Dogs have some different ailments than humans and some can be so freaky sounding in name and disease!
There are so many weird dog ailments out there, some are common in humans as well, such as cancer or some organ ailments.
Out of all the dog diseases out there, here is a small list of some of the freakiest ones.
I hope you don’t get grossed out or weirded out!
Top 5 Freakiest Dog Ailments
Anal Sac Disorders:
I am not sure it can get much worse than this (at least in diagnosis name).
- Dogs have anal sacs which are presumed to be scent makers to mark territory.
- These can become engorged and fluid filled, causing them to scoot (that thing they do when they glide across your white carpet on their bums) or licking and biting around the anus (ok, maybe that is worse than the name).
- You might see this more in your smaller dogs such as Chihuahuas or smaller breed Poodles.
- Some known factors are if stool that is often soft, or they have had diarrhea lately, or maybe they just have poor anal muscle tone.
Take your dog to the vet, he will do an exam and probably express the anal glands (you want him to do this, not you) Antibiotics will clear it up and follow up as your vet instructs.
Blue Skin and Mucus Membranes:
- This is also called cyanosis. An easy way to remember is that cyan is a color of blue.
- The skin and mucus will have a blue tinge to them.
- It is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, which means he has a hemoglobin abnormalities.
- Some symptoms are a heart murmur, muffled heart sounds, harsh and loud sounds when he inhales, or weakness, just to name a few (that is enough to be scary though!)
- Cyanosis could be caused by a collapsed trachea or something might be stuck in there. He could have a hernia round the chest wall or diaphragm or even some cracked ribs.
Regardless of the reason, if your dog seems a little blue (and I don’t mean sad) get him to the vet ASAP.
Distemper:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj2Me9EnecO/?hl=en&tagged=distemper
- This one you have heard of, at least the vaccination for it (I hope you got your pup this shot!)
- It is a viral disease and highly contagious, affecting all the body tissues.
- Some scary symptoms you might see involve the respiratory, intestinal and nervous systems.
- The scariest thing about this ailment is that it can be fatal with or without treatment. So spending the few dollars as a pup to get the shot is worth it!
- If he survives treatment, he is most likely going to be left with nervous system disorders.
Don’t skimp on this one.
Parvovirus:
- This is another scary dog disease, although thought to originate in cats.
- Your vet offers a vaccine, this one you want as well!
- Another highly contagious viral disease, it was cause for an epidemic in the late 1970’s (hence the vaccine).
- It is spread through contaminated feces.
- Not to scare you (ok maybe, so you get the vaccine) but death can occur within days of initial contact.
- Your beloved dog could get dehydrated or go into shock or might even develop a bacterial infection in his bloodstream known as Septicemia.
- Look for things like bloody diarrhea and fever.
- He probably won’t want to eat either has his stomach will likely hurt.
Bottom line, if he doesn’t look right to you, bring him in.
White Dog Shaker Syndrome:
- This one sounds exactly like it is, a white dog that shakes. Although it can happen in any dog.
- Tremors are sudden and in severe cases, your dog can have difficulty standing.
- The freakiest part? The cause is unknown.
- The best part? There are no other known health issues that go along with this, including neurological.
- It is scary to watch though! Imagine a human having a seizure, very similar.
- The best treatment is just corticosteroids and will work within a few days.
Some are gross and some are scary. Either way, it’s not fun when your dog is sick. They are like our children!
The worst part about being a dog owner is feeling helpless when they are sick and you don’t know why.
Do you have experience with some freaky dog ailments?
What were they and how did you notice something was wrong?
Share your freaky dog ailments with us below!
