Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Bunch Of Individual Types Of Dog Illnesses

By Karen Keith


Some of the illnesses that affect human beings are also some of the types of dog illnesses affecting dogs. These ailments may include influenza, ear infection and allergies. Another human condition that also affects dogs is obesity as well as excess weight.

One of the ailments that affect both humans and dogs is flu and the symptoms are the same too such as mild fever, sneezing, cough and a running nose. The canine influenza strain resulted from the mutated horse flue and was first recorded in 2004. It is contagious within seven to ten days after contraction spreading from one dog to the other. The illness is left to run its course without having to administer medical treatment.

Allergy is another really common canine illness and happens in one out of seven dogs. This ailment has symptoms such as excessive belly and paws licking, ear and face rubbing as well as irritated itchy skin. The common allergens to dogs include mold, grass and pollen. There is also a possibility that dogs can be allergic to insect bites, food and drugs. Hives are also symptoms of an allergic reaction in dogs and appear as raised red bumps on the skin of the animal and commonly confused for another illness.

Ear mites or buildup of wax is a common occurrence when dogs have an ear infection which is also a common illness. There could be a relation between this infection and a virus or a fungus or even an allergy. Hair under ear flaps is something that makes dogs to be more prone to an ear infection. When the dogs shake their heads, rub their ears or there is a bad smell this could also indicate an ear infection.

Statistics show that one out of five dogs suffers from arthritis. This can occur due to a couple of reasons, it can be caused by disease or injury or as a general condition. The most frequent form of this illness is hip dysphasia and in most cases it happens in larger breeds. There is also the airborne bacterium or virus illness called kennel cough. This is characterized with irritation of the dogs trachea that results to a distinctive cough.

Its not a common occurrence for dogs to suffer heart attack although one out of ten dogs may suffer congenital heart disease. As the heart weakens the illness becomes more prominent. The heart beats faster when there is not enough blood being circulated through the dogs system due to the weakening of heart muscles. Unfortunately this ailment can not be cured.

Dogs share obesity with the human population and of all types of dog illnesses it is the most common. As many as 40 percent canines are estimated as obese dogs. Obesity in dogs has the same effects as those in human being causing diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis.




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