Archive for the Category »Dog Disease «

Infection in Dog Ears

By mac
19
Jan 2010

Allergies in dogs, actually put your dogs more at risk than dogs without allergies, because they cause the ears to become inflamed and this makes the ears naturally heat up, producing the breeding ground for yeast and bacteria, and also lays the ground for chronic forms of ear infections. Dogs that are more sensitive to allergies, thus, will also be more susceptible to ear infections. Some of these breeds include Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, Retrievers and Schnauzers. Dog ear infections are also commonly called Otitis Externa. It is an infection of the outer ear canal. There are three parts to the ear; the outer, the middle, and the inner ear. Ninety percent of infections occur in the outer ear.

These infections can be chronic conditions that linger on, especially external ear infections, or the can happen very suddenly.

The main causes of infection are allergies, bacteria, yeast and mites. Symptoms include head shaking, scratching, head tilting, personality and behavioral changes, appetite loss, odor, discharge, pain, bleeding and swelling.

Some of the signs of infections that your dog show is they will start to shake their head a lot as they are actually trying to get the debris and fluid out. They will constantly scratch their ears, and the ears will become inflamed and start to produce an offensive odor from the bacteria build up. These infections also will cause a discharge in the ear of fluid and even a puss like discharge, and because of the constant pain your pet is in, their behavior will change and they may start to whine, become irritable, and may actually become depressed as well. more…

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DOG DISEASES, TYPES, SYMPTOMS AND PREVENTION

By mac
13
Mar 2009

Dogs are susceptible to various kinds of diseases. As an owner of a puppy or a dog you would always like that your favorite pet remains healthy and free of diseases. For that you should have the basic knowledge of common kinds of dog diseases and you should have to make arrangement for regular health check up of your dog. A veterinarian can provide you necessary help to prevent your dog from acquiring various diseases. So you should have to choose a veterinarian. Detection of early symptoms of diseases and proper vaccinations in time can keep your dog away from acquiring various types of diseases.

TYPES OF DOG DISEASES

Dogs acquire diseases due to Parasites, bacteria, viruses, fungus etc. Examples of some types of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases that can affect dogs are: -

Rabies: It is a serious viral disease of dogs, cats and other mammals caused by rabies virus. Rabies virus is found in the saliva of infected animals. Generally animals like dogs, cats, raccoons, foxes, bats etc.carry rabies virus. It is transmitted to unvaccinated dogs and humans from the bites of animals infected by rabies. This dangerous viral disease affects the nervous system of dogs. Inflammation of brain also takes place. Dogs affected by rabies become furious and violent. In this disease mainly three stages are observed in dogs. In the first stage (the prodromol stage) behavioral changes are observed. In the second stage (furious stage) dogs become very aggressive. In the third stage (the paralytic stage) signs of paralysis in body parts of dogs are observed.
                               As rabies can be transmitted to a human being through the bite of dog infected with rabies so taking of anti rabies vaccinations for both the pet dog and the human being is very essential. Though rabies can not be cured but it can be prevented with vaccinations.

Distemper: It is considered as a highly contagious viral dog disease. There is no cure for this deadly disease but can be prevented if your dog is given proper vaccinations. This viral dog disease is commonly transmitted through airborne viral particles. Your dog can also get the virus by direct contact with infected dogs.

Parvovirus: Canine parvovirus is also considered as serious viral disease. This disease affects intestinal tract and also the heart of dogs. It is highly contagious and is transmitted through the feces of infected dogs. The chance of dogs being affected by this deadly disease is greater where they congregate as for example-in dog shows, in boarding kennels etc. Symptoms like severe diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, high fever, dehydration etc. are noticed in this disease. For puppies it can be fetal. Vaccinations should be started at the age of six weeks.

Corona virus disease: Canine corona virus is a viral disease. Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite etc. are general symptoms of this disease. Though symptoms are somewhat similar to that of parvovirus yet it is not as severe as parvovirus. The virus is transmitted through the feces of infected dogs to other unvaccinated dogs. more…

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Ear Infection in Your Dogs : Detection and Treatment

By martin
30
Apr 2008

If you notice your dog has been shaking his head a bit too often and scratching its ears with its paws or even trying to rub its ears on the ground, your dog may have some form of ear infections. In some severe cases, they may even not walk properly if the ear infection has gone into its ear canals and affected its sense of balance.

This is likely to happen for dogs with long drooping ears as the inside of the ears is not well ventilated or aired. Another possibility is that water could have gone inside the ears when you were bathing your dog and the dampness provided an ideal environment for ear infection to happen.

Firstly, try to have a look at the ears of the dog and use a cotton bud to clean the ears but do not push the cotton bud too far in the ear. You may see some ear wax and they may be dark brown or black in color. In worse case, this wax may have already appeared on the outside of the ears and you can see it immediately.

However, you should not attempt to use water to clean it unless it is on the exterior or easily accessible part of the ear. You should also not pour or drip water into the ear as it may make it worse. Just use wet cotton wool to wipe it.

After having confirmed that there is an unusual presence of ear wax or if the dog continues to show irritation by shaking its head or scratching its ears, despite your having done some minimal exterior cleansing of the ear, please take your dog to the vet for consultation.

My beagle has quite a bad ear infection and the ear wax can be easily seen on the exterior of its ear. I suppose it was due to the shaking of its head and flapping of its long and drooping ears. I took it to the vet and he cleaned its ears by using a pair of long forceps wrapped round with cotton wool after applying some ear cleansing solution. more…

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