Dog Symptoms Guide

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Sign Of ill health guide >>

Labour - Difficulty
Dogs are normally pregnant for approximately 63 days. The actual birth usually takes place without any major problems but sometimes bitches can have difficulty giving birth. There are several possible reasons for this.

The first possibility is that of size. The pup or pups can be simply too large to pass through the birth canal of the bitch. The limiting factor on the bitch’s part is the bony pelvis. The chance of large pups is bigger if it involves a small litter. Bitches of the larger breeds have larger litters as a rule. Younger bitches have smaller litters than older ones.

The second possibility is that the bitch is not strong enough to expel the puppies. This is possible as a consequence of a condition called eclampsia. This is when the bitch has a low level of calcium in the blood, giving rise to weakness of the muscles. This can be caused by incorrect feeding or supplementation during pregnancy.

The third possibility is that of pups being in the wrong position to be expelled normally by the bitch. Sometimes a pup can be blocking the birth canal if it is not positioned normally. Also, it is possible for 2 pups, from the two separate uterine horns, being expelled at the same time. This will again lead to a blockage.

The different reasons for difficulty during labour require very different approaches by the vet and therefore it is important to seek veterinary advice when this happens. It has to be said that bitches can sometimes have pauses between pups of as much as 45 minutes, and even go to sleep during these breaks. If a bitch is obviously trying to pass a pup for more than 15 minutes and nothing is happening, ring the vet!

Lameness
Lameness is the lack of a normal gait when walking or running. This can be anything from a hardly recognisable lameness to a three legged walk. The reasons for lameness can be very varied and it would be impossible to discuss all the reasons here. We will therefore mention the main groups of causes for lameness.

One of the reasons for lameness is fractures or broken bones. This is usually quite obvious, especially if it concerns an open fracture, this is when the bone protrudes through the skin. Closed fractures are more common and usually lead to a total lameness and an abnormal angulation of the involved limb. Pain and swelling are normally present. Any bone can be involved in a fracture. The cause of a fracture is often a road traffic accident (RTA). Some fractures are more like cracks and can be difficult to diagnose, other than on x-rays.

Dislocations are another reason for lameness. These are actually quite rare. They lead to an abnormal position of a limb and the leg will usually not be used at all. Again, they are often caused by RTAs.

Arthritis, or degenerative joint disease, is a common reason for lameness. We see this mostly in older dogs, sometimes because of ‘old age’, sometimes as a consequence of another joint disorder, like trauma or a developmental disorder. It can also be infectious arthritis, but this is much rarer. Real rheumatism, like in humans, is very rare in dogs.

Tumours of bone can cause lameness as well. These are commonly found in the long bones of front and back legs, and are usually malignant in dogs. They cause great pain and often quite severe swelling in the area of the tumour.

In all cases, lameness is a sign of discomfort or pain in the leg or joint. It is always advisable to have the dog examined by your vet to find out what the cause is. Often it will be possible to treat the dog’s lameness or pain. Many owners think their dog has not got pain, but this is misleading as dogs do not display the same signs of pain as we would!

Licking - Repeated
Repeated licking can be caused by several conditions. One is itchiness - see under itchiness for the different possible causes. Wounds can also be a reason for a dog to repeatedly lick an area. Other reasons for dogs to lick repeatedly is skin allergy and even boredom.

If dogs lick a certain part of the body incessantly this can cause further deterioration of the condition. It can also lead to secondary problems like for instance pyoderma (a deep skin infection), licking granuloma (a chronic thickening of the skin with hair loss), or hyper pigmentation (blackening of the skin). Some dogs have got into the habit of licking and even if the initial cause for the licking has been resolved they can continue the behaviour.

If your dog licks repeatedly, have him checked by your vet. Often treatment is straightforward and quickly resolves the problem.

Lumps
Many dogs have lumps on their body, especially when they get older. Dogs can have many different types of lumps with different causes. Therefore it is important to know what type of lump we are dealing with, so that it can de dealt with in the correct way. Some lumps may not need treatment at all, whereas other may be life threatening!

One category of lumps is abscessess. These are the consequence of wounds, often after bites, where bacteria in the wound have caused an infection, leading to a build up of dead tissue and bacteria, and fluid - pus. This happens more often when the hole in the skin has sealed quickly and the fluid can not escape. Abscessess are often painful to the touch, hot and soft. Your vet may have to lance the abscess, normally under sedation or anaesthesia, and flush out the cavity. The dog would also be treated with antibiotics.

Haematomas are a build up of blood, or bloody fluid, under the skin. This is not very common on the body of the dog, but often involves the ear flap. They may be treated by drainage through a needle, or they may require an operation to fully empty the cavity.

Tumours, or growths, are the most common category of lumps on the dog. These can be divided in benign and malignant tumours, the latter often being called ‘cancer’. It is nearly always impossible to tell, just by feeling, whether a tumour is benign or malignant! It would require examination of tissue or cells from the growth, in a laboratory, to distinguish between the two types. In most cases it is advisable to have the lump removed and have it examined, so that it can be decided what the prognosis is for the dog. In some cases your vet will want to do blood tests or chest x-rays to get further information about the health of your dog.

Warts are another common type of lump, again especially on older dogs. These can often be recognised by your vet as such. They do not need treatment as long as they are not bothering the dog. Some of them, however, may irritate the dog, or may be knocked off to cause bleeding or infection.

If you think your dog may have a lump, please seek veterinary advice!