Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that dog health issues are an unavoidable part of being a pet owner. These health conditions can affect all dogs but in many cases, they are more common in certain breeds. Many of the health conditions listed in this article are not life threatening. We will review some of the most common health conditions and take a look at how they may be preventable.



Arthritis is a very common health condition among larger breeds of dogs. There are many humans that suffer from this illness as well. If your dog is showing signs of pain when moving, has begun to lay around more, is yelping in pain when they move, or is limping they may be showing signs of this disorder. It is easy to treat this problem and treatment may be as simple as changing the food that you feed them. However, if they are in a large amount of pain, it may be necessary to have them put to sleep.

Hip Dysplasia is a common health condition among large breeds of dogs as well. It carries with it many of the same symptoms of arthritis and is treatable if caught in its early stages. This disorder occurs when the ball and socket joint does not function properly any longer. It could become necessary for your canine to have surgery to fix this problem. However, there is a high success rate and many dogs continue on to live happy normal lives. If your pet has suffered from this and has had puppies you should know that it is a genetic condition. If the parents have had it, the off springs are very likely to develop it as well.

Deafness is a problem that many dogs succumb to, and it can happen during any stage of their life. They could be born deaf, or they could develop it during their life time. There are certain breeds that deafness is more common among, but it can be a problem for any type of a dog. It occurs when the nerves inside of your canines ears have degenerated over a period of time. Generally, there is no treatment available for this health condition. You can train your dog to obey hand signals so that they can lead a somewhat normal life.

Many people may not realize it, but your dog can become constipated just like any human would. Furthermore, the cause of this problem for dogs is the same as a human. Poor diet, dehydration and medications can all be to blame for this health issue. It is a very treatable condition, and you may not even have to visit your vet to cure it.

There are many other dog health issues that plague the canine world. Fleas and ticks are perhaps one of the most annoying examples of common conditions to affect your animal. Both are very easy to recognize and cure. Viruses are a different story all together. Most puppies are vaccinated for them shortly after being born. The unlucky few that are not or contract a virus any ways will be very unhealthy pets. Many cases of viruses result in death so be sure to vaccinate your dogs and keep them up to date on their shots.


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