Common Medical Procedures for Dogs Explained

Medical treatment, both surgical and nonsurgical, may at some point be recommended for your dog by your veterinarian. Sometimes the medical treatment is part of maintaining your pet's health, such as a spay or neuter procedure. Other times it is recommended to treat an assortment of diagnosed health conditions.

Hot spots are an unfortunate condition that usually occurs as the result of a reaction to a tick or flea bite, according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Either the dog will have an allergic reaction to the bite or the hot spot is due to a secondary infection as a result of the bite. You can recognize a hot spot because there is scabbing and visible skin flaking. Treat hot spots quickly as they can grow. The Langston University Extension Office recommends the medicine Sulfodene® or Cut Heal®. Sulfodene, according to their website is the only over the counter medical treatment available for hot spots and you can find it as most pet stores. Cut Heal® can be found at a grange or feed store.

Tapeworm is one of the most common health conditions in dogs and medical treatment is recommended immediately. Tapeworms are segmented parasites that live inside the intestine. You will know your dog has tapeworm when you see the live and slightly squirming larvae around your dog's anus or in its feces. The larvae look like a grain of white rice and a shred of mozzarella cheese had a baby. You also might notice your dog "scoot" across the floor in an attempt to scratch the anus area. Tapeworm is easily treated. Droncit, marketed by Bayer, is the most common medical treatment for canine tapeworm and is known to be safe for dogs. It is prescribed by your veterinarian and can be taken by tablet or injection.

When our new dog is a puppy, we must make the decision to spay or neuter our beloved friend. If you have no intention of breeding your pet, veterinarians recommend they be spayed or neutered between 4 and 6 months. Females are given a medical treatment known as an ovariohysterectomy and males get an orchidectomy. This surgical procedure removes the reproductive system. It eliminates your pet's ability and desire to reproduce and also eliminates their chance of developing cancer in the removed organs (for example uterine and testicular cancer).

For more interesting articles on pets and other subjects, please click on my name "Tesl Goddess" at the top of the page.