Dog's World

Stroke !

It may come as a shock to you to find out that your dog has suffered from a stroke. Unlike humans, when a dog has a stroke, he often won't become paralyzed or display any of the human signs of stroke. In fact, with the right care and attention, chances are he will bounce right back within a short period after suffering from a stroke, especially if he has a little help.

How To Tell Your Dog Has Had A Stroke?

Often, there are a few signs that will tell you that your dog is suffering from a stroke. These usually include loss of sight, falling over, and tilting and turning of the head. If you notice your dog displaying these symptoms, you should take him to the vet to rule out other serious health problems such as brain disease, which may be the underlying cause of the symptoms.

Often, pet owners are not aware that their dog has suffered from a stroke. If your pet is advanced in years, seems off color, or acting strangely, he may have suffered a stroke. The best way to find out for sure is to take him to the vet for an examination. Once there, the vet will put your dog under anesthesia, and run some tests to find out what is causing your dog to act
strangely.

My Dog Has Had A Stroke, What Should I Do?

If your dog has had a stroke, it is important to remember that dogs don't suffer as badly from strokes as humans do, and they will recover faster than humans. Once your dog has had a stroke, there is not a lot that your vet can do for him. In most cases, there is no magical cure, or special pill, all your vet will do is confirm that it was a stroke, and rule out the dangerous diseases that may be causing your dog to suffer from the strokes.

However, there are some things that you, the owner of your dog, can do to help with his recovery. Because you share a close owner-pet bond, your dog will recover faster if you are around to care for him, and cheer him on as he starts getting better. Make sure that he has a warm cozy place to rest, and plenty of encouragement, and love from you, to remind him of why he wants to get better.

You may also need to encourage your pet to eat, and drink soon after he has suffered from a stroke, and help him onto his feet, and encourage him to take bathroom breaks outside. Exercise, especially strenuous exercise, should be avoided. Once your dog is feeling well enough, he will soon tell you when he is ready to start going on walks again. After a matter of weeks, he will be starting to get back to his old self.

Don't forget that once your dog has recovered, he will still need plenty of love, and encouragement, and may not be as agile as he was before the stroke. Strokes can keep reoccurring in dogs, so keep a close eye on him.

Flatulence


One of the big signs of a healthy, happy dog is a dog with good digestion. And one of the by products to a dog able to digest his food well is that he won't be as prone to an outbreak of embarrassing dog flatulence. Your dog's diet and the quality of food you feed him will naturally have a direct bearing on his digestion powers and general health as well as having a bearing on how prone he is to flatulence. In general terms the better quality of food you feed your best buddy the less frequent the flatulence attacks.

A good quality diet alone might not be enough to help your pooch to prevent the odd gassy episode. Vitamin supplements and mineral supplements used in addition to a good diet can help in a big way not only with the general health and well being of your pet but also as a prevention against dog flatulence. Keep the vitamin and mineral supplements in proportion and balance. Do a little research or have a word with your vet to obtain professional advice on what vitamins and minerals would be best for your dog. For example thiamine and pyridoxine can help the dog's nervous system. Vitamin A deficiency can contribute to skin lesions whereas a lack of vitamin D in the dog's diet can result in bone weakness. These problems are many a time encountered by the dog owners. Among these, vitamin A toxicities may occur if you feed them in excessive amounts, like vitamin D. Hence, give emphasis on this while you are using these vitamins in the dogs. Cod liver oil from selected fishes has more vitamin A in them and are universally good feed for dogs. The age of your dog will have a direct bearing on what to feed him. A puppy needs a much different diet to an older more mature animal for example. Take these factors into when giving your dog food a good quality feed including the proper vitamins and supplements fed to him at the right time in the right amounts. Such steps will benefit your dog by aiding his powers of digestion and general health. This in turn may help to cut down on or prevent flatulence
in your dog if he is prone to the odd bout of wind.

By Andy Machin




Respiration

It is very common for all dogs to cough on an occasional basis, especially when they first wake up. However, allergic sneezing is typically a nonproductive sneeze that occurs in paroxysms and the infections will often produce puss. If you notice a bloody discharge from a single nostril then that is an indication of a tumour or a foreign object.

Acute Coughing
Although we have discussed the issue of your dog having a persistent and constant coughing problem, acute coughing can be a sign of something a little less dangerous, but important nevertheless. Acute coughing may be a sign of kennel cough, acute bronchitis, inhalation pneumonia, a foreignobject in the airway, or even an infection of the tonsils, larynx, or pharynx. Kennel cough is contracted from other dogs which causes inflammation of the voice box. Bronchitis is caused by a bacterial or allergic inflammation to the bronchi in the lungs. And of course any foreign object stuck in the lung will cause acute coughing.

What to do: Kennel cough is extremely contagious so be sure to isolate your dog and get him to the veterinarian right away. Cough suppressants can begiven to your dog to ease the pain. Medications an be administered to treat any of the above infections. And if there is only a foreign object stuck,then the vet can pull it out with forceps.

Snoring
There are many breed of dog that have elongated soft palates that hang at the back of the throat, especially those dogs with compressed faces. This soft palate interferes with the larynx and produces a snore. An allergic inflammation in the throat can also be the cause of your dog's snoring problem. Also, snoring is enhanced if the dog has narrow nostrils and larynx.

What to do: Although snoring may not seem like a series issue, it is always best to consult your vet for a full checkup. And if you have a dog breed such as the Pekingese or Pug that snores, this could be a sign of potential heart and breathing problems. Your dog may have surgical reduction of the length of the soft palate to reduce or eliminate the snoring issue.

Changing Of Your Dog's Voice
If you notice that your dog's bark is altered in any way, then it could be due to damage of the larynx. Also, allergic reactions from bee stings can cause laryngeal swelling. Worst case scenario for the older dog is that atumour has developed.

What to do: Your vet may give your dog antihistamines or anti-inflammatories to reduce allergic swelling. If the problem is as severe as a tumours, then your dog will undergo surgery to have the tumour removed. If you suspect your dog of having any of the above problems then the vet may have to insert an artificial windpipe, administer medications, or at worst, surgery.

By: John Mailer