Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes.
The heartworm is a type of filaria, a small thread-like worm.
Prevention of heartworm infection can be obtained through a number of veterinary drugs.
Preventive drugs are highly effective and when regularly administered will protect more than 99 percent of dogs and cats from heartworm.
Most compromises in protection result from failure to properly administer the drugs during seasonal transmission periods.
Early signs include a cough, especially on exercise and early exhaustion upon exercise.
In the most advanced cases where many adult worms have built up in the heart without treatment, signs progress to severe weight loss, fainting, coughing up blood and, finally, congestive heart failure.
The Roundworm is the common intestinal worm of dogs.
It looks like spaghetti, thin, round, and up to eight inches in length.
In adult dogs, roundworms in the intestine absorb nutrients from the surrounding fluid; then they mate and lay microscopic eggs.
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode worm that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human.
Hookworms are thought to infect more than 600 million people worldwide.
Dogs pick up hookworms either by eating the worm eggs deposited in dog feces or when worms from the ground penetrate the skin.
A dog can become infested simply by walking on a lawn.
The nice thing about worms is that they are easy to treat.
Many deworming medications are available, from your veterinarian and at pet-supply stores.
The word bloat is often used as a general term to cover gas distension of the stomach with or without twisting.
In dogs, gas accumulation in the stomach may cause or be caused by a volvulus, or twisting, of the stomach, which prevents gas from escaping.
The most common sign of bloat (Gastric Torsion) is distention or swelling of the abdomen, but it is not always present.
The dog will appear restless and will usually try to vomit, bringing up only foam.
He may want to dig and may appear to be in great pain.
If you even suspect that your dog might be have Gastric Torsion, rush him to the vet or emergency clinic ASAP! Deep-chested breeds are especially at risk.
Gastric Torsion in dogs is likely caused by a multitude of factors, but in all cases the immediate prerequisite is a dysfunction of the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach and an obstruction of outflow through the pylorus.
Some of the more widely acknowledged factors for developing bloat include increased age, breed, having a deep and narrow chest, stress, eating foods such as kibble that expand in the stomach, overfeeding, and other causes of gastrointestinal disease and distress.
Hip dysplasia in dogs is the most common cause of rear leg lameness in dogs.
The highest incidence occurs in large-breed dogs.
Feeding a very high-calorie diet to growing dogs can exacerbate a predisposition to hip dysplasia, because the rapid weight gain places increased stress on the hips.
Being overweight supports the genetic potential for hip dysplasia, as well as other skeletal diseases.