Dogs- Diet & Disease

Look for this on the packaging of the dog food you are feeding to ensure it is meeting the guidelines

Associate of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)

Regulates the commercial pet food industry and ensures that foods are uniformly labeled and marketed

Associate of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)

Product has been produced to meet the guidelines set by the AAFCO but was not actually fed to dogs 

Formulated foods

Product was produced to meet the guidelines and then fed to dogs to ensure it meets criteria related to growth, maintenance and reproduction of the dogs

Tested foods

What is the optimal body shape for a dog?

Hourglass and feel ribs but not see the ribs

When do pregnant dogs need more food?

4th week 

What is it called when a dog gives birth?

Whelping

How much more food do lactating dogs need?

2-3 times more

When can puppies be given normal food?

3-4 weeks (puppy food with water or puppy milk replacer)

When are puppies usually weaned by?

6-8 weeks

Under California law, how long must puppies stay with their mother?

8 weeks

When do puppies grow the most?

6 months 

What happens if you feed puppies too much and they grow rapidly?

Bone disorders

What happens to dogs that are on a grain free diet?

Dilated cardiomyopathy (2-4 years after a grain free diet)

How long does the average pregnancy last?

63 days 

How long does a dog have to be pregnant for the dogs to survive outside the uterus?

59 days

Dogs go through the same cycle even if not pregnant

Pseudopregnancy

Temperature of a pregnant dog with drop how long before active labor?

24hrs

If going more than ___ minutes, should see a veterinarian

30 minutes

If going more than ____ between puppies, should see a veterinarian

3-4 hours

What is the first milk called?

Colostrum 

Gives immunity to the puppies that is absorbed through the stomach wall

Colostrum

Calcium deficiency

Eclampsia

This condition is usually seen in smaller dogs with large litters

Eclampsia 

What would you see eclampsia?

2-3 weeks after whelping (during the first month)

Restlessness, panting, whining, progresses to trouble walking on rear legs, muscle tremors and generalized stiffening

Eclampsia

Can be fatal to mom and puppies should stop nursing 

Eclampsia 

Where are mats most common on dogs?

Behind ears and under legs

Skin disease caused by fungus

Ringworm

Causes a round, scaly or encrusted lesion on the skin (If lesion shrinks then fungus is not present)

Ringworm 

Topical antifungal drugs are used to treat and sometimes oral medication

Ringworm

Shed in the urine of infected dogs

Leptospirosis

Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain which can be serious; symptoms 12-72 hours after infection and illness lasts 4-7 days

Salmonellosis

Carrier animals can appear healthy but carry disease causing organisms that can affect other animals and humans

Salmonellosis

Pet turtle or other reptiles are a common source of infection

Salmonellosis

Dogs and cats generally have a low likelihood of this infection (except in some areas near Mexican border and along the Atlantic coast)

Rabies

Only post-mortem tests are available

Rabies

Caused by the inhalation of an airborne virus and usually in puppies 3-6 months of age or older dogs that are not vaccinated

Canine Distemper

Starts with GI signs (diarrhea, vomiting) and/or respiratory signs; thickened keratin on nose and toe pads (can progress to pneumonia)

Canine distemper

Weeks to months later, start to have tremors to seizures (chewing gum fits)

Canine Distemper 

Treatment is supportive care and trying to keep dog alive until it can recover from the virus (may not be able to control seizures and can have permanent neurological damage)

Canine Distemper

Highly contagious- spreads from urine, feces, saliva of infected dogs (or foxes, coyotes, wolves, skunks, or bears)

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

Targets liver, kidney, spleen, and lungs (Corneas may become clouded and will usually resolve after recovered)

Infectious Canine Hepatitis 

Supportive care, usually recover or pass away within 36 hours of the initial signs

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

Can have mild signs (slight fever) to severe signs and death

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

Infection from ingested of material from infected dog’s feces (Can live in the environment for 6-8 months)

Canine Parvo Virus 

Cardiac disease in neonatal or nursing puppies if mother is not vaccinated (usually pass away quickly)

Canine Parvo Virus 

Once weaned, have the intestinal form- attacked rapidly dividing cells in the intestinal tract (Vomiting, diarrhea, not eating)

Canine Parvo Virus

Treatment is only supportive care to keep alive while the virus runs its course (3-10 days)

Canine Parvo Virus 

Can be caused by many different viruses or bacteria (Bordetella, mycoplasma, parainfluenza, influenza, adenovirus, herpes virus)

Infectious Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough)

Hacking cough to gagging cough with mucous produced

Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Kennel cough)

Similar to parvovirus but they do not get as sick 

Corona Virus 

Highly contagious from contaminated feces (vomiting and diarrhea)

Corona Virus

Causes females to abort their pregnancy

Canine Brucellosis

Males may have swollen testicles/scrotum but also may cause atrophy

Canine Brucellosis

May not have any clinical signs

Canine Brucellosis

Is sexually transmitted and can be treated with an antibiotic to improve clinical signs but they will always remain infected (will spread disease or not be able to have a normal pregnancy)

Canine Brucellosis

Adult dogs show no signs but can infect puppies through oral nasal, feces, urine, saliva, or vaginal discharges (puppies infected before birth or within 18 days

Canine Herpes Virus 

Can have a change in color of feces, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, stop nursing and/or constant crying

Canine Herpes Virus

Usually pass quickly and treatment is not effective (Sometimes referred to as fading puppy syndrome)

Canine Herpes Virus

Systemic fungal infection from the inhalation of spores (from bat or bird droppings in soil)

Blastomycosis and Histoplasmosis 

Clinical signs- coughing, rapid breathing, decreased appetite, eye problems, lameness, and skin problems (Lung lesions and skin lesions most common)

Blastomycosis

Treatment is with anti-fungal medication and usually needs a long course of treatment (6 months or longer); medications can potentially be toxic and/or make sick people

Blastomycosis and Histoplasmosis

Lung infection common with coughing, respiratory difficulty, fever and depression 

Histoplasmosis 

Can infect the intestinal tract and cause diarrhea and weight loss as well

Histoplasmosis

Prefers hots, dry alkaline soil; from inhalation of spores

Coccidiomycosis 

Lack of appetite and weight loss then lameness, bone pain, spinal pain and coughing (usually infections the lungs then moves to the bones)

Coccidioidomycosis

Can also have fluid in the abdomen causing it to become distended and pendulous 

Heart Disease

Degenerative heart valves, bacterial infection (less common), cancer, heartworms

Acquired heart disease

Cloudy white opacity of the lens

Cataracts

Usually causes blindness and can be removed surgically

Cataracts

Increased pressure within the eye

Glaucoma

From problem with production, transport or absorption of aqueous humor from the eye

Glaucoma

Pressure will cause irreversible damage to retina and optic nerve and blindness

Glaucoma  

Can improve with medical management (temporarily) but will need surgery 

Glaucoma  

Genetic disease causing gradual retinal degeneration and loss of night vision and leads to blindness with no treatment

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)

Prolapse of the tear gland (harderian gland) on the third eyelid

Cherry eye

Red growth in the corner of the eye and medication may help decrease some inflammation, but surgery required to treat

Cherry eye

From a wound infected with bacterial spores in the soil

Tetanus

Spasms of facial muscles, sardonic grin, spastic paralysis, lockjaw, prolapse of third eyelid (Progresses to inability to stand, extension of the head, neck and legs)

Tetanus

Death from paralysis of respiratory muscles or other complications (supportive treatment and most do not recover and pass)

Tetanus 

Ingestion of a toxin-producing bacterium (usually from rotting carcass or garbage)

Botulism

Paralyzing effect that starts in the rear legs and progresses forward

Botulism

Located at 3-4 o’ clock and 8-9 o’ clock on the anus which becomes blocked, swollen, and painful (Scoots bottom on the floor)

Anal Sacs

Adult worm that is 1 inch long and has a large mouth that attaches to the wall of the small intestine

Hookworms

Shaped like whip with narrow end, attach to lower intestinal tract (cecum usually)

Whipworms

Thread narrow end into intestinal wall and can cause diarrhea with blood with heavy worm burden 

Whipworms 

Flat segmented worms that can be a foot or more in length (from infected fleas and shed in stools)

Tapeworm

Live in the heart or major arteries (adults are thin and can reach 6-14 inches and transmitted by mosquitos)

Heartworm 

Hair loss, reddening and crusty of skin and suspected of being deficiency in the immune system

Mites

Burrow into the outer layer of the skin and intensely itchy and self trauma to skin

Sarcoptic mange