Dog hair loss can be troublesome for both the dog and the owner. This situation is not only very irritating to the dog, but is unsightly, and carries with it the worry of spreading disease to the human members of the family.

If you’ve noticed bald patches on your dog, it’s important to diagnose them as soon as possible to prevent the spread of infection and for the relief of your pet. Here are the most common causes of dog hair loss, how to recognize them, and how to treat them.

Dog Mites

Mites cause itchy, patches with hair loss on your dog. Most dogs become susceptible to mites due to poor health which can be caused by poor nutrition, an illness, age, or stress.

There are two types of dog mites: Sarcoptic and Demodectic. Demodectic mites live deep in the skin layers of your pet while the Sarcoptic do not but are contagious to humans.

For a sure diagnoses of mites, take your dog to the vet. Mites can easily be seen under a microscope and your vet can give you medication to treat the condition.

To prevent dog mites, feed your dog a quality dog food that ensures he is getting all of the nutrients he needs. Give him good care, shelter and love.

Dog Fleas

In addition to infesting your entire home, fleas can cause a series of problems for your dog. Dogs can develop allergies to fleas which cause excessive itching in addition to the itching caused by the fleas. This will result in red sores and cause your dog to bite and scratch the sores incessantly causing dog hair loss.

Fleas are easy to identify. Run your hands through your dog’s coat exposing his skin. If he has fleas, you should be able to see them “running” on your dog. Even if you don’t see fleas, look for “flea dirt.” This is the waste of the dog fleas and shows up as black specks on their skin.

Treat your dog year round for fleas with drops and a good flea collar. Get medication that not only kills fleas but also their eggs.

Dog Ringworm

Ringworm is caused by a fungus and appears as an itchy lesion where there is hair loss. Sometimes it is red, scaly and has a raised appearance. Dogs get ringworm when their immune system is weak.

Dog ringworm is very contagious and can live up in the soil for up to six months. Humans can get ringworm from animals so it is very important to treat this condition as soon as possible.

If you suspect your dog has ringworm, wash all of his bedding and clean his living area. Take your dog to the vet for proper medication to be sure he no longer has it.

To prevent all types of dog hair loss, keep your pet in good health. Make sure his immune system is strong with proper nutrition and he’s not under a lot of stress due to abuse or poor living conditions. When you see a bald patch on your dog, check to see if it’s from playing or having been in a fight. Also check for any of the symptoms above and treat them immediately to avoid dog skin problems and dog hair loss.

When you own a Siberian Husky you need to be aware of possible issues as any dog owner should be aware of. Many of the Siberian Husky problems you will encounter are a result of their built in need to be busy and working and while that can lead to problems it can also be a good thing as well. All you need to do is keep track of your dog’s behavior and know what the warning signs are of prospective Siberian Husky problems and then you should be alright.

One of the things the Siberian Husky is known for is its love of running. It was bred as a working dog and cannot stand idle for very long. If you plan on using your Husky as a hunting dog or training it as a racing dog then that works, but for a family dog that is a problem. As long as you can give your Husky some running time every day then it can adapt to down time as well.

You are going to want to take the time to teach your Siberian Husky social skills with other people and animals because one of the big Siberian Husky problems is that the dog can get very protective of its human family and become a less that hospitable host to strangers.

One of the more surprising traits of the Siberian Husky, which for some people can become a Siberian Husky problem, is that your Husky will sometimes prefer not to bark but rather it will start to howl like a wolf. That is because the Siberian Husky is a direct relative to the wolf and at many times the Husky much prefers howling as its form of communication over barking and this can sometimes trigger other dogs to start howling and this can be bad.

The Husky is a direct relative to the wolf so, rather than spending their time and energy barking, the Husky likes to howl a lot. This can be especially troublesome when your Husky starts to get all the other dogs in the neighborhood howling as well. It is a built in behavior that you will never be able to completely suppress but obedience training can help get it under control.

Not all Siberian Husky problems are behavioral. You need to get your Husky to regular vet appointments because the Husky is prone to many health issues. They can get bone deterioration that causes their joints to become very painful.

They can also get digestive problems that can be an issue for everyone and they are also known to get eye infections every once in a while as well. Regular vet visits will keep your dog healthy and everyone happy.

A Siberian Husky is a hard working and active dog that is a direct relative to the wild wolf so you can imagine that their instincts can sometimes be a problem. But they are also very loyal dogs and if you take the time to develop a good relationship with your Husky then you can work out any Siberian Husky problems that may come up.

All dog owners want to be sure their pets are well cared for. To do this they must provide proper exercise and seek the opinion of a veterinarian to keep their dog healthy. This also includes making sure their pet is well fed. Many people think that purchasing the best food available is all that is necessary for their pet to live a long and healthy life. It only makes sense to believe that commercial dog food is better for our pets. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.

Like all companies, pet food manufacturers want to make money. Because their regulations are not as strict as the ones that producers of human food follow, they often use ingredients that are not very good. These include items that most people would never feed their prized pets. Now that you are aware of the situation, here are some ideas on how to be sure your dog meeting its nutritional requirements.

Though it is more time consuming, a lot of pet owners have started making homemade dog food. It does take longer than purchasing ready made food at the store, but the advantages certainly make it worth while. Paying attention to prices will allow you to spend a similar amount to what you spent previously on commercial dog food. Here are some things to take into account when preparing homemade pet food.

Dogs are perfectly capable of living on a vegetarian diet. Although we grew up believing that it is necessary for dogs to eat meat to get the nutrition that they need, it really isn’t true. If given the right vegetables and if they are prepared properly your dog will have everything that it needs to live a full and happy life. Many times a dog will even live a longer life on home prepared food than it will on manufactured food. Imagine if you ate out at a fast food restaurant every day. You would certainly suffer from malnutrition even though your belly was full. The same is true with your dog. If you feed your dog homemade dog food they certainly will be healthier.

One thing that you will need to be careful of is that there are certain types of food that are not good for your dog to eat. Some of these include chocolate, macadamia nuts, milk and milk-based products, grapes, and raisins. You would also never want to give your dog an alcoholic beverage. Other than some restrictions on what you can feed your dog, you’ll find that you have a wide range of homemade dog foods to choose from. Just make sure that you know your restrictions.

You’ll always be taking care of your dog throughout it’s life. The extra nutrition found in homemade food may actually make your pet live longer. Your dog will love you for it and this will definitely make you happier too.

Knowing that you can give your dog homemade dog food can put you in a financial setback as far as food prices are concerned, but in reality, who can say that they don’t feed their dog human food scraps or care to?

So in the long run although a dog is generally catogorized as having a different diet requirement, it is perfectly fine to have homemade dog food as their body digests the same way that humans do and their is no scientific proof otherwise.

Ticks are very easy for a dog to pick during the course of a walk. Luckily they are also fairly easy to remove from their skin. But, unfortunately it is also easy to contract a dog illness caused by ticks.

There are several varieties of dog illness caused by ticks and some of them can prove to be fatal if not treated. The secret to a good prognosis is much the same as with any infection… early diagnosis and treatment. If you feel that your dog is unwell or is showing signs of fever, having trouble walking or seems to be in pain, you should seek medical attention for him as soon as possible. Other symptoms to look out for include a loss of appetite or any swelling around the joints. If you have been in an area that you think may be a prime ground for ticks, such as areas of long grass, woodland or scrubland areas and your dog seems unwell, please get him checked out and make sure that the medical staff are aware that you suspect a tick bite. Ticks are not always easy to see.

One very worrying dog illness caused by ticks is Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The symptoms to look out for are those above but may also include a swelling of the face. You may also notice that your dog is unsteady and seems to be suffering from dizziness. This is a sign of neurological problems and could be accompanied by depression or seizures. A good many dogs suffering from the disease will show signs of blood in their eyes and could develop nose bleeds. Blood may also be present in their stools. These symptoms will appear anytime from a couple of days to two weeks after infection by the tick. Your pet could go on to suffer from other more serious problems if he does not get rapid treatment. Your veterinarian can diagnose the disease by blood test and if confirmed then he will treat it with antibiotics, usually successfully.

Lyme disease is another problem that is transmitted by tick. The symptoms can be very similar to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever but there is often more of a chance of lameness with Lyme disease. The disease is often very difficult to diagnose so if there is any possibility that the symptoms present may be due to a dog illness caused by ticks, make sure you let the veterinarian know. Any time saved in the diagnosis of Lyme disease will help the prognosis for your pet.

A tick will draw blood from your dog, but, when you look at the size of a tick the amount it can take seems minimal. If, however, your dog were to have an infestation of ticks all having a free meal, there is a possibility that your dog could suffer from anemia. This is not a common problem as you would probably notice that amount of ticks on your pet. It is more a dog illness caused by ticks that would affect stray dogs or perhaps working dogs that live outside and do not have much human contact.

Tick paralysis is not an infection caused by ticks but a problem caused by toxins in the tick’s saliva. Onset of the paralysis could be between 5 and 7 days after the tick has started to feed. Once it is becoming gorged some of the saliva containing the toxins may enter the dog’s blood stream and cause the problem. It would normally take quite a few ticks to be present to cause this paralysis. Tick paralysis may affect just the hind limbs or right the way through the body to the front limbs. The problem becomes potentially fatal if it remains untreated and affects the respiratory system. The paralysis will used abate and things return to normal after the tick has been removed. Take your dog straight to the vet if you notice any paralysis as this is a dog illness caused by ticks which can be treated easily but can be fatal if left undiagnosed.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about tick problems, please visit Tick Treatment Site for current articles and discussions.

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How to Remove a Tick From Your Dog

A tick can be picked up by a dog at any time whilst he is out, but is more at risk whilst playing in over grown grassed areas and woodlands. Ticks are at their most prevalent in Spring and Summer and during this time it is wise to check your pet to see if there are any attached to his skin. It is not easy to remove a tick from a dog but the sooner you notice it and remove it, the less likely it is that your dog will suffer from an infection.

There are many ideas regarding the best way to remove a tick from a dog but unfortunately some of them are a little misguided. A tick is a member of the spider family and has a very strong, barbed mouth with which it can attach itself to the skin of the dog so that it can gorge on its blood. It is not the actual drawing of blood that poses the main threat to your pet, but the risk of infection. Ticks carry, amongst others, Lyme disease. This can be transmitted to your animal if any of the drawn blood is returned back in to his system. This is due to small amounts of the tick’s saliva being present in the regurgitated blood.

The body of the tick will expand as it fills itself with blood and one of the most important points to consider is that you do not want this blood to get back into your pet. For this reason you must be very careful as you remove the tick from the dog. Do not just take a hold of its body and pull as this may squeeze the blood back into the wound.

The best way to remove the tick from the dog is to use a pair of narrow ended tweezers. Try to part the dog’s fur away from the area as much as possible so that you can get a clear view of the tick and the mouth in particular. Use the tweezers to grab hold of the tick as close as is possible to the skin of the dog. Remember not to squeeze the body of the tick. Once you have a hold of the front of the tick, pull it straight back from the dogs skin. The tick will not want to let go, as it will have the barbs securely attached to the dog. If you keep pulling you should be able to remove it. Do not try to turn it to release it as this will not make it any easier and may cause unnecessary damage to the wound. It did not twist in so it will not twist out. Just pulling it away should be enough.

Sometimes you will find that not all of the tick comes away and a portion of the mouth section is left in the dog’s skin. If this is the case, you should try to remove any leftover pieces with the tweezers but if they do not come away easily then you would be wise to seek help from the veterinary surgery. If you do manage to remove the tick from the dog in one piece, then you must immediately clean the area with disinfectant and, if you feel it is necessary, also apply an antibiotic cream. These will not necessarily kill any infection such as Lyme disease, however, and if you feel that your pet is unwell over the next couple of days you should seek medical attention for him. If you do have to take him to the veterinary practice, be sure to let them know about the tick and let them see the area where it was attached.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about tick removal, please visit Tick Treatment Now for current articles and discussions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Pennington