Shock Caused by Bacterial Infection in Dogs
Shock associated with generalized bacterial infection of the body is medically referred to as sepsis, a physical condition known as septic shock. It develops as a complication of an overwhelming generalized systemic infection. Septic shock is associated with low blood flow (hypoperfusion) or low blood pressure (hypotension), which may or may not respond to fluids or medical treatment given to maintain arterial blood pressure. Dogs that are very young or very old are at increased risk due to their undeveloped or lowered immune responses, respectively.
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Megacolon
The colon is the section of the large intestine that begins at the cecum, the sac that joins the colon to the end of the small intestine (ileum), and ends where the rectum begins. All are part of the larger digestive tract. The main purpose of the colon is to serve as a temporary storage conduit while it performs the function of extracting useful water and salt from the waste. Megacolon is a condition in which waste is remaining in the colon, causing the diameter of the colon to become abnormally enlarged. It is typically associated with chronic constipation, or obstipation – severe, obstinate constipation that blocks the passage of gas as well as feces. Medically, the colon is described as exhibiting minimal colonic activity – that is, the colon is not releasing its contents.
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Reproductive Genetic Abnormalities in Dogs
Sexual development disorders in dogs occur due to errors in the genetic coding, which involve the chromosomes responsible for development of the sex organs - including the gonads (the male and female reproductive organs) - or when errors in gene development result in abnormal sexual differentiation, making it difficult to distinguish between male and female animals. Sexual disorders tend to be breed specific.
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Pain (Acute, Chronic and Postoperative) in Dogs
One of the biggest challenges in animal care is determining your dog’s source of pain. This is partly due to their limited ability to convey the pain. Dogs vary greatly in their specific responses to pain; the animal’s age, species, experience, and current environment will all affect their response levels.
There are numerous causes of pain; most are commonly associated with tissue damage. Treatment options are available that can help to reduce the amount of pain your dog is experiencing.
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Hypovolemic Shock in Dogs
A dog can go into shock for a variety of reasons, but when their blood volume or fluid levels drastically drop, shock can onset rapidly. This medical condition affects the renal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and the respiratory systems of a dog. Prolonged levels of shock can also severely damage the cardiac system. It is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Hypovolemic shock can affect both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects cats, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.
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Bicipital Tenosynovitis, Brachii Muscle Rupture, and Supraspinatus Avulsion in Dogs
The shoulder joint is a “ball-and-socket” joint. In four legged animals it is made up of the scapula/shoulder blade bones, and the humerus/upper bone of the front leg. These bones are supported by ligaments and tendons. A ligament is a band of connective or fibrous tissue that connects two bones or cartilage at a joint, and a tendon is a band of connective or fibrous tissue that connects a muscle to a bone.
Shoulder-joint ligament and tendon conditions make up the majority of causes for lameness in the canine shoulder joint, excluding osteochondritis dissecans (a condition characterized by abnormal development of bone and cartilage, leading to a flap of cartilage within the joint). It is a disease that occurs in medium to large-breed dogs when they become skeletally mature, around one year of age or older. The average age for development of this condition is between 3 to 7 years of age.
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Disorder of the Heart in the Sinus Node
The sinoatrial node (SA Node, or SAN), also called the sinus node, is the initiator of electrical impulses within the heart, triggering the heart to beat, or contract, by firing off electrical surges. Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a disorder of the heart’s electrical impulse formation within the sinus node. It is also a disorder of the conduction of the electrical impulse out of the sinus node. Sick sinus syndrome will also affect subsidiary (backup) pacemakers and the specialized conduction system of the heart. Pacemaker refers to the generation of electrical impulses within the muscle tissue, which set the pace for the heart’s rhythm.
On an electrocardiogram (ECG), the irregular contraction of the heart (arrhythmia) will be visible. Tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome, in which the heart beats too slowly, and then too quickly, is a variant of sick sinus syndrome. Clinical signs of sick sinus syndrome in animals will become apparent when organs begin to dysfunction because they are not receiving a normal amount of blood supply.
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Dermatophilosis
Dermatophilosis is a skin disease that is irrespective of the age or gender of the animal, although the symptoms may vary. It is most often contracted from farm animals such as cows, sheep, or horses, and is prevelant in warm or humid climates. Dogs with wet skin or skin that is wounded from parasitic bites, such as from fleas or ticks, increases the chances of contracting the skin disease.
The condition or disease described in this medical article can affect both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects cats, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.
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Pemphigus
Pemphigus is the general designation for a group of autoimmune skin diseases involving ulceration and crusting of the skin, as well as the formation of fluid-filled sacs and cysts (vesicles), and pus filled lesions (pustules). Some types of pemphigus can also affect the skin tissue of the gums. An autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies that are produced by the system, but which act against the body’s healthy cells and tissues — just as white blood cells act against infection. In effect, the body is attacking itself. The severity of the disease depends on how deeply the autoantibody deposits into the skin layers. The hallmark sign of pemphigus is a condition called acantholysis, where the skin cells separate and break down because of tissue-bound antibody deposits in the space between cells.
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Eosinophilic Granuloma in Dogs
In dogs, the eosinophilic granuloma complex is a sometimes confusing term for three distinct syndromes that cause inflammation and irritation of the skin:
1. Eosinophilic plaque - circumscribed, raised, round to oval lesions that frequently are ulcerated. They are usually located on the abdomen or thighs. These lesions contain a type of white blood cell called an eosinophil.
2. Eosinophilic granuloma - a mass or nodular lesion containing eosinophils usually found on the back of the thighs, on the face, or in the mouth.
3. Indolent ulcer – circumscribed, ulcerated lesions most frequently found on the upper lip.
Eosinophilic refers to eosinophils, a type of white-blood cell usually involved in allergic responses. Granuloma is a large inflammatory nodule or solid mass. And a complex is a group of signs or diseases that have an identifiable characteristic that makes them similar in some fashion.
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