Illness and injury

What is diabetes mellitus?

There are two forms of diabetes in dogs: diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus. Diabetes insipidus is sometimes called "drinking diabetes" and diabetes mellitus is also known as "sugar diabetes". Diabetes insipidus is a very rare disorder that results in failure to regulate body water content. Diabetes mellitus is more common in dogs, and is frequently diagnosed in dogs five years of age or older. This is also known as adult-onset diabetes. There is a congenital form that occurs in puppies called juvenile diabetes, but this is rare in dogs.

Diarrhoea, it's certainly not our favourite topic, but one a pet owner should never ignore. Either a consequence of a bad snack choice or a symptom of an underlying disease, it's important to observe your pet closely if you notice diarrhoea.

After the sense of smell, a dog's ability to hear is the next most important of its special senses. Dogs' ears have evolved to enhance & sharpen an acute sense of hearing giving them the ability to hear sounds at much higher & lower frequencies than humans.

Have you ever suspected your pet may be suffering from an injury and you weren't sure what to do? Bleeding skin, broken bone, eye injury, convulsion, obstruction, choking and not sure what to do. Here's a few tips on how you can make your pet more comfortable whilst you are on the way to the vet.

Burn damage to the surface &/or deeper layers of the skin will occur immediately regardless of the source of burn. Visible signs can be seen immediately or it can take up to 12-24 hours after the accident depending on the cause or type of burn. Burns can be caused by a dry heat, such as, flame, corrosive chemicals, radiation, electricity or cold. A scald is caused by a moist heat, such as hot oil, wax or water.

Giardia is sometimes confused with "worms" because they invade the gastrointestinal tract and can cause diarrhoea. Giardia is a one-celled parasitic species classified as a protozoa.

Most dogs that are infected with Giardia do not have diarrhoea or any other signs of illness. When the eggs (cysts) are found in the stool of a dog without diarrhoea, they are generally considered a transient, insignificant finding. However, in puppies and debilitated adult dogs, they may cause severe, watery diarrhoea that may be fatal.

Pets shake their heads for several reasons. The most common reason for head shaking in dogs is the one we all know - the head and coat shake after a swim at the beach or a soap-up at bath time. Regular or continuous head shaking in cats or dogs without reason is not normal and could be an ear of an issue!

Heatstroke (hyperthermia) is the elevation of the body’s temperature and is a life threatening condition requiring immediate treatment. Dogs left in hot cars, pets exposed to extreme heat when left outdoors, lack of adequate shade or being exercised in hot weather can all lead to heatstroke.  Heatstroke is most common in dogs, especially “brachycephalic” breeds (those with short muzzles eg British Bulldogs, Pugs etc).

Hip dysplasia is a deformity of the hip joint (coxofemoral joint) that occurs during an animal's growth period. Many large breed dog owners have heard of it, but the fact is that anyone owning a dog should become familiar with this condition.

What is Cushing's disease?

Cushing's disease is a condition in which the adrenal glands overproduce certain hormones. The medical term for this disease is hyperadrenocorticism.

The adrenal glands produce several vital substances, which regulate a variety of body functions and are necessary to sustain life. The most widely known of these substances is cortisol, commonly known as cortisone. Decreased or excessive production of these substances, especially cortisol, may be life-threatening.