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Although paralysis in dogs may occur in the jaws, forelegs, or in groups of muscles in other parts of the body, the most common manifestations are in the hind legs. Paralysis of the hind legs is known as posterior paralysis. The attack may be rather mild, in which case it is often transitory in nature and is readily amenable to routine treatment. Conversely, the attack may be rather severe, in which case it may be entirely resistant to the entire gamut of medical alternatives. Posterior paralysis is ordinarily caused by pressure, injury, or degeneration of the nerves or the part of the spinal cord that are associated with the proper functioning of the hind limbs. Thus the condition may come about as a result of a back injury, a spinal growth, or an intestinal obstruction. Also it may result from obscure nervous diseases, senility, a heavy tick infestation, or from certain infectious diseases such as distemper.
During times of stress, a dog raises its hackles--the hair along the neck and spine. Special sensory hairs called whiskers are near the nose, but their usefulness is doubtful because a dog rarely relies on the sense of touch.
Although total elimination of adult heartworms may not be possible, dogs have shown clinical improvement following adulticide therapy. A common follow-up to the therapy is heartworm antigen testing: the antigen will not be detected four months after adulticide treatment if all or a very small number of the parasites survived.
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Internal injuries are much more subtle and usually more dangerous than the abovementioned conditions. They are strictly a problem for the veterinarian. The owner can rest assured that whenever any significant injury occurs in his pet, the veterinarian always takes into account the possibility of internal injury.
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The thoroughness of this final rinsing cannot be overemphasized. If even a small quantity of soap is left on the animal, a severe irritation of the skin may ensue. In fact, improper rinsing of dogs during bathing, veterinarians have found, is one of the commonest causes of eczemas. In rinsing an animal, not only should the shower spray be depended upon, but the bather should dig into the dog’s hair with his fingertips to assist the action of the spray.
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What an owner should be on the look out for in watching for signs of distemper such as squinting and/or a discharge from the eyes. If this occurs in tandem to loss of weight, vomiting, coughing, nasal drips, and diarrhea, there is more cause for concern.
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