Arthritis
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Yet another of the many arthritic conditions that can disable your dog is one known as OCD, which stands for either osteochondritis dissecans or osteochondrosis dissecans. OCD is a disease that affects the cartilage - the spongy tissue that cushions the space between joints and allows them to work smoothly together.
Anything that damages or erodes this cartilage can lead to arthritis, resulting in joint pain, swelling and lameness. In the case of OCD, the cartilage is either damaged or grows abnormally. Instead of remaining attached to the bone that it's cushioning, the cartilage either separates or develops cracks. Sometimes pieces of cartilage will break off and float freely within the joint itself, where they continue to grow. All three of these problems cause extreme pain for the affected animal. [...]
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Watching any animal attempt to run and play while battling arthritis can be hard. Yet it's especially heartbreaking for owners whose animals have a form of rheumatoid arthritis known as Juvenile Onset Polyarthritis Syndrome. One of a wide variety of types of polyarthritis, this incurable disease strikes early and cripples the dog's limbs, causing chronic severe pain and lameness.
This type of arthritis begins with an abnormal immune cell response that causes too many white blood cells (the body's disease-fighters) to invade the joints. Once there they release chemicals that create swelling, joint pain and fever. Animals with polyarthritis often feel ill and are reluctant to move around. Rheumatoid arthritis is especially aggressive in eroding cartilage that cushions the joints. Plus, over time, it deforms the bones surrounding the joints as well, leaving the limbs deformed and unable to bear the dog's weight. The disease usually affects more than one joint; often all of the dog's joints are involved. [...]
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Arthritis means joint inflammation, but the term is somewhat misleading because arthritis is much more than joint inflammation and cats do contract many forms of arthritis depending upon the breed and external factors. The particular forms of arthritis that cats suffer from are: Traumatic Arthritis (sprain) and Osteoarethritis, from there, there are several diseases that belong to one group or the other.
Traumatic Arthritis as the name implies occurs when there is some sort of a trauma, (sprain) injury. In cats that could be the result of being hit by a moving vehicle, a cat fight, or bad fall. If the trauma is a result of a simple sprain chances are the pain will go away in no time and is really not that serious. However, if the traumatic arthritis is more serious, resulting from being hit by a car or other serious accident, a fracture may occur in the joint and your cat may require surgery to repair the damage. [...]
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Canine hip dysplasia is found in almost all breeds of dogs but is particularly prominent in some of the larger working breeds. The condition is very difficult to treat and only preventable through selecting males and females that are free from any signs of canine hip dysplasia and have been certified as free from the condition by a qualified veterinarian. Since the signs of canine hip dysplasia or CHD are very minor at first, unless tested and x-rayed it is possible for dogs to appear sound and healthy but still have the condition.
Canine hip dysplasia has been known to be a very serious problem in dogs for many, many years, with continual research on detection, prevention and management of the condition ongoing in most areas of the world. Since this condition is both debilitating and progressive, leading to other conditions such as arthritis and other bone and joint related problems. Breeders, researchers and animal health professionals have made this condition a priority for research and treatment development. [...]
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Just like any type of mammal, the horse depends on the spine and skeleton to support the body, and the spinal chord and the brain to send impulses through the skeleton and muscles to move. In conditions that are known as degenerative disorders there are either toxins, injuries, infections, genetic conditions or other forms of diseases that cause the natural functioning of the skeleton or nervous systems to degenerate or break down over time. Once these conditions are present, unless noticed and treated very early on there is likely to be permanent and non-reversable damage that will affect the horse throughout his or her life, even if the condition is managed. [...]
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It seems like every dog owner has some experience in his or her beloved pet becoming stiff and reluctant to move as they age. In reality any dog of any breed, including mixed or hybrid dogs, can all develop arthritis as they age, however some breeds and some lines within breeds are more prone to the condition. In general the larger the breed the more problematic arthritis is likely to be but even smaller dogs that are obese, have a history of joint or muscle problems or that have had injuries to joints can develop the condition. [...]
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Senior dogs typically continue to have the same temperament that they have exhibited when they were younger. Highly active, very human-centered puppies will mature into very active, human-centered senior dogs, although the level of activity will gradually decrease as the dog ages. Owners need to understand that a breed that is known for high energy will not become a very laid back adult or senior dog, nor will a very sedate type of puppy suddenly develop high energy levels and want to go jogging with the owner every day as he or she matures. A healthy senior dog will continue to have the same typical behaviors as he or she has always exhibited and any changes in temperament should be taken very seriously. [...]
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Highly athletic and in-shape dogs can become injured through a variety of types of activities. Often the very athletic dogs can twist, turn or simply overextend a joint, resulting in swelling and pain. In some dogs certain hereditary factors can also make a particular dog or breeding line more prone to those health problems than other dogs in the same breed of different lines. Many of the common sports or activity related health conditions in dogs can be treated through rest and recovery with rehabilitation of the injured muscle or joint, however without proper treatment and modification of the activity the condition will only get worse. [...]
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There are many, many advantageous to owning a giant breed of dog. As a group these dogs tend to be very calm, steadfast, loyal and loving, plus they are also naturally effective guard and watch dogs. As with most types of dogs and dog breeds, there are also some disadvantages or at least concerns that owners need to be aware of. Most of these health concerns are directly related to the large size of the dogs and can be at least managed by good feeding, routine exercise and proper care for the dogs, especially in their growing stages. [...]
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Most herding breeds, the Border Collie included, are naturally healthy dogs that have been bred to be highly athletic and strong. They also have amazingly strong respiratory and circulatory systems, probably due to the intensive screening done by early farmers and shepherds in only continuing to breed the healthiest and best working dogs. [...]
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The dramatic rise in popularity of the German Shepherd Dog almost from its first introduction to the United States is perhaps the single biggest reason that this breed historically was known for fairly significant health problems. Thankfully a great many highly reputable breeders have been working diligently over the last thirty years or more to eliminate many of the problems found in the breed, and there are very well developed, healthy lines of German Shepherd Dogs found all over the country. The massive random breeding programs used in the early 1900's did cause some problems, however this is certainly not true today. [...]
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As with any purebred line of dogs or any hybrid dog breed combination, there are inherited genetic problems that can occur. It is important for dog owners to understand that there are no health issues that occur only in the Rottweiler, rather most of these conditions occur in almost all other types of large breed purebred and mixed breed dogs. [...]
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As with any purebred breed of dogs there are some genetic health problems associated with the Akita breed. They are not typically unhealthy dogs and virtually all of the health issues within the breed can be tested for prior to breeding, ensuring that reputable breeders are not producing genetically inferior litters. With this breeds surge in popularity in the early 1970s through the 1980 many puppy mills and backyard breeders produced genetically unhealthy dogs, leading to health issues with the breed. For this reason it is highly recommended to only purchase an Akita from a reputable breeder that completes all health and genetic checks prior to breeding programs. [...]
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If you are one of those people that sets yearly weight loss goals for yourself on New Year's Eve, maybe you might want to include your dog in your plans this year. According to results obtained by a national survey of vets, approximately 44% of all domestic pets, including both cats and dogs, are considered to be obese. Cats are actually worse than dogs with almost 57% of the cats examined by the vet clinics on the survey date coming in at obese or overweight. This same study, done by the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that in the United States alone there are some 26 million dogs that are overweight and at least and additional 7.2 million canines that would fit into the category of obese. [...]
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Arthritis
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