Disease

• Services


  • NZ Police
  • NZ Guide dogs for the Blind
  • NZ Military
  • USAR dogs
  • Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust

  
• 55% of diseases were for non-traumatic diseases, 45% were for traumatic diseases
• Gastric Dilation & Volvulus (GDV)


  • Dilation & rotation (torsion) of stomach
  • Compression of blood vessels and organs
  • Damage to the stomach – ischaemia and toxin absorption
  • Death
• Risk factors for developing GDV

  • Large breed dogs – usually deep chested
  • Great Danes
  • German Shepherd Dogs
  • Large mixed-breed dogs
  • Standard Poodles
  • Males
  • Underweight
  • Eating one meal a day
  • Eating rapidly
  • Fearful temperament
• 50% of GDV occurred in Winter, with large hourly drops in Temperature
• GDV treatment


  1. Stabilise the patient

  2. Decompress the stomach

  3. Surgically de-rotate

  4. Remove any dead stomach

  5. Fix stomach to abdominal wall
• GDV is a surgical emergency, with < 5 hours from onset of clinical signs to surgery being better prognosis
• Huntaway Case Series n=62


  35% died, 65% returned to work
• Key findings & risk factors for GDV in Huntaways

  • Breed – Huntaway
  • Age – 4-7 years
  • Season – summer
• Constipation


  Causes: Diet, Indigestible material (bone, fur), Dehydration and inactivity, Obstruction – prostate, mass, stricture, Tail injuries in Huntaways??
• Mismating


  • Various treatments available, some with side effects or risks
  • Prevention: Neutering, Management
• Mammary neoplasia


  • 50% tumours in bitch are malignant
  • Treatment – surgery, some need chemotherapy
• Neutering may not significantly reduce risk of mammary neoplasia, but improves survival if speyed early
• Vaginal hyperplasia


  • Hormonal related oedema and swelling
  • Mucosa can become damaged, infected or necrotic
• Vaginal prolapse


  • Usually occurs following birth
  • Entire circumference of the vaginal wall protrudes through the vulva
  • Manually reposition
  • Surgical resection if severely traumatised or necrotic
  • Spey is a permanent solution
• Pyometra


  • Accumulation of pus in the uterus
  • 1-3 months after oestrus
  • Bacterial colonisation and overgrowth in uterus
• Pyometra treatment


  Surgery - remove pus-filled uterus
• Prostatic disease


  • Primarily seen in old, intact males
  • Types: Benign prostatic hypertrophy, Prostatitis, Prostatic cysts, Abcesses, Neoplasia, Benign prostatic hemorrhage
• Reasons why farmers may not neuter their working dogs

  • May want to breed later
  • Concerns about performance
  • Cost
• Problems amenable to neutering in working farm dogs include: Aggression, Mismating, Pyometra, Mammary tumours (prognosis), Prostatic hyperplasia