Pet nutrition
The nutritional needs of our dogs constantly change through the
course of their lives depending upon their environment. Who said dog
foods were all alike? As dog owners we should always choose a food
that has good overall quality. Dog owners should always look for a
statement on the food bag that says the product successfully passed
feeding trails of the Association of American Feed Control
Officials. This should ensure that the food contains no nutritional
deficiencies or excesses that may be detrimental to your dog in the
long run. Stage of life is also another important factor when
feeding your dog. Growth requires energy, puppies being much more
active than their older counterparts and therefore, young growing
puppies will require more energy than older dogs. With young large
breed dogs you need to be more aware that high energy intake can
directly affect growth. Large breed puppies which grow too fast can
develop a mismatch between their body growth and their bone growth.
If the bones cannot keep up with the growth rate the dog could end
up with an orthopedic disease. Whilst intact growing animals require
more energy, neutered dogs require less energy in comparison.
Obesity tends to occur more often in neutered dogs than in intact
dogs. Neutered dogs tend to gain weight more easily and are often
less active, dog owners should recognize this change and not
continue to feed the same amount of food to their dog after
neutering.
Parvo
Parvo is a viral disease of dogs. It affects puppies much more
frequently than it affects adult dogs. The virus likes to grow in
rapidly dividing cells. The intestinal lining has the biggest
concentration of rapidly dividing cells in a puppy's body. The virus
attacks and kills these cells, causing diarrhea (often bloody),
depression and suppression of white blood cells -- which come from
another group of rapidly dividing cells. In very young puppies it
can infect the heart muscle and lead to "sudden" death.
Distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus (paramyxovirus)
which attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems
of dogs. Although dogs are the most commonly affected, Canine
Distemper is also seen in foxes, ferrets, mink and many other
carnivores. These infected animals are often the cause of the spread
of this disease to domesticated dogs. At normal temperature the
virus can remain active in infected tissue for several weeks,
provided the infected source does not dry out, or become exposed to
ultraviolet radiation (sun light). At below zero, the virus can
remain active for several months. At temperatures of 32°C or
greater, the Canine Distemper virus will be destroyed very quickly.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease can affect individual pets differently. Some animals
may display no symptoms. Other animals may develop fever, loss of
appetite, painful joints, lethargy, and vomiting. If left untreated,
the spirochete may damage the eyes, heart, kidneys, and nervous
system. Lyme disease has been diagnosed in humans, dogs, cats,
horses, goats, and cattle. Other species may also be at risk. Cats
may show lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, eye damage,
unusual breathing, or heart involvement. Many cats do not show
noticeable symptoms, despite being infected. Infected dogs may be
lethargic, have a poor/loss of appetite, or a fever (103° - 105 °
F). Dogs may also experience lameness shifting from one joint to
another, fatigue, kidney damage or failure, heart disorders, or
neurological involvement (e.g. aggression, confusion, overeating,
seizures). Dogs can be infected with the Lyme bacterium but not
exhibit any noticeable symptoms. Dogs appear to have the same
expression of disease as humans, therefore, humans have been
considered an animal model for dogs. Transplacental transmission has
occurred in dogs.
Rabies
Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often
transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of
rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons,
skunks, bats, and foxes. Domestic animals account for less than 10%
of the reported rabies cases, with cats, cattle, and dogs most often
reported rabid. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system,
causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Early symptoms of
rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and
general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms
appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or
partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation,
hyper-salivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of
water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.
Intestinal worms
Have your veterinarian screen your dog for worms twice a year - and
more often if your dog is at high risk of a worm infection. Examples
of high risk pets are those animals living in crowded urban areas,
show pets, hunting dogs, and multiple pet households. Worm your dogs
only under a veterinarian's guidance. The newer heartworm
preventatives are also effective against some of the major
intestinal parasites- round worm, hookworm, and whipworm, as well as
heartworm. Control fleas, which can carry certain tape- worms. These
tapeworms can be transmitted to dogs or people who accidentally
swallow an infected flea. Prevent your dog from eating animal
carcasses, such as rabbits and rodents, which may contain immature
tape worms that will mature in your dog. Maintain good hygiene. For
instance, whipworm and roundworm eggs dropped to the soil in your
dog's feces can remain infectious for years, while hook worm larvae
can accumulate in the earth of a dog run. All can re-infect your
dog. Rapid removal of feces is important. Pave over your dog run.
This is much safer than having a soil or gravel surface in which
worms can survive.
Dental Hygiene For Your Pet
As a child you are taught that brushing your teeth at least once a
day was very important. As you become an adult you truly learn the
value of brushing your teeth. If you are a pet owner do you know the
value also of cleaning your pets teeth? Periodontal disease is the
most common disease in both veterinary and human medicine. It is
also one of the easiest to prevent. Some 80 percent of all animals
over 2 years of age have some sort of dental disease that needs to
be treated. Home dental care is the first line of defense against
periodontal disease in dogs and cats, and the biggest weapon is the
toothbrush. The mechanical action of the toothbrush removes plaque.
Ideally, brushing should be done daily, but a minimum of 3 to 5
times weekly is recommended. It is easy to do and usually requires
no more than 30 seconds to complete. You should use a
veterinary-approved toothpaste, not a human toothpaste. Dogs and
cats can't spit out the foam as we can. They tend to swallow the
foam, which can lead to irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and
therefore create more problems for the pet owner. |
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If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at
404-366-1922.
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