Many pet owners consider their dogs as part of their family. While that may seem a bit strange to some of us, the surprising similarities between humans and their animal companions may lend a bit more credibility to pet lovers who treat their animals like people. There are a number of medical conditions that we commonly associate with dogs; things like heart worms, mange, distemper and rabies. What’s surprising is the number of maladies we have in common with canines. We often think various health problems only affect us, but you might be surprised to discover that dogs are susceptible to many of the same health problems that we are.

1. Acid Reflux

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Most of us have probably seen the TV commercials that advertise medications that were developed to treat acid reflux, a condition also known as GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Anyone that has any experience with this condition knows it can be quite distasteful, in a very literal way. It is most often caused by a valve or sphincter that keeps the stomach isolated from the esophagus. It sometimes opens when it shouldn’t. This allows gastric acid to bubble up into the esophagus and sometimes even into the mouth. We all know how bad vomit tastes, but perhaps this condition is a bit easier on dogs since many of them don’t seem to mind the taste of vomit at all.