Tag Archives: off food

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Heart care for dogs

Dogs suffer from heart failure, just like humans. If dog owners recognise the warning signs of heart failure they can seek help earlier and enjoy a healthy, happy pet for longer.

Research shows that most dog owners are not aware of the risk of heart failure in older dogs, even though 1 in 10 dogs presented to vets suffer from heart disease.

Boehringer Ingelheim has launched a Heart Failure Awareness Program to raise owners’ awareness of the signs of heart disease in dogs. The company wants to reduce the numbers of dogs suffering unnecessarily from this life threatening condition.

The Heart Failure Awareness Program is aimed at dog owners because they are most likely to notice changes in their dog’s health and behaviour.

Early signs of heart failure, like loss of appetite, are subtle and often overlooked.

The common signs of congestive heart failure include:

  • Coughing, especially at night
  • Poor appetite
  • Reluctance to exercise and tiring quickly on walks
  • Laboured or fast breathing
  • Fainting – often associated with exercise
  • Weight loss
  • Enlarged abdomen
  • Weakness

If your dog is aged seven or more and showing one or more of the above signs visit a vet without delay.

Effective treatment of heart failure is available and when started early greatly improves affected dogs’ quality of life.

If owners recognise the signs of heart failure early and seek veterinary advice before the heart deteriorates markedly, treatment has the greatest benefit.

Research has shown effective treatment allows dogs with heart failure to enjoy many healthy, good quality years of life.

And that’s something all dog owners want.

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Parvovirus in dogs

Parvovirus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and is very contagious. The virus may infect a whole litter of pups from an unvaccinated bitch. Dogs less than one year old are the most vulnerable to the virus.

Dogs go off their food and start to vomit within a few days of infection. An astute owner will notice a drop in appetite, depression, and fever before the vomiting and diarrhoea start. The diarrhoea often contains blood and mucus, and many dogs suffer severe pain in the belly.

How does a dog become infected with parvovirus?

The faeces of an infected dog is high in virus. Direct contact between dogs is not required to spread the virus.

Another dog is infected by licking the virus off food dishes, hair, the ground, shoes, clothes, tyres or other objects.  The virus survives for years in backyards.

How do we know it is parvovirus?

We suspect parvovirus in any vomiting dog, particularly if they are unvaccinated and young.  A rapid test for virus in the faeces confirms the infection. Occasionally, even though a dog  has parvovirus the test is negative because the virus has not travelled all the way down the intestine. If we still strongly suspect parvovirus we treat the pup in the isolation ward and retest later.

Can it be treated successfully?

No treatment kills the virus. We treat the dog symptomatically to replace lost fluids, rebalance electrolytes and prevent septicaemia. The virus causes loss of the lining of the intestinal tract. This results in severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, and allows bacteria to get into the bloodstream and cause septicaemia.

Pain relief and drugs to control the vomiting are often necessary.

Most dogs with parvovirus recover with aggressive treatment as long as it is begun before severe septicaemia and dehydration occur. Some breeds, notably the Rottweiler, have a much higher fatality rate than other breeds.

Can it be prevented?

Routine vaccination provides excellent protection against parvovirus. We vaccinate pups at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks and then again at 14-16 weeks. In a parvovirus epidemic vaccination at two week intervals is recommended. Rottweilers and pups in an infected yard may need an additional booster at 18 to 20 weeks of age. A booster 12 months after the initial series of vaccinations and then every 3 years protects most dogs against infection.

Bitches should be vaccinated before whelping so that puppies are protected for the first vulnerable weeks of life

How do we kill the virus in the environment?

Disinfect food and water bowls, floors, towels and other contaminated items with chlorine bleach or a glutaraldehyde-based disinfectant at the recommended dilution.

Parvovirus is not transmissible to cats or humans.

 

Diseases of dogs, Dogs, Internal diseases of Dogs

Pancreatitis

Fatty foods like sausages, cheese and the cat’s biscuits, cause acute pancreatitis in overweight middle-aged dogs.

Dogs with acute pancreatitis vomit, refuse their food, withdraw from the family and show signs of pain in the belly.  They hunch over, adopt a praying position, or are reluctant to move.

To treat pancreatitis we ban all food  and give intravenous fluids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relief. The pancreas produces enzymes that digest food, and hormones like insulin that help the body utilise glucose.

Under normal conditions, digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas are activated when they reach the small intestines. In pancreatitis, these enzymes are activated prematurely and digest the pancreas itself. The severity of the disease depends on the quantity of enzymes activated.

Some cases of pancreatitis are in reaction to particular medications or toxins.

Inflammation of the pancreas sometimes allows digestive enzymes to spill into the abdominal cavity resulting in damage to surrounding organs, such as the liver, bile ducts, gall bladder, and intestines.  Toxins spilling into the bloodstream cause shock and problems in more distant organs.

If we suspect pancreatitis we check the level of pancreatic enzymes in the blood. Some dogs with pancreatitis have normal enzyme levels. If we still suspect pancreatitis we run a pancreatic specific lipase test.

Recovery depends on the extent of the disease and the response to initial therapy. Dogs that present with shock and depression have a very guarded prognosis. Most of the mild forms of pancreatitis respond quickly to treatment and have a good outlook.

Most dogs recover with no long-term ill-effects. However, there are three possible long-term complications of severe or repeated pancreatitis.

  1. If a significant number of cells that produce digestive enzymes are destroyed, proper food digestion is compromised. The dog loses weight despite a ravenous appetite and produces voluminous, soft faeces.  This is known as pancreatic insufficiency and is treated with by adding the missing enzymes to the food.
  2. If the cells that produce insulin are destroyed diabetes mellitus can result.  Signs of diabetes include weight loss despite a good appetite coupled with excessive drinking and urination.  Insulin therapy may be necessary.
  3. In rare cases, adhesions between the abdominal organs cause momentary “catches” as your dog moves are a consequence of pancreatitis.
  4. After a bout of pancreatitis, dogs are prone to relapse and owners must make sure that their dog has no access to fatty foods. We recommend a low fat good quality dog food.