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health issues

Alopecia (Hair loss)

• Signs and symptoms: abnormal hair loss
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will perform a skin cytology skin scraping, and/or blood work in order to determine if the cause is bacterial, fungal, parasitic, or an endocrine imbalance.
• Treatment: Will vary according to the doctor’s findings.
• Prevention: Flea and tick prevention and regular veterinary wellness visits to diagnose disease early.

Anal Glands

• These are foul smelling fluid filled sacs at the four and eight o'clock positions around the rectum. Occasionally these sacs can become full and your pet may become uncomfortable. Untreated anal gland problems can lead to infection or abscess.
• Signs and symptoms: include scooting or licking the rear end area.
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will perform a rectal exam
• Treatment: includes expressing the anal glands and exam to inspect for infection of abscess to determine if further treatment is required.
• Prevention: None. However, for dogs that have chronic anal gland problems, we can do laser surgery to remove the anal glands, curing the problem.

Bloat/ GDV

• Bloat is an emergency life threatening condition where the stomach fills with air, then twists cutting off blood flow to vital organs. This disease comes on quickly and needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible.
• Signs: a visually distended abdomen.
• Diagnosis: Your vet will need to perform an exam along with radiographs.
• Treatment: In order to relieve air from their stomach, surgery may be required to untwist the stomach.
• Prevention: This occurs mostly in large breed deep-chested dogs; some dogs are genetically predisposed to this. Stress can precipitate attacks of bloat. It is thought that feeding them multiple smaller meals will help. Also, surgery can be done to suture the stomach to the abdominal wall to prevent twisting in the future.

Diabetes

• Signs and symptoms: your dog may be drinking, urinating and eating more. Cataracts may also be a symptom.
• Diagnosis: The veterinarian will need to test blood sugar levels in both blood and urine.
• Treatment: Adjusting your dog’s diet and/or insulin injections may be required.
• Prevention: Feeding your dog a high quality dog food, preventing obesity, and regular exercise can help prevent this disease.

Ear Infections

• Signs and symptoms: discomfort and sensitivity; your dog shakes his/her head, scratches ears, black-brown or puss like discharge. Most times the ears become red and inflamed accompanied with a strong odor and head tilt.
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will detect this during routine examinations by means of an otoscopic examination and cytology.
• Treatment: This depends on what the doctor finds. This can range from ear mites, bacteria, yeast, fungus, a foreign body or a tumor.
• Prevention: Routine ear cleaning can help.

Heart Disease

• Signs and symptoms: coughing that worsens, difficulty breathing, cyanosis (this is when the tongue becomes blue), weight loss, visible respiratory difficulties, exhaustion
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will be able to gather details with radiographs, auscultation, and an echocardiogram
• Treatment: medication may be prescribed, exercise should be monitored. Try to avoid dry climates and sudden temperature changes. If your dog spends a lot of time lying down, turn him over from time to time to prevent fluids from stagnating in the same side of the lung. Rationing meals could also help.
• Prevention: Genetics play a part, however healthy diet, preventing obesity, and exercise can help prevent this disease.

Hip Dysplasia

• Signs and symptoms: not wanting to use the stairs, sore after walking or playing, stiff gait, rear leg pain, lack of coordination and a reluctance to rise.
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will need give your dog an examination with radiographs
• Treatment: Surgery, medication, or therapy may be required.
• Prevention: Make sure your new puppy has parents that have been OFA certified (hip radiographs of parents that have been certified), as this develops from genetic and environmental factors

Hypothyroidism

• Signs and symptoms: weight gain without eating more, skin disorders, heart problems, and decreased activity level
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian can measure the thyroid hormone levels with blood work
• Treatment: administering synthetic thyroid hormones long-term can help make your dog symptom-free for life
• Prevention: none

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Signs and symptoms: Your pooch has a history of recurrent vomiting an or diarrhea. Your dog may lose weight but everything else seems normal.
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian can biopsy the affected part of the stomach or intestine, use an endoscope , or prescribe therapeutic medication along with a specific diet
• Treatment: medication and dietary trials
• Prevention: none

Oral Cavity Diseases

• Abscesses or Fistula
• Signs and symptoms: strange odor, difficulty eating
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will detect this during an examination
• Treatment: dental treatment or possibly a tooth extraction(s)
• Prevention: Routine veterinary wellness exams

Tartar buildup

• Signs and symptoms: strange odor (halitosis), lesions on the teeth and gums or teeth may be loose.
• Diagnosis: Your veterinarian will detect this during routine examinations
• Treatment: dental treatment and/or de-scaling.
• Prevention: routine brushing and dental cleanings at home and by your veterinarian

Heartworm disease

• Signs and symptoms: Clinical signs are related to heart and respiratory failure and include:
  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
  • Lethargy
  • Ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen)
  • Sudden death
• Diagnosis: A simple blood test is used to diagnose heartworm disease.
• Treatment: If your dog is positive for heartworm disease, there is a treatment protocol. For this treatment, your dog is hospitalized for 1-2 nights.
• Prevention: Fortunately, this is an easily preventable disease if your dog is on monthly preventative medication and receives yearly heartworm checks.