Blue-green algae: a danger to dogs near water
A few gulps from the wrong water can be life-threatening for a dog. How to spot blue-green algae, how to protect your dog – and what to do if it has been in the water.
Dog health: guides and knowledge
Simply explained articles from the DOGSY knowledge team on dog health. You can read the start of every article without an account, and the full text after free registration.
All articles on dog health (25)
Suspected poison bait: spotting the symptoms and acting fast
If your dog may have eaten a poison bait, every minute counts. Here's how to recognise the signs of poisoning and give the right first aid.
How chronic stress makes dogs ill
Constant stress burdens not only the nerves but also the stomach, gut and immune system. Why ongoing stress can seriously harm your dog.
How much exercise does a puppy need?
May puppies let off steam or does that harm the joints? The old advice to keep young dogs still is now considered outdated. What really does good.
Neutering: a decision to be made with care
To neuter or not – and when? This question deserves more than a quick answer. Why age and breed play a role.
The cooperation signal: your dog says yes
What if your dog could have a say during grooming? A cooperation signal takes the stress out and makes treatments fairer.
Practising giving a paw and claw clipping
Many dogs don't like having their paws held. With this training your dog will soon place its paw in your hand voluntarily.
Checking the eyes and giving eye drops
The eye is especially sensitive. With plenty of patience, your dog learns to calmly allow being touched and even to accept eye drops.
Getting used to the smells of the vet's practice
The typical practice smell and whirring devices already trigger stress in many dogs. How to get your dog used to them in advance.
Giving tablets without stress
Tablet hidden in a piece of sausage and the dog eats around it? With this training your dog swallows medicines reliably and willingly.
Checking the ears and giving drops
A look in the ear or ear drops can be unpleasant. How to get your dog used to it gently, so ear care goes smoothly.
Letting your dog be touched all over
Whether a tick on the belly or a look in the ear: a dog that lets itself be touched calmly makes many things easier. How to build up touch training.
Making your home dog-safe
Before the dog moves in: how to defuse typical hazards in the house, garden and on the balcony so nothing happens to your dog.
Recognising pain: the quiet signs
Dogs by no means always limp when something hurts. These quiet signs tell you that your dog might be in pain.
Recognising and caring for overly long claws
Are the claws clicking on the floor? Overly long claws hurt and lead to protective postures. How to check them and keep them short.
Recognising dental problems early
In dogs, toothache rarely shows as eating poorly, but often only as irritability or withdrawal. What to look out for.
When the older dog feels the cold
Older dogs feel the cold sooner, and feeling cold means stress. When a coat makes sense and how to keep your senior warm.
When your dog hears less well
Failing hearing comes on gradually. How to recognise it and how to keep communicating well with your dog using visual and touch signals.
When your dog sees less well
Does your dog bump into edges or recognise you later? How to make its home safe and help it cope with fading sight.
Dementia in dogs: signs and support
Does your old dog wander at night or seem disoriented? Dementia occurs in dogs too. How to recognise it and how to make everyday life easier.
The ageing dog: into the senior years with composure
Grey around the muzzle, but far from over the hill: here's how to accompany your dog calmly through its senior years.
Relaxed at the vet: medical training
Giving a paw, holding still, showing teeth: how your dog learns to take part calmly in grooming and at the vet.
Foods that are poisonous to dogs
Chocolate, grapes, onions & co. – what's dangerous and what to do in an emergency.
Heat in summer: how to protect your dog
Dogs barely sweat – how to avoid overheating and recognise heatstroke in good time.
Tick season in Switzerland
Active from spring to autumn: how to remove ticks correctly and protect your dog.
Frequently asked questions
How can I spot dental problems in my dog?
You should take note if your dog hesitates when eating, pushes the food around in its mouth, chews on only one side or suddenly refuses hard dry food and chews. Bad breath from the mouth, sensitivity to touch on the head or hesitant retrieving can also be pointers.
How do I remove a tick from my dog?
To remove it, grip the tick with tick tweezers or a tick card as close to the skin as possible and pull it out slowly and straight – don't twist, don't squeeze and don't use home remedies such as oil or alcohol. Afterwards disinfect the spot and keep an eye on it over the following days. A small redness right after the bite is normal; if it grows larger or persists, it belongs in the practice.
What should I do if my dog has eaten something poisonous?
The symptoms of poisoning range from vomiting, diarrhoea and heavy salivation through trembling and restlessness to cramps and apathy. They can appear immediately – or only hours later. If you suspect poisoning, don't wait: call the vet's practice or the emergency vet service straight away and state what, how much and when was eaten. Take the packaging with you. In Switzerland, Tox Info Suisse also gives advice around the clock on the emergency number 145.
How can I tell that my dog is in pain?
Pay attention to the facial expression. Narrowed eyes, tense facial muscles, a pinched or withdrawn expression and ears held low or drawn back can point to pain. Sometimes the face overall seems smaller and more pointed than usual.
How much exercise does a puppy need?
For a long time the advice was that young dogs should move as little as possible, in order to spare the growing bones. More recent findings show: that's outdated. Adapted, free movement does your puppy good, physically and mentally. The only important thing is the right amount.
Dog health: do the articles replace veterinary advice?
These articles are no substitute for veterinary advice. Source: DOGSY knowledge editorial team.
Dog-friendly places near you
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Help near you
These articles are no substitute for veterinary advice. Source: DOGSY knowledge editorial team.