10,460 answers about dogs
From a puppy’s first feeding schedule to a senior dog’s comfort care, dog owners ask it all — this page gathers the dog library of KinsLe Answers in one place. Browse by topic below, from feeding and training to health, grooming, safety and travel. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
927 answers in Health & Vet Care — page 11 of 39
German Longhaired Pointers are capable, enduring gundogs whose main health threads are hip dysplasia, ear infections nourished by long feathered ears and heavy water work, and eye problems including eyelid faults that expose or irritate the eye. Their size and deep enthusiasm for swimming make post-swim ear care a…
Finnish Lapphunds are robust northern herders, but the breed has a well-defined screening list: progressive retinal atrophy that slowly steals vision, hereditary cataracts, hip dysplasia, and a rare inherited metabolic condition called Pompe disease that breeders can test for. Eye examinations through life matter…
Drentsche Patrijshonds have two unusually breed-specific concerns: hereditary strabismus, a muscle condition that turns one or both eyes inward, and von Willebrand disease, a clotting disorder that can cause prolonged bleeding. Hip dysplasia and ear infections under those long spaniel-like ears round out the list. A…
Danish-Swedish Farmdogs are small, hardy all-rounders with a short problem list, headed by hip dysplasia — surprisingly relevant even at farm-dog size — and kneecaps that can slip out of place, causing a sudden skipping step. Eye examinations are also part of responsible breeding in the breed. A farmdog who hops on…
Cesky Fouseks, the wiry Czech pointing griffons, are among the hardier gundogs, with hip dysplasia the main inherited concern and ear trouble a practical one thanks to hairy, water-loving work in marshes and reed beds. Their dense coats can also hide skin irritation after a season in rough cover, so hands-on checks…
Catahoula Leopard Dogs are famously tough working dogs, but their signature coat genetics carry the breed's biggest risk: deafness in one or both ears, especially in mostly white dogs, alongside eye abnormalities linked to the same patterning. Hip dysplasia is the other established concern in this large, athletic…
Braque d'Auvergnes are generally sturdy French pointers, but hip and elbow dysplasia are the headline concerns, alongside droopy-ear infections and eyelid problems such as entropion or ectropion that can irritate the eye. An Auvergne who starts bunny-hopping on a shoot day, shakes his head after wet cover, or rubs a…
Bluetick Coonhounds are rugged hunting dogs whose watch list is led by ear infections under long, low-set ears, bloat in a deep chest, hip dysplasia, and luxating patellas. The breed also gives its name to coonhound paralysis, a nerve condition causing progressive weakness that can follow raccoon contact; cataracts…
Bergamasco Sheepdogs are one of the hardiest breeds, with no long inherited disease list — their practical watch items are hip dysplasia, bloat as a large deep-chested dog, and the health of the skin and ears living under that famous flocked coat. Mats that form into flocks can hide skin irritation, parasites and ear…
Belgian Tervurens are athletic, long-lived shepherds whose main watch list includes epilepsy, which typically appears in young to middle-aged adults, hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts, thyroid problems, and bloat in a deep-chested dog. Stomach cancer is also recorded at higher rates in…
Basset Bleu de Gascognes share the classic basset-family watch list: ear infections under those long, heavy flaps, hip and elbow dysplasia in a heavy-boned, long-backed frame, eyelid problems such as entropion and ectropion, and a strong tendency to gain weight. Their deep chest also puts bloat on the list of…
Australian Kelpies are among the hardiest of working breeds, and their health watch list is correspondingly short: progressive retinal atrophy and Collie eye anomaly affecting vision, cerebellar abiotrophy — a hereditary condition that erodes coordination in young dogs — hip dysplasia, and luxating patellas. They are…
American Eskimo Dogs are sturdy spitz dogs, but their recognised watch list includes progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited eye disease that gradually reduces vision, hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease affecting the hip joint in the smaller sizes. They can also develop diabetes,…
Alaskan Klee Kais are generally hardy, long-lived little dogs, but the breed's known watch list includes luxating patellas, where the kneecap slips out of place, autoimmune thyroid problems, heart murmurs and congenital heart defects, and liver shunts that can stunt growth and cause odd behaviour in puppies. Factor…
For a Labrador Retriever, prompt a vet visit if he refuses food for a full day, repeatedly leaves meals he would normally inhale, eats but vomits or has ongoing diarrhoea, or drinks far more than usual alongside appetite change. The Lab's food drive is so strong that disinterest itself is the symptom — do not wait for…
Prompt a vet visit for a Golden Retriever who refuses food for more than a day, eats only treats while leaving meals, drinks noticeably more alongside appetite shifts, or keeps eating well yet loses weight. Goldens are enthusiastic, opportunistic eaters, so sustained fussiness is rarely fussiness — a dog who…
Book a vet visit for a German Shepherd whose appetite drops for more than a day, and treat appetite loss combined with a tight or swelling belly, drooling or retching as an emergency in this deep-chested breed. Other prompts: eating eagerly but steadily losing weight, drinking far more while eating less, repeatedly…
After a move, a stressed Labrador typically paces and pants, sticks close or hides, whines, goes off food for a meal or two, and may have one loose stool or a house-training slip despite being trained. Those settling signs should ease day by day as routines and smells become familiar; the picture changes if he refuses…
A stressed Golden Retriever after a move often shadows you from room to room, whines or pants at rest, sleeps fitfully, and may eat less or have loose stools for a few days. Signs pointing to illness instead include repeated vomiting, appetite loss that does not lift, unusual exhaustion, or a big increase in drinking…
After a move, a stressed German Shepherd may pace the new rooms, patrol doors and windows, pant or whine without settling, and go off his food or develop loose stools. Unwellness looks different: persistent vomiting, complete appetite loss beyond the first day or so, marked lethargy, or drinking far more than usual…
In a Labrador Retriever, dehydration can show as dry, sticky gums, thick drool, sunken-looking eyes, and skin over the shoulders that settles back slowly when lifted and let go. Behaviour shifts matter in a Lab: lagging on a walk he usually loves, drinking frantically when water appears, or passing small amounts of…
Dehydration in a Golden Retriever can show as gums that feel tacky instead of slippery, stringy saliva, eyes that appear sunken, and a dog who is oddly subdued after activity or illness. Skin pinched gently over the shoulders should spring straight back; a slow return supports the suspicion. Do not be reassured just…
Signs of dehydration in a German Shepherd include gums that feel dry or sticky rather than wet, thick saliva, eyes that look sunken, and skin over the shoulders that returns slowly when gently lifted and released. He may seem flat after exercise, drink greedily then tire quickly, or produce only small amounts of dark…
In a French Bulldog, dehydration can show as gums that feel dry or tacky instead of slick, saliva turning thick and stringy, sunken-looking eyes, and unusual tiredness or wobbliness. Loss of skin elasticity helps too: skin lifted gently over the shoulders should spring back, not linger in a ridge. Because Frenchies…
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