Our pets live much less than us. Dying of old age, they leave their owners the pain of loss and a lot of wonderful memories of games and walks, pranks and pranks, happy and sad days spent together. Sometimes they are taken away by a disease, they are poisoned by poisons or get into emergency situations, but in such cases, confident and competent actions can prolong the life of a pet and save it. Any owner should know how dogs behave before death in order to have time to apply for veterinary care, facilitate his passing away or just be close to your friend for the last hour.
How to recognize the approaching old age of a dog?
Dogs show the same signs of old age as humans. Gray hair is visible in their coat, their eyes grow dim, they eat less and less willingly, move more slowly, take little interest in the world around them on walks, preferring to return home soon, almost or not at all play, and more and more often like to lie down in silence and away from others. dogs and people. This condition can last from several months to a year if the dog is not tormented by the disease. He quietly fades and grows weaker until it is finally time for him to leave his family.
In older animals, hair falls and does not recover, and bald patches can form on the elbows, the area around the tail and on the stomach. Teeth may fall out, at least they are not already sharp, but heavily worn and darkened.
Old or worn out chronic illness the dog is panting and wheezing, hair falls out and claws peel off, nose is mostly dry, gait is unsteady due to falling glucose levels, urine becomes dark in color, and stools are often disturbed without visible reasons. The dog still responds positively to affection, but not so actively asks for attention. Increasingly, he simply slumbers in solitude. He can be annoyed loud sounds, bright light, strangers. An aging animal, like an old person, needs rest, silence, moderate temperature, subdued lighting, a light diet and respect for personal space.
A sign of old age is the weakening of the sexual instinct. An elderly male does not care that a female is nearby, he does not perform a courtship ritual and does not enter into competition with other males, but old dog drives them away and their cages are not allowed on themselves.
Loss or clouding of consciousness. The dog either does not respond to stimuli at all, or reacts weakly and indistinctly. He no longer sees, does not hear, probably does not smell, but all owners note that even a pet that is on the verge feels their presence and even tries to wag its tail.
Amyotrophy. It is observed in very old or long and seriously ill animals. The dog does not hold his head, his paws are parting, his mouth is half open, and under the skin, instead of muscle knots, it feels like a dense jelly to the touch.
Dry skin and loss of elasticity. If you pinch the skin, the fold will not straighten out, and the color of the mucosa will not return to normal pink. It is caused by dehydration, nerve damage and loss of control of the brain over the body.
Why do dogs leave home
It is difficult to say whether dogs feel their death, but it often happens that an old animal leaves home and disappears, it depends on its socialization. The owners find her dead and realize that the dog left on purpose - in anticipation of the end.
As to why dogs leave home before death, there are several versions. Some even believe that the animal feels pain and bitterness from its owners and tries to alleviate their condition with its departure. But this is not true. To do this, you need to have human consciousness. it is a person who grieves for dead loved ones, fears death and thinks about it. The animal does not feel all this, since life and death are equally natural for him. Morality, ethics, aesthetics, religion, civilization - all this is alien to animals.
Biologists believe that the departure of a dog before death from the house is caused by the same reasons as the departure of an old or sick wolf from the den. The dog’s consciousness becomes cloudy and the skills acquired in the course of life with a person are forgotten, ancient instincts come into play, to which all canines obey:
- You can not burden the pack with a creature that cannot run fast and successfully hunt,
- It is impossible to attract other predators to the flock with easy prey in the form of a weak individual,
- If you do not hide, then there is a risk of being torn to pieces by a large predator and dying painfully,
- If you die in a flock, the young will suffer from decomposition products.
Presumably, from these motives, domestic dogs overcome weakness and leave home. However, dogs that have retained consciousness and attachment to humans overstep instinct and remain to die in the house in the hands of their owners.
How to help a dying dog
To facilitate the departure of a pet from life, you should observe how the dog behaves before death. The behavior of a dog before death always changes, and an attentive loving owner cannot fail to notice this. If the dog dies easily, then he does not need anything but peace and quiet, sometimes the presence of the owner. Many dogs lick their owners' hands and wag their tails even in their last moments of life.
If dying is associated with the physical suffering of the dog, then the owner’s duty is to alleviate his condition and decide on euthanasia, or consider all options for a worthy farewell to the last journey. This is not a murder, as many people think, but the last help to someone who has been around for more than one year and who helped to cope with everyday difficulties as best he could.
Euthanasia is necessary for animals dying from oncology, due to head injuries, from multiple bleeding, from incurable infectious disease. Only a veterinarian can perform it.
About the author: Anna Aleksandrovna Maksimenkova
Practicing veterinarian in a private clinic. Directions: therapy, oncology, surgery. Read more about me in the "About Us" section.It happens that a seemingly healthy pet, having not received a visible injury, dies in a matter of seconds, minutes or hours. The pathologist of the veterinary clinic "Biocontrol", candidate of biological sciences Dmitry Evgenievich Mitrushkin tells about the common causes of sudden death of dogs and cats.
Poisoning in dogs and cats
Dogs are more likely to be poisoned by poisons designed to fight rodents (rats and mice) and poisons distributed by "dog hunters" (persons who, on their own initiative, are engaged in the extermination stray dogs).
Poisons against rodents are often anticoagulants (substances that reduce blood clotting, such as zoocoumarin), leading to massive hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs(primarily in the cavity of the stomach and intestines). Manifested by lethargy, diarrhea and / or vomiting with blood and the development of severe anemia. It must be added that the death of a small dog (or cat) can come from eating a poisoned mouse or rat (weakened and easy prey because bleeding has already begun in its organs and tissues).
The poison used by "dog hunters" is more often the drug isoniazid, which is intended to treat human tuberculosis, but is toxic to dogs. It is added in the form of tablets to sausages or sausages, laid out on the ground in yards, parks. Sometimes they are eaten by domestic dogs. The action of the drug begins after 1-1.5 hours and leads to inhibition of brain activity, resulting in confusion, discoordination of movements with further profuse salivation and foaming at the mouth. In severe poisoning, convulsions, coma, paralysis of the respiratory muscles are possible.
To prevent the poisoning described above, it is necessary to educate the dog in the ability not to pick up food from the ground, walk it on a leash and constantly carefully watch what it does. If you are not able to keep track of the dog, it is necessary to put on a completely closed muzzle, especially in places where you have already seen a pack of stray dogs or heard about it from other owners.
Cats are more picky about food (compared to dogs) and are more likely to be poisoned by antifreeze (a sweet-tasting liquid that does not freeze at low temperatures, used to cool internal combustion engines) or lilies.
Antifreeze can leak under the car or be spilled by the car owner on the asphalt, garage floor, etc. When thirsty animals lick the puddle formed (or simply lick their paws that have passed through it), ethylene glycol, which is the basis of antifreeze, is absorbed into gastrointestinal tract. Within an hour, vomiting, weakness, impaired coordination of movements begin with a further progressive reduction in the amount of urine (up to its absence) due to the development of acute kidney failure. It should be added that a lethal dose of antifreeze for a cat can be about 1.5 ml / kg, for a dog - about 6.6 ml / kg. To prevent poisoning, it is necessary to prevent leakage of antifreeze or use propylene glycol-based antifreeze, which has a lower toxicity.
Many types of lilies are toxic to cats. Eating them or pollen that is on the animal's fur (with further licking and getting it into the stomach) can cause the death of the animal due to acute renal failure. Therefore, cat owners need to stop buying or growing this plant.
Heart Disease in Dogs and Cats
Large breed dogs (usually middle-aged and older) can die suddenly from heart disease such as (with or without heart rate), characterized by the expansion of the cavities of the heart and myocardial dysfunction. Clinically, the pathology early stages manifested asymptomatically or only increased fatigue; with the development of the disease, general weakness, rapid breathing, coughing, and even fainting are usually noted.
Cats of any age often suffer from cardiac pathology such as hypertrophic. Among the most predisposed breeds: British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, Maine Coon, Sphynx, etc. The genetically determined disease is characterized by hypertrophy (thickening) of the walls of the organ (often the left ventricle), leading to periodic rapid breathing with ajar mouth. The disease is complicated by either thromboembolism (acute death occurs when blood clots form in the branches pulmonary artery obstructing blood flow), or pulmonary edema.
Why know that the dog is dying? It's sad, it hurts to even think about it. However, knowing that you will soon be faced with grief will make it easier to go through, and you will have time to prepare the younger family members. You can stay with your pet in his last days and show how much you love him.
Moreover, it is up to you to decide whether the dog will experience pain before death, or whether you will take a strong-willed, but correct act - release it a little earlier, but in complete peace.
You may notice signs of a dog leaving soon in a week, in a few hours, it all depends on the cause. Violations will affect all systems of life. It is important to understand if the dog is in pain.
So, the causes of imminent death can be divided into three large groups:
- From old age- a natural process of degradation of all vital systems, including blood vessels, brain neurons, cell conductivity, etc.
- From sickness-Death can occur at any age. It is in this case that owners often have to make the decision to euthanasia.
- Sudden death from accident, poisoning, shock, trauma and does not depend on systemic diseases or age.
The third point cannot be predicted, but everything can be done to protect the dog from dangerous situations and deeds. It is necessary to train a pet, socialize it, help it get rid of phobias. Remember:
- A happy dog is a controlled dog.
- Pet safety is you, your actions, your actions, your forethought. It is ridiculous to blame someone for the death of a pet if you yourself let him off the leash near the road, and he got hit by a car.
The situation is similar with all other accidents, if such a situation occurred there is only one reason - lack of education, attention, in a word - hindsight.
It is important to always follow basic safety precautions. If you are unsure of the pet's control, do not let it off the leash, if you are unsure that the pet will not take poison from the ground, walk it in a muzzle.
Main features
The following signs will let you know that the dog is about to die. Depending on the situation, these signs will either give the last chance for salvation, or time to prepare and say goodbye.
Activity- one of the most bright signs fading vitality, this is a decrease in activity. Out of habit, the dog will ask to go outside, try to endure the toilet, follow the owner's commands, behave as usual. However, an observant owner will notice that games and walking do not bring the animal as much pleasure as before. After a walk, the dog will lie down in its place and sleep for a long time, and will not enjoy prolonged communication.
reflexes- Against the background of a decrease in activity, lethargy and impaired reflexes occur. At first, these violations will not be obvious, but you will notice that the pet tries not to run fast, avoids sudden maneuvers, often lies on a walk. Even dogs that are cocky in their youth begin to give in to young animals and aggressive relatives. At this point, it is important to support the pet, try to ensure its maximum safety and self-confidence. If you notice that your dog feels uncomfortable on a walk, consider moving the walk to a more secluded area.
Metabolic slowdown- many dog lovers say that in anticipation of death, the dog's appetite worsens, but this is not always the case. During the natural degradation of cells and metabolic processes the following trends can be observed:
- The dog eats well, but does not gain weight.
- The pet reduces itself daily allowance food, but drink well.
- Against the background of normal fluid intake, the dog develops dehydration.
- The dog develops beriberi or a clear deficiency of nutrients.
Losing weight with a normal diet can indicate not only a metabolic disorder, but also a number of diseases:
- At helminthic invasion the dog will lose weight, but the appetite will only improve at first. If your pet is elderly and you suspect helminthic invasion, you should consult your veterinarian about adequate preventive measures. Not all drugs designed to remove worms are designed to take into account the slow metabolism of older animals.
- Weight loss against the background of normal nutrition may indicate systemic diseases, for example, or other abnormalities in the body. Closely monitor the condition of the pet, because in old age the risk of developing diseases to which the dog has a tendency increases.
- Skin and wool- against the background of impaired metabolism, the dog may consume the usual amount of water and food, but suffer from micronutrient deficiencies or dehydration. One of the most obvious signs of dehydration is bad condition skin and wool. The wool becomes disheveled, loses its natural luster, is strongly deformed, breaks. If you look closely at the skin, you may notice a large number of scales or even cracks. However, do not rush to draw conclusions and show the dog to the veterinarian. This may indicate seborrhea, which most older but still physically strong dogs are prone to.
- Breath- disruption at work respiratory system- This clear sign quick care of the pet. With a critical slowdown in metabolic processes, the dog falls into a lethargic state. You may notice a slowdown in your breathing rate. Depending on the size of the dog, the rate of breathing varies from 22 to 30 breaths per minute. When breathing slows down, the dog breathes slowly, deeply, often with an open mouth. The respiratory rate usually drops to 10-11 breaths per minute. Just before death, the dog continues to make respiratory movements, but in fact it does not inhale or exhale air, since the lungs no longer straighten out.
- Heartbeat- after slowing down your breathing, you can notice a clear decrease in heart rate. At healthy dog a strong pulse is felt with a frequency of 100-130 beats per minute. In a dog whose metabolism is slow, the heart rate drops to 50-80 beats per minute. When the heart rate decreases, a natural drop occurs blood pressure, which is accompanied by severe weakness and apathy. Usually the dog tends to hide in a dark secluded place, almost does not move, and when trying to move from place to place, the pet staggers a lot. At this stage, only the comfort of the dog depends on you, if the pet dies of old age, you can consider that this condition is irreversible. However, be prepared for the fact that the dog can stay in a state of lethargy for a day or even more. No need to force the pet to eat, drink, get up.
- Digestive system- in a few days, and maybe hours, before death, the dog will completely refuse food. In this case, the pet may involuntarily empty the intestines and bladder. Even if the dog does not eat anything, the intestines will remain stool, since the peristalsis of the intestinal walls is greatly reduced. Offer water to your pet, but don't force your dog to drink. Be prepared for the fact that in the last days and hours, the pet will go to the toilet for himself. If the dog gets up and asks to go outside (and this often happens), take it out for walking in your arms and immediately bring it home. Immediately after death, the dog will have an involuntary and complete bowel movement and Bladder. This happens because the muscles completely relax after the death throes.
- mucous membranes- against the background of dehydration, metabolic disorders, nutritional deficiencies, the dog may develop oxygen starvation cells. At first, you may not notice anything but the changed color of the mucous membranes of the eyelids and gums. Usually the gums become gray, whitish, or almost transparent. Try to measure the temperature of the pet, if it is lowered, provide the dog with warmth. With a natural drop in temperature, the dog experiences chills, and when the animals are cold, she cannot relax - this is a reflex.
About death agony
Many owners panic at the time of their pet's death throes. It is not even the loss of the dog that causes fear, but the state in which it interrupts before death. It is important to learn one thing, you cannot change anything, but it depends on you how the pet will feel in the last moments of life. Keep calm with all your might, do not cry, hug the animal, calm it down, try not to tremble your voice.
Learn another truth, your pet devoted his whole life to serving you, he was ready for anything to make you happy. Try to be happy in the last moments of his life, so that when you leave, your pet knows that he did his job perfectly.
Let's digress from philosophy, what is the death agony? As mentioned above, even a few hours before death, the dog falls into lethargy. This state can be described in different ways: indifference, complete calm, peace, and so on. From a scientific point of view, lethargy is a partial cessation of the work of brain neurons. Being in lethargy, the dog practically does not feel pain, loses its sense of smell and hearing. The last thing the dog loses sight and touch, so it is important to be near and constantly in contact with her.
When it comes to death from old age, we can say that death is painless. The pet may feel nauseous. Nausea in this case is natural and should not be stopped. Try to maintain eye contact with your dog until his pupils dilate and stop responding to light.
Lack of pupillary accommodation indicates total lethargy or coma. After the loss of vision, the dog feels only stroking (and even then not always), but at the same time, the nerve endings of the skin constantly and very rapidly atrophy. No matter how hard it is for you, you need to remember that after atrophy of the pupils, the dog almost feels nothing.
Euthanasia or death from disease is a difficult choice
Inexperienced owners often torture their pets, justifying themselves with the fact that euthanasia is murder. We will not refute the truth, euthanasia or euthanasia leads to the death of the dog. However, every time you see a pet in pain, watch the disease kill him, ask yourself: am I acting humanely?
Naturally, you want to be with your pet for as long as possible, to know that you did everything that was there to the end. Try to think about the pet, about his well-being, about his comfort. Unfortunately, in this matter you have to show all the composure and reasonableness that you will be capable of at that moment.
We do not call for resorting to euthanasia if the dog has even the slightest chance of a cure and a full life.
SUDDEN DEATH IN DOGS AND CATS. HOW TO AVOID. It happens that a seemingly healthy pet, having not received a visible injury, dies in a matter of seconds, minutes or hours. The pathologist of the veterinary clinic "Biocontrol", candidate of biological sciences Dmitry Evgenievich Mitrushkin tells about the common causes of sudden death of dogs and cats. POISONING IN DOGS AND CATS. Dogs are more often poisoned by poisons intended to fight rodents (rats and mice) and poisons distributed by "dog hunters" (persons who, on their own initiative, are engaged in the extermination of stray dogs). Poisons against rodents are often anticoagulants (substances that reduce blood clotting, for example, zoocoumarin), leading to massive hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs (primarily in the cavity of the stomach and intestines). Manifested by lethargy, diarrhea and / or vomiting with blood and the development of severe anemia. It must be added that the death of a small dog (or cat) can come from eating a poisoned mouse or rat (weakened and easy prey because bleeding has already begun in its organs and tissues). The poison used by "dog hunters" is more often the drug isoniazid, which is intended to treat human tuberculosis, but is toxic to dogs. It is added in the form of tablets to sausages or sausages, laid out on the ground in yards, parks. Sometimes they are eaten by domestic dogs. The action of the drug begins after 1-1.5 hours and leads to inhibition of brain activity, resulting in confusion, discoordination of movements with further profuse salivation and foaming from the mouth. In severe poisoning, convulsions, coma, paralysis of the respiratory muscles are possible. To prevent the poisoning described above, it is necessary to educate the dog in the ability not to pick up food from the ground, walk it on a leash and constantly carefully watch what it does. If you are not able to keep track of the dog, it is necessary to put on a completely closed muzzle, especially in places where you have already seen a pack of stray dogs or heard about it from other owners. Cats are more picky about food (compared to dogs) and are more likely to be poisoned by antifreeze (a sweet-tasting liquid that does not freeze at low temperatures, used to cool internal combustion engines) or lilies. Antifreeze can leak under the car or be spilled by the car owner on the asphalt, garage floor, etc. When thirsty animals lick the puddle formed (or simply lick their paws that have passed through it), ethylene glycol, which is the basis of antifreeze, is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Within an hour, vomiting, weakness, impaired coordination of movements begin with a further progressive reduction in the amount of urine (up to its absence) due to the development of acute renal failure. It should be added that a lethal dose of antifreeze for a cat can be about 1.5 ml / kg, for a dog - about 6.6 ml / kg. To prevent poisoning, it is necessary to prevent leakage of antifreeze or use propylene glycol-based antifreeze, which has a lower toxicity. Many types of lilies are toxic to cats. Eating them or pollen that is on the animal's fur (with further licking and getting it into the stomach) can cause the death of the animal due to acute renal failure. Therefore, cat owners need to stop buying or growing this plant. HEART DISEASE IN DOGS AND CATS Large breed dogs (usually middle-aged and older) can die suddenly from heart disease such as dilated cardiomyopathy (with or without abnormal heart rhythm), characterized by dilated heart cavities and myocardial dysfunction. Clinically, the pathology in the early stages is asymptomatic or only increased fatigue; with the development of the disease, general weakness, rapid breathing, coughing, and even fainting are usually noted. Cats of any age often suffer from heart conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Among the most predisposed breeds: British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, Maine Coon. A genetically determined disease is characterized by hypertrophy (thickening) of the walls of an organ (usually the left ventricle), leading to periodic rapid breathing with ajar mouth. The disease is complicated by either thromboembolism (acute death occurs when blood clots form in the branches of the pulmonary artery, preventing blood flow), or pulmonary edema. Diagnosis of heart disease in dogs and cats requires periodic x-rays. chest cavity, electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (EchoCG or ultrasound of the heart). Using these methods, the cardiologist will be able to assess the structural and functional state organ, prevent and treat cardiac pathologies. PNEUMOTHORAX IN DOGS AND CATS. Pneumothorax is an accumulation of air in the pleural cavity. May be exogenous (often associated with penetrating trauma) chest) and of endogenous origin. Endogenous pneumothorax is often formed due to a breakthrough of air in pleural cavity with a rupture of an emphysematous bladder (thin-walled pathological cavity) or a lung tumor. The occurrence of a rupture of the pathological focus of the lung is facilitated by high physical activity, concussion of the chest, and a sharp cough push. Pathology, which belongs to the category of complications of the disease, is manifested by increasing respiratory failure causing the death of the animal. To prevent pneumothorax, it is recommended not to allow physical overload and to periodically conduct an X-ray examination of the chest cavity of dogs and cats. TRACHEAL COLLAPSE IN DOGS. Tracheal collapse - hereditary chronic illness, characterized by a narrowing of the lumen of the trachea (air tube connecting the larynx to the lungs). The disease is more common in dwarf breeds dogs (Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Terriers, Chihuahuas, Mini Spitz, Pekingese, pygmy poodles etc.) at the age of 6 months to 7 years. Clinically, a sudden cough is observed, more often after exercise or emotional tension, wet rales, oppression general condition. With the progression of the disease, manifested pronounced degree flattening of the trachea, the death of the animal from suffocation is possible. For the prevention of symptoms of the disease in predisposed dog breeds, it is especially important to carry out x-ray examination trachea, check upper Airways on chronic infection, prevent hypothermia and obesity, replace the collar with a harness. ATLANTO-AXIAL INSTABILITY IN DOGS. The disease is more often observed in young dogs of dwarf breeds (Yorkshire terriers, toy terriers, chihuahuas, etc.). Atlanto-axial instability - congenital pathology, which is characterized by the shift of the first cervical vertebra(atlanta) relative to the second (epistrophy). The main reason is the underdevelopment or rupture of the ligaments connecting these two vertebrae. Trauma to this area (for example, when an animal falls from hands) can lead to an acceleration of the appearance of basic clinical signs (acute pain when moving the head, manifested by squealing); forced position of the head and neck not higher than the level of the withers; weakness of the chest and pelvic limbs). Possible acute development of symptoms and death from squeezing spinal cord epistrophe. ACUTE ENLARGEMENT AND VOLVORUS OF THE STOMACH IN DOGS. Acute dilatation of the stomach is a disease characterized by significant swelling (swelling) of the stomach due to weakness of its wall or spasm of the pylorus (narrowed part of the stomach at the place of its transition to duodenum). Large, rarely medium-sized dogs (usually older ones) are ill. The disease leads to compression of the diaphragm, large vessels and intestines, which leads to intestinal obstruction, as well as a decrease in blood supply to many organs, leading to death. To the deadly dangerous disease large and medium-sized dogs also includes stomach torsion, which is complicated by necrosis of its wall due to torsion of blood vessels, which can occur even without previous acute expansion of the organ. The main reason is the weakness and stretching of the gastric ligaments (usually older dogs), unable to hold the stomach in the correct position, as well as the absence of the gastrocolic ligament in dogs (available in humans). Clinically, with the above diseases of the stomach, anxiety is observed turning into stiffness, increased salivation, retching, an increase in the abdomen in the region of the last ribs, shortness of breath, bulging eyes, pallor (or cyanosis) of the gums. Prevention of acute dilatation and inversion of the stomach of dogs is reduced to the recommendations of the normalization of nutrition and physical activity: - Animals should be fed two to three times a day in small portions. In the diet, the amount of carbohydrates (cereals and vegetables) should be reduced and the content of high-quality protein products (meat, fish) should be increased. Recommended industrial dry food "premium" class firms with a worldwide reputation, all components of which are balanced. Protein food saturates with a small volume and is processed by the body quickly, i.e. does not overfill the stomach and does not stretch its walls. -feeding and walking (and even more so working use animal) should be at least one and a half to two hours apart; food and water should be at room temperature. - try to keep the dog, especially the older one, in good physical shape. GASTRIC ULCERS IN DOGS AND CATS. Peptic ulcer of the stomach is a disease characterized by the formation of ulcers (local defects) of the inner layers of the organ wall. The progression of the ulcerative process can manifest itself as deadly dangerous complications like perforation or gastric bleeding. With perforation (perforation) of the ulcer, i.e. the formation of a through hole in the gastric wall, food along with gastric juice penetrates into the peritoneal cavity with the development of acute peritonitis (characterized exclusively by acute "dagger" pain). In more rare cases, an ulcer formed over a relatively large vessel can cause bleeding into the stomach cavity (manifested by hematemesis and black feces due to the admixture of a large amount of blood that has changed its color). For prevention peptic ulcer stomach, a full-fledged feeding of dogs and cats is recommended (see recommendations for normalizing nutrition in the previous topic). RUPTURE OF SPLEEN TUMORS IN DOGS AND CATS. With tumors of the spleen (both benign, for example, a hematoma, and malignant, for example, lymphoma), they can rupture with bleeding into the peritoneal cavity (with fatal blood loss). Rupture of neoplasms of the spleen can occur with the slightest injury (including with strong straining during defecation, with intense physical activity) both immediately and later. To rupture an intact spleen, the injury must be significant, often combined with injury to other organs. For prevention this disease need for prophylactic ultrasound abdominal cavity dogs and cats. FOREIGN BODY IN THE THROAT IN DOGS AND CATS. A variety of foreign bodies (pieces of toys, bones, chips, broken glass, sewing needle) while playing with various objects or hasty food can end up in the throat of a dog or cat (usually puppies and kittens). The animal will lie with its mouth open; breathing will become difficult, there will be a cough with the development of suffocation. If there is a large one in the throat foreign body, then instant death of a pet is possible. To prevent the disease, you should: - before leaving for work, close all doors to the rooms, leaving the kitchen and corridor for the animal to move; remove shoes; -buy toys made specifically for dogs and cats that cannot be chewed into small pieces or swallowed whole (the most reliable are molded rubber or edible toys). HEAT STROKE IN DOGS AND CATS Heat stroke is a condition that occurs as a result of prolonged overheating of the body (often in dogs in a car on a hot day). Overheating is especially dangerous for dogs of short-faced (brachycephalic) breeds - bulldogs, boxers, pugs, Pekingese, as well as representatives of long-haired breeds. Animals suffering from heart or lung diseases are at risk. In dogs, breathing and heartbeat become more frequent, body temperature rises, and a coma develops. To prevent heat stroke never leave your dog in a parked car in hot weather; provide access to the animal in a cool room and plenty of water on a hot day. ELECTRICAL INJURY IN DOGS AND CATS. Electrical injury - defeat electric shock. Death from electric shock often occurs in puppies and kittens when they gnaw through the wire of an electrical appliance (TV, refrigerator, etc.) that is connected to the network. Electrical current passing through the body can lead to cardiac arrest. Cats are more resistant to electric shock. The death of an animal is also possible in contact with a bare or broken electrical wire. To reduce the risk of electrical injury, do not leave a puppy with teething in a room where there are wires plugged into the network. In conclusion, it must be recalled that the responsible pet owner must know in advance exactly what time veterinary clinic(at any time of the day or night) he will immediately take his pet in case of a sharp deterioration in the state of health, without wasting time in search of "who to contact" for diagnostic and therapeutic measures.
For the first time faced with the death of apparently healthy puppies, any person is shocked and begins to seek the truth, blaming himself, others and even unknown intruders for what happened.
However, unfortunately, for veterinarians, such phenomena do not seem to be something unusual or rare. In this article, we will try to understand the causes of sudden puppy death syndrome.
Causes of death of puppies
Some dog breeders have witnessed the death of entire litters. The culprit of such rapidly developing events can be herpes virus infection, hepatitis or bacterial infection, penetrated into the fragile body of a puppy with mother's milk.
A characteristic feature of the pathogenesis of infection by microorganisms is the transience of the disease, leading to the death of the entire litter in a matter of days. With a herpes virus infection, the pathogen enters the puppy's body through saliva or expiration from the nasal passages. Also, infection can occur through close contact or the use of the same items for care and feeding.
Even the owner himself can provoke an outbreak among his pets by bringing the virus home on his clothes, shoes and even hands. As practice shows, the crowded keeping of animals in nurseries and houses leads to the fact that a herpesvirus infection that has arisen in one individual leads to 100% infection of all other pets. And there are no exceptions to this rule.
Curiously, adult dogs have quite good immunity to herpesvirus infection. For this reason, the clinical picture of this pathology is rather blurred. But puppies, pregnant animals or individuals with weakened immune systems suffer severely from a herpes virus infection, which spreads throughout their body with lightning speed.
If we talk about puppies, then they, as a rule, do not die immediately, but after 2 weeks. Before leading to the death of an animal, the virus goes a long and difficult way. Having penetrated into the mucous membrane of its host, the virus begins to multiply intensively under conditions low temperature. Naturally, such activity destroys cells, which leads to erosion of the mucous membrane.
If for some reason the immune system is not able to resist the pathology on this stage, then the virus will continue its march through the body unhindered, affecting the nerve ganglia, which will serve as a refuge for it for the entire period of latent development. Further, when a stressful situation arises, for example, when the conditions for keeping puppies deteriorate, the genome is reactivated and the herpes virus re-infects the mucous membrane of the animal.
From this point on, the dog becomes contagious, since the causative agent of herpes infection is actively excreted in environment, although the carrier itself may still lack a clear clinical picture of the pathology. In infected young bitches, miscarriages and stillbirths are quite common. Even if puppies are born alive, they are completely unviable and die before they even live 2 days.
What to do to avoid the death of puppies?
The owner after the birth of the puppies should carefully monitor their development. The first signal announcing an impending disaster will be the refusal of babies from mother's milk. After a short period of time, the puppies clearly show respiratory problems. Then the puppies begin to die rapidly one by one. In less than a week, the entire litter dies.
It must be understood that when deployed clinical picture pathology to treat puppies is meaningless. The only thing you can try to do is isolate healthy babies by converting them to artificial feeding. In parallel with this, it is necessary to improve the conditions for keeping animals.
According to veterinarians, the most effective method dealing with the sudden death of puppies is the formation of maternal immunity. Even short-term contact with dogs that have recovered from herpes virus will allow the formation of natural immunity at the bitch However, such events do not follow soon after them.
Although infectious hepatitis is much less common than herpesvirus infection, its consequences are no less terrible. The death of the litter occurs so rapidly that the owner does not even have time to invite veterinarian. The time from infection to death is less than 1 hour.
The clinical picture presented with vomiting, diarrhea, fever and copious secretions from the eyes and nose, confuse even experienced dog breeders as they diagnose poisoning in their pets. Even a recovered animal will carry the virus for a year.
The causative agent of pathology is excreted into the environment along with the urine and excrement of the dog. Thus, the owner should prohibit his pet while walking on fresh air sniffing dog marks, since in this case the risk of infectious hepatitis penetration through the mucous membranes of the nose and oral cavity is extremely high.
The life cycle of the virus in the dog's body begins with the defeat of the lymph nodes, where it multiplies intensively. Further, leaving the affected cells of the lymph nodes, the viral particles accumulate in the liver parenchyma, causing its destruction.
