As a responsible dog owner you should take your dog to the veterinarian at least once per year. This is a good habit to form with your dog that will keep him healthy for years to come, as well as enable you to prevent diseases, instead of waiting for them to form. A yearly physical examination will consist of evaluating your dog’s general attitude and appearance. The eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and skin will be fully checked. The vet will also check the musculoskeletal, respiratory, nervous, digestive, genitourinary, and circulatory systems.

Serum Chemistry Profile
Sometimes called a “chem scan”, the Serum Chemistry File is an extensive battery of tests that provide a broad database to evaluate your dog’s general health. These tests confirm the results of the physical examination and will provide you with early warning signs of unsuspected problems. Have your dog fast for at least 12 hours before this test, to ensure the best of accuracy with the results.

Urinalysis
A urinalysis test examines your dog’s urine. This test will reveal the health of the genitourinary system. In addition, a urinalysis also reflects a variety of disease processes that involve other organs of the body.

Fecal Analysis
The presents of parasites can be detected through the fecal analysis. Also, this test is sound for detecting the presence of undigested food particles which is an indicator that your dog’s system is not able to break down and digest his food the way it should be.

Complete Blood Count
The complete blood count, or CBC, is a very routine profile of tests used to describe both the quality and the quantity of the cells in your dog’s blood.

Normal Blood Test Results
As you make these yearly physical and blood chemistry exams a routine part of your dog’s care, it will provide valuable information for the future. They help establish normal levels for your dog and if there is any deviation from those levels, then your vet can be easily notified and institute prevention.

The level of what is “normal” is established by the laboratory. These values vary depending on what laboratory equipment is used. These norms are established by analyzing the blood of a certain number of dogs and then the average is used as a benchmark for current tests. This is why it is important to stay with one clinic for as long as you can, preferably for your dog’s entire life span.

Poisons can enter the body in 3 ways; through the skin, by being inhaled, or by being eaten. Because of the dog’s curious nature, they are usually poisoned by ingestion. In order to prevent your dog from accidental poisoning, you must keep all household chemicals that are potentially toxic out of his reach. These include insecticides, alkaline household cleaners such as paint strippers, shampoos, flea collars, batteries, and medicines.

Removing paint and tar from the dog’s coat

To remove either paint or tar from your dog’s coat, soften it with petroleum jelly or another similar product that is safe for human skin. Cut off any heavily contaminated and matted fur. The next step is to wash the contaminated area with canine shampoo or baby shampoo, then rinse thoroughly.

Poisoning through ingestion

If you catch your dog eating something that you think is dangerous, restrain him and examine the package or substance carefully for instructions. Contact the vet or your local poison control center immediately for advice. With the help of another person, give your dog hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Getting him to vomit will eliminate some of the poison that has already entered his body and will buy you some time until he gets treated by the vet.

To make your dog vomit, draw the hydrogen peroxide into a syringe or a turkey baster. Tip your dog’s head back and squirt it toward the back of his tongue. Generally, your dog will start to vomit within a few minutes. If he does not vomit after 5 minutes, wait for another 5 minutes and then try again. Do not give your dog more than two doses of the solution because administering too much hydrogen peroxide can cause potential complications. Also, do not use ipecac or other over-the-counter products that are used by humans. While it is safe for us, it can be toxic for our pets.

Do not induce vomiting if your dog has eaten caustic chemicals such as drain cleaner because the poison will cause a double burn as it is going down and then coming back up. If he got into something alkaline like drain cleaner, what you need to do instead is to give him something to neutralize the chemicals, such as 3 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice diluted in the same amount of water.

With poisoning, every minute counts. If the poison has already taken effect and the dog has collapsed, you need to take him to the vet immediately along with a sample of whatever it is that has poisoned him. Treatment is most effective if the vet knows the type of toxic substance that the dog has ingested.

Dogs are naturally curious animals. They will try and investigate anything and everything that crosses their path. It is very common for them to get into small accidents and experience minor scrapes and cuts. They may either run into sharp objects, step on glass, or get caught on barbed wires.

When minor accidents occur, a simple first aid treatment is all that is necessary to keep small wounds from getting worse and to stop the bleeding. Below are steps to follow to control your dog’s bleeding.

1. In order to stop the bleeding, you need to apply firm pressure directly over the wound. This can be done using a towel or a piece of clean cloth. Press down with your thumb or the palm of your hand. The bleeding will then start to slow down after a few minutes.

However, in case of more serious bleeding, you may need to apply pressure directly to the artery. Dogs have 3 pressure point areas which you can press to stop serious bleeding that is occurring in other parts of his body.

a) Pressing the upper side of his rear legs can help control the bleeding of the lower hind legs.
b) Pressing the upper inside of his front legs will help slow the bleeding of the lower forelegs.
c) Pressing the underside of his tail will help control the bleeding of his tail.

2. Once the bleeding is under control, trim the hair around the area of the wound using electric clippers or scissors. This will keep the wound clean and helps speed up the healing process.

3. An injured dog in pain is more likely to feel confused and scared. If you think that there is a chance that he might lash out and bite while you are treating him, it is best to use a muzzle. If you have a small dog, you can wrap him in a towel, blanket, or a pillowcase before you begin administering first aid. Make sure you do not wrap him too tightly for a long time or he may have difficulty breathing.

4. If you are having difficulty controlling the bleeding, you may want to tie a bandage loosely around the wound to help slow the flow. If the bandage quickly soaks through, it is better to just leave it there. Do not get rid of the clot that is trying to form. However, you may need to take your dog to the vet if the bleeding still does not stop.

Warning: Avoid using a tourniquet. Many limbs have been unnecessarily lost because the blood supply was cut off for too long.