Warm and hot weather safety for their dogs is something that all owners should know and understand as it could save their pets life. Regardless of where you live, summertime brings warmer temperatures, longer daylight hours and the need to understand and practice heatstroke safety for your dog. It is your responsibility as a dog owner to protect your pet and make sure that it does not get overheated or suffer any negative effects or even worse, death from the summer heat. [...]
Almost any species of mammal can become diabetic under the right conditions. Dogs, just like humans and cats, can develop diabetes for a variety of reasons. In dogs the condition may go undetected for a long period of time until it is finally diagnosed and the owners are able to either develop a diet to manage blood sugars or provide insulin to the dog to help with management of blood sugars in the body.
Any breed of dog and any size of dog can develop diabetes, however there has been a study completed through Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that indicates that some breeds are at a low risk for developing the condition while other breeds are at a high risks. Breeds that have a low frequency of diabetes mellitus include Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and American Pit Bull Terriers. The breeds in the study that had the highest rate of diabetes included Miniature Poodles, Toy Poodles, Pugs, Samoyeds, Dachshunds and Miniature Schnauzers. [...]
Gastric torsion, more commonly known as bloat, is found in many breeds of dogs but is most often seen in larger breeds with deep, heavy chests. Typically breeds that have higher incidents of bloat or gastric torsion include Basset Hounds, Great Danes, Bloodhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, German Shepherds, Akitas, St. Bernards, Labradors, Old English Sheepdogs, Weimaraners, Boxers and Great Pyrenees. Other large breeds that are over 60 pounds may also exhibit this potentially fatal condition. Typically is it rarely of very seen in medium, small or toy breeds of dogs.
Typically bloat or gastric torsion is seen in older rather than younger dogs with most cases recorded with the at risk breed that are four to seven years of age. It is also far more predominant in males than females with vets reporting only 1/3 of all bloat cases being female dogs and 2/3 being male. [...]
There are several different types of kidney diseases that are common in various breeds of dogs as well as in mixed breed dogs. Since the kidneys of a dog work to filter wastes from the blood and produce urine to remove those wastes as well as help to balance various components of the blood, they play a large role in overall canine health.
Kidneys also work in tandem with other body organs and systems to help to regulate blood pressure, release and manage the production of calcium in the body, regulate and manage phosphorous in the blood as well as produce hormones that lead to the production of new red blood cells in the body. This is all done through the nephrons or tiny filters that make up the kidney. There are literally millions of these tiny filters each performing multiple tasks to keep the body healthy and free from wastes. [...]
Skye Limp, also known as Puppy Limp, is most common in the Skye Terrier breed, hence the name. Skye Terriers are achondroplastic dogs, which means they are actually a full sized dog - just on dwarf limbs. The Skye Terrier is very long and rather sturdy and stocky throughout the body, but they do have the dwarf or very small legs. This means that the growing puppy has a lot of weight to carry on their short legs and often the distal radial growth plates close too soon, resulting in painful movement while the puppy is young and growing. The good news is that this condition is not life long and most puppies will grow out of Skye limp or puppy limp by the time they are 8 months to one year old. Other breeds of dogs, particularly large or giant breeds such as the Great Dane, St. Bernard, Mastiff, German Shepherd or even the Labrador may occasionally have the condition. Since this lameness is caused by lots of exercise and rapid weight gain, any puppy overfed or that is exercised very strenuously during its growth phase of 5-12 months is more prone to the condition than puppies from the same litter that have less strenuous exercise and a more balanced diet. [...]
This condition has long been a problem in draft horses and horses that are worked consistently through the week and then given a day or two of rest. Azoturia, also know as Tying Up Syndrome, Monday Morning Sickness, and Equine Rhabdomyolosis Syndrome, is a muscle and metabolic problem that results in painful cramping of the leg muscles, inability to walk and move, shortened stride and blood or dark coloration in the urine, excessive sweating and changes in gait and stride. If the azoturia is pronounced the muscles may appear very hard and stiff even to the touch and the horse may have problems in controlling the hindquarters, occasionally resulting in collapse. While not usually life threatening it can be serious once the kidneys become involved so early treatment and proper management of the horse is important. [...]
Horses may develop a bad habit of gulping their food too fast and not chewing it as much as it needs to be before swallowing. In both of these cases the food can actually lodge in the horse's esophagus, resulting in a condition known as choke. Choke is most often not life threatening, but it can be very alarming to both the horse and the owner, and can potentially be problematic if the blockage does not clear on its own.
One of the biggest causes of choke is found in horses that are feed dry feed pellets or hay cubes, or feed that is high in beet pulp. All of these types of feeds are very dry and expand when the moisture in the horse's mouth and digestive tract come into contact with the food. If the horse is in a hurry to eat or is just lazy and doesn't break up the food and mix the saliva in with the feed in the mouth, the food absorbs the moisture further down the throat. [...]
The term colic is generally understood by horse owners and vets alike to mean any type of pain or discomfort in the stomach of the horse, although it can be caused by several different factors. Some horse are more prone to problems with colic while other horses, on the same pasture and getting the same types of feed will have no problems whatsoever. It is likely that there are some breed differences as well as hereditary components to horses with constant colic and research is ongoing.
Colic can range in severity from a slight pain and annoyance to the horse right up to a fatal blockage of the gastro-intestinal tract. Since there are many different types of colic the first step is to understand what is the cause, then choose the correct treatment and prevention method. [...]
Almost, if not as important as feed, is a horse's access to clean, fresh water on a year round basis. Horses, unlike some animals, typically will not drink dirty, stagnant or muddy water and may actually become dehydrated very quickly, especially in very hot conditions where they are being worked or exercised. Most horses, just like people, have a natural thirst mechanism that kicks in whenever the body water levels are dropping, however if the horse does not have access to water this natural trigger can prematurely shut down, resulting in dehydration.
Water makes up a good part, almost 60%, of the total weight of the horse's blood, digestive system and muscle mass. Dehydration causes the body to rob moisture from the body muscles, blood and tissue to keep the brain and other essential organs functioning. On average a horse needs to drink about 35-40 liters or 10-12 gallons of water a day to maintain the proper water levels in their body. Water is lost through sweating, breathing and even in the urine and fecal material year round, not just in the hot summer. [...]
Most commonly associated with Quarter horse bloodlines, EPSM or Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy is a muscle condition or disease. There are documented occurrences of EPSM in other horses such as American Paint horses, Warm bloods, draft horses, quarter horse crosses, and draft crosses. Evidence shows that in Quarter horses, EPSM is a inheritable disease, but this remains unproven in many other breeds. A horse with Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy has an excessive glycogen buildup or storage in the skeletal muscles due to improper digestion of sugars, starches and carbohydrates found in cereal grains such as barley, corn, and oats.
Often, there are very few or very subtle symptoms in the early stages and because of the recent discovery of EPSM, it is often not considered or diagnosed until fairly advanced. [...]
Great Britain is the country most commonly associated with grass sickness although it also occurs in high frequency in Scotland, with lesser reports in Ireland, Wales as well as France, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Belgium. The condition is only seen in horses that are on pasture although even horses that are fed dry feeds in addition to pasture may develop the same condition. Donkeys, ponies and mules will also develop grass sickness and it can strike horses of any age, condition and sex.
Grass sickness is a gut paralysis that is believed to be caused by a toxin in or on the pasture grass. Many researchers now believe that the problematic toxin comes from a variety of fungus that is almost always present in pastures where reports of grass sickness occur. The fungus most likely linked to the condition is Fusarium and often a dry, cooler period that may affect the production of spores in the Fusarium is present before an outbreak. [...]
It is very sad to report that thousands of horses per year die as a direct result of malnourishment in the United States alone. These horses may range in age from newborns that are removed from the mare or are with a mare that is too malnourished herself to provide milk, up to horses that are kept on inadequate or non-existent pasture areas. In some cases owners leave the horse in someone else's care and misplace their trust, resulting in the horse paying the price. In less common cases a boarding stable fails to feed the horse's left in its care, resulting in the death of many horses if they are not rescued.
Malnourished horses, besides being thin and failing to thrive, will also be more likely to have compromised immune systems, infections, parasite problems and other associated health problems. Most malnourished horses have worms, respiratory infections and complications, as well as greater likelihood of colic and influenza. Hoof problems, joint and muscle problems as well as skeletal problems are often secondary conditions that must be treated in malnourished horses. [...]
Overweight or obese horses are at the same types of health risks as overweight humans, dogs and any other type of animal. Since in the wild horses would be continually required to graze and forage, the chance of a horse in the wild becoming obese is almost non-existent. In captivity, horses are restricted to small areas, fed high carbohydrate, protein and fat diets, and only exercised for small periods of time per day, all leading to obesity problems.
Obesity puts more strain on all the various aspects of the horse's body from breathing and respiration through to digestion and cardiac functioning. The more weight the horse is carrying the greater the stress will be on the cardiac and respiratory system, especially when the horse is being exercised. Since obese horses rarely get routine exercise, this difference in respiration and heart rate, especially in hot or humid weather can quickly lead to heat stroke and heat intolerance. The excessive body weight will also prevent the dissipation of heat in the natural body cooling process, further leading to problems with heat stroke and stress. [...]
There are several different types of worms that can be found in horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, so having a good idea of the types of worms you may be looking for as well as the signs of worm infestations is important. Since commercial worm treatment pastes or medications kill most types of worms commonly found in horses when used at the correct time they are effective in developing a management and worm control program that will ensure your horses are worm free year round.
Young foals are particularly susceptible to a type of worm known as an ascarid. The foal swallows the ascarid when he or she is grazing, usually by contact with old fecal material that contains ascarid eggs. Once inside the digestive tract the ascarid hatches and grows to the larva stage, moving to the lungs to develop and then returning to the intestine, often reaching up to 20 inches in length. While in the lungs the ascarid can contribute to respiratory problems such as pneumonia. [...]
There are several different types of worms that can be found in horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, so having a good idea of the types of worms you may be looking for as well as the signs of worm infestations is important. Since commercial worm treatment pastes or medications kill most types of worms commonly found in horses when used at the correct time they are effective in developing a management and worm control program that will ensure your horses are worm free year round.
Young foals are particularly susceptible to a type of worm known as an ascarid. The foal swallows the ascarid when he or she is grazing, usually by contact with old fecal material that contains ascarid eggs. Once inside the digestive tract the ascarid hatches and grows to the larva stage, moving to the lungs to develop and then returning to the intestine, often reaching up to 20 inches in length. While in the lungs the ascarid can contribute to respiratory problems such as pneumonia. [...]
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