Cancer in Dogs
Cancers are diseases that occur in most animals, including dogs. A cancer results when a cell in a dog’s body starts to replicate uncontrollably, forming clumps of abnormal or cancerous cells called tumours. These cancer cells escape detection and trick the natural killer cells of...
Asthma in Dogs
Telltale signs of asthma in a dog are not unlike those found in humans. A dog that seems to be wheezing, coughing and having difficulty breathing may be suffering of an obstruction in its airways, causing an asthma attack. People may be surprised to know...
Dog Vomiting and Stomach Problems
Vomiting and diarrhoea are two of the most common problems seen by vets. Their causes are often trivial, but in some cases they can be life threatening. Knowing a little about the different types of vomiting will help you decide if your dog needs veterinary...
Dog Ear and Hearing Disorders
The ear is a vulnerable part of a dogs body. The outer ear flap is easily damaged, while the ear canal encourages the accumulation of wax, debris, and water, and provides an access point for a variety of infections. Common Indicators Dogs with ear problems...
Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs
Facts In a properly working heart, blood flows into the right atrium and is pumped into the right ventricle. After that, it goes to the lungs where it picks up oxygen and then flows back into the heart’s left atrium. Pressure causes the oxygenated blood...
Heartbeat Arrhythmia in Dogs
Facts Heartbeat arrhythmia, also known as cardiac dysrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, is a condition that describes abnormal electrical heart activity. The heartbeat may be too slow, too fast, too weak, too strong, regular, or irregular. Some dogs live with a mildly irregular heartbeat with no...
Heart Failure in Dogs
Facts The function of a healthy heart is to supply oxygenated blood to the body. First, it pumps blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen molecules, and pushes that oxygenated blood out to all of the organs and parts of the body. Once the...
Digestive Disorders in Dogs
Diarrhea, the most common medical condition associated with the intestines, can occur as a result of damage to the digestive system, but may simply be your dog’s way of coping with an ingested irritant. Diarrhoea may be accompanied by vomiting, tummy rumbles, pain, burping, or...
Medicating your Dog
The simplest way to give medicine to your dog is to hide it in food. Hollow dog treats are commercially available, but hiding a tablet in a piece of meat or bread, especially if coated with peanut butter, works just as well. Always check with...
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Facts The term Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) refers to a grouping of skin masses or tumours in a dog. All of the tumours are joined by connective tissues. These types of masses make up 15% of skin lumps that are found in dogs. Each of...
Treating Dog Wounds and Injuries
Traffic accidents, dogfights, and unexpected traumatic injuries are the most common causes of bleeding wounds. An injured dog may be in considerable pain, and must be treated with great care to minimize discomfort and reduce the danger of biting. Closed wounds Do not underestimate a...
Examining Your Dog
Routine home examination of your dog can reveal problems early, when they are easiest to treat. Regular, weekly sessions will also train your dog to submit to, and even enjoy, the process; it is far easier for a vet to make a diagnosis on a...
Von Willebrand Disease in Dogs
Facts Von Willebrand Disease, also called von Willebrand’s Disease (vWD) is a hereditary blood clotting disorder. This disorder occurs when a dog has in insufficient level of von Willebrand factor (also called factor VIII) – a plasma protein necessary for proper blood clotting. Factor VIII...
Adrenal Gland Cancer in Dogs
FactsAdrenal Gland Cancer, also known as Pheochromocytoma, involves the presence of a tumour in the adrenal gland. This tumour affects the glands by causing them to make an excess of particular hormones. Other ways the tumour can affect the animal is to cause an increase...
Hypertension in Dogs
Facts Hypertension (HTN), also called high blood pressure or arterial hypertension, is a medical condition that describes elevated blood pressure in a dog’s arteries. When a dog has high blood pressure, its heart has to work harder than normal to circulate blood through its body....
Mammary Cancer in Dogs
Facts Mammary cancer is the presence of a tumour or multiple tumours in the mammary glands. There is a very high risk factor for intact females, especially as they age and go through multiple cycles of heat. Lumps or masses can be benign or malignant...
Parasites that Affect Dogs
Dogs suffer from a variety of internal and external parasites. Regular grooming will help you spot early signs of infestation. Even some internal parasites leave telltale signs on the fur and skin. Particular vigilance is needed with puppies, which can inherit parasites from their mothers,...
Oral Cancer in Dogs
Facts Oral cancer is one cancer that grows and then spreads quickly and is often very hard to treat. In fact, as far as cancer goes, it is one of the most difficult to treat. Tumours found in the mouth are quite common and can...
Euthanasia – when to Consider ending your Dog’s life
Euthanasia: a release from suffering Euthanasia means voluntarily ending the life of a dog suffering from a terminal or incurable condition. Some instances where Euthansia is likely the best option inlcude:- Irreversible disease that has progressed to a point where distress or discomfort cannot be...
Hemangiosarcoma
Facts Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant, very aggressive form of cancer that forms anywhere in the body where there is blood supply, but it most usually forms on the skin, in soft tissues, or on the spleen or heart. It develops in the lining of a...
Lymphoma in Dogs
FactsA dog’s lymph system is a network of lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels that are used to process and circulate disease organisms and foreign substances so that they may be presented to and destroyed by the immune system. Lymphocytes, which are a type of white...
Canine Hormonal Disorders
Hormones are chemical messengers that influence the activity of cells and tissues all round the body. The first hormones to be identified were those produced by discrete, visible glands, such as the thyroid and the pituitary. Later, scientists discovered other messengers, including the brain biochemicals...
Treating a Dog that has been Poisoned
Poisons can enter the your dog’s body through its skin, by being inhaled, or by being ingested. As inveterate scavengers, dogs are most prone to swallowing poisons, but fortunately, most ingested chemicals are vomited straight back up. Nevertheless, vets still deal with too many needless...
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs
Facts Red blood cells, also called RBCs, are the most common blood cell in the circulatory system. They contain hemoglobin (also spelled haemoglobin), a biomolecule containing iron, that binds to oxygen in the lungs and delivers it to the rest of the body’s cells. Once...
Aortic Stenosis
Facts The aortic valve is one of four valves of the heart. De-oxygenated blood enters the right atrium via the vena cava. The heart contracts and pumps the blood through the tricuspid valve into the right ventricle. After another pump of the heart, the blood...