Archives for Dog Illnesses category
Author: John Williams Dog Training
Every dog has to go through it, every dog most probably hates it as much as anyone else does, but the fact of the matter is that your dog will show sick symptoms once in a while and will become ill. This is natural for a dog or any other animal, they all get sick and there’s nothing anyone can do to prevent it.
On the other hand there are ways in which you can ease the suffering a bit for your dog and help them get the fast paced recovery they deserve. There are probably many different home remedies for helping you dog get better, but often if any are going to work then it will be the suggestions or medication your vet will give your after a diagnosis of your dog, so when you fear your dog is ill you should take them to the vet as soon as possible.
Ok, so let’s now look at some of the more popular of the hundreds of symptoms that your dog may be feeling.
Not wanting to move
Many dogs when ill wont want to move very far, have pain in moving, refusing to exercise, limping or has signs or injured paw/leg, or just general decreased agility. Theses can all be signs of illness or injury and should be watched out for.
Discharge
This may seem an obvious choice but many dog owners fail to notice discharge from eyes, nose, and ears. These should only normally be a worry if the discharge is coloured.
Appetite
A dog’s loss of appetite is a good well recognised symptom of illness as well as over eating without weight gain, sudden weight loss, or diarrhoea. Keep an eye on your dog’s diet and food habits to make this easier to recognise when it happens.
Itching and Scratching
Itching or scratching and trying to rub themselves up against furniture can be symptoms of bad skin or new pests on the scene. At this time your dog may be feeling ill or unwell or have it to come.
Mouth Problems
Bleeding or soar looking gums, along with discoloured teeth or teeth loss all need to be diagnosed properly by a vet and could be due to a more serious illnesses.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Dog Illnesses
Author: Chris Jensen
A lot of us consider our pet dogs as parts of our family. This kind of treatment often pushes us to give our pet dogs enough attention. As members of our family we always try to keep our canines in top shape and free from dog illnesses. We often cannot tell if our pet dogs are not feeling well because they will more likely not look like they are. It can be helpful to familiarize ourselves with some of the symptoms of usual dog illnesses . Click Here For The Veterinary Secret Best Deal Now! One of the earliest signs that our beloved canines are not feeling well is sluggishness. It is normal for dogs to sleep a lot but you must take note that even when they are asleep, they can wake up and be alert at any time. So if your pet dog starts to slow down and it is not because of their old age, it can be due to anemia. Sluggishness may also be due to tender leg so try to check if your pet dog is limping. Try to see if there are painful areas. When you do so, make sure that you are using a firm but gentle approach. Dog illnesses also affect your pet canine’s appetite. Any loss of appetite can be a result of ill health. Dogs are known to drink a lot of water but if display signs of excessive thirst, it could be something else. Another indicator of ailing health is distinct weight loss. Other symptoms of dog illnesses include ulcers, sores, veins, and discharges in your pet’s eyes. You should also check the color of your canine’s mouth. A healthy dog usually has a pink mouth. Discolorations or cavities in their teeth are also signs of ill health. It is also advisable to regularly clean your pet’s ears as discharges in this area are also telltale signs that your dog is not feeling well. Prevention is better than cure, so the popular adage goes. Therefore, to keep your beloved pet free of dog illnesses, see to it that the necessary vaccines have been administered to them. It can also be a lot of help to have them regularly checked by veterinarians.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Dog Illnesses
Author: Wade Robins
A common dog illness is ringworm and can be prevented and treated if your dog has the problem. Many illnesses affect dogs, some are very common and happen no matter how well cared for your dog is at any time. Dogs are creatures of the outside, and they can get into anything. Ringworm seems to be common in puppies and older dogs. Other common dog illness can be prevented with proper vaccinations and proper health care. Ringworm is a fungal infection that targets the overall health of the dog.
Diagnosis of Ringworm Infection
The common dog illness ringworm has several different ways to be detected and diagnose. The common way to detect ringworm is with a black light. The ringworms glow in the black light when the light hits them. Sometimes this practice does work and a vet will perform another test to detect ringworm.
Signs of Having Ringworm
If you see small areas of the body without hair, chances are your dog has ringworm. The skin will appear scaly and display pus in the area. After time the areas become larger when they receive no medical treatment. You will notice this parasite on the tail, head and legs.
Treating the Common Dog Illness Ringworm
If the health of the dog is healthy then the ringworm will clear up by itself in about four months. However, when severe cases exist, medical treatments are required. If your dog has the lesion, clipping the hair around the area is needed, but do not touch the lesion or it will spread. Apply a tropical anti fungal cream after clipping the hair away. Such creams like miconazole and lotrimin creams are used for this purpose. Do not let the dog lick the area where you apply the cream. A dog funnel collar may be required to prevent the dog from reaching the area.
If the cream alone does not work, antifungal shampoos and antifungal dips will benefit your dog and help the area to heal faster. Some other antifungal agents are griseofulvin and itraconazole, which work well on a dog.
Common Dog Illness Issues
Keeping your dog in perfect health and protected from bacterial, fungal and viral infections is your responsibility. The number one need of the dog is regular vaccines and proper care. Dogs need vaccines against rabies, parvovirus and distemper. Dogs also need to be checked yearly for heartworm, which can cause death to the dog if not properly prevented. Keep in mind that rabies vaccinations are given every two years and distemper vaccinations are received yearly.
Many conditions result in health problems and in some breeds of dogs, the breed is prone to more health problems then others. Joint problems and heart problems account for some of these more serious health problems. When looking for a dog, you need to be aware of some of the problems that can arise in a dog’s life. Besides the everyday parasites and injuries from rough play, some dogs are prone to eye infections, ear infections and mange.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Dog Illnesses
Author: Ron King
For many of us, when our dogs are sick, it is often quite difficult to know whether or not dogs illnesses warrant a trip to the emergency room for a dog illness diagnosis.
In an emergency, the first thing you should know is where to take your dog. Many veterinarians offer 24 hour emergency service. Please make sure to ask your vet if this is a service offered by their clinic. If your vet does not offer this service, know where your local veterinary emergency hospital is located.
So how do you know if you are having an emergency? Most veterinarians will tell you that if the owner feels the dogs illnesses are urgent to please call the local emergency clinic and speak to a veterinary staff member. They will assess the situation and in most cases, have you bring your dog in to be examined. The following are some common emergency situations and ideas for how to manage them.
Stomach Pain
If your dog is showing signs of abdominal pain, such as tenderness to the touch, standing with his back arched, or refusing food, you should take him to the closest emergency clinic immediately for a dog illness diagnosis. Other signs of abdominal suffering can include vomiting, crying, shaking and difficulty breathing. These may be signs of Gastric Torsion. This condition can come on suddenly and in most cases affects large, deep chested dogs, but any dog can be afflicted. This condition must be treated as early as possible. There are other conditions associated with abdominal pain such as constipation, kidney or liver disease, or even a common stomach ache, but it is important to have tests done to rule out any other serious problems.
Uncontrollable Bleeding
If your dog gets a cut, you should apply direct pressure with a clean dry bandage to the wound. The bleeding should stop within ten minutes, after which time, you should make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible. The vet can only give your dog stitches within a small opportunity of time. However, if the bleeding does not end within twenty minutes or the bleeding is from the chest, you should take your dog to the emergency clinic immediately.
Broken Bones Need X-Rays
If your dog has been in an accident where you suspect broken bones, first call your regular vet to see if you can get an appointment quickly. If not, take your dog to the emergency clinic. They will need to take x-rays to determine whether or not bones have been quickly.
Hard To Breathe
If your dog is having breathing difficulties, take him to the closest emergency clinic immediately. There are many reasons why your dog may be having breathing problems and many of them are serious.
My Dog’s Been Hit By A Car
If your dog is hit by a car, it is important to take him to the closest emergency clinic immediately. Even if he is acting normal, he may have internal injuries that need to be taken care of immediately. Wrap your dog in a cover to help prevent shock, and keep away from his mouth, as many dogs that are in distress will bite (even if they never have before).
Continuous Convulsions
If your dog has a minor convulsion or two, it is a serious problem and you should call your veterinarian at once. However, if your dog has a series of convulsions that last for more than a few minutes, you should place a blanket over your dog, keep away from his mouth and get him to the nearest emergency clinic immediately. There are several reasons why your dog could be having convulsions, including epilepsy, metabolic problems, brain tumors, and poisoning. Fits of seizures are considered to be life threatening in many occurrences.
For any dogs illnesses, if the you feel that your dog should be seen by a veterinarian, phone his office to see how soon you can get in for a dog illness diagnosis. Many veterinarians have assistants available to assess the dogs health problem situation and answer questions to help you determine the seriousness of your dogs condition. If your regular veterinarian is not available, or if you feel that it is an emergency, the best thing to do, if at all possible, is to call the emergency clinic, tell them what is going on, and that you are on the way. This helps the staff prepare for your emergency in advance so the veterinary team is ready to work on your dog when you get there. If you have further questions on what kinds of symptoms are emergency situations, please ask your veterinarian.
Aug 06, 2009 | | Dog Illnesses
Author: Dog Care Tips
All pet dogs should be treated as members of our family and adequate attention must be paid to the canine’s health. Sometimes dogs become sick but may not look so. It is very important to recognize and understand dog illnesses symptoms.
Since prevention is a better cure, we must learn something about dog illnesses and symptoms so we can better understand their conditions. This will help us recognize some common dog illnesses. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to the puppies, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented.
Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs take 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 anemia to old age. If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. Check out for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.
The appetite of the dog is bound to be affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. An important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. 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 discoloring 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. Check the female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs 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. The abdominal swelling dogs indicate canine bloat and roundworms in puppies. Aggression of the dog may be caused by rabies. Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms my cause anemia in dogs. Any behavioral changes in dog can be an indicator of hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, canine arthritis, heart disease, canine, or parvovirus.
Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in urine. Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke, allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs.
There are various reasons of sudden change in weight of dogs like heart disease to heartworms. Hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons of coughing in dogs. Cannine parvovirus can also cause dehydration in dogs. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or cushings syndrome.
If dog indicates any signs of failing genital bleeding, persistent constipation, projectile vomiting, fainting, hair loss, seizure, stumbling, trauma, trembling, mouth bleeding, rectal bleeding, lethargy, shaking, urinating problems contact a dog care specialist.
Jul 31, 2009 | | Dog Illnesses