Most Common and Costly Canine Conditions
Although there are plenty of joys associated with being a dog owner, there is no doubt that dog ownership can be expensive as well.
In fact, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, which is the largest and oldest pet health insurance provider in the country, there are several conditions that dog owners may have to face that can be very costly.
Fortunately, many of these conditions are preventable.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) Although this condition is not completely preventable, you can reduce the chances of your pooch suffering from it if you try to minimize how often it jumps off your furniture.
This is easier said than done, but providing your pet with a ramp to get on and off of furniture can help prevent this condition and might be a good idea if you have a pet that is susceptible to this genetic problem, such as a Dachshund.
Gastric Torsion Gastric torsion, or bloating, is a potentially fatal condition that results when the stomach becomes distended and rotates.
This condition is most common in large breeds with deep chests, such as the Great Dane, Irish Setter, Saint Bernard, Gordon Setter, Old English Sheepdog and Doberman Pinscher.
To prevent this from happening, some dog owners have their veterinarians surgically stabilize the stomach in those dogs that are susceptible to the condition.
You can also help prevent the condition by dividing your pet's meals into 2 or 3 meals per day rather than feeding it just one large meal.
Feeding your pet a dry food and canned food mixture and avoiding the use of elevated feeders is also advisable.
Cruciate Rupture A cruciate rupture occurs when your dog ruptures a knee ligament.
You can help prevent this injury from occurring by giving your dog chances to rest when exercising and by avoiding over-exercising your pooch.
Foreign Body Ingestion Foreign body ingestion occurs when your dog consumes something that cannot pass through the intestine or when an object gets caught in your pet's stomach.
Some of the most common items to cause this condition include socks, underwear, coins, toys and pantyhose.
Therefore, the best way to avoid the condition is to keep these items out of reach of your pet.
In addition, when it comes to toys purchased for your pet, keep a close eye to make sure it doesn't try to eat the toy rather than play with it.
Broken Limbs Although there is no way to guarantee prevention of a broken limb, the majority of broken dog bones can be prevented.
This is because most occur when a pet gets hit by a car.
Therefore, you can easily prevent most broken limbs by keeping your pet on a leash and making certain it does not run free.
Smaller dogs may also suffer from broken limbs when items are accidentally dropped on them or when they are stepped on, so be certain to be extra careful if you have a smaller dog.
Some of the other costly conditions that are most commonly faced by dogs and their owners include cataract, lung cancer, bone cancer and brain cancer.
Although there are no known ways to prevent these conditions from occurring, early detection is key to getting the proper treatment and giving your pet the best chance of survival while keeping the costs down.
In fact, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, which is the largest and oldest pet health insurance provider in the country, there are several conditions that dog owners may have to face that can be very costly.
Fortunately, many of these conditions are preventable.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) Although this condition is not completely preventable, you can reduce the chances of your pooch suffering from it if you try to minimize how often it jumps off your furniture.
This is easier said than done, but providing your pet with a ramp to get on and off of furniture can help prevent this condition and might be a good idea if you have a pet that is susceptible to this genetic problem, such as a Dachshund.
Gastric Torsion Gastric torsion, or bloating, is a potentially fatal condition that results when the stomach becomes distended and rotates.
This condition is most common in large breeds with deep chests, such as the Great Dane, Irish Setter, Saint Bernard, Gordon Setter, Old English Sheepdog and Doberman Pinscher.
To prevent this from happening, some dog owners have their veterinarians surgically stabilize the stomach in those dogs that are susceptible to the condition.
You can also help prevent the condition by dividing your pet's meals into 2 or 3 meals per day rather than feeding it just one large meal.
Feeding your pet a dry food and canned food mixture and avoiding the use of elevated feeders is also advisable.
Cruciate Rupture A cruciate rupture occurs when your dog ruptures a knee ligament.
You can help prevent this injury from occurring by giving your dog chances to rest when exercising and by avoiding over-exercising your pooch.
Foreign Body Ingestion Foreign body ingestion occurs when your dog consumes something that cannot pass through the intestine or when an object gets caught in your pet's stomach.
Some of the most common items to cause this condition include socks, underwear, coins, toys and pantyhose.
Therefore, the best way to avoid the condition is to keep these items out of reach of your pet.
In addition, when it comes to toys purchased for your pet, keep a close eye to make sure it doesn't try to eat the toy rather than play with it.
Broken Limbs Although there is no way to guarantee prevention of a broken limb, the majority of broken dog bones can be prevented.
This is because most occur when a pet gets hit by a car.
Therefore, you can easily prevent most broken limbs by keeping your pet on a leash and making certain it does not run free.
Smaller dogs may also suffer from broken limbs when items are accidentally dropped on them or when they are stepped on, so be certain to be extra careful if you have a smaller dog.
Some of the other costly conditions that are most commonly faced by dogs and their owners include cataract, lung cancer, bone cancer and brain cancer.
Although there are no known ways to prevent these conditions from occurring, early detection is key to getting the proper treatment and giving your pet the best chance of survival while keeping the costs down.
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