Dog Stranguria or Straining to Pass Urine Dog Health

Symptoms which may indicate that a dog is straining to pass urine or in other words suffering from dog stranguria are:

1. Very little or no urine is passed. The little amount of urine that is produced will most likely contain blood.

2. May appear similar to dog constipation

3. The dog may strain to pass urine even after repeated attempts and will probably look uneasy or uncomfortable while passing it.

The urinary tract of a dog is separated into two different parts upper and lower. Stranguria is a condition which affects the dogs lower urinary tract.

The kidneys and uterus, the tube which carries the urine down from the kidneys, are contained in the upper urinary tract of the dog. The kidneys of a dog are to the left and right of their body. The left kidney is slightly behind the right one and both of them are located under the last rib just below the backbone. The function of the kidney is to produce urine, among other things. The urine that these kidneys produce travels down the uterus and into the bladder.

The lower part of the urinary tract consists of the vagina or penis of your dog, the bladder and the urethra which is a tube that takes the urine from the bladder through the prostate and out the penis or the vagina of the dog. The urine produces by the kidneys is collected into the bladder, which simply defined is like a bag. It has a very thin layer of muscle and the urine is collected and stored in it till it becomes full which results in this thin layer of muscles contracting and pushing the urine through the tube which is called the urethra. The urine then comes out of the dogs penis or vagina, thus completing the urination process

A problem in the lower urinary tract would most likely result in dog stranguria. This problem could be anywhere in the dogs urethra, its bladder or its vagina or penis. Several different causes may be responsible for dog stranguria and at times it may happen for no apparent reason at all.

For more information on dog straining to pass_urine and stranguria or Dog Health take a look at this Dog Training website.

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Dog Pyometra and Uterine or Womb Infections Dog Health

The symptoms to look out for in case of suspected Dog Pyometra or uterine/womb infections are the following:

1. Loss of appetite 2. The dog is urinating and drinking more water than usual 3. Diarrhea and vomiting. 4. Only happens in female dogs and usually ones that are older or middle aged. 5. An open cervix, that is when a dog is in heat or season, may result in pus discharge from the vagina. This may be hard to notice as the dog may usually lick this off.

Pyometra will only happen or initiate during the dogs season or heat because when a female dog reaches this time it releases eggs from its ovaries which are used for fertilisation. Then, if the dog gets mated and the egg becomes fertilised by the sperm, the bitch will become pregnant and an embryo will develop. After this, these embryos will travel into the dogs womb where they will stay for up to about seven days for a placenta to develop. Once the placenta is developed it will attach itself to the side of the womb allowing the embryos to have food and oxygen from the mother. During the time the embryo is not attached to the placenta, the wall of the womb produces a fluid to accommodate for the lack of food and oxygen and to help the placenta grow.

When cells that attach themselves with the line of the womb and produce food and oxygen for the embryo become overactive and start producing too much fluid it causes pyometra. Stray bacteria from the body find this as the idea environment to breed. Over time, this worsens and turns into an infection.

When the dogs body realises that it has been infected and discovers this infection it releases thousands of white blood cells in order to fight the infection. As the white blood cells combat this infection those that have done their job will die and form the puss. In large quantities, puss can be very toxic to the dogs body and can make them very sick.

The dog will drink more water in order to flush this unwanted puss out. Drinking more water than usual will cause more urinating, vomiting and diarrhea and if the dog is still in season it may also cause a discharge through the vaginal area. Open cervix pyometra occurs when a dogs vagina is still open and leakage of unwanted puss is possible where as closed cervix pyometra occurs when the dog is out of season and thus the unwanted puss cannot leak out of the vagina in which case the puss builds up inside the dog and worsens the toxic effects.

The symptoms in your dog will start off as being mild and barely noticeable but over time they will start getting worse and reach a point where the toxins in the dogs body will cause it to collapse. Hence, the earlier you visit the vet and get treatment the better and safer the cure will be.

If your dog has been infected by open cervix pyometra the vet may want to know when your dog was last in season. If this was within the last two months or so and the dog had all the symptoms listed above such as diarrhea, drinking more water, vaginal discharge and vomiting it will confirm that the dog has been infected.

The symptoms get harder to prove if the dog has closed cervix pyometra because of no vaginal discharge. The vet will probably look out for a slightly sagging belly and if the other symptoms listed above also occur this will confirm their suspicion. Furthermore, the vet may also use ultrasound or X-ray in order to look for an enlarged womb and confirm whether the dog is infected by this condition or not.

After the vet has confirmed that your dog is infected by pyometra intravenous fluids via a drip line and antibiotics will be used to get the dog as healthy as possible before performing surgery. The surgery will consist of removing the diseased womb and ovaries and will be very similar to routine sterilisation although there will be a higher risk involved because of the illness of the dog and because all the toxins that have been built up inside of the dogs body will need to be removed completely after the surgery in order to avoid any damage or possible infections to the kidneys.

After the surgery the dog will be left on antibiotics and intravenous fluids so that any remaining toxins can be killed off. Once it seems as though the dog is recovering and eating and drinking consistently your vet will discharge the dog so it can go home and recover.

It may be important to note that in high value breeding dogs or in rare breeds the vet may make an effort and try to save the dogs womb and ovaries so it can continue breeding but this procedure is highly risky and can have further side effects that may end up worsening the dogs condition.

For more information on Dog Pyometra and Uterine or Womb Infections or Dog Health take a look at this Dog Training website.

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Are You Harming Your Dog with Their Dog Food Health Concerns Stemming from Commercial Dog Foods

By Cindy McKie

Do you like eating foods laced with preservatives, fillers and potentially dangerous chemicals? I’m going to take a safe guess and say no—but most dog owners serve this to their beloved pets every day.

Death Due to Dog Food

Commercial dog food health concerns are being raised as more and more people are exposing the potentially harmful practices of commercial dog food manufacturing. On Friday March 16th a major dog and cat food recall was announced by Menu Foods, the company that makes 48 brands of pet foods including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba pet food. The Menu Foods recall was announced after it was discovered that 10 dogs and cats died and an unknown number affected from kidney failure as a result of eating these pet foods.

Do you know what’s in Your Dog’s Food?

The truth is many commercial dog foods have ingredients that would shock you.

Your Dog’s Food Could Contain:

Worms

Rancid Animal Fats

Diseased or cancerous meat

And…

Sodium Pentobarbital used to euthanize animals!

Yes, I’m sorry to tell you but dead animals could be in your dog’s dinner bowl. According to author Ann Martin, author of “Protect Your Pet” and “Food Pets Die For” it is a common practice that euthanized animals are routinely rounded up from veterinary clinics and sent to processing plants to become your dog’s food.

Now tell me—would you knowingly feed your beloved pet this type of food? Of course not! But commercial dog food health concerns stem from the fact that the manufacturers don’t have to tell you what happens to the meat before they get their hands on it.

Discover How To Feed Your Dog a Healthy, Life Enhancing Diet

The key to providing dog food health benefits is to feed your beloved pet the nutrients and vitamins they need—without the preservatives, fillers and tainted meat. Just as you take care to cook healthy meals for you and the rest of your family, you can easily create healthy recipes for your dog. Making homemade meals for your dog isn’t expensive, it isn’t difficult and it will dramatically improve the health and well being of your dog.

On the days that you may not be able to “cook” for your pet you can substitute a safe brand of kibble. You will have to study up on your pet food labels but there are a precious few commercial dog foods on the market that are designed with your pet’s health in mind…but you need to read those labels to be sure you’re giving them the correct brands.

Feed your dog a healthier, chemical free diet and they will:

Have stronger immune systems

Suffer less skin conditions

Better all over health including less chance of heart conditions and kidney failure

Live much longer

If you have a dog you know what a cherished member of the family they become. What you may not know is that you may be putting them at risk for disease and a significantly shorter life span every time you serve them their dog food. Health and happiness for your dog can be as simple as taking the time to learn the truth about commercial dog foods and learning how you can better feed your four legged friend

Cindy McKie is a freelance writer and owner of a 15 year old Bichon Frise named Molly. Learn how to start feeding your dog a healthier diet today with the 5 Free Tips to a Better Dogs Diet mini-course.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cindy_McKie

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Dog Health Problems Veterinarians Will Not Tell You About

By Jay Jacovitz

If we want to avoid a dog or cat health problem and quickly get our pet health questions answered, be prepared to take an active role in avoiding dog or cat health problems with more informed communication with your veterinarian when needed. Avoiding dog and cat health problems and extending their life is not an accident. This can be accomplished by simply knowing how to examine, diagnose and often treat your pet at home.

Today there is such a manual available to effectively deal with pet health problems that can save you a tremendous amount of money while drastically improving the overall health of your pets.

In some cases, this could be a matter of life or death for your pet.

Unlike anything ever seen or available before now, veterinary doctor Andrew Jones writes without medical jargon, without complicated procedures, and without an eye on the pharmaceutical companies bottom line. With the help and guidance of this manual, all that is required is the willingness to comfort and care for your sick or injured pet so you can alleviate pain or begin treatment before you even reach your vet.

The truth is that veterinarians have STRONGLY discouraged pet owners from treating their dog and cat health problems at home. The entire pet health industry has a vested interest in discrediting alternative medicines which can safely, naturally and effectively allow pet owners to care for their pets at home.

Dr. Jones, owner of the Nelson Animal Hospital in Nelson, BC, Canada, unequivocally states: "If youre not ready to make some simple changes to the way you provide veterinary care to your pet, beginning today, your dog or cat could be seriously ill and live a shortened life. I came to realize that I and most other veterinarians are not getting it - that in the process of trying to heal pets through technological advances, we are actually making them sicker!" Dr. Jones further states: "Regular veterinary care has lost its effectiveness over the years, and in some cases is causing illness in our pets".

Veterinarians for the most part are wonderful people who want only the best for their clients and your pets that are their patients. Like in any profession, there are terrific, good, passable and poor practitioners and this has nothing to do with their personalities.

Too many pets, both dogs and cats, and their owners suffer with a health problem because they relied exclusively on their vets to receive medical care.

When a vet is the only care option for a dog or cat health problem, guardians sometimes delay bringing their pet in for treatment because the pet becomes ill "after hours".

A dog or cat may have a health problem exasperated due to exclusive reliance on harsh drug treatments because guardians (and their vets) are unaware of effective, gentle, and natural treatments; or, treatment for chronic illnesses was discontinued by the owner because it was complicated or expensive, or the guardian was unable to afford the follow-up office visits and treatment.

There are some very real and common dangers your veterinarian will not tell you about for various reasons that result in dog health problems including the fact that he or she may not even know about them. However, given the opportunity, most pet guardians would want to know all the information that affects or could affect their companions.

Would you as a pet guardian give your dog something that might cause a "side effect" health problem such as: cancerous sarcomas, autoimmune diseases of the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system, including anaphylactic shock, aggression, seizures, and epilepsy? Believe it or not, shockingly these are adverse reactions to the RABIES VACCINE, especially from unnecessary over-vaccination.

Many pet owners have no idea that numerous dog health problems are a result of rabies over-vaccination.

Vets will often give a 3-YEAR dose of the rabies vaccine once a year, although the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) instructs them of the toxic dangers of this type of over-vaccination. Even more alarming, dogs may not need the vaccination for 5 years, and older dogs dont need it at all. You can avoid the dangers and associated health problems for your dog by asking if the rabies vaccine is a 3-year dose, which it should be. If "yes", and the vet insists on giving it annually, direct them to the AAHA website which is clear on the danger and states the extra vaccination is proven to not improve the dogs resistance to the rabies and can pose a health problem to your dog.

Certain dog health problems are caused by vets themselves, such as vaccinosis which requires hospitalization with IV fluids. The onset of vaccinosis is typically two weeks to a month following vaccinations. Symptoms that can appear in the dog include autoimmune diseases, such as irritable bowel disorders, lupus, pemphigus, hypothyroidism, chronic skin disease or allergic dermatitis.

Avoid over-immunization and you can avoid a health problem for your canine.

Have vaccine titers tested measuring the number of antibodies in your dogs bloodstream, for a particular viral disease. If the titers are adequate, no vaccine is needed. Both the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) and the AAHA now say vaccinations should be assessed yearly and tailored to an animals age, health and lifestyle.

Often misdiagnosed as a sign of older age, Cushings syndrome is another example of a dog health problem often caused by a vets medication or over-medication of cortico-steroids.

Dr. Jean Dodds, one of the worlds foremost experts in canine vaccine reactions, says: "Recent vaccinations with single or combination modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are increasingly recognized contributors to immune-mediated blood diseases, bone marrow failure, organ dysfunction and cancer". Dr. Wendell O. Belfield, author of "How to Have a Healthier Dog", further contributes that: "BHA and BHT [preservatives] are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries. Ethoxyquin is suspected of causing cancer, and that propylene glycol, another common pet food ingredient, causes the destruction of red blood cells."

It doesnt matter what category your pets health problem falls under.

Dr. Andrew Jones, in his manual, discusses these dog and cat health problem issues, and reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pets health. His purpose was to make available an informative manual that instructs dog and cat owners to care for and treat their pets on their own, and to help slash vet bills and even save your dog or cats life, with over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions and information for healing your pet. The manual may well be one of the best investments you ever make for your pets health.

To those who are truly devoted to their dogs or cats and want to give the best possible care in dealing with or avoiding health problems, the manual offers every available treatment option if your pet becomes sick. It will also help you prevent diseases so your pet is less likely to become ill and require veterinary care in the first place.

We have existed as a company since 1985, but it was a love of dogs, the dogs that have been a part of our life, and the passing of one dog in particular, Rusty, that inspired the creation of http://www.CalloftheDog.com and http://www.CalloftheDogShop.com - created to provide the things your dogs and pets need. Visit us for great information and quality dog supplies! Be sure to see our About Us page as well.

The two sites are dedicated to the dogs we have loved so deeply, and who have given us so much love in return. Purebreds and mixed breeds, but mostly rescues in need of a home. We educated them, but each one has had something to teach us in exchange.

Interested pet owners can find out more Here.

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