Health Problems
Found [373] Articles :: Page 11 of 25
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Hair follicle tumors are not pretty to have to deal with, but are typically not malignant or an indicator of cancer in dogs. There are several different types of hair follicle tumors, one that can be serious, so it is important to have any skin growths or tumors checked through a biopsy to ensure they are benign.
Some breeds are more prone to hair follicle tumors than others. Poodles of all sizes are somewhat predisposed to this condition as are Cocker Spaniels and Basset Hounds. There is no indication that either males or females will be more prone to having the condition and it can occur at any age and with any type of diet. It has also not been linked to any particular grooming procedure and it seems from the research it may be an inherited condition but conclusive research has not been completed to be able state this as a fact. [...]
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Anesthesia has a well documented place in both human and animal medicine, and it's especially critical as a way to calm and treat animals who are frightened and in pain.
The anesthetics that are used in veterinary medicine today are much safer than ones used in the past, and their results are much more predictable. Gas anesthetics can be quickly eliminated by simply removing the mask. Injectable anesthetics, meanwhile, all have a reversal agent that can be quickly administered if there are any adverse effects, such as a drop in the dog's blood pressure. This additional safety is very important, since veterinarians use anesthetics more than regular medical doctors. That's because many animals become extremely terrified or agitated while at the vet's. Therefore anesthesia is often used in procedures like X-rays, joint examinations and laparoscopic procedures. [...]
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One of the myriad heart problems which can affect your pet is a condition known as aortic stenosis or subvalvular aortic stenosis. With this condition, the blood flow is partially blocked as it leaves the left side of the heart (the left ventricle) into the aorta, which is the major blood vessel that transports blood to the rest of the dog's body. The obstruction can be a small nodule or a fibrous band of tissue, either of which is usually located just below the aortic valve, which is the dividing structure between the heart and the aorta.
Because of this obstruction, the dog's heart must work harder to pump an adequate supply of blood to the dog's body. Over time, this valve usually narrows even further, a condition known as stenosis. [...]
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If your dog has a multicolored coat then it may be susceptible to a rare condition known as Black Hair Follicular Dysplasia, or BHFD. A hereditary disorder carried through recessive genes, BHFD can appear in any purebred or crossbreed dog with a multi-colored coat. An as-yet-unidentified genetic defect in the skin pigment (melanin) and in the hair shaft formation is believed to be the cause.
This condition causes the black or dark-haired portions of the coat to fall out when the animal is still a puppy or young dog, leaving behind bare skin. In the early stages, the pup's dark hair will gradually fade and take on a washed-out, gray or bluish cast. [...]
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A "stoned" dog is not a healthy dog. Especially if the "stones" are located within the animal's bladder, where they can cause pain and interfere with urination.
Clinically known as urolithiasis, bladder stones (urinary calculi) actually can be found anywhere within the urinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, ureter (the tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder) and the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside of the animal). More than 85 percent of the time, however, these stones are found within the bladder itself. [...]
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In human beings, bloating may sound like a fairly mild problem, brought on by a too-large meal or perhaps water retention.
In dogs, however, bloat is only one name for a life-threatening condition that's also known as gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV), stomach torsion or twisted stomach. Affected dogs will die within several hours if left untreated, and even with treatment more than a quarter of dogs with GDV die.
Bloat is a two-fold illness with several causes. First, for a variety of reasons, the stomach can fill up with air, putting pressure on nearby internal organs, on the large veins in the abdomen and the diaphragm. This in turn makes it difficult for the dog to breathe and prevents blood from returning to the heart. [...]
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If you notice your dog is bruising easily or bleeding with no obvious cause, a trip to the veterinarian is in order. Your pet may have one of several types of bleeding disorders that can affect canines. These disorders occur when the blood does not clot normally, in turn causing the dog to bleed abnormally or excessively after any minor injury or cut.
There are a number of warning signs that indicate your dog may have a blood disorder. Be watchful for any bleeding or bruises that have no obvious cause, frequent nosebleeds and blood in the animal's urine or feces. Also, the gums may be pale, and there may be tiny pinpoint-sized red spots on the gums or the whites of the eyes. If your dog becomes tired easily, he also may have anemia, which results from a reduced number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. [...]
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If you're fond of dogs that have a "smashed in" face, then your pet likely falls into a special category of canine known as brachycephalic. The term comes from two Greek words: "brachy," which means short, and "cephalic," which means head.
These types of dogs have been bred through the generations to have a normal lower jaw in proportion to their body, and a compressed, or shorter, upper jaw. Because of selective breeding, these dogs also have developed a number of health conditions that may cause concerns.
Specifically, these dogs often have brachycephalic respiratory syndrome, a condition that affects different areas of the respiratory tract. Breeds most often affected are Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, Pekingese, Pugs and Shih Tzus. [...]
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One of the more recently recognized disorders in dogs is one known by several terms, including Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome, CECS, or "Spike's Disease." A tricky disease that is often misdiagnosed as epilepsy, CECS is considered to be a problem of multiple body systems, including the metabolic, neurological and muscular systems.
The symptoms of CECS vary, and an affected animal may display many of them or only a few at one time. Symptoms include trembling, staggering, dizziness, exaggerated stretching, and an unusually slow or methodical posture while walking. Also, the dog's abdominal and lumbar (back) muscles may cramp severely, and the animal may fall over and be unable to rise. [...]
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Among the many diseases that can strike the human and canine heart is a disease of the heart muscle itself. Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, causes the walls of the heart's four chambers to become enlarged and thus not function properly, and it usually is found in larger breeds of dog. [...]
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Many breeds of dog are vulnerable to specific health problems, and the Collie is no exception. These beautiful animals are subject to a genetically-carried eye problem known as Collie Eye Anomaly. It's a disorder that occurs deep within the eye and strikes all types of Collies.
Also known as choroidal hypoplasia, collie scleral ectasia syndrome and optic nerve/disc coloboma, it causes four main changes in the dog's eye. [...]
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It's not just toddlers that can get into your drain cleaner or antifreeze. Curious pets also frequently come into contact with dangerous chemicals. In fact, Animal Control Poison Centers around the globe log in hundreds of thousands of calls each year from worried pet owners whose animals have been accidentally exposed to household poisons.
Among the most frequent causes of poisoning in dogs are such items as human medications, insecticides and rodenticides. Obviously the latter two are direct poisons, designed to kill household pests, and in a dog they usually cause bleeding, seizures, kidney damage and death. Even flea and tick medicines designed specifically for dogs can occasionally cause problems if the animal proves to be allergic and/or the instructions are not followed exactly. [...]
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Stars in your eyes are one thing, but "cherries" in your dog's eyes signal trouble. Clinically known as nictitans gland prolapse, cherry eye leaves a mass of red tissue visible in the inside corner of the dog's eye. The condition occurs when the dog's third eyelid pops out or otherwise becomes dislodged from its normal position.
Like cats, dogs have three eyelids - an upper, a lower and a third, largely invisible, eyelid which contains a tear gland and acts as a windshield wiper across the eye. It's when this third eyelid comes loose from its normal position (prolapses) and swells that the animal is diagnosed with cherry eye. [...]
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Skin rashes that occur throughout time and that are directly caused by contact with a particular type of irritant are often classed as chronic eczema in dogs. These conditions will occur throughout a dog's life but often become more obvious and chronic in nature as the dog matures or if it is ill or stressed. All breeds of dogs can have chronic eczema but breeds that are most known for the skin condition include the German Shepherd, Dalmatian and the hairless breeds of dogs such as the Chinese Crested and the Mexican Hairless. Some Basenji dogs that have very sensitive skin are also prone to eczema. [...]
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A number of pure-bred dogs have some noted health issues, often due to irresponsible breeding practices which result in a weakening of the breed. But does this hold true for the American Pit Bull Terrier? Will a pit bull make a healthy choice as a pet? [...]
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Health Problems
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