A Pet's Place of Clearwater Inc.

HGE

Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis (HGE) is an intestinal condition shown as a sudden onset of bloody diarrhea. Left untreated, the dog can quickly go into shock from the rapid blood loss and die. With prompt medical attention, most dogs recover.
CAUSES:
The exact cause is unknown, but some theories include:
• Eating decaying material
• Bacteria

Coccidiosis is an infection of the intestinal tract caused by a one-celled organism called coccidia. Infection is usually mild, but can be damaging or life threatening to newborn, young, elderly animals or any animal with a weak immune system.
CAUSES:
Immature coccidia, called oocysts, are passed in the stool of an infected animal. They survive for a long time and mature on the ground. If an animal swallows the matured oocysts, they begin to replicate in the animal's intestine.
Causes of infection include:
• Eating contaminated ground
• Eating an infected mouse
• Babies nursing from an infected mother
• Animals less than 6 months have no immunity to coccidia, and can get the disease from other infected animals
In kennels, animal shelters, and breeding facilities, infected animals should be isolated.

Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by Giardia - one-celled protazoan parasites - that invade the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea and possibly vomiting. Giardiasis is contagious and can spread to humans.

CAUSES:

Giardia thrives in non-flowing water, such as ponds or lakes some estimates say 75% of the earths surface water is contaminated. They are transmitted to dogs in two ways:

Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV) or Bloat is often a fatal condition most commonly occurring in large, deep-chested dogs. The stomach bloats with gas and fluid because it twisted on itself. This causes blockages at the entrance and exit of the stomach, which cuts off blood flow and creates the emergency. A dog with a bloated, twisted stomach will die in pain within a few hours unless it gets immediate medical attention.

CAUSES:

The exact cause of GDV is unknown. However, some dogs are more prone to it. Factors include:
Large breed dogs that eat and drink very quickly (causing air to get trapped in the stomach), and then exercise (causing the stomach to twist)
Large Breed Dogs like Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Setters, Greyhounds, Doberman Pinschers, German Shepards, Labs and Old English Sheepdogs. Many also only eat one meal a day.

Skin conditions can be difficult to diagnose

Think back to when you had poison ivy, a case of hives or an itchy mosquito bite. You probably couldn't sleep well and had trouble concentrating because of the itching and discomfort. Unpleasant, right? When your pet has a skin problem, it's even worse because your pet cannot communicate its discomfort other than scratching, itching, rubbing or being irritable. Your dog or cat is stuck feeling miserable until you take action. Because diverse skin problems can often look similar, an accurate diagnosis is critical to an effective treatment. As a pet parent you will want to pay attention to the signs of skin disease and schedule time to see us at A Pet's Place.

Anemia

Bone marrow produces red blood cells and releases them into the blood. These red blood cells transport oxygen throughout your pet's body, which allows the entire body to function properly. After around 8 weeks, the body removes the old blood cells from the bloodstream and creates new ones.

Anemia is a reduced number of red blood cells in your pet's blood. An anemic pet will either remove too many cells or not produce enough new ones.
Anemia is not a disease on its own, but a result of another disease.

CAUSES:

•  Kidney failure because your kidneys produce a hormone which stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells
•  Blood that does not clot properly
•  IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) where the immune system is attacking the red blood cells
•  Excessive parasites in or on the body (whipworms, hookworms, blood parasites, ticks or fleas)
•  Any injury that causes excessive bleeding
•  HGE (Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis) Believed to be caused by a bacterial infection leading to bloody diarrhea
•  Tumors or Cancer in the intestinal tract, urinary bladder, kidneys, liver, bone marrow or spleen

Thrombocytopenia
A platelet is a type of blood cell produced by the bone marrow that helps blood clot. If your pet gets a cut, the platelets go to the damaged blood vessels and clump together, sealing the leaking blood vessel.
Thrombocytopenia is a decrease of the platelets, in which causes increased bleeding and bruising.
CAUSES:
The main cause is an autoimmune disease (the immune system attacks its own body). In this case, the immune system mistakenly thinks the platelets are enemies. The spleen then removes platelets from the blood 10 times faster than normal.

Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands (located near the kidneys) fail to produce enough hormones. The adrenal glands normally produce several hormones that control body function. For example:
Cortisol: a hormone responsible for stress responses
Aldosterone: a hormone responsible for balancing electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium)
It is most common in young female dogs, and you can manage it with hormone supplements.
Humans and cattle can also have this disease.

Canine Arthritis

 Arthritis is a condition where a joint becomes swollen and inflammed. This inflammation typically causes the body to lay down additional bone to try to stabilize the joint. It can affect any joint but typically we think Hip Dysplacia. Many pets get arthritis in their backs as discs get compressed and the body tries to fuse the vertebrae together.

Their are two types of arthritis:

1. Primary - like Rheumatoid Arthritis where the immune system attacks healthy joints. This type is very uncommon in pets, but as with people it is devastating and progresses quickly.
2. Secondary - Osteoarthritis; where the cartilage gets damaged from the bones hitting together. This stimulates the release of histamines which cause inflammation, and trigger increased blood supply to try to repair the damage. The problem comes in when new bone is laid down around the joint to try to stabilize it. This new bone has no cartilage to protect it and continues to be damaged; resulting in pain and more inflammation.