Ekko Canyon

Embrace Your Dog's Individuality

General Health

It’s so difficult to know if your dog has a medical problem.  They can’t speak to us and let us know if they are in pain or if they just don’t feel well.  Because of this, it’s so important that you know your dog.  A change in behavior or a subtle change in appearance can be a sign that something is wrong.

Behavioral Change

Blood Chemistry Panel

Itching, Scratching and Hot Spots

Many times, people see a behavioral change as the dog being defiant, picky, upset with their owner, etc.  When people think this way, they are placing human attributes onto their dog.  It’s important to remember that your dog is an animal and not a human.  This behavioral change could actually mean that there is an underlying health problem with your dog. 

The best course of action?  Go see your veterinarian and make sure there’s no underlying health issue.  Getting a general blood chemistry panel is a good place to start.  If something in the results is a little off, this can help your vet in deciding on additional tests.  In fact, it’s a good idea to have this general blood panel completed on a yearly basis starting from puppy hood.  This can give you a baseline and let you know ahead of time if there is a problem because you can easily note any fluctuations of results or even increases/decreases of values.  Depending on where you live, you are probably looking at anywhere from $50—$100 for this test.  A small price to pay for being pro-active with your dog’s health.

One of the main help topics I see posted on web boards is regarding itching, scratching and hot spots.  Of course, everyone has to chime in on their miracle remedy to help with these issues.  Another thing often suggested is changing foods.  The next thing you know, these poor pet owners are wasting time trying one miracle remedy after another and changing their dog to all sorts of different foods.

This scenario is not a whole lot of fun.  I should know as I did the same.  The truth is, these symptoms are more than likely the results of an underlying issue.  So no miracle remedy is going to help in the long term.  Some health issues that could cause itching, scratching and hot spots may include (but is not limited to): Mites, fleas, environmental allergies, food allergies, thyroid problems, Addison’s disease, EPI, any auto-immune disorder… and the list goes on!! 

So as you can see, a miracle remedy or a mere food switch is certainly not going to help with some of these issues.  Again, your best course of action is to see your veterinarian and get some answers.  Spend the money up front on tests instead of bag after bag of food or miracle remedies.  You’ll be glad you did.