This collection of Dog Illness & Disease articles has been curated for you by Pleasant Hill Animal Hospital. If you would like to talk to a veterinarian, please give us a call at (770) 476-9339.
Pets and the Novel Coronavirus
When the current outbreak of novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, first came to light in December 2019, researchers indicated that animals were the likely source of the virus. So people are naturally asking, "Can my pet contract and transmit this virus?" That question has become even more valid after one dog - the pet of an infected owner in Hong Kong - recently tested "weak positive" for the virus.
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5 Common Illnesses in Dogs and What You Need to Know
Keeping your dog up-to-date on vaccinations protects them from several devastating illnesses, including rabies, parvovirus, distemper, bordetella, and more. Unfortunately, no vaccine will protect your canine companion from every disease they may encounter throughout their life. And while modern vaccines are highly effective, there is always a minuscule risk of vaccine failure. This means that, despite your best efforts, there's no way to ensure that your furry friend will never get sick.
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How to Know When to Take Your Dog to the Veterinarian For an Ear Infection
Despite what you may think, yeast infections, NOT ear mites, are the primary cause of ear infections in dogs. Dogs love to get yeast infections in their ears. Most veterinarians can likely count the number of dogs with ear mites they’ve seen during their practice career on two hands.
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Dog Diarrhea! It Happens, And Here's What You Need to Know
Diarrhea - let's just agree upfront that this is an unpleasant topic. Unfortunately, it's one that we see in pets at veterinary clinics every day, and while the root cause can be relatively harmless, that's not always the case. This blog post will look at what may be causing your dog's diarrhea and how serious the implications are in each case.
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National Pet Poison Prevention Week: Beware These Common Household Toxins
National Pet Poison Prevention Week takes place this year from March 21st through March 27th. Aimed at educating pet parents about some of the most common things that are poisonous to pets, this week is a fantastic opportunity to brush up on your knowledge and keep your furry family member safe.
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World Rabies Day: Facts, Prevention, and Actions To Take if Your Pet is Bitten
As veterinarians, we’ve noticed that many people tend to think that rabies is a thing of the past, but, unfortunately, that’s not the reality. According to the CDC, approximately 5,000 animal rabies cases are reported annually, with more than 90 percent of those occurring in wildlife. So while dogs and cats are no longer getting rabies as much as they did in the mid-1900s, the principal hosts in the U.S. today are raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.
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Imported Animals and How to Minimize the Rabies Risks
This article was written in response to the June 10th, 2021 report of the 34 pets (33 dogs and one cat) entering the United States through O’Hare Airport from Azerbaijan, as one of the dogs in the group tested positive for rabies in Pennsylvania. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a multi-state public health investigation after at least 12 people were exposed to the rabid dog imported from overseas. The location of the other imported pets has not been released.
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6 Symptoms of Dog Illness You Should Never Ignore
As much as we wish they could, dogs can’t communicate pain, illness, or discomfort with words or even woofs. Instead, changes we notice in their demeanor, eating habits, or shifts in their routine hopefully make us stop and take notice of a potential problem. Dogs instinctively avoid revealing that something is wrong, so it’s up to the dog owner to stay consistently alert and spot illness early to avoid complications.
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