Common Illnesses for Dogs

Some minor problems such as fleas or ticks can be dealt with by yourself but if you notice anything out of the ordinary, contact your vet immediately.   The indicators of a potential problem can include the following:

repeated vomiting, gagging, sneezing and/or coughing
Vomiting can be a sign of a developing allergy, or a more serious infection, especially in older dogs.  Persistent vomiting or choking when eating is a concern and needs to be investigated further.  Coughing, for example, kennel cough can also be a serious illness.

diarrhoea
This is a fairly common complaint.  It can be as a result of ‘something they have eaten’ and so may resolve itself within 48 hours.  If however, your dog has persistent diarrhoea, or constipation, that lasts for longer than 48 hours, then you will need to visit your vet.  You may be asked to take a fresh stool sample with you.

loss of appetite or refusal to eat - for over 24 hours 
Sometimes, dogs go off their food and this may only last for a day. If your dog refuses to eat for more than a day, consult your vet.  Dogs also like to have regular eating times.  If for whatever reason your dog’s eating pattern becomes irregular, contact your vet.

difficulty urination
Problems with this include yelping whilst urinating, hunching of the back or the presence of blood in the urine. 

excessive thirst or urination
If your dog seems unusually thirsty or urinates more than usual, contact your vet as this is a common sign of illness.  

swollen or red gums
If your dog shows swollen or reddened gums, and has bad breath then this can be an indicator of gum disease.  A severe form of gum disease can result on your dog loosing teeth, dropping food from their mouths and weight loss due to difficulty in eating.  

runny nose or eyes
Runny nose, sneezing, panting and other flu-like symptoms may be signs of respiratory illnesses.  Other indicators are gasping or shortness of breath.

itchy, flaking skin
The condition of your dog’s skin is a good indicator of his/her health.  If he/she is healthy the skin should be smooth and pink or black.  Persistent itching, scratching and signs of dermatitis can indicate an allergic reaction, especially to fleabites.  Fleas and ticks are another problem.

weight loss or gain
If your dog appears to have lost an excessive amount of weight or has lost weight progressively over 2 to 4 weeks, or a longer period then this can be symptomatic of a underlying problem.  Unexpected weight gain is also problematic.

general condition
If you notice that your dog is not his or her usual healthy self, for example, appears listless, lethargic or just unwell then it is worth investigating further.  If you are not sure what is wrong with your dog then a trip to the vet is a good idea.  Other signs include a swollen abdomen, smelly breath (sweet smelling) or a heightened sensitivity to light or sound.  These too require expert advice.  

There are a range of illnesses, in dogs, which tend to be ‘breed specific’.  For example, Labradors can be prone to bladder stones, haemophilia and cataracts.  These illnesses are very often as a result of ‘inbreeding’, which is undertaken by breeders in order to produce a ‘perfect’ example of that breed.  This tends to happen with those breeders who are competitive and like to show their dogs.

There are also a variety of illnesses which can be experienced by all dogs, irrespective of breed.  The most common illnesses include as follows:

Canine distemper
This highly infectious disease is transmitted by droplets of moisture, from an infected dog, which an uninfected dog then inhales.  The incubation period of the disease is around 3 weeks so it is too late to vaccinate once an outbreak has been detected.

Symptoms include coughing, vomiting and diarrhoea, high fever, sore eyes and a runny nose.  The nose and pads of the feet can become hard and cracked.  In severe cases, muscle spasms, fits, pneumonia and paralysis can occur.  It can be treated though it is very often fatal.  Those dogs that do survive are left with permanent damage such as epilepsy and nervous tics. 

It is recommended that you vaccinate your dog against this disease on a regular basis, in 3 yearly intervals. 

Canine Hepatitis
This disease attacks the liver, kidneys, lungs and eyes of the dog.  It is transmitted by direct contact with infected urine, faeces or saliva.  It can affect dogs of all ages though it seems to be mainly young dogs (1 year old) which contract this disease.  It is important to note that dogs which are in the recovery stage of this disease are still infectious to other dogs for six months or more.

The main symptoms of the disease are vomiting and diarrhoea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, high fever, pale gums and conjunctivitis.   This disease can develop quickly; from a day to a day and a half.  It can be fatal with many deaths caused by respiratory failure.  Those dogs that do recover often find that they are left with a clouding of the eye lens (cornea), though this does tend to disappear over time. 

As with many of these diseases, vaccination is highly recommended, at three yearly intervals. 

Canine Parvovirus
This is a very serious disease that can affect dogs of all ages.  The virus first appeared in the late 1970’s, causing the death of numerous dogs around the world.  Where there are still a high number of unvaccinated dogs, then small, irregular outbreaks still occur.  Note:  these outbreaks are not uncommon. 

The disease is transmitted from one dog to another by contact with infected faeces.  The virus can exist for many months on the paws or fur of the new contact. 

The initial symptoms of the disease are severe vomiting, smelly, bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain; high fever, refusal of food and water and depression.  As a result of this a dog can become severely dehydrated which will result in collapse, with death occurring within 24 hours of contracting the disease.  This will happen in spite of intensive veterinary treatment so prevention rather than cure is the key here.

Ideally your dog should be vaccinated against canine parvovirus every 3 years.

Fleas
These along with ticks, mites and lice are very common external parasites and tend to be transmitted from other animals, such as cats, rabbits, hedgehogs and birds.  They can be difficult to find as they move quickly through a dog’s fur, but if you can’t spot a flea then you will notice what appears to be a small, reddish black speck (it’s ‘faeces’). 

The process is started by the bite of a single adult flea which then jumps off the dog onto your carpet in order to lay eggs.  She will repeat this process repeatedly.  The eggs hatch, and the new set of fleas jump onto your dog to feed.  Fleas like to feed on blood and when they do this, they also release a tiny amount of saliva.  This saliva penetrates the skin of your dog and can cause an allergic reaction.  If your dog is sensitive to this, it can cause a lot of irritation. 
 
To get rid of fleas you will need to use a combination of products which kill adult fleas as well as preventing the eggs and larvae developing into adults.  There are a wide range of anti-flea products available for dealing with this problem which includes sprays, tablets, pumps and spot-on treatments.  You may find that some of these are only available from your vet, and may be necessary if your dog has built up immunity to an over the counter product.  Ideally, you need to treat both your dog and your home.  This means vacuuming on a regular basis to ensure that you have removed any flea eggs, and washing your dogs bedding on a regular basis.  If this is a constant problem, a flea collar may help.        

Leptospirosis
This is a bacterial disease of dogs.  It is acquired from contact with the urine of infected animals, such as rats or dogs.  There are two main ways in which this disease is transmitted; one way is if a dog drinks or swims in a canal or river which is inhabited by infected rats.  The second way is through contact with infected urine.  This disease attacks the liver and the kidneys which can cause kidney failure or death.

The main symptoms of the disease are severe thirst, high temperature, lethargy, depression, jaundice, abdominal pain, increased urination and bloody diarrhoea.  The least amount of damage as a result of this disease is severe liver damage.  If a dog contracts leptospirosis from another dog, the main problem is with the kidneys, in all likelihood, it probably will get worse as the dog gets older.  When a dog is in remission it is still infectious via its urine for up to one year, to other dogs and humans.  The human form of this disease is Weil’s disease.           
As regards treatment, there is effective treatment for this disease as long as it is caught at an early stage.  It is a severe disease which will mean putting your dog in intensive care with fluid therapy, a high standard of nursing care and antibiotics.  In a small number of cases, where the kidneys have been affected, haemodialysis has been used as a temporary measure.

Prevention is better than cure and so vaccination is the answer, along with avoiding infected dogs and areas which are known to contain contaminated rodents, e.g. waterways.