Ear Infection

 

Ear Infection: Ear infections in dogs are common and most dogs suffer from this painful condition. If your dog has ear infection you may notice a yeasty smell which is mainly due to the multiplication of infectious cells.


Symptoms:

• Head tilt 
• Circling
• Ear Discharge
• Smelly Ears
•  Nystagmus
• Pawing and scratching the head 
• Red and swollen ear canal  

Causes: Most ear infections in adults are caused by bacteria and yeast, though ear mites are a common cause in puppies. Environmental changes and various allergies lead to severe or controllable ear infections.

Treatment: Your veterinarian will take a sample from the affected ear(s) and examine it under the microscope to help identify what microorganisms are present. Vet would perform various lab tests and mostly antibiotics and pain killers are recommended by doctor. Some dogs have outer and some have middle ear infections so to diagnose he will perform physical check up.

Distinguishing whether your pet has an outer ear infection, a middle ear infection, or both helps your veterinarian choose the most effective treatment.

Anemia

Anemia: Anemia is defined as deficiency of red blood cells in the circulatory system. This condition is caused by the loss or destruction of a large amount of red blood cells, which may happen as a result of internal or external bleeding or  a disease such as an immune-mediated disorder or cancer. 

Symptoms:

• Lethargy
• Exercise Intolerence
• Tiredness
• Pale Pink to White Tongue
• Paleness of Eyes
• Weight Loss

                               KINDS OF ANEMIA
Anemia is of three types.

1. Hemolytic Anemias
2. Immune-Mediated Anemias
3. Blood Loss Anemia

Treatment: In case of anemia resulting as a result of chronic or acute blood loss blood transfusion is recommended for survival. In severe case if transfusion don`t help various lab tests are performed including complete blood picture, urine tests, radiology for cancer known as Oncology.
Its is highly recommended to consult your vet as soon as you realize your dog is anemic. 

Cataract

Cataract: Cataract is opacity in the lens of dog`s eye its a visible whitish to black membrane covering lens. Thin opacity don`t cause any disturbance but un-treated cataract may lead to blindness. Cataract can develop from disease, trauma or as side effect of any other medicine. For example diabetic dogs has more chances of developing cataract. It develops as an aging effect as well. 

Symptoms: Symptoms may include blur vision, visible redness of lens.

 Treatment: Treatment includes laser surgery. For surgery if your dog is diabetic or hypertension it is must to control sugar level and blood pressure. Uncontrolled sugar level or increase  blood pressure  may lead to complications in surgery.  

Cough (KENNEL COUGH)

Kennel Cough: It is a complex infection both viral and bacterial effecting the upper respiratory system of canines and causes inflammation of dog`s windpipe and voice box. Its a form of bronchitis. 


Causes: 

• It is an air borne disease
• Contact with Contaminated Objects
• Direct contact with Infected Dog 
• Food    

Symptoms:

• Fever
• Dry Hacking Cough
• Lethargy
• Sneezing
• Snorting
• Vomiting
• Gagging

Cough may last for 10 - 20 days or even more.

 Treatment:
 
As soon as you realize your dog has cough give him first aid. As a part of first aid BLACK TEA can be given three times a day after or before food and you may also give any available syrup. If your dog has fever with cough consult vet as soon as possible.
 Vet will physically examine your dog and may perform various lab tests for proper treatment. Mostly medicines and a few injections  help your dog to recover soon.
 

Diabetes Mellitus

                                                        

Diabetes: It is estimated that 1 dog in 500 has diabetes . Pancreatic disorders lead to low rate of certain secretion called Insulin which lead to high to high rate of sugar level in blood and in many cases in urine. Its causes may differ from dog to dog some have genetic or inherited disease some develop in later part of life.

Symptoms: 

• Increased Urination
• Excessive Water Intake
• Polyphagia 

Diagnosis 
       Signs of diabetes mellitus are also seen in other diseases. For this reason your dog needs to be examined thoroughly by your veterinarian he/she will perform various tests and physical examination.
  
 Cataract
      It occurs mainly due to the high sugar level in blood stream in which a visible membrane can be seen around the lens of dog. however, it can be treated with proper medical treatment.
 
Blood Sample
        Vet would take blood to examine sugar level in blood. If sugar level is high in blood it means your dog is suffering from disease.

Urine Sample
        Urine is also examined as a part of check up for the confirmation of disease.                                                                                                                                                
Treatment
        Vet would recommend medicine as per the need of your dog. Some dogs can be treated by giving tablets whereas in some cases dogs need insulin injection one, twice or thrice a day depending on the need of dog.Regular checkups of sugar levels may help in recovery. 

Side Effects
        Diabetes effects the internal organs specially kidneys and eyes mostly diabetes causes high blood pressure as well and liver enlargement.

                  

Cushing Syndrome

Cushing’s syndrome is a disease caused by long-term exposure to high levels of glucocorticosteroids, either manufactured by the body or given as medications. High levels of cortisone leads to gastrointestinal disorders and hypertension. This disease effects all organs and parts of the body however, skin and kidneys are the most effected by this disease. Dogs that are given prednisone or similar drugs can develop signs that look like Cushing’s disease (called iatrogenic Cushing’s).

Symptoms
Signs of cushing vary from dog to dog most commonly observed symptoms include

• Slow healing of Wounds
• Acne
• Pink or Purple stretch marks on the skin of the abdomen,
• High Blood Pressure
• Crusty Skin
• Atrophy of the Tongue
• Hard Skin Lumps                                                                                                                                  
  Diagnosis 
  Treatment may  include various physical and lab tests most commonly performed test for diagnosis are urinalysis, blood cp etc . Mostly antibiotics and muscle relaxants are given for treatment of cushing(cs). X-ray and ultrasound imaging can show 50 percent of adrenal tumors, and can be quite helpful in differentiating PDH from AT. if required further radiography`s and lab tests are performed.

Endocrine Disorder

Thyroid

Your dog’s thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped organ in his neck, with one lobe on each side of his trachea. Hypothyroidism is a disorder in which the thyroid glands are underactive and don’t secrete enough thyroid hormone.
 In response to this attack, the thyroid will first try to compensate by producing greater and greater amounts of the thyroid hormone Thyroxine. But after awhile, the gland becomes depleted. It’s at this point your dog develops symptoms of the disorder and is diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

 Symptoms

• Weight gain without an increase in appetite 
•  Depression; also significant behavioral changes like aggression, head tilting, anxiety, compulsiveness, seizures 
•  Skin changes – dryness, hair loss, discoloration or thickening, bacterial infections   

Treatment

  Various tests can be performed to diagnose Thyroid or Hypothyroidism such as free T3, free T4, T3, T4, AAT3, AAT4 and TSH. Usually by the time your pet has enough auto-antibodies to be measured on a blood test there has been irreparable thyroid damage and synthetic hormone replacement is almost always inevitable.