CANINE DISTEMPER - SYMPTOMS

Distemper in dogs is caused by a virus and is most prevalent in the spring and fall months.
Vaccination against distemper in pups and dogs is the best defense.
symptoms -
Early signs and symptoms of dog distemper - fever, loss of appetite, eye inflammation, temperature above 103 degree F, depression, nasal discharge, Conjunctivitis.
symptoms when the intestinal tract is affected - vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy
symptoms when CDV affects the lungs and upper respiratory tract - coughing, sneezing, vomiting, green discharge from nostril, diarrhea, cough, labored breathing, fever
symptoms the brain and spinal cord are affected by virus - secondary bacterial infections, seizures, muscle incoordination, uncontrollable muscle twitch, hard pad disease,
depression, partial or incomplete paralysis, deterioration of mental abilities

Intussusception in dog - could be serious as well.

Intussusception can be quite a painful experience for your dog, as your dog will not eat or drink and can be easily mixed up with many other more common conditions such as dog constipation or straining to pass feces.
This is normally harmless to your dog long but as the contractions of the vomiting or diarrhea get worse then the muscles in the lower intestines contract so hard that they overlap each other or go inside each other.
After the overlapping process has happened, the following food that is being passed through the intestines becomes trapped in the overlapped part.
This is not a very common occurrence in dogs but may cause constant retching to vomit. Surgery is usually the way to fix intussusception by going into the effected area and pulling the two overlapping part apart and releasing and removing the contained waste to ensure a normal passage in the future.
This procedure should always be dealt with by a vet and ask for further guidance which usually results in a check-up to identify the condition.

A CASE OF NEUROFIBROMA IN A DOG

She was brought to the clinic with growth over chest cavity. Histopathology was done to find out the type and kind of growth and concluded Neurofibroma and was attached with ribs and intercostal muscles. Tumor was growing at speedy rate and dog was loosing weight day by day. Finally, it was decided to operate upon the dog.

my article

Title: Evaluation of pentazocine lactate as a postoperative analgesic in dogs.Personal Authors: Geeta, Jit Singh, Vandana Sangwan, Sandeep Gera, Garg, S. L.Author Affiliation: Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar - 125 004, India.Editors: No editorsDocument Title: Haryana VeterinarianAbstract:
Studies were done on 12 healthy female dogs brought for ovariohysterectomy as an elective surgery. Surgery was done through a right flank incision under atropine-xylazine-ketamine anaesthesia. In six animals pentazocine lactate (2 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly preoperatively while another six animals received this drug at the same dose rate immediately after completion of surgery. A numerical rating scale using several behavioural parameters was used to assess pain. Mean total pain scores indicated that pentazocine (2 mg/kg) effectively controls the moderate postoperative pain caused by ovariohysterectomy. The blockade of pain appears to be slightly better in those animals where pentazocine was administered preoperatively. It appears that determination of plasma cortisol concentration can be a useful tool to assess the intensity of pain. The results also indicated that if moderate pain caused by a surgical procedure is effectively controlled in first 24 postoperative hours, subsequent administration of analgesic drug may not be required.Publisher: College of Veterinary Sciences, Haryana Agricultural University

Hyperthermia - A Dangerous condition in dogs

Heat stroke or hyperthermia or elevated body temperature is usually one term. If a pet’s body temperature exceeds 103°F, it is considered abnormal or hyperthermic. Body temperatures above 106°F without previous signs of illness are most commonly associated with exposure to excessive external or environmental heat. Some people may think that winter is the only weather which can be dangerous for dogs. The fact is that hyperthermia can kill just as easily as hypothermia can.
Dogs don’t sweat like we do rather they expel heat through panting. This panting does cause them to lose water, which makes summer a deadly time for many dogs.
The most common cause of heat stroke or hyperthermia is leaving a dog in a car with inadequate ventilation. The dog’s body temperature can elevate very rapidly in this condition, often within minutes. It is important to remember that dogs cannot control their body temperature by sweating as humans do as they only have a relatively small number of sweat glands located in their footpads. Their primary way of regulating body heat is by panting.
Other common causes of heat stroke include being left in a yard without access to shade or water on a hot day. Excited or excessively exercised dogs are sometimes at risk even if the environmental temperature and humidity does not appear hot. This is particularly true if they are kept in a poorly ventilated environment or dog house.
Dogs with a restricted airway such as pugs, boxers, and bulldogs are at greater risk. In these breeds, clinical signs of heat stroke can occur when the outside temperature and humidity are only moderately elevated.
Dogs that are muzzled for any reason can be at greater risk since their ability to pant is restricted by the muzzle. Seizures or severe muscle spasms can also elevate the body temperature due to the increase in muscular activity.
It’s important to keep your dog cool this summer, so be sure to take the proper precautions. Most importantly, have plenty of clean, cool water where they can easily get it. Keep them indoors during the hottest time of day or at least make sure that they have plenty of shade. Also, be sure to never exercise your dog during the heat of the day.
If your dog has to be outside, try a cooling pack against his/her belly. They’ll appreciate how good it feels and you won’t have to worry about them overheating.