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It is true that every pet is a part of the family, but very few pets have a better understanding of that fact than dogs. When we adopt and provide a home to a new puppy, they consider us their family in every sense of the word. That is, in fact, the main reason dogs have become so intricately associated with human society over the millenniums. Therefore, it’s only natural for every dog owner to be vigilant about the diseases that might affect their beloved pooch, as well as taking all necessary measures for avoiding and/or treating the potential/imminent dangers. So, what symptoms in dogs should we look for?
Unfortunately, not all canine diseases are as easy to avoid or even detect as the usual illnesses. At the same time, even hard to notice symptoms can be detected early on, provided that you know what to look for. Keeping the wellbeing of pooches in mind, go through the following points to avoid tragedies by acting before things can get worse.
Symptoms in Dogs to Pay Attention To
Tetanus in Dogs: Definition and Dangers of Contraction
There are several diseases that can affect both humans and dogs, but lockjaw, aka tetanus, is a sneaky one. The issue is not that the symptoms of tetanus in dogs are undetectable, but it’s the general wrong notion we have of lockjaw being something that exclusively affects human beings. There is another scarier reason why tetanus in dogs often goes unchecked. Most of us don’t even know the symptoms of tetanus in dogs because it’s a comparatively rare illness these days.
Unfortunately, the clostridium tetani bacteria is still very much active and it can infect your pooch with lockjaw. However, for this to happen, the dog must have an open wound on its body somewhere, which must then come into contact with soil, mud, dirt, dust, or feces that was already contaminated with the clostridium tetani bacteria.
Since dogs run, jump and lick around quite a bit, the sole of their paws can have small wounds on them. In fact, most dogs with tetanus are found to have contracted it through an open wound on their paw. Dogs lick a lot of stuff and even things that they have no business licking! In case they have an open sore in their mouth somewhere, this seemingly benign habit can also be a common cause for tetanus in dogs.
Tetanus in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment
Native Pet provides complete guidance regarding how to detect and treat tetanus in dogs before it’s too late for the poor pup. Visit the link to know how dog owners can take preventative measures and reduce their dog’s chances of catching a tetanus infection. They also warn against ignoring common lockjaw symptoms, which are as follows:
- Lockjaw induces noticeable reduction in barking, tongue waggling, licking or any other movement that requires moving the jaw
- Noticeable reduction in neck movement, leg movement and movement in general
- The lack of movement all around should also be accompanied by a growing stiffness along the neck joint, the leg joints, and of course, the jaws
- In advanced conditions, your dog may remain standing or lie down with completely stretched out and stiff legs without movement or sound
- Stiffness contrasted by irregular, sudden, and increasingly violent muscle spasms
- Stiff, pointed ears
- Fever, seizures, uncontrolled drooling from clenched jaws, facial swelling, drooping facial expression, gradually worsening breathing trouble
- Constipation, inability to eat/drink, loss of appetite, low whimpering
In the final stages of the disease, tetanus in dogs may lead to complete paralysis, total respiratory failure, and death. Do pay a visit to Native Pet and go through their comprehensive guide on detecting, treating, and preventing tetanus in dogs. It can help both you and your dog avoid a lot of pain. In case your dog is already showing one or more of these symptoms, contact an emergency veterinarian service immediately.
Alabama Rot Dog Disease: Definition and Symptoms
Alabama rot dog disease, aka cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV) is another of the rare, but not unlikely threats that can endanger your dog’s life. There are several aspects of Alabama rot that make it one of the most dreaded among all rare canine diseases. To begin with, the authorities did not carry out the necessary research back when it was first seen among greyhounds in Alabama during the 80s. Now that the instances of Alabama rot have started to become comparatively less rare, and it seems to have spread to Europe as well, there is little to no research data available regarding what causes CRGV and how it can be stopped.
It is heartbreaking to see any dog suffer as much as the Alabama rot forces them to. The eponymous “rot” on the skin and the kidneys is brought on as a result of blood vessels clogging up and becoming rigid. In the absence of sufficient blood flow, the skin and the internal organs begin to die. It’s an extremely painful condition that can be identified by looking for the following symptoms:
- Lesions and ulcers on the skin in general, but especially around the paws and legs first
- In more advanced cases, lesions and ulcers will spread to the dog’s head, face, mouth, gums, and tongue
- If left untreated, the first stages of renal failure will begin in roughly three days’ time
- Common to almost all serious illnesses, an infected dog will drastically decrease or completely stop eating and moving around
- Extreme tiredness, excessive sleep, and frequent vomiting
Alabama Rot Dog Disease: Possible Preventive Measures and Treatment
It’s not a completely hopeless scenario, because CRGV is still very rare. Also, if you take your dog to the vet as soon as the aforementioned symptoms begin to show up, the rot can be halted and cured in a small number of cases before it can even get to the point of no return. As for prevention, this is exceptionally difficult because sufficient research data simply isn’t available for any measures to be established. Nevertheless, common sense, shared collective knowledge and factual correlation has shown that CRGV is most likely caused by an as of yet unknown parasitic infection that may have originated from diseased deer.
While CRGV could just as well be caused by bacterial toxins, the most important correlation is that all dogs who have contracted the disease so far had all visited the woods and walked on muddy grounds just before. It might be possible for your pooch to avoid CRGV altogether if you keep them off muddy, forested lands, especially during and after the rain.
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