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 26 of 39
A Boston Terrier's short coat makes weight checks refreshingly honest: you should feel ribs easily under a thin cover, see a tuck from the side behind the naturally deep chest, and see a waist from above, even though this breed is compact and muscular rather than rangy. Extra weight on a Boston tends to fill in the…
You cannot judge a Bichon Frise by looking — the white powder-puff coat hides the body completely — so feel for it: ribs should be easy to find under a light fat cover, there should be a waist you can feel from above, and the tummy should tuck slightly from the side when the coat is parted or wet. On a small dog like…
On a Bernese Mountain Dog, judge by touch and trend rather than looks: you should be able to feel ribs with moderate pressure under the dense coat, find some waist from above behind the ribs, and see a slight rise of the belly from the side, even though this giant breed never looks tucked like a sporting dog. Heavy…
A healthy Belgian Malinois is strikingly lean and athletic, so extra weight shows as a loss of definition: you should feel ribs very easily, see a pronounced abdominal tuck from the side, a clear waist from above, and visible muscle over the shoulders and thighs rather than a smooth, padded outline. If the ribs need…
Look past the coat and use your hands: on a fit Australian Shepherd you should feel ribs easily under a thin fat cover when you run flat palms along the ribcage, see a clear waist from above, and see a definite tummy tuck from the side despite the heavy double coat. This busy herding breed hides extra weight under…
Between vet visits, the most effective step is brushing your dog's teeth with a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste, built up gradually from a fingertip taste to short sessions on the outer surfaces of the back teeth where plaque gathers fastest. Add chewing and dental routines your dog actually enjoys, check the mouth…
Yes, most dogs still need regular worming even when you never see worms, because common intestinal worms and their eggs are usually invisible in everyday life and many infections show no obvious signs at first. Dogs pick up worms from soil, other dogs, wildlife, fleas, and, for puppies, from their mother, so an…
The earliest signs are usually digestive — vomiting, heavy drooling, pawing at the mouth, diarrhoea and refusing food — while the emergency signs are wobbliness, tremors, collapse, seizures, pale gums or laboured breathing. Do not wait to see which tier develops: if you suspect he ate something toxic, phone your vet…
Wirehaired Vizslas are a fundamentally robust breed, but they carry a known watch-list: hip dysplasia, idiopathic epilepsy, hypothyroidism, entropion and the skin disorder sebaceous adenitis are the conditions most associated with the breed. Choose a breeder who hip-scores and eye-tests, and learn the early signs —…
Growing large and giant breeds load joints that are still forming, and the problems owners most often meet are hip and elbow dysplasia, where a joint develops as a poor fit, and osteochondrosis, where growing cartilage fails to convert properly to bone. Panosteitis, a shifting leg pain of fast-growing youngsters, is…
Wrinkle-faced breeds stay comfortable when their folds are kept clean and, above all, dry, because trapped moisture and friction are what let fold skin become sore and infected. Work through the facial, lip, and tail folds daily with a soft damp cloth, opening each fold to clean inside it, then pat the skin completely…
Back or neck soreness after a jump from the boot shows in what a dog stops doing: hesitating before stairs, moving stiffly after rest, and walking with his head held low rather than lifted. He may yelp when his collar is pulled or when he is lifted, tremble or pant at rest, and go off his food without any obvious…
A returning ear problem usually announces itself the same way it did before: head shaking, scratching at one ear, or that ear held slightly lower than the other. Lift the flap and check for a sour, yeasty smell returning, dark or waxy discharge building up again, and skin inside the ear turning pink and thickened…
White-coated dogs deserve two quiet checks: whether the puppy hears equally on both sides, and how unprotected pink skin copes with strong sun. For hearing, watch for a puppy who sleeps through noises that wake littermates or only turns toward sounds from one side, since deafness linked to white coats is usually…
Watch how your puppy's front legs meet the ground: the toes should sit flat and the wrist stack straight above the paw, not roll forward so she walks on the top of her foot — that rolling is knuckling. Compare both sides too, because one leg bowing, turning in or out, or growing at a different angle from its pair…
In the first day or two at home, mild grogginess, a reduced appetite, a soft cough from the breathing tube, and sleeping more than usual can all be normal as the anesthetic clears. Keep him warm and quiet, offer small amounts of water and a light meal once he is fully awake, and stop him licking any wound or bandage.…
Watch for changes in the first days after the first dose: at the application spot, look for redness, hair loss, or persistent scratching, and overall watch for vomiting, loose stools, unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, or behavior that is simply not like her. Note what product type was used, when it was given, and…
Record how much your dog actually eats each day — meals offered, amount left, treats and chews included — and whether she approaches food eagerly then walks away, refuses entirely, or eats but more slowly than usual. Note when the change started, whether water intake, weight, energy, stools, or vomiting changed with…
Note when the cough happens — after exercise, at night, after drinking, or when she pulls on the lead — what seems to trigger it, and how it sounds: dry and honking, wet and productive, or ending in a gag or retch. Count roughly how often it happens in a day, when it started, and whether appetite, energy, or breathing…
Thick-coated northern breeds were built to conserve heat, so in a heatwave their dense double coat and heavy build make shedding heat slow work — plan walks for the coolest hours, keep exercise gentle, and always provide shade and cool water. Never shave the coat down expecting it to help without asking your vet…
Remove your dog from the slug or snail, take away anything still in her mouth if you can do so safely, and call your vet or an animal poison helpline the same day to describe what happened, because slugs and snails can carry lungworm and some garden pellets are poisonous. Note the time, whether she actually swallowed…
Ask what changes in middle age for a dog like yours — which screening tests the vet now recommends, how often visits should happen from here, and what early signs of joint, dental, weight, or organ trouble you should watch for at home. Ask how her ideal weight, diet, and exercise should shift compared with her young…
Ask the vet to define exercise for your recovering dog in concrete terms — how long a walk, at what pace, on what terrain, and how many times a day — rather than a vague instruction to take it easy. Ask which signs during or after a walk mean you pushed too far, such as coughing, lagging, heavy panting, or a long…
Ask which health tests are recommended for your dog's breed before breeding, which results should be on file for both the sire and the dam, and what age or timing each test needs for the result to be meaningful. Ask the vet to review both dogs' general health, vaccination status, and any family history of inherited…
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