Dog Health Questions Relating to Hair Loss and Vaccinations



Two of the most common dog health questions asked by dog owners are:

Do Indoor Puppies Need to Be Vaccinated?

and

What Causes Excessive Hair Loss in Dogs?

So I'll provide some thoughts on each of these dog health questions that will hopefully provide you with some useful knowledge that can be applied to your new puppy:

Puppy Vaccinations:

There is much controversy over whether adult dogs need to be vaccinated. Many experts are of the view that annual vaccinations are completely unnecessary, are nothing more than a money spinner for veterinarians, and cause more harm than good to our pets.

Puppy vaccinations, however, are another matter. Distemper, for example, is an acute infectious disease caused by an airborne virus. Even though a dog may never venture outside, it is easy for humans to pick this disease up on their clothing and then bring it back home to their dog. Every dog, without exception, should be inoculated against this highly contagious disease.

In a recent conversation with my neighbor, she being aware that I am a dog enthusiast with a particular interest in dog health questions she conveyed the devastating news that her beautiful little Maltese dog had recently died from distemper.

The cause of death was confirmed by her veterinarian. The dog owner was not only upset, but surprised to hear this news because she beleived that her dog was an inside dog it had never needed to be vaccinated.

This is clearly wrong. Distemper is an acute infectious disease caused by an airborne virus. Even though a dog may never venture outside, it is easy for humans to pick this disease up on their clothing and then bring it back home to their dog. Every dog, without exception, should be inoculated against this highly contagious disease.

Causes of Excessive Hair Loss and What You Can Do:

Dog health questions come from all over the globe about the family pet losing his or her hair, both in young dogs as well as the aging canine. Most dogs typically shed twice per year but in some cases the fur falls out in big chunks, quite unlike normal shedding.

The answer to this question comes in three distinct reasons why your dog may be shedding at an alarming rate; parasites, a dietary deficiency, or hormonal imbalances.

A check-up by your veterinarian is the only plausible answer here. Your veterinarian can tell you if your dog has a fatty acid deficiency or perhaps you are overfeeding him protein or carbohydrates. Your dog may also have developed an underactive thyroid or other temporary hormonal imbalances as a result of recent spaying.