Dog Heat Symptoms

Female dog can get pregnant during their heat cycle which is also called estrous cycle.

Adult female dog will usually experience the heat cycle every 9 to 12 months, one or three cycle a year depend on the breed and type of your dog.

The four stage of estrous cycle and Dog heat symptoms

The first stage is proestrus which has the average of 9 days for most female dogs. This period is often called "pre-heat". The symptoms for this period is vulva swells and bloody vaginal discharge. Female dog will produce hormone (estrogen) which attracts male dog but she will still reject the male during this period.

The second stage is estrus which last about 9 to 12 days depend on the type and size of your dog. Female may still have a discharge and will accept male dog at this stage. There will be significant increase in progesterone and luteinizing hormone which cause ovulation. The eggs that was released from ovulation will go into oviduct. Eggs can be fertilized if it is healthy enough and sperm from male dog are present.

The third stage is diestrus which range from 2 to 3 months. During this stage female dog will no longer accept male. The symptoms for this period is pregnancy, mammary glands swell and some dog may experience false pregancy. Progesterone hormones wii still remain high throughout this period.

The final stage is anestrus. This is the resting period preparing for the next heat cycle which last about 5 months. Hormone is reduce at this period.

If you are planning on breeding your female dog then you should talk with your veterinarians to determine the estrus stage, measuring progesterone hormones level etc. The reasons for doing analysis is to help timing the mating period.

Pregnant Dog Symptoms

Most dog owner usually keep their pet away from each other when they are in breeding season. Eventhough the owner do their best to prevent and protect pregnancy but sometimes breeding can take place. In some case it is hard to detect the clear sign of symptoms and most dog owner won't realized about it at all.
It is very important that every dog owner must learn and know the signs of pregnant dog symptoms to solve the problems when it occur. A female dog can only become pregnant when she is breed at the right time, conditions and heat cycle. The duration of pregnancy is usually last about 60 days however this number is only approximation and the real period duration can be shorter or last longer depend on the surrounding conditions and other factors.

Pregnant dog symptoms at the early stage

Your dog will eat lesser and show clear sign of decrease appetite. During gestation period your dog will feel exhaust easily and do less activity because their is a change in their hormone level to support the process of embryo production.
Another good indication is the increase in size and growth of nipple. Normally the abdomen area of an unbread female dog will be flat and has small nipple size. After breeding and pregnancy progress start to take place, breast will begin to develop for the process of milk production.
Most female dog behaviour will change at the pregnancy period. If you notice a sign that your dog wanted to be alone on her own then you can be sure that she is in her pregnancy period.

Pregnant dog symptoms at the middle stage

After one month of pregnancy, your dog will show sign of increase appetite and decrease when the heat cycle period ended. Pregnant dog will gain more weight during this period and you can check by touching the abdomen area, it will be thick and firm.

Pregnant dog symptoms at the last stage

The abdomen part of your dog will be hard and increased in size which depended mainly on the number of puppies she is carrying. Larger dog will have more room and space to carry puppies when compare with the smaller dog size. You can felt puppies movement during the last weeks of pregnancy and this shown a clear sign that your dog will give birth to these puppies soon.
Sometime you will see a bit of milk leakage which is called the first milk which is for delivering to the puppies when they are born.
Rather than doing your own observation on pregnant dog symptoms, it is much easier that you take your dog to the veterinarian and do the accurate check by ultrasound method.

Dog false pregnancy

The progress and change will be the same as the normal pregnant conditions such as milk production process, doing all the nesting activity, playing with toys etc. These changes will begin about 3-4 weeks after the heat cycle begin. False pregnancy is unpredictable and the symptoms can shown up on any female dogs whether they are mating or not. If your dog has a false prenancy before then there is a probability that she might have this symptoms again.

Treatment for false pregnancy in dog

You don't have to give any treatment at all because about ninety percent of false pregnancy problems is resolve on it own after three to four week period from the first sign of false pregnancy. However there are about ten percent chance that your dog will develop the psychological effects of mothering behavior that make her feel bad and sad. She will continue to search for her little puppies and begin to engorgement her own mammary glands. If your dog are in the 10% and having this symptoms then you should give treatment because there is a chance that your dog can have mastitis problems which have direct effect on the health of your dog.

Dog Pneumonia Symptoms

Dog pneumonia is a disease that refers to infection of the respiratory system which occur when the air sacs of the lungs tissues is filled up with fluid by aspiration.
Dog pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi.
Since there are many different types of bacteria that can be the cause pneumonia in dog so the symptoms is often confuse with Canine Influenza (dog flu) during the early stage.
Inflammation which is causes by lung irritation is known as pneumonitis. Aspiration of a liquid into the lung can lead to secondary infection and heart problems.

Causes of dog pneumonia

Fungal

Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcus neoformans etc.

Bacterial

secondary infection after kennel cough (tracheobronchitis), malfunction of dog's esophagus (Megaesophagus) etc.

Viral

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) or Upper Respiratory Infection (URI).

Parasitic

lungworms or any other types of worms that can migrate to the lung.

Allergic

absence of cells due to infection, inflammatory and extreme infiltration of the lung.

Dog Pneumonia Symptoms

• cough
• fever
• loss of appetite
• difficulty breathing
• listlessness
• exhausted rapidly

The Dog Rabies Symptoms

Rabies is one of the most well-known and deadly virus that attacks the nervous system which is commonly called hydrophobia.
Rabies is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that cause brain inflammation (acute encephalitis) in mammals and dog is significant source that carried rabies disease in many other countries.
Dogs that infected with rabies will show signs and symptoms such as foaming at the mouth, extremely mean and aggressive. However in some case infected animals can be very calm and tame so you must be really careful not to stay near or get biten by strange animals.
Death is always certain once a dog is infected with rabies virus. This deadly disease can be prevent with a proper vaccination from veterinarian.

Spread and Transmission of the Disease

Rabies are transmitted by infected animal biting a non-infected animal.
Travelers, veterinarians or peoples who work closely with wildlife animals have highest risk of exposure with rabies disease because animals in wildlife nature are not vaccinated but luckily there are prevention vaccine available.
Rabies remain viable for less than one day and cannot live long outside the host.
The rabies virus can be carried by warm-blooded mammals such as

• Human
• dog
• cat
• monkey
• cow and cattle
• skunk
• wolf, coyote and fox
• bat
• squirrel
• raccoon
• rabbit

Other non-mammals such as fish, bird, reptiles and amphibians do not carry rabies disease.

Dog rabies symptoms

The infection of virus are divided into 3 stage: prodromal, furious (or excitative) and paralytic.
Prodromal stage can last up to 6 months long as the virus slowly spreads over the nervous system and travel to the brain. During this period infected dog sometime may not show any signs or symptoms at all.

• fever
• lethargy
• loss of appetite
• changes in behavior
• tone of bark change
• chewing at the bite site

Furious or excitative stage may last for several days (usually 2-4 days) after the prodromal stage however not all dogs experience this stage. This is the most dangerous period because infected dog can spread rabies disease and the symptoms are as follow.

• extremely mean and aggressive
• totally uncontrollable
• break it own teeth by biting objects
• constant growling
• biting
• dilated pupils
• restless
• disorientation
• seizures

Paralytic stage last for 2-4 days and the symptoms are as follow.

• choking
• dropping of the lower jaw
• unable to swallow any food
• foaming at the mouth
• paralysis of jaw, throat and chewing muscles

After the paralytic stage infected dogs will usually be in coma. It may also experience respiratory problems and failure then pass away.

Symptoms of Dog Worms

Dog worms are responsible for many symptoms and sickness. There are five different kinds of dog worms that can attack your dog.

These are tapeworm, hookworm, whipworm, roundworm and the most dangerous heartworm.

When your dog is infected their feces will be filled with over millions of worm eggs. These worms are scattered all over the places such as on the floor, sleeping places, eating pans etc. When your dog licked off or swallowed up these worms will enter the digestive system then hatch out and fully developed in approximately 10 days.

Dog worm symptoms

• Coughing
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• low energy level
• pot-bellied appearance
• loss of appetite
• Weight decrease instantaneously
• dull coat

Other symptoms of dog worms that can be seen from external such as hot and dry nose, red and scurfy pimple, irritated condition of the skin, pale lips, watery in the eyes, gums and foul breath.

Types of dog worms and symptoms in detail.

Roundworms

Roundworm is the common type of worm that can be found inside most dogs and they are divided into two main types.

Toxocara canis

Parasitic worms or helminth parasite that feed and live inside the intestine of their host causing nutrient absorption problems which can further leads to weakness and disease. Toxocara canis are white and yellow in color. Adult worm can have the size ranging from 9 - 18 centimetre.

Toxascaris leonina

Toxascaris leonina are usually found in feces and vomit remain of the animals. When toxascaris leonina eggs are ingested, they will hatch inside small intestine of their host. After fully growth and molt, they will return to the intestinal lumen and live there.

Toxascaris leonina absorb the nutrients from their host that can interfere with digestion system and also damage the inner lining of the intestine. Adult worm usually have 3-4 inches long. The adult female worm lays her eggs which will later passed into dog feces. The eggs can become infective after three to six days exposure in the environment.

Diagnosis

Roundworms can be detected by examining the feces for the presence of eggs.

Characteristic

Roundworms have a spaghetti-like appearance and the length of their body can grow up to 7 inches long. Eggs of roundworms are sticky and can easily adhere to any objects or any part of human body.

Symptoms

Infected dog may not show any signs at first but in more severe cases may experience dull hair coats, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and develop a belly appearance. If round worms is build up in dog intestines then there is a chance that these worms can block the path and result in death.

Prevention

Clean up feces or any dirty objects around your backyard regularly to prevent your dog from contracting roundworms.

Roundworm can also be transmitted to human by eggs ingestion so you should wash your hands after doing activities or before eating any food that have direct contact such as hamberger, french fries etc.

Treatment

Oral medication is given to puppies ar weeks 4, 6 and 8 then followed by fecal analysis using microscope at around weeks 11-12. Annual fecal examine are recommended for adult dog to remove all of the asymptomatic infections.

Veterinarian can use medications for deworming process. Medications essentially anesthetize the worms which make them unable to grip onto the host intestine and passes on along with the stool. Roundworms cannot survive long in the environment. You may be surprise by their long length and see them moving when they come out.

Symptoms of Dog Poisoning

Dog poisoning can be caused by many ways such as ingestion, gas inhale, absorbed through the skin by direct contact with certain type of substances etc.

All dogs are curious by nature and they love to explore dirty places. This can make them have direct contact with poison insects, dead animals remain and toxic plants.

Dog poisoning diagnosis

If you suspect that your dog may have been poison by some chemical products then you must identify the poison as quick as possible. Read the identification label on the chemical products and if it is unclear on the toxic informations then call the poison control center.

Symptoms of dog poisoning

Ingestion, inhaled or absorbed of poison substances can causes a wide range of symptoms such as:

• mouth irritation
• skin rash
• lethargy
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• lack of appetite
• drooling
• staggering
• hallucination causing over-reaction to sound or light
• breathing difficulty
• bleeding disorders
• muscle tremor and rigidity
• seizure
• heart failure
• kidney or liver problems
• coma and death.

The effect of poisoning may take time and not always visible at first. Most signs of poisoning symptoms will be apparent within 3 days and some case of illness will take up to months or even years to show the signs of symptoms. The conditions and expose of dog poisoning depended mainly on the quantity of the chemical substances taken into the body and time that the chemical substances remain in the body before the treatment begun. Faster treatment given to your dog may prevent significant and serious illness but you should be aware that some poisoning can cause permanent damage and even death eventhough the treatment is given right away.

If you has seen your dog eaten poisonous substance but still feeling well at the moment then don't assume by yourself that he is going to be fine. Call your local veterinarian immediately and tell them all the informations you can give such as what kind of chemical substances ingested by your dog, quantity, approximate length of time that the incident occur etc.

Dog poisoning treatment

For contaminated atmosphere case move your dog away from the position of the poisoning source as quick as possible. If your pet stop breathing and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is required then do not inhale your pet exhaled air.

Lower poison absorption rate by coating it in the intestinal tract with a blinding substance. After that laxative will be given to to speed up the elimination process.

When the signs of dog poisoning symptoms is visible then do not force your dog to drink anything or attempt to induce vomiting. Call your veterinarian immediately for effective treatments.

Dog poisoning prevention

Keep all the poison chemical products away from your pets.

Destroy all the unuse medicines and poison chemical products whenever possible.

If you are using rat bait then be sure to put them in the container to prevent your dog from direct contact with the bait.

Dog Broken Leg Symptoms and helf it

Dogs aren't different from human. They sometime broke their bones due to their mischief or accident.

The common broken bones are leg fracture, tail and other bones break. The injury can lead to other types of infection so proper treatments must be given during healing periods.

Common causes of dog broken leg is accidentally hitted by car, falling from high place, direct blow and repetitive forces caused by running etc.

Dog broken leg symptoms

• Misshapen or visible out-of-place of joint
• Limited mobility
• Unable to move a limb
• Refuse to sit or lie down
• Cannot support body weight
• hangs limply
• Swelling or swollen
• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Licking and whining
• Intense pain
• Numbness or confuse
• tingling

Signs of shock

• Pale
• White gums
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid breathing
• Rapid but weak pulse

Cost for fixing dog broken leg

Veterinarian must examine your dog first to be able to determine the estimate cost by looking at the x-rays result. The approximate cost range is about $200 to over $1000 depend on how serious the fracture or broken bone is.
The cost of fixing dog broken leg also depend on other factors that must be taken into consideration such as:

• Age of your dog
• Position of broken bone
• Front or back leg
• Angle of break
• Type of break such as horizontal, oblique, spiral and comminuted etc.
• Time from injury
• Break is open or closed
• Condition of the muscles around the area of break
• Splint, bone plates, intramedullary pin (IM), wires and cost varies with the size of your dog
• Health status
• the skills and experience of your vet
• country where you live
• Location for example clinic in city will be more expensive than clinic in rural regions

You should be aware that if your dog have intestinal worms then the bones won't heal properly due to lack of nutrients drain by worms. If the conditions is serious then leg amputation is always the best and better option than euthanasia. Remember that dog is your best and most trusted friend you will ever have in your life so be sure to treat them well.

Cone Degeneration, Achromatopsia in dogs

Achromatosis relates to a deficiency of pigmentation in the tissues or lack of staining power in a cell or tissue. 2

Segregation of the domestic dog population into separate breeds, driven by artificial selection for defined phenotypic and behavioral traits, has been marked by the emergence of inherited canine diseases that are often directly comparable to those observed in humans. In humans, a condition referred to as achromatopsia, total color blindness, day-blindness or rod monochromacy has been extensively described. 4

Cones are light-sensitive structures in the vertebrate eye. They are found throughout retina and are concerned with discrimination of color and visual acuity. There are three types of cone cells each containing a different iodopsin and each giving maximum response when stimulated by the blue, green and red. A pigment defect in one or more of the types of cone cells can lead to color blindness.

Breeds Affected by Achromatopsia

Cone degeneration (CD) is an autosomal recessive canine disease that occurs naturally in the Alaskan Malamute , Miniature Poodle and German Shorthaired Pointer breeds, although this condition may exist in other breeds of dogs 3. Canine cone degeneration (CD) was first observed in an inbred strain of Alaskan Malamute dogs in 1960, and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.

Signs of Cone degeneration

Cone-degenerate pups develop day-blindness and photophobia between 8 and 12 weeks postnatal, the age when retinal development is normally completed in dogs. Symptoms are present only in bright light; vision in dim light is normal. Affected dogs remain normal throughout life. It is similar to human achromatopsia, a heterogeneous autosomal recessive disorder (caused by more than one factor). Both the canine disease and its human counterparts are characterized by day-blindness and absence of retinal cone function in adults 2. You will know that your dog has day-blindness when you notice him colliding with obstacles in daylight.

Acral Lick Dermatitis, Lick Granuloma in dogs

Acral lick dermatitis, lick granuloma, or acral pruritic nodule is a single or multiple lesion on one or more extremities resulting from excessive and persistent licking. Acral lick dermatitis in dogs is one of the most common and frustrating dermatological problems encountered in general practice. The condition is now accepted as being caused by a multiple factor disease, and attempts to manage it with a single treatment are usually doomed to failure.

Causes of Acral Lick Dermatitis

Many factors, or triggers, have been suggested to predispose to or cause acral lick dermatitis, including allergy (atopic dermatitis, food), psychogenic causes, boredom, bacterial folliculitis, foreign bodies, neurologic disorders, local trauma, and joint or bone diseases. Independent of the contributing factor, once the lesion has developed it will contribute to the perpetuation of the compulsive licking behavior.

Signs of Acral Lick Dermatitis

Lesions are usually single but they can be multiple. Large breeds are predisposed (Doberman Pinscher, Labrador Retriever, Dalmatian, Irish setter, Weimaraner, Great Dane, German Shepherd Dog). Onset of lesions can occur at any age, but it is more common in dogs more than 5 years of age. Lesions tend to be recurrent, either at the same or different sites. There is often a history of poor or partial response to many therapeutic treatments. Lesions are created and maintained by constant licking or chewing. Clinically the lesion is characterized by bald, red, eroded or ulcerated, firm, nodular plaque(s).
Diagnosis of Acral Lick Dermatitis

Diagnosis of acral lick dermatitis is based on history, clinical signs, and elimination of other primary causes. It may include skin scrapings, impression smear cytology, and fungal culture (to rule out dermatophytosis). Biopsy of the lesion is helpful to rule out neoplasia (e.g. mast cell tumor). If joint or bone involvement is suspected, radiographs are taken. If there is a history of intense itchiness pruritus (either seasonal or nonseasonal) an allergy test is performed.

Treatment of Acral Lick Dermatitis

Approximately 65% of the cases can be satisfactorily controlled with medical and/or behavior management. However, even if an underlying problem has been identified and treated, concurrent treatment of the skin condition is essential. It is important to treat the frequently associated secondary bacterial infection with appropriate long-term (6 to 8 weeks) antibiotics. Treatment of this condition can be complicated, and in selected cases surgical removal of the affected area is indicated, particularly if the lesion is small, although
complications may develop.

To stop the lick cycle, several devices to prevent licking are recommended : elizabethan collar, bandaging, bad tasting topicals, basquet muzzle. The following drugs aimed to alliviate anxiety are used: phenobarbital, diazepam (Valium), hydroxyzine (Atarax); tricyclic antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), and clomipramine (Anafranil).

The successful treatment of lick granulomas relies on a thorough investigation of potential underlying causes and a combination of treatments that may include systemic, topical, behavioral, and surgical methods.
Prognosis for Acral Lick Dermatitis

In most cases a fair to guarded prognosis is given to dogs with acral lick dermatitis. If the underlying condition can be determined, the prognosis improves dramatically.

Achondroplasia in Dogs

Achondroplasiais in dogs is variously referred by orthopedic specialists as ACH, Achondroplastic dwarfism, Chondrodystrophia fetalis, Chondrodystrophy syndrome, Congenital osteosclerosis, Dwarf, achondroplastic, and Osteosclerosis congenita. These various definitions mean the same abnormal development of bone from cartilage. 1

Offspring can look normal at birth and weaning, but at the age of 2.5 to 4 months the longitudinal growth of the spine and leg bones can retard in the dwarfs compared with the normal littermates. Most dwarfs perform well, even in the field.5 In dogs, achondroplasia can be a mild condition, with slightly bowing or simply short legs, causing no discomfort to the animal, or severe, in which case extensive orthopedic surgery may be needed to both alleviate pain and allow the dog to function normally. This surgery, most frequently an ulna, or radius/ulna surgery, is generally performed at one year of age, when bone growth is nearly complete. Surgical success is variabl