Dog Eye Health Is Important, Don’t Let Your Dog Go Blind
There are many aspects to dog health that a pet owner needs to be aware of if they want to keep their companion in tip top shape. A visit to the vet at least once a year for vaccinations and a physical is a must, and of course whenever problems arise.
To keep your pet healthy it is necessary to feed him a balanced and nutritious diet and to pay attention to its dental and eye health. Sometimes what seems like a minor problem can escalate to affect the dog’s quality of life.
Dogs are susceptible to a variety of eye diseases that can occur at any time in their lives. Because of the structure of their eyes and the natural inquisitiveness of dogs, eye injuries are often the reasons for visits to veterinarians.
It is important for dog owners to check their pet’s eyes and teeth in between visits to the vet, and keep a watch for any squinting, cloudiness, discharge, redness or swelling. If you are concerned and your dog exhibits other symptoms their possible causes could be:
Fluid build up in the eye – can be the first indication of glaucoma;
Inflammation of the eyelids – possible conjunctivitis
Opacity of the lens – definite sign of cataracts
Third eyelid’s tear glad protruding – a sign of cherry eye
Eyelids turning inwards, scratching the eye – Entropion
Although not possible for most owners to detect, Progressive Retinal Atrophy is another common disease that causes blindness due to the retina’s cell deterioration.
While allergies and dust are often the causes of redness and itchiness, the possibility of other problems should not be ruled out. Tear ducts can become blocked, and virus or bacterial infections can cause a creamy discharge from the dog’s eyes.
If your dog is prone to allergy or irritated eyes, having some natural eye wash on hand is a great preventative move. If left to scratch, a dog can do further damage to an otherwise good eye with excellent vision. By scraping along a foreign object to relieve the itch, he can pick up splinters or otherwise exacerbate the problem.
By pet owner’s being alert to their dogs’ everyday health, they can take early steps to prevent their pets from suffering eye disease.
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Holistic Dog Food
It is a natural progression for people who are concerned about their health to look carefully at the foods they are giving their pets.
The quality of food eaten by both humans and dogs affects their everyday lives and has long-term benefits to their health. A holistic dog food regime will ensure a dog receives a balanced nutritional mix of high quality ingredients.
Holistic dog food recipes are designed to include a blend of ingredients including bones, meat, vegetables and supplements to meet a dog’s nutritional needs. When you think about it, isn’t this the type of diet dogs consumed before humans, tinned food and supermarkets began to control their lives?
Nearly all commercially manufactured dog foods contain fillers, and artificial flavors and colors. The meat component is often poor quality and of dubious origin. Pet food recalls evidence that the filler components are easily tainted.
Before dramatically changing a dog’s diet to a more holistic dog food diet, it is recommended that pet owners consult with their veterinarian to ensure what supplements, if any, will be required to benefit the pet. The type of supplements could vary according to the dog’s breed, age and weight.
There is a huge range of holistic dog food recipes available on the internet, and applying variations of them is easy. It is not necessarily a more expensive option to commercially made dog food, and cooking up a supply and freezing it in portions is often the most economical system used.
By making your own dog food you can be sure of the ingredients, and modify them to suit your dog’s changing needs. Supplementing with natural ingredients can assist with canine health issues like shedding, fleas and halitosis. Indeed by consuming holistic dog food, a dog will avoid having any of these conditions at all.
Dogs who suffer from health problems like allergies that cause itching and rashes will often benefit from home made dog food, which by its very nature will not contain any preservatives – a common cause of allergies.
Apart from the health benefit to dogs, their owners can also benefit in a variety of ways from giving their dog a natural diet. Firstly, they will notice a reduction in flatulence from their pet (yes please!), and they will no longer have to haul all of those tins of dog food home from the supermarket (yes again!).
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Dog Health Care Insurance
Ours is a pet loving society, and wherever possible most homes would not be complete without a dog, cat, goldfish, hamster, rat… the lists is long and varied. Most of us understand just how expensive owning one of the larger animals can be, especially dogs. Because of this dog health insurance may be well worth investigating.
There is no doubt that dog owners need to take their pet to a veterinarian at least once a year, for a physical and inoculations. Most dog owners should be prepared for this expense. But where dog health insurance is useful is when your dog has an accident, develops a chronic condition or a terminal illness. Should any of these befall your much-loved dog, the expense of treatment can be staggering.
Taking out dog health insurance can help owners avoid heartbreaking decisions about the future of their pet. Faced with the prospect of a veterinarian’s bill, which could amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars, those who can ill afford such expense may not be able to provide the surgery or medications needed to get their dog into good health again.
There are many different providers of pet insurance, and each one will offer plans tailored to dogs, with various inclusions. The level of cover will be reflected in the premium, but just about all insurers will cover injury and common medical conditions, although some hereditary conditions may be excluded. Most insurers do not cover vaccinations, or worming and flea treatments – but do ask about them.
Should your dog’s medical condition require a prescription diet, check with the prospective insurer to see if this is covered. Sometimes insurers will cover diet and other extras for an extra premium payment.
Some common exclusions are blood tests, x-rays and ultrasounds. Some breeds suffer from hereditary conditions, and these too may be excluded.
Prices of dog health insurance policies will vary between insurers. Generally, you get what you pay for. Compare the benefits carefully, and don’t opt for the cheapest if it means you will compromise on quality.
In calculating the premium for dog health insurance, insurers will consider the dog’s age, breed, current health, medical history and any past claims. An excess will probably apply, which means the insurer will only pay above a certain amount. For instance, if the dog health insurance policy has an excess of $200 and your claim is for a $300 bill, the insurance will only pay out $100 (or as the case may be, any amount above the $200).
Shop around for your dog health insurance to find the one that is best for your pet. Take the time to get quotes, and clarify exactly what is covered, and more importantly, what is not covered.
If you want more information on dog health care insurance, check out this book called “Pet Insurance.”
Carolin Shadler’s Blog
