GLAUCOMA IN DOGS

Description:

THIS IS A CONDITION WHERE THE LENS IS PARTIALLY OR FULLY DISLOCATED FROM THE THREADS THAT HOLD IT IN POSITION WITHIN THE EYE.  THESE TINY THREADS, SOMETIMES CALLED [LIGAMENTS]ARE KNOWN AS [ZONULES] AND IT IS THEY THAT WEAKEN AND BREAK CAUSING THIS CONDITION. HOW QUICKLY AND HOW MANY BREAK DETERMINES THE SPEED OF ONSET OF THIS CONDITION, USING NORMAL OPHTHALMIC INSTRUMENTS [SUCH AS YOUR VET MAY POSSESS] IT IS DIFFICULT TO EVEN SEE THESE SMALL THREADS, WHAT THE EXPERIENCED OPHTHAMIST [NOT YOUR OWN VET] SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING FOR IS A WOBBLE IN THE LENS AS THE DOG MOVES HIS HEAD AROUND.THIS INDICATES THAT THE ZONULES ARE BECOMING WEAK,  WEAK ZONULES IS CALLED SUBLUXATED, COMPLETELY DEACHED {LUXATED}. UNFORTUNATELY, EACH EYE CAN BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY, SO A RAPID ONSET ON ONE EYE, MAY OR MAY NOT LEAD TO A GRADUAL [NOT PREDICTAIN] ONSET WITH THE OTHER AS THIS APPEARS TO BE A GENETIC DEFECT IN DOGS THEN IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT EVENTUALLY BOTH EYES WILL BE EFFECTED. THER ARE TWO DIRECTIONS IN WHICH THE LENS CAN GO: FORWARD AND BACKWARD, FORWARD IS CALLED ANTERIOR LUXATION, BACKWARDS IS CALLED POSTERIOR LUXATION, THE LENS CAN ALSO DETACH AT AN ANGLE WHICH CAN CAUSE BRUISING OF THE CORNEA [EDEMA OF THE CORNEA] THIS CAUSES THE CORNEA TO LOOSE ITS TRANSPARENCY IN THE AREA OF THE CONTACT THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE PERMANENT

 CANINE KIDNEY DISEASE

 CHRONIC KIDNEY FAILURE IS THE MOST COMMON  FORM OF KIDNEY DISEASE IN DOGS AND AMONG THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF DEATH IN OLDER DOGS UNFORTUNATELY CHRONIC DISEASE PROGRESSES OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS AND OFTEN GOES UNNOTICED BY EVEN THE MOST VIGILANT OWNERS. WHEN SIGNS FINALLY APPEAR THE DISEASE IS OFTEN WELL-ADVANCED

MANY CASES OF BACTERIAL KIDNEY DISEASES CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED LEPTOSPIRA IS ONE BACTERIUM THAT CAN CAUSE ACUTE RENAL FAILURE. OTHER BACTERIA CAN ALSO CAUSE KIDNEY INFECTIONS, INVADING THE URINARY TRACT THE BLADDER OR PROSTATE FOR EXAMPLE, AND ASCENDINGUP TO THE KIDNEYS WITH PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT THESE INFECTIONS CAN BE TREATED EFFECTIVELY WITH ANTIBIOTICS AND IN MOST CASES RESULT IS COMPLETE RECOVERY.

  ENTROPION AND ECTROPION

EYELIDS THAT ROLL INWARD OR OUTWARD IN DOGS

ENTROPION AND ECTROPION ARE CONDITIONS THAT INVOLVE THE EYELIDS WITH  AN ENTROPION THE EYELIDS ROLL INWARD AND RUB AGAINST THE CORNEA OF THE EYE THIS CAN CAUSE A GREAT DEAL OF DISCOMFORT FOR THE DOG.  ECTROPION IS THE OPPOSITE OF ENTROPION , THE EYELIDS DROOP EXPOSING THE CORNEA  ENTROPION CAN BE  A CONGENITAL DEFECT BUT CAN ALSO OCCUR FOLLOWING TRAUMA PAINFUL CORNEAL LESIONS AND CONJUNCTIVAL INFLAMMATION,  ECTROPION IS CONSIDERED NORMAL IN SOME BREEDS

SYMPTOMS: ENTROPION

EYELIDS APPEAR TO ROLL INWARD

EXCESSIVE TEARING

WINKING

CONJUNCTIVITIS-EYES WILL APPEAR RED OR INFLAME

PAIN PAINFUL EYES CAUSE DOGS TO PAW AND RUB THEIR EYES

SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT

SYMPTOMS ECTROPION

EYELIDS APPEAR TO ROLL OUTWARD EXPOSING THE EYE

CONJUNCTIVITIS- EYE WILL APPEAR RED OR INFLAMED

EXCESSIVE TEARING

DISCHARGE FROM THE EYE

BLOAT [ GASTRIC DILATATION VOLVULUS ]

GASTRIC DILATION-VOLVULUS [ GDV ] OR BLOAT AS IT IS COMMONLY KNOW IS A VERY SERIOUS AND LIFE-THEATENING CONDITION, OCCURRING SUDDENLY AND CAN KILL IN A MATTER OF HOURS.

BLOAT USUALLY OCCURS IN TWO PARTS -- FIRST THE STOMACH RAPIDLY FILLS UP WITH AIR, IN CREASING PRESSURE AND CAUSING COMPRESSION OF SURROUNDING ORGANS AND SHOCK SECONDLY FILLED WITH AIR THE STOMACH CAN ROTATE ON ITSELF, PINCHING OFF THE BLOOD SUPPLY, THE ENTIRE BLOOD SUPPLY IS DISRUPTED AND THE DOGS CONDITION BEGINS TO DETERIORATE RAPIDLY.

WHAT CAUSES BLOAT ?

BLOAT APPEARS TO BE CAUED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AND UNKNOWN REASONS AND IS USUALLY A COMBINATION OF EVENTS STUDIES OF THE STOMACH GAS THAT OCCURS, SUGGESTS THAT DILATION OCCURS AS A RESULT OF SWALLOWING AIR WHILST WE NORMALLY BURP TO RELEASE EXCESS AIR FOR SOME REASON DOGS ARE UNABLE TO RELEASE IT.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS ?

WHEN GAS FRIST START TO ACCUMULATE IN THE STOMACH THE DOG WILL APPEAR SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE, THE STOMACH THEN STARTS TO DILATE [GASTRIC DILATION ] AND THE DOG WILL BECOME ANXIOUS AND RESTLESS, OFTEN PACING AND THE STOMACH MAY BE SWOLLEN HE MAY ALSO TRY TO VOMIT, BUT WILL ONLY BRING UP A WHITE FORM, NO FEED   THE NEXT STAGE THE STOMACH TWISTS AND THE DOG BECOMES EXTREMELY RESTLESS WHINING AND PANTING AS WELL AS SALIVATING AND TRYING TO VOMIT EVERY FEW MINUTES. HE MAY GO ON TO STAND WITH HIS LEGS APART AND HANG HIS HEAD DOWN  THE STOMACH IS SWOLLEN AND SOUNDS HOLLOW IF TAPPED.

HOW IS IT PREVENTED ?

 . DIVIDE THE DAYS FOOD INTO TWO OR THREE MEALS A DAY