What are the common conditions of prairie dogs?
The chance of death or injury to the pet or staff is much less when anesthesia is used, rather than if the pet becomes stressed and agitated during handling when awake. Common conditions in pet prairie dogs include obesity, dental disease, respiratory disease, ringworm and parasites.
How to tell if your dog has a respiratory disorder?
Signs of Respiratory Disorders. Discharge from the nose (mucus, pus, or blood, depending on the cause) Coughing that may be dry or may include mucus or blood. Rapid breathing (not always a sign of disease, such as in healthy animals after exercise) Labored or difficult breathing; shortness of breath. Shallow breathing.
How to diagnose obstructive upper airway disease in dogs?
Blood gas analysis or pulse oximetry measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and may help assess the need for oxygen therapy in an animal with severe labored breathing. When obstructive upper airway disease is suspected, your veterinarian may use various scopes to view the nose, throat, and airways.
What causes a dog to have labored breathing?
Also called dyspnea, labored breathing happens when dogs have to work very hard to breathe in, breathe out, or both. Labored breathing can be caused by several diseases, not limited to: nose disease, throat or windpipe disease, lung disease.
What are the signs of pneumonia in a prairie dog?
Respiratory disease such as pneumonia is not uncommon in the prairie dog. Obesity and poor ventilation may play a role in this problem. Signs of pneumonia include difficulty breathing, discharge from the eyes or nose, loss of appetite, and lethargy.
The chance of death or injury to the pet or staff is much less when anesthesia is used, rather than if the pet becomes stressed and agitated during handling when awake. Common conditions in pet prairie dogs include obesity, dental disease, respiratory disease, ringworm and parasites.
What does it mean when a dog is working harder to breathe?
When dogs are working harder to breathe than circumstances warrant, they are said to be dyspneic, or suffering from dyspnea. Breathing difficulties can happen when breathing in (inspiratory dyspnea), when breathing out (expiratory dyspnea), or both. Common symptoms include:
What happens if you feed a prairie dog too much?
An overweight prairie dog may suffer from secondary heart, liver, or pancreatic problems. Obesity results from feeding the wrong diet and from lack of exercise. Obesity is easily prevented and somewhat difficult to treat as prairie dogs often become “hooked” on the diet which predisposed them to obesity. See the Prairie Dogs-feeding handout.