You might have thought that autoimmune health was only something that people had to worry about. However, autoimmune dog health is something that you should also be concerned with if you have a dog.

For your pet, autoimmune dog health is something that is very important because it will structure the way the rest of your pet's health goes.

What Is it?

The autoimmune dog health that you need to worry about is the health of the immune system of your dog. When he has a autoimmune dog health problem, it means that his immune system is not working the right way, and that there are sicknesses that are attacking it.

The autoimmune dog health is very important because without this type of health, you will find that your dog is very prone to other types of sicknesses, and is in general just not as healthy as he could be. Therefore, you need to watch the autoimmune dog health very carefully to make sure that you are giving your dog the best chance at a healthy life.

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Internal parasites (Endoparasite) can strike any dog, whether the dog appears to be clean and/or if it is from a seemingly 'well-to-do home'.

Roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina) are rather like pale earthworms and can reach approximately 10cm in length. They are pointed at both ends. Signs of presence in a dog are: mild vomiting, pot-bellied, dull coat, either sudden weight gain or weight loss. A puppy might cough or hiccup. A presence of worms will be seen wrapped around the stools passed.

The Life Cycle of the Toxocara canis starts with the bitch eating contaminated feces. The larvae migrate to various parts of the body- mammary glands, uterus, and remain in the intestine. Puppies feed off the bitch and the larvae enter their system, growing into an adult within two weeks. The adult worms lay eggs which hatch into larvae and burrow through the gut wall to the liver and lungs, causing respiratory problems.

Some lay dormant while others are coughed up and swallowed thus traveling down into the intestine where they grow into adult worms and lay thousands of eggs. These eggs are passed out of the dog where they lay waiting for a passer-by to eat the feces enabling the cycle to start over.

The Life Cycle of the Toxascaris leonina starts with the eggs being ingested, and hatching in the stomach. They do not migrate, but develop in the wall of the intestine, therefore infection to a bitch's puppies does not occur.

It is therefore advisable that pregnant bitches should be wormed under the vet's supervision; puppies should be routinely wormed after the age of two weeks. Adult dogs should be wormed every six months, every three months is wise if there are young children in the household.

Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) are flat, segmented and can be up to 50cm long. They are not normally seen as a complete worm, but the individual segments loaded with ripe eggs.

Signs of presence in a dog, is that the abdomen may become distorted, but the most common sign is the presence of rice-like grains around the anus. These worms can also be seen moving in the dog's feces. They can cause diarrhea and poor growth development in puppies.

The Life Cycle of Dipylidium caninum starts when a dog swallows a flea, which has itself, swallowed an embryonated worm. The larvae develop into adult worms in the small intestine. Specific worming remedies for this type of worm are obtained from a vet. Also ensure that the dog is regularly checked for fleas.

Ticks (Ixodes species) are brownish-white and can be initially mistaken for a wart, but on closer inspection the legs can be seen, while the head is buried in the epidermis. Having gorged on the dog's blood it grows to the size of a bean or pea.

Signs of presence may only be when a dog has an allergic reaction to them and due to scratching, red sore areas appear. Normally a dog will tolerate one or two ticks without showing any signs of irritation and they will only be noticed during grooming.

The Life Cycle of Ixodes species starts with adult ticks laying eggs that drop on the ground. Larvae hatch and climb on to blades of grass, shrubs, etc., where they wait for a passer by to brush past, thus enabling them to attach themselves on to the hair of the dog.

Surgical spirit soaked onto the tick suffocates it, thus loosening its grip. It can then be removed with tweezers. Never attempt to pull the tick off without soaking it first, as the head will remain and cause infection. Treat the area with insecticide. A special dip/shampoo can be obtained from the vet if infestation is severe.

Unless you were born blind you already know how valuable your eyes and vision are in coping with life. Helping us to process information on the world around us, our eyes constantly work to help us enjoy life and avoid danger.

Dogs also use their eyes in similar ways but with a few minor important differences. We see far and near fine detail in a wide range of colors and shades.

Dogs however, even sight hounds which have good vision, have a poorer color range and they are much better at detecting movement rather than detail. This gives them an advantage with night vision but they are poorer at seeing fine or close detail.

The main advantage dogs have is that they don't have to rely purely on vision for information on their world. An acute sense of smell and excellent hearing, along with good motion sensing vision, mean that dogs sense much more of their surrounds than mere humans.

Dogs eyes even look remarkably similar to human eyes. Like us, dogs have a range of eye colors although their predominant color is brown. One important difference between us is that dogs have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane.

Although this membrane is not easily seen, certain diseases and eye irritation can make it stand out. The third eyelid sits in the inside corner of a dogs eye and helps to protect it from irritation by cleansing and lubricating the eye.

Most of the eye diseases and problems seen in dogs are the same as those found in humans. One of the most common problems seen in dogs is due to simple eye irritation.

The same environmental irritants that afflict us afflict our dogs. Dust, smoke and chemical pollution are the commonest cause of watery irritable eyes in our favorite pets. Apart from seeing red, teary eyes which are often swollen, you will likely observe your dog rubbing or scratching at their eyes.

Look carefully at whether both or only one eye is irritated. Symptoms occurring in only one eye usually mean a foreign body or injury in the eye involved.

Blocked tear ducts can also produce excessively watery eyes in dogs as well as humans. In some dog breeds, such as older Poodles and Shih Tzu's, you will often see damp matted fur around their eyes that signals tear duct blockages. An expert opinion from a vet is often needed to tell the difference between the different causes of watery eyes.

Another trait that elderly dogs share with elderly humans is the development of cataracts. Most long term dog owners have seen the cloudy milky haze that spreads in the centre of each pupil as the cataracts form. This milky haze is the lens inside your dogs eye becoming opaque and the dog slowly becomes blind.

It's important to distinguish cataract from another change called Lenticular Sclerosis. Lenticular Sclerosis is a condition which looks similar to cataract but where the only the center of the dogs lens hardens and vision remains unaffected. Both problems are seen in elderly dogs.

One significant advantage that aging dogs have compared to humans is that eye damage and blindness does not incapacitate them to the same extent as human blindness. Good hearing and an acute sense of smell compensate well. There are many stories told of blind dogs managing wonderfully well in life and it's a pity we aging humans are unable to see through the "eyes" of our beloved dogs at times!

This mother retriever and her puppies look very cute. What puppy isn't cute? But this mother probably went through a lot of pain delivering them. Then her body had to come up with enough milk to keep her puppies well-fed.

It's a kindness to have your females spayed. There are plenty of dogs in the world, and too many of them don't have homes. Thousands and thousands are euthenized each year in the United States alone.

So do your pet a favor and get her spayed. You will be saving her from a lot of pain, several possible health problems, and you will be helping to decrease the overpopulation of dogs in the world.

Here's an article by someone especially about your female dog's health.

by:Aki Majima

As there are certain health issues that affect only the female dog, care should be taken to ensure that these are fully understood before deciding whether or not to buy a bitch.

The most important dog health care concern is that of spaying. Only those who are fully educated in all aspects of a specific breed and who have the time and energy to put into making sure that bloodlines are kept strong and healthy should ever consider breeding. With that in mind, most owners of female dogs will not be thinking of breeding and should therefore seriously consider having their pet spayed.

If the necessary surgery is carried out before your dog has her first heat cycle, the likelihood of her ever developing breast cancer will become almost zero percent. That alone is a very good reason to have your dog spayed as breast cancer is otherwise relatively common in older bitches. The chances of your dog developing pyometra, a disease of the uterus that can be fatal, is also greatly reduced.

Having your dog spayed will also relieve her of the twice yearly 'season' and the anxiety that often becomes part of it. She'll no longer want to roam in order to find male dogs to mate with and you'll no longer have to put up with the crowds of dogs who follow you during walks or who gather outside your home. And most importantly of all, unwanted pups will not become a problem.

If your female dog starts collecting her toys and treating them as if they were puppies, she's almost certainly experiencing a false pregnancy. Fortunately, this rarely lasts more than a week and although the dog will become very protective of her imaginary offspring, treat her as normal and she'll soon forget them.

If you've opted to not have your dog spayed, it's important to understand how her heat cycle works. The first 10-14 days is the period BEFORE ovulation and this is the time during which she will bleed.

Ovulation occurs as the bleeding stops so it's important to understand that it's during the 10-14 days following bleeding that she's actually most likely to become pregnant. Far too many owners make the mistake of believing that their female dog is safe once the bleeding stops and over-filled dog pounds are the sad result.

Doggie diapers are available in most pet stores and come in a range of sizes to fit different breeds. These are designed to stop the dog leaving blood on your furniture and rugs but unfortunately, unless the dog has been taught to accept wearing them from a very young age, most will soon chew them off.

Female dog owners who choose not to have their dog spayed MUST monitor their dog regularly for any lumps in the breasts and remember that unless they're serious about breeding, they have a duty to ensure that their dog doesn't produce unwanted puppies who will eventually find themselves sitting in a pound waiting for their death sentence to be passed.

Aki Majimacopyright@2005 by Aki Desorcy. Aki Desorcy is the Author of http://www.dog-treats-n-dog-care-tips.com/Where you will find free dog care care tips, dog treat recipes and other useful dog health care info for your pooch.