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Pet Connection
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Dog
If a dog (or any animal, including humans) is bitten by another animal with rabies, they are at risk for catching the virus themselves. It is incurable and is always fatal. Rabies attacks the spinal column, brain, and nervous system. The rabies virus exists in many countries around the world and can pass between animals of all types through saliva — so if your dog catches it and they bite you or lick an open wound on your body, it’s possible for you to catch it as well. Once your dog has been infected, they won’t begin to show symptoms for two weeks to a month. However, it’s important to note that the incubation period can be even longer than that, depending on the viral load and location of the bite. The symptoms then progress from changes in demeanor and activity levels to aggression or progressive paralysis. Keep in mind that one of the most common human symptoms, fear of water, does not happen with rabies in dogs.
The Vetster Editorial Team
5 min read
Hyperthyroidism means that your dog is producing too much of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. As a result, your dog’s metabolic rate can reach dangerously high levels — meaning they’re burning more calories than normal and might not have enough leftover for their body to function. Imagine a metabolism in overdrive and how it would affect your pet. Hyperthyroidism in dogs is thankfully rare, but when it does occur, it is caused by thyroid cancer.
3 min read
Like humans, dogs can develop glaucoma. It’s an ocular disease where pressure in the eye increases and, for almost all dogs affected, it results in blindness. When the fluid in your dog’s eye, called aqueous fluid, fails to drain properly, there becomes an overabundance of it in the eye itself. That’s what causes the pressure, which can damage both the retina and the optic nerve. Dogs can have two types of glaucoma: primary, where the issues are typically inherited; or secondary, where the outflow or circulation of fluid in the front of the eye is blocked, sometimes by trauma, injury, or a tumor. Secondary glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma in dogs.
4 min read
As your dog ages, they will quite likely develop some form of dementia. It’s a condition related to their aging brain, which isn’t something we can control. Dementia in dogs is also called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) and is similar to the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. It can lead to a change in behavior and memory loss. According to the Behavior Clinic at the University of California at Davis, about 68% of dogs aged 15 or older show signs of dementia but typical age of onset is 7-9 years.
Acid reflux in dogs presents pretty similarly to the condition in humans. It’s fairly common — though it mostly affects younger dogs and it’s not fully understood, as it can have a few causes. Usually, though, a malfunctioning or weak esophageal sphincter (the valve that keeps your dog’s stomach contents in its stomach and away from its throat) will allow gastric fluid to creep back into your dog’s throat and mouth. It’s uncomfortable, but it can be treated. If it’s caused by an underlying issue, treating that problem will help clear up the acid reflux.
Deafness in dogs refers to the partial or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. Deafness can occur from a variety of reasons such as heredity, birth defects, infection, trauma, blocked ear canal, or old age. Deafness in dogs is actually quite common.
Osteochondritis dissecans, commonly known as OCD, is an abnormal development of bone from cartilage that can affect various joints in large and giant bread dogs.
1 min read
Osteoarthritis is a common condition in dogs, also known as degenerative arthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). It is identified by progressive deterioration of articular cartilage in the joints of the limbs.
2 min read
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a disease that causes degeneration of the femoral head spontaneously. It is also known as avascular or aseptic necrosis of the femoral head.
Hypertrophic Osteopathy is a bone disease where new bone information appears in the limbs of a young growing dog. Although the exact mechanisms of the inflammation is poorly understood, it is thought to be an immune-mediated disorder.
Hip dysplasia is a complex, inherited disease in dogs and a common skeletal condition that occurs during hip growth and development. It is often seen in larger breeds but can affect dogs of all sizes.
Elbow dysplasia is a painful condition that found more commonly in large breed dogs. It causes one or both elbows to develop abnormally while a puppy is growing. The elbow joint can be affected in three main areas.
A Histiocytoma is a growth that develops on the surface of a dog's skin. Histiocytomas are benign, non-cancerous nodules, commonly known as round cell tumors.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a disease that occurs in dogs and humans, caused by an infectious bacterium called Rickettsia rickettsii. It is one of the most common disease in dogs and it often transmitted through the bites of infected ticks.
Lyme disease is caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi a bacteria that is transmitted to dogs via tick bites. This bacterial infection is only transmitted by certain species of ticks and but can infect dogs, cats, humans and other animals.
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