i have a 12 year old golden retriever... she just recently has been sick for 2 days kinda worried about her.
Answers:
They can develop thyroid problems and usually hip problems arthritis. They sometimes can develop a sensitive stomach too.
Your Golden girl needs a vet to determine what going on with her OK.
She needs a trip to the vet. Without some discussion of symptoms, I can't give you much help.
Many. Talk to your vet. Has she been eating? If she hasn't, she might have liver falure wich is VERY painful and will eventually starve her to death. Talk to your vet! Good Luck!
Medical Problems
Hip Dysplasia
The term hip dysplasia means poor development of the hip joint, and
describes an inherited developmental disease in young dogs of many
different breeds. Unsound hip joints are a common problem in many
breeds, and hip dysplasia can be a serious problem in any dog that is
to be trained for a demanding activity.
Hip dysplasia may be diagnosed by x-ray between six months and one
year of age, but this is not entirely reliable, and dogs intended for
breeding should be x-rayed when fully mature. Two years of age is
considered to be the minimum age for accurate determination of sound
hips.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is a organization with trained
veterinarians that examine thousands of xrays and grade the hips they
see. Dogs that are past a minimum age and have good hips are certified
Fair, Good, or Excellent; hips that show signs of arthrosis and hip
dysplasia do not get certified. Needless to say, both parents of the
puppy you are considering should have OFA certification. The more OFA
numbers in the pedigree (including littermates of the parents,
grandparents, and previous offspring of either parent), the better off
your puppy is. However, as the inheritance of hip dysplasia involves
multiple genes, breeding only OFA certified dogs only _lessens_ the
chances of HD in the puppies, not _eliminates_.
Dogs not intended for breeding but who will be active in obedience,
agility, hunting, etc. should be screened between 6-12 months of age.
This way if there is a problem that shows up this early, you have
several options for corrective surgery that are best done at this age.
And if your pup shows no signs of hip dysplasia at this point, you can
more comfortably continue with your planned activities without
worrying that you are making a problem worse down the line.
If your puppy has a persistent, unexplainable limp, he should be
xrayed to determine if hip dysplasia or something else is the cause.
On the other hand, Goldens and other retriever breeds often seem to
have high pain thresholds and do not show signs of pain. An x-ray does
not always show you how your dog feels, as many dysplastic Goldens are
completely asymptomatic, especially when younger. Others that do
display symptoms can often be helped with either medicinal or surgical
intervention to alleviate the pain.
Eye Disease
Some Goldens carry genes for Central Progressive Retinal Atrophy
(CPRA) which is a progressive deterioration of the light-receptive
area (retina) of the eye, and may result in complete blindness at a
young age.
Hereditary cataracts are also common eye problems in the Golden
Retriever. Examination by a Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist
is necessary to determine if the cataract is of concern from a genetic
standpoint. If there are any questions, the dog should not be bred.
Golden Retrievers used for breeding stock should be examined annually
until at least eight years of age or longer, as hereditary eye
problems can develop at varying ages.
Dogs that have undergone examination by a Board-certified veterinary
ophthalmologist and found to be free of hereditary eye disease can be
registered with the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). _Note
that not all forms of cataracts disqualify a dog from getting a CERF
number; you should ask to see a copy of the paperwork the vet filled
out (the original is sent to CERF)._
The breeder should be able to show you the paperwork on both parents
for eye examinations. It's important to verify that the dogs are being
examined annually and not just once. If the breeder has older dogs,
ask if they are still being examined as well.
Epilepsy
Seizure disorders may arise from a variety of environmental factors
including viral infections, other diseases and trauma. While an
isolated seizure does not necessarily constitute a problem, dogs
subject to recurring seizures should not be bred. Veterinarians can
prescribe medication to control recurring seizures, however medication
is not always completely effective. Epilepsy generally does not affect
a dog's health or longevity, but all such dogs should be immediately
neutered and not used for breeding stock: if it's hereditary, you
don't want to pass it along to the pups'; if not, pregnancy increases
the risk of a seizure, endangering both her and the pups' lives.
Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis (SAS)
SAS, a hereditary heart disease, is known to occur in the Golden
Retriever breed. There is no registry for screenings for SAS, however,
breeders have begun to have their dogs screened by Board-Certified
Veterinary Cardiologists, and OFA is setting up a Heart Registry
program as of mid-1996. The usual screening is auscultation (listening
to the heart with a stethescope). If there is any suspicion in the
cardiologist's mind, an echocardiogram is run to rule out any
problems. The typical proof that a breeder has had their breeding
stock screened for SAS is a letter signed by a Board-Certified
Veterinary Cardiologist indicating that the animal is, in their
opinion, free from SAS.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is characterized by atrophy or malfunction of the
thyroid gland. Clinical symptoms include obesity, lethargy, and/or
coat problems. Affected animals may also have various reproductive
problems including irregular or absent heat cycle and lack of
fertility in both male and female.
Diagnosis of hypothyroidism is by laboratory tests measuring levels of
T3 and T4 (produced by the thyroid gland) in the blood. Treatment
consists of daily administration of oral thyroid supplement. When
treated successfully the prognosis is excellent and the dog's lifespan
is normal. Lifelong thyroid supplementation may be required.
Many clinically normal, healthy Goldens may test slightly under the
accepted range of "normal" T3 and T4 levels and it is quite possible
that the normal values for this breed may be slightly lower than the
values used for the general canine population.
There are some dogs that will have epileptic attacks when hypothyroid
and stop seizuring when put on thyroid. While there is a link, the
hypothyroid condition does not cause epilepsy, and the dog should
still be monitored for epilepsy.
Allergies
Skin allergies are very common in Golden Retrievers and the offending
allergens are numerous - a flea bite, airborne pollen, dust, mold,
food. Symptoms can range from constant biting, licking and scratching
to constant, chronic ear infections. In many cases diet can play a
large role in the allergic dog. If you suspect you have an allergic
animal, consult with a canine allergist to determine the actual extent
of the problem.
Allergies coupled with low thyroid levels are commonly seen and it is
often worth testing for the other if you see the one in your dog.
______________________________...
as with a lot of dogs, they are many health problems that can occur. but I would look over the link below as it has a lot of information. and I would also take your dog to the vet ASAP.
Cancer. My golden died when he was 10. He had cancer in his spleen. My dad payed $4k to get it removed so he could live a couple more months. I hope your dog is okay. I lost my dog a year ago.
um well my golden got sick 2 for like a week and its temp went up to like 103 but it may not be a DISEASE giver her water bout every 15 min, and make sure she takes it because when they r sick they dont eat or drink but she may ge dyhrated. also take her 2 the doctor they should give her a shot and some pills to take home, but if its not just sickness she may have arthrites because of old age good luck! = ]
hip dyspasia.Cancer . I would go to the vet.we have a 12 yr old retriever too.She has to take pills because she leaks and looses control of her bladder.She gets around really good.when she was younger she had a kidney infection .One ear infection too.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment