Canine heartworm – Continued
Destruction of the immature stages Last week, we concluded the article by saying that even after the adult heartworms in the right heart chambers (and elsewhere) have been killed by the series of arsenic injections, the problem is not over. The microfilaria (immature stages of the heartworm) are still circulating in the blood. The arsenic did not [...]
Canine heartworm: treatment
Before we begin with this instalment of this heartworm drama, allow me to surprise you with some facts. Imagine, wonder of wonders, this, ‘The Pet Corner‘ column has now reached 270 articles on matters associated with the well-being of our pets. More than five full years have slid by without so much as a bark [...]
Heartworm
Continued form last week Well, let’s see what we have learned about that rapidly spreading scourge of heartworm. Firstly, we know that it is transmitted by mosquitoes, Secondly, we know that the adult worms (bundles of them) live in the right heart chambers (and sometimes in some of the big and important blood vessels), thus [...]
Heartworm
(Continued from last week) Last week, we documented that the heartworms live mostly in the right side heart chambers. That alone could compromise the heart function immensely. The heart just can’t get enough blood out into the circulation. This means that many organs down the line are being starved of adequate supplies of blood and [...]
Ailments of the heart
Continued from last week Last week, I had promised to commence a new theme today, since we had exhausted the topic of maladies associated with the heart and circulatory system. We dealt primarily with the malfunctions of the heart itself. However, there is one very specific parasite-based ailment that impacts so much on the heart’s [...]
Ailments of the heart
Continued from last week Right-sided (congestive) heart failure Last week, we discussed the left-sided congestive heart failure, which was the result primarily of the inability of the left ventricle (lower chamber) to function properly. Similarly, the condition known as the right-sided congestive heart failure occurs when the right ventricle is not operating adequately. The consequence [...]
Heart failure
Last week, we defined heart failure as an inability of the heart to provide (by pumping) adequate circulation to meet the needs of the cells, tissues and organs of the body. We promised to discuss left side and right side heart failures. Left heart failure You remember we had said at the beginning, when we [...]
Ailments of the circulatory system
Continued from last week Heart failure Heart failure can be defined as a condition whereby the ability of the heart muscle to contract is compromised. The heart muscle has become weak. This, of course, would result in the inability of the heart to provide adequate circulation to meet the body’s needs. The output of blood [...]
Blood circulatory system General Comments
The pulse is really an expression of the heartbeat. The way you take the pulse in humans (feeling the wrist or the pulsation of the big vessels running along the neck area) is not the same with dogs. With your dog standing (or lying on his back), you can feel the pulse by placing two [...]
Ailments of the blood circulatory system
General comments As we introduced this new topic last week, we mentioned that the blood circulatory system comprises the blood itself (red cells, white cells, platelets, liquid plasma, dissolved nutrients, waste products), the heart, which pumps the blood throughout the body, and the blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries) through which the blood flows. The [...]
More respiratory problems
Bronchiectasis Don’t be intimidated by this big technical term. You will recall that last week we discussed pneumonia. Now, if one follows the therapeutic regime, which I advised last week, the secretions associated with pneumonia will be removed from the lungs. Of course, the body’s own defence mechanism also allows the natural processes to help [...]
Respiratory disorders
Continued Pneumonia The most common respiratory disease is pneumonia, simply defined as an inflammation of the lungs. The smart books define several different types of pneumonia (focal, lobar, lobular, diffuse, etc), which, for our discussions, are not of any prime interest. If I had to define the types of pneumonia, I would base my differentiation [...]
Other respiratory disorders
Spasms of the larynx You may recall that we had described the larynx as the “voice box” which contains the vocal cords. These vocal cords may experience a sudden, involuntary and violent contraction. These spasms of the larynx (laryngospasms) usually happen when a droplet of saliva or mucus (slime) falls from the soft palate upon [...]
Respiratory problems
Continued from last week Allow me to begin today’s column by correcting an omission from last week’s Pet Corner. When writing about asthma and chronic allergic bronchitis, I should have mentioned that companion animals living in the same environment with a person who is addicted to cigarettes (‘smokaholic’) could very well develop respiratory distress, because [...]
Respiratory problems
Continued Vocal cord paralysis (VCP) Last week I said that vocal cords are situated in the larynx (voice box). The function of these vocal cords can be compromised as the dog gets older and reaches middle age or old age. This seems to occur especially in large breeds of dogs. (If my memory serves me [...]