Category — dog health problems

Status Epilepticus in Dogs

Status epilepticus, or epilepsy, is a neurological condition that results in recurrent seizures in dogs.

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Ventricular Fibrillation in Dogs

Ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) is a condition in which ventricle muscles in the heart begin to contract in a disorganized fashion, making them quiver. Due to this uncoordinated contraction, blood circulation may cease within minutes, which may be fatal. Although it can affect dogs at any age, it seems to affect those that are older.

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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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Rickettsia Tick Borne Disease in Dogs

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is one of the most commonly known tick-borne diseases to affect dogs and humans. It belongs to a class of diseases known as Rickettsia; rod-shaped microorganisms that resemble bacteria, but which behave like viruses, reproducing only inside living cells. Rickettsia rickettsii — the organism responsible for Rocky Mountain spotted fever — lives parasitically in ticks and is transmitted by bite to vertebrate hosts.

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Ascariasis

Ascariasis is a disease affecting dogs caused by the intestinal parasitic roundworm (or Ascaris lumbricoides). Roundworms are often quite large — up to 10 to 12 centimeters in length — and can be present in extremely high numbers within an infected animal. When they are found in a dog’s body, it can lead to abdominal swelling (distension), colic, gastrointestinal issues and even intestinal rupture.

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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Second-degree Atrioventricular Block - Mobitz Type 1 in Dogs

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. The atria, the two upper chambers of the heart that receive  and send out blood, are prompted into action by the SA node’s electrical impulse, which then activates the atrioventricular node (AV node). The AV node conducts the normal electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles, coordinating the mechanical activity so that the atria have forced the blood down into the ventricles before the ventricles contract to send the blood out into the body through the pulmonary artery and aortic artery.

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Separation anxiety in dogs usually are destructive or otherwise inappropriate when an owner leaves the pet or is not in close proximity. Behaviors that may be seen include vocalization, destroying objects, digging or even depression. However, these behaviors may also be due to other conditions or environmental cues. Therefore, it is important for the behaviorist or veterinarian to obtain the history of the dog before attributing separation anxiety as the primary or sole cause of the behavior.

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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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Acral Lick Dermatitis

Acral lick dermatitis is a firm, raised, ulcerative, or thickened plaque usually located on the back side of the wrist, on the ankle, or between the toes. This disease primarily affects dogs, and most commonly large breeds, especially Doberman Pinschers, Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes, Irish and English Setters, Golden Retrievers, Akitas, Dalmatians, Shar-peis, and Weimaraners. The age at which it occurs in animals varies with the cause. Some experts suggest that it is more common in males; others indicate there is no preference.

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Contact Dermatitis in Dogs

Contact dermatitis may be caused by an allergy, or it may simply mean that your pet has touched something that has irritated its skin, such as the sap in poison ivy, or salt on a road. It is difficult to distinguish one from the other because the symptoms usually appear the same. Allergic reactions require a previous, sensitizing experience with the irritant. The next contact with the irritant is when symptoms occur. Both dogs and cats can suffer from allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis. It can occur at any age, and is a direct result of the irritating nature of the offending compound.

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