Other health conditions can include:

• Cherry eye: This condition is a prolapse of the third eyelid gland. This third gland is what produces the protective tear film for the eye.
• Brachycephalic syndrome: This syndrome describes anatomic abnormalities in certain breeds where the upper airways dysfuntion and/or are obstructed.
• Juvenile cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
• Entropion: In this condition, an eyelid, typically the lower one inverts which cause the eyelashes to rub against the eye. This causes irritation on the eye.
• Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
• Skin allergies: Histamine, which is a chemical in the body associated with immune responses, is released during allergic reactions.
• Ear infections: Also known as swimmer’s ear, this condition causes inflammation of the external ear canal.
• Intervertebral disc degeneration: The spine is broken into three sections, the lumbar, thoracic, and the cervical. The cervical is the top of the spine (neck area). There are 7 vertebra and 6 disks in this section.
• Hemivertebrae: In this condition, the lower half of the spine does not form.
• Retinal dysplasia: Both an inherited and a result of viral infections, retinal dysplasia is an abnormal growth of the retina in the eye.
• Hypothyroidism: The thyroid gland, sitting at the top of the windpipe in the back of the neck, is controlled by the pituitary gland at the base of the brand. Hypothyroidism would cause the metabolism to slow down.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.