HEALTH CONCERNS

Below are some common conditions that Miniature Schnauzers are prone to and we need to be on the look out for:

LEPTOSPIROSIS

- Severe disease that affects the internal organs; can spread to people

- Causes: A bacterium which is often carried by rodents, that enters through mucous membranes and spreads quickly throughout the body.

- Symptoms:

Less severe: fever, vomiting and loss of appetite

More severe: shock, irreversible kidney damage and possibly death

 

RABIES

- Potentially deadly that infects warm-blooded mammals. Not seen in United Kingdom

- Causes: Bite from a carrier of the virus, mainly wild animals

- Symptoms:

1st stage: dog exhibits change in behaviour, fear

2nd stage: dog’s behaviour becomes more aggressive

3rd stage: very clumsy, cannot control body functions (poo, pee, saliva)

 

PARVOVIRUS

- Highly contagious virus, potentially deadly

- Causes: Ingestion of the virus, which is usually spread through infected dogs

- Symptoms: severe diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue, lack appetite

 

KENNEL COUGH

- Contagious respiratory infection (affects the lungs)

- Causes: Combination of types of bacteria and virus. Most common are Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria and parainfluenza virus

- Symptoms: severe cough

 

DISTEMPER

- Disease primarily affecting breathing and nervous system

- Causes: Virus that is related to the human measles virus

- Symptoms:

Less severe: fever, lack of appetite and mucous secretion progress

More severe: brain damage, ‘hard pad’

 

HEPATITIS

- Virus primarily affecting the liver

- Causes: Canine adenovirus type (CAV-1). Enters system when dog breathes it in

- Symptoms:

  Less severe: include listlessness, diarrhoea, vomiting

  More severe: include ‘blue-eye’ (clumps of virus in eye)

 

CORONAVIRUS

- Virus resulting in digestive problems

- Causes: Virus is spread through infected dog’s faeces

- Symptoms: stomach pain, shown by lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea

 

MANGE

- Mites cause a skin irritation called mange

- Some are contagious such as cheyletiella, ear mites, scabies and chiggers

TICKS AND MITES

- Bite like fleas, they can’t jump nor fly but crawl

- They harpoon - dig their nose into the dog’s skin and drink the dog’s blood

- Dogs can get Lyme disease. Most dog get ticks from 1 week to 6 months depending on the climate

- How to prevent/treat ticks, mites and fleas with Frontline:

Using FRONTLINE Spot On:

Step 1

Use FRONTLINE Spot On regularly to kill adult fleas on your pet. 

- In severe infestation, apply FRONTLINE Spot On every 4 weeks for 12-16 weeks to bring the flea population under control. 

Step 2

Make sure all dogs are treated.

- Each pet in your household can act as a host for a flea infestation. 

Step 3

Regularly vacuum your carpets and furnishings and wash your pet's bedding above 60C

- The will help to reduce the number of any eggs, larvae and pupae in the environment. 

Step 4

Use an environment spray containing an Insect Growth Regulator. 

- This will kill eggs and larvae that are developing in the home environment. 

Step 5 

Allow treated pets continued access to infested areas. 

- Fleas that hatch out from pupae in the home can then jump onto your treated pet and be killed through contact with FRONTLINE Spot On. No insecticidal treatment kills pupae so this is important step.

Note: It’s normal to continue to see fleas on your pet after treatment as new adult fleas continue to hatch out from pupae in the home environment. These new fleas will be killed within 24 hours of jumping onto your treated pet.

 

INTERNAL PARASITES	Roundworms - Lives in dog’s intestine. They shed eggs continuously. Contagious to people - Average dog can pass 1.36 million roundworm eggs every day
	Hookworms - Dangerous to both people and cats. They have teeth that attach on to the intestines of the dog. The dog loses blood each time it detaches itself - Milbemycin oxime can be used to treat this worm
	Tapeworms - Many species of tapeworms. They are carried by fleas - The dog eats the fleas and the tapeworm cycle starts - Humans can also be infected with tapeworms if we eat the fleas - Tapeworms are not life-threatening to dogs - It can be a very serious liver disease for humans that can cause death
	Heartworms - Heartworms are thin and long, up to 30cm long - They live in a dog’s heart and major blood vessels surrounding it - Dogs may have up to 200 worms. Symptoms may be loss of energy, appetite, coughing, development of a potbelly and anaemia - Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos. Dogs should be treated at about 6 weeks of agae and maintained on a dose given monthly
EYE DISEASES	Conjunctivitis - Redness, discharge and mild discomfort to dog’s eyes - Bacterial infection or dry eye syndrome - Medication should help
	Dry Eye Syndrome - Thick and sticky discharge - Swelling of the cornea - Sometimes caused by antibiotics
	Prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid - Also known as cherry eye - Pink blob of flesh sticking out over the edge of the third eyelid - This condition appears after the first year of life, looks bad
	Corneal Disease - The cornea becomes less transparent - Corneal ulcers can lead to blindness
	Uveitis - Swelling of the vascular tissue, serious disease - Can come together with trauma/impact or cataracts - Leads to blinding cataracts, glaucoma and or retinal detachment - Aggressive therapy that treats the swelling with dilating agents and anti-swelling medication is critical
	Glaucoma - Conjunctiva becomes congested, the cornea cloudy, the pupil moderate and fixed, the eye is painful - Most cases leads to blindness
	Cataracts and lens dislocation - Most common condition leading to blindness, but can be helped via surgery - Pupil change colour from dark colour to blue-grey appearance - Lens dislocation can lead to secondary glaucoma - Most dog cataracts are inherited
	Retinal disease - Retinal degenerations are inherited - Due to vitamin E deficiency - Starts with night blindness then lose vision - More rapid loss of vision is SARD – sudden acquired retinal degeneration.
	Optic nerve - Optic neuritis or inflammation/swelling of the nerve that connects the eye with the brain stem - Sudden loss of vision and widely dilated non-responsive pupils.
SKIN DISORDERS	Inherited Skin Disorders (from parent to child) - The disease can be passed from the parents to the puppy - Sometimes the parents have the disease but they are not affected by it, but can still pass it on to their children - The extra effects of the skin problem can be worse than the problem itself: breathing problems, cancer
	Auto-immune Skin Disorders (allergic to yourself) - For example, Lupus. Can kill humans and dogs, but it is not contagious - Can be treated but too much of these drugs have harmful effects - Symptoms: affects kidneys, bones, blood chemistry and skin
ALLERGIES	Airbone Allergies (allergies transferred by air / breathing) - Dogs and humans usually have the same kind of allergies - Dogs can suffer from hay fever, rose fevers and other fevers, due to pollen - Unlike humans who sneeze and have a runny nose, a dog will scratch and bite himself
	Food Allergies and Intolerance (cannot eat some types of food) - Watch carefully when changing food - When allergic, humans will have a rash or vomit. Dogs will bite, scratch or itch – not so easy to spot - Result: indigestion which leads to loose bowels, farting and stomach pains - Treatment: Get basic food Add one food from the old diet and keep it for one month Next month, add another food Keep going until you find the problem food

 

OTHER HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES

DENTAL HEALTH

- Nylon, safe edible and dental chews are good for dental health and plaque

NEUTER / SPAYING

- If your dog is not competing, this is recommended.

- Benefits: Training is easier. Dog has less desire to mate and can focus

- Females do not have unplanned pregnancies, and no ovarian or uterine cancers

- Males have reduced risk of testicular tumours and prostrate cancer

 

VACCINATING

- Not recommended for ill or pregnant dogs, and avoid for elderly dogs

- Crippled dogs, dogs under surgery, dogs on any drugs that weaken the immune system should not be vaccinated

 

POO POO SYSTEM

- If you see your dog dragging his backside on the ground due to itch, the backside can be infected

- There are two things that have to be empty when your dog poos: anal sac and bowel

- If the sacs are not emptied, it creates a lot of pain for the dog. Your vet and groomer can empty the anal sacs easily

For more information, please refer to:

Publisher: Kennel Club Books in the USA or Interpet Publishings, UK