. Cliff Redford. He also goes by the name Dr. … Read more

Experts Say: Skip the Address on Your Pet’s Collar

In a recent report by Inside Edition, pet owners are being cautioned about the risks associated with putting certain personal information on their pets’ tags. This warning comes after two women shared their unsettling experiences of strangers using their dogs’ tag information to locate them. Shay Grayson recounted to Inside Edition an incident where a man stopped her during a walk with her Maltese, asking to take a picture of the dog. However, he was actually photographing the dog’s tags, … Read more

Ask A Vet: What Is The Most Critical Thing For My Dog’s Dental Health?

Most dog owners know that they need to do something for their dog’s dental health these days, but not many know what the most significant thing really is. For a long time, people thought that teeth were not important. After all, animals in the wild get no dental care at all and they seem fine, right? Perhaps animals without dental care SEEM fine, but we do not know if they are suffering from severe pain. Vets have tried to spread … Read more

From The Vet: 5 Ways To Help Your Dog Age Gracefully

It is so hard to watch your dog grow old before your very eyes. It seems like just yesterday, she was a bounding puppy! Now she is just a little stiffer and sleeps more. Wouldn’t you love to know some ways to help her age gracefully?  1. Help your dog get up and down As nerves and muscles age, certain movements can become difficult. Senior dogs are more likely to suffer from difficulty rising and impaired balance. This means that … Read more

Ask A Vet: Should I Be Feeding My Dog “Superfoods”?

There are certain foods that contain compounds that have shown benefit to living systems. The media has coined the phrase “super foods” and there is a lot of talk about them. Restaurant chains are even adding in superfood sections to their menus. These foods are thought to help in the management of certain disease processes like osteoarthritis, cancer and brain aging. Some of these compounds may even have a role in immunity against infectious disease and improving skin and hair coat. Here … Read more

Ask A Vet: Is My Dog Being Aggressive Or Is He Just Afraid?

Does your dog ever act aggressively? Does he attack people? Bite you? These outbursts can be embarrassing and dangerous. In order to keep yourself safe and restore peace to your environment, you must try to know the cause. Most acts of aggression actually result from fear. A truly aggressive, dominant dog is unusual, but fear-based reactions are very common. It is important for the safety of everyone that you know the difference. Dogs have evolved with humans and certain traits … Read more

Ask A Vet: Help! My Dog Has Auto-Immune Disease. What is it?

If your vet tells you that your dog has an auto-immune disease, don’t panic. You need information to help you know what is coming and it might help you to have some background. Here is the scoop on Immune Mediated Disorders. It is the job of a body’s immune system to protect it from disease. Part of the job of this miraculous system is to mobilize killer cells and direct them to targets so they can eliminate them from the … Read more

What Is Distemper And Should I Worry About My Dog Getting It?

Distemper is a serious disease, and we’ve seen several people express concern over it and the pain it can cause pets and their families. We asked Dr. Kathryn Primm, a veterinarian with over 20 years’ experience treating pets and owner of Applebrook Animal Hospital in Ooltewah, Tennessee to share her expert knowledge with our readers on the dangers of distemper, and what you can do to prevent it.   What should pet owners know about distemper?   Dr. Primm: Distemper is caused … Read more

6 Things You Never Want To See In Your Dog’s Poop 

Poop: it may not be glamorous, but it’s a key indicator of what’s going on internally. Dog owners should take a minute every day to look at their dog’s droppings and know what their pup’s poo is like on a healthy, “normal” day. We at iHeartDogs asked Dr. Michel Selmer, DVM, CTCVMP, about what sorts of red flags to look for when it comes to our companion’s stools. Also known as “The Caring Vet,” Dr. Selmer is a Certified Veterinary Food … Read more

Ask A Vet: What Do I Do If My Dog Eats Chocolate?

iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. I saw a dog yesterday for helping her canine buddy tear apart a bag of Snickers minis. Her owner was not sure how much each of them had eaten, but this little dog was the older and smaller of the two. She had already vomited four times. The other dog was acting normal, and it is a … Read more

From The Vet: DO’s and DON’Ts for Halloween

Halloween is a fun evening for kids and adults.  It is not always pet friendly, but with a little forethought, you can make sure that your dog has a safe and fun time, too. DO: Consider your dog’s personality. If you have a shy, fearful dog, he might not enjoy all the crowds. He may be happier given an option to hide in a safe place with low music to drown out the sound of visitors. Costumed figures may appear … Read more

Ask A Vet: Why Does My Dog Drink Out Of The Toilet?

Since our dogs are with us all the time, it is easy to forget that they are animals. They have evolved to have inborne natures that help protect them from the dangers in a wild environment. We know that our dogs have us to help protect them, but a dog’s early ancestors did not. All they had was what their instincts told them and what savvy they learned as they lived. Wild animals prefer cool fresh water to standing water. … Read more

Ask A Vet: How Do I Know If My Dog Has A Food Allergy?

To know whether or not your dog suffers from Food Allergy, you must first have an understanding of how allergies work. An allergy is when an animal’s immune system identifies something that is harmless as a threat. Once his system sees the offending molecule (allergen), it then mounts a response to the perceived threat just as it would to a real threat like a virus or bacteria, causing inflammation and clinical signs of illness. Some ingredients are more apt to … Read more

From The Vet: 7 Signs Of Dog Arthritis You May Not Have Noticed

Arthritis (inflammation of the joints) is a very common diagnosis for pets and people. It is known to cause pain and stiffness, developing from normal wear and tear or occurring as a result of injury in the past. It is diagnosed by a veterinarian from physical exam findings and radiographic evidence. Signs Of Arthritis In Dogs Here are 7 signs that you might not have noticed in your dog that could herald arthritis. It is very important to know that … Read more

Why Does My Dog Follow Me To The Bathroom?

You will never pee alone again… We laugh at jokes and memes that declare how having a dog means you never have to pee alone again, but it’s true. If we get to go to the bathroom, you can bet our dog is right behind us. Our dogs are really tuned in to us and curious as well, but seriously… do they have to attend our potty breaks? A question I see made out of curiosity a lot is – … Read more

Why On Earth Do Dogs Stare At You When They Poop?

You may have noticed that your dog keeps his eyes on you while he is defecating. It is not because he is embarrassed. He is not wishing you would look away or give him privacy while he “does his business”. It goes much deeper than that. Dogs are animals and they are very tuned in to their environment and their own place in it. For survival, they must be aware of risk. Defecation is one of the times in an … Read more

Why Does My Dog Lick My Feet? The Answers You’ve Been Looking For

Why does my dog lick my feet? Dogs do things that we might not love, and licking our feet is one of those things. We should never forget that our dogs are designed to communicate with others without using words. Communicating with dogs is like trying to learn a foreign language, only harder… because even the familiar letters are absent. Understanding why your dog does what he does is critical in maintaining your bond and growing your friendship. It makes … Read more

Ask A Vet: Can What I Feed My Dog Make Him Calmer?

We struggle with where our focus should be when we select foods and supplements for our dogs. There are diets for almost everything, and recently there are even diets and dietary additives that are designed to produce mental calming and aid in anxiety disorders. Research has shown that there are compounds in food that can help our brains manage anxiety or chemical imbalances. Studies show that certain compounds that are found in foods can act as mood stabilizers or even … Read more

Ask A Vet: Why Does My Dog Pee In Weird Places Around The House?

Owners will invariably notice if their dogs urinate in odd places like a spare room, kitchen or in their beds. It makes for a stressful morning when your pillow or bed linens are soiled, and no one wants to be getting ready for sleep at night only to find that they have to strip the whole bed before they can rest. Unfortunately, there is no one answer to why a dog might urinate in odd places. There are a myriad of … Read more

Ask A Vet: 5 Tips To Make Bath Time Easier On You And Your Dog

Many dogs love to swim and play in the water, but sometimes a bath is a “horse of a different color”. Remember, a bath is your idea and because of our goal-oriented human nature, sometimes we approach things like a task to be completed in the most efficient way possible. This tendency is not something that a dog can share or even understand. Think about life the way a dog sees it. When you go to the lake or park … Read more

Ask A Vet: Why Is My Dog Scooting?

People think watching a dog drag his rear across the floor (aka “scooting”) is either gross or funny (or both) and I would agree that it is gross, since I know a lot about dog butts! Your dog is not doing the “sit and spin” to amuse you. He is more likely either itching or in pain. Your dog has glands located on either side of her rectum, which create a very strong smelling secretion. Similar structures in the skunk … Read more

From The Vet: 5 Dog Medical Terms Every Owner Should Know

Does your vet speak to you in Pig Latin? Actually it is really Latin and Greek mostly. Here are some terms that I use that have gotten some questionable looks and I think that understanding what your vet is saying is the best way to have a pet health care team for your pets’ best lives. This is your crash mini course in Medical Terminology! #1 – Neoplasia The word neoplasia roughly translated from the Greek root word neo– new, … Read more

Ask A Vet: What Is A “Hot Spot” & What Can I Do About It?

It is the time of year when I start to see lots of skin issues. One of those is Pyotraumatic Dermatitis or Hot Spot. A hot spot is an area of the skin that is inflamed and excoriated. The hair is often missing in the center and all the hair around the lesion is caked together with moist, smelly crusts. It is extremely uncomfortable for the dog and smelling the odor is not pleasant for you. Why do hot spots … Read more

Ask A Vet: Why Does My Dog Sniff People’s Privates?

Does your dog seem to always have his face in people’s crotches? Embarrassing, isn’t it? Well, don’t be too embarrassed. Dogs see the world with a different sense than we do. In addition to sight and sound, they depend on their sense of smell dramatically more than humans. When they approach you in this way, they are not just being a “space invader”. They are trying to gain information about the person through a scent inspection. To a dog, the … Read more

From The Vet: 3 Signs Your Dog Has A Fever

Fever is defined as a body temperature above the range that is considered normal for a healthy animal. Time and experience have shown us what these ranges are and we know that fever is one of the body’s signs that it is dealing with an infection. It is important for dog caregivers to be able to recognize signs that their dog might have a fever and be fighting an infection so that they know when to seek help from their … Read more

Ask A Vet: Is Vaccinating My Dog For Rabies Worth The Risk?

This question is much more complicated than it may seem. First, let’s look at rabies as a disease. Anyone that watched Ole Yeller already has an idea what the disease known as rabies is like and in this case, movie magic did not really over-dramatize it. Rabies is a neurologic (attacking the nervous system) disease caused by a virus. A rabies patient will suffer and die a horrific death and even worse, rabies is zoonotic  (a disease that can be … Read more

Ask A Vet: Why Does My Dog Hate To Have His Nails Trimmed?

We all know how important it is to keep our dog’s nails trimmed. It helps save our floors and sometimes, our skin and it is also good for the dog too. Nails can grow too long and curl back into a dog’s skin and be uncomfortable. In a wild state, the dogs might be able to wear them down, but in our living rooms, they need a little help from us. The dewclaws on the side of the legs do … Read more

Ask A Vet: Should I Give My Dog A Probiotic?

Everyone wants a magic bullet or something that will, in one fell swoop, stop aging or prolong life. As of yet, there is no one easy solution to all that ails us, but there are certain things when administered thoughtfully with professional advice may have some benefit. Probiotics may be one of these items. Probiotics (literally “in favor of life”) are living organisms intentionally introduced to provide a beneficial effect. As far back as 1910, an early scientist named Elie … Read more

Ask A Vet: 3 Summer Dangers You May Not Have Thought Of

Summer is fun. The days are long and when school is out, everything seems to relax a little. Maybe it’s because people travel more or engage in their hobbies more. Folks go camping and hiking, boating or water skiing and many times, dogs are part of the fun. But what about summer might pose a risk to your dog, other then the usual threats, like snakes, heat, and bugs? Here are some summer risks that you might not have thought … Read more