If you’re like most people, your dog is a part of your family and lives, to a large extent, exactly as you do. This integration into modern life has led to a number of health problems for canines that they wouldn’t ordinarily experience if they lived in the wild. You can ensure your dog’s continued good health by understanding the unique problems of their modern day life. Here are 5 issues that modern dogs encounter their ancestors didn’t have to face.
5 Health Issues That Threaten Modern Dogs
Obesity
Canine obesity can occur because of constant availability of food in their dishes or from too many dog treats that loving pet owners provide. In addition, dogs may also have opportunities to steal a taste of human food on a regular basis, which can add more calories to their diets. Also as with people, obesity can lead to a number of health problems. If your dog is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about low-calorie dog foods, limit the number of treats and prevent your dog from getting into human food.
Tooth Decay
Modern dogs may experience more tooth decay than their ancestors because they are often given treats that contain sugar. Although this makes for a tasty offering, these treats can increase the risk for tooth problems that may require veterinary care.
Skin Problems
Many more dogs are troubled with skin problems than have been seen in previous times, mainly because these animals are more exposed to a variety of cleaners, pesticides and other chemicals that can cause reactions. If your dog has sensitive skin, use natural compounds, such as vinegar or ammonia for cleaning floors and other articles that your dog may touch. A variety of “green” cleaners are now on the market that can help prevent irritation to canine skin.
Stomach Upsets
Picking through the garbage is a favorite activity of canines, which often results in stomach distress, vomiting and diarrhea. You can avoid these problems if you utilize a “pet resistant” trash container in your home. There are a number of different models available that will keep your dog from overindulging in foods that cause gastrointestinal problems.
Fights with Other Animals
Modern dogs do not get the “pack experience” and may have difficulty reading the signals that can prevent them from getting into conflicts unknowingly. This problem can frequently occur at dog parks or other areas where dogs congregate. It’s also true that modern dogs may not come into contact with raccoons or other animals that sometimes act aggressively. Dog owners must carefully monitor their animals when outside of the home to avoid these encounters that can result in serious wounds or broken bones.
Dogs have been brilliant in their ability to adapt to modern life, alongside their human companions. However, this adaptability has not come without a price. You can help your dog lives a long, healthy and safe life by providing the supervision he or she needs, along with regular veterinary care.
This is good information. I would want to keep my dog from these problems, and obesity especially is one that can creep up.
Good to know about the green cleaners for dogs skin. I will let my friend who have dogs with sensitive skin know.
I have a Jack Russell Terrier that is an important member of our family. Her health is very important to us. Thank you for the article. It was very helpful.
…We had to have our dog put down because of stomach problems and other health issues….Unfortunately he did not get the proper nutrition when growing up ( we weren’t his first owners) and this caused many problems later on.
I never thought about it, but I guess things like obesity really are a modern problem for pets. Very true.
These issues never crossed my mind. Thanks you for sharing this.
I have noticed a big rise in skin conditions.
This is a great post. I knew obesity and fights are issues but hadn’t thought about the others!
Thank you so much for this information…over the last 15 years we lost two dogs we loved to some of the causes
I hadn’t heard of any of these. Thanks for the info.
I did not know about some of these Health Issues in Dogs,Thank you for writing about them.
These are all great points. I think the other is diabetes which goes kind of hand in have with obesity and with tooth decay. I think there are far more diabetic animals than people think.
I love your blog, because you always feature3 such creative and no-nonsense articles like this, with great tips and pointers.
Will do my best to steer my pet clear of these
Informative! Will tell my friend about this
Our pets are just like family members and we must keep a watchful eye for changes in their health. When we noticed our dog was gaining weight we took the advice of our vet and fed him food made for older dogs.