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10 Most Common Reasons Dogs Go To The Vet

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Our dogs are our friends and family, and just like with any family member, we worry when they fall ill.

But, dogs can’t talk, describe the pain, or asks or help, so it’s hard to judge how sick they really are.

Nationwide pet insurance recently published a list of the ten most common reasons dogs were taken to see a veterinarian.

We’ll take a look at each of those health problems, describing causes, treatments you can try at home, and when you should take your pooch to the vet yourself.

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Image courtesy of youtube

10. Eye Infections

First on the list, as the tenth most common reasons dogs visited the vet, are eye infections.

Like humans, dogs can get pink eye. It’s an irritating infection of the eye, which you’ll most likely notice through your pooches scratching, and a redness and irritation of the eye itself.

Your dog might also have excessively watery eyes, or produce a discharge from their eyes.

Eye infections can be caused by another of other problems, but the long and short of it is, go see a vet.

Infections require antibiotics to treat them, and most of the other potential causes also should be seen by a veterinarian.

9. Benign Skin Tumors

As you’ll tend to notice on this list, dogs are pretty prone to skin problems.

One of the scariest is are skin tumors. As your dog gets older, you may notice a few bumps, like masses of hard tissue under the skin.

You might also notice some warts or bumps around your dog’s mouth.

Luckily, these are usually benign, meaning that they are localized to one spot and will not spread or threaten your dog’s health.

Fatty tumors are most common in middle-aged and older dogs, and dogs that are overweight.

They can occur anywhere, but are most often found on the ribs.

Other causes for these little lumps might include cysts, warts, and other bumps that are generally harmless.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the lumps you find, however.

Just as with humans, if a growth changes size or shape, it’s time to see a doctor.

Written by Flo

I am a writer and pet lover living in the Pacific Northwest. I own 2 cats, Bella and Junior, and they are adorable :) I have been an animal advocate and human companion for several dozen animals over the years. I have raised Cockatiels, cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens, and a tortoise. Writing is my second passion and writing for Funny Pet Stop is a fantastic match for me.