Dry Heaves is a sign for a potentially serious condition in dogs and cats. Signs of dry heaves are gagging or attempting to vomit without discharge. The reasons for dry heaves indicate that your animals has an internal infection, a food allergy, bloat, liver problems, internal parasites or that it has swallowed a poisonous substance. One of the most common is bone meal fertilizer. This fertilizer contains finely ground bones that are mixed with about 30% phosphate and some nitrogen. Bone meal is fed to farm animals but should not be eaten by dogs. The high bone content though makes it rather attractive for them to see it as a food source.
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Intervertebral disk (IVD) disease, a back problem, is a disorder accompanied by acute pain, loss of movement coordination and paralysis. It is most common in certain breeds, such as Dachshund, Pekinese, French Bulldog, Beagle, Basset Hound, American Cocker Spaniel, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Welsh Corgi, though it might occur in other breeds also, especially dogs with short, thick legs.
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Kneecap Dislocation, also called “Patellar Luxation” is a disease animals are born with. Especially small dog breeds such as miniature and toy poodle, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier, Pekinese and other breeds of dogs and cats are more likely to have this disease. Patellar Luxation affects both knees in 50% of all diagnosed cases.
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Hip dysplasia occurs when the head of the upper bone in the hind leg (femur) does not fit properly in the socket of the joint and pulls away, riding on the rim of the acetabulum during movement. Hip dysplasia puts a lot of stress and the joint and damages the joint capsule. It is accompanied by severe pain. Sometimes the joint stabilizes and the dog is pain-free. Problems with the conformation or shape of the joint will remain though, and later on it can lead to lameness and the pain will return.
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Humans experience it, just think about Thanksgiving dinner, so do dogs. Dogs who overeat, even if it’s just on their regular dog food, or drinking excessive water after exercises, might experience an inflated stomach that looks like a balloon and twists – a very unpleasant situation.
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