Health

Deafness in dogs may be present from birth, or it may develop as the result of injury, disease, or simply old age. Whatever the cause, there’s plenty you can do to help. Some inherited causes of dog deafness can be tested for in the parents or in young puppies and tend to be seen in certain breeds. For example, deafness is more common in Dalmatians. When considering buying a purebred puppy, speak to your vet about potentially inherited problems seen in certain breeds. If you already own a dog and you suspect they are losing their hearing, consult your vet as some conditions, such as infection, which cause these signs are treatable.

Even if your dog is blind, nothing can dampen their adventurous, fun-loving spirit! Dogs cope well with the loss of their sight, and all it takes is certain changes to the way they are looked after to get them back on their paws. In fact, if allowances are made for the loss of their eyesight, your dog’s life should be every inch as good as it was before.

As dogs get older, it can be quite common for them to develop cancer. According to Pets Web MD, more than 50% of dogs aged over 10 years will develop cancer at some point in their lifetime, so it’s important for you to know the signs of this disease and what treatments are available. Find out everything you need to know with our guide. Just like with people, dogs can suffer from cancer, particularly as they get older. In part, this is because our dogs are living longer as a result of improved veterinary and daily dog care, but, unfortunately, old age still comes with its own problems. The good news is that when caught early, cancer is usually very treatable. Knowing what signs of cancer in dogs to look out for and understanding when to seek help from your vet can help you to catch it early.

Many dogs suffer from kennel cough at least once in their lives. Read our guide to find out about possible symptoms and how to treat it. Many dogs get kennel cough during their lives. It’s a common infection of the respiratory system with symptoms like coughing and hacking. It sounds bad but usually clears up without needing treatment. Read our guide to find out what causes kennel cough in dogs, how it’s spread and how to treat it.

Nobody likes to think of their dog having worms, but there’s nothing unusual about it – in fact, your puppy or dog has probably had them at some point in their lives! Most puppies are actually born with worms, which are contracted from their mother’s milk, while other dog worms are obtained from fleas or the environment. If you puppy or dog has worms, there’s no need to worry – your vet can help you with treatment. If done speedily, there’s no need for your dog’s health to be compromised at all.

If your dog keeps eating grass or dirt, there’s no need to worry - this isn’t uncommon behaviour by any means, even though it might seem quite strange. If you have a four-legged friend in your life, chances are that you’ve caught them grazing once or twice in the garden or out on walks. For pups that do this, owners often wonder, why do dogs eat grass exactly? Over the years there’s been numerous old wife’s tales about the behaviour, with many believing it’s for the purpose of self-medicating – but is this true?

Has the time arrived for weaning your puppy? Here is how to help them make an easy transition from their mother’s milk to puppy food. Weaning is an important part of your puppy’s development. When your puppy weans, it means they move from relying on their mother’s milk for all their nourishment, to enjoying solid foods. During the period of time from birth to puppy weaning, the mother’s natural instincts will often kick in. She should help the puppies to suckle when they are young, and gradually encourage them to look elsewhere for food, trying the puppy diet that is offered. However, if your female is struggling to feed her puppies you should speak to a vet for advice as this can indicate an underlying health problem such as mastitis. Read on to find out when to wean puppies, how you can them to develop good eating habits and much more. Life before puppy weaning A puppy should stay with their mother and siblings for at least the first 8 weeks of their life. For the first few weeks they will only need their mother’s milk, or a suitable puppy milk formula. Initially, your puppy’s sense of smell will help them find their way to their mother’s teats, where suckling should be instinctive. During this early period, the mother keeps her puppies warm with her own body heat. When the mother temporarily moves away from them, they group together to make up for the loss of heat that her fur provides. She will also lick the puppies to keep them clean and help to stimulate them to urinate and defecate. Human contact is also important during this early period, although you should try to get a balance that does not cause distress to the mother.

You love your dog just the way they are, so you probably won’t worry too much if they seem to put on just a few extra pounds. But from a health point of view, size really does matter! Although weighing your dog and monitoring their weight regularly is a good idea, this can be tricky as there is a lot of variation between breeds and it’s not always easy to know what is right for your pet. That’s where dog body condition scoring can make things easier. What is the dog body condition score? Dog body condition scoring allows you to assess the amount of fat your dog is carrying, it is easy to do at home without scales, and can identify problems in overweight dogs before the scales show a big change. What’s more, the BCS system works for every kind of dog, so you can easily check them between visits to the vet whether they’re big, small, wiry or extremely furry! Why is the dog body condition score important? Owning a dog means keeping a close eye on your dog’s body score and working to maintain an 'ideal' score of four or five throughout all stages of your dog's life. This can also decrease the risk of health problems associated with owning an overweight dog. These include arthritis, heart disease and even diabetes, which not only mean large vet bills but an unhappy, uncomfortable dog – more reason than ever to get them in shape! Like people, each one processes their food in a slightly different way, particularly depending on their age and activity level. If your dog gets more calories than they need, those excess calories may be stored as fat, which in the worst case can lead to obesity in dogs. "Learning how to perform a body condition score for your pet, and regularly assessing this in combination with appropriate nutrition and exercise, will ensure you're doing your best for your pet's health and wellbeing", says Zara Boland, Purina's vet.

Turn your new puppy into an excellent travel companion. You’ve got a new pup and you can’t wait to show them the world. We know the feeling! But before you start planning that amazing road trip together (or even getting ready to drive to the vet’s), you have to remember that a car can be a very strange thing to a puppy. The closed space, the car movement and even the engine sound can trigger alarm bells for a puppy not used to travelling. But there are a few things you can do to make car trips easier to bear for your pup. Who knows, maybe they will even start looking forward to them! Here are the basics of car travelling for puppies.

Grooming your dog can be quite a challenge at times, but it doesn’t have to be. It is a good opportunity, not only to make your pet squeaky clean, but also to bond and give them a quick health check to make sure everything is alright. Here are tips for how to groom your dog. When it comes to our canine friends, grooming is often seen as a luxury, especially if you have to rely on regular visits to a professional pet groomer. But in most cases, grooming your dog doesn’t require any special skills and can be done at home with basic “equipment”. We’re not talking hair makeovers or artistic pedicures. Just a few simple tasks that can become part of a grooming routine and will soon turn into a relaxing bonding experience for both of you.

As a dog owner you can sometimes find yourself obsessing over dog poop. From the colour of it, to the shape and consistency, you may be wondering what's normal. Our guide to dog poop aims to answer all of your questions and more. Every dog poops, this is true. Poop can seem like an unremarkable thing; but did you know that your dog’s poop can be a great indicator of your dog’s overall health and even prevent some health issues down the road if you know what to look for? That’s why over at Purina (and at your vet’s office!) we like to get personal about the poop-scooping experience. The next time you’re out on a walk with your dog, take a good look at your dog’s poop – this way you’ll be able to get a good whiff of the important information that your dog is trying to tell you.

Dogs sneezing can be a common occurrence, but sometimes you may notice your dog sneezing during unusual times or more than usual. In this article we investigate the causes of sneezing in dogs and what it could mean for your dog. A dog sneezing is common, normal and can even be really cute to watch! But why do dogs sneeze and what does it mean? When it comes to sneezing in dogs, it doesn’t tend mean that your dog has a cold, in the same way sneezing usually means in humans. In fact, dogs sneeze for a many reasons. It can be due to something minor like a reaction to dust, or it could be more serious. Or it might be a “play sneeze” – more on that later. It all depends on how often your dog is sneezing, and what colour the discharge, if any, is. In most instances, your dog will be sneezing in response to an irritant in the upper airway of the dog’s nose. The dog then sneezes to expel the irritant, much like humans do! There can be many other reasons why your dog is sneezing though, so we’ve made this guide so you can find out why do dogs sneeze?