A recent study by The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has found that the most common health problems in dogs are dental disease, obesity and ear infections.
The good thing is that there are things you can do to prevent these health problems.
Dental disease is definitely one of the most common health problems we see in dogs (and cats). Here are some tips for preventing it:
- Just like humans, the gold standard is to brush your dog’s teeth daily with a special pet toothpaste to remove plaque.
- If you can’t brush, there are oral rinses, designed to fight plaque with or without brushing.
- Again, if brushing is difficult you can use a drinking water additive, or a special diet designed to inhibit plaque build-up.
- Some dental chews have also been shown to be effective – feed the right size for your dog and look for products certified by the Veterinary Oral Health Council.
- Tooth fracture in dogs can be avoided by making sure they have safe chew toys to play with.
You can find out more about on our dentistry page.
Obesity
Vets and nurses use ‘body condition score’ to identify pets who are over or underweight, not just their weight.
If you are worried your pet is overweight, we are here to help. We hope to resume our free weight clinics with our nursing team soon, but in the meantime they are happy to advise over the phone/email or if your pet is in for any other reason. They can help you formulate a diet and exercise strategy, and get your pet back on track.
Ear disease
If you are worried your dog has an ear infection, book an appointment with one of our vets – either give us a call on 01803 606059 (Torquay) or 843836 (Paignton), or book online. They will examine your dog’s ear, and may need to take a sample of any discharge to determine the type of infection. If your dog suffers from regular ear problems, the vet will discuss possible underlying causes with you, such as allergies.