Dog Tips

It's unconscionable behavior, but some members of the veterinary community, through the influence of the pet food industry, are preying on your fear about the growing problem of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Feeding your pet this contaminated food won't help.

It may seem like a totally logical reason to get one. And you'll find plenty of research to back it up. But when you see this 'compelling reason,' you'll see that it's a bad reason and can quickly backfire. Find out why.

And about 80% will show symptoms. Fortunately, the risk for serious disease is quite low except for these special groups. But watch out for this standard advice that doesn't work, and can seriously impair your pet's immune system. They'll pull out all the stops to drag you in.

It can strike dogs as young as age 6. By age 11, it affects 50% of dogs and by age 15, 68%. What's more, if you recognize the signs you can set the stage to help them ease through their senior and geriatric years with more purpose and companionship, and less pain.

There's no one straight answer to this as it can depend upon the breed and their size. Here's what to expect as your little fluff ball moves through each stage of puppyhood and beyond.