Category Archives: Dog diseases

How to Spot Lyme Disease Symptoms in Dogs?

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By learning how to spot the symptoms of Lyme Disease you will be able to put off some serious medical conditions in your dog. It is important to know the particulars and symptoms of Lyme Disease in dogs. Lyme Disease can happen in your pet as well as you. Without timely treatment, the disease paves way to problems in various areas of the body of your dog. The areas affected may include kidneys, heart, and also the joints. Sometimes, it may also lead to neurological issues. More often than not, Lyme disease is linked with symptoms like high fever, lameness, distended lymph nodes and a lack of desire for food.
Lyme Disease Symptoms and Types

Others, in the meantime, may get acute lameness, which stays only three to four days but comes back days to weeks later. Dog illnesses and symptoms in this case are typified by lameness in one leg, with a return to standard function, and another leg is then caught up. In the absence of treatment, the condition may lead to glomerulonephritis, which causes inflammation and associated dysfunction of the kidney’s glomeruli (basically, a blood filter). Sooner or later, complete kidney failure is caused and the dog starts to show such signs as diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite, weight loss, more urination and thirst, fluid upsurge in the abdomen and fluid increase in the tissues, particularly the legs and beneath the skin.

Other symptoms linked with Lyme disease include rigid walk with an arched back, Sensitivity to touch, trouble in breathing, Fever, lack of appetite, and depression might come with inflammation of the joints and so on. Watch out for lethargy or any other mysterious changes in your dog’s behavior. Be alert for confusion, anxiety, and even seizures. Check if there is an extended or swollen abdomen, breath that smells like ammonia, and increased or severely reduced urination. Also, see that you look for pet insurance plans and carry out the daily check and elimination of ticks on your dogs.

Author Bio

The author is an ardent dog care enthusiast who also writes articles on various dog issues such as dog illnesses and symptoms, how to plan health of dogs, pet insurance plans, dog day care and the like.

Preventing heart worms in dog

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Preventives can be used in case of dogs to avoid the heartworm problems in case of dogs. However, the preventive drugs need to be given some times by injection once in six months.

Most of the times, the preventives like ivermectin helps to control the problem caused by other parasites also, including the external parasites like ticks and roundworms and hookworms. Oral forms are available in the market.

Topical applications are also available with this product for use in dogs. Pyrantel may be found as an additional ingreditent with this product and this product helps in the prevention of hookworms and roundworms also.

Similarly many monthly given preventives are available in the market and however, giving same drug every time may per haps lead to the development of drug resistance in the dogs. Hence, the preventives may be changed in the course of time. Only at the age of six weeks, this drug may be given to the dogs.

Also, one has to be aware of any side effects due to the preventives given to avoid the heartworms in dogs. Take cautions in giving these drugs in case of anemic dogs. The circulatory status needs to be improved before providing the preventive care in case of dogs.

Drugs like selamectin helps to reduce the infestations with external parasites like American dog ticks, fleas and mites. However, this drug may be given in the form of injections in dogs and has to be administered in dogs that have attained age of six weeks. for provision of protection against the heartworms.

Reducing exposure to the mosquitoes help in the proper prevention of the problems with the Dirofilaria immitis – the heartworms. Mosquito proof may be provided if it becomes possible at least in seasons wherein many mosquitoes may be seen in the premises of the kennel. Water stagnation may be avoided especially near the kennel or the doghouse.

Through the compounding pharmacies, the drugs like diethylcarbamazine may be given to the dogs to avoid the heartworms in them.

However this drug needs to be given daily but when the administration is not done for few days, then the concerned dog looses its protection against the heartworms. Diethyl carbamazine further protects the dogs against the round worms also, as an additional protection.

Drugs like moxidectin is available in an injectable form for dogs. However, this can be given in dogs that have attained the age of six months. The drug like moxidectin further helps in reducing the hookworm problem in case of dogs. Once in six months, this drug may be given to the dogs.
Milbermycin oxime is another preventive used for avoidance of heartworm problems in dogs. This is available in oral form and can be given to the dogs that have attained the age of four weeks or more.

However, it may be better to check up the body weight of the puppy and the puppy should have a minimum body weight of two to three pounds.

If you miss some months in not providing the preventive to the dog, you can still continue the therapy with the preventive later. This will surely give a good level of protection against the occurrence of heartworms.

How To Cure Demodex Mange?

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Do you know demodicosis is not contagious to other dogs or to people? Demodicosis is a dreadful disease among dogs. If your pup gets this infection, it is really a pathetic situation. This is a parasitic skin infection that occurs when a large number of manges invade body. Dog mange treatment is really a Herculean task especially in case of puppies.

General Info

Demodicosis in dogs is not contagious to other dogs or to people. In order to cure demodex mange, you need to know about the symptoms of the same.

Symptoms

In case of localized infection, your dog will show symptom of hair loss of nothing more than a patch or two with mild itchiness. This condition is self-limiting disease. It will be cured on its own without giving any treatment.

If the infection is generalized, there will be large amounts of hair loss from all over the body. The response to treatment is moderate. In this type of infection, the affected dog will show irritability, loss of apetite, inactivity and depression.

Treatment

The perfect treatment for this condition is AMITRAZ. This is a solution which is to be applied all over the body once in a week for a month.

Ivermectin is a perfect treatment for this condition. This is highly safe and highly effective against the demodex mite.

Although Amitraz and Ivermectin are perfect remedies for demodex mange, there is possibility of relapsing of this disease if they become reinfected with demodex mites. If you have noticed your dog

Pet and its Seasonal Allergies

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The lovely spring has set its foot now. You can notice the plants growing, flowers blooming, insect buzzing etc.  You can also notice that your lovely pet dog scratching its body and prefer to stay in the corner. This is nothing but seasonal allergy. You may know that few get allergic reactions human beings experience due to danders of the pet dog. The dogs too suffer from allergy. Seasonal allergies are more seen in dogs than in cats.

In most cases the allergy is due to genetic factor. The dogs that are in age group between 1 and 3 years are more prone. The allergens make entry in to the body of the dog either through inhalation or ingestion. In dogs the allergic reactions are mostly itching rather than sneezing, running nose, watery eyes etc.   This can be evident by the dog’s act such as frequent rubbing of the face, licking of the feet, and scratching the body.

Types of Seasonal Allergies

There are two types of allergies very common in dogs. Lets us discuss it out here.
Allergy due to fleas- this is more common in dogs. You know that the flea menace is ever lasting problem in pet. The allergic reaction is due to the saliva of the flea. The dog’s immune system reacts quickly for this foreign body. The antibodies are rushed to the affected area, the skin, which is why you notice all those scratching.

Allergic inhaled dermatitis- this type of allergy is due to allergens such as house dust mite, house dust, pollen, ragweed, feathers, grasses, shrubs, trees, dander etc. These allergens gain entry either through the respiratory tract [inhalation] or through the feet or through digestive system [ingestion]. This allergy is bit difficult to prevent as the above mentioned allergens are seen in abundance in dog’s surrounding.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of the allergy may be easy but finding out the root cause of the allergic reaction is difficult as you know by now that the allergens are more than few. The veterinarian needs to be consulted at the earliest.  The vet will conduct blood test and intradermal test to find out the possible cause. In case of intradermal test, the allergens will be injected under the skin of the dog and will be observed for the reaction. Formation of wheal or hive like swelling will indicate that the test is positive.

Treatment

To start with the vet will subject the dog to symptomatic treatment. Once the cause of the problem is identified, appropriate treatment can be designed. By far the most effective and popular treatment is immunotherapy or hypo sensitization. Here the specific allergens are injected to the dog in lower concentration at periodic interval. The pet becomes less sensitive to it over a period of time, thus preventing the allergic reactions. The disadvantage of this technique is that it is costly and time consuming. The duration of the treatment may be a year or more in some cases. The other alternative is to give steroid injections to minimize the allergic manifestations. The side effects of the steroids are cause of worry, hence used in limited quantity and duration.

Transmissible Veneral Tumour in Dog

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One of my male GSD suddenly went off-feed and had a high temperature 106 degrees last month. Immediately I rushed my dog to my vet’s hospital. He examined and treated the dog with suitable antibiotics to reduce the fever. The fever diminished, but my dog started to pass bloody urine and followed by expulsion of raw blood from its genitals. My vet suspected TVT- which is nothing but Transmissible Veneral Tumor.

My vet immediately prescribed the drug vincristin for my dog and gave the injection at weekly intervals. Now I haven’t seen the blood from its genitals. But my dog is going down its weight as well as body condition.

I don’t know what to do? Will I am going to loose my dog? Hope I won’t. God won’t let me down. I am praying him to get cured ASAP.

The only thing which made my dog to get this worst infection is I have allowed my dog to mate other bitch from a breeder. I think she would be a carrier. I am waiting with my fingers crossed.

Abnormal Signs Of Increased Appetite

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Beagles and Retrievers are known for their enormous appetites and nonselective feeding habits. A dog’s increased appetite may be an indication of a disease condition. In the cold weather, all the dog is having increased appetite. It is not a problem!

The old saying that dogs will eat only what they need is simply not true — the fact approximately one-third of dogs in US and UK are overweight bears witness to that.

Abnormal Signs of Increased Appetite

A sudden increase in appetite may have an obvious cause, such as an unusual spurt of activity, growth (in young dog), pregnancy, or underfeeding. If the dog’s eating habits have the following characteristics, ther may be an underlying medical problem:

  • It eats feces of its own species, or  other animals- cows, sheep, or horses, which is called as copraphagia.
  • It eats more rapidly than normal, cleaning its bowl as quickly as possible (this may be competitive, if sharing mealtimes with another dog).
  • It eats less selectively and sometimes ingests inedible matter. This is called “PICA“.
  • The dog demands food at unusual times of day and is unsatisfied when its meal is finished.

Disorders of the adrenal gland and pancreas, including sugar diabetes, may affect appetite, so it’s wise to take a urine sample with you as well. Kidney disease can cause protein loss and muscle wasting, leading the dog to eat more. Even some medicines have the effect of increasing appetite, so be sure to inform the vet if your dog has received any recent treatment.

Intestinal worms are common causes of increased appetite, and your vet cancan carry out a simple test to establish whether they are present in the dog’s stools, or feces. If the worms are ruled out, the vet will look for disorders of eating and swallowing that leave hunger unsatisfied.

Occasionally, however, a dog’s increased appetite is not caused by greed but by one of a number of medical problems. The dog may eat indiscriminately, or develop an unusual eating habit. Vets call this dog’s increased appetite as “POLYPHAGIA”.

Top Five Tips For Dog Paw Care

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Do you know regular examination and care of dog paws is more important in preventing diseases? So you ought to provide a perfect dog paw care. Most of the dogs are having sensitive feet. Hence it is very difficult to check the dog paws regularly. Dog paw care can be practiced regularly if you check regularly right from puppy hood.

The top five tips for dog paw care includes-

1. Regular Trimming of Claws

You should trim the claws regularly. Overlong claws are more susceptible to damage and can cause the dog discomfort.

2. Prevent Paw Licking

The sore or irritated paw should be protected well either by Elizabethan Collar or covering the foot by bandage from constant licking.

3. Dry The Wet Paws

You should dry the dog paws effectively after bathing, exercising in wet grass, bathing, or swimming as a precaution against infection.

4. Check the Paws After Exercising

Thoroughly check the dog paws for thorns, ticks, scratches, cuts and other debris after exercise. This should be done especially when your dog running or walking over rough ground.

5. Look for Dog Paw Problems

You can look for bare patches of inflamed, crusty skin on the dog paws, cuts on any part of the paw, swellings or foreign bodies between the toes, and damaged claws. You should immediately seek the help of a vet to sort this problem at the earliest possible time.

If you follow these five golden rules of dog paw care, your dog will walk and run effectively through out its lifetime. So your dogs walking depends on your dog paw care. Happy exercising!!!

If Your Dog Faints, What Should You Do?

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It can be very frightening if your dog suddenly collapses. There are two kinds of collapse: a faint and Seizure. It is not easy to differentiate between them if you’re seeing them first time.

If your dog faints, don’t panic. remain calm. Usually the collapse will last only a matter of seconds, no more than a minute or two at most.

Lay the dog on its right side in a comfortable position. If its gums and tongue appear bluish and the dog is unconsious, ensure a free airway by pulling its tongue as far out of its mouth as seems comfortable. Get someone to call the vet for advice. Meanwhile, attempt artificial respiration if necessary.

Check for the heart beat by feeling the left side of its chest behind the elbow and give first aid if necessary.

The main cause for the collapse is lack of oxygen to brain. It may be caused by poor circulation resulting from the heart’s failure to pump blood effeciently.

A convulsive fit may signal a brain disorder such as epilepsy. The dog will normally take longer to recover than after a faint. Even metabolic disorders of the liver and kidneys, and diabetes mellitus, can also cause convulsive-type collapses and lead to coma if treated.