Health
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If you've recently noticed an increased resistance to exercise and a tendency to lay around on the part of your dog, then he or she might very well be the victim of a phosphofructokinase deficiency.Phosphofructokinase deficiency is a disease that inhibits the body from metabolizing glucose into usable energy, leading to the aforementioned lack of enthusiasm and pep that can seem to strike without warning. In advanced stages, the disease can even lead to the onset of more advanced muscular diseases and destroy red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. [...]
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Pinched nostrils, otherwise known as stenotic nares, occur when the nostrils of certain breeds of dogs are smaller than normal, resulting in a smaller passageway to the lungs with a markedly increased resistance to airflow. Though it can theoretically affect any breed, dogs with short, wide heads such as bulldogs, pekingnese, and pugs are far and away the most frequent sufferers.In addition to the obvious problems presented by this disease, it should also be known that pinched nostrils are very often accompanied by other abnormalities such as an overlong soft palate, and a tendency for the larynx to collapse due to strain. [...]
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Canine post nasal drip is a condition in which your dog's sinuses produce a vast excess of mucus, which then drains down the back of his or her throat instead of being passed into the nasal cavity where it can later be expelled. It's a frustrating condition that causes an almost constant sense of irritation in the back of the throat and in addition to increasing the likelihood of infections and sore throats, it can add a lot of stress to your dog's life that could cause him or her to act out in unusual and unwanted ways.The number of potential causes of canine post nasal drip is vast. It can be instigated by basic respiratory diseases such as rhinitis and sinusitis, or it could develop as the result of trauma to the throat and sinuses such as acid reflux disease or a particularly bad instance of airway blockage. It's even possible for allergic reactions to food, medication, or something in the environment to cause canine post nasal drip to occur. [...]
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Premature disc degeneration is a disease in which a dog's vertebral discs begin to degenerate more rapidly than could be naturally expected. Degeneration might effect either the discs themselves in that they can become calcified and less mobile, or the spaces between the discs when cartilaginous cushions begin to deteriorate. It is classified under the generalized heading of premature aging and has many profound effects upon a dog's overall health, causing at best chronic pain and at worst loss of motor function.Premature disc degeneration usually begins to occur in dogs that are between three and five years old, and seems to affect the discs in the cervical region of the spine most often. Depending on which discs are affected, the problem manifests itself visually in a variety of different ways. [...]
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Premature graying refers to a disorder in which your dog's coat begins to lose the richness of its natural color and adopts a dull gray tone. Often this is associated with loss of hair, or the softening of hair which can ruin the texture of a coat in some breeds such as the Schnauzer or others with a typically coarse and wiry coat. Although almost all breeds will eventually lose some of their color and begin to go gray, graying is considered a problem when it occurs much earlier than could naturally be anticipated.The disease can affect any breed of dog, but studies have indicated that it is most likely to affect dogs that are both small and possess a tightly woven coat as their standard, again making the miniature Schnauzer a prime candidate. It's not necessarily a harmful disease as it causes no real detriments to a dog's overall health, but it can still be very problematic for some people who paid a lot of money for a dog of a certain color, especially if they had plans to put that dog into the show ring. [...]
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Getting a Scottish Deerhound can be a big responsibility because the life of a dog is in your hands. Because of this, it is imperative that you know the health problems that are commonly associated with a Scottish Deerhound and what you should do if your dog is afflicted by such illnesses.Here are the common illnesses found among Scottish Deerhounds, and also the various treatments and prevention measures that you can use to ensure that your pet is fit and healthy. [...]
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If you have a Scottish Deerhound for a pet, you must know that this dog has special needs when it comes to its health. There are a few things you have to look into when caring for your Scottish Deerhound, namely, exercise, feeding and medical attention.If you have a Scottish Deerhound, the most important thing that you should do to ensure its overall health is to provide sufficient exercise. For a Deerhound puppy, you should be aware that the amount of exercise that you give to your pet would translate to its overall development as a dog, both in terms of health and physical growth. Therefore, for an active breed such as the Scottish Deerhound, frequent and proper exercise is necessary to maintain its state of well-being. In line with this, it is best that you can provide a large, fenced area for your Scottish Deerhound to run around in. [...]
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There is nothing, I repeat: nothing, your dachshund likes more than eating. Though sleeping and chasing after balls might come close, they'll drop the others for food anytime. While there is the occasional dachshund that isn't quite too ravenous (especially among some of the more exotic coat types), as a breed, they are insatiable. That said, it will be an uphill battle throughout your dachshund's life to keep their weight under control. [...]
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Protopsis is an emergency medical condition in which an otherwise healthy eye explodes or falls out of the orbital socket that normally contains it. Though it can happen in any breed, it seems to occur most often in those with short and wide faces such as pugs, bulldogs, and pekingnese.Protopsis can happen for a wide variety of reasons. It could occur as the result of trauma such as a scratch or bite by another animal, even when the resulting damage is not externally visible. Likewise, it could occur as the result of pressure exerted upon the inner eye from the build-up of ocular fluids. It's even possible for protopsis to happen spontaneously with no discernible cause whatsoever. [...]
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Dog owners are now changing their ways when it comes to what they feed their pets. The same is true for those who own Scottish Deerhounds. While owners of this breed of dogs might have been contented to feed their pets commercial food before, they have now become more receptive to the notion that it is better to use natural food. More and more Scottish Deerhound owners are now adapting to the new trend of seeing home-cooked meals as being better than store-bought ones. This is because they are getting concerned with the amount of chemicals and preservatives that go into their dogs' digestive system through the ingestion of commercial food. [...]
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In a normally functioning canine heart, the right side of the heart is responsible for pumping blood to the lungs to be infused with oxygen. This oxygenated blood is then cycled back into the left side of the heart where it is sent out to the rest of the body. There exists, however, a medical condition called pulmonic stenosis that interferes with this natural and medically necessary process. In an animal with pulmonic stenosis, blood flow to the lungs is compromised by an improperly formed pulmonic valve. As a result, the heart must work much harder than normal to pump blood to the lungs, and the ultimate result is a swelling of fluid in the right chambers of the heart, a thickening of the heart muscle, and eventually heart failure and death. [...]
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Pyometra is a medical condition in which pus is accumulated in the uterus of a dog. It usually happens after the animal has gone through a heat cycle without becoming pregnant. Hormonal abnormalities result in the uterine lining becoming thick. When this happens, fluid begins to accumulate within the thickened walls, infection develops and the uterus fills with pus. In certain conditions, namely if the cervix is open, the pus will drain from the dog through the vagina and is an unpleasant, but not especially life-threatening concern. If the cervix is closed, however, the pus will be trapped inside the uterus and cannot drain outside the body. At this point, the infection rapidly becomes a threat to the dog's life. [...]
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Pyotraumatic Dermatitis, also known as "hot spots", are severe skin irritations caused by trauma that a dog typically inflicts on his or her self. Attempts to scratch persistent itches, to bite at fleas, or to alleviate some type of pain result in painful trauma to the outermost layer of skin. Though this trauma is the most frequent cause of hot spots, hypersensitivity to parasites such as fleas or mites or allergic reactions to food or medications can also cause similar irritations. Ultimately, the trauma to the skin manifests as large, open lesions within a matter of hours. These lesions are typically a bright red, moist, and oozing sore that rapidly forms a crust surrounded by red, raised skin. Hair is lost from the affected area, but in any hot spot, the hairline is very clearly defined with a sharp edge. If left untreated, the lesion will spread very rapidly, and there is substantial pain associated with the area of the trauma. [...]
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The function of a healthy kidney is to remove naturally occurring and foreign toxins from the bloodstream and eject them from the body via urination. A healthy kidney is made up of three major structure: the cortex, the medulla, and the pelvis. The cortex is the largest part of the kidney, and makes up the entire outer area. This area is filled with capillaries that control the fluid interchange function of the kidneys; fluids that have had their toxins removed are passed through here in order to be reabsorbed back into the blood stream by the medulla.Renal cortical hypoplasia is a disease in which the cortex of the kidneys is improperly developed. The natural result is that proper filtration of toxins from the bloodstream cannot be carried out and over time, renal failure is inevitable. [...]
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In a healthy dog, kidneys fulfill the role of filter for the body's waste. They absorb toxins from the bloodstream and pass them out of the body as urine. In addition, they regulate the level of calcium in the bloodstream and aid in the metabolism of phosphorous. The "filtering" aspect of a kidney's function is carried out by tiny funnel-shaped tubes called nephrons. They number in the millions in each kidney and are essential parts of the filtration process. However, they are incredibly sensitive to damage. Poison, disease, fever, trauma, bacterial infection and aging all can destroy nephrons very easily, and once destroyed they never grow back. This usually isn't a major concern, though, as kidneys are made to continue working with as little as one quarter of their nephrons intact. If the level falls much below that, however, renal failure will rapidly occur. [...]
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