DOG HEALTH, General Health

1. Have common sense when it comes to your dogs’ health. If you think there is a problem, try to think back as to where you have been, what your dog could have eaten. If your dog is ill, take his temperature, since that will tell you if he has an infection, either bacterial or viral. Bring as much detail with you to your vet as you can. Should you suspect something wrong with his stool, bring as fresh a sample as you can in a plastic bag for your vet.
   
   
2. When you get recommend a multi-thousand dollar solution, drop me a line/give me a call. We had someone whose vet had recommend a $5,000 operation for their dog. Through our experience, we saved them $4,500 and the dog totally recovered with minimal treatment from the vet.
   
   
3. Make sure your dog doesn’t get too fat. In a healthy dog you can freely feel the ribs, but not see them (if only we would follow this advise for ourselves…)! On the other hand, a skinny dog whose ribs stick out, whose hip bones stick out, is prone to all sorts of illness and parasites. Please see Feeding for more information.
   
   
4. Look after his/her teeth. Get the little brush on a “condom” like rubber you slip over your finger, and brush his teeth weekly (no toothpaste required, the “dog toothpaste” is for the owners benefit/feel good, rather than the dog).
   
   
5. ALWAYS keep your vaccinations, deworming and heartworm prevention up to date. Absolutely no excuses for this one. Please see Brood Bitches and Vaccinations for more information.