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Common Diseases in Pet Dogs

    Pet dogs are susceptible to many different diseases, just like humans. However, several diseases are very commonly seen in dogs. Though a dog can become afflicted by any one of thousands of different medical conditions, some conditions are fairly commonly treated by veterinarians.

    HIP DYSPLASIA

    This is a medical condition that a dog usually inherits through genetics. Though there are some reports that a dog’s environment could potentially cause hip dysplasia, this is not yet conclusively proven. A dog with hip dysplasia will have a malformed hip joint, contributing to the joint not functioning correctly. Hip dysplasia usually occurs in the hip socket and may cause a dog to become permanently crippled. Treatment for hip dysplasia usually involves surgery or the use of prosthetics. Pain medication is also commonly used on dogs with hip dysplasia.

    GLAUCOMA

    Glaucoma is a disease that primarily affects a dog’s eyes (usually on dogs, though it may eventually spread to both). Glaucoma occurs when the aqueous humour (liquid) in a dog’s eye does not work correctly and causes pressure to build up inside a dog’s eye. This pressure contributes to significant nerve damage, which occurs progressively over time. Glaucoma can be a genetically inherited condition, usually because of improper eye development. However, it can also be caused by an eye injury, which may damage the drainage pores responsible for maintaining the proper fluid level inside a dog’s eye.

    LYME DISEASdog’se disease is a condition that is caused by a bacterial infection. This bacteria is transmitted primarily through tick bites, commonly seen in dogs. Though Lyme disease is not a fatal condition, it can cause severe damage to a dog’s health and may contribute to lifetime chronic illness. In severe cases of Lyme disease, the bacterial infection progresses to a dog’s cardiac and neurdog’scal systems. This can cause severe problems and may prevent a complete recovery. However, most Lyme disease is diagnosed in its early stages and is still treatable by veterinary care. In most cases, antibiotics are used as an effective treatment for Lyme disease in dogs.

    DISTEMPER

    The distemper virus is a hazardous virus that causes death in approximately 50% of all affected dogs. The virus is highly contagious and is commonly seen in stray dogs. Distemper is also called a “multisystemic” disease” since it has” the ability to spread to most of a dog’s internal systems; even though this is a fairly common virus, most dogs are now vaccinated against canine distemper at a very early age. This vaccination procedure has dramatically reduced the instances of canine distemper, as most dogs are now vaccinated soon after birth.

    Though these are four of the common diseases that may affect dogs, hundreds of other medical conditions may occur in dogs. The most important way of preventing your dog from being afflicted with a disease is to exercise good pet care. This can be accomplished through common sense and by paying close attention to changes in your dog’s overall health.

    Dog’s advice we are gi “ing is not our own; it is copied from other sites; we are not vets; we are just sharing advice.”