Canine Lyme Disease

Canine Lyme Disease
Canine Lyme disease is a disease that is caused by a minuscule bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacterium is difficult to find, considering the fact that even their carriers, deer ticks, are impossible to identify because they are tinier than the head of a pin.

These ticks grab onto dogs, and people, similar to all other ticks. After a period of one or two days, however, the victim's blood becomes too thick for the tick to drink it comfortably. At this point, the tick injects a substance that makes the victim's blood thinner and therefore makes it easier for the tick to drink. Therefore, the first one or two days are your window of opportunity to get rid of the ticks on your dog before he is infected with the disease.

After two days, there's no going back as your dog is most likely infected with the disease. Only ten to fifty percent of deer ticks actually carry this disease, but it might be more than that based on which part of the country you are located in, and they are still not good chances for your dog.

This bacterium lies dormant for many months and only then do the symptoms show. If your dog has recently run around a field during tick season, then these are some of the signs you need to keep an eye out for:

Fever

Lethargy

Painful, swollen joints

Swollen lymph nodes

Loss of appetite

If you find that your dog is showing any of the above symptoms, then be sure to tell his vet that your dog might have ticks, because these symptoms are signs of several different illnesses. Thankfully, today there is a simple way in which vets test for Canine Lyme disease and all they need is a blood sample from your dog.

There are many ways to prevent your dog contracting this disease in the first pace. You can use tick repellents and preventives to make sure that he doesn't get this disease, even if you cannot keep him out of areas that are infested with ticks. Your vet will most likely know what brands are best to use and how strong they need to be according to the area you live in.

Humans can't actually catch this disease from your dog, but the same ticks that are on his body can latch onto yours, and if it happens to be a disease-infected one, you could get the disease too. You should find it and get rid of it in time, or you will have Lyme disease.

Canine Kidney Disease

Canine Kidney Disease
Canine kidney disease is a devastating and belligerent condition that affects dogs. The prevalence of canine kidney disease is 1 in 5 dogs hence it is vital for all dog owners to know a thing or two about it. Basically, the kidneys of dogs function as those of humans - responsible for filtering out waste products off the body, and allowing different forms of nutrients to get in the bloodstream. Needless to mention, if the kidneys will not function well, toxin will build up in the dog's body.

While canine kidney disease is common among old dogs, young ones are not entirely safe from it. The disease is considered irreversible. The condition is classified as chronic or acute where chronic affects older dogs and tends to develop over an extended period of time. Acute form of canine kidney disease occurs suddenly, affects dogs of any age and both forms cause irreversible damage.

There are lots of causes of canine kidney disease, top among them toxic chemicals ingested by the dog like antifreeze or rat poison. It can also be caused by bacterial or fungal infections and heart disease. Chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics have also proven to be responsible for this condition when used over a long period of time.

Frequent urination, increased consumption of water, and dehydration are some of the common symptoms to indicate that a dog is suffering from this condition. The dog can also have a sudden loss of appetite and discolored teeth, mouth ulcers, muscle weakness, diarrhea, and shivering.

It is important to know that canine kidney disease will progress until it is discovered and treated. Just like in humans, early diagnosis and treatment is highly recommended for positive response to treatment. There is no clear-cut way of knowing that a particular dog is at risk for the condition unless the vet conducts regular blood and urine testing. A dog that is genetically susceptible to such conditions is highly at risk; hence the vet should be made aware.

Fortunately today, so much can be done to treat the condition. However, how a dog responds to the treatment will be dependent on a number of factors, bearing in mind that dogs with other health complications such as cancer, heart problems, obesity, and diabetes will have a difficult time recovering from canine kidney disease. By and large, keeping the dogs in clean and safe environment to avoid exposure to toxins, parasites, and viruses will help reduce the risk of contracting canine kidney disease.