|
Defining health: well or ill dog
Dogs went by long evolution way through twelve thousand years. They had to meet with different external adversities, reacting adequately to overcome it's harmful influence. That's clear enough what dogs with deficient adaptive abilities turned unspecialized for competition, they had become ill and die sooner, giving place to better fit, i.e. to stronger ones.
Home rottweilers ail as often as people do, but in general we would say they are healthy and strong dogs what can successfully reach old age (which average 8—9 years) if properly fed and bred, and if following sanitarian regulations. At the same time the knot of the matter of dogs' health keeping is prevention of different diseases and illnesses.
So, beforehand vaccination, full nutrition, vitamin sufficiency and following the dog keeping regulations — that's all you need to keep you pet well. Such dogs' disease resistibility is high enough. So even if dog falls sick, he or she will soon get over an illness without serious complications (sequelae).
It's worth to remember what air temperature changes affects a dog appreciably less than a human and is outside the range of general factors what cause the cold. That's explained by very small quantity of sudoriparous glands so that thermoregulation is performed by exhalation of water from the tongue surface, not from the skin surface. That's easy to see in a hot weather when rottweiler puts tongue out with hurried breath: this way the dog avoids overheating. Having no ability to use skin surface to excrete the «products of metabolism», dog is adapted to get off «excreta»: intestine and kidney prove equal to this task.
If feeding and keeping rules are breached for any reason, then there will be changes in the dog's state. It may look as apathy, loss of appetite, loss of hair shine, fall of hair, constipation, diarrhea and even different types of eczema.
The most dangerous for rottweiler's health are sudden illnesses and lesions. Sudden illnesses come suddenly: at any season, at any age, with no relation to breed and sex. For instance, enterostasis, wounds, traumas, foreign body in the dog's stomach, diseases, etc.
Sudden illnesses may be also some complications which follow on diseases, for example, seizures after plague, etc. Sudden lesions are also emergent although it's usually result of breach of rules of keeping, walking and training on the grounds (automobile hits, fights between dogs without muzzles, etc.)
The most important upon sudden illnesses and lesions i first aid. First aid methods and procedures are comparably simple. They don't require special education, so they can be easily applied with knowledge of general illnesses and taking a course of first aid.
|
|
Sick dog is apparently different from well one. Any sickness causes in dog's organism a row of reasonably serious disorders.
|
Well dog 
|
|
Sick dog
|
|
+ Healthy rottweiler is a cheerful pet with shining hair, clean and clear eyes, slightly wet and cold nose. Actually, the last sign isn't always trustworthy.
+ Dog responds to master's call, readily performs commands.
+ Rottweiler eats with appetite; intestine is regularly cleaned out, normal urination.
+ Mucous membranes of mouth, lids are clean, light–pink.
+ Breathing is smooth, proper.
|
|
– Sick dog behaves different than well one. He or she is sad, lies a lot, tries to hide in a dark place, and unwillingly responds to call. Some sicknesses make dog not will to lie, then he or she stands for a long time and only fatigued has to lie or takes another enforced position.
– Ill dog is either indifferent to others or enormously agitated, too active, sometimes aggressive against the closest people.
– Appetite disorder: in one case the dog has either poor appetite or refuses a meal, in others appetite is enormous or perverted. Aglutition, sometimes may be even choke on liquid. Excessive thirst or, conversely, hydrophobia may be observed.
– Shine and glossy hair turns to mat and tousled. Alopecia, rash, scratches, open wounds or eczemas are probable.
– Mucous membranes of mouth and lids are pale, cyanotic or icteritious.
– Activity of gastrointestinal tract is disordered: it may look as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, meteorism; blood, foreign particles, or worms in dung.
– Purulent discharge from nose, eyes and from other organs may appear.
– Urination is disordered, color and quantity of urine change.
– Body temperature, pulse, breathing may be abnormal too.
|
|
Conclusion. Listed signs of sick dog rarely appear at the same time, there may one or some of them be pronounced. But while severe illness or during developing of some illness number of pathologies grows. To speak of ultimate recovery of the dog all signs of some illness shall disappear.
|
|
|
fig. 1
Defining health: well and ill dog
|
|
|
