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common health issue in German shepherd
In Dogs

German Shepherd Health Challenge – 9 Common Health Problem in German Shepherds

6 Mins Read

German Shepherds are smart, devoted, and courageous canines who are capable of completing even the most difficult jobs. However, German Shepherds, like all dogs, suffer from Health Challenge that develop gradually as they get older; The Common German Shepherd Health Challenge will be discussed in this article.

Unfortunately, many of the Health Challenges For German Shepherd are genetically transmitted as a result of poor breeding procedures used to meet a certain breed standard over the breed’s history.

Many of the health issues that plague German Shepherds can be traced back to their size, level of activity, or simply being dogs. Let’s take a look at some of the prevalent German Shepherd Health Challenge face.

common health challenges to German shepherd

Some of the German Shepherd Health Challenge

  • Hip Dysplasia

One of the most common German Shepherd Health Challenge is hip dysplasia. It’s a hereditary condition that affects the hip joints. The disorder results in a malformation of the ball and socket joint in the hip, resulting in instability.

The genes are handed down from kitten to offspring, and it’s a debilitating disease because it’s a hip joint abnormality. Hip dysplasia can be avoided by ethical breeding procedures that prioritize the health of the dogs by not breeding dogs with the condition.

As the illness advances, it becomes highly painful and may necessitate treatment; German Shepherd Health Challenge. Living a healthy lifestyle and providing adequate nourishment, as well as enabling only light exercise, is critical for extending the dog’s standard of living.

German shepherd with hip dysplasia

  •  Bloat or Gastric Dilation-Volvulus (GDV)

Bloat occurs when a dog consumes a big amount of food in a short period of time and then becomes physically active. This arrangement provides a construct of gas in the dog’s tummy, causing respiratory issues and even convulsions.

The stomach can twist in some circumstances, which is known as gastric torsion. Both of these disorders are life-threatening to your GSD and are characterized by discomfort and ineffective coughing. The easiest method to avoid these problems is to feed modest meals multiple times throughout the day rather than one huge meal.

Limitation of physical activity after eating is also important in dogs prone to certain disorders, such as German Shepherds which also mean its part of the German Shepherd Health Challenge.

  • Epilepsy

Seizure disorders German Shepherd Health Challenge which are common in German Shepherds. Despite the fact that epilepsy is incurable, there are numerous techniques to help prevent its effects.

If kept out of the increasing challenge, many dogs will not show any signs of it. Although there is no way to avoid or cure the disorder, it is manageable with medicine. Because stress is the most prevalent cause of seizures, avoiding stressful situations might help the dog live a more healthy and pleasant life.

  • Diabetes

Because of their huge stature, German Shepherds are more prone to overeating anytime they get their paws on some food. Diabetes is widespread in this breed as a result of this. Dry mouth, weariness, excessive eating and peeing, and swollen feet are all symptoms of diabetes.

Diabetes can be prevented by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly, but this is not always the case because diabetes might be inherited which is also part of the German Shepherd Health Challenge.

  • Hemophilia

Whenever the blood does not clot correctly, this illness develops. Even the tiniest cuts can be fatal to a dog. Because this condition is more common in German Shepherds than in many other dog breeds, exercise with them with caution.

Responsible breeding methods are the only method to deter this disease. Although hemophilia is irreversible, with adequate care, dogs with the disease can live long and happy lives.

German shepherd suffering from hemophilia

  • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)

Degenerative Disc Disease is frequent in large animals, but it can appear in puppies as well. Many breeders strive to prevent this problem. Because degenerative disk disease is inherited, there isn’t much that can be done to avoid it. However, careful medication, nutrition, and exercise can alleviate discomfort and halt the progression of the condition.

  • Panosteitis

Panosteitis is a temporary ailment that you may discover in your new German Shepherd puppy which makes it to the list of the German Shepherd Health Challenge. This can be diagnosed by the vet and get an x-ray is done to make sure you’re dealing with the right problem.

Although the dog may be uncomfortable throughout puppyhood, the condition usually goes away by the time the dog is a year and a half to two years old. If the dog’s lameness does not improve with age, it is most likely attributable to something else.

Until they are completely grown, German Shepherd puppies should not run excessively or engage in other activities that may cause joint stress.

  • Pancreatitis

The inflammation of the pancreas is known as pancreatitis. It’s frequently brought on by abrupt changes in the meal plan, particularly excessively fatty foods. Anxiety and stress might also play a role in this problem.

To avoid pancreatitis, maintain your dog on a good diet and avoid drastic changes, such as eating fatty people’s food. Pancreatitis can only occur once in your dog’s lifetime.

This occurs when the pancreas of the dog becomes inflamed, which is mainly due to environmental factors. Because German Shepherds have a lot of gastrointestinal problems, it’s more common in them as one of the German Shepherd Health Challenge.

  • Allergies

Health Challenges For German Shepherd Diseases are prone to skin allergies caused by food or environmental allergens. Pollen and grass allergies are seasonal, whereas food allergies to wheat, maize, soya, rice, and poultry cause allergy symptoms all year.

Changing to a diet that is free of grain can help a lot, and if that doesn’t work, allergy testing to find out what’s generating seasonal allergies is a good idea. Then, by eliminating the irritant from their meals or surroundings, you can prevent future problems.

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Fleas and how to prevent them
In Dogs

Fleas on Pets – How To Treat and Prevent Fleas on Your Pet

5 Mins Read

Flea bites can cause excessive scratching, red and flaky skin, scabs, hot areas, and hair loss in many dogs. Tapeworm and anemia can also be caused by fleas. Fleas are blood-sucking parasitic insects that torment your dog and infiltrate your environment. Fleas and how to prevent them from biting our dogs can be worrisome.

They have been about the size of a nitwit and have a rusty copper hue. Because fleas abhor light, the ideal place to look for them on a dog is in the furry parts and on the belly and inner thighs.

Dogs are frequently plagued with this parasite as a result of contact with other animals or fleas in the environment. This insect’s strong rear legs allow it to jump from host to host or from the environment onto the host.

The bite of this parasite can induce itching in the host, but irritation in a sensitive or flea-allergic animal can be severe. It can cause hair loss, irritation, and secondary skin infections as a result of intense scratching and chewing. Some pets are susceptible to flea saliva and therefore will scratch all over if just a single flea bites them.

These parasites prefer animal hosts, but if they can’t find any, they’ll bite people. They can spread disease-causing pathogens via feeding on hosts or fecal contamination, which occurs when infected flea feces are scratched into an open wound.

You might wish to prevent fleas and ticks away from your pet and from invading your home. Controlling an infestation might take weeks or months. You may, however, prevent them from beginning in the first place by taking basic precautions.

Here are the easy actions you may follow to get rid of these Fleas parasites.

  • Make your Home Flea Free

Keeping fleas from establishing a home on your property is the first line of protection. If you have a garden, this includes keeping your grass cut and your bushes trimmed back. Because fleas and ticks have fewer places to hide, this simple landscaping move has the reverse effect of curb appeal. Make it difficult for feral pets and wildlife to enter your yard and carry their fleas with them.

one of the way to get rid of fleas from your dog

The presence of fleas and ticks in your home does not imply that it is filthy. However, if you pay close attention to particular places, bugs will be less welcome. Vacuum all carpets, hardwood floors, linoleum, and tiled floors, as well as drapes and upholstered furniture, and dispose of the vacuum bag in an outside rubbish container as soon as possible. Choose an environmentally friendly pest control spray or fogger that will kill all phases of fleas, or find a good operator.

  • Prevention and Treatment

Once your dog has had fleas, that tropical ointment will still destroy them; however, you may need to take more severe measures, such as using a prescription flea preventative. You can also use flea shampoo or chemical treatment that kills fleas on your dog in a matter of hours, such as a flea pill. The easiest strategy to deal with fleas is to avoid them in the first place. Flea and tick repellents kill fleas on touch, preventing your dog from bringing them home in the first place.

A dog undergoing treatment and prevention of flea

Dog flea and tick pills, as well as other spot-on flea and tick treatments, have shown to be some of the most effective methods for getting rid of fleas on your pet. Adult fleas are targeted by some, whereas flea eggs, larvae, and adult fleas are targeted by others. Some of these flea products don’t kill the adult flea, but they do stop her eggs from hatching, therefore terminating the flea’s life cycle.

  • Having  Knowledge About the Life Cycle

These stages are crucial to understanding since different flea treatments for dogs target different stages of the flea’s life cycle. Fleas go through four stages in their life cycle:

  1. Egg
  2. Larva
  3. Pupa
  4. Adult

The time it takes to complete this cycle is determined by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and the presence of a feeding host. It might take anywhere from two weeks to a year for a life cycle to complete. A warm-blooded animal, such as a dog, serves as the flea’s host (or even humans).

The several stages of this parasite are very resistant to freezing temperatures. The adult female flea usually stays on its host for several days to weeks. Before using any flea eradication product, make sure you read the label and follow the guidelines.

fleas at different life cycle stages

In conclusion, each pet in the house has to care about. Bathe pets well in soap and water, then comb them with a normal comb. Pay special attention to the areas of the face and neck, as well as the area in front of the tail. Adult fleas will be killed by using soap as a light insecticide. Consult your veterinarian for advice on the best flea control for your pet.

Treatment can be done at home. Start your home treatment at the same time as your pet’s. This helps disrupt the flea life cycle by keeping all treatments on the same schedule. Focus outdoor treatment on shady areas and regions where pets spend the most time.

Inquire with your veterinarian about how to get rid of fleas on dogs; veterinarians are up to speed on the latest flea treatments and preventatives and can assist you in selecting the best and safest treatment option for you and your dog.

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Canine parvovirus in a lying down dog
In Dogs

Parvovirus in Dog

4 Mins Read

What is Canine Parvovirus?

Parvovirus; Parvovirus in Dog  is a disease that appeared in the late 1970s. It was first recognized in 1978, and spread worldwide by 1980. The virus is very similar to feline panleukopenia.

Parvo is a DNA virus that infects young and unvaccinated dogs. It mainly affects the rapidly dividing cells of the body, which means that the intestinal tract and bone marrow are affected severely. Although the virus is most common in puppies and adolescent dogs, adults can be affected too.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is one of the most serious viruses that dogs can get. It was discovered in 1967 and has become a serious threat to canine health. This is primarily due to the fact that the virus is hard to kill, can live for a long time in the environment, and is shed in large quantities by infected dogs. The virus is also highly contagious.

what is canine parvovirus

Canine Parvovirus, also called parvo, is a highly contagious virus that mainly affects dogs. It is spread from dog to dog through direct or indirect contact with their feces. Parvo can also infect other mammals including foxes, wolves, cats and others.

Parvovirus is highly contagious and can be spread by contact with contaminated feces. It can live on the ground or on surfaces in kennels, on peoples’ hands, or on clothing of people that have been contaminated. A dog could also carry it on their fur if they have come into contact with infected fecal material. Parvovirus can live outdoors for several period of time.

Symptoms of Canine parvovirus

Dogs suffering from CPV show signs of the disease within three to ten days. The first sign is often lethargy, and then they may also vomit or develop a fever and diarrhea. The second sign that the dog has CPV is loss of appetite or diarrhea with later vomiting.

Dogs affected by CPV have a distinct odor as the infection progress. The white blood cell level reduce greatly, making the dog fall ill.  These factors can lead to shock and death. Younger animals are affected greatly and can lead to death.

A dog with parvovirus symptoms

During the incubation period, the parvovirus specifically targets rapidly dividing cells in the body. It usually starts out by attacking tonsils or lymph nodes in the throat. By targeting these rapidly multiplying cells, it is able to invade other parts of the dog’s system.

Parvo in dogs is not always fatal, it can be dangerous if the dog does not receive treatment. The deadly symptoms of parvo include dehydration and shock due to the damage caused by the septic toxins from intestinal bacteria escaping into the bloodstream.

Treatment of Canine Parvovirus

The survival rate of CPV is dependent on how quickly the condition is diagnosed, the age of the dog, and how aggressive the treatment is. There is no cure for CPV at this time; however, supportive care can help dogs live longer. This includes intensive hospitalization to treat dehydration and potential damage to the intestines and bone marrow. If you suspect that your canine has CPV, a test should be given as soon as possible to commence early treatment.

A puppy undergoing parvovirus treatment

Prevention of Canine parvovirus

This should start with the puppy, make sure your puppy gets their vaccines on time. If they are not vaccinated for too long, the series of vaccinations will need to be restarted to maintain protection.

The effective parvovirus vaccine has decreased the risk to properly vaccinated dogs, this disease is unfortunately still prevalent. The canine parvovirus is most common in puppies and adolescent dogs.

You should only socialize with fully vaccinated dogs until they are able to be fully vaccinated. Avoid areas where vaccination status is not ensured, such as dog parks, until then keep your dog safe.

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In Cats

Infections spread by pets

4 Mins Read

Animals go about with diseases that can be contracted from them. They carry viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites that can cause disease in humans and the infections that human contacted from pets varies from one another.
Essentially, the cohabitation of animals and humans has led to the exposure and proliferation of bacteria and microorganisms that would otherwise not take place.
Pets carry germs that make people sick, sometimes even when those same germs have no harmful effect on the animals themselves.
Scores of infectious organisms that are from bacteria to fungi to viruses can be transmitted from your pet to you. We are not living in a sterile world, our pets and companion are not free from germs.

A lady kissing a cheetah

These diseases can affect humans in several ways, some can show mild infection signs or can also be more severe for some.
Before bringing a pet into your home, your household safety should be your primary concern, for example, kids with eczema should avoid aquariums.
People with low immunity should consider the health implication before taking any pet into their home.

Some of the diseases that can be contacted are:

Campylobacter infection: This causes diarrhea, fever, abdominal discomfort in humans. This bacteria can be in the intestine of infected pets such as dogs, cats e.t.c. Human beings can become infected by coming in contact with contaminated water, undercooked meat. These infections are contagious especially among the kids but can be well managed.
Scratch infection: This happens when a person is bitten or scratched by a cat that has been infected by the bacteria. it usually gives symptoms like fever, headache, tiredness but can be resolve with or without treatment. Scratch infection causes mild cases.
Rabies: The animal that goes around with rabies virus includes dogs, cats, foxes e.t.c. This is a serious infectious virus that enters the human body through a bite or wound contaminated by the saliva from an infected animal.
Ringworm: This is a skin infection caused by different types of fungi found in the soil and on the skin of pets. Humans get infected by touching the infected animals. Ringworm is a dry scaly round area with a red border with nothing at the Centre. It can be treated with antifungals.
Toxoplasmosis: This can be contacted by having contact with a parasite found in pets such as cats. This shows no symptom in healthy people but in some people with weakened immune system it can cause tiredness, swollen gland, sore throat, e.t.c. It can also cause miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women.

A child hugging a dog

Leptospira: This is a bacteria found in the urine of infected animals like dogs rats. it can be transmitted through contact with contaminated urine to humans. This bacteria can survive in soil or water for months. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, chill e.t.c It can also lead to kidney failure if untreated.
E. coli: There is some kind of E. coli that are harmful and can cause disease. The severe form can bring about kidney failure and death. The bacteria can be pass to humans from the skin, the fur of contaminated animals. Symptoms are diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting.
Toxocariasis: This is a parasitic roundworm that lives in the dogs’ and cats‘ intestines. The eggs of the parasite are deposited in the soil where kids play and the kids ingest the contaminated soil containing the egg, after the hatching of the egg in the intestine into the larvae, it will spread and this will result in visceral larvae migran. Symptoms include fever, cough, swollen nodes. A severe form can lead to loss of vision.

Tips on how to avoid it

  • Always wash your hands, after touching, handling, or cleaning the pet box or cage. Wear gloves when taking care of the pets.
  • Avoid kissing or touching your pets with your mouth, infection can spread from there through saliva. Don’t share food with your pet.
  • Don’t allow your pets in the area where food is been prepare.
  • Keep your pet’s living area clean and free of waste. Eliminate the waste regularly.
  • Avoid strange animals or those that are sick. Don’t keep wild animals as pets.
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Dog Diseases
In Dogs

Top 7 Most Common Dog Diseases; Symptoms & Treatments – Common Canine Diseases

3 Mins Read

There are different types of disease risk that dogs are prone to that are common and can be treated but left untreated can pose serious health complications. The Most Common Dog Diseases affecting them goes along together.

People can spread some diseases from dog to dog through handling an infected dog before petting or handling another dog.

Dog diseases are selection of disease and other condition associated to it found in dogs. These diseases are unique to dogs and it can be transmitted to man.

There is an increase risk infection associated with amount of time spent outdoors, a larger roaming space accesses by the dog and increasing in age.

Dog immune mediated skin disease before therapy. Photo of dog nose with erosions.

Some of The Most Common Dog Diseases are:

Parasitic Infection:

This is one of the Common Dog Diseases. This can be external such as Flea, Tick, Heartworm, Mite e.t.c, or internal like Trichinosis, Hookworm, Tapeworm, Toxocariasis, Whipworm e.t.c. These parasitic infections can cause diseases like neurological disorders known as tick paralysis, crusting of skin, itching, scaling e.t.c.

The parasitic infection symptoms can be cough, breathing difficulty, diarrhea, vomiting, poor growth, potbelly, and many more. This can also lead to death but in some, it may not show any sign.

Environmental Infection:

Environmental infection like heat stroke can arise in dog. When there is lack of water, no adequate exercise and high temperature can result into heat stroke which gives signs like vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty in breathing e.t.c. Sandbur can also enter through the mouth. If a dog is thirsty and then drinks a lot of water, air may be swallowed along with water which can cause problems in the stomach. It is advisable not to give a dog a larger bowl of water to drink.

A dog with a bite
Viral Infection:

Viral infection such as rabies, canine parvovirus (mainly common in puppy) canine distemper, canine coronavirus (this is a worse case in puppy), canine influenza, canine hepatitis are fatal viral disease that can affect dogs and can also be zoonotic disease. Some of this viral infection causes respiratory with neurological disorder. This disease can cause the death of dogs.

Bacterial infection:

These are infectious disease that can be transmitted through sexual activities or spread by ticks. This infection can cause abortion, liver and kidney failure, orchitis in dogs. Some symptoms here are acute arthritis, anorexia, lethargy e.t.c this can affect the respiratory organ and also cause diarrhea in dogs.

Fungal Infection:

This includes Blastomycosis, Coccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis, Ringworm, Aspergillosis, Cryptococcosis, Pythosis and others. These cause Common Dog Diseases which affect the brain, eye, lungs, skin, bone and small intestine. Some of the symptoms are skin lesion, sneezing, nasal discharge, bleeding from the nose, hair loss, scaly skin, pain seizure e.t.c.

Protozoan Disease:

Neosporosis, Babesiosis, Giardiasis, Coccidiosis, Leishmaniasis are some of the protozoan disease in dogs. They can cause disease like hemolytic anemia, and they can be zoonotic. Their symptoms include diarrhea, weight loss, retinal detachment. They can be spread by sandfly, ticks and others which makes it one of the Common Dog Diseases.

Poison and Drug overdose

Poison and Drug Overdose is another Common Dog Diseases. Ingesting of insecticide, Lead poisoning, chocolate, Garlic grape are dangerous to dogs. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, seizure, weakness, tremor, blindness e.t.c and can also lead to death.

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