Dog diseases

Bloody gastroenteritis in dogs

Bloody gastroenteritis in dogs

Dog diseases, Dogs / By

Bloody gastroenteritis in dogs should always be taken seriously. From my perspective as a veterinarian who advises pet owners, a dog with bloody diarrhea must be seen by a veterinarian within 24 hours at the latest, but often much sooner. If the bloody gastroenteritis is accompanied by vomiting, weakness, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, pale mucous membranes, rapid pulse, dehydration, or even collapse, it is not a case to be ignored, but rather an emergency requiring immediate attention at the veterinary practice or clinic. International veterinary sources explicitly classify acute hemorrhagic diarrhea in dogs as a serious condition, sometimes requiring immediate treatment, because fluid loss can very quickly become life-threatening.

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Vacuum therapy for dogs and cats

Vacuum therapy for dogs and cats

Dog diseases, Cat diseases / By

If a wound on a dog or cat isn't healing as expected, a regular bandage is sometimes insufficient. In such cases, vacuum therapy for dogs and cats can be a valuable addition to modern wound care. This method is also known as negative pressure wound therapy, VAC therapy, or NPWT. The principle is always the same: controlled negative pressure is applied to the wound to draw out wound exudate, relieve pressure on the tissue, and stimulate the formation of healthy granulation tissue. This procedure has been established in human medicine for many years, and vacuum therapy is also being used increasingly in small animal medicine for dogs and cats.

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Ondansetron for vestibular syndrome in dogs

Ondansetron for vestibular syndrome in dogs

Dog diseases / By

Ondansetron for vestibular syndrome in dogs is a topic that deserves significantly more attention in veterinary practice than it currently receives. Many dog owners initially experience vestibular syndrome as a shock: the dog suddenly tilts to the side, holds its head at an angle, its eyes twitch, it appears disoriented, and can barely walk. To owners, this often looks dramatic, almost like a stroke. In reality, however, vestibular syndrome describes a disorder of the balance system, which can originate centrally in the brain or peripherally in the inner and middle ear. Typical symptoms include sudden loss of balance, head tilt, nystagmus, unsteadiness when standing and walking, and pronounced disorientation. It is precisely in this situation that one point is often underestimated: many dogs suffer not only from dizziness but also from severe nausea.

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Actinomycosis in dogs

Actinomycosis in dogs

Skin diseases, Dog diseases / By

From a veterinary perspective, actinomycosis in dogs is a condition that owners can easily underestimate because it often begins insidiously. In practice, actinomycosis isn't noticeable due to a single, typical symptom, but rather through a pattern: poorly healing wounds, swelling, fistulas, foul-smelling discharge, recurring inflammation, and a dog that doesn't appear truly healthy despite initial treatment. This is precisely where the difficulty lies. While the name "actinomycosis" suggests a fungal infection, it is actually a bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces species. These bacteria are normally part of the mucous membrane flora, especially in the mouth and throat, and only become a problem when they enter areas where they don't belong through minor injuries, foreign bodies, or deep tissue damage.

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Actinic keratosis in dogs

Actinic keratosis in dogs

Skin diseases, Dog diseases / By

Dog owners should not wait to see their dog if they notice new, rough, scaly, crusty, or poorly healing skin lesions. From a veterinary perspective, an appointment within 2 to 3 days is advisable if suspicious changes are observed on the nose, ear margins, abdomen, eyelids, or other sun-exposed areas of skin. Immediate action is required if the area bleeds, grows rapidly, ulcerates, appears painful, or if the dog is licking or scratching excessively or is visibly uncomfortable. Skin changes that initially appear harmless can develop into precancerous lesions or squamous cell carcinoma with chronic UV damage.

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Adrenal cortex tumor in dogs

Adrenal cortex tumor in dogs

Dog diseases / By

If you suspect your dog has an adrenocortical carcinoma (tumor of the adrenal cortex), you should consult a veterinarian promptly, ideally within 2 to 3 days. This is especially important if your dog is drinking significantly more, urinating more frequently, develops a distended abdomen, pants heavily, experiences muscle loss, or shows unusual changes in its skin and coat. If the condition worsens, your dog appears weak, eats poorly, collapses, or suddenly experiences respiratory distress, it must be taken to an animal hospital immediately. From a veterinary perspective, it is particularly important not to wait too long with hormonally active adrenal tumors. Adrenocortical carcinoma (tumor of the adrenal cortex) in dogs is rare, but it can grow very invasively locally and severely disrupt the hormonal balance.

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Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer in dogs

Cancer in animals, Dog diseases / By

Adenocarcinoma of the prostate in dogs, prostate cancer in dogs, cancer of the prostate gland in dogs, prostate tumor in dogs, prostate diseases in dogs, hematuria in dogs, dysuria in dogs, pollakiuria in dogs, tenesmus in dogs, metastases in dogs, canine oncology, prostate diagnosis in dogs, prostate therapy in dogs, radiation therapy in dogs, chemotherapy in dogs, pain management in dogs, older male dogs, veterinary oncology

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Achromatopsia in dogs

Eye diseases, Dog diseases / By

Achromatopsia in dogs is a rare, congenital retinal disorder in which the cones in the retina do not function properly. These cones are essential for vision in daylight, for perceiving contrasts, and for the limited color vision that dogs are generally capable of. A dog with achromatopsia will have significantly impaired vision in bright light, often squint in sunlight, and appear uncertain outdoors, while moving with surprising confidence in twilight or darkness.

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Mast cell tumor

Mast cell tumor in dogs and cats

Skin diseases, Dog diseases, Cat diseases, Cancer in animals / By

Mast cell tumors are among the most important skin tumors in small animal medicine. In dogs, mast cell tumors are the most common or one of the most common malignant skin tumors, accounting for approximately 16 to 21 percent of all cutaneous skin tumors, depending on the source. Mast cell tumors also occur in cats, primarily in cutaneous, splenic, or intestinal forms. Internationally recognized veterinary sources such as the Merck Veterinary Manual, the WSAVA, and the VCA describe the clinical presentation as extremely variable: from small, seemingly harmless nodules to aggressive, rapidly growing, ulcerated tumors. (merckvetmanual.com)

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IDEXX Cancer Dx Test

IDEXX Cancer Dx Test©

Dog diseases / By

As a veterinarian, I regularly witness how stressful a suspected cancer diagnosis is for dogs and their owners. Lymphoma, in particular, often creates a feeling of helplessness: the dog still seems surprisingly fit, perhaps eating "just a little less," sleeping more, or its lymph nodes are "somehow swollen." At the same time, the disease may already be quite active in the body. It is precisely in this diagnostic gray area that many owners long for more guidance: What is the most sensible next step, how urgent is it, and how can they avoid wasting valuable time?

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Brucella Canis

Brucella Canis

Dog diseases / By

As a veterinarian and medical director of our small animal practices in Karlovy Vary, having studied in Leipzig, I have seen several cases of Brucella canis in recent years – often under the radar, frequently only discovered when a dog is presented with recurring paralysis, back pain, or discospondylitis. Brucella canis is a zoonotic Brucella species found worldwide and does not only affect breeding stock or imported dogs. It is crucial for owners to understand that this infection can become chronic, is challenging to treat, and requires consistent monitoring – ideally with quantitative antibody tests that detect treatment response and relapses early.

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Cardiomegaly in dogs

Cardiomegaly in dogs

Dog diseases, Dogs / By

As a practising vet, I often see cardiomegaly in dogs. It is important to note that cardiomegaly in dogs is initially a descriptive term for an enlarged heart silhouette or enlarged heart segments - not a diagnosis. There are various causes behind the visible enlargement, from myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) to pericardial effusion or breed-specific norm variants. Modern guidelines and reviews emphasise that it is only with echocardiography, X-ray measurements and possibly biomarkers that we can determine with certainty why cardiomegaly is present in the dog and which therapy is appropriate.

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Pleural effusion in dogs

Pleural effusion in dogs

Dog diseases / By

A pleural effusion in dogs means that fluid collects in the pleural cavity between the lungs and the chest wall, restricting the space for breathing. Pleural effusion in dogs is not a finding that is „observed“, but is generally an acute emergency. Typical signs are rapid, shallow breathing, increased panting at rest, „pumping“ with the abdominal muscles, splaying of the elbows, restlessness, loss of performance, reluctance to eat and, in severe cases, bluish mucous membranes.

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Increased urea

Increased urea

Dog diseases, Dogs / By

Why is this topic important? „BUN“ stands for Blood Urea Nitrogen and describes the proportion of urea that is measured as nitrogen in the blood. Elevated urea in clinically normal dogs unsettles many owners, especially if the dog is clinically normal, eats and drinks normally and the other clinical chemistry is within the reference range. From an internal medicine perspective, BUN is a helpful but non-specific marker: it rises not only in renal problems, but also in prerenal and postrenal disorders and under certain dietary and gastrointestinal conditions. This means that an elevated BUN value is a finding, not a diagnosis. This is precisely my task as a treating veterinarian: to bring structure to the causes, correctly assess relevance and set up a targeted, animal-friendly diagnostic and monitoring programme. For years, professional societies and international guidelines have emphasised the clear distinction between prerenal, renal and postrenal azotemia - the BUN adds a facet to this picture, but never replaces the overall view.

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