FitoPets English

Canine coprophagia is an event that does not seem to happen too rarely to our four-legged friends. For those who do not know the term coprophagia, it means that the animal eats his own excrement. Surely,  the subject is not pleasant to deal with, but we can assure you that it is very common for many animals. The only exception are female dogs and cats who have had their puppies and deliberately ingest their feces.

Coprophagia is also common in other animals such as rabbits, rodents, pigs, horses and even primates. However, the issue is more significant in dogs as they lick (kiss) our face! Puppies regularly eat poop because they like to chew and will eat anything. The problem arises with the development of an habit. In some dogs it is a sign of a nutritional deficiency.

 The reasons

There are actually many reasons explaining why dogs eat their own excrement. Sometimes there is an underlying medical condition such as enzyme deficiency or pancreatic insufficiency that can be of a genetic nature.

In the majority of cases it is caused by poor nutrition (we will cover this later in the article).

Even intestinal malabsorption or parasites are among the most common medical causes of coprophagia. The advice is, in these cases, to check your four-legged friend every six months in order to find out if there are any parasites in the intestine. Fecal examination twice a year can determine whether there are parasites in your dog's body and thus become a very useful tool to overcome this problem.

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Today we want to talk about nuclear sclerosis, better known as lenticular sclerosis which  is a phenomenon affecting animals and rarely humans. Specifically, there is a hardening of the tissue that covers the lens of the eye. As we all know, the crystal is the transparent natural lens of the eye and together with the cornea it helps to focus the light rays on the retina. When our pet is suffering from nuclear sclerosis pupils take on a gray-blue color.

Nuclear sclerosis, as mentioned earlier, modifies the lens of the eye and usually develops in both eyes simultaneously. Animals older than six years are more at risk: the problem starts slowly and worsens overtime. It does not cause pain and  the animal adapts gradually to these changes in vision without too much trouble.

In young animals, which are obviously not affected by this disease, the eye lens is clear and this is because it is composed of tissue fibers that are perfectly organized and in good health. Obvously, with age, these fibers will grow old with the animal and as they are closed within the capsule they have no ability to expand when they receive new fibers. As a consequence, old fibers are pushed toward the center of the lens clumping together causing a compression which leads to opacity of the lens.

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Health checks are essential to have a complete overview on your pet's overall well-being. This is because pets are members of our families so it is our duty to monitor their wellness and ensure that they stay happy and healthy as long as possible. 

It 's always very important to monitor any changes, or signs of disease that may occur in your pet even if they have regular veterinary visits and a good diet. An inspection carried out by the owner of dogs and cats is the right method to have a complete and accurate overview of your pet's health. It will allow you to pick up in advance any sign or symptom occurring and therefore predict the onset of potential diseases. 

We must start by checking the head of your pet and see if there are any specific signs. For example the eyes must always be clear and free of any type of discharge around them. It 'also important to always check whether the lens of your pet is clear because if it is cloudy it might be an indicator of cataracts.

Cataracts are caused by free radicals that attack the protein molecules of the lens and oxidise them. It seems that the lens proteins begin to "solidify" or  "freeze" resulting in clouding of part of it. This process will progress overtime compromising more and more the eyesight.

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If you happen to be concerned about your pet's dental and gum health , Dr. Jan Bellows, veterinarian specializing in dental treatment explains on his website that (www.dentalvet.com) some form of periodontal disease do affect over 85% of dogs and cats over the age of four.

The veterinarian adds: "Although it's been a decade of heightened awareness on the importance of dental care by the veterinarians and pets owners, periodontal disease is now the most common infection encountered in veterinary practice."

Dogs and cats puppies begin their life with healthy mouth: gums should be pink, stable and not swollen and should hold the teeth steadly.

Overtime a thin layer of plaque begins to form over the enamel of the teeth.

If nothing is done, the plaque slowly becomes tartar, a hard brown bacterial layer, that not only becomes more difficult to remove but begins to inflame the gums. That is how gingivitis or gum disease occurs both in dogs and cats as well as humans.

                                                                            Healthy gums

                                                                           Gum disease

Once tartar increases on your animal's teeth his gums will become red, swollen and bleed easily when touched. This condition will progressively worsen and pain will increase. Our pet may drool more than usual, refuse to eat or have difficulty eating, and have a bad breath. These are all signs of tooth decay.

Gingivitis is reversible in early stages before it becomes periodontitis which first causes receding gums ( gums that pull away from the teeth making them look longer) and then tooth loss.

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Pets are curious creatures by nature and they are always looking for something appealing to put in their mouth.

This habit can sometimes be dangerous to their health in case they end up on a toxic substance.

Protecting our pets from posions that are stored at home is part of our duties as "responsible parents".
In order to prevent such accidents, here are several substances commonly present in our homes.

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