5 Animal Diseases To Watch Out For This Summer

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Some diseases occur more commonly in one season than in others. It has a lot to do with the temperature and changing atmosphere. As the summer heat approaches, here are 5 diseases that you should look out for in your pet.

1. Ear infectionsEar infections can occur all around the year but is at its peak during the summer. Most are water borne and since your pet is expected to spend more time in water, chances are high that he will contract an ear infection. Water is an excellent growth and transfer medium for bacterial and yeast infections. Ear canals are suitable places for them to grow because some amount of water always stays behind even after cleaning.
2. FleasYour pets hate them and so do you. Summer is the ideal time for fleas to feast on your pet’s body. The temperature ensures their growth and the winds make sure they get carried from one animal to the other. Fleas can cause life-threatening disease and should be taken care of as soon as possible.
3. Heat strokeJust like us, our pets are prone to heat strokes. Never leave them in cars or in places where it gets too hot. Look for shades and cool places to keep your pet if you are going to the grocery store or somewhere else. Also, give them plenty of water to keep their body hydrated.
4. De-hydrationJust like heat strokes dehydration is also a major problem in pets. It is not exactly a disease but dehydration can cause death. The only remedy is feeding plenty of water to your pet. Make sure that the water is clean and pure.
5. Burned padsWould you walk barefoot on the pavement in the summer heat? Maybe, if someone paid you hundred bucks but not otherwise. But no one pays your pet to walk barefoot. That’s just the way they have always walked. During summers, it becomes hard for them to walk on areas which get heated up. Often, they end up getting their paws burned. To avoid this, use shady or cool areas to walk and avoid the hot ones. Also, use some protection for your pet’s paws if you can.

Pet diseases are on the high during summers and some of the common ones are mentioned above. If it becomes an emergency, take your pet to a vet immediately.

How to Identify Genetic Diseases in Dogs

Our world is constantly developing and bettering itself through better technology, more knowledge, and new inventions. There have also been many medical discoveries in the recent years that have given way to the easy identification of genetic disorders in dogs. Through many experiments, studies, and lots of research, scientists and researchers have gleaned more information on what cause certain diseases in dogs and how you can tell whether your beloved pet might be in danger.The technique primarily involves the same genetic codes that all dogs belonging to the same breed share.

Your dog and his genetics

For over 15 000 years, humans have been training gray wolves as pets. That’s how we have the dogs we love and cherish as house pets now. There are more than 400 dog breeds that exist today. Most of these breeds have been carefully bred to perfect particular traits and increased performance in different fields. Dogs have a very special and different breeding history, which means that their specific genetic codes have many components in them making them unique and special. The animals that were studied were all of the same breed and had very similar genetic codes. This made getting conclusive results easier.

So how did they identify genetic disorders in dogs?

A lot of genetic disorders are linked to a dog’s breeding. They looked at the duplicate copies of genetic codes and the common genes that the dogs that had a certain disorder possessed.

What are the most common genetic disorders that dogs have?Hip Dysplasia

The hip is a joint connected through ball-and-socket. The ball is supposed to fit snugly inside the socket for the hip to function in a normal manner. If the ball doesn’t fit properly inside the socket, it could cause pain, arthritis, and other joint problems.

Urinary Bladder Stones

A lot of dogs tend to have urinary tract problems through their adult life. It has become common for dogs to experience pain and discomfort due to the stones in their urinary tracts. Your dog might be suffering from a UTI if he has urinary accidents, problems with urination, or sometimes even blood in the urine.

Epilepsy

Sadly, more and more dogs are experiencing this genetic disorder nowadays. If your dog is epileptic, he would experience seizures that make him fall to the ground, stiffen, and even lose control of his bowels and bladder.

Heart Disorders

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Dachshund are at a lot of risk of developing heart disorders like the myxomatous valve disease. This is a condition that can cause pressure buildup in the heart’s chambers, leading to coughing, weakness, abdominal distention, poor appetite, breathing difficulties, an even heart failure.