Heart failure in the older dog
This condition develops in many older dogs and key warning signs are: an animal tired, coughing, breathing abnormally or is syncope. If your dog suffers from heart failure or if it gets older, see our fact sheet to learn more about this disease.
The heart
The heart is a muscle that beats continuously throughout the life of your dog. Depending on the size of the dog, the number of beats between 50 and 200 per minute. The small dogs have a heart rate much faster than large breeds. At each beat, the blood containing oxygen and nutrient molecules reaches the vital organs and muscles. Unfortunately it happens sometimes that heart muscle is no longer able to function properly. Heart failure is a decreased ability of heart muscle function: either the beats become less regular, or they become less effective. In both cases, the heart sends less blood each time.
The causes of heart failure
They are very variable. Heart failure can affect only part of the heart (left or right half) or the heart in its entirety. It can include narrowing of the intra-cardiac valves, failure of closure of these valves, high blood pressure blood pressure, thinning of the muscular wall of the ventricles, for example. But whatever the cause, the result is usually the same: the cardiac pump is less efficient. Symptoms and treatment are often identical for different causes of failure.
Good dog care
To be happy and have good health, not just love him very much. . . It is necessary to apply a set of standards of hygiene, nutrition and education measures certain enumerated here.
(1) The puppies of any species need a healthy, abundant and nutritious diet. It must be related according to their race, their size and weight. It will eat at least three times daily and where adult once or twice.
(2) Many types of dogs suffer from the known disease is distemper, hepatitis and canine parvovirus. Communicable diseases that affect systems and basic appliances for life. What to do for the animals from contracting this disease is vaccination plan is from forty-five days and after three months as is popular belief.
(3) The dogs not drink much on each occasion, why are thirsty often. It must have at its disposal a container with fresh water.
The Cataract of the older dog
Cataract is defined by the loss of transparency, or clouding of the lens. The lens is a kind of lens located in the eye that allows the dog to see both near and far. Older dogs, this cataract, called senile cataract, is due to aging of the lens. This condition is common in older dogs. It begins around age 7 or 8 years. It can be mild, moderate or severe depending on the animal and the age of onset. This clouding of the lens is due to normal aging (physiological) of the lens in older animals. The lens is normally transparent but gradually it will become opaque. At an advanced stage, the lens is completely white and the pupil appears white.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
The first visible sign is a bluish reflection characteristic of crystalline degeneration. At first the dogs vision is not too impaired. Unfortunately the loss of vision will gradually increase. Your dog will bump into the furniture especially when light levels are low and approach will be more hesitant especially in unfamiliar territory. Only your veterinarian can tell you if the visual loss of your dog is due to aging of the lens or if it is another eye problem (injury, infection).
Consequences
Due to the loss of lens transparency, the vision of the dog down. This decrease in visual acuity is progressive senile cataracts because, unlike other cataracts, are rather slow evolution. Becoming progressively blind is not always traumatic for a dog, which offsets much loss of visual acuity by his hearing and smell. The animal will often be at ease in his newspaper habitat in the garden, and sometimes even on the street on a leash. It will be hampered by cons when dark or when it will be in a new environment.
Hormonal diseases and hair loss in dogs
Hair growth is under hormonal control. Therefore, when an anomaly in the secretion of certain hormones, is found among many symptoms, skin disorders. In which case does it evoke a hormonal condition as the cause of hair loss? What conditions should be suspected as a priority? Here are some hormonal diseases whose symptoms hair loss, with certain other specific signs associated with:
• Diabetes mellitus (insulin deficiency): The pet drinks and urinates a lot, there is sometimes a tendency to obesity.
• The hypercortisolism or Cushing’s syndrome (adrenal disease): The dog has a bigger belly, thin and dry skin with comedones (blackheads), he eats and drinks heavily.
• Hypothyroidism (a disease of older animals, which can sometimes be an immune-mediated): The skin becomes thick, dark spots appear, the dog weakens, becomes apathetic. The decrease in activity is often attributed wrongly to the increasing age of the dog.
• The hyperoestrogenism (ovarian cyst unspayed females, testicular tumors in males).
Parasitic diseases and hair loss in dogs
Some parasites grow at the expense of the hair, causing his death and fall. Moreover, some parasites cause itching, and therefore hair loss secondary to scratching. When a dog loses his hair unusually, it is necessary to raise the parasitic assumptions.
The Allergy Dermatitis of Flea
Allergy dermatitis flea (FAD) is the most common cause of hair loss secondary to parasite attack. It is indeed an allergy to flea saliva: a single flea bite can cause seizures licking and scratching frantic, sometimes bloody. This results in the uprooting and loss of hair, located some places such as the thighs or lower back (rump). This is why a regular flea treatment of animals as their environment is essential.
Ringworm
Ringworm is the development of a fungus in the hair shaft. This fungus feeds on keratin of the hair, causing areas popped rounded at the head, back or thighs. Itching is rare. Attention, as ringworm is a disease quite common, very contagious to other animals, and it can be transmitted to humans in some cases. Many dogs are asymptomatic carriers of ringworm (that is to say they are healthy, without hair loss) and can transmit it to others.
The emergency kit for dogs
What if your dog is injured or appears sick? In order to react instantly to the health problems of your dog, and pending visit to the vet, there are some products have always at hand.
The important contact
Always carry the phone number of your regular veterinarian, as well as emergency veterinary service in your area (open clinical 24h/24, veterinarian at home).
The health record of your pet
Keep it in your emergency kit so you can have it with you if you go on vacation or if you bring your pet to the vet. Although the dog’s health record should be used principally to support thumbnails of vaccines, do not hesitate to ask your vet to refer to any disease that your dog could have had, the results of any review undertaken, or any intervention that your pet may have suffered throughout his life.
Spaying female dogs
Sterilization of pets is often discussed. Indeed, many owners of dogs refuse surgical sterilization, they regard as mutilation, an irreversible act that will change the behavior of their pet. Reasoning from the perspective of the animal, not human, what is it really?
Unfortunately, people are increasingly likely to identify their dog to a person, they ascribe thoughts and human feelings. Always remember that a dog is an animal, which reacts as an animal and therefore does not feel at all things and events as we do. A dog is largely guided by instinct and by his hormones. This is verified in particular sexual behavior: a dog has periods of sexual activity in connection with a high sex hormone levels. Outside these periods (the heat, which lasts three weeks this twice a year on average), while reproductive interest has disappeared. It is therefore wrong to imagine that a dog needs for its overall balance, to have had contact with a male or to have a litter.
What is surgical sterilization in a bitch?
The most effective, least expensive (medium term) and less risky for the future health of the bitch is surgical sterilization, which is final. It involves removing the ovaries (with or without the uterus). This is a common procedure, performed by all veterinarians. The ideal is to make the bitch before puberty, that is to say, before the first heat that appear around 6 to 7 months in small breeds and to 10 to 12 months in large.
Complications of parturition in the bitch
One can observe complications during parturition, and then once the puppies born. In an emergency, it is essential to call your veterinarian quickly. One can distinguish the complications occurring during parturition from those occurring later, once the pups born.
Complications during parturition
Defects in fetal position (dystocia) at the exit are quite rare: some puppies may appear crooked. It should then quickly see the vet because the dog may die of suffocation, and the output of the other puppies may be delayed, with the same consequences. The inertia of the uterus is a common cause of problems with parturition in the bitch. These contractions insufficient to bring out the puppies. The dog usually has the first phase, but this is no puppy, and no contraction is detected.
The duration of the first phase is highly variable, it is difficult to know when to intervene. That is why we should not hesitate to contact your veterinarian for doubt. Sometimes, especially in large litters, the bitch has an “exhaustion” of the uterus, causing uterine contractions cease and hence parturition. Again, if the time between two puppies exceeds two hours, without any contraction, it is important to consult your veterinarian.
Pyometra in the bitch
Your dog is suffering from pyometra, or your veterinarian has discussed the risks of such an affection of the uterus to present the interests of neutering your dog, and you would like to know what it really is. Indeed pyometra can be very serious if not treated in time.
The characteristics and causes of pyometra
Pyometra is a condition affecting the uterus arising from a hormonal imbalance (sex hormones) mostly occurring within two months after the heat of the dog. The hormonal imbalance leads to an excessive production of mucus and secretions from the glands of the uterine wall. The cervix is closed, the secretions accumulate in the uterus. It then expands out too much. Secondary bacterial infection of the uterine contents often complicates the clinical picture.
Pyometra is likely to affect all dogs over seven years (and sometimes even younger), not having been sterilized. There is no breed predisposition for this condition. The precise cause of hormonal imbalance is not known. However, some originate pyometra misuse or inappropriate hormonal treatments (for abortions, the interruption or prevention of oestrus) and, in this case, they can affect dogs of all ages.
Caring for newborn puppies
The birth of the pups is a highly anticipated event but also often causes stress among owners, here are some tips on the first steps to get to newborns.
Caring for newborns
Puppies that are born wearing their appendices must be removed, preferably by the mother. This will clean the pups and cut the umbilical cord. If the mother is inexperienced or nervous, and it does not work, you must replace it. You can also disinfect the cords with a little Betadine diluted (1 volume to 9 parts water).
If the puppy is not breathing, you have to rub with a clean, smartly
The birth of the puppies should be in a pretty warm (around 25 ° C), because they are unable to raise their body temperature to fight against the cold. Obviously, they must be protected from air currents. Many dogs are infected with herpes, they transmit to their offspring at birth. The puppies then easily develop the disease if environmental conditions are not favorable: there is a weakening of puppies, with growth retardation, or sudden deaths. We must therefore ensure that the room temperature remains between 22 and 27 ° C during the first 10 days of life.
