Showing posts with label Symptoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Symptoms. Show all posts

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia In Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment

Most of us are familiar with the word leukemia and are aware that it is some sort of a cancer that affects people. It is also a fairly well-known fact that leukemia is a serious condition that can be fatal. There are many different types of leukemia, which can affect not just humans, but also …

Dog Health Problems Symptoms - How the Internet Can Help

One of the hardest things that pet owners find when they own a dog, is that the dog cannot tell you when it is feeling poorly. True enough there are symptoms that are sometimes very noticeable, like when your dog contracts diarrhea, but sometimes like in the case of liver cancer or spleen cancer, your wonderful little pet simply cannot tell you what is going on. It may be very obvious that he or she does feel very well, they might be listless or even act kind of ferocious, for instance if your pet has come down with canine distemper because he has been staying at a boarding kennel. Its just that many times, the symptoms might not be so apparent. One of the most important things that you can do when you are caring for a dog is to find information online that might be able to help you take care of your pet. Silly as it may sound, your dog cannot find out for himself what is going on with his health. He must rely on you as a caring dog owner to take on the responsibility of providing health care. Its not like pet owners don’t want to take care of their pets, its just that sometimes, they get busy, they start reading the email or playing an online game with their friends and then before you know it, 2 hours have gone by and they have not learned anything new that can help their faithful dog friend who has been laying at their feet while they were online. Now, of course, if your pet has loose bowels and is leaving piles of feces all around the house, this is pretty noticeable and you will start paying attention immediately. But, say for instance, your dog starts to develop the symptoms of cushing’s disease in dogs, would you honestly know what was going on with him. Most people would not and that is why it is a very good thing that we have the internet to help us track down and find information about dog health problems. Of course, this may never happen to you, that your wonderful little pet dog comes down with some sort of sickness that makes him feel bad and breaks your heart, but if that does happen, you know that the internet is full of information and helpful websites so you can find out what you need to help your dog feel better fast.


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Bad Odor

Is your dog stinky?


The average dog shouldn’t be any stinkier than the average person!


Why does our dog love to lay down in stinky stuff?In fact, I’d say much less so! (And I’m not even taking bad cologne choices into consideration.)


Of course, a bad cologne choice, at least according to our human standards, can make your dog quite stinky. A good roll in a deer poop or dead fish will certainly do the trick. So would an encounter with a skunk.


When the source of the bad odor is obvious, all you have to worry about is destinkifying your dog.


I am quite sure that a dog covered in something nasty won’t escape your attention. But what if your dog is stinky without an apparent cause?


Bad odor can be a sign of a health issue!

1. Bad breath (halitosis) is most commonly caused by dental disease.


Do not take that lightly. Dental disease can cause a lot of pain, and the bacteria associated with dental disease can lead to life-threatening infections affecting the heart, kidney and liver!


Other oral diseases, such as mouth ulcers and melanoma or other tumors of the oral cavity can also cause very bad breath.


Even scarier—systemic issues, such as kidney failure or diabetes can be the culprit behind bad breath.


2. Infected ears (otitis) can generate quite a bit of bad odor.


Infected ears can be quite painful and if left untreated, you’re risking serious complications, including deafness, problems associated with the sense of balance, and chronic ear inflammation that requires lifelong management.


3. Another common source of bad odor is anal sac disease.


Healthy anal sacs produce an incredibly foul smelling liquid, but under normal circumstances it is only released when a dog defecates or is terrified enough to use them as a defense mechanism.


If you are routinely smelling anal sac material during the course of day to day life, something is wrong. Impacted glands may releases at inappropriate times (like when your dog scoots across the carpet), and  the micro-organisms in an infected anal sac can produce quite a  pungent odor of their own.


4. Skin diseases


Allergies, seborrhea, and bacterial or yeast infections can also be behind your dog’s bad odor. With Jasmine, I have learned to use my nose for early detection of skin in trouble.


The odors associated with skin diseases usually occur in tandem with other symptoms, such as an abnormally greasy coat, itching, flaking, or skin lesions.  But, many owners first notice the smell and often report that “I give my dog a bath and the smell is back the next day.”


5. Gas (flatulence)


Everyone farts, but if your dog produces immense amounts of stinky gas on a regular basis, something is amiss. Abnormal flatulence can be a sign of a dietary issue or of gastrointestinal diseases.



Healthy dogs don’t stink!


Bad odor is just as important to pay attention to as any other symptom.


The number one rule when faced with a smelly dog is to look for and deal directly with the underlying problem, not to find a product that will mask the odor or to relegate your dog to the back yard.


It’s your dog’s health!
Jana


Further reading:
Dog odor
Unnatural Sources of Odor On Pet Dogs
Doggy Odor
Why Does My Dog Stink?
My dog smells bad and has itchy skin


Related articles:
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Drinking
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Panting
Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Bad Breath (Halitosis)
Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire: A Symptom Is Your Friend!
When Is It An Emergency?


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

IMHA Is Not To Be Taken Lightly: Know The Symptoms

This story is shared with us by Susan Rakay. She has lost her dog to IMHA and she wanted to raise awareness of this condition because with IMHA time is of the essence.


Please do learn when your dog’s symptoms are truly serious and require immediate medical attention!


I have already written about IMHA in Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: Razzle’s Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) article, and Dr. Mahaney shared the story of his dog Cardiff and Battling IMHA With Integrative Veterinary Medicine.


Razzle and Cardiff won their battle. Nikki wasn’t so lucky.


Nikki’s Story





It will be a year this coming Saturday that I lost Nikkilodiean to something I knew nothing about. She was my first dog ever but other dog owners I spoke to knew nothing about this disease either.


I took very good care of my little girl, vet visits when needed, grooming every month and brushing her teeth every day.



But one day hen I brushed her teeth her gums looked white and she was breathing as if she had a cold.


I thought it was a cold so I took her to the vet.



She was diagnosed with a severe case of IMHA. 


I immediately took her to the vet hospital in Phoenix and they did a blood transfusion, put her on IV, did a test to check for internal bleeding and other blood test. They could find no bleeding anywhere but she keep getting weaker and weaker.


Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is a disease in which the body attacks its own red blood cells. To read more about IMHA check out the Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: Razzle’s Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) article.


Nikki stopped eating and got to the point where she didn’t recognize me and she just wanted to sleep.


The vet kept telling me to give it time but after three days I was seeing no improvement and didn’t want her to be in pain.  Nothing they did made any difference and I saw her slipping away before my eyes.  They said they didn’t think she was in pain but I knew she was dying. I wanted to take her home (200 miles away) to the place she loved.


I brought her home to my vet during the day and she spent the nights with me.


I would sleep all day and stay up with her at night.  On the third day of doing this while I was sleeping my vet called and said to get there as soon as possible.  I dressed very quickly and rushed to the vet that was only two miles away but by the time I arrived my beloved little girl had already passed.


My vet and the animal hospital said I did everything I could for her. (I’m still paying the vet hospital bill of over $ 4,000).


But I know that if someone, anyone had told me about this disease/illness I would have kept an eye out of it and gotten her to the vet/hospital sooner and she may had lived.


I want to put the word out there about this.


Please be aware and if you see these symptoms in you dog, get them to the vet IMMEDIATELY no matter what the time is (even if it is the middle of the night pay the extra money and get you dog there quickly) as it may save their life!


What symptoms should you watch for?


Your dog will be obviously weak. He or she will have no energy and have lost interest in food. Urine will be dark orange or maybe even brown. The gums, as well as the whites of the eyes, will be pale or even yellow-tinged. There may be a fever. You (hopefully) brought your pet to the veterinarian’s office as soon as it was clear that there was something wrong.




It’s your dog’s health!
Jana


Related articles:
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde: Razzle’s Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)
Battling IMHA With Integrative Veterinary Medicine (part 1)
Battling IMHA With Integrative Veterinary Medicine (part 2)


Further reading:
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)


Symptoms of Poor Health in Your Dog

Signs of ill health are the most relevant signs of the health well being in your dogs, For example if the dog has non-stop nasal discharge it indicates the presence of nasal congestion and if the discharge is thick most of the times, the dog could have pneumonia.
If the dog vomits one or two times every so often,this probably won’t be taken as a serious sign of ill health but if the dog continues this vomiting, then this is something significant to be looked into.

If the dog has continuous itching then one needs to check up the dog first by closer observation and examination of skin by separating the hair material notably in cases of long haired breeds.

You may also encounter a lot of ticks or lice on the skin, which may look plainly normal at a distance.




If the dog passes loose stool for one or two times, this need not be given more emphasis but if there is nonstop passing of loose stool then the dog is known to suffer from bowel disorders.


If the dog does not pass stool for two to three days, then the digestive upsets needs to be ruled out carefully.


Just patiently observe the dog’s walking movements and rule out any abnormal movements in the dog and if the dog is limping, the animal may have foot lesions.


Similarly, if the aged dog has slow walking and less feed intake along with,repeated vomiting then acute renal disorders like nephritis must be ruled out.
If there is whiteness in eyes, believe the corneal opacity that may show up in diseases like trypanasomosis.


When the dog becomes anemic, the mucous membrane of the eyes gets to be paler and in severe cases this may have wall white color.


If the dog bites chain and owners or others, look for behavior problems and rabies has to be ruled out.


Monday, September 16, 2013

You Coul Be Killing Your Dog! - Dog Health Problems Symptoms

For too long we have been dishing out big money to veterinarians to look after our dogs. Now we have the power to diagnose and treat our own dogs… and save ourselves a lot of money!Thanks to a professional veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Jones, exposing many secrets – we now know that many dog health problems symptoms can be cured at home, using common items, herbs and chemicals found in almost all houses.Three common mistakes exposed by Dr Jones that could actually be killing our dogs -Veterinarian Approved Dog FoodYou think you are doing the right thing by buying the dog food that is recommended by veterinarian societies, but did you know that many of these foods are actually highly carcinogenic? (Cancer causing!). Many of them contain Ethoxyquin, which is highly suspected as being a cancer causing chemical. In addition they also frequently contain BHA and BHT, which have been proved to cause liver and kidney dysfunction. These foods also frequently contain propylene glycol, which destroys red blood cells. Yearly VaccinationsEvery vet says that yearly vaccinations are essential. Yes, you are trying to do the right thing but many modern vaccinations contain a modified live virus which are highly suspected of increasing the likelihood of blood disease, cancer, bone marrow problems and organ failure. Conventional Medicines Giving our dogs some medicines can actually do them much more damage than good. For example, many dogs with arthritis are given anti-inflammatories. However, many anti-inflammatories have negative side effects such as depression, kidney damage, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver problems amongst other negative effects.So what is the answer?If all these things are the wrong thing to do, what can I do now?At [http://doghealthproblemssymptoms.weebly.com/]Dog Health Problems Symptoms we give you an alternative for you and your dog to expensive vet bills and foods and treatments that could actually be killing your dog.You can access a FREE guide on dog health there.There are hundreds of common dog problems you can diagnose and cure yourself using common home chemicals.



Dog Wellbeing Difficulties - Signs and symptoms of four Common Dog Ailments


Dog Wellbeing Difficulties – Signs and symptoms of four Common Dog Ailments




It\’s vital for every dog proprietor to realize dog overall health troubles and signs and symptoms as your furry pal relies on you to be his or her \”1st responder\” when they have a dilemma. You can tell when they aren\’t feeling all that effectively but do you really know what to do? Listed under are the indicators for some widespread dog health issues ranging from the each day to the extremely serious.


Dog Diarrhea


The signs and symptoms of this issue are fairly clear. Your canine buddy is possibly going to express some ache when defecating mainly because that strain is just magnifying the discomfort in his abdomen. The stool will be runny and may possibly be an irregular color. The odor will be additional extreme.


Diarrhea in canines is fairly widespread thanks to a dog\’s comprehensive lack of discrimination in what he eats. If it smells okay and doesn\’t damage his mouth then it is likely food. As a outcome they eat stuff that can make them sick.


Indicators Of Lyme Disease In Dogs


Lyme ailment is a bacterium known as Borrelia which is transmitted to your dog via a tick bite. Sadly, there are no signs till weeks soon after the infection and when they do show they are generally mistaken for other ailments.


Dog health issuesis a single that appears to be arthritis. Joints and lymph glands can turn out to be swollen producing it extremely unpleasant for the canine to stroll or even get comfy laying down. Your pal will grow to be listless, may well refuse to consume due to the fact the work hurts also significantly, and could revert to making use of the inside of of the home as his rest room fairly than going outdoors.


The giveaway that this is Lyme\’s and not arthritis is that the impacted limbs will alter. When arthritis develops it doesn\’t transfer close to. With Lyme\’s ailment a single aspect of your canine can be affected a single week and then abruptly it heals and the other aspect is impacted.


Signs of Distemper


Distemper is an airborne virus that is extremely contagious and has an effect on the dog\’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous programs. Distemper will 1st indicate itself with cold like indicators with watery eyes, runny nose, a cough and at times diarrhea. Later in the advancement of the condition the canine will endure from disorientation, twitching and even convulsions. Sadly there is no successful treatment method for this illness.


Signs and symptoms of Ear Infections


These infections are rather widespread specifically with dogs that have large earflap like Bassets and Dachshunds. The infection is triggered by bacteria or yeast that show up when there is a modify in the dog\’s ear like an infestation of ticks or mites. Signs of an ear infection contain the shaking of the head, a pawing of the ears, ache and a foul odor coming from the ears.


Of program there are several far more ailments that can have an impact on your canine pal but the issue to keep in mind is prevention. It\’s truly not so diverse from taking care of a child. Maintain their pictures up to date, maintain them effectively fed and clean and supply clear bedding. Parasites result in most of the difficulties and if you can limit your dog\’s publicity to odd dogs you are limiting the probability of exposure to illness. If you notice dog health issues that do not go away following a handful of days, get your pal to the vet.


Sunday, September 15, 2013

Symptoms To Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Drinking



Dogs cannot tell us when something is bothering them, and I doubt that they would even if they could. Dogs are just not the type to go around complaining about things.










Photo by ucumari

That’s why it’s important that we watch for signs and symptoms of disease. Generally, any change in your dog’s body, behavior, actions or routine is telling you something. Some of the signs can be quite subtle and easily overlooked or dismissed. Paying attention to early symptoms can save your dog a lot of suffering and give him the best chance for a successful recovery.


Today we’ll take a look at excessive thirst/drinking.


I was talking to a friend about post-op issues her dog was having after an extracapsular repair of her ACL. During our discussion she mentioned that in the snow they noticed that her dog’s urine was clear, with no color to it at all, and she asked whether it was something to worry about.


I asked if her dog was drinking a lot. It turned out that her dog had been unusually thirsty and drinking large amounts of water since her surgery three months ago!


Excessive drinking is a symptom that should be taken seriously.


What constitutes excessive drinking?


Any change in your dog’s drinking or eating habits should be noted. Drinking more than usual without an obvious explanation—such as hot weather or exercise—should not be dismissed. Do you have to fill the water bowl more often lately? Does your dog urinate more frequently? Talk to your veterinarian.


Take it seriously. Depending on other symptoms, excessive drinking can be a sign of a number of conditions, including



When in doubt, err on the side of caution. 


Early diagnosis  can mean the difference between treatment success or failure.


Jana


Further reading: What’s the Differential Diagnosis of Polydipsia and Polyuria in Dogs and Cats?