Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, even when it has four legs and a tail. But pet parents with ill, injured, or aged pets can find themselves facing difficult decisions about their pet's condition and overall chances of recovery. If the prognosis for the dog or cat is poor, their veterinarian or animal health care provider may even broach the subject of euthanasia.  After the initial discussion about euthanasia, even pet parents who understand the hopelessness of their pet's condition may find themselves struggling with questions about the timing of euthanization.

Pet owners understandably want their little friends to remain healthy, but far too many people overlook their pet's dental health. If you want your cat to keep most of its teeth, you'll have to lend a helping hand to ensure that your cat's teeth remain sharp, clean, and healthy. Massage Your Kitten's Gums From an Early Age Cats are notorious for sometimes just wanting to be left alone. If you want to be able to brush your cat's teeth for it as it grows older, you ideally should start getting them used to this process from an early age.

Just as medical doctors specialize in various fields, so do veterinarians. There are veterinarians who specialize in cardiac medicine. They treat disorders of the circulatory system and heart. If your ordinary vet feels that your dog may have a heart problem or an issue with its circulation, they will likely refer your dog to a cardiac specialist. However, it's also helpful for you, as your dog's owner, to keep an eye out for the signs that your dog may need this more specialized cardiac care.

Finding out that your dog has cataracts can bring about some mixed feelings. It's a relief to know why your dog's eyes have begun to look cloudy and why they're struggling to see. But it's also scary to know that cataracts are not reversible; there's no way to really make them go away. The one thing vets can do for a dog with cataracts is perform surgery to remove them, replacing the damaged lens with a new, artificial one.

The rabies vaccine is one of the core vaccines for dogs. This means that veterinarians recommend it and will administer it to all dogs, regardless of lifestyle or breed. Although the rabies vaccine is quite routine, many dog owners understandably have a few questions about the shot that they'd like answered before the shot is administered. Hopefully, you will find the answers to those questions below. 1. Why do dogs who barely go outside need the rabies shot?

There's no discomfort like the discomfort caused by a toothache. This unpleasant sensation is easily aggravated each time you speak and eat and is something that warrants an urgent appointment with your dentist. But what about toothaches in the other members of your family who are unable to arrange their own dental treatment? If your beloved dog was experiencing a toothache, how would you even know? Eating One of the clearest signs that your dog is experiencing dental distress is when they have trouble eating.

If you're like most pet owners, you want your canine companion to have a long, happy, and comfortable life — but you may also have some misconceptions that could adversely affect the health and safety of your pet. For instance, many people erroneously believe that because their dog has a built-in fur coat, that means the animals don't experience the cold in the same way as their human counterparts. However, as mammals, dogs have more similarities to us than differences, and one of those similarities is that cold weather conditions have the potential to cause them harm.

As a pet owner, it's important that you understand the common issues that you might encounter with your new furry family member. One of the things that many dog owners don't understand is how easy it is for their pup to suffer a leg or hip injury. Here's a look at what you need to know about puppies, leg injuries, and proper dog care to treat and help prevent these problems.

If you have a male puppy, then it is only a matter of time before you will need to have him neutered. This may have you feeling a little apprehensive as a pet owner, and understandably so, as neutering is surgery. However, the more you know about having a dog neutered, the more comfortable you are likely to feel. Here are a few questions that owners of young male puppies often have about neutering.

The DHPP vaccine is known as the distemper vaccine, but this vaccine does a whole lot more than protect against distemper. This vaccine shields your dog from several viruses that cause severe illness or death. Learning about the DHPP vaccine will help you to make educated decisions about your dog's health.   1. The Four Viruses The DHPP vaccine protects your dog from four key viruses. All of these viruses affect your dog in different ways, and all of them are severe.