Library
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Chocolate contains an alkaloid called Theobromine. This drug is used as a diuretic, heart stimulant, vasodilator, and also smooth muscle relaxant but it can be poisonous in excess and some dogs appear to be particularly sensitive.
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Diabetes mellitus, (DM), is a complex disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism caused by the body's inability to produce or to utilise adequate amounts of insulin produced by specialised cells in the pancreas.
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Diarrhoea is a sign of a bowel problem. This can vary from simple dietary indiscretion, e.g. eating a rotting bone found in the garden to potentially fatal illnesses such as cancer.
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This describes a condition in which puppies are apparently normal at birth but fail to grow and die up to fourteen days later.
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GDV is a very much more descriptive term than the old fashioned name, bloat, which is still often used for the condition in farm animals. It means the dog's stomach is distended with gas and may in addition have twisted upon itself thus effectively trapping the gas in the stomach.
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Glaucoma is an increase in IOP i.e a raised pressure within the eye. The cause of glaucoma is always related to inadequate drainage of aqueous humor rather than its over production.
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Heart failure is the inability of the heart to maintain a circulation sufficient to meet the body's needs. Heart failure most usually describes a failure of the heart muscle (myocardial failure).
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The most common cause of heatstroke or hyperthermia is the confinement of a dog in a car with inadequate ventilation. In such circumstances the condition can occur with frightening rapidity.
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This term indicates there is a decrease in the number of circulating blood platelets thus impairing blood clotting.
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The lens is the transparent structure within the eye which assists focusing. In some dogs, particularly the terrier breeds, the ligaments can break down allowing the lens to dislocate from its normal position.
