Morbidity

A healthy dog's life is far too short; none live as long as the humans who love them. With proper nutrition, preventative medical care, exercise and affection, your dog will have as many happy years as possible. Look up individual breeds for specific lifespan estimates. In general, the smaller the dog, the longer the lifespan.

Illness

Dogs and humans are both susceptible to extreme temperatures; many breeds can survive frigid cold better than we can (e.g. Siberian Husky, Samoyed, etc.) but many dogs have less tolerance for high temperatures and humidity, as they are less able to disperse heat.

Many substances are poisonous to us and to them, yet some things we find wonderful can cause serious harm to our dogs (ice cream, for example). There are diseases we each fall prey to, and others that afflict only our dogs.

Diseases

Perhaps the best known of the diseases that dogs can be infected with is rabies. Hydrophobia, one of its symptoms, is an alternative name for the illness. It is a potentially fatal virus that can infect most mammals (including people). The swelling it causes in the brain leads to pain, fever, hydrophobia, mania, coma and death.

Breeders and pet owners have helped widely eliminate rabies deaths in dogs and cats by vaccinating them against the illness, and many communities have regulations mandating rabies vaccines for domestic animals.

Overall, dogs get many of the diseases we do: various forms of cancer, different types of heart disease, all the same dental problems, many of the same bone and joint problems.

They may have genetic predispositions to a host of problems, ranging from hip dysplasia to epilepsy. It is vital to research the particular breed of dog you are interested in owning so as to familiarize yourself with any inherited conditions that might impact a dog's health. Then use an experienced breeder; many of the best offer health guarantees for every puppy they sell.

Unspayed female dogs are susceptible to pyometra. In this disease, the uterus develops infectious, pus-filled abscesses and the infection travels throughout the bloodstream, causing toxicity. It is fatal without early treatment.

Parasites

Like most mammals, dogs are set upon by a host of parasites. The ones travelling on the outside are usually fleas and ticks (some other mites can freeload as well). If you live in an area where these are prevalent, see your veterinarian about pharmaceutical protection for your animals.

Internally, dogs can get hookworms, tapeworms and roundworms (so can we). Heartworm is deadly and afflicts many animals and has spread throughout the U.S. This is an easily prevented parasite; see your veterinarian for a blood test and monthly medication for your pet.

Chronic conditions

Our best friends share many of our ills. There are diabetic dogs and dogs with cleft palates; dogs with epilepsy and dogs with arthritis. In addition, there are breeds prone to specific genetic ailments (hip dysplasia in German Shepherds or deafness in Dalmatians, for example). Choosing a reputable breeder is the best assurance of obtaining a healthy animal. Many offer genetic testing for chronic conditions, and some offer health guarantees.

Predation

Despite their common ancestry, today dogs are prey for wolves in some parts of the world. Wolves kill more dogs than sheep in Croatia, and wolves in Russia are credited with limiting feral dog populations. Ranchers in the state of Wisconsin in the U.S. receive more compensation for dog losses (from wolf attacks) than for livestock. In the American West and Southwest, coyotes also attack dogs. In Orange County, California, roughly five dogs per week are brought to South Orange County's Animal Urgent Care because of injuries from coyote attacks. Big cats also kill dogs for food; leopards in particular are known to have a distinct preference for eating dogs. Oddly, in India, tigers rarely prey on dogs, while tigers in Manchuria, Indochina, Indonesia and Malaysia have been reported to kill and eat dogs with the same zeal as leopards. In Turkmenistan, India and the Caucasus, striped hyenas are the major predators of village dogs.

Diet: Nutrition

When prey is abundant, wild dogs consume meat. While doing so, they also receive a complete gamut of vegetable nutrients from the contents of the stomach and intestines of the herbivorous animals they eat. They are classified as carnivores (meat eaters), part of the Order Carnivora. Despite that classification, today there is some debate as to whether or not an omnivorous diet is better for domestic dogs. This may be a reflection of the current human fondness for lower meat regimes, notably the so-called Mediterranean diet featuring lots of complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables with small quantities of protein. But it may be the result of increasing knowledge about wild canines. Non-domesticated dogs eat plants for essential amino acids not present in their prey. Anatomically, dogs have both the intestine length and the enzymes to eat a broadly varied diet. Cats are exclusive carnivores: they don't have the enzymes or the small intestine length to enable them to digest plants successfully.

Today, many dog owners find their pets do well on a vegetarian diet inclusive of eggs and milk products. Those who argue for a meat regime have suggested that vegetarian dogs will suffer congestive heart failure due to lack of L-carnitine, but even that enzyme can be obtained from nuts, seeds and some whole grains. A high protein diet, meaning roughly 40 percent meat-derived proteins, appears to prevent muscle damage to many mammals during periods of high stress, including working dogs. While this has been observed in the Iditarod Trail Sled dog race animals, it is also approximately the diet of wild dogs when prey is readily available. Additional protein over that amount has no apparent benefit.

Most owners have seen their dog eat grass from time to time; there is no scientific explanation for this act but there are plenty of theories. Perhaps grass neutralizes stomach acid? Dogs may seem to be eating grass when they are just running the blades through their mouth to gather information. (The senses of smell and taste may act together to detect if other animals have walked through their area or urinated on the grass.) At times, it seems that dogs eat grass to induce vomiting, but that's only a guess.

Speaking of vomiting, it's not just your imagination: dogs do vomit more (and more readily) than people do. That is part of their typical feeding behavior. They gulp down food and then regurgitate any indigestible material (such as bones and fur). This behavior is typical of pack feeding in the wild, where the most important thing is to get as much of the kill as possible before others consume it all.

But in your home, there is no such social pressure. As a result, many individual domestic dogs can be picky eaters. Dogs may also appear to eat grass when they are just running the blades through their mouth to gather information. Their sense of smell and taste may act together to detect if other animals have walked through their area or urinated on the grass.

Diet dangers

People food: Chocolate

No matter how much you love chocolate, remember it is toxic to dogs because of their intolerance to caffeine and theobromine, both of which occur naturally in chocolate.

Both substances are metabolized slowly by dogs, effecting their central nervous system, kidneys and heart. Even small quantities of theobromine can cause seizures and death. Obviously, the tolerable amount of theobromine or caffeine will vary by the health, age and size of the dog. For example, a half an ounce of dry cocoa powder can kill a Yorkshire Terrier, while a Labrador Retriever might be able to consume three pounds of chocolate before toxicity sets in.

Chocolate is lethal to dogs; dark chocolate and cocoa powder are more dangerous than milk chocolate or white chocolate, and most dogs find the taste addictive so be sure to keep all chocolate safely out of their reach. If your pet accidentally ingests chocolate of any kind, contact a veterinarian or emergency animal care clinic immediately. Symptoms usually manifest within 24 hours of the animal ingesting theobromine; symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness and excessive thirst and urination. As the dog slowly digests the theobromine, the symptoms change to lack of muscle coordination, hyperactivity, elevated blood pressure and rapid heart rate. From there, seizures, coma, heart arrhythmia ensue, causing death.

Cocoa bean shell mulch has become popular for landscaping; it is extremely toxic to dogs since it contains roughly 255 mg of theobromine in each ounce of mulch. They find cocoa mulch very attractive because of its sweet smell and easy can ingest quite a bit as they mouth the material to determine if it is food. Avoid using cocoa bean shell mulch on your property and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

If you and your family love the taste of chocolate, but sharing desserts with your pet is important to you, switch to carob, which dogs have no problem with; the taste is similar and there is no danger to your pet.

People food: Onions and Garlic

Onions in any form contain thiosulphate; dogs and cats don't have the enzyme to digest this compound. It causes the oxidation of canine red blood cells, and that oxidation causes them to form clumps, called Heinz bodies, which weaken the cell membranes. The Heinz bodies eventually cause the cell membranes to rupture, which kills the individual cell. When enough red blood cells are destroyed, anemia occurs, which means the body is starved for oxygen. Garlic also contains thiosulphate, but in smaller quantities. Heinz body hemolytic anemia can be fatal to dogs and cats, ultimately causing heart failure.

As with chocolate, the amount necessary for toxicity will vary with the individual dog's health, size and the quantity consumed. Some dogs have severe reactions after eating very small amounts of onions; others ingest small amounts of onions via people food scraps over long periods of time with no obvious ill effects but are gradually building up Heinz bodies as the condition becomes toxic.

Vomiting, weakness and lethargy are the main symptoms. As with any suspected ingestion of a poisonous substance, contact your veterinarian or emergency animal care clinic immediately if your dog ingests onions or garlic.

People food: Alcohol

Dogs react to alcohol just as people do, becoming inebriated. Very little alcohol can be toxic for them, however, since they have such low body weight (as compared to people) and have no alcohol tolerance due to lack of exposure.

People food: Grapes/Raisins/Sultanas/Currants

There have been a spate of recent articles on the toxicity of grapes, sultanas, currant and raisins. In most cases, the dogs ingested large quantities of these fruits; developed gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) and proceeded into kidney failure within 24 hours of ingestion. Whether an individual animal survives eating grapes or raisins depends on a host of factors (age, overall health, body weight, amount of fruit consumed). At present, cases cited indicate of ten dogs that ate between 9 ounces and two pounds of grapes, two died directly; three were euthanized and five lived thanks to aggressive veterinary intervention. The latter included stomach lavage, inducing vomiting, and administering activated charcoal, followed by intravenous fluid therapy.

People food: Diet Candy

In July 2004, the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) recognized sugarless candies containing xylitol as toxic to pets. Xylitol can cause liver damage and death in dogs.. If your dog ingests sugarless candy, in addition to contacting your veterinarian or emergency animal care clinic, call the NAPCC at 888-426-4435. Until recently, these candies were not associated with poisonings in dogs if they did not contain chocolate as a major ingredient.

People food: Raw Salmon

Until recently, this was primarily a problem in the Pacific Northwest and California, but many owners today are using a raw meat diet for their pets, so it can be a problem anywhere.

Raw salmon's toxicity (known as salmon poisoning disease, SPD) is caused from an infection by a rickettsial organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca. Since the early 19th century, it had been observed that dogs eating raw salmon frequently died; however, the connection between those deaths and the rickettsia was not established at the time.

Rarely, the rickettsial organism does not directly infect the dog; instead that organism is carried by a parasite, a trematode (flatworm or fluke) called Nanophyteus salmincola through two intermediate hosts first: freshwater snails and several salmonid fish (salmon, trout and steelhead). The infected snail forms part of the salmonid species food web and is ingested. Neither the fluke nor the rickettsial organism act as pathogens in the fish. The dog is exposed only when it ingests the secondary host — an infected fish. After the dog ingests the fish, the encysted fluke larvae burst, they embed in the dog's intestinal tract and introduce the rickettsia. The cycle continues when ova are excreted in dog feces to infect snails. (Note: only dogs that eat raw salmon can get SPD.)

Initial symptoms occur 5-7 days after ingestion of the salmon and will include lethargy and anorexia. Fever rises over the first 48 hours, peaking at temperatures between 104-107 in the first two days and then slowly returning to normal. By the fourth day, dogs suffer persistent vomiting; bloody diarrhea (which is bright yellow in color) occurs within a few days of that. Lymph nodes enlarge. In the acute stages, gastrointestinal symptoms are quite similar to canine parvovirus, while nasal and ocular symptoms can resemble canine distemper. Left untreated, SPD has a mortality rate of up to 90 percent; dogs that survive are then immune.

SPD is preventable by cooking all fish before feeding your dog(s). When hiking or camping, or if you live near streams and rivers were salmon spawn, watch your dog carefully and keep the pet on a leash so it cannot run free and ingest fish carcasses or live fish. Contact your veterinarian or emergency animal care clinic immediately if you suspect your dog has ingested raw salmon.

People food: Macadamia nuts

While the toxin is still a mystery, veterinarians have discovered that raw or roasted macadamia nuts are hazardous to dogs. Ingestion causes locomotory difficulties: dogs develop skeletal muscle tremors and may also experience weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Distressed and panting, affected dogs are often unable to rise; some have painful swollen limbs as well.

No specific quantities have been established as dangerous; doctors report some dogs were affected by eating only six macadamia kernels (nuts without the shell) while others had eaten approximately forty kernels. Some dogs had ingested macadamia butter.

Whatever the substance, it is not fatal. Symptoms are of short duration and all dogs reported on have recovered from the episode.

People food: Avocadoes

Healthy as they may be for you, avocadoes are a serious risk to your dog. They contain persin, which is harmless to humans, yet it causes abdominal enlargement, difficulty breathing and abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and the sac around the heart. Contact your veterinarian or emergency animal care clinic immediately if you suspect your dog has ingested avocado, and keep all products containing avocadoes out of their reach.

Diet: Coprophagia

There is no scientific explanation for coprophagia, the consumption of feces, yet dogs occasionally do so. Everything from boredom to some unknown nutritional need has been suggested as a reason. Some only eat a particular type of feces — those of cats, for example. Is that because cat diets are high in protein, or because many dogs detest cats? Or is the practice purely behavioral, as it is in humans who subscribe to it? While research continues, if you cannot simply restrict access to feces, see your veterinarian for help in curbing your dog of the habit.

Dog Abuse

Cruelty to animals is that which causes harm, suffering or trauma. While we can all agree on that simple definition, what practices or behaviors specifically comprise cruelty to animals varies tremendously from country to country and from culture to culture within any particular country. In short, we have yet to agree worldwide or even across our own neighborhood on what exactly constitutes cruelty to animals.

Legally speaking, animal welfare organizations and agencies break acts of cruelty to animals down into two types: passive and active. Passive abuse is the failure to act or intervene in dangerous situations — neglect in the extreme. Starving a pet or not providing it shelter are two examples of passive abuse. Active abuses are the disturbing acts of individuals who take satisfaction in harming another living creature. This can range from maiming to actually killing an animal.

If you suspect dog abuse is happening to an animal in your neighborhood, contact your local Humane Society or Animal Control Officer immediately so they can intervene on behalf of the pet.

Dogs as Livestock

In the U.S., most of us are comfortable with the fact that we raise cattle as livestock and slaughter them for our consumption. In many other countries, dogs are raised much the same way, and consumed by humans as meat.

Oddly, in some of those dog-eating countries, dogs are meat in some places, pets in others. Lately, South Korea has been in the spotlight regarding these practices because of the impending World Cup championship being held there. Estimates are that one million dogs are served on dinner tables in that nation each year. They are not pets — they are livestock. However, in the capitol city of Seoul, some Koreans now keep dogs as pets; these dogs are not livestock. The debate on what makes a particular animal livestock and what makes it a pet now appears to center on how we choose to treat that animal — if you think a pig is a pet, you won't make bacon out of it; if you think a pig is livestock, you probably had bacon this morning. In countries where dogs are popular as household pets, consumption of dog meat is generally considered abhorrent, but there are exceptions, such as Switzerland and Vietnam, where dogs are popular as pets and as meat. Dog meat has been a source of food in China from at least the time of Confucius and possibly even before. Ancient writings from the Zhou Dynasty referred to the 'three beasts' bred for food: pig, goat and dog. Dog was recommended as the tastiest of all meats by the philosopher Mencius in the fourth century BC. In Switzerland, dog lard is used for medicinal purposes, while the meat is cured into jerky and sausages in the rural cantons.