Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Medical Problems In Golden Retrievers

by Leave a Comment

Epilepsy In Golden Retrievers

Also known as seizures, epilepsy disorders normally occur from viral infections, and environmental factors as well.  Even though an inaccessible seizure isn’t always a problem, dogs that have recurring seizures should never be bred.  Vets can recommend medicines that control recurring seizures, although medicine isn’t always effective.  Although epilepsy doesn’t affect the health of a Golden Retriever, it does have an effect on breeding.  You can never tell if it is indeed heredity, therefore breeding is pretty much out of the question – to avoid passing it on to the litter.

Golden Retrievers Skin allergies

Skin allergy is the most common medical issue with Golden Retrievers. Skin allergy is normally the result of allergens such as flea bites, dust, airborne pollen, food, and even mold.  Symptoms will vary, although they can include bits, scratching, licking, and even ear infections.  Diet is extremely important here, as it can help to prevent a lot of these problems.  If you consult with your vet, you can more than likely eliminate the risks your pet has of getting a skin allergy.

Hypothyroidism In Golden Retrievers

Hypothyroidism is a condition that causes the thyroid gland to malfunction.  Golden Retrievers that are affected by this disease will normally show such symptoms as coat problems or obesity.  This medical problem can also result in a lack of fertility as well.  A lack of fertility can be a big problem for breeders, as it makes it very hard for the affected Golden Retriever to breed.

The treatment of hypothyroidism involves taking the oral supplement for hypothyroidism on a daily basis.  Once it has been treated successfully, the prognosis will appear to be normal and dog will have a normal, healthy life span, providing there are no other medical problems.  This condition is somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, and can be diagnosed by your vet.

Some Golden’s who suffer from hypothyroid problems will have seizures, although this will stop once they go on the oral treatment medicine.  Even though the hypothyroid condition isn’t associated with epilepsy, you should monitor your dog to be on the safe side.  You don’t want to take any chances with your dog coming down with epilepsy, which is why you should always have your vet do routine checks.

Even though medical problems are somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, you can help to prevent them by making sure your dog is healthy.  If you do your part and make sure that you treat your Golden well, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.  Golden Retrievers are generally healthy dogs, although they can get ill from time to time.  If you take your dog to the vet and get him treated as soon as he gets sick – like any dog, Golden Retrievers will be better and back to his normal self in no time at all.

How To Use Your Power In Finding The Right Veterinarian (5)

by Leave a Comment

Finding The Right Veterinarian – The Conclusion

There is no such thing as getting the perfect “estimate” from a veterinarian in terms of what it will cost to fix a medical problem. Although these doctors try to give estimates, the likelihood of the outcome equaling the price of the guesswork is slim-to-none.

If you want those types of estimates and warranties, toasters make a nice alternative to pets, and they don’t need walking in the winter!

Seriously though, if you have concerns about the treatment or procedure going above the estimate, talk about it with your veterinarian:

“What if my dog needs a second transfusion?”
“In your experience, Doctor, how many blood tests are required per year?”
“Is there a less expensive way to get this done?”

These questions are all part of the informed consent process. At the core of the matter, and central to the idea of a good veterinarian relationship, is the concept of informed consent.

Patient advocates on the human side of medicine like to remind us, wisely, that informed consent is not intended to protect the practitioner. It is a process wherein your veterinarian informs you of the risks, benefits and consequences of treatment; tells you about alternative treatments; lets you know when there are practitioners better qualified to treat your dog; and answers questions that you might not have enough information or presence of mind to ask.

Informed consent is for the client/patient, not the practitioner. It is not, as a veterinarian’s lawyer may have indicated, a document primarily used to cover his posterior in the event a case heads south.

When Research a Veterinarian – Do Your Homework

You can’t be a partner with your veterinarian if you don’t know anything about veterinary medicine. If a person you cared for had cancer, you would most likely research treatments, survival times and how the disease affects the body. Whether the individual has two legs or four, the response should be the same. Your dog is your family, remember that.

Information can be acquired from numerous sources. Your veterinarian is the first (remember that you did your research in choosing your current vet, and you trust this person). Then there’s your library, bookstore and medical publications, if you are so inclined.

There is also, of course, the Internet. But be warned – besides being a good forum for quality information, the Internet is also a good forum for any quack who wants to publish medical advise that they know nothing about. So keep this in mind when you are researching your veterinary medicine information online.

————————————————————–

Here’s Dog Trainer Chet Womach On How To Save Money By Handling
Basic Vet Issues At Home

————————————————————–

To discover how to treat your dog at home with over 1000 at-home veterinarian health remedies, Click Here.

Recent Blog Posts