Some Common Dog Diseases

Common Diseases of Dogs Disease Nature of Disease Causative Agent Distemper affects non vaccinated (non immunized) puppies in contact with infected animals; symptoms include loss of appetite, fever; inflammation of the brain is usual cause of death; some dogs may recover, but others have spastic tremors; foxes, wolves, mink, skunks, raccoons, and ferrets also susceptible virus Infectious hepatitis affects dogs by causing hemorrhages and severe liver damage; affects foxes (Rubarth’s disease) by causing inflammation of the brain; clinical signs are variable because disease symptoms vary from severe to inapparent (i.e., no manifest signs) virus Salmon poisoning occurs after consumption of raw salmon or trout carrying rickettsial-infected flatworm (fluke) larvae (Nanophyetus salmincola); affects dogs, foxes, and coyotes primarily in the Pacific northwestern United States; symptoms include high fever, swollen lymph nodes; usually fatal within five days rickettsia Prostatitis inflammation of a gland near the urinary bladder (prostate gland) in male dogs; usually controlled by antibiotic drugs; other prostate-gland disorders may result from tumours (carcinoma, sarcoma) or from abnormal increase in cell multiplication (hyperplasia) varied Congenital heart may occur in 1 percent of all dogs; heart disorders may lead to secondary disease diseases such as pneumonia, accumulation of fluid in body cavities, laboured breathing, edema; heart failure occurs inherited tendency Hip dysplasia crippling disorder common in many breeds (especially German shepherds); a shallow hip socket (acetabulum) results in an unstable hip joint, particularly during motion of hindleg apparently inherited tendency

Kidney stones
(calculi, urolithiasis)

calculi develop in kidney, bladder, and male urethra (tube from bladder to outside of body); surgery usually necessary; inherited types include cystine calculi in certain dachshunds and uric acid calculi in male dalmatians hereditary, functional disturbance Hypothyroidism thyroid gland may function marginally or be absent; symptoms include

awkward, slow movement, coarse, dry coat; treatment includes iodine,

thyroid preparations functional disturbance Dermatitis common symptoms include skin inflammation and loss of hair; causative agents include nutritional deficiencies, bacterial infections, hypothyroidism, allergies, hormone imbalances, and parasites (e.g., fleas, lice, mites, fly larvae, and ticks) varied Strychnine poisoning accidental ingestion of 0.75 milligram of the poison (found in rat poisons) per kilogram (about 2.25 pounds) of body weight may cause death from convulsions and respiratory distress chemical compound Glaucoma a group of eye diseases in which the retina and optic nerve are damaged; certain breeds have a hereditary tendency for the disease; other breeds develop glaucoma as a result of other eye disorders hereditary tendency in some breeds Granulomatous colitis usually found in boxer dogs; symptoms include bloody diarrhea; severely and chronically affected dogs become emaciated; an infectious agent observed microscopically in the thickened colon has not yet been isolated or characterized not yet characterized Pancreatitis in acute types the gland may be destroyed because of inflammation from unknown causes; an animal that lives may develop diabetes mellitus or be unable to secrete enzymes from pancreas, or both, thus preventing digestion, which increases the appetite and causes progressive weight loss; treatment difficult unknown