Being watchful of the health of your dachshund dog may increase its life expectancy. Placing your dog under regular check helps it to build a strong immune system that will formidable against disease, aids quick recovery when injured, and healthy living. You are the first person your dachshund dog can trust when they fall sick. Therefore, you must understand the health challenges they face, symptoms of each issue, and how you can solve these problems.
In this article, we will be highlighting the health problems of dachshund dogs and how you can identify them (symptoms) and probable solutions.
Dachshund is one of the few dogs with this ailment, given their earflap. This infection develops on dachshund as a result of the occurrence of dog ear's changes. Bacteria or yeast are the micro-organism agent that cause ear infections in dogs in the form of mites and ticks infestation. Every dog owner should not take this infection with levity hands as it may worsen and make the dog feel uncomfortable if left untreated for long.
Symptoms:
One of the ways to detect ear infection in your dachshund dogs is ear pawing, where the dog keeps scratching the ear continuously. The implication of that is red and inflamed ear accompanied bya lot of pains. Also, frequent shaking of the head is a good sign to know that your dog might have contracted an ear infection. Other symptoms are unpleasant odor from the ear, yellow substances in the ear, and a glob of dried blood behind the fur of the dog, usually not visible.
Treatment
If you don't have experience taking care of dogs, the first thing you should consider is seeing a vet doctor. Making use of ear cleaning solution works perfectly for treatment and prevention of ear infections. Endeavor to adhere to the user manual in the ear solution package for its administration. However, if the issue is chronic for your dog, allow the vet doctor to administer the solution for effective care.
Always be conversant with your dachshund's behavior because that is an ideal way to know if anything is wrong.
The probability of being obese is higher in dachshund than other dog species. In most cases, obesity generates other health problems for dogs, such as back disorder, given the excessive pressure puts on the spine as a result of additional weight. Obesity is a function of overfeeding without giving the dog enough exercise to keep it fit. Different health issues may arise as dachshund adds more weight because their legs are weak to bear a heavy burden.
Symptoms:
A common symptom in obese dachshund is the disappearance of rib and spines. You find it difficult to feel the lines when you touch their body. Obese dachshund lags when taking on a walk with excessive panting after covering little distance. Weakness and loss of interest in playing games. Most times, they are lazy to move their body, expecting you to help them stand up and climbing.
Treatment:
Feeding habit is the first factor you must consider if you want your dachshund to regain its strength. Always feed your dog with healthy but excessive food as well as taking it for regular exercises such as longer walks, gaming, and canine activities.
Dachshund eyes can be charming and heart-melting, but many eye disorders pose a threat to the sight of this beautiful creature. They tend to suffer these eye problems than their canine counterpart. Many dachshunds have lost their sights to one eye disorder or the other, while some experience severe pains. Eye problems in dachshunds require the utmost attention if you don't want them to become blind.These eyes' disorderliness is cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eyes.
Symptoms:
Dachshunds start acting abnormally by ignoring food when they are in discomfort. They prefer to self-isolate because everything might seem to be boring when they are in pain. They discharge mucus from their eyes, which brings about regular scratching, especially in dachshunds with dry eyes. Cataracts change the eyes of dachshunds to look milky, as well as the presence of a thin cloudy lining that forms lens in the dog eyes.
Treatments:
Surgery is recommended for eye disorders such as cataracts and glaucoma in aged dachshunds. Cataracts have a higher tendency of causing blindness in dogs, hence seeing a vet doctor in time would save the puppy-looking eyes of this animal. Implants are advisable for glaucoma; however, it should be known that glaucoma cannot be cured completely. Ointments work better for dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) problems, by applying it to the eye every day.
Flu is not common to humans alone; dogs are also victims of flu. Canine or Dog flu is a virus that can make your dachshund a regular customer at the vet office, if not properly taken care of when sick. It is not as fatal as the eye disorder mentioned above, which causes blindness, but can be persistent for longer periods. This infectious respiratory disease can quickly change and give rise to new strains that can infect different species.
Symptoms:
This virus causes your pet to cough and bark uncontrollably for long. Your dachshund may experience fever that renders it weak. Nasal discharge, runny eyes, and difficulty breathing are some of the signs your pet might have contracted flu.
Treatments:
The service of a vet doctor is highly recommended for canine flu. Just like glaucoma eye disorder, there is no cure for canine flu. Still, the expertise of a veterinarian can be useful to keep your dog comfortable whenever you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above. Keeping your dog away from public places may prevent it from contracting flu because the virus is highly contagious. A patient can transmit it to another without knowing.
The same way we take care of ourselves should apply to our pets. The moment we notice our health is deteriorating, we seek the service of health consultants, so that they can administer the best care for us. Be ready to take your dachshund to a veterinarian office for proper care. Failure to do the needful may cost the dog healthy living, which may eventually lead to loss of life. Keeping your dog away from other dogs is ideal for their health. It will reduce the risk of infection from the public.
Having adequate knowledge about dachshund's health: problems, symptoms, and treatments is very important for every dog owner. It helps to know the first step to take when symptoms start showing. Dogs cannot communicate like humans, so you must be ready to take responsibility for their well-being.
References
• https://www.cesarsway.com/ear-infections-in-dogs-symptoms-causes-and-treatments/
• https://www.petcarerx.com/article/dachshund-information-health/366
• https://www.sausagedogworld.com/dachshunds-eye-problems/
• https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/the-dog-flu-symptoms-you-need-to-know/
