Dogs too are susceptible to foreign body obstruction. A dog may chew up and swallow parts of toys or tennis balls which may then require surgery to remove. Diseases that cause vomiting in dogs are numerous, including pancreatitis, parvovirus, inner-ear infections, liver disease, and kidney failure. Persistent vomiting should always be considered a symptom of disease.

Vomiting causes rapid water and electrolyte loss, and it upsets the acid-base balance in the body by expelling large amounts of hydrochloric acid produced in the stomach. Repeated vomiting is very traumatic to the stomach and esophagus and can lead to gastric ulceration and bleeding. If possible, take the vomitus – the material vomited – to the vet with your pet. The contents of the vomitus can give the doctor a clue as to the cause.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed on a vomiting pet include a complete blood count, blood chemistry profile, and electrolytes. An abdominal x-ray or ultrasound can reveal gastric and intestinal obstructions and tumors. Inflammatory bowel and pancreatic specific enzymes may be measured as well.

Treatment for vomiting is first of all symptomatic, but the underlying cause must be addressed and treated to prevent further episodes. A simple diet change may be in order in the case of food allergy, or the vomiting may be a sign of serious organ dysfunction.

Inhalant allergy (atopy) is the second most common cause of skin itchiness in dogs. It can be difficult to eliminate, because the allergens are in the air we breathe. Atopy is a complicating and/or primary factor in many skin disorders. It responds to antihistamines and corticosteroids. Allergy testing and desensitization serum injections are recommended to reduce the need for oral medications which may have side effects.

Sarcoptic mange (scabies) is a microscopic mite that burrows under the skin causing severe itchiness. It can be hard to detect on skin samples under the microscope; however, it makes its presence well known. Often, it is treated as a rule out cause for itching before pursuing other diagnostics. Dips and extra-label use of injectable de-wormers are used to kill scabies mites.

Ringworm isn’t a worm at all. It is a fungal infection of the skin. It causes the hairs to break off and leaves a scaly red patch on the skin that may itch. Mild cases may respond to topical anti-fungal ointments; whereas, generalized infection requires the use of oral antifungal drugs concurrently with medicated shampoos or dips.

Yeast (Malassezia) infections of the skin are notoriously itchy. They also exude an offensive musty odor from the skin. Hyperpigmented and thickened skin (elephant skin) is a common appearance for dogs with Malassezia infections. They require the use of anti-fungal drugs and shampoos, and are almost always secondary to an underlying hormone disorder or primary allergic dermatitis.
Diseases that cause the skin to be especially susceptible to pruritus are Hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease. These hormone-related illnesses cause the skin to be prone to bacterial and yeast infections. Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroxine or T4. T4 is important in cellular function in all parts of the body. In Cushing’s disease, the adrenal gland over-produces cortisol (cortisone). This causes the skin’s immune defenses to stop responding to intruders like bacteria, mites, and yeast.

Food allergies are another potential cause for pruritus. The itching usually occurs primarily around the eyes, chin, and ears. The dog may also lick its feet. Recurrent ear infections are common in dogs with untreated food allergies. Hypoallergenic feeding trials are the method of diagnosing as well as treating allergies to certain food ingredients.

An Elizabethan collar can be used to prevent self trauma and the consequences thereof, but the underlying cause must be addressed to provide the dog relief from the urge to scratch.

It is always important to have skin problems checked out by the veterinarian sooner than later. While the primary cause of itching may be relatively straight forward to diagnose and treat, deep-seated secondary infection can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to resolve.

Personality:

• Intelligent, people-oriented, and eager to please.
• Playful into adulthood.

History:

Occurred as a spontaneous mutation in Southern California in 1981 when an adopted stray cat named Shulamith gave birth to a litter of kittens in which two of the four had ears that curled away from their faces.  Shulamith produced the first shorthaired kittens in her third litter, and at that time they were considered undesirable.  As requests for shorthaired kittens became numerous, a breeding program to develop a shorthaired version of the breed was developed.  Accepted for registration in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1986 and accepted for championship status by CFA in 1993.

Body Type:

• A medium-sized, well-balanced cat with a semi-foreign body and intermediate boning.
• Head is a medium-sized, modified wedge with moderately-large ears that curve back in a smooth arc.
• Eyes are moderately large and can be of any color.

Coat:

• Coat is short, lies flat, and has a minimal undercoat.
• Any and all colors and patterns, including pointed.

Health and Wellness:

• Ear infections.

What you should know:

• Kittens are born with straight ears that curl between hours after birth and seven days of age.  Not every kitten born will develop curled ears.  At six to 16 weeks the kitten’s ears enter a period of transition where the degree of curl fluctuates.
• Because the cartilage in the ears is hard, handling them roughly can cause damage.
• Kitten buyers should be aware that the ears of kittens purchased younger than four months of age may change in regard to degree of curl.  By four months of age, the ears stabilize.
• Because the ears are not pliable, Curls cannot manipulate their ears around to clean them.  Therefore, ears must be cleaned on a regular basis with cotton swabs.

Personality:

• Quiet, intelligent, and eager to please.
• Playful into adulthood.

History:

Occurred as a spontaneous mutation in Southern California in 1981 when an adopted stray named Shulamith gave birth to a litter of kittens in which two of the four had ears that curled away from their faces.  Selective breeding and showing began in 1983 with allowable outcrosses only allowed to non-pedigreed cats.  Accepted for registration in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1986 and accepted for championship status by CFA in 1993.

Body Type:

• A medium-sized, well-balanced cat with a semi-foreign body and intermediate boning.
• Head is a medium-sized, modified wedge with moderately large ears that curve back in a smooth arc.
• Eyes are moderately large and can be of any color.

Coat:

• Coat is semi-long and silky with a minimum of undercoat.
• Tail is plumed.
• Any and all colors and patterns, including pointed.

Health and Wellness:

• This breed has not been in existence long enough to report evidence of genetic defects.
• Since Curls are allowed to outcross to non-pedigreed cats, the opportunity for problems caused by breeding within limited gene pools is reduced.
• Ear infections.

What you should know:

• Kittens are born with straight ears that curl between hours after birth and seven days of age.  Not every kitten born will develop curled ears.  At six to 16 weeks the kitten’s ears enter a period of transition where the degree of curl fluctuates.
• Because the cartilage in the ears is hard, handling them roughly can cause damage.
• Kitten buyers should be aware that the ears of kittens purchased younger than four months of age may change in regard to degree of curl.  By four months of age, the ears stabilize.
• Because the ears are not pliable, Curls cannot manipulate their ears around to clean them.  Therefore, ears must be cleaned on a regular basis with cotton swabs.

Surgical repair is usually recommended for aural hematomas. Aspirating the blood with a needle and syringe can deflate the pinna, but this treatment is seldom effective. The hematoma will probably recur, and infection can occur if the hematoma is contaminated. Left untreated, the blood will reabsorb and form scar tissue, causing the ear pinna to shrink and deform. This is sometimes called a cauliflower effect, and can occlude the ear canal leading to increased risk of ear infections.

The window of opportunity to surgically repair an aural hematoma is typically within a week of its occurrence. The pet is administered a general anesthetic after pre-surgical blood work confirms that there are no contraindications precluding surgery. If an ear infection exists, the ear canal may be swabbed to send samples to a reference laboratory for culture and susceptibility testing. This can greatly expedite a successful resolution of the infection. Also, the ear canal may be flushed with antiseptic during anesthesia to facilitate a thorough cleaning before beginning topical treatments at home.

The ear pinna is shaved and prepped before an incision is made through one layer of skin over the length of the hematoma. The blood is drained, and the blood clots that would otherwise form scar tissue are removed. There are variations in technique at this point, but all achieve the same purpose. The Variation would be to tack the two sides of the ear pinna together leaving an opening to drain any residual bleeding that may occur. This will cause the two sides of the ear to scar together so that there will be no “pocket” to fill up with blood in the future. Some veterinarians will suture a piece of plastic to the back of the ear to help hold the pinna straight while healing. Local anesthetic may be infused into the pinna to help with pain control.

An Elizabethan collar is worn during healing to prevent the pet from scratching at the sutures, and sutures are removed after 14 to 21 days. Healing times are generally longer than spay or neuter surgery to ensure that the hematoma does not recur. Oral antibiotics and pain medications are sent home after surgery. Antibacterial / antifungal ear ointments are dispensed in the case of an ear infection.

Other names/Nicknames:

• Ruby Spaniel
• King Charles Spaniel
• Blenheim Spaniel
• Prince Charles Spaniel

Country/Date of origin:

• England
• 1600’s

Height:

• 10 to 11 inches at shoulder

Weight:

• 8 to 14 pounds

Personality:

• Despite its scowling visage, this is a merry-hearted dog.
• Likes its comfort.
• Gets along well with other pets.
• Attentive but not demanding.
• It is a clingy kind of dog that doesn’t want to leave your side.
• Not outgoing with strangers.

History:

The early history of these little lap dogs is not clearly defined.  It is thought they originated in China and arrived in England via Europe.  For hundreds of years, they have been the pampered darlings of English royalty.  They have a lingering hunting instinct, which probably indicates that they were crossbred with small Cocker or Springer Spaniels over the years.  It is not known, however, if they were ever used for hunting purposes.  There are four varieties that are identical except for coloring.  One of the foundation breeds of the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Body Type:

• A miniature spaniel in appearance, with a short tail and pushed in face.
• Hanging ears are so long they touch or almost touch the ground.  They are not altered.
• Docked tail is cut to about 1-1/2 inches and is covered with hair that is 3 or 4 inches in length.
• The tail is not carried above the level of the back.
• Docking is optional, and dogs with long tails are often seen.
• The very short face has a wide, turned-up muzzle.
• The head is domed and is one of the most important points of the breed.
• Protruding tongue is a serious fault.

Coat:

• The coat is moderately long, very thick, and wavy but not curly.
• The ears and feet are especially heavily coated.
• In the Black-and-Tan, the hair on the ears is longer than that of the other varieties.
• There are four allowed color patterns:  Ruby—a solid ruby red; Black and Tan ( King Charles)—a black body with tan points; Blenheim—a white ground coat with patches of red chestnut (a blaze of white, extending up the forehead and ending in a loop with a red dot in the center, is required for this color); and Tricolor (Prince Charles)—which is a white ground dog with black patches and tan spots over the eyes, on the muzzle, chest, and legs. The ears and vent should also be lined with tan.
• Moderate grooming.

Health and Wellness:

• Large, prominent eyes are subject to injury and infection.
• Pushed in face may cause breathing problems.
• Dislocation of joints.
• Ear infections cause by lack of air circulating around the heavily coated, hanging, leathers.
• Large head causes whelping difficulties.

What you should know:

• Low exercise requirements make this an ideal dog for older people.
• Hard to train to do traditional obedience exercises, but good manners seem to be inbred in the Toy Spaniel.
• Mary, Queen of Scots, went to the scaffold with one of these little dogs that refused to leave her side.

Ear mites appear as tiny white specks to the naked eye. An otoscope magnifies them to the point that they can be seen moving. Under the microscope, they are spider-like mites with eight legs. The adult males mate continually with deutonymphs, immature mites with no set gender. The deutonymph then molts into a male or female adult. The females will be egg-laden, and the males will seek mates. Eggs hatch in four days, and a six-legged larva emerges which molts into a protonymph and later a deutonymph. The entire bizarre life cycle lasts about three weeks. Adult ear mites live approximately two months on the host animal, and up to twelve weeks in the environment. Fleas may be able to carry eggs and mites from one animal to another, making direct contact unnecessary to transmit ear mites.

There are several treatment options for ear mites. Topical insecticide otic preparations that contain pyrethrin easily kill the mites and larvae but not the eggs. These products must be used for at least the three week life cycle to ensure that all hatching larvae are killed. Some veterinarians prefer a thirty day treatment.

Another treatment for ear mites is a one time treatment with a topical product containing ivermectin or milbemycin. Only about five percent of pets will require retreatment, and the products are very safe. Convenience is weighed against cost with these products when multiple animals in the household must be treated.

An injection of ivermectin can be given weekly for two to four weeks to kill ear mites. This is an extra-label use of the drug, meaning it is not specifically approved by the FDA for this use. It is a very effective treatment; however, certain breeds of dogs may be sensitive to ivermectin. Because it is injected, higher blood levels of the drug are achieved and reactions, while rare, may occur.
There are several “spot-on” topical monthly flea and tick preventives that are labeled for ear mite treatment available today as well. It is imperative that the product label says “safe for use on cats” if it is to be applied to a cat with ear mites.

Ear infections are common in dogs and cats. Opportunistic bacteria and yeast can quickly invade an ear canal that becomes inflamed by allergies, excess moisture, and changes in pH. Swimming and bathing are often triggers that encourage growth of microorganisms in the ear canal. Symptoms of an ear infection include odor and discharge from the ear canal, scratching below the ear flaps, rubbing the face and head on the ground or carpet, and shaking or flapping the ears. Ear infections may become chronic and very difficult to heal if not treated effectively.

When your veterinarian suspects an ear infection, he or she may take swabs to make cytology slides for inspection under a microscope. The doctor may send samples to a laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing. These tests will help to determine what kind of organisms have invaded the ear and which medication is indicated to fight the infection.

When the veterinarian prescribes a topical treatment such as an ointment or an ear wash solution, it is very important to administer the medications properly in order to facilitate healing.

The dog and cat ear has a very similar anatomy to a human ear with a few differences. The ear flap, or pinna, is the external part of the ear and is covered by hair. The hair can trap dirt and moisture that can be the source of bacteria and yeast. An opening at the base of the inside of the pinna leads to the middle ear canal. This canal runs vertically down the side of the head and turns ninety degrees toward the brain. The tympanic membrane (ear drum) is found at the end of the middle ear canal, and behind it is the inner ear. Infection can invade one or more of these three parts of the ear.

Treatment with an ear wash solution starts by lifting the ear pinna vertically so that the canal opening is visible. Flood the ear canal completely with the wash taking care to avoid getting any solution in your pet’s eyes. You may need to have a helper gently restrain the pet’s head. Using your free hand, grasp around the vertical canal on the side of the pet’s head. It will feel like a tube under the skin. Gently collapse the canal between your thumb and fingers. Use a downward milking action to work the ear wash into the horizontal ear canal. Repeat this action for at least one minute. Then reverse the direction to work the solution out of the ear and into a cotton ball or a wash cloth. If the ear is painful, you may have to start slow and increase your effort over a couple of days. The medication will reduce the inflammation and pain over time. Allow the pet to shake any excess solution out of the ear – you will want to do this outside or in a bathtub.

Administering an ear ointment is much the same, except your veterinarian will tell you a specific amount to apply into the ear canal or onto the ear pinna itself. It is very important to massage the ointment into the horizontal canal in order to treat the infection.

Treatment will usually last 10 days to 2 weeks, and you should always follow up with the doctor to see if the infection is completely gone. More chronic ear infections will require longer treatment times.

The treatment of allergies can be achieved by using three methods; removal of the allergen source, suppression of the itch with antihistamines, or corticosteroid administration and gradual desensitization of the immune system to the specific allergens affecting the pet. The removal of the offending substance is appropriate if the allergen source is a food item, flea saliva or something that is easy to remove from the environment. Elimination of certain diets and food trials are often implemented if food allergies are suspected. If flea bites are the problem, it will be necessary to eliminate fleas on the cat. Your veterinarian will suggest the appropriate flea treatment for your cat. Many allergens, however, are difficult or impossible to remove, such as pollen in the air or dust in the home.

The use of antihistamines or corticosteroids is the second method. Antihistamines act by reducing the release of histamine by the mast cells and are often very effective in controlling allergy symptoms. Corticosteroids act in many ways to suppress the allergic reaction before and after the allergy develops. Steroids are very effective, but must be used with caution. If used excessively, adverse effects can be seen. Because of the often-extensive self-trauma associated with allergic conditions, antibiotics are often administered to control the secondary infections that are frequently present.

The final treatment option is the process of desensitizing the patient over time. This densensitization process begins by identifying the allergens that the cat is sensitive to through specialized intradermal tests or blood evaluation. Once the allergens are identified, specialized mixtures of these substances are combined into an injectable form that is given at regular intervals. With time, the cats immune system response to these allergens diminishes and many cat owners note measurable improvement in their pets.

When ingestion or food allergies are suspected, a food trial lasting 6-12 weeks may be done. This involves changing the diet in an effort to eliminate possible allergens that may be present in the current diet. Complete compliance to the trial diet is needed for the trial to be of any value. Your veterinarian will likely be assessing your cats allergy symptoms and will form a therapeutic plan that suits your cats needs. A combination of the different therapies discussed is often needed. The management of highly allergic pets can be a very challenging undertaking, but the results obtained dramatically improve the quality of life for both you and your cat.

Allergies are a major cause of skin disease, discomfort and distress in dogs. Puritis, or intense itching, is the most characteristic sign of allergies. This itching is caused by the release of histamines from mast cells located throughout the body. Hair loss, redness and skin infections may result secondary to the allergy. Over time, the hair coat may become stained from excessive licking and the skin may become dark and thickened. Ear infections may also result from allergic conditions. The two most common types of allergic conditions exhibited by dogs are those of inhalant allergies and food allergies.

The treatment of allergies can be achieved by using three methods. Removal of the allergen source, suppression of the itch with antihistamines or corticosteroid administration and gradual desensitization of the immune system to the specific allergens affecting the pet. The removal of the offending substance is appropriate if the allergen source is a food item, flea saliva, or something that is easy to remove from the environment. Elimination of certain diets and food trials are often implemented if food allergies are suspected. If flea bites are the problem, it will be necessary to eliminate fleas on the dog. Your veterinarian will suggest the appropriate flea treatment for your dog. Many allergens, however, are difficult or impossible to remove, such as pollen in the air or dust in the home.

The use of antihistamines or corticosteroids is the second method. Antihistamines act by reducing the release of histamine by the mast cells and are often very effective in controlling allergy symptoms. Corticosteroids act in many ways to suppress the allergic reaction before and after the allergy develops. Steroids are very effective, but must be used with caution. If used excessively, adverse effects can be seen. Because of the often-extensive self-trauma associated with allergic conditions, antibiotics are often administered to control the secondary infections that are frequently present.

The final treatment option is the process of desensitizing the patient over time. This desensitization process begins by identifying the allergens that the dog is sensitive to through specialized intradermal tests or blood evaluation. Once the allergens are identified, specialized mixtures of these substances are combined into an injectable form that is given at regular intervals. With time, the dogs immune system response to these allergens diminishes and many dog owners note measurable improvement in their pets.