Dogs are our family members. We shower them with love and we take good care of them by feeding them healthy foods, by taking them for walks, and by keeping up with their regular veterinarian visits. But in between visits, how can we further protect our beloved animals from harm and from the potential dog health issues they could experience? One such way is to be proactive about their health by exploring the common dog health problems our breeds experience.

This way, before a dog health problem arises we can be more fully prepared to both deal with the problem and pay for it financially. Virtually every significant dog health problem costs money to repair, which is the same thing that happens with us as humans. We have insurance, and perhaps we do not have insurance for our pets. To protect them while keeping our financial sanity, exploring every possible dog health problem must occur.

This sounds like a lot of work, but it really requires nothing more than some online research into every possible dog health problem that could affect the breeds that we own. In our research, we just need to be more aware of the issues that could affect our dogs. For instance, shepherds are more susceptible to hip dysplasia and joint related disease, while dachshunds are more known for requiring surgery on their backs because of the significant weight they carry in their belly regions. These are but two of many examples of the breed specific conditions that are inherent in our beloved dogs. To protect them while also allowing us to be more proactive in our approach to handling their conditions, we must at least research what could happen to them.

This may sound more alarmist than is necessary, but these issues crop up fast in dogs. And even when they do not, usually by the time our dogs are exhibiting symptoms of illness the illnesses are too far gone to be repaired without significant repercussions. So rather than wait around for our dogs to get sick and then doing research on every possible dog health problem that could be plaguing them, we can notice the warning signs ahead of time and get them treated before the problem gets too bad to treat. Of course, there is the chance that some of our dogs will never experience a dog health problem. But if they do, we will be more prepared to help them.