ASSISTED LIVING    DISEASE   NUTRITION   REPRODUCTION   STUDIES   TOXINS   TRAINING

DISEASE TOPICS:

Chronic Kidney Failure
Hereditary and Congenital Diseases in Purebred Dogs
Narcolepsy
Understanding Lab Tests
Diabetes
Colorado State University Small Animal Vaccination Protocol

OUTSIDE LINKS:

optigen.com
Testing for Genetic Diseases, especially Progressive Retinal Atrophy

petdiabetes.org
The Pet Diabetes Page

best.com/~lynxpt
The Feline Chronic Renal Failure Page

marvistavet.com
The Canine Chronic Renal Failure Page

petloss.com
Special Needs Links -- access to information on a variety of chronic diseases

GDC Registries
GDC maintains genetic disease registries for purebred dogs in the US and worldwide.

Disease prevention requires adequate nutrition, limitation of exposure, parasite control, safe housing, controlled reproduction, regular examinations and early intervention, and innoculation. Vaccination recommendations change over time; to learn the more, see Colorado State University vaccination protocols

Some diseases are seen more often in particular breeds of dogs. Not all the diseases have been attributed to a specific gene or mode of inheritance, but they appear often enough to be of concern to fanciers of those particular breeds. When considering a breed and interviewing breeders, a wise prospective pet owner will ask about the incidence of these disorders, what the breeders are doing to eliminate the problems from their dogs, and what guarantees they give of their pups being free of the disorders.

Many disorders are diagnosed and monitored with blood tests. For a brief description of a standard CBC and Chemistry profile, normal values for dogs and cats, and what abnormalities may mean, see understanding lab tests

Some diseases are neither curable nor immediately fatal, and will require long-term treatment to keep your animal comfortable and active. The more information you have about these chronic problems, the better you can help your pet. If you don't see your pet's condition listed here, try petloss.com