Having a dog means not only having a companion for life, it also means responsibly caring for another life. Many people get lazy when it comes to caring for their pups, and disaster is often the outcome. There are common deadly dog diseases that can be avoided if people would act responsibly and in accordance with veterinarian recommendations.
Parvo
Parvo is a disease that attacks the intestines and heart, and is spread when one dog comes into contact with the feces of another infected dog, directly or indirectly. This has become a major issue in breeding facilities and shelters; for this reason, strays are most at risk.
Symptoms include severe diarrhea and weight loss, vomiting and lethargy, and unfortunately, most dogs who contract the disease will not survive. Simply stated, it’s misery for any dog to go through and the outcome is devastating. Parvo can be prevented if the core vaccines are given early on in the puppy’s life. Unfortunately dogs in shelters don’t get the care they need, and not every person who owns a dog is responsible enough to.
Bloat
Similar to bloating in humans, dogs’ stomaches may bloat when they eats too quickly – but it’s usually much worse than anything we experience. Bloating happens when the stomach enlarges and turns. The turning prevents air and fluid from escaping – the dog cannot burp or vomit. Symptoms are easily recognized, and included: straining but inability to vomit, enlarged belly, restlessness, and excessive salivating.
Allowing your pup to mow down his food without slowing down is what often causes this deadly disease. There are methods you can put into place to keep him eating slowly – placing a toy ball in the food bowl that he has to nose around to eat, or keeping a timed release feeder. Slowing your dog down could save his life.
Kidney Disease
Some forms of kidney disease are not preventable, such as a slow onset that begins at birth. Some forms, however, are very preventable. Two other causes of kidney disease are dental disease and an acute cause like ingesting poison. Symptoms of both include fever, vomiting, change in appetite and change in urination habits. Many times once symptoms are noticed, it’s too late.
To prevent these two types of kidney diseases, keep your dogs teeth cleaned and have regular check ups for his teeth, mouth and gums. Get some doggy dental sticks that will provide healthy shaping and nutrients to his teeth. Also, make sure that there’s nothing lying around that your dog could get into that would cause infections or complications to his health – toxic substances such as antifreeze are deadly.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is the most common tick related illness in dogs, and can be deadly. It’s transmitted by bacteria from deer ticks that have been on the dog for 10 hours or more. The most common symptoms are limbs that cease to work, either one at a time or all at once, stiffness and loss of appetite. If not treated quickly, lyme disease will cause kidney failure, and treatments are not always completely rehabilitating. The best choice is to use preventative tick medication and to monitor your dog before and after any exposure to heavily populated tick areas.
