We Are The Cure Blog | Canine Cancer Information

Canine Infectious Hepatitis (CIH) is a deadly disease that can affect dogs of any breed. The risk, however, increases manifold if the dog has a compromised immune system. It is a canine adenovirus-induced disease and every dog would be exposed to the virus during its lifetime at least once. It spreads through direct contact with the infected dog. But it can also be transmitted by direct contact with the virus through urine, feces, saliva, bites from mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. The liver, lymphoid system and blood vessel walls are affected.

The symptoms of canine infectious hepatitis may vary from minor to severe like inappetance, fever, pale feces, coughing, ocular and nasal discharge, temporary corneal opacity, abdominal pain, long lasting bouts of diarrhea, abnormal accumulation of fluid in the head and neck, vomiting, and jaundice.

The treatment consists of controlling the secondary illnesses. However, if the disease aggravates, vets may resort to antibiotics and liver treatment.

Unfortunately the virus cannot be eradicated but you can of course safeguard your pooch by vaccinating him at 6 weeks of age, and re-vaccinating every 3-4 weeks until 16 months old. Once he grows up, you should get him vaccinated every year.

Sometimes, the virus may remain in your dog’s system up to a year even after the infection has receded. So, a regular monitoring by the vet is absolutely necessary.

I’ve spoken about aggressive, unruly dogs in some of my previous posts and also about ways of tackling them. But have we ever spared a thought about the shy, timid and less confident ones? Some of us believe that looking after a shy dog can be a cakewalk. The actual picture, however, is completely different because this fear of strangers stems from lack of early socialization or some unpleasant experience in the past. Moreover, some dogs can be genetically predisposed. They usually have 3 ways of reacting to an unwarranted situation. If they are overcome with fear, they would either freeze in order to impress upon others that they are non-existent, or they would escape from that place or in extreme cases may get embroiled in a fight.

But being a responsible owner if you think your dog is less confident you must try out these simple steps to help your pooch overcome his fear of strangers.

1. Accompany your dog to a quiet place like a park bereft of too many people, or outside a library from where he can see movements of people at a distance without feeling threatened. In case he shows signs of nervousness, neither comfort  him nor chide him. Instead behave with him as normally as possible. You can either read out a story to him or sing a song, recite a poetry or simply play with him. If any stranger tries to come close to your pooch explain to him that he is under training. But despite that if he still looks stressed out increase the distance till he is at complete ease. Continue doing this for over a week till you are confident that he is totally relaxed. Then try moving closer to the traffic.
2. Observe how your dog reacts to strangers passing by. If he looks relaxed reward him with a treat and shower praises. Repeat this every time he reacts positively to a stranger. But if he shows even the slightest signs of apprehension stop giving him treats. Continue this over a period of 2 weeks till he feels totally at ease. But if he looks completely distressed, move way from the traffic to a place where he feels safe.
3. Next, ask people your dog is not familiar with to drop treats as they go by.  However, they should neither look at him nor speak to him. This would slowly instill in him a feeling that strangers are not to be frightened of.
4. If he accepts this, ask willing participants to come closer and pretend to talk to you holding a treat in their hands. But ask them not to look at the dog even for a split second. If the dog grabs the treat don’t pay too much attention. The strangers should in fact continue talking to you as normally as possible. Repeat this with several other strangers till he learns to associate strangers with pleasant things.
5. You can repeat the same activity at home when your friends or relatives drop by for a chat. Seeing a stranger, your dog will definitely retire to a safe corner. You give your friend a treat and ask him to place it on the floor from where your pooch can see it. But make sure that your acquaintance doesn’t pay attention to the dog and continue talking to you as usual. If the dog laps it up, don’t look at him. Instead continue with the conversation. But in case your dog doesn’t grab the treat don’t reprimand him. Keep repeating the act till you achieve success. If he accepts the treat this time ask your friend to hold another in his hand while chatting with you. However, he should keep the demeanor intact. If the dog accepts the treat, repeat this over and over again till you are confident that he has been able to overcome his fear.

Always remember that your aim here is to help him overcome his shyness so that he is able to live more happily. Don’t expect him to start admiring strangers right away. Give him some time. However, he may not like everybody and I think you should be fine with that.

Rearing a pet could be even more difficult than bringing up a child. Some of us go for adoption without sparing a thought and very soon find ourselves in the midst of trouble. This becomes all the more conspicuous in case of onset of a sudden medical condition. Unable to handle the situation we get too distressed and worked up. But these situations can be handled in a much better manner only if we look out for the symptoms.

We should in fact make a directory of the common illnesses affecting dogs and their clinical signs. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one such illness. It occurs quite frequently in dogs because most of them abide by schedules set by their masters. Therefore they don’t have the liberty to relieve themselves as and when they wish to. Some of the clinical signs of UTI may include presence of blood in the urine, weight loss, anorexia, vomiting, difficulty while urinating and abdominal pain.

This situation calls for immediate medical attention because if left untreated it can even lead to cancer. X-ray and ultrasound are some of the most common methods employed in detecting the disease.

The course of treatment, however, would finally depend upon the severity of the illness. In extreme cases, surgery may be required, but if it’s less severe a change in the dog’s diet along with some antibiotics would do.

But as we all know prevention is better than cure we must try to take all the precautionary measures. We can do so by following certain simple guidelines.

What are the foods you should avoid giving him?

• Foods high in salt
• Foods containing too much preservatives.

What foods should you give him?

• Dog meals and pet foods that are especially formulated to treat UTI
• Citrus juices
• Distilled water
• Fresh meals

By regularizing their food habits and allowing them to relieve at regular intervals we can definitely decrease the incidence of UTIs among dogs.

Aggression is a very common trait associated with dogs. Different circumstances spark temperamental swings leading to aggressive behavior on their part. Dogs manifest their anger or disapproval through common signs that may include continuous barking, howling and lunging. But sometimes blocking the way, jumping in the air and pouncing on the owner may also indicate restless behavior.

As a dog grows in years, he starts getting impatient. His level of tolerance slowly weans away paving the way for violent behavior. But this abrupt change usually throws the whole house into a tizzy. We are completely at our wits’ end unable to decide how to cope with these unforeseen circumstances. But we shouldn’t worry too much and instead try to delve deep into the matter.

First and foremost we should reflect on the situations that induced aggressive behavior on our dogs’ part in the past. There could be several causes right from challenge posed by a younger dog to a sudden onset of illness like arthritis, hyperthyroidism or possible brain tumors. The former sounds a little weird. But this is true because sometimes due to old age a senior dog may not be able to match up to the energy level of his younger counterparts, leading to a sense of frustration and despondency. Medical conditions, however, could be a potential cause of misdemeanor. Pain and stiffness from arthiritis rob them off their ability to move about unhindered. Hyperthyroidism and brain tumors although rare occurrences may lead to excruciatingly painful conditions. These keep them tensed all the time. But the medical problems can be resolved by consulting his vet.

Dogs usually tend to be well disciplined if we inculcate good values in them. But if they suddenly start behaving abnormally we should immediately investigate the causes and take proper measures to abate them.

As we move towards finding better ways to improve canine lives, this blog is another small effort to make dog parents aware of the implications urinary bladder stones can have on canine health. By now I think we are already aware of the repercussions any disease can have on our pets’ heath. So, as responsible dog parents we should be extra cautious and immediately pull up our socks whenever we notice any abnormalities in their behavior.

Urinary bladder stones can be excruciatingly painful and if left untreated can damage the kidneys completely. The symptoms of bladder stones may include difficulty while urinating, hematuria, vomiting, fever, lethargy, dribbling urine, inappetance and depression. Some dogs are genetically predisposed but in others they may result from poor diet or recurring bacterial infections.

Bladder stones can be easily diagnosed with the help of X-ray and urinanalysis. Since they are amenable to resection, surgery is the treatment of choice. But other available options may entail dietary alterations, antibiotic drugs and urohydropropulsion in which the stones are flushed out from the dog’s urinary system with the help of water pressure.

Eventually, the mode of treatment depends upon the general health of the dog, and the severity of the problem. Surgery is opted mostly in case of big stones and dietary alterations are also prescribed depending upon the stone sizes. Like surgery, urohydropropulsion too is performed under anaesthesia. In this procedure the dog’s bladder is filled with saline and then squeezed in such a manner so that the stones come out through the urethra easily. Antibiotic drugs are administered to resolve bacterial infections as they tend to make the urine alkaline which results in the formation of stones.

So, it is very important to be attentive and careful when it comes to our pets’ health because even the slightest negligence can prove fatal.

Not all dogs are amenable to the idea of being bathed. But does that mean they would remain perpetually dirty? Of course not because there are alternative ways of keeping your pooch clean.

Dry shampoo available at a pet store can solve the problem. Rub the shampoo into his body without using water and then brush properly. However, before using it you should never forget to read the instructions. Other ways of keeping his coat clean are by using baking soda or a home made mixture of cornmeal and salt. Baking soda is a natural deodorant which keeps your pet’s coat bright and shining. All these methods are safe and convenient. Moreover, in this world of rising water crisis it’s high time that we start conserving water in our own little ways. Also brush your dog as often as you can especially when he’s shedding. Nylon brushes are good for long haired dogs while metal brushes are good for the medium haired ones. For the short haired dogs you can use either of them.

However, keeping the coat clean is just one aspect of it but other places like the ears, eyes, and teeth also need to be washed regularly. But how will you keep those areas clean? Very simple by using damp sterile cotton balls. While cleaning his teeth, however, soak the cotton ball in baking soda.

Having said all this we cannot ignore the importance of nails. Taking good care of nails is equally important because broken pieces can cause grievous injury to our paw pals. Either take him to a vet or clip his nails yourself. Embalm the nails with petroleum jelly so that you don’t confront difficulties during the clipping episodes.

For detailed information on nail clipping click here.

Canine water therapy is catching up fast with dogs across USA, Canada, Great Britain and Australia. Dogs are flocking to the nearest swimming clubs with their owners for a splash in the warm, comfortable water. This therapy is usually conducted by trained professionals in the warmth of an indoor environment. The temperature of the water hovers around 83 degree Celsius or above.

The swimming pool is more like a spa with a decent expanse of water. So, most of the pooches are put on life jackets for safety purposes. Some owners even take the help of doggles to keep water out of their eyes. Therapists have corroborated that dogs with water phobia also develop a love for it with continuous exposure.

Dogs with musculoskeletal problems are supposed to benefit most from the swim therapy. But it is also recommended by veterinarians for dogs who undergo surgery because it puts dogs on the fast track of development.

The major visitors to the swimming club consist of athletic dogs and working dogs. Dogs with behavioral problems and shelter dogs, are also taken to the clubs for helping them tide over the crisis situations. It also gives them a chance to mingle with other pets which paves the way for a strong bonding in the future.

However, dogs with no issues can also savor in the pristine water of the pool and enjoy new games and water toys.

It is in fact the ultimate way to soothe their jangled nerves!

You can log onto Canine Water Therapists for a detailed guideline on where to take your pets for a tryst with the water therapy.

Of late I had been hearing about ‘probiotics’ a lot. So, I decided to track down the exact meaning and its potential benefits on dog health. From my research what I found was that ‘probiotics’ are basically living microorganisms which when taken through food can be greatly beneficial to the dogs.

‘Probiotics’ play a major role in the dog’s body by strengthening the immune system. Reports have indicated that they accelerate the production of antibody that produce plasma cells and lymphocytes, which put up a formidable resistance against harmful pathogens.

‘Probiotics’ are basically dietary supplements consisting of the living microorganisms that improve the process of assimilation and digestion by streamlining the intestinal function. They also act as a protective shield against various disorders like diarrhea, bloating, indigestion, gas, etc. Sometimes, intestinal problems could be the indication of other underlying ailments like allergies, itchy skin, ear infection, etc. ‘Probiotics’ are a rich source of natural antibiotics, that prevent the growth of some harmful bacteria and pathogens like, E. coli and salmonella. Other major health benefits of probiotics include its antioxidant properties and reduction of cholesterol in the blood. They can also help in the production of vitamin B and folic acid. They prevent the inflammation of the intestine. The most common probiotoic is lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

However, some factors like antibiotics, harmful pathogens and poor intake of food can deplete the population of ‘probiotics’ in your dog’s body. On such occasions you can give your dog food items containing probiotics like yogurt products, fermented milk, miso and cheese. You can even supplement it with your dog food.

But having said all this the advice of a vet cannot be undermined. So, before administering ‘probiotics’ through food supplements, always consult a vet.

We are all aware of the potential benefits of calcium in our diet. The same is true for our dogs as well. Calcium is mandatory for strong bones and teeth but the proportion in which we give it to our pets determines their true bone health. Do you know that both little or excess calcium can be devastating for your pet’s health?

If you give it to him in very low quantities your dog may develop a condition called ‘ricket’. This is a disease in which the bones become ‘porous’ and ‘brittle’. However, large amounts of calcium can result in bone abnormalities. Large bones are usually very low in density. But calcium supplements become inevitable during pregnancy and post pregnancy. Otherwise, it may lead to ‘eclampsia’ or milk ‘fever’ a life-threatening condition characterized by low blood calcium levels.

Although calcium plays a significant role in your dog’s diet, the importance of other vitamins and nutrients cannot be undermined. In fact calcium works hand in hand with phosphorous. Vitamin D also plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. However, excess vitamin D can be detrimental to your dog’s health.

So, for the right proportion of calcium in your dog’s diet always seek the advice of his vet.

Nurturing a puppy can actually give you hands on training on how to look after a baby if you haven’t had any exposure till date. Yes, they also go through exactly similar phases in their transition towards adulthood and ‘teething’ is perhaps the most prominent of them all.

Just like human babies, puppies are also born toothless. By the 6th or 8th week they have around 28 teeth. These are known as ‘deciduous teeth’ or ‘milk teeth’. Although these are temporary, they help in the process of chewing. They eventually fall off between 4 months – 1 year thus paving way for the permanent ones. The incisors grow between 3-6 months of age, while the premolars develop between 4-6 months. The canines and molars appear between 5-7 months. Unlike human babies their teething process is complete by 8-9 months of age.

Some puppies drool excessively during this period as they develop an affinity for chewable stuff. However, this acts as a lubricant which sets the stage for tooth growth. Although drooling is a very common phenomenon during this phase, sometimes it could also be an indication of underlying problems like upset stomach or gum disease. In case you feel all is not well with your buddy rush him to a vet.

There are several ways in which you can take care of these problems. Always keep a towel handy so that you can wipe their faces and paws with it. Provide them with plenty of chewable toys. However, ice cubes or wash cloth dipped in water are the safest bets. The ‘itchy’ sensation in their gums sometimes ensues bad behavior. To ease their discomfort you can sit beside your puppies and slowly run your fingers on their gums.

Sometimes, a few deciduous teeth remain as they don’t fall off. So, if you don’t get them extracted they won’t allow the permanent ones to sustain resulting in improper jaw alignment or malocclusion.