Top 10 Illness & Diseases

Top 10 illness & diseases

Dogs, like children, won’t be able to speak for themselves or talk about their pains when they develop any kind of dog illnesses.Hence we have compile a list of Top 10 illness & diseases which helps the parent to identify it at early stage and get the appropriate treatment.

Like any parent, dog parents should take much care of their dogs even when they grow old. You have to watch your dog every day to see if he has any abnormalities in his behavior or activities.

Even small changes in your dog’s lifestyle, diet, and behavior may indicate the infection with dog diseases.

Some dog illnesses are so serious and considered as emergency situations, others can be cured with little medications, while the best of the worst are cured at home.

In all cases, when you have a sick dog you should seek the advice of the vet before taking any actions, your dog’s life and health is of great importance to you that you won’t want to cause any harm to him by wrong treatment or medications.

But, you also bear an important part in the curing and treatment process of your dog. Your first and most important responsibility is to discover the illness when it happens.

To know what can be considered as a symptom of dog illnesses, we have compiled a list of the top 10 dog illnesses & diseases that infect many dogs for you to have knowledge if you noticed any of these symptoms on your dog.

TOP 10 DOG ILLNESSES & DISEASES

• Skin infection
• Upset stomach
• Cancer
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Arthritis
• CCL injuries
• Poisoning
• Ear infection
• Dental Disease
• Eye Trauma

Skin infection

Skin infection is one of the common top 10 dog illness having several reasons. When you notice excessive scratching or licking from your dog, you ought to check his body for any abnormal signs of infection.

The symptoms can include rash, abnormal hair shedding, irritation, dandruff, and any patches on the skin.

Not all skin problems are emergency, but in all cases, you should see a vet because most of the symptoms are the same for different skin infections.

Fungus, parasites, bacteria, and allergens are all causes of skin infection.

Fleas and ticks are common parasites that can be transmitted to your dog. You can easily see ticks and fleas’ eggs on your dog’s body

Fleas and dog tick diseases can be treated, in most of the cases, by removing the tick and applying a topical cream or medical product.

Folliculitis, impetigo are bacterial infections that may be secondary to another dog illness. Your vet will probably do other tests to diagnose the problem.

Dry skin and hair shedding are also kinds of dog illnesses related to skin. Usually, the reason is poor nutrition or changes in weather. If this is the case, you can ask your vet for some nutritional supplements.

Upset stomach

Another common dog illness caused by food primarily but has other triggers too.

When you decide to switch your dog’s food products, you should watch out for this because a sudden change in foods may lead to an upset stomach

Food is not the only thing to blame, bacterial infections and other gastrointestinal diseases can cause upset stomach symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting

In most cases, you can cure the disease without the need for any medications. You may seek the advice of your vet on mobile without the need to visit.

For mild cases, you can stop diarrhea by giving your dog enough food rich in fibers like pumpkin, rice, and sweet potatoes.

You have to make sure that he is drinking enough water to compensate for the lost water in diarrhea.

But, if your dog is vomiting along with having diarrhea, and if the case continues for more than one day, you better take your dog to the vet.

Some dogs are allergic to some kinds of food like chicken or meat. Their stomach can’t simply accept these foods, and this causes an upset stomach. So, always ask about the ingredients of your dog’s food.

Cancer

A very well-known terrible disease for humans and a widespread dog illness for older dogs.

Cancer in dogs can take the same symptoms in humans, look for any swellings, tumors, or thyroid problems in dogs, these can all indicate a kind of cancer.

Cancer may infect several organs in your dog’s body. Some types of cancer are anal, liver, breast, oral, stomach, lymph nodes, skin and thyroid gland cancer.

Each cancer type has its own symptoms according to the infected organ. You might need to see the vet if you noticed any symptoms on your dog and can’t decide if it is related to cancer or not.

As human cancer, we don’t know all the reasons for dog cancers but some are genetic ones with no external reasons.

Cancers in dogs can be cured. When diagnosed and treated early, the chances of cure are higher.

If the cancer is diagnosed in the first stages, surgical removal of the tumor will be the treatment since cancer probably won’t have spread.  

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are kinds of treatments available for dog cancers just like human ones.

Immunotherapy is an option too, to support the immune system in its fight against cancer.

Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary tract infection is one of the most popular dog illnesses. The main reason for this infection is bacteria.

Some dogs may suffer from UTI as a secondary infection from other diseases as cancer, kidney, or prostate diseases. Diabetes can also be a reason for UTI.

When your dog swallows debris or pellets and they accumulate in the bladder, this may cause UTI too.

The most obvious symptom of UTI is the appearance of blood in your dog’s urine. Other symptoms include excess urination or no urination at all, inability to control the bladder, pain during urination, and fever.

According to the case, your dog may need some medication like antibiotics and drinking enough clean water, your vet will tell you the suitable food for your dog’s case.

Other cases will require surgery to remove any accumulations or stones in the bladder. If UTI is accompanied by other dog diseases, this will require the treatment of the main disease first.

In some cases, UTI is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment because if not cured it can lead to more serious problems as kidney failure or bladder rapture. These infections are a threat to your dog’s life.  

Arthritis

Do you have an aging dog and you notice his movements are minimal now? Run and jumps are not as you used to see from your dog.

This can be a sign of common age-related dog illness. Actually, it is not only a dog illness, it is a common disease for humans too.

Arthritis occurs when the cartilage covering the bone joints damages, so friction between joints increases causing stiffness and inflammation.

Fractures may cause Arthritis. You will be able to realize Arthritis easily. Your dog will feel pain in his joints that appear as laziness and unwilling to move or noticeable difficult movements.

Your dog’s vet will follow more than one technique to relieve the pain of your dog. First of all, you have to control your dog’s weight to reduce the load on the joints.

Secondly, exercise is important to reduce stiffness in the bones. You may want to learn how to do massage and stretches for your dog too.

Medications and drugs will be other treatments prescribed by your vet to prevent more damage in the cartilage and prevent inflammation.

Dietary supplements will be essential too besides some dietary changes your vet will ask for.

TOP 10 DOG ALLERGIES

Cranial cruciate ligament

Like most of the bone diseases, this can infect dogs as well as humans.

There are two ligaments in a cross shape in front of our knees, this is the case in dogs too. Some athletes while doing sports may get injured with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

Like humans, dog ACL is also common but not because of any movements, the ligament in dogs becomes weaker by time and it tears apart.

The common name of this injury in dogs is cranial cruciate ligament dog injury.

Some dog breeds are more subjected to develop CCL injury than others, genetics is the main reason for this. Overweightness can be a reason too.  

CCL has some visible signs as lameness, stiffness, inflammation of the knees, and a click sound with movements.

To diagnose CCL, the vet will undergo physical tests and he will ask for an x-ray test to accurately determine the reason for these kinds of symptoms.

CCL injury requires surgical intervention. It cannot be cured by medications or exercises although your vet may give you temporary pain relief for dogs, exercise will be a complementary treatment too.

To prevent the injury of other knees, early treatment is advised with rehabilitation therapy.

Poisoning

It is a kind of dog illnesses that have varying symptoms according to its type.

Poisoning affecting the respiratory system, as inhaling a poisonous substance causes breathing problems for your dog.

If your dog swallowed toxic products or food as chocolate, alcohol, or some human drugs, your dog will be poisoned and it manifests as vomiting and diarrhea. Poisons that infect the dog’s body lead to irritation and inflammation of the skin.

Paralysis, Shaking, loss of balance and blood sneezing are some symptoms of poisoning, although they may indicate the other dog illnesses.

As a dog owner you should know you have poisonous substances for your dog all-around your home, these items may be of help to humans but when it comes to dogs, they cause problems.

Common things are bleaches, nicotine, fuel, and insecticides.

Your dog’s vet will have to know the reason for poisoning first before treatment, he may need to undergo a medical test to take the suitable treatment procedures.

If the case is not severe, your dog will need to vomit to get the poisonous substance out of his stomach. In worse cases, your dog will have to follow a course of treatment.   

Ear infection

You definitely want to keep your pooch clean, but do you know that excessive ear cleaning can seriously cause a problem?

Ear wax is normal in your dog’s ears, if your dog is not complaining or doesn’t show any kind of discomfort then you don’t need no clean his ears because this may cause inflammation.

Ear infections in dogs have other causes like bacteria and fungus. If you smell a bad odor coming from your dog’s ear with any kind of colored discharges, these are probably bacterial or yeast infections.

If you notice your dog is shaking his head too much and scratches his ear, this may indicate the presence of ear mites. You should see the vet as fast as you can because mites are contagious.

Allergies from food or cleaning products may be another reason for ear dog illnesses. Consult your vet for proper food and products.

Ear infections affect the external layer of your dog’s ear, the part visible to you, first. If the infection is not treated it may transmit to the middle and inner parts of the ear causing severe problems. So, the earlier the disease is treated the better for your dog’s health.

Dental Diseases

Dental dog diseases can come in different forms starting from normal plaque and tartar to gum diseases and severe complications.

Dental infections are mostly bacterial ones, the worst thing about these kinds of infections is that they show no symptoms at the beginning.

When symptoms as bleeding from teeth, red gums, and teeth loss start to appear, this means the problem is an advanced one. The worst complication your dog may face is jaw bone fracture.

Although dental diseases are not noticed easily, they can be prevented easily. You can keep your dog’s teeth healthy by taking some precautions just as you do with yours.

A piece of advice you heard a million times in your young life, brush your teeth every day. Well, you have to do the same for your dog.

Dental care is extremely important, don’t wait for the problem to manifest itself, it won’t. Take your dog to oral tests and dental care services every now and then to prevent any diseases.

Don’t give your dog anything to chew, yet, don’t prevent your dog from chewing. Chewing is important for dogs and can prevent oral diseases. Go for dog chew toys that are made especially for this purpose.

Eye injuries

This type of dog illness is not common as other types, but it requires, in most cases, your dog to see the vet.

Eye injuries may occur from foreign bodies wounding your dog’s eyes while playing, or from chemicals or other harmful materials that come to contact with the eyes. Other causes are caused by viral or bacterial infections.

If you see any wounds around your dog’s eyes, blood in the white area of the eye, discharges from the eyes, or if you notice him rubbing his eyes abnormally, blinking rapidly, or tearing a lot, you need to visit a vet.

Other emergency symptoms that need immediate vet consultancy include inflammation and proptosis.

Depending on the case will be the treatment. For mild cases, the vet will prescribe some medications and eye drops. Other cases will need surgeries. The worst-case scenario is causing permanent blindness.

Curing eye injuries may take some time, you have to be patient with your dog and follow your vet’s instructions exactly. The vet may advise putting an e-collar (the cone-shaped collar) around your dog’s neck to prevent him from touching or rubbing his eyes.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON TOP 10 ILLNESS & DISEASES

We know that illness and diseases are not something we love to talk about. But it is something you, as a dog parent, must be educated about to help your dog if he developed any disease.

Prevention of diseases is the best cure ever. You are the one who can help his dog prevent diseases or illness by offering him quality life and care.

Feed your pup with quality food and clean water, clean his food bowls, and choose the ones with safe and healthy materials. If your dog is allergic to any kind of food, never expose him to this food.

Use suitable products like shampoos and toothpaste for your dog, it is better to ask your vet about what to use for your dog. Each dog may be different than the other.

Keep harmful things like human drugs, chemical substances, poisonous food, and hard things from the reach of your dog. Your dog can’t recognize that he will be harmed if he swallowed of smelled things like those. So, it is your responsibility to watch out for him.

Finally, always seek advice from your vet, and don’t postpone vet visits for any reason. Your dog’s vet knows better than any other person about dog illnesses and he is the best one to help in these cases.

The best thing to do for your dog is to get him completely checked at least once per year to diagnose any dog illnesses or diseases early. Always remember, the earlier the better.