Other Diseases

feeding tubes

new strains of the disease have appeared – strains that may not be detected by standard tests.üFour-year-old Louis succumbed to ehrlichiosis. Initially diagnosed with kidney disease

When experienced breeder Barbara Sorg noticed that Winks, one of her five 8-week-old puppies, was listless, not eating, and by nightfall was suffering from diarrhea, she hustled him off to her long-time veterinarian the next morning, a Tuesday.??The vet suspected that Winks had not tolerated the dewormer he'd been given Sunday. Although he had never left her property and had no suspected exposure, Sorg asked that he be tested for deadly parvovirus; her veterinarian discounted the possibility.

A wet nose strengthens your dog’s sense of smell, which is one of his most amazing senses. In a few instances, however, a wet nose can indicate something is amiss.

The respiratory system functions rather miraculously. Vital for life, critical for the health of the whole body, it’s one of the major ways the dog’s body unites his external environment with his inner milieu. As a primary site of contact with the outer world, the lungs are susceptible to diseases that can be caused by any airborne germ, irritant, or toxin that happens to be floating around.

Oh, the smell! Anyone who's ever been in the same room when a frightened dog blows" her anal glands or a veterinarian manually expresses them will never forget the malodorous experience. It's wise for dog owners to be aware of the problems that can arise with these glands

Anal sacs are located on either side of your dog’s anus, between the external and internal sphincter muscles. Depending on the dog, they range in size from that of pea to a lima bean. Sebaceous glands within the lining secrete a foul-smelling liquid. Under normal circumstances, the sacs empty on their own during bowel movements via a pair of ducts. This natural, routine emptying serves as a means of olfactory communication and establishing territory. Each dog possesses his own unique scent, which is why ritualized dog-to-dog greetings include copious rear-end sniffing. When a dog presents his rear for information gathering, the muscle movements involved in raising the tail apply pressure to the sac, prompting the release of additional scent.

If your dog normally has a good appetite, but suddenly stops eating his food, you should be concerned. However, if your dog is always a picky, slow eater, and he goes on strike for a meal or two, there is usually nothing urgent to be worried about.

Something’s wrong with your dog but you’re not sure what. She seems listless, her eyes have lost their spark, and she just seems “off.” You might notice intermittent muscle weakness, tremors, and an inability to jump into the car or onto a sofa. Or your dog frequently ignores her dinner, vomits, or has diarrhea. These vague symptoms, which may improve and then return, could stem from a dozen canine illnesses – or they might point to Addison’s. Addison’s disease, named for the 19th century physician who defined this adrenal gland dysfunction, is also known as hypoadrenocorticism or adrenal insufficiency. While fatal if left untreated, with appropriate treatment Addison’s can be managed so that affected patients lead normal, active lives. First diagnosed in dogs in the 1950s, it is considered an uncommon canine disorder.

For some time, biologists have been aware of and studied an organism called Wolbachia that lives symbiotically inside heartworms. But recently, study of this microscopic creature has given researchers new ideas about how to combat its host (the heartworm) to benefit its host, the dog. Wolbachia is a genus of rickettsial organisms, a microorganism positioned somewhere between viruses and true bacteria. Like viruses, they grow only in living cells, but like bacteria, they…

Sometimes life-threatening illnesses develop so slowly that no one pays much attention. An older dog who's always thirsty drinks huge quantities of water. He's hungrier than usual and has developed a thin coat and pot belly. He pants all the time, and now his hind legs are losing muscle tone and getting weak. Many owners dismiss these as normal signs of aging, but they are classic symptoms of Cushing's disease, which affects an estimated 100,000 dogs in the U.S. every year.

Something is wrong with your dog’s eye. It’s bright red or oozing pus or itching like crazy. Could it be pink eye? This common childhood condition, also known as red eye or conjunctivitis, affects people, cats, and our canine companions. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue covering the eye and inner surface of the eyelid. If caused by bacteria or viruses, it can be infectious. Noninfectious conjunctivitis can be caused by allergic reactions, irritants, or trauma injuries.