Dog Health Watch: Tonsillitis in Dogs

If you noticed that your dog is licking its lips and coughing, he may not have a simple cough. He may be suffering from tonsillitis. Some people may not know it, but it is not only humans who experience tonsillitis. Man's best friend is likewise susceptible to this infection.

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils which are lymph nodes located at the back of a dog's throat. This may be caused by viral or bacterial infection. Learning more about tonsillitis and how it affects dog health is very useful. Knowing what are the potential causes and treatments for the ailment will help pet owners in resolving dog health issues related to tonsillitis.

How Do Dogs Get Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis in dogs is primarily caused by a bacteria or virus attacking the dog's immune system. There are some situations such as diseases in the dog's mouth and chronic vomiting which bring about this infection to your canine pal. Sore throat is also another factor found to be linked to tonsillitis. Tartar buildup may likewise cause this common dog health problem. One unique fact regarding tonsillitis though is that it is more common in smaller breeds as compared to bigger ones. So if you have small dogs then regularly checking for the symptoms would be a recommended practice.

How Do I Know My Dog Has Tonsillitis?

Some of the most common symptoms of tonsillitis in dogs are coughing and gagging. This is the most noticeable and most likely to grab the owner's attention. Aside from this, other known symptoms of tonsillitis are fever, difficulty swallowing, repeated licking of the lips, and refusal to eat. In some cases, the inflamed tonsils of the canine can be noticed upon a simple stroke of your pet's neck.

How Do I Treat Tonsillitis In My Dog?

To best treat tonsillitis in dogs, it is important to find out what specifically caused it. Addressing the root cause would then result in the deflation of the tonsils and improving the overall dog health of your pet. It's always wise to consult a veterinarian on the proper treatment to administer so you would not be giving the wrong medicine to your pet. 

Prednisone, an antibiotic, is usually prescribed by the vet in cases where vomiting and coughing symptoms are present. If the cause is the tartar buildup then a dental cleaning would probably be administered. In worst cases the doctor would recommend for a tonsillectomy to be done. This is a procedure where the inflamed tonsils are removed surgically and is done only when necessary.

How Can I Prevent Tonsillitis In My Dog?

It's an age old saying that prevention is better than cure. Keep your dog's oral hygiene in proper check and have regular check-up visits to the vet. This can help prevent tonsillitis and limit the dog health issues that your pet may encounter. It may seem a bit expensive at first but keeping your pet healthy and happy will be well worth it.

Colitis in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Colitis is one of the threats to dog health that every pet owner needs to be aware of. It is the inflammation of the colon and is often times associated with diarrhea and blood in the stool. In canines, colitis causes around half of the cases involving chronic diarrhea in dogs. It is a painful condition which affects kinds of dogs, regardless of age or of breed. The most common causes of this are parasite and bacterial infections, food allergies, and irritable bowel syndrome.

There are two kinds of colitis in dogs: acute and chronic. As the name suggest, acute colitis only persists for a momentary period of time but may sometimes have more intense and rapid onset of symptoms. Chronic colitis on the other hand is persistent and affects dog health over a long period of time.

Symptoms

Some indications in dog health may be the key in figuring out if your dog has colitis. The most common symptoms for the ailment are painful and bloody discharge of stool, diarrhea, as well as stool mixed in with either blood or mucous. If you observe these with your pet consult a veterinarian immediately and test your dog for colitis right away.

Diagnosis

The primary way to test your dog for colitis is done by way of a stool exam. Based on the results that will arrive , additional procedures may be taken to further evaluate and confirm colitis in your dog. Diagnosis is important in the case of colitis since certain types require specific methods of treatment to quickly improve dog health of the afflicted canine.

Treatments

It is always best to follow the veterinarian's recommended mode of treatment once the colitis is known. There are specific medication such as Metronidazole which alleviate and cure colitis as well as the symptoms that it presents. But in cases that the a veterinarian or the medication is not immediately available, you can make use of natural remedies or approaches to help improve the dog health of your
pet.

For acute colitis, fasting your dog for 1-2 days would usually help. Having your dog drink plenty of water and eat food with limited ingredients and low fat content such as fish, chicken, potatoes.

In cases of chronic colitis, herbs such as licorice and marshmallow root have been documented to decrease the effects of colitis. Having your pooch take homeopathic medicines aimed at alleviating the diarrhea such as Arsenicum Album and Colocythis have been found to be effective as well.

Kennel Cough in Dogs

Being a dog owner seems to come with certain responsibilities. Among the most difficult of these is detecting certain diseases which your dog contract in the course of its life. One of the most common dog illnesses which you need to look out for is Kennel Cough. Because this illness is very contagious, you will need to isolate the infected dog from any other pets that you may have.

Kennel Cough can affect any number of animals, including rabbits, cats, hamsters, and all sorts of other mammals. They can be infected by your dog and vice versa, which is why you need to isolate infected pets, otherwise they will end up infecting other animals they come in contact with.

Aside from isolating your dog, you should also consider washing any blankets that he may have used so that the disease doesn’t spread to furniture. This also applies to your dog’s feeding bowls, chew toys or sleeping baskets.

One of the main characteristics of Kennel Cough in Dogs is that it spreads via air-borne bacteria. This is particularly true in an enclosed environment. Places like Kennels, parks and dog pounds are all places where Kennel Cough bacteria can thrive.

Kennel Cough symptoms generally manifest within a week. At this point, the dog will begin coughing like it has something stuck inside its throat. However, the dog will not become feverish quite yet. The dog may cough up a lot of phlegm after several rounds of cough.
If the Kennel Cough is not serious, the color of the phlegm will be light, and the disease will only last about a week or so. On the other hand, if the symptoms were to last longer than 3 weeks and the phlegm has a dark color then he will need to be brought to the vet, otherwise the infection will become increasingly more fatal to dog health.

Healthy dogs have better chances at resisting the disease and expelling it from their system very quickly. In other words, the best way to fight Kennel cough is to keep your dog healthy with a good diet and plenty of exercise. In the event that your dog does develop kennel cough, you can always try good old fashion natural remedies. If that doesn’t work then veterinary medication is always an option.

The best way to prevent Kennel Cough in dogs is to build up its immune system. The most common preventive vaccine for Kennel Cough is the bordatella vaccine. However, this vaccine may cause a lot of unpredictable effects in your dog health, including debility, vomiting, hives, or even death.

Despite vaccines however, it is possible to use natural pet remedies to prevent the kennel cough, most of which you can create with ordinary ingredients that you may have around your house. Doing so, will allow you to take of your dog’s Kennel Cough without resorting to medication.

Lyme Disease in Dogs

One of the most serious illnesses your dog may get is the Lyme Disease. The most common causes of this illness are fleas and ticks, which also causes skin irritation in many different animals. Their nuisance aside, the real danger to your dog's health from these pests is that they are blood feeders, and as many people know, most blood feeders act as carriers of Heartworm and Lyme Disease.

However, Lyme Disease is not exclusive to dogs. Cats and many other mammals may also get this disease. Microorganisms such mites, chiggers and fungi’s can also carry these diseases as well as canine mange and various skin related diseases.

Now, the symptoms of Lyme Disease in Dogs are pretty consistent among different types of dogs. Its common symptoms include swollen joints, fevers, poor appetite, weariness, vomiting and fur falling off the dog’s body.

The scary thing about Lyme Disease in Dogs is that they may spread to humans. And although people are generally less susceptible to the disease than dogs, it is worth remembering that this disease may be transmitted through the bite of a deer tick. So everybody is at risk. Those who have been infected by this illness may suffer from a number of symptoms, including fatigue, fever, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes.

There’s good news though. Almost two decades ago, in the early nineties, the USDA has licensed a vaccine which can render dogs immune from Lyme Disease. So if your dog is a bit on the hyper-active side, and enjoys exposing himself to nature and the elements, you should consider getting him vaccinated for Lyme disease.

Of course, if your dog hasn’t been vaccinated then you may want to watch out for the symptoms mentioned here. And if the illness becomes worse over time, don’t be afraid to bring your dog to the vet. Remember that Lyme disease is transmitted via pests and parasites and it is quite possible for your dog to get other illnesses as well.

With early treatment however, coupled with antibiotics, the progress of Dog Lyme Disease may be halted before it can cause any serious damage to your dog health. Still, prevention is better than a cure. Although vaccination is a good insurance policy, the best way to keep your dog from getting infected is to keep him away from tick-infected areas or at least, remove those ticks which have managed hitch a ride on your dog’s fur. Of course, as a last resort, you can always try using chemicals to clear away any ticks which may be present in your yard or your house.  

How Dog Fleas Affect Dog's Health

Dogs are, and will always be, Man's best friend. For centuries, they have provided reliable companionship to people and have proven themselves to be indispensable co-workers in daily living.

That's why it is only proper that they receive proper treatment and care from their owners. Sick dogs make for sick homes. And one of the worst source of sickness for dogs are fleas. Dog fleas are becoming a very common thing in dogs as well as the remedy Click Here! . Dogs that are not properly groomed and not well taken care of may end up having fleas. Fleas are small insects that can bite like mosquitoes. When they do bite, they will leave red spots on the dog's hide about 3 millimeters in size.

Dog fleas are one of the most irritating aspects of dog ownership. Dog fleas not only annoy your pet, but can cause a more serious dog health problems. Fleas feed on your dogs blood and can cause skin irritation, allergies, anemia and even death. Fleas also carry tapeworms and diseases such as lyme disease. While dog flea bites are rarely a major health concern for humans, they can turn into one  when they become carriers of epidemics like the bubonic plague. If you can remember, this is the disease associated with the Black Death that plagued Europe during the Middle Ages.

That's why dog owners should make it a habit to groom their pats regularly. Studies have shown that regular grooming of pets, especially dogs, results in better health and social interaction between animal and owner. Also, when you groom pets, you reduce the chances of fleas and other insects to reside on their skin. You can also gain a better relationship with your dogs as they will see you as caring owners and will reciprocate your actions in return.

If your dog has been infested with fleas, there's no need to worry. There are many treatment solutions that are readily available Click Here!. One of the most common would be the use of dog shampoos. These mild detergents are specially formulated to contain insecticides that are designed to destroy these parasites without harming your pet. If you feel unsure about the correct treatment for your dog, then a short visit to the veterinarian may be in order. It may be a bit of hassle, but it will be invaluable for your dog's health.

Colitis in Dogs

Does your dog find it hard to poop? Perhaps, he might have Colitis. Colitis is defined as a colon inflammation and in most cases; it is usually caused by bacteria, too much stress, allergies and parasites.

Symptoms of Colitis in Dogs

At first sight, you might not suspect your dog of having colitis. Most of them with this disease appear normal but once you notice irregular bowel patterns and the feces are accompanied by red blood, your dog might be positive of having colitis.

Depending on the situation, some dogs experience chronic colitis due to the absence of symptoms. Especially boxers, they are susceptible to this disease for unknown reasons and they need long-term treatment to stay alive. There are also cases when the dogs with severe colitis, they suppressed the urge to poop and the resulting condition is constipation.

Causes of Colitis in Dogs

• Eating the wrong type of food. 
• Eating food scattered everywhere, in the garbage can, in the park etc.
• Dietary Intolerance
• Stress
• Undigested food
• Bacterial growth in the gut area
• Drinking not fresh water
  

Treatment for Colitis in Dogs

Since most of the causes of Colitis in dogs are the improper handling of their food intake, a change in healthier diet plan is required. The treatment usually lasts for two to six weeks depending on the severity of the case.

Cases of colitis in dogs shows no hazardous signs and symptoms in early stages. Perhaps, the best thing you can do is observe. Always be aware of your dog’s health and well being. Observe when he regularly poops, when he loses his diet and when he feels stressed.

If you decided to bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian, it will be better if you collect some fresh stool samples before your scheduled visit. Colitis can only be detected if it undergone radiography, biopsy or colonoscopy.

The best thing to do is just follow what your vet’s recommended treatments are and if there are prescribed antibiotics, let the dog drink it religiously no matter how weird or bitter the taste.

The most common antibiotics to cure colitis is Metronidazole or rather be called as Flagyl. The role of Metronidazole once ingested by your dog is to control the production of bacteria causing the disease. The sulfa-containing Azulfadine are used to treat chronic colitis.

The eating patterns should also be change. Your dog must only eat types of food that are easily digested. In most cases, tender slices of chicken, rice, eggs and cottage cheese are suggested. But for those with chronic colitis, vets usually make a lifelong dietary system appropriate for your dog health condition.

Tapeworms in Dogs

Tapeworms are parasites that are found in a dog's intestine. It attaches itself by using it's hook-like mouth and sucks the nutrients from the poor dog. You wouldn't want this to happen to your dog, would you? Well, this article is about giving you information that you definitely need to know to get rid and prevent tapeworms in dog.

That said, how does a dog get tapeworms in the first place? Well, it starts with the flea larvae that eats on fecal matter that has tapeworm eggs. As these eggs hatch inside the flea, they become cysticercoids. They are then swallowed by dogs when they bite or chew at an itchy part on their bodies. As soon as the flea gets to the intestine, it is broken down thus releasing the cysticercoids that develop into tapeworms. That is when they start to attach themselves and start to feed off the dog's nutrients. As the tapeworms in dog mature, their tail segments, which contains the eggs, drop off. These are then passed off the dog's feces and the cycle starts all over again. Keep in mind though that dogs may also get tapeworms by eating infected rodents and lizards. The eggs would likely be found in your dog's beddings or in your carpet.

If you are having a hard time trying to figure out if your dog has tapeworms or not, here are a few tips. If you look at your dog's anus, you would see the dried segments of tapeworm that would resemble rice grains. Your dog would also be scooting around on it's rear end because of the irritation on it's anus. Try to look at the dog's feces if you could see the moving segments on it. Finally, the easiest thing to do would be to bring your dog to a vet for a thorough examination.

Don't worry, treatment for tapeworms in dogs is very effective and has no side effects. These are tablets that you can purchase from your local vet.

If your dog doesn't have tapeworms, lucky you. To prevent tapeworms though, you have to control the fleas. Regular de-worming is also a must. It's a small price to pay for the health of man's best friend, wouldn't you say?

Lastly, although tapeworms in dogs are a rare occurrence, there have been cases where a human became infected with tapeworms. So, just like your dog, stay away from fleas and try to maintain a clean environment in your homes.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs

Are you familiar with hyperthyroidism in dogs? Do you want to know if your dog is sufferings from it?

When you say hyperthyroidism in dogs, there is something wrong with your dog's health, specifically their endocrine system. The system overproduces hormone thyroxin (growth hormone) that causes their thyroids to swell and enlarge. This enlargement is often referred to as functional thyroid edematous hyperplasia.

As this is a rare case in dogs, hyperthyroidism in dogs symptoms are hard to distinguish and is tagged as a slow progressive disease and it is not a benign condition like many believed. Since very few dogs are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, the underlying cause of the thyroid enlargement is unknown but may be due to the combined effects of several factors circulating in the blood.

Hyperthyroidism in Dogs Symptoms
The following are the basic signs and symptoms of a dog suffering from hyperthyroidism:

• Increased Heart Rate
  
• Weight Loss
• Nervousness
• Increase Appetite
• Frequent Urination
• Frequent Water Intake
• Heavy Breathing
• Unexplainable Fatigue
• Hyperactivity
  

If your dog has one of the symptoms indicated above, you need to bring your dog to your trusted vet so he can immediately start the physical examination of your dog health. To be more effective, a blood sample is required. You know, unexpected results occur all the time. Sometimes, the condition of the thyroid hormones will remain normal during the check up, sometimes it's not.The best solution to this variation is a follow up check-up as directed by your vet.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Most cases, your dogs are diagnosed using a blood test procedure known as T4 and Free T4. The former yields unreliable results due to cheap quality of the instrument but the latter is said to be better but expensive on the part of the owner. If your dog is under presciption, blood test are usually given in an interval to monitor the changes in the hormonal level of the dog.

Hyperthyroidism in dogs is is curable. Your vet may only prescribed medications to stabilize the production of thyroid hormones. However, when it's not detected early, another option you need to consider is surgery.

However before giving in to surgery, it's better to ask your vet about the complications. There are times when one of thyroid glands are removed, it will results to a condition which is commonly called as hypothyroidism. This is a condition wherein there are only little production of thyroid hormones and will be discussed on a separate post.

Roundworms in dogs: Nasty Sight to Behold

Unlike a tapeworms in dogs where they only generally feed off the dog's nutrients and make the anus irritated, roundworms in dogs on the other hand take it a notch higher. These spaghetti-looking worms can have several negative effects on your dog's health.

Aside from feeding on the dog's food from inside, leading to a pot-bellied look, they also cause diarrhea and vomiting. Sometimes, when the dog is vomiting, the worms end up vomited as well and can be a really nasty sight to behold. If your dog is heavily infected, it may lead to pneumonia. Worse still, is there are too many worms, the intestines may get blocked. And worst of all, humans may get infected too and is considered a serious matter.

What you've read earlier can be vary scary, especially for dog lovers such as yourself. But fear not because this article will give you a few tips to help combat roundworms in dogs.

Symptoms of Roundworms in dogs

Finding out if your dog has roundworms is the first thing you should do. How? Obviously, if your dog throws up a worm, that could be a good indication right there. Also, a fecal check up is a must. Also have your dog de-wormed. It's a good habit to have it done on a regular basis because you may never know what your pet picked up along the way.

Treatment for Roundworms in dogs

If you are positive that your dog has roundworms then you need to know how to get rid of them. There are several de-worming dogs products in the market today. Some may be bought over-the-counter while some need a prescription.

There are basically two ways of de-worming dogs. The first one pumps anesthesia on the worms so that they will let go of their grip on the intestine and will be flushed out of the body together with the stool. Be ready though for a nasty sight.

The second one stems from the fact that all the larvae in migration cannot be killed by any of these products. After the worms are cleared from the intestine, they will be replaced by new worms completing their migration.

A second, and sometimes even a third de-worming might be needed to keep the intestine clear. The follow-up de-worming is generally given several weeks following the first de-worming to allow for migrating worms to arrive in the intestine where they are vulnerable. Do not ever forget the follow up de-worming.

Tonsillitis in Dogs: Information, Treatment and Prevention

Like humans, dogs have pair of tonsils.If you take a look inside your dog's mouth, they appeared like lymph nodes. Same to human, the role of these tonsils is to combat infection to protect dog health. Now when these tonsils are swollen, your dog may experience pain. They gag and the lick their lips regularly. They can't eat well. Dog suffering from tonsillitis usually experience loss in appetite due to pain and frequently, swollen tonsils results to extreme fatigue.

You see, there are millions of bacteria inside a dog's mouth. When these dogs suffer from chronic cough and chronic vomitting, it results to tonsillitis. There came to be a point when your dog experiences depression due to the inflamed tonsils and even in your naked eye, you can observe this condition.

You need to be aware that tonsillitis in small dogs are common than in the large ones. Seeing them suffer breaks your heart that's why; you need to immediately bring them to the nearest veterinarian and seek help.

Prednisone Tonsillitis in Dogs

What can you give a dog for tonsillitis? Usually, the first method to treating dog tonsillitis is to find out what truly causes the disease. It's better not take them to veterinarian than diagnosing them all by yourself. The vet will not administer medication unless he cures the underlying cause of the disease.

If the symptoms of the tonsilitis in dogs are vomiting or coughing, the veterinarian administers prednisone antibiotic to be taken for two to three weeks. The role of the antibotics is to treat the infections only. If the existence of tonsilitis is only caused by tartar, your dog's teeth must only be cleaned by a professional dentist for dogs and no further medication is needed.

When you use prednisone to treat your dog's tonsillitis, this means your dog is experiencing the worst type of tonsillitis. Dogs should not take prednisone or other steroidal drugs for a long period if possible. Some people say tonsillitis in dogs can be contagious to humans. This is not true. Only the tonsillitis caused by unusual bacterium can be harmful to humans. Other than that, it's safe.

If antibiotic-treatment is not enough, your veterinarian might suggest of a tonsillectomy. This is another surgical procedure where the infected tonsils are removed. Tonsillectomy is only done when it's only necessary depending on the chronic severity of the condition.

Preventive Measure

Therefore, to avoid tonsillitis in your dogs, keep their oral hygiene clean. It will be better if you take them in their dentist twice in two months. I know it will be expensive but better be in this condition than seeing them suffer. Treating tonsillitis in dogs is possible but avoiding the disease is even better.

Facts about Prostate Cancer in Dogs: In the Eyes of Rosol & Millan

Prostate cancer - your dogs can have it too and this type of cancer must not be ignored. Dogs with prostate cancer are a serious dog health conditions and if not medically treated, it results to death.

Statistics shows that prostate cancer in old dogs are more common. Some studies claim that if your dog suffers from prostate cancer, the disease spreads to the bones. Once the signs and symptoms exist, some dogs can die in two months. One year is in fact the longest time frame your dogs can have.

A veterinarian in Ohio State University, Dr. Tom Rosol, said;

“There are only two animals in all of nature that get prostate cancer… dogs and humans.”

In reference to this statement, the prostate of a male human being is similarly structured to canines. You see, your dog’s prostate produces bioactive elements that are of significance to metastasizing diseases.

To Rosol, conducting an experiment relating to prostate cancer in dogs seems complicated. The development of cancer cells in human protate is fairly different than in canines.

Signs and Symptoms

Weight Loss

Presence of blood in the urine

Difficulty in peeing

Weak Hind Legs

Walking in shorter steps

General Pain

Your fog might be suffering from prostate cancer if you observe him behaving differently. So, it is a must to see your vet in the early days of these signs and symptoms to make sure your dog's health is not affected by this kind of problem.

If you think these symptoms are okay, think again. Non-neutered or non-castrated male dogs are heavily prone to prostate problems and can always lead to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Even benign and not entirely cancerous, it’s still best to consult your vet for to get more dog health information.

Treatment and Preventive Measures

Usually, when you think your canine has prostate cancer, they need to undergo series of laboratory tests. These are ultrasound, urinalysis, contrast x-rays and biopsy.

Rosol is still investigating the various ways of treating cancers both in humans and in dogs. He even tries to develop new techniques such as transferring of human cancer cells to dogs and dogs’ cancer cells to mice. According to Science Daily, dogs are possibly the nearest type of mammals to humans and with further and elaborate experiments, scientist can uncover the mysteries behind prostate cancer.

For these reasons, the most effective treatment procedure to prostate cancer in dogs is surgery. Yet, various vets claimed surgical procedures are risky to dogs. A dog surgery can only take ten to twenty minutes but there are still complications to look at.Some studies claim before committing your dog to surgery, you might consider chemotherapy and radiation. These procedures may not be as effective as surgery but these can certainly fight the risks of cancer.

According to Cesar Millan, the famous dog psychologist in the hit TV Reality Show “Dog Whisperer,” the risk of prostate cancer in male dogs is massively reduced if you sterilize them.

“Many people, particularly men, have a hard time sterilizing their pets, imposing upon their dogs their own feelings on losing reproductive abilities. A dog will not feel like less of a “man” or “woman” after being sterilized. It will not suffer an identity crisis or mourn the loss of its reproductive capability. Your dog will simply have one less need to fulfill,” he wrote in his website.

Ringworm in Dogs– What is it Really?

Contrary to it's name, it is not really a worm. It is a fungus called dermatophytes which basically means, “plants that live on the skin.” It got it's name from the circular lesions on the skin that were thought to have been inflicted by worms. This fungi lives on the skin surface and feeds on dead skin tissue and hair. Ringworm in dogs would look like a circular and hairless lesion. As it grows in size, it's shape may not remain circular anymore and becomes irregular.

Contraction happens by direct contact with an infected animal or person. It can be passed from dogs to cats, cats to dogs, animals to human and vice versa. The fungal spores can also live in for quite some time and can be found in carpets, grooming equipment, beddings and the like. There are also some rare cases where ringworms were spread through infected soil. It takes about 10-12 days after contact for the lesions to appear. Fortunately, these spores are easily killed with a solution of bleach and water. So better start cleaning those items.

If you have an adult dog, the chances of contracting ringworms are small. Ringworms in dogs are more often seen in puppies and young dogs. Many dogs are also carriers but show no symptoms of ringworms. However, they may infect another animal or human.

Vets have several tests where they can positively diagnose a ringworm in dogs. Just looking at the lesions won't do. They may use a black light as 50% of these spores will glow under the lamp. A vet may also use a microscope to look at a part of the hair or skin from the lesion. Lastly, he may scrape the lesion and send it to a laboratory to see what the culture grows.

In two to four months, if no treatment is done, the ringworm in dogs will run it's course and the problem will resolve itself. Treatment though is highly recommended to ease the suffering and to cut down the period of contamination. Your vet may prescribe Griseofulvin for your dog's health. It does have some side effects though so be sure to consult your vet before giving any medication. Griseofulvin inhibits fungal reproduction. Lime sulfur dips are also recommended. Dips should be given twice a week and can be performed either by your vet or at home. Please be aware that Lime Sulfur will stain clothing and jewelry and will cause temporary yellowing of the dogs hair. Ignore the bad odor and always follow your vet's instruction on mixing the dip.

Cystitis in Dog – Answers To Your Burning Questions

The medical term cystitis simply means inflammation of the urinary bladder. This is usually caused by an infection due to bacteria. Other causes of cystitis are bladder stones, tumors in the bladder and diverticula.

The most common sign of cystitis in dog is hematuria or blood in the urine. Many dogs will also have discomfort when urinating making them spend a few minutes to pass through a small amount of urine making them urinate more often than normal. Signs of cystitis in dogs are also determined by the specific cause. Bacterial infections usually cause hematuria and dysuria or straining to urinate. Bladder stones are often very rough causing irritation to the bladder as they rub against the bladder wall. They also create hematuria and dysuria. Tumors or polyps are usually not highly irritating to the dog’s bladder, but they can cause bleeding and mild straining to urinate. A diverticulum is a small pouch in the wall of the bladder that usually causes hematuria and dysuria secondary to the chronic bacterial infection that occurs. Bacteria often reside deep in the diverticulum and are nearly impossible to remove without surgery.

To diagnose for possible cystitis in dog, check the dog's history for hematuria, dysuria, and increased frequency of urination. These a very strong indications that the dog may have cystitis. If these symptoms are seen, several tests are then needed.

The first group of tests include urinalysis, urine culture, and bladder palpation. A urinalysis consists of several tests to detect abnormalities in the urine, including abnormalities in the urine sediment. These are usually enough to confirm cystitis in dogs, but they are not enough to determine the exact cause. A urine culture determines if bacteria are present and what antibiotics are likely to be effective in killing them. This is appropriate because most cases of cystitis are caused by bacteria which may be eliminated easily with antibiotics. Bladder palpation is the first test for bladder stones, since many are large enough to be felt by experienced fingers.

There may be times when cystitis is present but the culture is negative and no stones can be felt. This would require more tests such as x-rays, ultrasound and contrast radiographs. These tests will show what other tests will not.

Treatment for cystitis in dogs may depend on the cause. If it was caused by bacteria, it is easily treated with antibiotics. As for bladder stones, some of them may be dissolved through a special diet while some may require surgery. Benign bladder polyps can usually be surgically removed, but malignant bladder tumors are difficult to treat successfully. A bladder diverticulum should be removed surgically.

Blastomycosis in Dogs

If you live anywhere near rich soils like pond banks or lake shores, that may be bad news for your dog health as well as your own. Blastomycosis is a fungal infection that can be acquired through the blasto spores of a blasto fungus that is released in the air by local wildlife and subsequently inhaled by dogs and humans as well. Once in the lungs, the blasto spores become infective organisms and multiply at a rapid pace. Usually though, a healthy dog's immune system will fight this off and that's the end of it. But for those that aren't that healthy to begin with, it can spell some bad symptoms with some that are irreversible.

Once infected, there are two classifications of symptoms to look out for, the obvious and the less obvious signs and the length of time between infection and outward signs can vary from a few days to a few weeks, making it almost impossible to establish a link between the time of infection and the location of the infectious spores. Blastomycosis symptoms also mirror other diseases are are very often mis-diagnosed making the need to find infectious organisms for further testing very important to attain a more accurate diagnosis. If there is a skin lesion, a microscope slide comprised of a tissue sample will show the infective organism. If no wounds or lesions are available, needle aspirations of the lungs may be done although treatment for Blastomycosis may be done even before positive diagnosis can be made as a precautionary measure that may save your dog health.

Obvious symptoms are listed as:

Deep cough
Abscess of the skin
Sudden blindness
Blood in the urine

The less obvious symptoms are listed as:

Fever at 104 degrees or higher
Loss of appetite
Lethargic
Intolerance for activity


The current available treatments for blastomycosis in dogs are oral antifungal medications called Sporanox and Diflucan. These should be administered for about three to six months which is pretty long. After such, your dog will be back to normal but unfortunately, as earlier stated, there will be some irreversible symptoms. If your dog went blind, the meds are not going to restore his sight back. Other long-term effects are irreversible as well, such as, spinal or bone damage. If you feel that your dog health is in peril, the best way to deal with it is to take you dog to your vet immediately.

Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs

Dogs are man's best friend and there is nothing more important than our dog's health. Today's topic will cover congestive heart failure. We will learn to know and understand what it is, what it does and how we can prevent such a disease from happening to our dogs.

Congestive heart failures is the final result of a massive heart disease or a genetic malformation of the heart muscle. These conditions can severely lessen the heart's ability to pump effectively thus, fluid retention in the dog's body cavities eventually lead to a complete heart failure. Due to the many causes of heart failure, this disease can be seen in dogs of any age or breed but larger breeds are more apt in having this condition as opposed to smaller breeds. Some of the most prone breeds are Dobermans, Boxers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Cocker Spaniels and Scottish Deerhounds. There are many things that can cause failure in your dog's heart. Some are treatable and some are not.

Some common causes of congestive heart failures are:

• Congenital Heart Defects
• Heartworm
• Degeneration of the heart valve
• Cardiomyopathy
• Inflammation and disease of the pericardium
• Arrhythmia
  

There are two types of congestive heart failure, the left CHF and the right CHF. They have some symptoms that are identical and some that are different but are all dangerous to your dog's health.

With the left CHF, your dog should have the following symptoms:

• Intolerance to exercise
• Rapid breathing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Coughing
• Fainting
  

For the Right CHF, your dog should be feeling these symptoms:

• Swollen abdomen due to fluid build up
• Intolerance to exercise
• Rapid breathing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Coughing
• Swelling of the limbs
  

Congestive heart failure in dogs may be diagnosed by your vet by using a stethoscope to listen to your dog's heart and lungs. Other testing procedures that may be used are x-rays, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram and measuring blood pressure. Doing these tests will allow the vet to develop a treatment plan. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the dog's heart problem. Treatment may be done at a dog hospital or at home. When at home, always monitor your dog's diet and activities. Try to make it stress free for your dog and let him enjoy an activity level where he is comfortable with at his own pace. Do not try to force him. Anything that looks out of the ordinary should be immediately addressed to your vet. Do not try to do things on your own so as to avoid complicating your dog health.

February is Pet Dental Health Month

Dog health, cat health and generally, our pet's health is very important but often overlooked or forgotten in this busy times of economic struggle. This is why February is the time for our pet's dental health because just like their owners, they need the dental attention too. It is a known fact that eighty percent of dogs and seventy percent of cats show signs of oral disease as early as age three and dental health doesn't just affect the mouth. It may actually lead to more serious health problems such as heart, lungs and kidney disease. We definitely wouldn't want that to happen to our precious babies. So let’s look at what you can do and try to break it down so that you would know how to go about the task.

One very serious disease is called the Periodontal Disease. It is an infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth that can take hold during the progressive stages. It starts out as mere plaque and eventually, as the bacteria in the plaque dies, it becomes calcified by the calcium found in saliva. It now becomes tartar and invites more plaque and will lead to gingivitis which causes the gums to swell and bleed. If left untreated, it can spread around the root of the tooth. Finally, the surrounding tissues are destroyed and the bone socket holding the tooth erodes and the tooth becomes loose. This is very painful for your canine friend but luckily, it can be prevented by gaining information on your dog's health as well as other pets.

The two critical components of your pet's dental care are oral examinations and dental cleanings. It is highly recommended that you have your pet checked early because then, as your pet ages, your veterinarian will look for developmental anomalies, the accumulation of plaque and tartar, periodontal disease and oral tumors. Basic oral examinations can be performed while the patient is awake but anesthetics may be required for a more thorough and complete examination as well as the cleaning itself. It is also recommended by the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) that general anesthesia should be used for oral examinations as well as dental cleanings for all cats and dogs. Furthermore, these procedures should be done at least annually at one year of age for cats and small breed dogs and at two years of age for large breed dogs. This is not much to do for our pet's sake knowing that you would do anything for you cat's or dog's health any day.

A Bite of Information on Dog Rabies

It's a big responsibility to own a dog. You need to protect your overall dog health and protect him or her from any form of diseases. Rabies is a life-threatening viral disease that causes inflammation to your pet's nervous system and eventually results to madness and death. When your dog is infected with rabies, he or she might go through the three dreadful stages.

Prodomal Phase - the first phase which can last until two to three days. During this stage, your dog may experience fever, frequent chewing at the infected area of the bite and showing unusual behavioral changes.
Furious Stage - this might be the most scariest phase of the three because the pressure has already reached the dog's brain and starts to rip him off. Your dog will begin to display disorientation, irritability and a different level of aggression and he or she might no longer follow your orders. This terrible stage will last for two to four days.
Paralytic Phase - The final stage, like the Furious stage, this will also occur between two to four days and the entire body of your dog will be numbed. There's no cure once your dog is already at this stage and whether you like it or not, he or she will die in a short while.

Protecting Your Dog from Rabies
Dog rabies can be cured if it is detected early. Once your dog is bitten by some vicious or any domestic animal, you need to bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian for immunization. It is suggested that you need to make arrangements with your vet regarding this matter. Don't delay things, you just need to make it happen. Remember, you need to protect your dog health before anything else. Studies show that a puppy can now have its first immunization at eight weeks old. The second shot should be be given four weeks after. When the puppy turned sixteen weeks old, he or she can have the vaccination for rabies.

Yet, there are some side effects you should be wary of once your dog is immunized. These side effects are: disorientation, lethargy, vomiting, trembling and swelling. If you observe that your dog has displayed any of these signs, you need to call your vet asap. To prevent these heartbreaking events from happening, you need to protect your dog. Regular grooming and proper health care of your dog should be observed. When you walk them down the street, avoid contacting them with wild dogs.

Protecting Yourself from Rabies
Are you aware that the effects of rabies in dog is same as that of humans? Truth is, the chances of having a rabies in humans may be slim but still, you need to be extra cautious.
For any instances that you are bitten by dogs or by any animal, wild or not, with rabies or without, you must immediately wash the infected area of your body with soap and water before seeing your veterinarian for further testing and observation.

It might be also helpful that after you've been bitten, you follow the dog on its way home then request the authorities to capture it. When the dog is captured, never injure the head as this is used for further medical verification.

Conclusion
“Prevention is better than cure,” you need this quote all the time. It's not impossible to fight dog rabies as long as you are doing the proper precaution in protecting your pet dog and your health and life, as well.

Canine Distemper Virus

Canine distemper virus or CDV is an above ground variety and highly transmissible disease-causing illness that is every so often deadly and can affect the respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal, optic nerves, central nervous systems and your dog health as a whole. This communicable disease usually affects dog of all ages worldwide. However the degree of severity is more dangerous in young puppies compared to a non-immunized adult dogs.

Dog distemper is a dog health problem which is strongly associated to human measles because the virus that generates canine distemper belongs to the same paramyxovirus group where human measles virus is a member. Thus, if a person has vaccine and is immune to measles then they will also have imperceptibility to canine distemper. In spite of this, there is an account that humans can conceivably be infected with dog distemper virus but will unveil no signs or warnings at all.

Symptoms of canine distemper are on case to case basis depending on your dog health. Early signs include high fever, loss of appetite because of tonsils and lymph nodes problem. Because of this the dog will drastically loss weight and will eventually becomes very weak. The virus will attack the lungs and respiratory tract so dogs will develop persistent cough. Severe diarrhea with bloody traces is the manifestation of intestinal inflammation.

This disease that attacks dogs has a 50% mortality rate and most of the dogs die by the third week because of neurological complications. In selected cases, the dog's protective mechanisms generate antibodies in this period, and subsequently beat the infection. However the virus is not completely gone and it actually remains in the brain which can be activated anytime. This if often times referred to as “Old Dog Encephalitis”. It should be noted also that virus can survive and in fact loves cold temperature and is more pervasive during winter and fall season. However they only remain dormant on warm weather.

It is important that puppies should receive colostrums from their mother to strengthen their immune system in order to battle not only distemper virus but all forms of dog health problems. New and tested vaccines are now available to protect your dog health from canine distemper virus. Veterinarians strongly advised that your dog should be vaccinated at an early age and lessens contact with other animals and avoid exposure to other places. Proper sanitation is encouraged as a best form of prevention.

Dog Cognitive Disorder

Dogs can be affected by a degenerative disease like Alzheimer's disease in humans. This is formally called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer disease in humans, dog cognitive dysfunction syndrome causes behavioral changes that are not normal in the canine aging process. This condition affects mostly dogs aged 11 years and above. There are similar studies about this dog health issue that revealed that 48% of dogs with ages 8 years and older, 62% of dogs 11 to 16 years of age and 100% of dogs 16 years of age and older exhibited at least one of the changes that occurs in dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS).

The symptoms of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in dogs can be abbreviated with the following acronym: D.I.S.H.

D - Disorientation
I - Interaction changes
S - Sleep changes
H - House soiling

Dogs who have CDS or cognitive dysfunction syndrome have been seen to be disoriented with familiar surroundings. Your dog with CDS can have a hard time locating his favorite area where he naps or sleeps. In some cases, your dog will have a harder time of locating your doors. Regarding interaction changes, he may not remember to do as he is commanded; even simple commands like “Stay” and “Sit” can elicit strange responses from your dog. Dog with this kind of problem may not even recognize your family members, familiar people or your friends; he may even act hostile to them. Sleep habits of your dog may change with this condition, he may sleep more during daytime than at night; depression can also be seen wherein your dog seems lethargic and lack energy or enthusiasm with favorite activities.

About the house soiling category of symptoms, house-trained dogs may have accidents in your house. Your dog may even forget where he is and have a hard time making his way around your house. He will usually urinates and defecates anywhere or even inside the house.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome in itself is not fatal to your dogs, but complications arising from this disease can seriously harm your dog. The symptoms like disorientation and interaction changes can lead to situations that can seriously physically and emotionally harm your beloved dog.

If your dog is exhibiting the above-mentioned behavior or symptoms for no apparent reason, it's wise and best to consult your veterinarian for proper recommendation to alleviate and control this dog health problem.

Flee From Dog Fleas

When it comes to being a dog owner, do you care enough and are attentive to your pooch? Are you that vigilant when it comes to your dog health? If so, then maybe battling with a creature that's so fast, nearly invisible, irritating, can cause itchiness and can jump high and fast, wont be any greater problem for you. What I am referring to is one parasite that can contribute to harming and troubling your dog's health – DOG FLEAS!

If you happen to see your dog scratching like hell, well, don't just think that your dog may have some allergies. Although you are also more likely to panic and go around see what you can do to give remedy to that itchiness that you think allergies may have caused, the treatments for parasite infestation may differ and have some variant effects. When it comes to your dog health, you should be as alert and as knowledgeable so that you can take good care of things by yourself without even going to see a veterinarian. The type of control depends on the extent of the dog's problem and the preferences of the dog's owner. Take these things into consideration to prevent or cure the fleas infestation in your dog:

1.The best thing that you do first, is to check what may have caused your dog's itchiness.
In order for you to know and confirm if your dog is infected or been bitten by fleas, you should observe your dog if he/she bites at his rear end especially around his tail or the inside or outside of his thighs. The tapeworm or the skin bumps may be one of the signs that the fleas are present. Small red raised bumps on the base of the tail and along the outside of the back legs, self-induced scratches, and thickened skin on the base of the tail are all signs of chronic flea allergy. The diagnosis can be confirmed with an intradermal skin allergy test.

2. Check your house for some fleas especially the place where your dog sleeps.
You are more likely to detect whether there are fleas around through its “droppings” or flea dirt. It looks like sprinkled pepper on the dog's fur or skin. If you drop some of this "pepper" onto a damp paper towel and it turns reddish, it's fleas, and not seasoning. You can check out if your dog has those droppings when you take your pooch to a good bath and then use a flea comb to brush away the flea dirts and even some flea themselves. Flea combs are specially made fine-toothed comb that could trap fleas and flea eggs on your dog’s fur. Use dog shampoos or those designed to suffocate fleas thus killing them when you give your dog a bath. Clean the places where fleas are possibly to hiding or and laying their eggs. They have a great ability of jumping fast from host to host so you really should take so much precautions. Use flea sprays to prevent them from coming back and to kill flea eggs that can bring about more trouble to you and your dog health.

3.The use of pill or topical application take less effort.
But they should not be used alone in a heavy infestation because they do not treat the environment. The pill works when flea bites dog, so may not be suitable for an allergic dog. The topical solutions kill adult fleas and have some residual action as long as they remain on the pet's hair — even hair that has been shed on carpets and furniture.

Some synthetic insecticides may be harmful to your dog health that's why it is advisable to use home remedies instead if you want to get rid or prevent dog fleas from troubling you and your dog. Whatever strategy you use to ensure your dog health, it doesn't matter as long as you give prior attention and dedication towards achieving the desired results. And of course when in doubt, always seek for veterinarian's help.