Dogs
Dog Health
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The domestic dog's health is possibly
one of the best-studied areas in veterinary medicine, since the dog has had
such a long and close relationship with humans.
Diseases and ailments
Some diseases, ailments, and poisons are common to both humans and dogs;
others are different.
Transferable diseases
Most diseases
that affect dogs or humans are not transferable between the two species. There
are some exceptions of
zoonoses:
- Rabies, or Hydrophobia,
is a usually fatal disease which can be transmitted to dogs or humans by the
bite of an infected mammal, possibly a dog's, cat's, raccoon's, or bat's.
Although rodents and similar small mammals can be infected with the disease
artificially, they are generally not found infected in the wild; the current
hypothesis is that they are not likely to survive any attack that would infect
them. Animals with rabies suffer deterioration of the brain and tend to behave
bizarrely and often aggressively, increasing the chances that they will bite
another animal or a person and transmit the disease. Areas that are rabies-free,
(usually islands) such as Britain, Ireland, Australia, and the American state
of Hawaii have strict quarantine laws to keep their territories rabies-free.
These require long periods of isolation and observation of imported animals,
which makes them unattractive places to move with a pet unless the pet is
quite young. Areas that are not rabies-free usually require that dogs (and
often cats) be vaccinated against rabies. A person or dog bitten by an unknown
dog (or other animal) should always be treated without waiting for
symptoms, given the potentially fatal consequences of a rabid biter: there
has been only one case of someone surviving rabies when treatment was not
begun until after symptoms appeared. The biter should be apprehended if possible,
as only autopsy of the brain can determine if it was rabid. This should be
a great incentive to dog-owners to vaccinate their dogs even if they feel
the risk of their dog contracting rabies is low, since vaccination will eliminate
the need for their dog to be euthanized and examined in this fashion should
it bite anyone or be suspected of biting anyone. This applies to dogs that
are showing neurological signs at the time of the bite. Unvaccinated healthy
dogs need to be confined for ten days from the time of the bite (at home or
at a veterinarian depending on state law). If the dog is not showing signs
of rabies at the end of ten days, then the bitten person could not have been
exposed to rabies. Dogs and cats do not have the rabies virus in their saliva
until a few days prior to showing symptoms. Ten day confinement does not apply
to other species. A dog or cat bitten by a wild animal in an area known to
have rabies should be confined for six months, because it can take that long
for symptoms to start.
- Parasites, particularly intestinal worms such as hookworms, tapeworms and
roundworms, can be transmitted in a dog's feces. Some tapeworms have
fleas as intermediate hosts: the worm egg must be consumed by a flea to
hatch, then the infected flea must be ingested (usually by the dog while grooming
itself, but occasionally by a human through various means) for the adult worm
to establish itself in the intestines. The worm's eggs then pass through the
intestines and adhere to the nether regions of the dog, and the cycle begins
again.
- Fleas and ticks
of various species can be acquired and brought home by a dog, where they can
multiply and attack humans (and vice versa). This is particularly important,
now that tick-borne Lyme Disease has become endemic throughout a large area,
in addition to other similar diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Although dogs do not seem to be as susceptible to such diseases as humans,
similar rickettsial diseases have been spread by dogs to humans through such
mechanisms as a dog killing an infected rabbit, then shaking itself off in
the house near enough to its owners to fatally infect most of the family.
-
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It
is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Humans and dogs become
infected through contact with water, food, or soil containing urine from
infected animals. This may happen by swallowing contaminated food or water
or through skin contact, especially with mucosal surfaces, such as the eyes
or nose, or with broken skin.
Genetic ailments
Genetic
conditions are a problem in some dogs, particularly purebreeds:
- Hip dysplasia primarily
affects larger breeds.
- Luxating patellas
can be a problem for smaller breeds.
- Genes for
blindness
or
deafness seem to be carried by some breeds.
- In some dogs, such as collies,
the
blue merle or harlequin coloring is actually the heterozygote of a partially
recessive gene preventing proper development of the nervous system; therefore,
if two such dogs are mated, on the average one quarter of the puppies will
have severe genetic defects in their nervous systems and sensory organs ranging
from deafness to fatal flaws.
Parasites
Several types of
parasites
are commonly associated with dogs:
- Intestinal
worms cause varying degrees of discomfort.
- Heartworm is a dog
parasitoid. It is hard to eliminate and can be fatal; prevention,
however, is easily achieved using medication.
- As the name suggests, an infected mosquito injects a larva into the
dog's skin, where it migrates to the
circulatory system and takes up residence in the
pulmonary arteries and
heart,
growing and reproducing to an alarming degree. The effects on the dog
are quite predictable,
cardiac failure over a year or two, leading to death. Treatment of
an infected dog is difficult, involving an attempt to poison the healthy
worm with
arsenic compounds without killing the weakened dog, and frequently
does not succeed. Prevention is much the better course, via
heartworm pills which are fed to the dog and contain a compound
which kills the larvae immediately upon infection without harming the
dog. Often they are available combined with other parasite preventives.
- Fleas and ticks
are common parasites for which there are many effective preventive measures.
- Various mites
cause skin problems such as
mange.
Poisons
Dangerous foods
Some foods commonly enjoyed by humans are dangerous to dogs:
- Dogs love the flavor of chocolate, but chocolate in sufficient doses is
lethally toxic to dogs (and horses and possibly cats). Chocolate contains
theobromine, a chemical stimulant that, together with caffeine and theophylline,
belongs to the group of methylxanthine alkaloids. Dogs are unable to metabolize
theobromine effectively. If they eat chocolate, the theobromine can remain
in their bloodstreams for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience
fast heart rate, hallucinations, severe diarrhea, epileptic seizures, heart
attacks, internal bleeding, and eventually death. A chocolate candy bar can
be sufficient to make a small dog extremely ill or even kill it. Approximately
thirty grams of baking chocolate per kilogram (1/2 ounce per pound) of body
weight is enough to be poisonous. In case of accidental intake of chocolate
by especially a smaller dog, contact a
veterinarian or animal poison control immediately; it is commonly recommended
to induce vomiting within two hours of ingestion. Large breeds are less susceptible
to chocolate poisoning, but still are far less tolerant of the substance than
humans are.
-
- Note:Carob
treats are often available as dog treats; these are unrelated to
chocolate and are safe.
- It has recently been confirmed that
grapes and
raisins can
cause acute
renal failure in dogs. The exact mechanism is not known, nor any means
to determine the susceptibility of an individual dog. While as little as one
raisin can be fatal to a susceptible ten pound dog, many other dogs have
eaten as much as a pound of grapes or raisins at a time without ill effects.
The dog usually vomits a few hours after consumption and begins showing
signs of renal failure three to five days later.
- Onions
and to a significantly lesser extent
garlic
contain
thiosulfate which causes
hemolytic anemia in dogs (and
cats).
Thiosulfate levels are not affected by cooking or processing. Small puppies
have died of hemolytic anemia after being fed baby food containing onion
powder. Occasional exposure to small amounts is usually not a problem, but
continuous exposure to even small amounts can be a serious threat.
-
Macadamia nuts can cause stiffness, tremors,
hyperthermia, and abdominal pain. The exact mechanism is not known. Most
dogs recover with supportive care when the source of exposure is removed.
-
Alcoholic beverages pose much the same temptation and hazard to dogs as
to humans. A drunk dog displays behavior pretty much analogous to that of an
intoxicated person. (However, beer presents another problem; see below.)
- Hops, the plant used to make common beer, can cause malignant hyperthermia
in dogs, usually with fatal results. Certain breeds, such as
Greyhounds, seem particularly sensitive to hop toxicity, but hops should
be kept away from all dogs. Even small amounts of hops can trigger a potentially
deadly reaction, even if the hops are "spent" after use in brewing.
- Some dogs have
food allergies much as humans do; this is particular to the dog and not
characteristic of the species as a whole. An example is a dog vomiting
whenever he eats
salmon;
many humans likewise have seafood allergies.
Contact your veterinarian or the
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in case of possible exposure.
Coprophagia
A treat of ice cream could make this dog sick.
Many dogs have a fondness for eating feces. Some consume their own or other
dogs' feces; others seem to prefer cat feces (which, due to the feline digestive
system, are high in protein and consumed by many animals in the wild), and will
raid a kitty litter box for "treats." This can be unsafe for the dog's
health if the animal producing the feces has any diseases or parasites or has
recently ingested drugs that might be poisonous. For more information, see
coprophagia.
Feeding habits and obesity
Feeding table scraps to a dog is generally not recommended, at least in
excess. Dogs get ample correct nutrition from prepared dogfood. Otherwise, just
as in humans, their diet must consist of the appropriate mix of vegetables,
carbohydrates, and proteins, with the appropriate mix to provide all of the
minerals and vitamins that they need. A human diet is not ideal for a dog; in
addition, the scraps often consist of fat rather than meat
protein,
which is no better for dogs than it is for humans. Lastly, many people overfeed
their dogs by giving them all the table scraps that the dogs will eat—which is
usually all the table scraps they are fed, which is often too much food.
This Australian
Cattle Dog's obesity poses a health risk for the dog.
The result of too much food is
obesity, an
increasingly common problem in dogs, which can cause numerous health problems
just as it can in humans, although dogs are much less susceptible to the common
cardiac and
arterial
consequences of obesity than humans are.
Additionally, the feeding of table scraps directly from the table (as opposed
to taking scraps after the meal, and giving them in the dog's food dish as a
treat) can lead to trained begging behavior on the part of the dog, or even
encourage the dog to reach up and take food directly from the table. These are
normally seen as undesirable behavioral traits in a dog.
Common household chemicals
Some common household chemicals are particularly dangerous to dogs:
- Antifreeze, due to its sweet taste, poses an extreme danger of poisoning
to a dog (or cat) that either drinks from a spill or licks it off its fur.
The antifreeze itself is not toxic, but is metabolized in the liver to a
compound which causes kidney failure, and eventual seizures, and death. By
the time symptoms are observed, the kidneys are usually too damaged for the
dog to survive so acting quickly is important. Immediate treatment is to
administer
apomorphine or peroxide solution in an effort to get the animal to vomit
up as much of the antifreeze as possible. Next, it is critical to
immediately getting the animal to a veterinarian. Fomepizole (Antizol
Vet® by Orphan Medical) is considered the preferred treatment for
treating ethylene glycol toxicoses in dogs. Ethanol can also be used in cats
and dogs, however it does have several unfavorable side effects. Ethanol
occupies the enzymes in the dog's liver, long enough for the unmetabolized
antifreeze to be passed out harmlessly through the kidneys. Dogs should not
be allowed access to any place in which an antifreeze leak or spill has
happened until the spill is completely cleaned out. Even a very small amount
such as a tablespoon can easily prove fatal. Some brands of antifreeze that
contain propylene glycol instead of ethylene glycol are marketed as being
less harmful or less attractive to animals.
Additional health information
Dogs are susceptible to various diseases; similarly to humans, they can have
diabetes,
epilepsy,
cancer, or
arthritis.
Other diseases are more specific to canines.
Bloat and gastric torsion
Breeds with deep chests and narrow waists, such as the
Bouvier des Flandres or Doberman
Pinscher, for instance, are susceptible to a syndrome of gastric torsion
and bloat, where the stomach twists on
its supporting ligaments, sealing off the exits, and the contents begin to generate
gas pressure which is not only terribly painful (as can be imagined by anyone
who has experienced even mild gas pains), but kills large areas of stomach tissue
fairly quickly, resulting in a painful death within a very few hours. A similar
disease is seen in cattle and horses; and a similar home remedy has sometimes
been effective when a
veterinarian is not at hand, i.e. puncturing the stomach from outside
with a sharp object to relieve the pressure. Obviously, such a remedy must only
be attempted as a last resort. Dogs who have experienced such an attack are
very susceptible to another which is usually more severe, and this is one case
where the most medical intervention usually proves the best choice, normally
involving abdominal surgery to tack the dog's stomach down in several places
to prevent recurrence.
Vertigo
Elderly dogs are susceptible to an unusual form of intense
vertigo, the
cause of which is unknown; the affected dog is unable to stand up and remains
sprawled on the floor, the eyes displaying intense
nystagmus,
for typically a few days. While terrifying in appearance, owners often fearing
that the dog has had a fatal
stroke (which
is actually uncommon in dogs), the vertigo passes within a few days and by the
end of a week the dog is staggering around upright, and within another week
there is no evidence that anything at all had happened. The only risk of the
disease is that the dog is unable to eat or drink in that condition, and must
receive
supportive therapy of
intravenous fluids and nutrition; a light
sedative is
usually also administered, as the dog naturally seems terrified during the
experience.
Tobacco smoke
The
Passive smoking article has information on the effects of second-hand smoke
on dogs.
List of dog diseases and ailments
Contagious diseases
Parasites
- Parasites, particularly intestinal worms such as
hookworms,
tapeworms
and
roundworms (see
toxocariasis)
- Fleas and ticks
- Heartworm
- Mites
- Mange
Skeletal and muscular disorders
Cardiovascular and circulatory
- Platelet disorders
-
Thrombocytopathy such as
Von Willebrand disease
-
Thrombocytopenia
-
Thrombocytosis
-
Hemolytic anemia
- Various
heart defects
-
Heart murmur
-
Mitral valve disease
- Dilated
cardiomyopathy
Nervous system
-
Syringomyelia
-
Epilepsy
-
Cerebellar hypoplasia
- Seizure
disorders
-
Inherited polyneuropathy
-
Scotty Cramp
Eyes
- Eyelid
diseases
- Ectropion (eyelid folding
outward)
- Entropion (eyelid folding
inward)
-
Distichiasis
- Chalazion
-
Ectopic cilia
-
Lens diseases
- Cataracts (juvenile and adult type)
-
Lens luxation
-
Nuclear sclerosis
- Retinal
diseases
-
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
-
Retinal dysplasia
-
Retinal degeneration
-
Retinal detachment
- Corneal
diseases
-
Corneal dystrophy
-
Corneal ulcer
-
Florida keratopathy
- Pannus
-
Collie eye anomaly (CEA)
- Cherry eye
- Glaucoma
- Ocular Melanosis
(OM)
-
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)
-
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome
- Blindness
-
Conjunctivitis
-
Proptosed globe
-
Horner's syndrome
-
Optic neuritis
-
Persistent pupillary membrane
- Uveitis
-
Asteroid hyalosis
-
Synchysis scintillans
Ears
- Ear infections, particularly breeds with hanging ears, such as Beagles
- Deafness
Skin
Cancers
- cancer
-
Canine transmissible venereal tumor
- Hemangiosarcoma
-
Osteosarcoma
-
Malignant histiocytosis
- Mastocytoma (mast cell tumor)
- Lymphoma (lymphosarcoma)
- Fibrosarcoma
-
Squamous cell carcinoma
-
Perianal gland tumor
-
Anal sac adenocarcinoma
- Melanoma
- Leukemias
-
Plasmacytoma
-
Prostate cancer
-
Mammary tumors
- Insulinoma
- Oral cancer
- Eye
cancer
-
Nasal cancer
- Skin cancer
-
Thyroid cancer
-
Gastrointestinal cancer
-
Kidney cancer
- Lung cancer
-
Heart tumors
-
Testicular cancer
-
Ovarian cancer
-
Uterine cancer
-
Bladder cancer
-
Liver cancer
- Brain tumors
Behavioral
Environmental
- Sensitivity to
anaesthesia
- Heat stroke, especially flat-faced breeds, such as the Bulldog
-
Foxtails
Miscellaneous
- Diabetes
- Gastric torsion and Bloat
- Vertigo
-
Thyroid conditions, including:
-
Megaesophagus
- Molera
(hole in skull)
-
Fanconi syndrome
-
Inbreeding depression (see also
Small population size)
-
Autoimmune disease
-
Kidney disease (renal
disease)
- CECS (Canine
Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome
[2]
- Volvulus
Other Health-related topics
References
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