Genetic Ailments in Dogs

All animals have their unique genetics and genetic defects, and dogs are no different. Genes are made up of DNA and are passed from the parent dogs to the puppies either by dominant or recessive genes. Irresponsible breeding programs by breeders, or inbreeding, often contributes to this genetic information being passed on to the offspring. Some genetic diseases are seen more frequently, occurring in dogs of varying breeds and sizes.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Progressive Retinal Atrophy causes blindness in dogs by damaging the dog's retina. The disease begins with night blindness and progresses to total blindness, and there is no cure for this disease.

Hereditary Epilepsy
Epilepsy can begin in all ages of dogs and can vary from petit mal (small seizures) that causes staring spells or repetitive tics to grand mal (large seizures). They are treated with medications to reduce or control the severity of the seizures. There are no tests available to diagnose the presence of hereditary epilepsy before a seizure occurs.

Hip Dysplasia
This is a disorder where the 'ball and socket' hip joint doesn't fit well. The poor fit can range from slight instability in the dog joints to the joint dislocating. It is more common in medium and large breed dogs, and treatment ranges from dietary supplements, weight control, antiinflammatory for dogs medications and surgery.

Congenital Heart Anomalies
There are several hereditary heart defects, including patent ductus arteriosus, aortic stenosis, and ventricular septal defect.

Diabetes mellitus
Like humans, diabetes can show up anytime in the dog's life, but the genetic form is seen in puppies under six months old. Pain symptoms in dogs include eating and drinking a lot with no weight gain and perhaps weight loss. Treatment is like that of humans, with diet and insulin.

My dog has a Sprained Foot

Similar to small children, dogs can hurt themselves when they run, jump, bounce and play. This can be stressful for a pet owner, because a dog cannot communicate what exactly is hurting. A cry and/or limp may be your only indicators that your pet is injured. Additionally, you may not be able to pinpoint when exactly your dog hurt himself. If you notice your dog limping and/or crying during normal activities, he may have a sprained foot.

Take your pet to the vet. It is important to take your dog to the vet if he injures his paw. Some dogs are good at hiding pain in a joint medical term, so even a small limp could be indicative of a more serious injury. The vet will look at the paws, toes, legs, hips and joints and may even recommend an X-ray. If the vet determines that your dog has a sprained foot, she may prescribe an dog anti inflammatory to help with your pet's discomfort. Additionally, she may recommend that you add a supplement to your dog's diet to help keep his joints and bones strong and possibly prevent future injury.

Follow the vet's instructions for giving the medicine and joint supplements for dogs. You may have to mix the pills with food or even hide them in peanut butter to get your dog to take them.

Limit your dog's activities until his sprained foot is healed. Young dogs and puppies will sometimes get excited and ignore their pain to play, which could make the sprain worse. Avoid throwing balls or other toys for your dog to fetch. Avoid playing tug of war, because pulling can strain a dog's paws. Walk your dog only when he has to go to the bathroom. Additionally, prevent your dog from jumping up and greeting you whenever possible.

Reinforce calm activities for your dog. Keep your dog relatively calm and in one place by purchasing a Nylabone, edible bone or Kong for him to lie down and chew.

Revisit the vet for a follow-up appointment. Your vet more than likely will schedule a follow-up appointment approximately 2 weeks after your original visit. Go to this appointment even if your dog seems to be doing better. You will want to make sure that the sprain is healed and that your pet has not just adapted to the pain. Your vet may provide further instructions or even order an X-ray if the foot has not gotten better.

Canine Bursitis

When your dog injures his shoulder, it affects the bursa, a small fluid-filled sac protecting tendons, muscles and dog joints. The bursa acts as a cushion between moving body parts, and when it's infected or injured, it typically swells with fluid. The condition, called bursitis, is painful, but responds to home and veterinary treatment.

Features
Bursitis can occur abruptly, such as from blunt trauma when a dog runs into a barrier; or happen over time, such as from repetitive exercise that strains the shoulder. The bursa may sustain a direct or indirect impact from an injury to the adjacent bones or tendons. Obesity is a factor, as weight puts added pressure on the shoulder joint. Watch for sudden limping after strenuous exercise, reluctance to get up due to pain or irritability when the area is touched. Sometimes the dog licks or gnaws at the painful shoulder. If you gently extend your dog’s leg and shoulder, putting light pressure on the shoulder, you can often feel the swollen bursa. Treat bursitis promptly, because chronic inflammation can cause permanent tissue damage.

Typical Bursitis
The primary treatment for bursitis is rest, sleep and more rest. Gentle massage of the swollen shoulder often eases discomfort and helps to reduce inflammation. In the early stages, a cold compress over the swollen bursa can help reduce swelling. After the swelling goes down, warm compresses help the body absorb exudates and bursa fluids. Some dogs benefit from nonsteroidal anti inflammatory dogs drugs or corticosteroid injections and joint meds for dogs to help reduce inflammation and pain.

Suppurative Bursitis
Treatment for suppurative bursitis requires antibiotics. This type of bursitis occurs when the bursa becomes infected and fills with pus or purulent fluid. Suppurative bursitis can be caused by an open wound on the shoulder due to a fight, accident or other trauma. Bacteria migrate from the wound causing infection and pain, and sometimes rupturing the bursa. Treatment includes wound cleaning, local or injected antibiotics and rest. The vet may leave the cleansed wound open to drain or close it with a drainage tube to draw off fluid.

Surgery
Surgical treatment helps some bursitis conditions. When a wound is contaminated, surgical exploration cleans the wound of foreign objects such as a foxtail or barb and removes infected bursal tissue. For some dogs, bursitis doesn't improve, and pain becomes more intense despite antibiotics, pain relief and rest. Chronic infection with recurring pus discharges is another sign that the bursa isn't healing. For a damaged bursa or chronic bursitis that leaves the dog with continuing pain and mobility, the preferred treatment may be surgical removal of the affected bursa. Your dog loses the bursitis pain and recovers mobility.

Strong Bones in Canines

For many people, dogs are an important part of everyday life. Some would even consider their dog to be an official member of the family so it's crucial to keep your four legged friends in the best of health. Making sure your dog has strong bones will help him reach and retain that health for many years to come. With some effort and the proper education you can help strengthen your dog's bones today.

Promoting Strong Bones
Pay attention to the ingredients in your dog's food. A healthy, well balanced diet is crucial to his bone strength. Dogs vitamin d, calcium and phosphorus are all well known for promoting bone strength so try to find a dog food with all three of these ingredients. Bone meal is a great source of these best dog multivitamin and minerals and can be added to most foods, if needed.

Take your dog out for exercise on a regular basis. When it comes to strengthening a dog's body, bones included, there is no substitute for good old exercise. Using the leash, take your dog on walks at least 2 to 3 times a week, but he won't mind if you want to walk him every day. If you have the physical ability, play with your dog often. Dogs can store lots of energy they must release, and this way they get even more exercise.

Look for food that also has glucosamine, which will strengthen both your dog's joints and bones. The dog joint and muscle health are just as important, and keeping other aspects of your dog healthy will help keep the bones as healthy as they can possibly be.

Cat Bladder Problems

Cosequin For Cats is a product that confuses many people. Though it was first developed and continues to be marketed as a "joint lubrication supplement," it is can also be used to promote bladder health.

What it Does
The low molecular weight chondroitin glucosamine sulfate for dogs found in Cosequin encourages cartilage production and protects the integrity of existing cartilage. While the meaning of this for joint health is fairly obvious, the meaning for bladder health is less so.

How It Affects the Bladder
The inner layer of the bladder wall is protected by a second layer that prevents contamination and the development of abnormalities such as urinary blockages. As this second layer possesses many of the same properties as bone cartilage, Cosequin supports the secondary wall in a the same way it supports cartilage.

Safety Factor
Unlike other products developed for dogs and later applied to cats, Cosequin is one of the few products on the market specifically developed for feline health. For this reason, it is considered safer than non-feline specific products, as the feline's body and bodily functions differ significantly from canines.

Recommended Use
Cosequin is available is chicken- and tuna-flavored capsules. For cats under 10 lbs., sprinkle the contents of one capsule onto food daily. For cats over 10 lbs., sprinkle the contents of two capsules, either during a single meal or split between two meals.

Additional Ingredients
In addition to sodium chondroitin sulfate and cat glucosamine hydrochloride, Cosequin For Cats contains gelatin, natural chicken and tuna flavors, water, manganese ascorbate, mixed glycosaminoglycans, magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide.

Heartworm Medicine Side Effects

As a responsible dog owner, you are aware how important it is to get heartworm preventative medication for your dog. Many medications your Vet gives to prevent one problem sometimes have side effects. You need to be attentive to the pros and cons of giving your dog heartworm medication.

Effects
Heartworm prevention is extremely important in saving the life of your dog, especially if he spends a lot of time outside. Every year, along with your dogs' annual checkup and vaccinations, be sure to have him tested for heartworm. This involves a simple blood test. Although there are some ill side effects of heartworm prevention medication, without treatment, your dog can die from the infestation of heartworm. This is a parasitic worm that transmits through a mosquito bite.

Significance
Some of the side effects or signs of pain in dogs your dog can experience from heartworm medication are weakness, vomiting, convulsions, diarrhea, a weaker immune system and a strain on kidneys and the liver. With lowered immunity, your dog may be more susceptible to infections, other diseases and conditions such as skin allergies, dog has arthritis, immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), and even some forms of cancer.

Function
The way heartworm medication works is it kills off the larvae circulating in your dog's body before they get to adult stage, which is when they cause damage. Though this is a preventative medication used in small amounts, damage to the animal's system increases when taken month after month. However, do not risk heartworm disease in your dog because you run across suggestions of danger and side effects. Heartworm infestation far outweighs any ill side effects your dog may experience from the medication.

Considerations
Discuss with your vet the various heartworm medications available and their specific side effects. They come in chewable tablets, liquid vitamins for dogs, pills and topical ointments. Choose the option best for your dog, with the least side effects. The most common heartworm medications are HeartGard, HeartGard Plus, Interceptor, Iverhart Plus, Iverhart Max and Sentinel. There are ways to treat your dog naturally as well, with no ill side effects. You can use natural treatments alone or in conjunction with preventative medicine.

Prevention/Solution
The natural approach also should be under veterinary supervision. Consider a natural, healthy diet of mostly raw foods and fresh water to protect your dog against infection and heartworm. Consider foods such as raw meat, raw bones, chopped raw vegetables and fruits. Speak with your vet for recommendations of a good natural holistic diet for your dog. A good natural diet is the best medicine to safeguard your dog as well as ensure a stronger immune system, an efficient healthy liver, kidney, heart and proper bodily functions.

Warning
If your vet suggests a preventative medication, do not overdose your dog. It is imperative to keep good medication records so as not to repeat the dosage earlier than necessary. Be sure to have your dog tested yearly and follow your vet's precise instructions to ward off heartworm with the least possible ill side effects.

Signs of Autoimmune Ailments

A dog's immune system is made up primarily of spleen, bone marrow, white blood cells and antibodies. Their job is to attack foreign cells that enter the body. In autoimmune disease, the dog's immune system doesn't recognize its own cells or tissues, so it attacks and tries to destroy them. There are several different autoimmune diseases of dogs that affect different body systems. Some signs of pain in dogs are common among several types, some are fairly system specific. Many symptoms can mimic other diseases.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) are two types of autoimmune blood diseases of dogs. In AIHA, the red blood cells become defective and the immune system destroys them, causing anemia. Symptoms can include weakness, lethargy, changes in heart rate, heart murmurs, decreased appetite and pale mucous membranes. In severe cases the dog can appear jaundiced and collapse. In IMT, the thrombocytes (the clotting cells in the blood) are destroyed. These dogs will bruise easily, bleed excessively, and might have blood in their urine or their stool.

When autoimmune disease attacks the dog's nerves and muscles, you can see weakness, stiffness, and paralysis of the muscles in the face, the eyelids or in the dog's limbs (causing him to knuckle under or drag one or more of his feet). Some dogs will have severe muscle wasting and difficulty eating and/or swallowing. These dogs often can't tolerate exercise.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune joint disease. Symptoms can include shifting leg lameness, swollen joints, crepitus (a crackling noise in the joints when they're manipulated), a restricted range of motion, joint pain in dogs and often fever. In some cases, the dog's lymph nodes might be swollen.

Various organs can be affected by autoimmune disease, for example the eyes, the thyroid gland, the adrenal gland and the intestines. In the eyes, signs can include dry eye, infections in the eyelid glands, ulcerations and fatty deposits in the eye. Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common form of canine thyroid disease. Symptoms can include lethargy, exercise intolerance, weight gain, chronic infections, reproductive problems, poor hair coat and sometimes neurologic signs, like seizures. Addison's disease is an autoimmune disease of the adrenal gland, which can produce loss of appetite, depression, abdominal pain, increased water consumption and urination. In severe cases it can result in kidney failure and collapse. Inflammatory bowel disease involves the intestines and signs might include constipation or diarrhea, and vomiting.

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply "lupus," affects multiple organ systems. Signs can either be acute or they can be chronic, and they can appear in cycles. Some common symptoms would be a fluctuating fever that doesn't respond to antibiotics, a stiff gait with shifting leg lameness, joint swelling and dog joint pain, muscle inflammation or muscle wasting, attitude changes, anemia and thrombocytopenia, low white count, and skin lesions, especially symmetrical dermatitis across the dog's nose ("butterfly pattern").