Please note that this is only general advice, for proper medical attention you should always consult your Vet.

Administering Medication to your Dog

If the medication that you are wishing to give to your dog is a liquid, the dosage most probably will be given in spoonfuls of 5ml, administering medication to a dog by the spoonful is not only awkward but extremely messy, by far the easiest way to do this is to acquire a syringe (minus the needle).

Measure out the required amount of medication into the syringe before asking your dog to sit in a corner of the room (retreat is then not an option), take hold of him by placing your hand firmly under his jaw with his muzzle slightly elevated. Place the nozzle of the syringe approximately 2cms into the corner of your dog's mouth, slowly press the plunger, allowing the medication to run into his throat and be swallowed comfortably.

If the medication that you are wishing to give to your dog is in tablet or capsule form, again ask you dog to sit in a corner, place one hand under his jaw with thumb on one side and finger on the other just behind the corner of the lips and press gently; this will encourage him to open his mouth, once again ensure that his muzzle is slightly elevated. Place the tablet or capsule as far back on the dogs tongue as possible; because of the position of your thumb and finger it should discourage your dog from closing his mouth, once this hold is released his muzzle should still be kept closed and either massage his throat or short sharp blowing on his nose will encourage him to swallow the tablet or capsule. Once you are convinced that he has swallowed, slowly release you grip always keeping a close eye that the medication does not reappear.



Veterinary Information

Season or Heat Cycle

The average season for a bitch is approximately 3 weeks, but can be as short as 7 to 10 days, yet some can last up to 4 weeks or more.

Average periods between these seasons are 6 to 7 months, but some bitches

will come into season every 4 months; but others only once a year. The length of a bitch's season and the interval between vary from bitch to bitch.

The season will usually start with a distinct swelling of the vulva, accompanied by bleeding, this should be classed as Day 1, this period is referred to as (proestrus)

After approximately 10 days the swelling of the vulva will have reduced and the bleeding ceased, this period is referred to as (estrus) and is usually the time that the bitch is ovulating and will allow herself to be mated. This period usually lasts from 4 to 21 days but again, can vary depending on the individual.

Hip Dysplacia

Hip dysplacia literally means an abnormality in the development of the hip joint and is characterized by shallow acetabulum (the cup of the hip joint) and the changes in the shape of the femoral head (the ball of the hip joint). These changes may occur during excessive laxity in the hip joint. Hip dysplacia can exist with or without clinical signs.

When clinical signs are exhibited, it is usually because the dog is lame on one or both limbs. Severe arthritis may develop due to this malformation of the hip joint and will result in pain as the disease progresses. If pain is exhibited in a young dog this is usually during or shortly after a growth period and before arthritic changes appear to be present, it is also not unusual for this pain to go into remission for many years and return when arthritic changes have become obvious.

Dogs with hip dysplacia can appear to have normal hips when they are born, only for the disease to develop later in life.

It is thought that this condition is inherited; however, not all dogs with this genetic tendency always display clinical signs and multiple genetic and environmental factors must be taken into consideration when determining the degree of hip dysplacia. Another contributing factor is the rapid growth and weight gain of the dog which appears to aggravate the laxity in the hip joint in such circumstances.

If clinical signs of hip dysplacia occur in a young dog, such as lameness, difficulty in walking after resting, decreased activity or a bunny hop gait, veterinary advice should be taken immediately.

Parvovirus

Parvovirus is a viral disease in dogs, which affects puppies much more frequently than adult dogs. This virus attacks and kills the rapidly dividing cells of the intestinal lining causing diarrhoea (often showing signs of blood), depression and suppression of the white blood cells which appear from another group of rapidly dividing cells.

In very young and weak puppies, heart muscles can become infected and can lead to sudden death.

Canine Parvovirus can be carried in dogs, some adult dogs can be infected carriers without showing any clinical signs, others with the typical diarrhoea shed the virus sometimes indiscriminately which in turn causes problems as Parvovirus can survive in the environment for a long time, needing a good hard frost to kill it, or in kennel situations a strong speciality disinfectant for this purpose may be used.

This disease is very serious and prompt veterinary advice should always be taken. Although there are no current statistics available it is thought that probably 80% of puppies treated promptly may survive, however, puppies not receiving treatment, most if not all would die.

Parvovirus, due to the high casualties involved with this viral disease receives a great deal of public attention and many people make the assumption that any case of diarrhoea in a puppy or adult dog, indeed is or could be Parvovirus, this is not always the case as these symptoms can be present with a number of other disorders, but as previously stated, if in doubt see your veterinary surgeon at once.

Vaccination against Parvovirus is a must as it is one of the most common and active viral diseases to affect dogs.

Canine Mastitis

Canine Mastitis is an infection which attacks the mammary glands in lactating bitches, usually occurring a few weeks after whelping has taken place. The mammary canal becomes infected causing inflammation, this is a vicious circle as the milk needs to flow to flush out the infection but the inflammation prohibits this from happening and is aggravated when there are insufficient puppies feeding for the amount of milk being produced, also if puppies have been weaned to soon or removed from the bitch abruptly.

This infection though can occur at anytime so it is important to check your bitch at very regular intervals, making sure that all areas of her nipples or teats are soft and supple, be aware of any red or hardening areas and any noticeable tenderness shown by your bitch, as the first sign of any of these symptoms contact your Veterinary Surgeon immediately. If left untreated this infection may develop and rupture out of the side of the infected area causing long term problems for your bitch, and possibly prevent her from producing milk in this area of her breast again.

Gastric Torsion or Bloat

This is an acute condition caused by too much gas or fluid in the stomach, the gas extends the stomach causing gastric dilation, which in turn rotates the stomach causing torsion. This condition is usually more common in larger deep chested breeds i.e. Dobermann, Great Dane, Weimaraner. It rarely occurs in the smaller breeds. Symptoms include restlessness, drooling, obvious stomach pains, trying to vomit and a distension of the stomach, at the first sign of any of these symptoms do not delay in immediately rushing your dog to the nearest Veterinary Surgeon, this can be the difference between life and death.

Although there is no proof as to why this condition occurs, it is suggested that the feeding and exercise regime of your dog is most important in helping to prevent this condition, i.e. Feeding two smaller feeds per day instead of one large one, no exercise for at least one hour before and one hour after eating, limit amount of water intake after eating and exercising to small amounts at a time. These measures might help to prevent some cases of Gastric Torsion or Bloat but unfortunately will not prevent all, but the most important factor is being very aware of what might happen, this could mean the difference between life and death for your dog.


Disclaimer
All information provided by Breedadog.com is intended as a guide only and in no way intends to substitute for any Veterinary advice, if ever in doubt about any aspect of your dog's health and welfare we strongly recommend that you contact your Veterinary Surgeon.