Dog Illnesses and Symptoms

All dogs should be treated as members of your family. As a family member, you must pay adequate attention to your pet’s health. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to your dog from the time he is a puppy, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented. Therefore, yearly medical examinations should be undertaken along with regular vaccinations at intervals recommended by your veterinarian. That being said, for various reasons, vaccinations may not have been given, or your dog may come down with an illness that does not have a preventive vaccination.

Sometimes dogs become sick but they may not appear to be ill. Therefore, it is very important to recognize and understand dog illness symptoms.

Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs need a lot of sleep but their sleep is marked by alertness. If a dog is sluggish then there may be various causes contributing to it, right from anaemia to old age. Whatever the reason for the sluggishness, your dog should be taken to a veterinarian for a thorough check up.

If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. If you discover a painful area, then take your dog to the veterinarian to determine what is causing the pain, Thereafter, check for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.

The appetite of most dogs is affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. Before taking the dog to the veterinarian for a thorough check up, make sure that the dog food has not spoiled. Frequently in hot weather, dog food will go rancid fairly quickly.

Another important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. Canine parvovirus can cause dehydration in dogs, which will result in prolonged drinking by your dog. Whenever your dog exhibits excessive thirst ensure that you get him to a vet for a check up as soon as possible.

A pronounced weight loss is also an indicator of ill health. Check the eyes for any ulcers, discharges, veins or sores. The mouth of a healthy dog is pink. There should not be any discolouring or cavities in the teeth. Look for signs of discharge from ears. It is advisable to clean the ears from time to time.

The dog's head should be regularly checked for sore patches, hair loss, or deep wounds. Investigate the limbs and trunk for the same signs. If the dog is vomiting, there may be various underlying problems. If the body temperature of your dog is not between the range 38 to 39 Celsius it is an indication of some kind of illness. In all of the previous situations, a trip to the vet is recommended.

Check your female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs the immediate attention of a vet. The symptoms of pain and discomfort experienced by a dog can give us many clues about the possible underlying illness. If the dog is suffering any abdominal pain, it may be due to canine hepatitis, enteritis or it can be a simple case of constipation.

If your dog’s abdomen swells it could indicate canine bloat. If the same thing happens to a puppy it could indicate roundworms.

Sudden aggression by your dog may indicate that it has contracted rabies. This is particularly true if your dog is slobbering at the same time.

Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms frequently cause anaemia in dogs. If the lips, tongue or gums of your dog are pale instead of pink, this is a sign of anaemia. Your dog scrubbing his butt on the ground or floor is also a sign of worms, however, this can also be caused by stool stuck to the hair around the anus or to itchiness caused by recent grooming.

Behavioural changes in your dog can be an indicator of worms, arthritis, heart disease or parvovirus. Whenever behavioural changes occur, take your dog to your vet because changes are not a normal occurrence.

Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in the urine. It could be as simple as kidney stones or as complicated as failing kidneys. If you have ever suffered from kidney stones you will know how extremely painful they are. Kidney problems must be treated by a vet as soon as symptoms are noticed.

Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. These diseases will also, in most situations, be accompanied by tears or squinting.

A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke or allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs. If your dog shows signs of laboured breathing, particularly when he is at rest, take him to a vet immediately.

There are various reasons for a sudden change in weight of dogs. To ensure that it is not a serious problem, take your dog for an examination by your veterinarian.

A hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Be sure to check your dog’s stool on a regular basis. If it is extremely hard or your dog has difficulty passing it, this is an indication of constipation. If your dog’s stool is runny or very soft, it is a sign that your dog has diarrhea. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning or a sudden change in diet can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. Neither constipation or diarrhea is normal for a healthy dog, so a trip to the vet is recommended.

Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons for your dog to cough. Persistent coughing is not normal and needs to be checked out by a vet.

The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or Cushing’s syndrome. All must be treated by a vet.

I hope that the above symptoms will alert you to possible problems in your pet. If you catch problems early, there is a much better chance of a successful outcome. I have found that my veterinarian, who was introduced to me and the other dogs in our house when we were puppies and therefore knows our histories and normal appearance, invaluable in keeping us fit and healthy.

Until next time,

Teia

Lameness in Your Horse

Lameness in a horse is one of the most common health problems seen in horses. Two of the most common causes of horse lameness are called laminitis (inflammation of the laminae of the foot) and navicular syndrome (inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone or its surrounding tissue). By learning about these conditions you can catch them earlier and therefore prevent further damage.

When dealing with lameness in a horse, you have to be observant. Often horse lameness is temporary and goes away with just rest. Other times the lameness can be quite severe and further veterinary care is needed.

Lameness is often seen when the horse is trotting. If your horse is lame, you will notice a different gait to the horse. There are several signs to watch out for when dealing with a suspected lame horse.

Signs of lameness include - trotting unevenly, a reluctance to bear weight on a leg, throwing the head when trotting, and a reluctance to move.

If you notice any of these signs you should contact your veterinarian immediately, and don't ride your horse. While you may be able to tell which leg is affecting the horse, the veterinarian can identify the exact location that is causing the problem.

The veterinarian will most likely start the examination with observing the horse trotting. After that he (or she) will usually start at the foot of the lame leg and work his way up the leg to pinpoint the location of the pain.

When looking at the feet, they look for many possible causes of lameness. It could be as simple as an incorrect shoe, or more complicated such as navicular syndrome or laminitis.

They will feel the hoof for any signs of heat, pain or swelling. Also, uneven wear on the hoof is another sign that there is a problem.

As they work their way up the leg, they feel for any areas of heat or swelling. They also palpate the tendon and joint areas for any signs of pain.

The two most common sources of lameness originate in the foot. Laminitis is an inflammation of the hoof wall, usually caused by an improper diet or an infection. A diet too high in grain can cause laminitis as can a diet of grass under stress (grass becomes stressed when it is over gazed or when it has insufficient moisture such as in times of drought). Also, an infection somewhere else on the horse's body could cause laminitis to develop in the foot.

Navicular syndrome, the other most common cause of lameness in horses, also affects the foot. The navicular bone is located at the back of the foot and is an area of tendon and ligament attachment. Being an area where a lot of motion happens, even the slightest inflammation can cause the horse to be lame.

By knowing what signs to look for in your horse you'll be able to detect lameness early. The best treatment is always prevention. By feeding your horse a nutritious diet and seeing a farrier and vet on a regular basis you can prevent most forms of horse lameness.

Until next time,

Teia

Colic in Horses

Colic is one of the most common horse conditions for which you will need to call your Veterinarian. Colic is not a disease. It is a clinical sign of many possible diseases. Increasing your knowledge of this common condition of horses could save your horse’s life.

Colic means literally a pain in the abdomen. When a horse "colics," this means that the horse is acting painful and it appears that the pain is coming from the abdomen.

Horse colic can vary greatly in severity. Some colics will go away with just taking your horse for a walk, but other forms of colic will require surgery and can be life threatening. So if you think your horse has colic you should contact your Veterinarian immediately.

There are many possible causes of colic. One possible cause of colic could be from changing its diet. The diet could be too high in grain or maybe there is moldy hay in the feed. Another possible cause is when a segment of the horse's intestine twists in the abdomen. This happens quite frequently in horses. Generally your Veterinarian can diagnose this by ultrasound, palpation, or by use of a stethoscope. To cure this type of colic, surgery is often required. This means you have to take your horse to the Veterinary hospital. Colic surgery in horses is very expensive costing $2,000 at a minimum. In addition the hospitalization is rather extensive and expensive too.

Some common treatments for mild colics could include products that relieve the pain like analgesics such as Banamine or Aspirin. Also, mineral oil is used sometimes if it is thought that extra lubrication in the intestines would help the pain pass. Sometimes in severe cases, intestines can rupture which usually leads to death. But, with proper feeding and care you can prevent most cases of colic.

Usually when calling your Veterinarian about your horse having colic, they will advise you NOT to let your horse try to lie down and roll over. If they are in pain, many horses will try and lay down and roll around on the ground trying to relieve the pain. It is important to prevent this, as a horse can do even more damage to themselves rolling around while in this condition.

A secondary problem often overlooked when a horse has colic is that lameness could develop. This is a disease of the feet which is also a very common problem of horses.

If you think your horse has colic you should contact your Veterinarian immediately, even if it's late at night. When your horse has colic, minutes and hours count toward finding a resolution to the problem.

Another important thing to be aware of, is that some horses are more prone to colic than others. This is a question you should ask a horse owner if you are thinking about buying their horse.

By becoming aware of the common disease conditions in horses you can catch them earlier and provide relief earlier. If you have more questions on colic, contact your Veterinarian.

Until next time,

Teia