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September 1st, 2009
Breeds with deep chests and narrow waists such as the Bulldog are susceptible to a syndrome of gastric torsion and bloat, where the stomach fills up with air (dilatation) and rotates on its supporting ligaments (volvulus or torsion), sealing off the blood supply. Once the blood supply is cut off the dog’s conditon begins to deteriorate very rapidly, resulting in a painful death within a very few hours. Read more about bloat or gastric dilatation-volvulus.
While the exact combination of events that contribute to gastric dilatation-volvulus are unprecise, the use of elevated feeders seem to reduce the swallowing of air during meals, thus diminishing the building-up of air in the stomach. Other recommendations to avoid bloat include: feeding 2 to 3 smaller meals a day instead of one heavy meal and avoiding exercise one hour before and two hours after meals. More about the causes and signs of bloat and how to treat and prevent gastric-dilatation-volvulus.
Some of these recommendations are also efficient in reducing flatulence (intestinal gas), although both conditions do not seem to be related.
http://www.bullcanes.net
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Posted in Bulldog Health | Comments Off
January 13th, 2009
3D model of a Giardia Protozoan
Years ago, I bought an adorable little pied bitch. She arrived safe and sound, but she brought some extra friends with her - Giardia protozoans.
The Giardia parasite is a mysterious, annoying, tenacious little bug. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can effect both pets, and humans. Children are especially at risk of contracting Giardia (likely due to their habit of putting everything they find on the ground into their mouths). Giardia causes diarrhea, and can also cause malabsorption of vitamins and nutrients. Giardia is difficult and expensive to diagnose definitively, and until recently required a very fresh stool sample and an inventive series of testing methods, including:
- Being sure to examine a direct smear of the fecal sample (in hope of finding swimming trophs).
- Floating the sample in zinc sulfate, a solution that has been found superior in getting Giardia cysts to float.
- Staining the sample with some sort of iodine under the microscope to make the Giardia show up easier.
There is now a simple ELISA test available to simplify diagnosis, but since the giardia organism only sheds intermittently, several tests over an extended period of time can sometimes be required to obtain a definitive finding of Giardia.
Treatment of Giardia was even more complicated than diagnosing it. Until recently, the most commonly prescribed treatment was Metronidazole (trade name Flagyl®). Metronidazole was required in high doses, for an extended period of time, and was still only effective in just over 60% of all cases. Additionally, Metronidazole has some side effects in high doses, including nausea, neurological symptoms including head tilting and staggering, rapid eye movements known as “ nystagmus“, and seizures (particularly in cats). Metronidazole also cannot be used on pregnant animals, as it has been linked to birth defects. Like most breeders, I routinely worm my puppies, using the standard protocol of worming them every 2 weeks, starting at 3 weeks old. I now use a broad spectrum wormer which treats Giardia in addition to intestinal worms.
The brand we us is called Safeguard, and you can get it from almost any farm supply place in the USA. I get it from my veterinarian, since she makes it up into a suspension for me.
The literature for it says it treats:
Safe-Guard Canine Dewormer will treat Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, and Tapeworms.
But the active ingredient, Fenbendazole, is approved in Europe for treatment of Giardia.
From the this site:
Fenbendazole (50 mg/kg SID for 3 to 5 days) is effective in eliminating Giardia infection in dogs. Fenbendazole is approved for Giardia treatment in dogs in Europe, and available experimental evidence suggests that it is more effective than metronidazole in treating Giardia in dogs.
From the sounds of it, fendendazole is not only available at lower cost, and over the counter, but it is considered safer and more effective in giardia treatment and precention:
Metronidazole is the most commonly used extra-label therapy; however, efficacies as low as 50% to 60% are reported. Safety concerns also limit the use of metronidazole in dogs and cats.
More on fenbendazole based anti parasitics here: http://www.veterina rypartner. com/Content. plx?P=A&A=1596
More on fenbendazole and giardiasis on the Veterinary Information Network: http://www.vin. com/VINDBPub/ SearchPB/ Proceedings/ PR05000/PR00425. htm
Excerpt:
Fenbendazole (Panacur), well known for its effectiveness against a variety of intestinal parasites, also appears to be very effective against Giardia. In a controlled trial at Cornell 6/6 dogs were effectively treated. The same dose that is used to treat roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and the tapeworm Taenia pisiformis (22 mg/lb orally once daily for 3 consecutive days) is used to treat Giardia. If the infection is not cleared on this regimen, a longer course of therapy is used (5 to 7 days). Fenbendazole has a proven track record for being very safe and is thought to not have any teratogenic effects. Fenbendazole is therefore the drug of choice for treatment of Giardia in pregnant animals.
Tags: bullcanes, bulldog, bullies, cachorros, english bulldog, french bulldog, frenchies, giardia, perros, pet suplies, pets, puppies, puppies for sale, puppy, tratment
Posted in Bulldog Health | Comments Off
October 28th, 2008
 English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog  English Bulldog
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August 4th, 2008
It’s a 100 degrees outside and the sun is beating down with high heat indexes, high humidity, and the severe heat can cause some major problems for English Bulldogs that you should be aware of. We will discuss some tips and suggestions to help you get through the summer heat with your English Bulldog.
Unlike many other breeds, English Bulldogs do not take well to extreme temperatures. The breed has some breathing issues and for this reasons extreme hot temperatures can cause serious injury and even death. During the summer heat, please pay special attention to leaving your canine outdoors or exposing them to these extreme conditions. Never leave your English Bulldog in a vehicle during the summer as the tempatures inside the car will be enough to cause death and serious injury to your dog.
Exercise is always important, but during these hot summer days, but relax a little and do not take long walks without plenty of stops, water, and a shady tree to relax. Here are some tips to keep your English Bulldog safe during the summer heat.
- Run your air conditioning when your not at home, often times if you are gone you may turn it off, but a cool temperature inside will provide your English Bulldog a comfortable surrounding.
- Provide a shaded area outside for your English Bulldog. If you do not have trees, purchase an umbrella or something that will provide a shady area. Don’t leave them outside too long though as they will need the comfort of your air conditioned home to remain healthy.
- Provide lot’s of water, I would recommend three water dishes. One inside for day to day use, one outside that has a fresh supply of water, and one you can take with you in the car or during walks.
Finally don’t force your English Bulldog into exercise. Generally speaking you can tell when they are tired or unwilling, this is a good indication they may need to relax or the heat is getting to them. Heat stroke in Bulldogs during the summertime can be detected by heavy panting, lots of drooling, twitching muscles, vomiting, and a daxed look. To cool your English Bulldog down, give it a cold bath, allow plenty of fluids, and call your local vet!
Posted in Bulldog Health | Comments Off
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