The "Fading Puppy" Syndrome

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The "Fading Puppy" Syndrome

One of the most common causes of newborn puppy deaths is what has been named as the "fading puppy syndrome." Many of the unexplained puppy deaths that fall into this category would undoubtedly go elsewhere if only an accurate diagnosis could be made. Unfortunately, many of these poor little pets die so rapidly that no diagnosis can be made.

The fact is that whether or not the fading puppy syndrome is actually a distinct disease is still questionable. Many believe that it is what happens to any puppy that is unprepared, for whatever the reason, to face the stress of living in the world outside of his mother's womb. Whether or not the failure in preparation occurs before or after the pup is born depends on the reason for the puppy's fading,

Successfully saving the fading puppy that can be saved depends on recognizing the condition early enough and implementing proper remedial action. As a dog owner, you have to be very perceptive in order to recognize early enough the signs of a potential syndrome puppy. Below are some of the things to look out for:

1. An absence of the flight reaction: When normal puppies are taken from their mother and released, they will usually make every effort to scurry back to her. On the other hand, the syndrome puppy will not attempt to go anywhere.

2. Abandonment by the mother: A healthy, normal puppy is licked and protected by his mother. The syndrome puppy is left out of the litter and left in the corner to die.

3. "Slow-motion" activity: A healthy, normal pup is always busy and does not move slowly to do anything while a fading puppy makes slow, deliberate movements, almost like in a slow-motion picture.

4. Hypothermia: Most puppies can survive considerable hypothermia, and normal puppies in a litter usually feel warm and have ample supply of energy to keep their bodies from getting cold. The syndrome puppy does not like to eat and feels cold to the touch.

When you have recognized a puppy that is in the early stages of the fading puppy syndrome, you need to take him away from his mother and littermates and handle him just as if he were an orphan. In order for him to survive, you will have to raise him and feed him yourself by means of either bottle or stomach tube.

Obesity In Dogs

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Obesity In Dogs

Obesity is the most common nutritional disease in American dogs today. It is the result of simply eating more calories than are burned. Dogs have a built-in protection against this disease, a control mechanism in their brains that satisfies their hunger after they have eaten enough calories to meet their daily energy needs. However, it is possible to upset this control mechanism. By feeding the dog a food that is highly palatable, he will eat to satisfy his appetite and not his hunger. The only way to remove the excessive fat from a dog's body is by reversing the way it was put on, which is feeding the dog fewer calories than he will burn for energy. When this is done, the dog's body will burn up energy stored in his body to obtain what he needs. Fat is the most efficient source of energy and will be used in the greatest amount whenever energy is needed. A reduction in caloric intake cannot be achieved by just cutting down the quantity of food you feed your dog. Drastic cuts in the quantity of food fed will only lead to deficiencies that pose an even greater threat to the dog than the obesity does which are deficiencies of proteins, vitamins and minerals. It will also make your dog ravenously hungry! Fats and carbohydrates that contain the most calories should be replaced by ingredients that are less digestible and lower in calories.

The diet of an overweight dog should not contain more than 1400 calories per pound of dry matter. This is approximately 1250 to 1300 calories per pound of dry food or 330 to 350 calories per pound of canned food. A more accurate and convenient way of obtaining a reducing diet is to use a dietary animal food specifically designed for that purpose. This food can be obtained from a vet. It contains 330 calories per pound and is balanced to provide the correct amount of other nutrients for the dog when fed at that caloric density. Whatever the food used, the quantity of it that should be fed has to be estimated.

Portion control is the only method of feeding that can be used during a weight reducing program. Treat or supplement should not be given during the reduction program. If a dog is more than 10 pounds overweight, (over his ideal body weight) begin your weight reducing program by feeding him only 2/3 the quantity calculated to maintain his desired weight. The full amount of food should be given once a reduction in weight begins to occur. For dogs that are less than 10 lb overweight, begin with the full amount calculated. In dogs weighing less than 10 pounds, use the two-thirds guide for any dog that is more than 33% of his desired weight overweight. It may require several months or longer before a dog reaches his optimum weight. Do not expect your dog to lose the weight in just a few days. Taking off weight too fast can be dangerous to a fat dog. Once optimum weight has been attained, most dogs will have to be kept on portion control feeding. Dogs that tend to get fat need to have their intake closely regulated to prevent them from gaining back the lost weight.

The “Hurry Diarrhea” Puppy

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The “Hurry Diarrhea” Puppy

Every puppy must, eventually, be taught to depend upon something besides milk for his food. This process is called weaning and constitutes the changing of a pup's diet from liquid to solid. Most dog owners consider weaning to be that instant in time when one takes a pup from his mother. But the fact is that weaning actually takes place both before and after a pup is separated from his mother. During that time his digestive system is learning to digest the foods he will be eating for the rest of his life. Just like all learning experiences, the steps of weaning must be taken slowly or the pup's digestive system will rebel, and "hurry diarrhea" or dysentery will be the result.

An improperly weaned puppy often finds himself with nothing but strange food to eat, strange people pawing over it, and a strange environment surrounding it. As a result of this physical and psychological trauma, he will likely develop anorexia. As the puppy adjusts emotionally to his new environment, anorexia is followed by an enormous hunger. The hunger becomes so great that he will even eat the strange food that he has not learned to digest yet. If he is allowed to eat such a diet, the pup begins to suffer from alternating bouts of diarrhea and constipation.
These constant bouts with diarrhea and constipation lead to poor food absorption and injury to the lining of the intestines. Finally, the degenerative changes progress through the entire wall of the intestines. The intestines become sluggish and may stop their movement altogether. Ultimately, there is a disappearance of the intestinal lining. The intestinal wall may become as thin as tissue paper. The pup then rapidly becomes emaciated and dehydrated. He will eventually die unless proper remedial actions are taken immediately.

The secret to preventing hurry diarrhea is a full understanding of what it is. The "hurry" is used because the dog owner tried to push the puppy too fast with a food his intestinal tract was not yet ready for. Food which might be perfectly suitable for an adult dog was fed too soon to a puppy that has just been weaned.

When you have gotten in too big a hurry and hurry diarrhea occurs, you need to back up and start all over again. Return to the bland, simply digested foods that should be fed to a pup just learning to eat solid food, and then train his intestine to handle each new food in succession. At the same time, you must contend with an irritated, perhaps diseased intestine, which complicates your efforts considerably. There is no fast cure for hurry diarrhea. What your puppy needs is a little slow and easy treatment as well as a patient owner.

Nutritional Diseases In Your Dog

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Nutritional Diseases In Your Dog

Similar to healthy dogs, sick dogs need to eat in order to supply energy and nutrients for growth, for replacement and repair; as well as to meet an ever changing need. Nutritional requirements for a sick dog usually do not differ greatly from those of a healthy dog. A sick dog's dietary needs, however, can become substantially different from those of a healthy dog.

Diseases in which a dog's diet will need to be changed are often due to true nutritional diseases, in which the diet itself is responsible for the disease. Most of the true nutritional diseases are deficiency diseases. What this means is that they are diseases caused by a diet that contains an insufficient amount of one or more needed nutrients. Most of these diseases were the result of inadequate or improperly balanced home-made food. Since cost-effective commercial food became more and more nourishing, most of these deficiency diseases gradually disappeared. Vitamin or mineral deficiencies are rarely seen as a primary disease any more. Both vitamins and minerals are inexpensive and are needed in such small amounts that today, few commercial dog foods fail to contain them in adequate amounts.

Although energy and protein continue to be a problem with some dog foods, the number of brands that still contain insufficient fat or poor quality, indigestible protein become less and less every year. When a deficiency of fat occurs, it most often appears as an insufficient amount of total energy in the diet which results in weight loss, sluggishness, dry and dull hair coat, poor physical condition and, in some extreme cases, emaciation and uncontrolled diarrhea. A deficiency of essential fatty acids may also occur, although it is unlikely. The total amount of the fats most often used in commercial foods can drop to as low as 1% of the diet and that diet will still contain sufficient fatty acids. The only exception to this might be in cases of dry foods where larger quantities of fat have turned rancid.

When a deficiency of fatty acids does occur, it appears as a loss of weight and condition, a dry, dull coat, but more specifically as eroded areas on the skin. These will most likely show on the pads of the feet, between the toes and over the bony protuberances of the body where pressure reduces the blood supply. Although these erosions may superficially resemble "hot spots," they differ from them in four major aspects such as: They do not respond to routine steroid therapy; they appear on both short-haired as well as long-haired dogs; they require an average of three months to heal; and adding fatty acids to the diet promotes their recovery, because a deficiency of fatty acids caused them.

A deficiency of protein in the diet is still sometimes seen. This causes weight loss and dull, dry hair coats. It may also produce anemia, reduce the body’s ability to cope with and recover from infections, and, if left neglected, will eventually lead to the dog’s death.

Worms Resulting From Fad Diets

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Worms Resulting From Fad Diets

Internal parasites are a constant threat to dogs because of their natural habits. Moderate infestations with intestinal worms may go unnoticed unless the dog is eating a deficient diet. When puppies are infested with only moderate amounts of roundworms, fed diets containing inadequate protein, the injury resulting from the worms is far greater than the injury would be in puppies eating an adequate diet. This is because the protein deficiency favors the rapid growth and build-up of the parasites.

Every new parasite further decreases the effective value of what little protein the dog does eat. Feeding the infested dog a diet adequate in protein stops the injuries and weight loss being caused by the worms, but will not reverse these effects until the dog is wormed. On the other hand, dogs that are fed adequate levels of energy and protein show very little adverse effects from even heavy infestations with roundworms, except for being slightly underweight. This is immediately corrected when the dog is wormed.

Dietary considerations should be made from the viewpoint of prevention rather than from the viewpoint of treatment. Dogs that are being fed with diet adequate in protein and energy have far less susceptibility to either roundworms or hookworms, and are much more capable of resisting potential infestations.

Dog Anorexia

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Dog Anorexia

When a dog refuses to eat or eats only a portion of what he needs or what he usually eats every day, this will also produce a deficiency. The term Anorexia is used to describe the condition when a dog refuses to eat. Many dog owners take their dog's eating for granted until the dog actually stops eating. A dog's eating habits are normally controlled by hunger, appetite, and the satisfaction of these two. This control may be abnormally affected by emotions, sensations, or the taste of the food. Another thing that causes a disturbance of the dog's natural eating behavior is mechanical interruption. Broken jaws, a fish hook in the tongue or a rubber ball stuck in the throat are typical examples of mechanical anorexia. A lot of dog owners think that it is normal for all dogs to miss a meal and that a missed meal is not something to be concerned about. However, a healthy dog is always hungry at meal time, just as a healthy person is. Any time a dog refuses to eat, it is a signal to you that something is not right. If the dog refuses two meals in a row, you can be certain that there is something wrong, either with your dog or with his food.

Obviously, a dog gradually losses weight once he stops eating. A 20 lb Beagle will lose 0.4 pound (six and one-half ounces) each day he refuses to eat. This weight loss occurs because the dog is breaking down and using up his own body. Since there are no nutrients coming in, a dog with anorexia must literally burn itself up in order to obtain the energy and nutrients needed for his essential life functions. When extra demands from disease are piled on those suffering from anorexia, the burn-up is even faster. That Beagle cannot afford to lose ฝ lb of his body weight every day for very long!

Included within the weight lost will be fats, carbohydrates and protein. The most important loss to a dog is protein. By the end of only two days of anorexia, that 20 lb Beagle will already have lost about 3% of his total body protein. This becomes increasingly important if one considers that protein is essential not only for normal metabolism but for wound healing, tissue repair and combating infections. Actions to replace the intake of anorectic dogs should be implemented immediately. Unwillingness or failure to overcome the deficiencies of calories and nutrients created by anorexia can mean the difference between recovery and death during an illness.

The same diet the dog was eating before anorexia is suitable, as long as the cause of the anorexia does not make it unsuitable. Because dogs become inactive with anorexia, their calorie need is somewhat less than for most dogs. If they have a fever, however, this rapidly increases their caloric requirements.

Dogs with anorexia must be force-fed either by spoon feeding or by intragastric intubation. This type of diet should be fed only long enough to get a dog back to eating satisfactorily on his own and should never become a substitute for actually determining the cause of the anorexia or for overcoming that cause.

Protein Deficiency In Dogs

Protein Deficiency In Dogs

There are three common causes of protein deficiency in a dog's diet: Insufficient total protein in the diet; imbalanced and poor-quality dietary protein; and bulky, low-energy diets.

1. Insufficient total protein in the diet. This cause is frequently seen in kennels of hunting dogs where their owners attempt to cut down. Such items, considered as lacking in protein, are cornbread, biscuits, oatmeal, boiled potatoes and cheap, dry dog foods composed mostly of cereal, may make up as much as 90 percent of these dogs' diet.

2. Imbalanced, poor-quality dietary protein. Imbalanced food containing inexpensive proteins of low biological value are frequently found among the 10-cent-a-can dog foods. The protein in such foods is usually gelatin, collagen, or those found in cereal wastes. A typical product is an example made from rejected pinto beans from a canning plant for humans' food.

3. Bulky, low-energy diets which cause the marginal amounts of protein present to be converted to energy. Foods, either canned or dry, containing too little fat or too much cereal wastes, tendons and similar indigestible materials are usually the cause of this type of protein deficiency.